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|By Business Wire||
|January 3, 2013 12:02 PM EST||
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) will unveil the next generation of products and services for Iris™, its cloud-based smart home solution, at the 2013 International CES. Initially launched in July 2012, Iris enables homeowners to monitor and control their home from anywhere via smart phone, tablet or computer with a free basic level of service. At the 2013 International CES, Lowe’s will showcase more than 15 new Iris™ devices and services to make homes safer and more efficient, while providing unique convenience features for homeowners.
Iris Safe & Secure Kit, Iris Comfort & Control Kit, Iris Smart Kit
Additionally, to help support the growing needs of today’s connected homes--from video streaming to gaming across the ever-growing usage of smartphones and tablets for the family--Lowe’s is announcing a new product line for the connected home. The new product line will offer an assortment of routers and switches, as well as Wi-Fi range extenders and Powerline solutions to help expand network coverage for homeowners by leveraging existing home broadband wiring. Lowe’s plans to roll out the new home area network products to as many as 100 stores in the U.S. in the first half of 2013, with the full roll out later in the year.
“As the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world, Lowe’s recognizes the evolving needs of today’s homeowner and is well positioned to offer the widest breadth of compatible connected home products and services at an attractive price,” said Kevin Meagher, vice president and general manager of Smart Home at Lowe's. “Lowe’s Iris system is an excellent choice for homeowners and renters looking to install a system that improves the safety, efficiency and convenience of their daily lives. Iris is simple and affordable, and it will continue to evolve to manage more elements of the home through a tablet or smart phone.
At CES 2013, Lowe’s will showcase new Iris partnerships including Verizon, Honeywell, Whirlpool, Jarden Safety, Orbit Irrigation Products, Pet Safe, Plastair, Spring Window Fashions, Sylvania, Yale, and Pella. Lowe’s existing partners Schlage, First Alert, GE Jasco and Radio Thermostat of America, will be on display as well.
Key Technology Demonstrations at CES 2013
New connected home products and services compatible with Lowe’s Iris system will be displayed in the San Polo Room 3403 of The Venetian during the 2013 International CES, which runs Jan. 8-11, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Throughout this year’s CES, Lowe’s will present a series of solution environments that highlight Iris’ newly extended breadth of capabilities that today’s consumers demand. Below please find a schedule of events and demonstrations:
Location: Lowe’s Iris Connected Home Pavilion is located at The Venetian, Las Vegas, NV – San Polo Room 3403
Schedule: Open daily with demonstrations at 10 a.m. on Jan. 8 and at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jan. 9 - 11.
- Tuesday, Jan. 8 – Iris for Safety: The next generation of Iris products and services combines advanced safety features with the latest technology to provide homeowners with peace of mind. Demonstrations on Tuesday will showcase how Iris can help improve care for seniors and loved ones, alert homeowners to smoke and carbon monoxide in the home even if they are away, and help control door locks from a phone or tablet - eradicating that age old concern: “Did I forget to lock the front door?”
- Wednesday, Jan. 9 – Iris for Efficiency: Iris’ new expanded features include a broad array of monitoring tools that can help reduce costs by controlling energy and water consumption. Demonstrations on Wednesday will feature a number of programmable smartphone-controlled devices including connected thermostats and water heaters, sprinkler systems, window blinds, and even network connected light bulbs.
- Thursday, Jan. 10 – Iris for Convenience: Innovative new Iris products make daily life more convenient for homeowners. Demonstrations on Thursday include a pet door that tracks the comings and goings of up to five different pets, a moisture sensor that reminds homeowners to water their plants, and a new Verizon USB Modem that keeps everything online even without an internet connection.
With fiscal year 2011 sales of $50.2 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 100 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,745 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.
As enterprises work to take advantage of Big Data technologies, they frequently become distracted by product-level decisions. In most new Big Data builds this approach is completely counter-productive: it presupposes tools that may not be a fit for development teams, forces IT to take on the burden of evaluating and maintaining unfamiliar technology, and represents a major up-front expense. In his session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Andrew Warfield, CTO and Co-Founder of Coho Data, will dis...
Feb. 6, 2016 07:15 PM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Fusion, a leading provider of cloud services, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Fusion, a leading provider of integrated cloud solutions to small, medium and large businesses, is the industry's single source for the cloud. Fusion's advanced, proprietary cloud service platform enables the integration of leading edge solutions in the cloud, including clou...
Feb. 6, 2016 03:30 PM EST Reads: 703
With the Apple Watch making its way onto wrists all over the world, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a staple in the workplace. In fact, Forrester reported that 68 percent of technology and business decision-makers characterize wearables as a top priority for 2015. Recognizing their business value early on, FinancialForce.com was the first to bring ERP to wearables, helping streamline communication across front and back office functions. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Kevin Roberts...
Feb. 6, 2016 03:15 PM EST Reads: 322
SYS-CON Events announced today that Commvault, a global leader in enterprise data protection and information management, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7–9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Commvault is a leading provider of data protection and information management...
Feb. 6, 2016 02:30 PM EST Reads: 349
SYS-CON Events announced today that Alert Logic, Inc., the leading provider of Security-as-a-Service solutions for the cloud, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Alert Logic, Inc., provides Security-as-a-Service for on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures, delivering deep security insight and continuous protection for customers at a lower cost than traditional security solutions. Ful...
Feb. 6, 2016 01:30 PM EST Reads: 338
SYS-CON Events announced today that VAI, a leading ERP software provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 18th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 7-9, 2016, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. VAI (Vormittag Associates, Inc.) is a leading independent mid-market ERP software developer renowned for its flexible solutions and ability to automate critical business functions for the distribution, manufacturing, specialty retail and service sectors. An IBM Premier Business Part...
Feb. 6, 2016 01:00 PM EST Reads: 536
The cloud promises new levels of agility and cost-savings for Big Data, data warehousing and analytics. But it’s challenging to understand all the options – from IaaS and PaaS to newer services like HaaS (Hadoop as a Service) and BDaaS (Big Data as a Service). In her session at @BigDataExpo at @ThingsExpo, Hannah Smalltree, a director at Cazena, will provide an educational overview of emerging “as-a-service” options for Big Data in the cloud. This is critical background for IT and data profes...
Feb. 6, 2016 11:00 AM EST Reads: 112
With an estimated 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020, several industries will begin to expand their capabilities for retaining end point data at the edge to better utilize the range of data types and sheer volume of M2M data generated by the Internet of Things. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Don DeLoach, CEO and President of Infobright, will discuss the infrastructures businesses will need to implement to handle this explosion of data by providing specific use cases for filte...
Feb. 6, 2016 11:00 AM EST
Fortunately, meaningful and tangible business cases for IoT are plentiful in a broad array of industries and vertical markets. These range from simple warranty cost reduction for capital intensive assets, to minimizing downtime for vital business tools, to creating feedback loops improving product design, to improving and enhancing enterprise customer experiences. All of these business cases, which will be briefly explored in this session, hinge on cost effectively extracting relevant data from ...
Feb. 6, 2016 09:00 AM EST
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 18th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 7-9, 2015 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 ad...
Feb. 6, 2016 05:00 AM EST Reads: 327
Most people haven’t heard the word, “gamification,” even though they probably, and perhaps unwittingly, participate in it every day. Gamification is “the process of adding games or game-like elements to something (as a task) so as to encourage participation.” Further, gamification is about bringing game mechanics – rules, constructs, processes, and methods – into the real world in an effort to engage people. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Robert Endo, owner and engagement manager of Intrepid D...
Feb. 5, 2016 09:00 PM EST Reads: 769
Eighty percent of a data scientist’s time is spent gathering and cleaning up data, and 80% of all data is unstructured and almost never analyzed. Cognitive computing, in combination with Big Data, is changing the equation by creating data reservoirs and using natural language processing to enable analysis of unstructured data sources. This is impacting every aspect of the analytics profession from how data is mined (and by whom) to how it is delivered. This is not some futuristic vision: it's ha...
Feb. 2, 2016 02:00 PM EST Reads: 401
WebRTC has had a real tough three or four years, and so have those working with it. Only a few short years ago, the development world were excited about WebRTC and proclaiming how awesome it was. You might have played with the technology a couple of years ago, only to find the extra infrastructure requirements were painful to implement and poorly documented. This probably left a bitter taste in your mouth, especially when things went wrong.
Feb. 2, 2016 04:30 AM EST Reads: 838
Learn how IoT, cloud, social networks and last but not least, humans, can be integrated into a seamless integration of cooperative organisms both cybernetic and biological. This has been enabled by recent advances in IoT device capabilities, messaging frameworks, presence and collaboration services, where devices can share information and make independent and human assisted decisions based upon social status from other entities. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Michael Heydt, founder of Seamless...
Feb. 1, 2016 05:00 AM EST Reads: 919
The IoT's basic concept of collecting data from as many sources possible to drive better decision making, create process innovation and realize additional revenue has been in use at large enterprises with deep pockets for decades. So what has changed? In his session at @ThingsExpo, Prasanna Sivaramakrishnan, Solutions Architect at Red Hat, discussed the impact commodity hardware, ubiquitous connectivity, and innovations in open source software are having on the connected universe of people, thi...
Jan. 31, 2016 09:00 PM EST Reads: 715
WebRTC: together these advances have created a perfect storm of technologies that are disrupting and transforming classic communications models and ecosystems. In his session at WebRTC Summit, Cary Bran, VP of Innovation and New Ventures at Plantronics and PLT Labs, provided an overview of this technological shift, including associated business and consumer communications impacts, and opportunities it may enable, complement or entirely transform.
Jan. 31, 2016 07:15 PM EST Reads: 1,135
For manufacturers, the Internet of Things (IoT) represents a jumping-off point for innovation, jobs, and revenue creation. But to adequately seize the opportunity, manufacturers must design devices that are interconnected, can continually sense their environment and process huge amounts of data. As a first step, manufacturers must embrace a new product development ecosystem in order to support these products.
Jan. 31, 2016 10:00 AM EST Reads: 796
There are so many tools and techniques for data analytics that even for a data scientist the choices, possible systems, and even the types of data can be daunting. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Chris Harrold, Global CTO for Big Data Solutions for EMC Corporation, showed how to perform a simple, but meaningful analysis of social sentiment data using freely available tools that take only minutes to download and install. Participants received the download information, scripts, and complete end-t...
Jan. 31, 2016 10:00 AM EST Reads: 1,194
Manufacturing connected IoT versions of traditional products requires more than multiple deep technology skills. It also requires a shift in mindset, to realize that connected, sensor-enabled “things” act more like services than what we usually think of as products. In his session at @ThingsExpo, David Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Ayla Networks, discussed how when sensors start generating detailed real-world data about products and how they’re being used, smart manufacturers can use the dat...
Jan. 30, 2016 07:45 PM EST Reads: 768
When it comes to IoT in the enterprise, namely the commercial building and hospitality markets, a benefit not getting the attention it deserves is energy efficiency, and IoT’s direct impact on a cleaner, greener environment when installed in smart buildings. Until now clean technology was offered piecemeal and led with point solutions that require significant systems integration to orchestrate and deploy. There didn't exist a 'top down' approach that can manage and monitor the way a Smart Buildi...
Jan. 30, 2016 03:45 PM EST Reads: 1,258


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Muscat: Mawasalat Taxi has clarified on reports about the exorbitant cab fares from Muscat International Airport.
The company said the fares of airport taxis were reviewed at the beginning of this year. Earlier the taxi meters used to start RO6, which was revised to RO3 for the trips between 6am and 10pm and RO3,600 for the trips between 10pm to 6 am and on weekends and public holidays.
The base fare was set lower than the current prices but it was rejected by the taxi owners as they found it to be not feasible.
Mawasalat said it will take up with the concerned authorities to regulate the airport taxi fees and is aware of the presence of unlicensed taxi and other private vehicles transporting passengers from the airport.
The unregulated operations gives a wrong impression to the foreign visitors and the review of the current prices will be considered with the competent authorities.
The company added that it does own the taxi fleet does, but manages the services as per the license granted to it by the Ministry of Transport and Communications to regulate the taxi sector.

domain: news


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Some specs leak for the upcoming Surface Pro 7
Microsoft will hold its next Surface themed event on October 2nd and it only makes sense that this is when we could see the unveiling of the Surface Pro 7. In fact, it was on October 2nd of last year when the current version of Microsoft's premium tablet was introduced. A report out of Germany, published by Windowsarea.de (via MSPoweruser), gives us an idea of what to expect specs-wise from the next Surface Pro model.
Just like it did with the Surface Pro line last year, most of the changes made to the Surface Pro 7 will be internal although there could be thinner bezels and a slightly flatter design. The big news is that all of the new variants of the tablet will feature 4G LTE connectivity. And this will be the case even though some units might be powered by 10th generation Intel Core processors and others by ARM CPU cores courtesy of a 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx. The latter is integrated with the Snapdragon X24 modem chip supporting download speeds of up to 2Gbps.
A patent that popped up for the accessory last November revealed a new process to manufacture the TypeCover; this would result in a thinner keyboard 20% lighter than the one found on the current TypeCovers. In addition, a trackpad for the keyboard could be integrated directly into the circuitry.Today's report notes that the DisplayPort will be replaced by a USB-C port, but since Surface Connect will remain onboard, the new port will not support the Thunderbolt 3 standard. And lastly, Microsoft might offer some new TypeCovers for the Surface Pro 7 sporting some different colors.
If there is no change to the screen size, the Surface Pro 7 will be equipped with a 12.3-inch display; we could see a bump to the current 45Wh battery that provides up to 9 hours of battery life for the device.


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In a move that’s wowed the industry, Celebrity Cruises has just announced that it will acquire award-winning Galápagos Islands tour operator, Ocean Adventures. This will see it take on the line’s two ships, and start operating environmentally centric cruises within the volcanic archipelago.
Together with the 100 passenger Celebrity Xpedition, the line will operate exclusive 16-guest catamaran M/C Athala II, along with 48-passenger M/V Eclipse. For Celebrity’s guest capacity presence, the move marks an increase of 65%. Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity’s President and CEO says that the takeover is all part of the line’s commitment to offering its passengers unforgettable experiences.
Intimate or animated? It’s now passenger’s choice!
With both the 100 passenger Celebrity Xpedition, as well as its more intimate counterparts on offer, passengers enjoy the chance to tailor their experiences according to individual preferences.
“Our guests use the most amazing words to describe their journeys to the Galapágos Islands,” added Lisa. “They tell us the experience is ‘once in a lifetime,’ ‘awe-inspiring,’ even ‘life-changing.’ That’s why we’ve made Celebrity Xpedition such a special experience, and why we are thrilled to expand our Galápagos programme with these two intimate ships. We want to make more lifetime memories.”
Continuing a 16-year legacy
The acquisition is amicable, with Ocean Adventures maintaining that it’s honoured to be a part of the Celebrity team. Ben Dod, the company’s President said, “After 16 years of building Ocean Adventures into one of the leading operators in the Galapagos Islands, we are proud to have caught the attention of a world-class cruise company like Celebrity Cruises and proud to be part of their ambitious plans to expand in the region. The MV Eclipse and MC Athala II are the best vessels in their class and we are delighted that both ships will continue to deliver an unequalled level of service and experience to guests.”
Celebrity is celebrating the takeover with the launch of several new itineraries featuring brand new visits to Puerto Villamil, Darwin Bay, Black Turtle Cove, Chinese Hat Islet and the Wall of Tears.
Look out for the new additions following a January 2017 dry dock, when they’ll emerge as brand new members of the Celebrity Cruises fleet. Until then, experience modern luxury at its best and start exploring the huge range of Celebrity Cruises itineraries now on offer. From Bali, Fiji, Singapore and New Zealand to Italy, Greece, Israel and Turkey, Celebrity whisks passengers to the edge of the earth, in paramount style.
Image via Flickr Creative Commons. Photo credits: wanderlasss, pantxorama, Anne Dirkse


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A Cybertruck that was priced by Tesla at $102,000 was resold for $244,500 on Wednesday.
Tesla has a $50,000 resale clause for its Foundation series Cybertruck.
GiveMeTheVin owner said he's had dozens of Cybertruck owners reach out looking to sell their trucks.
Cybertruck owners have already begun flipping their electric pickup trucks and some have turned a hefty profit.
A Foundation series Cybertruck was sold at an auction for $244,500 on Wednesday — over $130,000 more than its sticker price. The vehicle was bought by a Porsche dealer in a wholesale auction on Cox Automotive's Manheim auction platform in Dallas, Texas.
It's unclear what the dealership plans to do with the vehicle, and a spokesperson for Porsche of South Orlando declined to comment on the sale. Elon Musk poked fun at Porsche during the Cybertruck's delivery event earlier this year when he showed a video of the Cybertruck appearing to best a Porsche 911 in a race, while also towing a Porsche 911.
John Clay Wolfe, owner and founder of the car-selling site Give Me The Vin, said his company bought the Cybertruck for $200,000 on Monday from a reservation holder and had previously resold a different Cybertruck directly to a dealer for $220,000.
Since Tesla started deliveries of the Cybertruck on November 30, Give Me The Vin has received dozens of offers from Cybertruck owners, Wolfe said. But, many prospective sellers have been wary of Tesla's $50,000 resale clause.
"We've had people accept our offer and then just completely flake out," Wolfe said. "They start second-guessing the fine, they worry they might get black-balled by Tesla. There's some real fear there."
Last year, Tesla added a $50,000 resale fee to its Cybertruck order terms and conditions sheet, but deleted the clause in the sales agreement a few days later. The carmaker later added the clause to the order agreement for reservation-holders looking to buy its Foundation series version of the truck, saying that those who attempted to resell the vehicle within a year of purchase would face a $50,000 penalty or pay "the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater."
Wolfe said he's gotten more reach-outs from Cybertruck owners since pictures from the auction started circulating on social media. Wolfe said his company typically tries to keep its sales relatively private, but decided to post a video from the auction after people began posting screenshots from the auction online.
"At the end of the day, all we did is make his product more desirable and worth more money," Wolfe said, adding that GiveMeTheVin was also one of the first to resell the Humer EV and Rolls Royce Spectre when they came out.
It's not the first time Tesla owners have attempted to flip their cars. In 2022, some Tesla owners made up to $7,000 reselling their EVs. However, the resale market has been difficult for Tesla owners in recent years due to the company's recent series of price cuts.
Do you own a Tesla or have insight to share reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at firstname.lastname@example.org
Read the original article on Business Insider


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ClimateDoor Announces Expansion of Investor Slots for the Exclusive Polar Beer Taps Ranch Investor Event Series This Weekend in Vancouver.
Vancouver, B.C., Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Due to overwhelming demand and positive response from the investment community, ClimateDoor is excited to announce that the initial 50 investor slots for the exclusive Polar Beer Taps Ranch event have been filled. Recognizing the immense interest, we are releasing an additional 25 slots for investors eager to experience the future of cold beverage technology.
The event, set against the picturesque backdrop of the Polar Beer Taps Ranch in beautiful Belcarra, just minutes outside of Vancouver, offers a unique opportunity for investors to experience Polar Beer Taps’ patent-pending technology firsthand. As the event promises unparalleled insights and experiences, including a special boat journey, the decision to expand the slots was made to ensure more interested parties could participate.
“We’re truly humbled by the incredible response we’ve received,” said Nick Findler, Co-Founder and President of ClimateDoor. “The expansion of investor slots underscores the excitement and potential that industry leaders and investors see in Polar Beer Taps’ groundbreaking beverage technology.”
It’s worth noting that the partnership between ClimateDoor and Polar Beer Taps has been instrumental in reaching this pivotal moment. Together, both companies are pioneering innovative solutions that not only serve cold beverages reliably but also champion sustainability and a reduced carbon footprint.
Interested investors are encouraged to act swiftly, as these additional slots are expected to be filled rapidly. The event will take place between September 28th and October 2nd, with transportation options available for attendees.
To secure your spot and experience the revolutionary Polar Beer Taps technology, click here.
ClimateDoor is a leading force in championing sustainability and innovative solutions in the beverage industry. Partnering with pioneers like Polar Beer Taps, ClimateDoor is at the forefront of creating a sustainable future without compromising on quality or experience.
About Polar Beer Taps:
Polar Beer Taps, headquartered in Vancouver, BC, stands at the cutting edge of beverage technology. Merging sustainability with innovation, the company is committed to revolutionizing how beverages are served, ensuring an unmatched cold and refreshing experience.
Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. AfternoonHeadlines.com takes no editorial responsibility for the same.


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Global FMCG giant Unilever has agreed to sell its pasta brand for Royal $47.8 million to Philippine-based consumer goods firm RFM Corp to focus on its core businesses.
In a disclosure, RFM said the deal covers the 58-year-old Royal trademark, goodwill and inventories. The transaction does not include any of Unilever's facilities or employees in the Philippines.
Ramon Lopez, RFM vice-president, expects that the acquisition would increase the pasta business’ share of the company’s total operations from 15% and would more than offset lost revenues from the selling of its Swift meat business in late 2012.
RFM’s other products include White King cake and sauce mixes, baked bread, milk and beverage brand Sunkist.
“Moving forward, RFM will continue to look for acquisitions that will strengthen its positioning in the food and beverage categories,” it said in the disclosure.
In a separate statement, Rohit Jawa, chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines, said: “Unilever’s decision to divest the Royal brand is in line with our global strategy to focus on our core businesses.”
“Royal pasta is a high quality brand which I am confident will do well under RFM’s experienced management,” Jawa adds.
RFM's Fiesta pasta brand is currently the country’s market leader, while Unilever’s Royal is on second place. Both companies have an existing ice-cream joint venture called Selecta.


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Eons from now, historians will divide human civilization into three distinct periods: the hunter-gatherer era before the agrarian revolution of 10,000 B.C., the "Dark Ages" from then through now, and the new epoch we enter today as Skype announces its iPhone app, which will allow free video phone calls. iPhone owners can use Skype, an Internet-based free video phone service, to call other iPhone owners who have Skype. To announce its new product, Skype has produced a YouTube video of a man dancing in his underwear. Currently, tech blog aggregator site Techmeme only lists 84 tech sites and blogs covering the story, but we assume that number will skyrocket once news of The Revolution spreads throughout the world. Here's what a few of those 84 tech writers are saying.
- 'D-Day' for Video Calling TechCrunch's Leena Rao announces, "D-Day has arrived." Rao adds, "2011 should be a big year for Skype, as the company prepares for an IPO in the next year. With this event looming ahead, Skype has been working to expand usage of its service through enterprise offerings and new product development (i.e. Facebook integration). And we know Skype is going to make a big push to the cloud in 2011, possibly launching a web-based service early in the year."
- The 'Crown Jewel' Engadget's Chris Ziegler calls this a "crown jewel service" for the phone because the "service is free and works over both WiFi and 3G--and considering Skype's existing PC footprint, we'd argue this stands a very real chance of putting the hurt on FaceTime usage. No word on when Skype will be making video-capable clients available for Android or other mobile platforms, but Skype says that there'll be "plenty more" announcements in Vegas next week, so we wouldn't be surprised."
- Will Increase Skype's Importance to Communication ReadWriteWeb's Audrey Watters writes, "As the response to Skype's recent outage demonstrated, the service has become an important communication tool - for both professional and personal reasons. Skype says there are approximately 25 million concurrent users logged into Skype at any given time. And video-calling makes up more and more of that usage."
- Testing iPhone Skype in Bed Get your mind out of the gutter--bed was just the most convenient place for Skype Journal's Phil Wolff to test out the app. " I spent an hour in bed with James Body. Starting about midnight my time, 8 in the morning in the UK." He says the "resolution was low," the "latency was great," the sound was just OK, and the battery life is a concern. "An hour of video calling used 40% of James' phone's full charge. That puts a crimp in using Skype for video calls while away from an outlet."


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Island menswear is getting into gear, thanks to a new wave of forward-thinking gents. Among the vanguard of labels to watch is O‘ahu’s own Salvage Public, founded by Joseph Serrao, Noah Serrao and Napali Souza. Based out of Kaimukī—the Honolulu 'hood best known for its buzzy cuisine scene—the trio has stayed faithful to its local roots while adding contemporary elements that make the pieces wearable in warmer climes around the world. “We offer fresh takes on the classics,” says Joseph. “We like to take pieces that are in every guy’s wardrobe and create a connection to Hawaiʻi, whether it’s through text, imagery, story, manufacturing or collaboration.” And style watchers have been taking notice. For instance, the brand got a well-deserved nod from The New York Times’ style bible, T Magazine, as one of five Hawai‘i surf labels to watch in 2016. Then there is Japan, where the label has been turning heads at trendseeking retailers like Beams and United Arrows. For spring/summer 2017, Salvage Public’s latest outing continues to focus on easy-to-wear staples with graphic appeal. Think smart tees, as well as button-down shirts that play off alohawear motifs, and, of course, bold surf shorts that catch the eye in and out of the water.
“We can’t help but go back to the feeling of summer on the South Shore around this time of year,” says Joseph of the playful aesthetic. And in a welcome twist, denim jackets pay an homage to island heritage with sewn-on patches inspired by Hawaiian quilt work. The season's other big draw: Wovens and shorts are manufactured right in Honolulu. Ready to stock up? Then head to Salvage Public’s outpost at Ward Village Shops’ South Shore Market in Kaka‘ako. Select products are also available at Greenroom Gallery, The Modern Honolulu and other island retailers.
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The duchess is pregnant with her third child.
Rocky Brands President Jason Brooks previously told Footwear News that they hope to expand the company outside the U.S. in the coming years.
Another year, another rowdy Black Friday.
Just in time to cross these off your wish list.
Represent your home country in style.
The workers are striking in hopes of getting wages raised.
Get the scoop on the full lineup here.
Photographing crowds of Black Friday shoppers has become its own holiday tradition.
The shoe mogul prefers online shopping.


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Update: HUAWEI today announced that the new MediaPad M5 Lite 10 will be available for pre booking starting 6th March, 12AM on Flipkart till stocks last and other leading retail channels across India like Croma stores and general trade outlets across India starting on the 13th of March. As a part of launch offer, first 500 customers who book the tablet from 12 A.M. onwards, between March 6th and 13th, 2020, get HUAWEI Sport Bluetooth Headphones Lite worth MRP 3,999, for free. The first sale of the tablet will commence from 12 A.M. on March 13th. .
HUAWEI has launched MediaPad M5 lite with the new HUAWEI M-Pen lite stylus. It pairs with quad-speakers co-engineered with the world-renowned Harman Kardon brand to deliver professional theater-quality sound. Harman Kardon’s “golden ear” acoustic engineering team also contributed to the surveying and testing process as well. Continue reading “HUAWEI MediaPad M5 lite with 10.1-inch FHD display, 4G, M-Pen lite stylus, quad speakers launched in India at Rs. 21990”
Along with the Enjoy 9S and the 9e, HUAWEI also introduced the MediaPad M5 Lite 8″. It has an 8-inch Full HD screen, is powered by Kirin 710 SoC with up to 4GB of RAM, GPU Turbo 2.0, runs Android 9.0 (Pie) with EMUI 9.0, has a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel camera on the front.


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CAPE CORAL, Fla.- A Cape Coral business owner admits to making a racially charged comment during an argument with a FedEx driver who allegedly blocked a handicap spot.
This happened Monday in a shopping complex in the 1200 block of Cape Coral Parkway East in downtown.
According to David Fulkerson, the owner of Diamond Dave’s Creative Jewelry, a FedEx driver parked behind a handicap spot.
“It’s just irritating because I have disabled people in my family and that is one thing I just don’t take lightly and I do go after them,” said Fulkerson.
This has been going on for months with multiple different drivers, Fulkerson explained.
After he confronted the delivery man yesterday, Fulkerson said an argument started.
The business owner accused the FedEx employee of stating he was “white and privileged.”
According to a witness, Ivy Manzo, Fulkerson called the driver a “black a**,” while calling himself “white and privileged”.
“It’s 2021, this type of behavior and name-calling regarding skin color should never be okay,” said Manzo.
She left a Facebook review on Fulkerson’s business page, which recounted what she saw and heard.
“What was your response because we heard that other racist remarks were made” NBC2 reporter, Cristina Mendez, questioned the business owner.
“I can’t say on here… Oh I was pissed, man,” said Fulkerson. “Heat of the moment, that’s all that was.”
Threats of a gun being brought into play also happened, according to Manzo.
Fulkerson said neither of the men ever displayed a gun, however.
“He wanted to fight me. He pulled back a couple times, said he had a gun. I said I have a gun too. (He) went to his truck to get it… came back with nothing,” said Fulkerson.
On Tuesday, Manzo called Fulkerson to discuss what happened.
She is a member of “Showing Up for Racial Justice” or “SURJ”.
She said the organization helped her turn this situation into a learning opportunity.
“He actually apologized to me, so I’m going to be editing my review and commending him for reaching that conclusion. I’m really hoping in the future things like this don’t happen” said Manzo.
The incident was not reported to the Cape Coral Police Department. A spokesperson with the agency confirmed anyone who blocks or parks in a handicap space without a permit could face fines.
FedEx did confirm the company is investigating.


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LG Display has reportedly increased production of 48-inch OLED displays by almost five times as the smaller screens continue to fly off the shelves in TV stores across the globe.
The report from South Korean news website Chosun said LG Display, which makes OLED display technology for LG Electronics and various other TV brands, will ramp up production of 48-inch displays to one million units this year, up from just 220,000 last year.
Before LG Electronics launched its first 48-inch LG CX OLED TV last year, the smallest available OLED TV was 55 inches in size. So the smaller screen size has made the technology available to a much wider audience as it makes it both more affordable and also more suitable for rooms that have limited space.
Chosun adds that one reason for the increased sales of smaller OLED TVs is due to demand from video gamers. With the launch of next-generation games consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X last year, gamers want the best possible experience and so many are choosing an OLED TV, which many believe offers superior contrast and brightness when compared to regular LCD display technology. Of course, LG’s latest OLED TVs also come with essential HDMI 2.1 features such as higher refresh rates that further enhance the gaming experience.
It’s well known that a lot of video games players tend to be teenagers and younger adults who still live at home with their parents, and these people are likely stuck their bedrooms where a smaller TV makes more sense. Interestingly though, Chosun’s report said the demand for OLED TVs from gamers has been so high that some retailers are also offering steep discounts on 55-inch OLED TVs. As a result, it has become possible to buy a 55-inch OLED TV for less money than a 48-inch model.
This year, LG will launch a new 48-inch OLED TV called the LG OLED C1, as well as a more affordable version called the LG OLED A1. Sony and several other companies are also launching new 48-inch OLED TVs this year.
The news comes as LG has reportedly started rolling out its 2021 TV lineup globally, including its new LG QNED, or Mini-LED TVs that are based on LCD technology but feature many more local dimming zones to enhance the picture on screen. LG’s higher-end TVs this year all feature its newest Alpha 9 Gen 4 AI processor that comes with better deep learning capabilities. LG said the new chip is able to optimise picture quality according to the amount of light in each scene and also the specific genre users are watching. It can also adjust the picture according to the amount of ambient light in the room, and helps to ensure better content upscaling, for example when watching regular HD content on a 4K screen.
LG’s 2021 TVs will also come with the updated webOS 6.0, which provides more focus on content discovery and personal recommendations and faster access to apps.
LG said that “select TV series, models and sizes” are being rolled out to retailers globally now, but we might have to wait a few days before we find out exactly which ones will go on sale first.
Here's our review of the LG 48-inch CX OLED TV that was launched last year:


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A commitment to improvement is one of the foundations of health and fitness. Baptist Healthplex at Mississippi College has recently committed to an improved online presence with its recent launch of a new, mobile-responsive website, www.healthplexclinton.com. The new site enables users to find group exercise schedules, membership information, a free 3-day trial offer, upcoming events, and staff contact info from their smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.
Since its beginning, Coahoma Electric Power Association (EPA) has worked to provide low cost electricity to its consumers throughout northern Mississippi. Today, their services are even more visable with the launch of their new website www.coahomaepa.com. Optimized for all devices, the new website is geared for the consumer, facilitating ease and convenience in establishing new service, paying bills online, checking current weather conditions, and finding or reporting pertinent information concerning electrical outages.
Many obstacles face returning ex-offenders as they rejoin their families and neighborhoods after incarceration. In order to make this transition successful for ex-offenders, their families, and the communities to which they are returning, the Foundation for the Mid South, on behalf of the Mississippi Reentry Council, has recently launched a new website, www.msreentryguide.com, to connect people to services.
After more than two decades in business, Batesville Tooling & Design stands by the fact that their customers deserve superior performance for their investments. As evidence of this commitment, BTD recently launched their new website www.btd-inc.net, which features videos and user-friendly tabs for information regarding their services, industries they serve, current news, contact information, and a Request a Quote feature.
The owners of Brandon-based Pool Works are self-proclaimed "pool people," and contend that a swimming pool is a lot of work, but owning one is worth the attention. This love of pools flows clearly in the recently-launched website www.poolworksms.net, designed with a fresh, colorful look and quick, easy-to-use information tabs.
Petroleum Equipment Co., Inc. (PECO) is pleased to announce the launch of their new website, petroleumequipmentco.com. The website features an array of information about their services and products.
Web services company U.S.NEXT clearly believes bigger is better. Adding yet another business to its ranks, the company recently closed its tenth acquisition by agreeing to acquire the operations of Accessible Computer Experts for an undisclosed amount.
The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services is pleased to announce the launch of their Project Start website, msprojectstart.org. The website features user-friendly tabs for About Us, Services, Resources, and Contact information
“Project Start needed a website that would be informative yet user-friendly for consumers and other interested parties,” said David Crawford of USNX. “We were able to design a website that makes it easy to access information and increase awareness of Assistive Rehabilitative Technology.”


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Co-op launches campaign to highlight positive impact on Sidmouth community
The Co-op has launched a campaign, #UnwrapCoops, to shine a light on local stories including those in Sidmouth that have had a positive effect
By Will Goddard
Posted: Wednesday, 22nd June 2022 11:02 am
The Co-op has launched a new campaign, #UnwrapCoops, to coincide with the annual 'Co-op Fortnight', which this year is taking place from Monday 20 June to Sunday 3 July.
The #UnwrapCoops campaign seeks to highlight the positive influence your local Co-op is having on members' lives.
Co-ops are owned by the people closest to the business, not distant investors. This means beyond profits, Co-ops focus on how they can bring value to their members and community.
A Co-op spokesperson said: "This year we're doing something a little different. It feels like all of us need something uplifting. Something emotionally engaging. Some good news! We're celebrating the diversity of our co-op network so that everyone can see there's plenty of space for them to join us. Co-ops are a gift that gives back, no matter the nature of the business, the size, or the location.
"#UnwrapCoops will harness the power of stories to give members the chance to celebrate the positive influence their co-op has had on their lives.
"Celebrating creates an irresistible energy. Sharing people's successes inspires others to take part. Stories emotionally engage people and creates interest in #WhyCoops are great for everyone."
Our co-operative in Sidmouth has been life-changing to the local community, particularly through the Co-op Local Community Fund (LCF).
Through the LCF, money is being raised as we speak for local causes Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub, The Wave Project, and Sidmouth C of E Primary School PTFA.
When Co-op Members buy selected Co-op branded products and services, 2p for every pound spent goes into their Co-op Membership account and Co-op gives the same to support community organisations and local causes.
Keep an eye out for the #UnwrapCoops hashtag on social media to celebrate the stories and gifts that a Co-op can give a local community.
Become a member of the Co-op today and receive £3 off a £10 shop.
When a new member joins the Co-op using the Co-op App from now until – 12 July, they will receive a digital offer for £3 off, when they spend £10 or more in our food stores.*
*Offer excludes alcohol, fuel, lottery and stamps. Members can buy excluded items in the same transaction, but the total of their basket needs to be £10 without them for the offer to work. Full Terms & Conditions can be found here.


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Update: China’s Exports, Imports Return to Growth
China’s goods exports and imports both returned to growth in June, beating market expectations, official data showed Tuesday, as external demand for medical supplies kept rising and the country’s economy continued to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Exports grew 0.5% (link in Chinese) year-on-year in dollar terms last month, reversing a 3.3% drop in May, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. The reading beat the median forecast for a 3% decline in a Caixin survey (link in Chinese) of economists.
Imports rose 2.7% year-on-year in June, up from a 16.7% slump (link in Chinese) the previous month and marking the first increase this year. The reading outpaced the median forecast for a 10% drop in the Caixin survey.
In June, China’s trade surplus shrank to $46.4 billion from $62.9 billion the previous month.
Overseas demand for epidemic prevention supplies has risen fast recently, according to the customs administration. In the first half-year, exports of textiles, including face masks, rose 32.4% year-on-year. In the same period, exports of medical equipment, as well as medical materials and medicine grew 46.4% and 23.6%, respectively.
“When China resumed most of its production in late March, other major economies were deeply mired (in) the pandemic with broad-based restrictive lockdowns, providing it with substantial space to ramp up exports of medical products, such as masks and ventilators,” economists at Nomura International (Hong Kong) Ltd. said in a note. They added that as production in other major economies was hit hard by the pandemic, massive government stimulus created a large gap between demand and supply which was filled by Chinese exports.
China’s trade with the U.S. shrank in the first half of 2020, though imports of American goods dropped at a slower pace in June as China worked towards meeting its phase-one trade deal commitments. Imports from the U.S. dropped 4.8% year-on-year (link in Chinese) in the first six months, a milder decline than a 7.6% fall (link in Chinese) in the January-to-May period. That compares to a 7.1% decline for China’s total imports in the same period.
“Facing the difficulties of a sudden epidemic, we are still keeping our promises and implementing the (Sino-U.S. trade) agreement,” Li Kuiwen, a spokesperson for China’s customs administration, said at a briefing Tuesday (link in Chinese). Signed in January, the agreement includes a pledge from China that it will increase its purchases of U.S. goods and services by no less than $200 billion over the following two years from a 2017 baseline.
In the second half of the year, China’s foreign trade sector still faces a difficult situation amid increasing uncertainties due to the pandemic and economic and trade frictions with the U.S., Li said.
Economists hold mixed views on the trade outlook in the second half-year. “There are signs that overall global trade is stabilizing and we expect exports to recover more decisively later in (the second half) alongside the global economy,” Louis Kuijs, head of Asia economics at research firm Oxford Economics Ltd., wrote in a note.
But the Nomura economists said that much depends on the progress of the pandemic. “If the Covid-19 pandemic extends to end-2020 or even into 2021, China’s export growth would eventually be hit by the weakness in global demand,” they said.
Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (firstname.lastname@example.org) and editors Lin Jinbing (email@example.com) and Joshua Dummer (firstname.lastname@example.org)
Caixin Global has launched Caixin CEIC Mobile, the mobile-only version of its world-class macroeconomic data platform.
- MOST POPULAR


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Tuebingen – Schawk Australia, the regional deployment agency of global brand experts, SGK Inc is working with GMG and Kayell Australia to standardise local color proofing capabilities to align with global proofing strategy. GMG, a world leader in color management services and SGK Inc have strong global alignment.
Kayell Australia (exclusive GMG distributor in Australia) is working with Schawk Australia to roll-out new GMG color management software in four new Epson PSeries proofing devices and at Schawks’ North Sydney headquarters. As part of the GMG implementation, there are several new client onsite facilities setups.
Ryan Sharratt, Operations Manager, Schawk Australia said “consistent with our global capabilities we will use the latest version of GMG FlexoProof software on three new Epson PSeries 9070 (44 inch) and one new P7070 (24 inch) proofers, installed and maintained by Kayell”. Mr Sharratt added “Kayell will also supply consumables that consistent of ink and GMG media for the devices”.
Commenting on the new GMG OpenColor technology, Kayell’s director Andreas Johansson says, “The ability to calculate the behaviour of overprinting spot colors will save valuable press runs meaning new brand colors can be brought to market quickly, economically and most importantly with insane accuracy.” Andreas continues, “I believe that once Schawk has implemented the GMG roll out in full, they will see dramatic improvements in many areas.” “Our key brand owners can be reassured that color accuracy and consistency will be maintained regardless of which Schawk location, and in which location the job is produced. SGK and Schawk is a worldwide organisation, and repeatability and consistency is paramount for our international clients” said My Sharratt.
Kayell Australia confirmed Schawk locally joins a growing list of GMG packaging customers around the world who have adopted GMG ColorProof and GMG OpenColor. Globally Schawk had expressed a strong desire to standardise its global proofing process with a consistent system that would accurately represent color - no matter the ultimate print process, ink, or substrate used. Schawk’s internal workgroup, the Color Task Force (CTF), spent more than a year conducting extensive testing and analysis before it decided to work with GMG’s color solutions. The CTF noted GMG’s strong capability to perform worldwide remote proofing at customer and print sites—as well as global Schawk locations.portfolio.


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Sorry, I meant as in 10 million plus for the first month or whatever the "anal-ysts" are predicting. I am sure they will sell more than the previous generation as Apple is still trying to enter into new markets around the world and a lot of the 2-3 yr contract ppl who are Apple owners are due for an upgrade.
I would expect more iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 owners who are loyal to Apple to upgrade to the iPhone 5 which would show a boosted increase in sales.
What I would like to see is how many new users are actually going to an iPhone over their currently phone or for their first phone.
I think iPhone is no longer the "cool" device as it once was. Android shows more innovation and advancement in the industry and Nokia has also impressed a lot of the younger generation of ppl and is also taking a run a the corporate enterprise end.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I am wondering if they will sell 50+ million, since there are so many alternatives out there. Like you said, it will be interesting to see what happens.


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In a taxi. At a restaurant. On a chairlift in Utah.
Karen Stives has come to expect people to recognize her family’s business, The Barn, wherever she goes.
Started by her father, Russell Wennbergh, in 1948, the red warehouse-sized independent shoe store in Newton is celebrating its 60th year as a family-owned establishment – one of the last of its kind. Stives, a former Olympic gold medalist who inherited the business from her mom, Lillian, in the late 1980s, said, “Even some big chains don’t last 60 years. My father would be proud.”
Stives said she would be rich if she had a dollar for every time someone says: “My mom took me to The Barn” – especially as the store and its 30-year-old sidekick, The Kids Barn, are both tucked down a hill at 25 Kempton Place in West Newton.
“This is a destination,” she said. “We’re not easy to find.”
The hidden gem, though, is filled with all the top brand names – Uggs, Crocs and Stride Rite, to name a few. The service is akin to what one gets at a department store, but often the prices are more competitive.
To be sure, the store is a throwback to the old discount department stores like Birke’s in Lowell and Spag’s in Shrewsbury. Both are gone now, but Stives credits her customers’ loyalty and the diversified brands she sells as hallmarks of success.
Stives didn’t consider a career in retail until 1988. During the early and mid-1980s, she was a world champion equestrian. In 1984, she won gold and silver medals at the Olympics and was the first American to medal in three-day eventing. But when medical problems were discovered in all three horses she intended to take to Seoul, South Korea, for the 1988 Olympics, Stives decided to retire.
“I thought maybe it was time for a change. I never looked back,” she recalled.
Her mom taught her the ropes and Stives tried to bring her team-minded experience from riding – “You don’t get to the Olympics by yourself” – to the business. Today, she oversees 40 employees, and is set to launch a Web site on Saturday.


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Blizzard Entertainment, a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI), announced last Wednesday (February 29, 2012) that it "is conducting a global reduction in workforce of approximately 600 employees." This sparked a 2.25% selloff during nearly triple the average volume on Thursday and created a good opportunity to buy.
The Layoffs Are Not a Sign of Bad News
The common reaction to the news of mass layoffs is that the company in question is struggling to succeed. In many - even most - cases it is an accurate reaction. This time, it is not.
As described in my previous article, Blizzard Entertainment has a very positive outlook this year due to its strong release line-up. Diablo III, to be released in Q2, is currently the top selling PC game on Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). Later this year either an expansion to World of Warcraft or Starcraft II will be released. In the pipeline is Blizzard: DotA, a modification to Starcraft II, and Titan, a new massively multiplayer online role playing game. This is not the lineup of a struggling game designer.
The press release stated that
[t]he company anticipates approximately 90% of the affected employees will come from departments not related to game development. The World of Warcraft® development team will not be impacted.
This implies that the majority of the layoffs are to simplify the management structure of Blizzard to make it a more effective, efficient, and successful.
Active restructuring by Activision Blizzard to maintain and increase efficiency is nothing new. Since merging in 2008, significant money, time, and effort has been spent in "[reducing] studio headcount and corporate overhead." Indeed, last year saw the total ATVI employment drop by roughly 300 employees. Information has not been released as to where in the company these layoffs were from, but based on the positive FY2011 results, it would be hard to argue that it was related to poor results.
The majority of these restructuring efforts finished with the end of FY2011, but given the lack of evidence to the contrary, it is reasonable to assume that these layoffs are part of the winding down of this restructuring process.
These layoffs do not portend a lackluster future for Blizzard, but indicate a more effective management structure that will boost profits, creativity, and corporate nimbleness. As people misinterpret these layoffs and sell, it offers a very lucrative buying opportunity for those who see it for the positive step that it is.
Disclosure: I am long ATVI.
Additional disclosure: I significantly increased my holdings of ATVI on Friday morning.


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Spotify, the music streaming giant, has shut down the funding program for the Greenroom Live App. Earlier this month, Spotify rebranded the Greenroom App as Spotify Live for its live audio creators.
In June last year, Spotify launched the Greenroom Live app to connect fans and creators deeper through live listening in its ecosystem. Greenroom allowed users to stream live conversations with celebrities, influencers, and other creators and paid them weekly. Spotify had mentioned that a creator’s audience size and how their content was consumed would factor into the payments.
However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the funding program never took off. Other media reports claim that the Swedish company has sent emails to creators about shutting down the Greenroom live creator fund.
The Spotify spokesperson has said that the Greenroom funding will be shifted towards “other initiatives for live creators.”
“Spotify Live can now be found both as the stand-alone app listeners, and hosts know and love, and as a Livestream function in the Spotify app alongside your favorite music and podcasts,” Spotify stated while rebranding Greenroom to Spotify Live earlier this month.


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Holiday Mart 2020
The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time museum annual museum “funraiser” Holiday Mart 2020 shopping event is open Thursday, Friday’s and Saturday’s from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through December 19th, or until items sell out. This year, thanks to the support of Fountain Hills Chamber member Whitestone REIT, owner and operator of Fountain Hills Plaza the Fountain Hills community home of Basha’s and Ace Hardware, Holiday Mart will be located in the former “Fountain Fashion’s” shop at the Basha’s Center. The museum is grateful to Daniel Kovacevic of Whitestone REIT for helping to make this location possible.
Gently used holiday décor, wreathes and a variety of Christmas trees are on display at great discounts. Several collectables, and serviceware can be found. It’s a treasure hunt for the savvy holiday shopper!
In keeping with safety guidelines for the Corona-19 virus, all shoppers will be required to wear masks and don gloves when entering and will be encouraged to respect a distance of six feet between other shoppers. Gloves will be made available The number of guests and volunteers in the building at one time will be limited to half capacity. Anyone exhibiting any symptoms of illness are asked to come shop once they are feeling better.
The Museum is closed but still accepting donations of “gently used” holiday décor. Pick up is available by calling 480.837.2612 or emailing email@example.com.
Museum staff will be monitoring phone messages and questions are welcome at 480.837.2612, or e-mail Executive Director, Cherie Koss at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A chocolate diet is one of those beautiful stories that people who are constantly focused on losing weight embraced passionately, happy that they would finally be able to enjoy the godly taste of one of the most popular foods in the world.
The chocolate diet became popular last spring, when John Bohannon and co-authors published a study in an online magazine that does not peer-review. The study reported that a clinical trial he had ran along with his colleagues proved that chocolate could help people lose weight under certain conditions.
The intention behind the experiment was not to see how effective chocolate really was, but to prove that studies related to nutrition can be based on very thin research and still remain unverified while they are received with open arms by all those who are prepared to believe anything related to dieting.
In recent years, dieting has become a whole industry, very similar to tabloid stories. People are prepared to “devour” anything they find online or in various magazines.
It is no wonder that quite a lot of online newspapers and magazines that are considered very reliable sources took the study for granted and it soon became viral. The story sold well, so journalists kept writing about it.
Bohannon was amazed how few reporters asked questions related to the study, how few people looked him up online or wondered why the institute where the trial was conducted had no previous record.
Bohannon claims that a closer look at his study, that was intentionally flawed, would have easily shed light on all those errors.
However, he also mentioned that the trial was for real – it was carried out with German participants, who were placed in three categories – one had to adopt a low-carb diet with 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate, one group had a low-carb diet, and the other group made no changes in their dietary habits.
Even if a ten percent weight loss was recorded in the group that had a daily intake of chocolate, Bohannon said this was not of great importance because, according to his report, “if you measure a large number of things about a small number of people, you are almost guaranteed to get a “statistically significant” result.”
Bohannon hopes this confessional report will teach both reporters and readers a lesson not to adopt dietary advice from any source without checking first.
He advises people to search for information in order to check if a story is true. They can do research to find out where the study was carried out, how many people were involved in it and if the journal it was published in was reliable enough.
Image Source: heaneyl.hubpages


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Singapore (Singapore) – November 23, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Influential Brands, a think-tank research and business organisation which identifies, engages and recognises “The Champions of Excellence” throughout Asia, has named and recognised nine Thai companies as deserving winners at the 2018 Thailand’s Outstanding Brands. The winners were judged not only on their outstanding success in its own category, industry or domain, but also on their significant growth in the past few years. Some of the key indicators used to assess the companies’ performance include – profitability, revenue, number of stores, number of employees, among others.
From left to right: Mr Jorge Rodriquez, Managing Director of Influential Brands, Mr Chairat Sirivat, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Royal Thai Embassy to Singapore, Ms Vannee Leelavechbutr, Founder & CEO of Neo Target Company Limited, Ms Pavarisa Chumvigrand, Chief Marketing Officer of LINE Mobile Thailand Co. Ltd, Mrs Napasorn Pranich, CEO of SparSha Slimming Center, Mr Seah Kian Peng, CEO of NTUC Fairprice, Mr Somsak Mauthorn, Senior Executive Vice President of Siam Kubota Corporation Co. Ltd, Mr Piya Tantivachyanon, CEO of Superrich Currency Exchange (1965) Co. Ltd.
Mr Jorge Rodriguez, Managing Director of Influential Brands said: “With the ASEAN economic agenda gearing towards business expansion across Asia and enhancing productivity, we are delighted to recognise the exemplary efforts of Thai companies that are expanding and growing their businesses.”
This year, the nine top Thai companies winning the outstanding brands award ranged from food and beverage (F&B), fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) including agricultural machinery to financial services and online brands. Some of them have demonstrated sustainable double digit growth, continuous business development and integration of technology and innovation.
Ms Vannee Leelavechbutr, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Neo Target Company Limited, revealed that Neo Target will be the co-organiser of the inaugural Influential Brands Awards for companies in Thailand which will be held in Bangkok on 11 December.
“In response to this latest trend in markets across Asia, Neo Target hopes to raise awareness among Thai entrepreneurs and owners of Thai brands of the significance of organisational reputation management as well as the importance of improving brand acceptance and trust, in order to enhance their business growth and ensure their competitiveness both at national and international levels,” said Ms Leelavechbutr.
The highlights of the four award-winning Thai companies which attended the 2018 CEO Asia Summit are as follows:
Line Mobile – Without doubt, this is one of the fastest growing brands in the telecom industry. Recognised as the first and leading 100% digital mobile service provider in Thailand, Line Mobile disrupts the market by completely shifting consumer behaviour from offline to online. Keeping consumer centricity in mind, Line Mobile focuses on turning consumer frustrations from traditional mobile services into delightful user experience. With Line Mobile SIM, consumers can simply call, chat, and enjoy internet surfing at a cheaper rate than any competitor. In less than a year, Line Mobile has achieved phenomenal sales growth of over 250%.
Siam Kubota – The market leader of machinery solutions for agricultural industry and commanding a market share of almost 80% in Thailand, Siam Kubota is now recognised as the company for its vision of “Agricultural Innovation For The Future”. As an agricultural solutions provider in ASEAN, the company focuses on products and services development. It incorporates agricultural knowledge and experience with cutting-edge technology to sustainably enhance farming efficiency and thus contributing to the stability of Thailand’s agricultural sector, as well as to ensure food security for the global population.
Superrich Currency Exchange (1965) – Established since 1965, SuperRich is the best-known currency exchange service in Thailand. Recognising the ever-growing tourism industry, the company offers a more convenient option with more favourable rates and more accessible locations compared to other competitors. As of today, SuperRich has over 40 outlets throughout Bangkok and they transact more than 34 currencies, serving up to 1 million customers per month. The company is also preparing to expand to other ASEAN countries and Europe in the near future.
SparSha – SparSha Slimming Center is a well-known brand in the beauty industry of Thailand. Operating for more than a decade, the company has earned the love and trust of its customers with its high-quality products and services. Its steady growth allows SparSha to establish over 40 centers situated in various department stores across the country. SparSha stands out for its innovation and technology, harnessing them to develop and introduce new products and services to continually delight its customers.
The 2018 CEO Asia Summit culminated in the presentation of Asia’s most-coveted “Top Influential Brands”, “Outstanding Brands”, “Hall of Fame” and the highly anticipated announcement of the winners in the new category of “Top Employer Brands”.
About Influential Brands
Influential Brands is a think-tank, research and brand recognition platform formed to identify, engage and recognise the best brands throughout Asia. Its family of brands comprises global and regional brands from over 15 countries worldwide. Leveraging on more than 19 years of branding knowledge, know-how and expertise in Asia, it seeks to provide knowledge, raise awareness of desirable brands, and celebrate the unique aspects of Asian-based businesses and Asia’s rich brand heritage. Brand excellence is celebrated following extensive consumer and market research, assessment of branding qualities, influence and impact on consumers. Influential Brands strives towards “Champion of Excellence”.


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There comes a time in many a car’s life when it realizes it just isn’t wanted anymore. Frequently, it’s because it’s a decade old and, despite a mid-cycle refresh, just isn’t in demand enough to warrant a redesign. Sometimes, though, it happens right out of the gate because the car simply misses the mark. Yes, we’re looking at you, Alfa Romeo Tonale.
With third-quarter sales results in, we decided to look at which cars have sold the worst so far this year. Using data from our friends at GoodCarBadCar, we sorted through the cars that are already out of production — we’re proud of you, buyer of the single Toyota Avalon sold last month — to give you the worst-selling cars so far this year.
Spoiler alert: Things are not looking great for Jaguar.


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The move reflects a changing business in which traditional food magazines, and a Manhattan address, are less important.
NYS Entity Status
NYS Filing Date
SEPTEMBER 18, 2013
NYS DOS ID#
NYS Entity Type
DOMESTIC BUSINESS CORPORATION
2013 - EVOLUTION OF A GENTLEMAN INC.
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- 'NY Times' Finally Joins Snapchat Discover
Monday Apr 24, 2017
Does The New York Times joining Snapchat Discover lend an air of respectability to a new platform, and breathe new life into an aging publisher? That's obviously what the partners are planning -- but only time will tell.


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Eight years ago on September 23, Google released Android 1.0. Today, the mobile operating system has more than 80 percent of the smartphone market around the world.
Despite many issues, like a fragmented update process, increased anti-competitive scrutiny by European powers, and increased malware attacks, the operating system has grown remarkably within that short 8-year span.
Android’s Twitter account said the company was “whipping up something sweet for a big day” on Saturday. The image in the tweet showed Bugdroid, Android’s green mascot, whisking some eggs next to ingredients including marshmallows, nougat, and Kit Kat bars.
— Android (@Android) September 23, 2016
If you’re unaware, the ingredients refer to versions of Android — 4.4 KitKat, 6.0 Marshmallow, and the more recent 7.0 Nougat. Turns out, the announcement was commemorative as we expected.
— Android (@Android) September 24, 2016
Still, Android and Chrome OS Senior Vice President, Hiroshi Lockheimer, tweeted the following: “We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today. I have a feeling 8 years from now, we’ll be talking about Oct. 4, 2016.”
Android Police says we’ll be seeing more than the crop of hardware devices expected to launch at Google’s October 4 event in San Francisco. Google may offer a sneak peak at Andromeda, the codenamed project that merges Android and Chrome OS. This would mark one of the biggest changes to Android since its initial release.
We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today. I have a feeling 8 years from now we'll be talking about Oct 4, 2016.
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) September 24, 2016
The company is expected to launch Google Home, Daydream VR, a Chromecast, and a Wi-Fi router at the event. There hasn’t been much news about Android Wear 2.0 since I/O, but it’s still in beta and expected to launch this fall.
Android, Inc. was founded in 2003, and Google bought the company in 2005. The first Android-powered handset, the HTC Dream, was released in 2008.
- Android 13 is here, and you can download it on your Pixel phone right now
- This lesser-known Android phone is everything I wish the OnePlus 10T was
- Apple plans to put more ads on your iPhone, report claims
- As a loyal iMessage user, I’m sick and tired of Apple’s resistance to RCS
- Meta wants you to use its creepy Portal as a secondary monitor


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CMA CGM Targets Expansion in Africa
The CMA CGM Group said 2014 will be the year of African ambition.
At this occasion, the CMA CGM Group announced the launch of its new advertisement campaign in Africa thus reaffirming its ambition to expand further on this continent.
This new campaign, uses a CMA CGM AFRICAMAX vessel specially built to optimize operations in African ports, reasserts the Group’s position as leader in the transport market through a global offer of both maritime and inland services.
Present in Africa since 2001, when the WAX trade was created – linking West Africa with China – and consolidated with the acquisition of DELMAS, the maritime transport expert in Africa, in 2006, the CMA CGM Group is now the leading transport in Africa.
With 72 offices in 43 countries, 25 maritime services, 1 300 employees, the CMA CGM Group has transported over 1 200 000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in 2013 from/to Africa.
Already established in Africa, the group aims at reinforcing its maritime services with the opening of new trades and calls, developing the creation and modernization of its ports infrastructures, extending its solutions for intermodal transport so as to deliver cargo inland and creating new logistic platforms offering a wide range of additional services to its customers (storage, stuffing…).
Since January 2014, the CMA CGM Group has continuously developed in Africa:
- January 2014: CMA Terminals, 100% subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, sign an agreement for a stake of 25% of Lekki Terminal, in Nigeria.
- January 2014 : the launch of a new feeder dedicated to Mozambican ports : Rhino Express
- January 2014 : the launch of the Noura Express, a new service linking the world with Somalia through CMA CGM’s hub in Khor Fakkan.
- February 2014 : the launch of a second container platform, the TCD2, in Dakar, enabling the Group to reinforce its position as leader of the import/export market in Senegal.
- February 2014 : the launch of two new agencies in Mauritania, in Nouakchott and Nouadibhou.
With this campaign highlighting the Group’s activities in Africa, CMA CGM reaffirms its ambition to expand in Africa, to better serve its clients at sea and on land and to strengthen its leading position.


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Islamabad: (online) Two day National olive Festival kicks off in National Agriculture Research Centre Islamabad in a joint venture of PSDP. Twenty Eight Olive stakeholders from Public and Private sector participated in the said event. The event was attended by wide range of society including olive farmers, growers, service providers and other entrepreneurs. The Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali was Chief Guest on this occasion. Foreign dignitaries including Ambassador of Republic of Spain to Pakistan and Ambassador of Tunisia, trade & commercial attaché in Spanish Embassy, Director AICS Dr. Emuella Benini also grace the occasion. Speaking on this occasion Managing Director Dr Khair Muhammad Kakar expressed hope that day is not far when Pakistan will be a proactive member of the international olive community. Expressing his thoughts on this function, the chief guest commended the efforts of the organizers and said that continued practice of holding festivals and programs like this will a booster for olive value. At the end, growers, stakeholders, and event managers were awarded with souvenirs for excellent performance in holding such a great event. National project Director thanked all participants.
(Ghulam Shabbir Mirza)
Incharge (PR& Protocol)


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Kohl’s Corp. wasn’t the only company reporting disappointing sales in November.
It was a rough month for the retail industry, although retailers aren’t sounding the alarm about the holiday season just yet.
November and December are by far the most important months for most retailers because of the holiday shopping season. But even though many retailers posted losses for the four weeks ended Nov. 24, several said they had strong sales on Black Friday and the rest of the Thanksgiving week.
The 16 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters that reported results Thursday had an overall sales increase of 1.6 percent for the month, but analysts had been expecting a 3.3 percent increase, according to The New York Times.
Many retailers blamed superstorm Sandy for some of the losses, according to the Washington Post. The storm closed down many stores along the East Coast for several days and prevented people from shopping for weeks afterward.
The rise of e-commerce might also be pushing some sales to December. For example, online sales rose by more than 50 percent at Kohl’s for the week of Thanksgiving, and many of those sales won’t be recognized until December.
If you include those online sales, sales were up for Kohl’s during the week of Thanksgiving, the company said.


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Rickmers, which manages the ship for Maersk said Iranian navy fired "warning shots" at Marshall Islands-flagged Maersk Tigris.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command has begun accompanying U.S.-flagged maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
A strike could come as soon as Monday, according to a statement from Teamster affiliate Justice for Port Truck Drivers.
Trade Promotion Authority gives the White House more freedom to negotiate major free trade agreements with Pacific Rim and European partners.
Cuba has pent up demand for trade and U.S. companies are eager to tap a new export market.
The Senate approved another short-term extension to continue funding highway, bridge and transit projects.


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Chinese Lottery Gets You A new Car Maybe
In a bid to cut back air pollution and smog surrounding the heavily polluted city that is chinese of (try saying that three times fast), a new kind of lottery is being introduced. But winning this lottery doesn’t produce economic independence and an extravagant lifestyle; rather it entitles you to purchase a new vehicle.
She’s Got a Ticket to Ride
Licenses to obtain a car in the town and letting you drive will be issued with a lottery, because the neighborhood officials have had to take outlandish measures to cut back the smog and carbon footprint associated with town.
Shijiazhuang, the capital of this steel-producing Hebei province which surrounds Beijing, has now get to be the locality that is latest from the biggest auto market on earth to introduce this type of measure. Other Chinese urban centers which have imposed a restriction on vehicle purchases include Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Guiyang.
How many brand new automobiles in Shijiazhuang are limited to 100,000 for the 12 months, and households within the city will be limited to owning ‘just’ two cars each, according to the government website that is local.
The authorities go on to state that the true amount of new automobiles allowed is further paid off to 90,000 in 2015, and those able to buy cars will be determined employing a lottery structure.
Efforts to Lower Emissions
This move comes included in China’s vow to improve their efforts to lessen emissions after public ou Continue reading “Chinese Lottery Gets You A new Car Maybe”


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Earlier today, we found out that Travis Scott was curating the soundtrack to the NBA 2K19 video game when he sat down with LeBron James for a one on one interview, and now we get to hear what he put together as the soundtrack is already available on Spotify.
The 49-track soundtrack contains guest appearances from just about everyone the industry, including Travis himself, Trippie Redd, Sheck Wes, Skepta, BROCKHAMPTON, Migos, Rich Brian, PartyNExtDoor, PRhyme, Miguel, Lil Uzi Vert, G Herbo, Bruno Mars, and many many more.
“This is an honor. I always like the chance to curate music to fit a lifestyle and 2K is definitely a lifestyle,” Travis Scott said about curating the video game’s soundtrack.
Check it out (below) via Spotify and let us know what you think.


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A fashion company called Golden Goose just rolled out some new sneakers. And by "new" I mean they're a new product . . . but they don't look that way.
The shoes are covered in dirt, they look beat up, and there's a piece of duct tape across the top of them that's supposed to look like it's holding them together.
And how much do they want for these beat up shoes? $530.
Superstar Taped Shoes by Golden Goose came under fire for realesing pair of tattered shoes which according to the critics did nothing but glorified poverty. https://t.co/uVRobDhb5d— News18.com (@news18dotcom) September 21, 2018


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The inventor of the jet card enjoyed the best sales month in its 21-year history in December. It has lofty expectations for 2021, Sentient’s CEO Andrew Collins tells Bloomberg
The year 2021 begins with one of the jet cards segment’s largest players coming off a record month and record year.
In a podcast with Bloomberg’s Paul Sweeney, Sentient Jet CEO Andrew Collins told the host that December was the biggest month for jet card sales in its 21-year history.
Monthly flight activity has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to jet card broker Sentient Jet, in a television news report
A news report from CBS KPIX5, a San Francisco area affiliate, about the increased interest in private jet travel revealed that surge has continued after the summer.
Over 50% of private jet flight hours sold since the beginning of April were to new customers
Jet card leader Sentient Jet today offered more evidence that private jet travel is set to get a boost from first-timers.
The unit of Directional Aviation’s OneSky Flight said over 50% of the more than 5,000 private jet flight hours it sold since the beginning of April were to first-time customers. Private Jet Card Comparisons estimates that equates to around $15 million in purchases from new members.
The jet card provider will continue with a wide variety of hospitality for members during Derby weekend
Directional Aviation’s Sentient Jet said it has renewed its multi-year collaboration with the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Churchill Downs as Preferred Private Aviation Partner. As an official partner of the two annual races and their shared home track, Sentient Jet will continue to curate various extraordinary experiences surrounding the weekend’s celebrations, including bespoke private travel services, special on-site hospitality offerings and the third annual Derby Day Breakfast hosted by Brand Ambassador and Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay.
The inventor of the Jet Card 20 years later finds itself atop the growing category it created
(Updated Dec. 27, 2019) Founded in 1999, Sentient Jet lays claim as inventor of the jet card. Twenty years later the company is no longer a start-up trying to prove a concept, but with 6,000 members a category leader, by our estimates definitely in the top three in revenues out of more than 50 providers. It’s also is part of the Directional Aviation family of companies which includes flight providers Flexjet, Skyjet and PrivateFly (acquired in September) as well Nextant Aerospace (remanufacturing of business jets), Sojourn Aviation (aircraft sales), N1 (aircraft engine parts), Air Services (off-wing services), and Constant Aviation (aircraft modifications and structural repairs). In 2017, Ken Ricci, privately held Directional’s chairman told Forbes the company had $2.5 billion in sales and around 3,000 employees. Sentient and Skyjet revenues were north of $300 million last year.


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The GSMA announced the first confirmed speakers for the third gathering of MWC19 Los Angeles taking place October 22-24, 2019 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. The GSMA also released additional event details including new programs, exhibitors and participating companies.
There is tremendous hype about the Internet of Things (IoT), how explosively it will grow and what a tremendous opportunity it represents for communications service providers (CSPs).
Netcracker Technology announced the launch of Netcracker 12, a technology platform with a product suite designed to help service providers accelerate digitalisation and operationalise virtual and cloud infrastructure at scale.
The end of February brings the annual technology pilgrimage to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, where telecommunications, media and content providers come together to highlight the latest and greatest technology and services.
Transforming itself into a major value-added player that is a key part of the IoT value chain is not necessarily straightforward for a CSP, but it is expected to be a key part of many CSPs’ vision.
Tokyo, Japan & Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. March 22, 2012 — NEC Corporation today surprised the markets by announcing a definitive agreement to acquire Convergys Corporation’s Information Management (IM) business. The deal is valued at US$449 million and covers all of Convergys IM’s business, including Smart Revenue Solutions, across industry verticals such as communications, [...]
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Every retailer has its own reason for approaching another brand with a business proposition. Some do it to dig themselves out of a hole, while others only embark on such risky joint projects when the financial odds are solidly in their favor.
Fortunately, the rapid ebbs and flows of the modern retail landscape mean that there are always reachers and climbers that make the Retail Bedfellows Roundup.
Instacart Partners Up, Straightens Out
It’s a tough time to be in the on-demand grocery delivery business. Amazon has awoken its sleeping giant of a business model to retarget domestic and foreign markets, and with new startups expanding every day, previously profitable brands are starting to feel the squeeze of a crowded industry in a real way. Instacart knows this all too well, which is why it forged a key partnership last week for its Manhattan operations.
Instacart announced on Tuesday (June 21) that it had finalized an agreement with Key Food that will allow the delivery service to ship straight from the brand’s four Food Emporium locations across Manhattan. The companies first teamed up in 2015 with a partnership throughout the greater tri-state area, and citing metrics that “the Key Food community has grown tremendously on Instacart,” Instacart Head of Retail Accounts Andrew Nodes emphasized the boost Key Food could give the delivery platform in keeping faith with “customers [who] expect groceries to be delivered to their door wherever and whenever they want them.”
For every reaction, there’s an equal and opposite reaction, though, and soon after news of the Instacart-Key Food partnership hit the wire, other reports of the delivery platform’s struggles seemed to as well. Instacart has reportedly begun cutting in-store checkout staff, opting instead to fold the role into that of its once-dedicated item pickers, immediately prompting speculation that the company was in dire need of straightening out its financials.
Burger King And Pepsi’s Cheesy Deal
Even the most casual observer knows that there’s a good deal of money to be made in health foods right now. Kale smoothies and bean burgers are the big sellers of the day, and if the fast-food companies of decades past are going to keep up, they need to adapt to this new low-cal reality.
The fast-food chain and PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay have announced a partnership to bring a new limited time-only menu item to stores. Dubbed the “Mac ‘n Cheetos,” the culinary masterpiece is made of a core of deep fried macaroni and cheese surrounded by Cheetos-flavored breading. It’s already gone live in some stores as a trial, and once Mac ‘n Cheetos go live, they’ll continue selling for eight weeks.
If it smacks of Taco Bell’s Doritos-inspired offerings, that’s no mistake. And President of Burger King North America Alex Macedo told Chicago Tribune that it could be just the start of a whole new line of snack-styled fast foods at BK.
“We’re working on a few other menu items,” Macedo said. “There’s room for us to do more together in the future.”
The possibilities, like the cholesterol, are endless.
50 Shades Of Ray-Ban Displays
There are some travel essentials that long-haul passengers must buy in order to keep their trips comfortable. For some, this is a good book, while others can get by with a solid pair of noise-cancelling headphones. For Gebr. Heinemann, one of the leading providers of selling space in travel retail, sunglass sales have experienced a boom lately, and it’s striking while the iron is hot.
Gebr. Heinemann has secured a deal with Luxottica, maker of the Ray-Ban line, to use its Ray-Ban models as a focal point of a European push of personalized wall outlets in travel retail locations across the continent. That will mean a lot more Ray-Ban displays in the airports and train stations that link Europe’s major cities, and both companies are hoping it means a commensurate increase in sales as well.
“We identified sunglasses as a key growth-driving category a number of years ago, and the performance we witness today is the result of strategic investment and brand partnerships where we share a common vision for the category,” Gebr. Heinemann Purchasing Director of Fashion and Accessories Jan Richter said in a statement. “Following our successful collaborations in locations such as Oslo and Copenhagen, this latest European-wide activity with Ray-Ban takes partnership to a new level.”
The breakfast cereal industry has been grappling with a harsh reality as of late: Not only do younger eaters not want to eat their products, but they’ve failed to date at coming up with any tweaks or improvements that do anything to help. Rather than keep banging their heads against the wall, some are trying to break out of the milk-and-cereal paradigm with nothing more than some savvy investing.
Adweek explained that General Mills has been using its 301 INC venture fund to buy stakes in startups that do everything from produce cheese and yogurt products from nuts to ones that bottle ready-to-drink vegetable soups. Campbell Soup Company — not a breakfast maker per se but with as much of a stake in traditional eating habits as any — has set its sights even higher, though, with a $125 million investment into Acre Venture Partners, a VC firm that backs startups committed to “defining the future of real food” through “new approaches and new business models.”
It’s hard to see how that will fit into the long-time cereal model, but if it keeps these struggling brands in business, it’s hard to imagine them crying over spilt milk.


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When it comes to having an admirable look that is pleasing to yourself and appealing to others, a glowing skin is just as important. No wonder, many people would do anything to have such an enviable skin, including buying expensive creams or following beauty tips closely.
Interestingly, it is the belief of many that having a good skin does not come cheap, which compels such people to settle for only expensive cosmetics, hoping that would prevent their skin from ageing and give it the best outlook possible.
But it is heartwarming to note that the key to having a good skin is as cheap, affordable and accessible as anyone would imagine. Not many people know that eating lots of tomatoes is the key to having a good skin.
According to Prof. Mark Birch-Machin, an expert in Molecular Dermatology from Newcastle University, United Kingdom, eating tomato helps to make the skin look young and fresh as it protects the skin from being damaged by the ultraviolet ray of the sun with the help of the lycopene compound that it possesses.
The compound, lycopene, is the naturally occurring chemical that gives fruits and vegetables a red colour. Even though it is found in watermelons, pink grapefruits, apricots, and pink guavas, it is found in particularly high amounts in tomatoes and tomato products.
Birch-Machin then explained that the lycopene helps to neutralise harmful molecules that are produced in the skin when exposed to the sun.
He said, “Eating tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun but it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreen, shade and clothing.
“The protective effect of eating tomatoes on our mitochondria is important as they are the energy producers in all our body cells including skin.
“Therefore being kind to our mitochondria is likely to contribute to improved skin health, which in turn may have an anti-ageing effect.”
In the study, the researcher gave 10 women five tablespoons (55g) of standard tomato paste with 10g of olive oil every day for 12 weeks, while 10 other women were not given anything. The participants were aged between 21 and 47 and the two groups were exposed to the sun at the beginning of the exercise and at the end, which was the 12th week.
He then compared the skin of the groups to see the effect of eating tomatoes, where he found that women who ate diet rich in processed or cooked tomato (in form of ketchup, paste, soup and juice), had higher skin protection from ultraviolet rays of the sun.
He was able to establish that the more tomato paste people eat, the higher the ability of the skin to protect itself from ultraviolet ray, which would ultimately reduce the likelihood of any damage to the mitochondrial DNA, avoid skin ageing, prevents premature wrinkles and skin cancer.
“When we compared the women in the two groups, those who ate tomato had 33 per cent more protection against sunburn. The skin samples taken from groups before and after the exercise showed an increase in levels of procollagen, a molecule which gives skin its structure and loss of which leads to skin ageing and lack of elasticity. These are derived from tomato-based meals, through which they are easily absorbed into the body.”
Other scientists have shown that eating processed tomatoes could help to reduce blood pressure, stop cancer growth and kill prostate cancer cells. One of them, Dr. Mridula Chopra, from the University of Portsmouth, advised that people should eat meals containing processed tomato products per week to have healthy prostate.
Meanwhile, researchers from L’Oreal Research and Innovation Centre, Paris, have found that apart from the natural ageing process, diet, stress and illness, exposure to the sun is the primary cause of skin ageing and wrinkles. They equally noted that the effect of the ultraviolet ray from the sun increases with age.
In the study of 298 women, aged between 30 and 78, half of them were told to spend time in the sun while the other half were instructed to stay away from the sun. A comparison of their faces after the exercise, as published on Mail Online, revealed that exposure to the sun for a long time could affect the pigmentation of the skin, reduce skin elasticity and degradation of the skin texture. It was also found that people who spent time in the sun looked older than their age.
After calculating the sun damage percentage, they gathered that the sun is responsible for 80.3 per cent of skin ageing.
The researchers added, “Our study confirms the accountability of sun exposure in premature ageing of the face. Our comparison between two groups of women, whose sun behaviour was different, has allowed us to clearly demonstrate the effect of UV exposure. Meanwhile, effective use of sunscreens will not only limit extrinsic skin ageing but will also reduce skin cancer risk.”
Apart from eating tomatoes and using sunglass, other measures to address skin ageing, according to experts, include having adequate sleep, using moisturiser to keep the skin soft, taking red wine, mental exercise, cutting down on sugar and cholesterol and taking water.
A nutritionist, Mr. Okunola, advised that people should take more of fruits and vegetables to have healthy skin as they possess vitamins E, A and other forms of vitamin. He said these vitamins also help to boost immunity, which would ultimately prevent some diseases and contribute to the overall well being of the body.
He added, “Food and vegetables can help a lot, and people should also eat beans. Some people now advocate eating smoothies, which is a combination of different fruits. They are blended together to make a mixture. In addition, people should also be wary of the kind of drinks they take.”
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