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The 19th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) kicks off today. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), DSS is taking place under ‘Own The Summer’ theme across the next 43 days – from July 9 to August 20.
The annual citywide fiesta designed for residents and tourists is set to transform the city into a cool and fun summer oasis with an exciting entertainment calendar in addition to attractive dining and shopping promotions including one by DFRE and the Dubai Shopping Malls Group (DSMG), offering shoppers the opportunity to win 12 Infiniti cars as well as surprises offered by participating malls.
“With the start of Dubai’s annual summer extravaganza, residents and visitors get the chance to enjoy rewarding experiences that are unique and unmatched,” says DFRE CEO Laila Mohammed Suhail. “From now on for the next 43 days, families and visitors to Dubai can ‘Own the Summer’ and enjoy one of the best shopping seasons in the region, with amazing deals and promotions that will create many memorable moments during their summer stays.”
“DSS 2016 reflects our understanding of the diverse tastes and interests of the millions of visitors who have made the festival the most successful of its kind for almost two decades. The consistency and longevity of DSS is a true testament to the strong spirit of collaboration that exists between the government and private sectors in Dubai to ensure that the emirate remains a main destination across the year. This is once again evident in 2016, as we have created with many of our partners in the private sector an array of exciting and creative promotions this DSS with one main aim; to reward our shoppers with amazing prizes,” she adds.
DFRE’s strategic partners for 2016 include Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Emirates, AW Rostamani Group, Al-Futtaim Group, The Dubai Mall, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Mercato, Paris Gallery, ENOC, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Duty Free, Meraas and Etisalat.


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Odd looking veg will be more commonly seen on supermarket shelves as part of a campaign to reduce wasteRead the full story ›
Brave and hardy souls took part in this year's Lee Dam swim at Todmorden. It's been held in the town each New Year for more than fifty years now - the winner is the first to reach a wooden cup in the freezing waters of the dam. Chris Kiddey (who has heroically taken part himself in the past) reports.
Reports are coming in that bailiffs are removing a makeshift camp set up by anti-fracking protestors in East Yorkshire. The group has been at Crawberry Hill near Walkington since last May.
They claim the land, owned by Rathlin Energy, could be used for fracking - claims the company has always denied. Earlier this month a deadline for the protestors to leave expired. An operation to remove their base, including caravans and tents, began this morning. There are unconfirmed reports that there have been arrests.
Dairy farmers need greater protection in the face of sharp falls in the price of milk, MPs have said.
Since last summer the dairy industry has been hit by significant falls in milk prices in the face of rising supply and falling demand, particularly from China and as a result of the Russian trade ban.
The sharp reversal in fortunes, coming after prices hit their highest level for several years, has been driving dairy farmers out of business every week, with the total number in the UK falling to below 10,000 for the first time.
The parliamentary Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee urged the Government to extend the Groceries Code Adjudicator's (GCA) remit to include dairy farmers in the scheme, which covers suppliers to the big supermarkets and retailers.
MPs also called for ministers to help dairy farmers tap into worldwide export opportunities and press for clearer "country-of-origin" labelling so that consumers know if they really are buying British, and for an EU review of the protection against very low prices.
The committee's chairwoman Anne McIntosh said: "The volatility of worldwide and domestic milk markets is making financial planning and investment impossible for small-scale producers unable to hedge against changes beyond their control.
"The vast majority of dairy farmers fall outside the protection offered by the Groceries Code Adjudicator. She can only investigate complaints involving direct suppliers to the big 10 supermarkets and retailers, and as most milk production is small-scale, that excludes most dairy farmers. The Efra committee thought that was wrong when the GCA was set up in 2013, and events since then justify our view that her remit should be extended to include small-scale suppliers, whether or not they have a direct relationship with the ultimate seller of their produce."
She also said the committee was "shocked" to learn that the adjudicator was still unable to levy fines on retailers because the Government had not yet set the level of fine she could seek, and called for the power to be activated before the general election.
In a report on dairy prices, the MPs also called on farmers to consider forming "producer organisations" to increase their clout in the market.
A Government spokesman said: "We understand the concerns of British farmers over the current pressures on milk prices caused by the volatility of the global market and we are doing all we can to help manage this. This includes giving dairy farmers the opportunity to unite in producer organisations so they have greater clout in the marketplace. We have also brokered a dairy industry code of practice on contractual relationships to improve transparency and give farmers a fairer deal, which now covers 85% of UK dairy production."
He added that it was important to remember that the long-term prospects for the dairy industry were good.
"We are helping the dairy industry to take advantage of opportunities such as opening new export markets and pushing for better country of origin labelling for British dairy products. We strongly support the work of the Groceries Code Adjudicator. Its jurisdiction is currently limited to the scope of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, and does not cover pricing - which is the responsibility of the Competition and Markets Authority. There will be a statutory review of the GCA next year."
The farming minister George Eustice visited Holbeach today - to launch a new body that's been pushed by the Local Enterprise Partnership - and will be aimed at championing the area's food producers.
It's an area that's well known for its food production and farming, and an industry worth billions of pounds - but now there are ambitious plans to try to grow the food industry in Lincolnshire, over the next fifteen years.
The industry is currently worth £100 billion to the economy.
Kate Hemingway reports:
A new group is being officially launched today in Lincolnshire by the Farming Minster George Eustice to increase the value of the food industry in the county. Its aim is to double agricultural income by 2030. Food producers have welcomed the visit saying the region is the food heartland of the UK but their industry is often overlooked.
A new group is being officially launched today in Lincolnshire by the Farming Minster George Eustice to increase the value of the food industry in the county. Its ambition is to double how much agriuclture is worth to the area by 2030.
A farmer from Lincolnshire is hoping to set up a charity to help other farmers in extreme situations.
Andrew Ward coordinated the Forage Aid scheme to help farmers struck by snow storms in 2013 and was awarded an MBE for his work. Now he wants Forage Aid to become a charity to improve future relief efforts:
A scattering of high cloud resulted in a spectacular sunset Tuesday. Jon Mitchell picks out a few of the sunset pictures you sent in.Read the full story ›
North Yorkshire Police has produced a video to raise awareness of rural crime prevention. It accompanies a booklet of information which has been launched after consultation with the public who said that they wanted rural crime to be a key priority for the police. The booklet and video give advice on building security, both farmhouse and outbuildings, as well as keeping hedges and gates in good order, protecting vehicles, tools and equipment. They also provide guidance on ensuring that livestock, horses and dogs are marked and advice on how wildlife can be protected and what people should do if they find snares and traps or evidence of poaching.
North Yorkshire is a safe place to live and work and we intend to keep it that way. Unfortunately, because of the rural nature of the county, local communities can sometimes fall prey to criminals taking advantage of this. I urge everyone to take a few minutes to read the advice in the booklet and where necessary take action to prevent themselves from becoming the victims of criminals.

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James Middleton: Experts discuss social media posts
James Middleton, Kate’s brother, took to Instagram to share his puppy wellness and health company Ella & Co are launching a new line of products. The brother started up the venture last year which aims to deliver healthier ingredients to people for their dogs. It comes after Mr Middleton told his followers he had to postpone his wedding to Ms Thevenet twice in the last year.
Mr Middleton told customers on the Ella & Co Instagram page “new year, new website, new products”, after he overhauled the company.
He said: “Since launching just six months ago, we have had an amazing response from hundreds of dogs, all shapes and sizes who are thriving on our food.
“As a result, I've been busy behind the scenes building a brand NEW website - with more products, more flavours, and treats underway."
Ella & Co was launched by Mr Middleton last year, with the Duchess’ brother sharing how his dogs were crucial in “saving his life” during his battle with depression.
Kate Middleton news: James Middleton has shared an update about his dog food company
After launching the company, Mr Middleton said he had the breakthrough idea for it in therapy.
He said: “I remember sitting in the therapists chair with Ella by my side having taken a leave of absence from my company Boomf to focus on my clinical depression, with tears in my eyes I said ‘what am I going to do next’.
“I had zero confidence & I felt like a complete failure - the Therapist said, ‘do something you love - you love your dogs and have so much confidence around them so why not try and include them in your next venture’, and so the journey of Ella & Co begins.”
He also said on the company’s website: “A few years back, my dogs helped pull me out of a really difficult battle with depression.
“When I reached the other side, I set out on a mission to make their lives just as happy and as healthy as they've made mine, starting with the food they eat."
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Middleton has had to postpone his wedding two times after becoming engaged to Ms Thevenet in October 2019.
He proposed to Ms Thevenet after one year of dating, and the couple were supposed to be married in May last year.
Posting on his Instagram on the anniversary of his engagement, he said he and his fiancee have been through “two homes, lockdown, two attempts at a wedding” among other events.
Ella & Co has been praised by Royally Obsessed podcast hosts Roberta Fiorito and Rachel Bowie, who explained why royal fans would love the product.
Ms Fiorito told listeners: "One of my highs of the week actually came from James Middleton. He's launched his own food business for puppy dogs, it's called Ella & Co.
"He shared a video of how he takes his dogs around in his little scooter bike. Also he serenades them with the theme song to Aladdin, 'A Whole New World'."
Ms Bowie added: "He played in the clip the actual Disney version but I want to hear him singing it.
"He's a man after my own heart, I'm a huge fan of the Aladdin film. Also he comes across as someone who I'd like to have a cocktail with.”


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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit on June 9, 2016 alleging that North Carolina’s largest health system (Carolinas Healthcare System) quashed competition by demanding that insurers not steer consumers to competitors. On September 26, 2016, the Second Circuit reversed a win by the DOJ in a suit alleging that American Express violated antitrust laws by imposing rules barring merchants from steering consumers to other credit card brands. This panel will discuss the potential relationship between the two cases. Sean May is a panelist during this webinar.
For more information, click here.
Antitrust issues in e-commerce
Furthermore, the growth of technology has significantly affected antitrust and competition analysis. The importance of innovation, the dynamic nature of the...


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FTSE-listed cybersecurity firm Darktrace’s hares soared today after reporting booming sales. increased registrations of new customers and increased forecasts for the coming year.
Investors looked beyond a sharp increase in full-year losses, mostly due to one-time costs associated with its stock market listing in April.
In its first set of results since then, Darktrace said its revenue jumped 41% to $ 281 million in the 12 months leading up to June 30. The number of customers rose 45% to 5,605. The stock was up 9.5% on the numbers.
“In our first full year results, we are very pleased to report strong financial and operational performance and strong growth during the period,” said Managing Director Poppy Gustafsson. “In this new era of cyber threats, Darktrace is helping organizations across all industries, including providers of critical national infrastructure, protect their digital assets and avoid the serious disruption that cyber attacks can cause. “
Darktrace creates advanced cybersecurity software for businesses using artificial intelligence. The company’s software monitors an institution’s computer networks for unusual activity, flagging anything suspicious so bosses can stop criminals on their trail.
“Not all AIs are created the same,” Gustafsson told Standard. “When you see the world shift to working from home, it’s relatively easy for us to adapt. “
Darktrace works with everyone from Coca Cola and Vodafone to the city of Las Vegas and West Ham FC. Demand for its product has been supported by “a series of advanced ransomware attacks that have caused serious disruption not only to businesses, but also to critical national infrastructure,” the company said.
“The volume of attacks is so great that it is no longer a problem on a human scale,” said Gustafsson. “These are big companies, you see it in the automation of attacks.”
She highlighted the ransomware attack on the U.S. Colonial Pipeline in May, which briefly cut off oil supplies to some states in the southern United States. The attack was carried out using a “ransomware as a service” program downloaded by the attacker from a third party.
Another common threat is that fraudsters take over corporate PCs to divert computing power to mine cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.
“Modern businesses are under constant attack,” said Gustafsson.
Darktrace had “a particularly strong June” and improved its forecast for the coming year, saying the momentum is likely to continue. He now expects revenue growth of between 35% and 37% in 2022, down from a previous range of 29% to 32%.
However, Darktrace’s bottom line was affected by the cost of the company’s IPO in April. Professional fees and other one-time costs totaled $ 15.3 million and a complex agreement to restructure the company’s shareholding prior to the IPO resulted in a non-cash charge of $ 107 million. The cost of share-based payments to staff nearly quadrupled to $ 38.6 million. The cost of its stock-based incentive program has increased since Darktrace’s IPO due to the rise in the company’s stock price. The stock has almost doubled since April.
Rising costs across the board means Darktrace’s net loss increased 421% to $ 149.5 million last year.
Dan Lane, analyst at Freetrade, said it was a “good start” to Darktrace’s listed life despite the loss.
“Revenues slightly up to hard-hitting expectations will be the icing on the cake this morning and the market will recover and also notice a huge increase in the number of customers,” he said.
But Lane added, “Investors need to keep a close watch on renewals as well as new business. It is a competitive space and the easy money made by enticing unprepared businesses to buy its products is in the bank. Darktrace has made a name for itself by encouraging sales staff to transfer its products to the biggest names in the market. But they’re not the only gig in town, and the array of opportunities is diminishing.
Gustafsson said Standard Darktrace is “doubling” its R&D after expanding its research team by 50% last year. The company is exploring possible new areas of automation, such as scanning networks for vulnerabilities and “cleaning up” after an attack.


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Energy markets are too opaque to be able to tell whether customers are being ripped off by suppliers charging inflated prices for their wholesale electricity, regulator Ofgem said today.
Ian Marlee, its senior partner, was responding to claims from Labour that consumers had been overcharged by £4 billion - £150 a household - over the last three years because energy suppliers bought electricity from their own power plants at inflated prices.
Asked whether there was evidence of this, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "What we identified is actually there isn't enough transparency to be able to actually look at that.”
Mr Marlee said that the regulator was already looking into the issue of wholesale markets and hoped to introduce reforms in the spring.
"What we are doing is we are creating more transparency," he said.
An Ofgem spokesman later added that the regulator had not seen the details of Labour's analysis to support the claims of overcharging, but that its own analysis of evidence "does not support this allegation".
All of the 'Big Six' energy suppliers - British Gas, E.On, EDF Energy, nPower, ScottishPower and SSE - are part of wider parent companies that also own power plants in the UK.
Labour has accused the companies of overcharging customers by self-supplying at artificially high prices to benefit the power plant arms of the business.
Caroline Flint, shadow energy secretary, said Labour had conducted fresh analysis that showed the overcharging was to the tune of £4 billion.
Labour compared the price paid for electricity by the energy giants - the "weighted average cost of fuel" - with the average market price for a year ahead, as provided to them by small supplier First Utility.
But Energy UK, the trade body, said that Labour was not comparing like with like.
It said that the "weighted average cost of fuel" included a number of other costs as well as the pure wholesale cost of energy, such as charges suppliers face to balance varying supply and demand.
Asked to adjudicate on the dispute, Ofgem's spokesman said: "Labour has not told us clearly what the figures provided from First Utility represent so it is not possible to make an definitive assessment of the validity of the comparison.
"They are described as a 'one year forward price for a domestic consumer', but it is not clear what they have assumed or included in arriving at that figure. "
"If the figures are based on baseload wholesale electricity prices, one year forward, then it would be necessary to take into account a whole range of other factors to arrive at a cost of electricity per unit supplied."
These included the fact that “domestic consumers use more energy at peak times when prices are higher”, the impact of distribution losses that are worth around 5 per cent and “the costs of balancing and risk management and differences in hedging strategies”.
Ofgem's planned wholesale market reforms focus on forcing generators to publish the prices at which they are willing buy and sell contracts for electricity for two years ahead, and will penalise those who do not trade fairly.
The big suppliers will be will be prevented from refusing any "reasonable" requests from small suppliers to buy electricity.
Mr Marlee said: "This is about something called the depth of market, saying there was not enough trading going on at the point at which people wanted to buy electricity. We are making it far easier for independent suppliers to buy electricity to compete with the Big Six."
The Ofgem spokesman said: “Ofgem has not seen the details of the Labour Party’s analysis that forms the basis of its allegations that consumers have been overcharged for their energy. We would clearly consider more detailed information as part of our state of the market report in March.
"Ofgem regularly looks at the relationship between wholesale and retail prices and our own analysis of the evidence does not support this allegation."


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A Toledo technology start-up firm has been chosen to take part in a prestigious Silicon Valley mentorship program that has helped nurture some of the tech industry’s bigger success stories.
Roost, a two-year old local company that focuses on Web and Web browser “push” notification technology, is one of 80 start-ups selected by Y Combinator of Mountain View, Calif., to receive its help.
“It’s hard to imagine this kind of opportunity for a start-up. You cannot buy this opportunity. Each day is like a month’s worth of learning,” said Toledoan Tim Varner, one of Roost’s three co-founders.
In business parlance, Y Combinator is a “seed accelerator.” Y Combinator brings start-up owners and staff to its Silicon Valley headquarters, where Y Combinator puts them through a three-month boot camp with a focus on determining the best use for their products and growing their companies.
At the program’s end, the start-ups present their fully developed products at a Y Combinator “Demo Day” attended by several hundred private investors.
“We wanted to seek a round of funding in the fall. But raising capital is very difficult. It takes tremendous time and energy,” Mr. Varner said.
“But now we are spending our precious time on building our product, and we won’t have to go knocking on doors.”
Y Combinator consistently has been named the top start-up incubator by Forbes magazine. Its graduates have an average value of $45.2 million, and the combined value of its graduates was more than $20 billion, according to Bloomberg News.
Alumni of the incubator program include social networking news site Reddit, digital library service Scribd, online storage site Dropbox, game company Zynga, and travel booking site Airbnb.
“There’s 5 or 10 accelerators that anyone would be privileged to attend, and certainly Y Combinator is the [top] of that list,” Mr. Varner said.
Roost’s founders began their immersion into the accelerator program on June 1 and will remain there through August. The company’s two full-time staffers joined them this week.
Founded in 2005 by venture capitalist Paul Graham, Y Combinator matches participants with successful entrepreneurs and other experts in the tech industry. It is known for its weekly dinners at which top industry figures give hands-on instruction.
Y Combinator also gives participants $120,000 in exchange for 7 percent of their firm. Y Combinator gets thousands of applicants annually, but typically only accepts 60 to 80 start-ups per session — firms that it feels have the best chance of making it big.
“They are regarded as best incubator program around. It’s a pretty big deal that [Roost] got in,” said Bob Savage, Jr., president of the Rocket Ventures Fund, the venture-capital fund owned by the Regional Growth Partnership. Rocket Ventures has invested $300,000 over the last 18 months in Roost, which until recently was known as Notice Software.
Mr. Savage said that, to his knowledge, no other Ohio company has been mentored by Y Combinator. “Of our five sister organizations around the state, we’ll be the only one around the state to say that one of our companies got into Y Combinator,” he said.
Roost is working out of the Launch Pad incubator at the University of Toledo.
Mr. Varner, 35, a Bowling Green State University graduate with an expertise in digital marketing, helped start Roost in 2011 when he met co-founders Burton Miller, 48, and Casey Haakenson, 35, while the latter two were living in Seattle.
Mr. Miller and Mr. Haakenson had an idea to develop “push” technology, which previously only existed for mobile phones apps and certain electronic devices, that would work on the World Wide Web.
“Push” technology refers to notices sent to users by an application. Mr. Varner said Roost is developing “push” software for use by Web site operators.
Its product would let someone browsing a Web site to be sent more information on certain topics based on preferences. The Web site would automatically update its content to reflect the topics the user wants.
Mr. Varner convinced his fellow co-founders to move their start-up to Toledo in late 2012, and last year their idea was backed by Rocket Ventures.
Earlier this year they filled out an application for Y Combinator on a whim, not really expecting to be selected, Mr. Varner said.
“We really believe in what we’re building. ‘Push’ will be the primary way people will receive Web content in the future,” he said. “But they get literally thousands of applicants. We thought they might be interested in us, and they were. But we were surprised, statistically speaking, that we got in.”
Contact Jon Chavez at: email@example.com or 419-724-6128.


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Product placement, long a shameless part of feature films, hit Broadway:
NEW YORK (Adage.com) -- As part of a product placement campaign in Broadway's Sweet Charity, playwright Neil Simon approved a script change to promote Gran Centenario tequila, according to the deal makers.
Jose Cuervo's tequila has been woven into the script, the stage sets and the advertising and promotion for 'Sweet Charity.' [...]
To Mr. Weissler, having products placed or mentioned in his shows is not a new concept. “There’s nothing different here than in sports or movies where marketers co-promote a film,” he said. But he sets limits on what he’ll do to marry art and commerce. “We never, ever distress a script." With this Gran Centenario example, the producers and playwright replaced a line, “I’ll have a double scotch on the rocks” with a mention of the premium tequila. "We didn’t bastardize the script, and [playwright Neil Simon] OKed the change," Mr. Weissler said. “We always pass sponsors by authors.”
In addition to having the Gran Centenario mention written into the script, the tequila’s logos are integrated into the show’s set in one scene, and the product has been the drink of choice at Gran Centenario-sponsored parties thrown during the pre-Broadway shows as well as its New York opening, all attended by the cast, their friends and a select group of invitees. Specialty cocktails featuring Gran Centenario created by well-known bartender Dale deGroff are featured at those fests as well as in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre where Sweet Charity plays and at nearby bars.
I don't think I have a problem with that. Even if Simon had amended the script to include "Because Bacardi makes the night come alive - with freshness!"
-style authentic corporate whorishness, I'm sure it would be taken as self-deprecating irony. That's no less effective at profile-raising, I'm sure; ironic po-mo hipsters drink too.
But, to be fair, Sweet Charity
still comes second, even during this theatrical season. After all, it's not the show with a registered trademark
product placement in the very title...
(Via Blogway Baby


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COLUMBUS – A 2001 Boston Whaler 27-foot Vigilant boat, 2008 Toyota Tundra DC SR5 two-wheel drive truck and a 2014 Honda Accord LX will be among approximately 125 vehicles up for bid at the next state surplus vehicle auction scheduled for Saturday, April 14. The sale also will feature a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid AWD, 2008 Honda Civic LX Hybrid, 33 Dodge Chargers and a variety of other trucks, cars, SUVs, vans and other vehicles.
The auction will be held at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, General Services Division headquarters, 4200 Surface Road, Columbus, 43228. The gate opens at 8 a.m. and the auction begins at 9 a.m. The lot will remain open until 5 p.m. on the day of the auction. To view the vehicles up for bid, visit: https://ohio-das.force.com/surplus/s/current-inventory.
Vehicles may be inspected between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, April 9 through Friday, April 13. Vehicles may be started only between 8 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on April 13.
All vehicles are sold “as-is” with no warranties. All vehicles must be paid for in full the day of the auction. Cash, credit and debit cards (Discover, MasterCard and Visa) are accepted. There is a 3 percent service fee on all credit and debit card transactions. Temporary tags are no longer available at state surplus vehicle auctions.
Public auctions are the last step in the state’s surplus program. State agencies declare property as surplus because it is either damaged or at the end of its life cycle for government use. In addition, property may include items seized by law enforcement officials as well as items surrendered to the TSA by airline passengers during security screening. The property is then made available to other state agencies, state higher education facilities, tax-supported agencies, municipal corporations and other political subdivisions of the state, including public schools. Remaining property is sold at the public auctions.
For more information, contact Jeff Scanlan at 614-466-2670 or Larry McConnell at 614-728- 3112, or visit the DAS State and Federal Surplus Services website at http://www.ohio.gov/surplus.


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American Honda Motor Co. is hoping to entice customers to buy its compressed natural gas-powered Honda Civic by offering a $3,000 fuel card to buyers. Honda’s sales strategy comes as gasoline prices remain high in the United States, while alternative fuels like compressed natural gas, or CNG, are much cheaper.
Buyers of the Civic CNG will receive a fuel card loaded with $3,000 that could be used to purchase compressed natural gas at public refueling stations owned by Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
Currently, the Civic is the only compressed natural gas-powered vehicle available for sale to consumers in the US. Honda’s latest offer could be very tempting to the riding consumers in California, where the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is around $4.67, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.
The prices of gasoline products in California soared after refineries experienced disruptions at a time when supplies are already low due to seasonal shift to new blends. In contrast, the national average for an equivalent gallon of compressed natural gas was just $2.05 in July, American Honda said, citing the most recent figures available from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Consumers have more reason to buy the Honda Civic CNG aside from low fuel costs, since the car is eligible for carpool-lane access in California, allowing them to avoid the clogged highways of greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Having a starting price of just around $27,000, the Civic CNG offers a driving range of up to 200 miles and refueling time of a few minutes. Proponents of compressed natural gas say that these attributes of Civic CNG, as well as the low price of compressed natural gas, give the vehicle an advantage over electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, whose qualities include limited range, high cost and extended recharging time.
2013 Honda Civic has been modified extensively that calling it a mid-model refresh would be an understatement. This is because both the front and rear ends of the 2013 Honda Civic Sedan have been tweaked to sport a more premium and more youthful appearance. Some of the changes made include its new hood and trunk lid as well as new open-mouth lower bumper with a horizontal chrome accent. The new 2013 Honda Civic also features black honeycomb mesh grille. In Civic EX-L and above trims, this grille features new integrated fog lights. Flanking the grille are new clear-lens corner lights, as complemented by the Civic's taller, more deeply sculpted hood.
The rear end of the Civic, on the other hand, is provided with a new bumper design with integrated reflector treatments. It also features a new lower diffuser panel with a honeycomb mesh vent. In addition, the rear end of the new Honda Civic also comes with a new trunk lid with a horizontal chrome trim. Moreover, the rear lights now feature a jewel-like design, which is carried into the face of the trunk. Completing the exterior appearance of the new 2013 Honda Civic Coupe are its restyled wheels.
Since the body of the 2013 Honda Civic is made from 55 percent high-strength steel, its weight is reduced while its strength and rigidity are heightened. Honda also made several modifications into the front floor, A-pillar, side sill and upper wheel housing as well as front bumper extension. Using high-strength steel should further refine the attributes of the 2013 Civic while providing a stiffer structure for several chassis updates. More importantly, this stronger structure made from high-strength steel could help the new 2013 Civic get a high score on the small overlap crash test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).


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This story is available exclusively to Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.
- Many businesses, including legendary institutions, found creative ways to stay afloat during the pandemic.
- Some leaned into activism, while others didn't change a thing—including 132-year-old recipes.
- Here's how some of the most famous businesses in the US kept their doors open and customers happy.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Despite the pandemic, small businesses across the country are feeling hopeful about the future.
Eighty-five percent of entrepreneurs reported feeling positive about their business confidence in the second quarter, according to a "Main Street Index" report by the tax, accounting, and HR provider CBIZ. What's more, revenue is up 51.8% in May compared to just 21.6% in February.
To be sure, brighter outlooks and higher revenues come after a year and a half of tragedy, stress, and difficulty.
But many businesses, including some of the most well-known in the US, found creative ways to stay afloat or a community that fought to keep them open. Others leaned into politics and activism, while some didn't change a thing — including 132-year-old recipes.
The melt-in-your-mouth pastrami sandwiches at $23 a pop and steaming matzoh ball soup for $8 aren't all that's kept New York City's Katz's Deli afloat through the 1918 pandemic, the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Sandy, the Great Recession, and changing trends and technologies.
It has a strong financial legacy that any entrepreneur planning for long-term survival will want to emulate: real estate ownership, and investment in nation-wide shipping operation.
And it's kept customers lined up to grab one of its famous order tickets for a simple reason: good old nostalgia.
When Michelle Flynn found the perfect wedding dress at New York City's iconic Kleinfeld bridal shop in February, she wasn't surrounded by adoring loved ones oooing and ahhing over her.
Instead, her mother's face beamed from the screen of her iPad from her home in Pittsburgh as she admired the dress.
Kleinfeld, which gained international recognition as the subject of TLC's long-running reality show "Say Yes to the Dress," is bracing for what's expected to be one of the busiest years for weddings in decades, according to a February study from the wedding resource platform The Knot.
Ronnie Rothstein, one of Kleinfeld's co-owners, expects the wedding boom to continue into the following year: "2022 will be the biggest year we've ever had."
Ben's Chili Bowl
George Floyd's family members marched on Washington, DC, in August to protest police brutality and his murder by Derek Chauvin, a police officer at the time. Afterward, they gathered at the city's legendary Ben's Chili Bowl for a cup of its famous "half-smoke" chili and conversation.
The U Street restaurant has a rich history of social and political leaders gathering there to discuss crises plaguing the Black community with co-owner Virginia Ali, her family members who also own and help run the business, and fellow patrons.
"We've just been that kind of place where people come to pay their respects and have delicious food," said Ali, who started the restaurant with her husband, Ben, in 1958 and has since opened five additional locations. "It's been something that the community could depend on, and we like to treat them like family."
Life Is Good
If you watch a day-in-the-life video of a so-called VSCO girl on YouTube, she'll probably show you her outfit, complete with a puka-shell choker.
Viewers who lived through the '90s might notice one item in particular: a simple, pale T-shirt with a stick figure and a simple mantra, "Life is good."
It may seem odd that someone born in 2003 would want to wear a clothing brand that was popular with their parents more than two decades ago. But the reemergence of Life Is Good apparel is also a story of resurrection for the Life Is Good brand and its business.
The Raven Book Store
On a warm Tuesday in May, Danny Caine's Twitter feed filled with a video of George Floyd's final breaths during an arrest by Minneapolis police officers.
On social media, he saw outrage and protests, but at home in Lawrence, Kansas, the streets were calm. Like thousands of other shuttered businesses across the country, the store Caine owns, called the Raven Book Store, was temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. But Caine said he knew he "didn't want to stay silent."
A few days later, Caine announced that his shop would donate 5% of a day's sales to the Center for Antiracist Research and two bail funds in Kentucky and Kansas City. The shop raised a total of $1,730 — and broke its sales record that day.
The Strand Bookstore
Last October, Strand owner Nancy Bass Wyden called her staff together for a grave talk. Revenue was down 70% since that time in 2019, the business' cash reserves had depleted, and the $1 million to $2 million loan the Strand received in government emergency relief in April was running dry.
For the first time since her grandfather founded the store 93 years ago, Bass Wyden said, the time had come to ask customers for help. Start the holidays early, she said. Shop the Strand to save the Strand.
But amid the stacks, behind the registers, and down in the basement, where shipping and customer-service teams work, employees of the Strand felt overwhelmed, micromanaged, and undermined.
Read more: The millionaire owner of NYC's beloved 93-year-old Strand Bookstore says she's trying everything to save her struggling company. Overwhelmed employees say she's making it harder than ever to run the store.


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The deal by Global Gaming Factory X AB, anticipated to close in August, comes nearly three months after the four co-founders of The Pirate Bay were found guilty of facilitating copyright infringement, and face a year each in prison pending appeals in addition to a $3.6 million fine.
While the site is to discontinue pointing the way to free movies, music, games and software, Global Gaming Factory thinks it can turn The Pirate Bay into a money-making venture.
"We would like to introduce models which entail that content providers and copyright owners get paid for content that is downloaded via the site," Hans Pandeya, Global Gaming's chief executive, said in a statement.
The thinking goes that, if Napster could go legitimate, so can The Pirate Bay, which claims more than 20 million users. But once bad-boys Napster and DivX went legit, they virtually fell of the map. Whether that will happen to The Pirate Bay is not clear.
Weeks ago, The Pirate Bay began offering a VPN encryption service for $7 monthly and claims 180,000 people have signed up for the service. And over the weekend, it announced "beta extreme" testing of a YouTube-like service that could attract advertising dollars. But demand for even those services or whatever The Pirate Bay offers might fizzle as the torrent tracker looses its underground luster.
Global Gaming, which owns internet cafes and gaming venues, also acquired file-sharing company Peerialism of Sweden to compliment its Pirate Bay purchase.
"Peerialism has developed a new data distribution technology which now can be introduced on the best known file-sharing site, The Pirate Bay. Since the technology is compatible with the existing it will quickly allow for new values to be created for all key stakeholders and facilitate new business opportunities," Johan Ljungberg, Peerialism's chief executive officer said in a statement.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Global Gaming "plans to pay Pirate Bay users to let their computers be part of a worldwide peer-to-peer system that can transmit data for Internet service providers like AT&T and Comcast. Theoretically, it could vastly reduce the bandwidth costs of ISPs, which are struggling to keep up with the rapidly growing amount of traffic moving through the 'Net, much of it because of illegal piracy. Participating computer owners could use the money deposited into their account to buy and download songs, TV shows or movies."
Pirate Bay administrators Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg and Peter Sunde were found guilty in April, along with Carl Lundström, who was accused of funding the five-year-old operation.
The April verdicts were on appeal amid allegations the judge who presided over the case was biased because he was a member of pro-copyright groups. That appeal wasrejected, however, and the operators are expected to appeal the case on a host of other grounds.
The biggest contention concerns claims by the site’s operators that they cannot be guilty of infringement because Pirate Bay points the way to where copyrighted music, movies, games and software can be had for free, but does not physically host the content.


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Beijing (PingWest)—A Huawei user posted his complaint on Douban.com, saying that some of his photos had been automatically deleted on his Huawei smartphone on March 11.
These deleted photos include images of top Chinese officials' visit to Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus this week. According to the user, the images were downloaded from Xuexiqiangguo, an app released by the Chinese government.
Meanwhile, some users reported on Huawei's online forum that they suspect the Chinese smartphone maker is reviewing their photos and videos, some of which were flagged as “allegedly violating regulations”.
Prior to this, in January, GizmoChina reported that the company's smartphones began automatically deleting images downloaded from the Twitter app.
According to GizmoChina, a Reddit user confirmed that he is also facing the same problem. He added that his Honor Note 10 received an update of around 3.5MB, and now images from Twitter are getting deleted. His other Huawei smartphone, P20 Pro, isn't China-exclusive, and does not have the same issue.


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Member News – Biffa partners with SBF GB&I to make Ribena bottles more recyclable
Biffa, the UK’s leading sustainable waste management business, is working in partnership with the consumer goods company, Suntory Beverage and Food GB and Ireland (SBF GB&I), to help increase the recyclability of its Ribena bottles.
Biffa has worked in close partnership to support SBF GB&I to develop a new, more sustainable design of the classic 500ml ready-to-drink Ribena, which will mean it becomes much easier to recycle. This will be achieved by changing the size of the label on the bottle significantly, leaving the 100% recycled PET plastic exposed for sorting devices at recycling plants to be easily able to detect.
As a major UK recycler, Biffa is playing a pioneering role in plastic recycling, investing significantly in UK green recycling infrastructure to ensure that plastic bottles, such as these Ribena rPET bottles, can be successfully recycled into food-grade materials that are sustainable substitutes for virgin plastic.
“Congratulations to SBF GB&I on making these important changes to its Ribena drinks bottle. By removing the coloured label the bottles are much easier to process and recycle back into plastic bottles which can then be reused.
“Designing packaging to be recyclable from the outset is the best way to ensure a more sustainable approach to plastics and it’s good to see a leading business such as SBF GB&I instilling confidence in consumers in this way. At Biffa, helping our customers to recycle more is a fundamental part of our sustainability strategy and we have committed to unlocking £1.25bn of investment in green economy infrastructure by 2030 to help ensure that more and more waste can be successfully recycled here in the UK.”
“Making sure that our bottles can be easily recycled and turned back into bottles is an important part of our journey towards full circularity and net zero emissions. Simplifying the packaging of our drinks to help consumers to recycle is just one of our many investments in making our soft drinks more sustainable. From climate-change resilient blackcurrants to promoting biodiversity on our farms, we’re working to make Ribena more sustainable from bush to bottle.”


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Monday in CE: Google Actively Fixing Cheeseburger Emoji, and We’re Already Out of News to Cover This Week
These are the kinds of things that matter to people in 2017.
People have apparently been criticizing Google for how the company opted to construct its cheeseburger emoji to the point where the company’s CEO Sundar Pichai Tweeted over the weekend that he would drop everything Monday morning to get this sorted out.
Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 29, 2017
Here’s the crux of the problem: Google’s cheeseburger goes bun, lettuce, tomato, patty, cheese, bun. For comparison’s sake, Apple goes bun, tomato, cheese, patty, lettuce, bun—similar to how you’d find an In-N-Out burger constructed, where the lettuce is thought to act as a barrier between the patty and the bottom bun, keeping said bottom bun from getting soggy with burger grease.
Everyone is very much entitled to constructing a burger how they see fit. Apparently unless they construct their burger with the cheese between the patty and the bottom bun… I’ll admit, I think it’s a little odd to opt to put the cheese where Google has theirs, but who’s to say they’re wrong? Has anyone ever tried putting the cheese between the patty and the bottom bun? I can’t say that I have, and I also can’t say that that would be a normal place to put the cheese. But can we really knock it until we’ve tried it?
I appreciate Sundar taking the initiative to make this a top priority and to appease the majority of Android users. But I’d rather see him—or whoever designed this cheeseburger emoji—stick to their guns.
— TechRadar (@techradar) October 30, 2017
Apple had its new iMac Pro on display at an event over the weekend—ahead of the product’s official launch in December. Simply put, the thing looks gorgeous.
There are some very serious upgrades to the iMac on the inside, but the most noticeable difference is the new black color option, and I can’t seem to get over how gorgeous the thing really looks. I know it’s just a color change, but it’s just so refreshing to look at, and just different enough that it makes the iMac feel like a whole new system.
That $5,000 price tag though… I might need to start a GoFundMe campaign…
More CE News
- Sony’s Paris Games Week press conference kicks off (or kicked off, depending on when you’re reading this) at noon Easter Time on Monday. The PlayStation team promised some major announcements.
- The HP Omen 17 gaming laptop comes with an Nvidia GeForce 1070 and has a starting price tag of $1,600.
- Google Pixel 2 XL reportedly is suffering from poor audio recording quality issues.


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The HeroClix TabApp is an interesting, if not all that impressive, app for the iPad that uses HeroClix figurines in conjunction with iOS to make a game featuring the superheroes of the HeroClix series. When it first launched earlier this year, the app featured only Marvel heroes. But apparently...
A few weeks ago, I posted about the HeroClix TabApp that was recently released on the App Store, an iPad app that has the ability to interact with a special set of figurines designed to be used with Marvel's very popular HeroClix collectible game. Wizkids kindly got in touch with me after that ...
HeroClix is an official superhero collectible figure game that's been around for a while -- I remember the thing first starting to get popular when I was a kid. The company has just released a tie-in app for the iPad called the TabApp, and it sounds very interesting. You can supposedly use the ...
Software Updatesmore updates
- Apple Remote Desktop updated with Yosemite support
- OS X Yosemite 10.10.2, iOS 8.1.3 updates now available
- Sports Illustrated 120 SPORTS channel comes to Apple TV
- Logic Pro X update brings AirDrop support, new effects, tools, and more
- Parallels Access 2.5 released, adds file manager, computer-to-computer remote access
- The Google Translate iOS app is about to get a lot smarter


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Unfortunately, these last few months haven’t been particularly enjoyable for Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users due to various bugs and glitches that were introduced in the December 2021 update.
The update even caused connectivity issues which initially resulted in Google disabling some of the Pixel-exclusive features. Eventually, the company pulled the December 2021 update for Pixel 6 devices entirely which left some users in an insecure state with November's security update, while others were on the December release that was riddled with issues.
Following this fiasco, Google has finally started rolling out the January 2022 update to Pixel 6 devices, and the over-the-air (OTA) update should become available to everyone in the next few days. Google has noted that its latest release also contains the security patches from December 2021. Here is the change log for the OTA update:
- Fix for issue causing screen to unlock after missed call when no screen lock is set.
Network & Telephony
- Improvements for data connectivity on certain networks and conditions.
- Fix for issue preventing use of Call Screen feature on certain networks.
- Fix for issue preventing emergency calls in certain conditions while some third-party apps are installed.
- Fix for issue preventing Pixel Stand setup to start after updating apps in certain conditions.
- Fix for issue causing higher background battery usage in certain conditions.
- Fix for issue causing incorrect data usage accounting in Network menu on some networks.
- Fix for issue causing device to reboot in certain conditions after taking an OTA software update.
- Fix for issue causing a black frame to appear when dismissing the Assistant overlay on the lock screen.
- Fix for issue causing memory leak in system UI under certain conditions.
- Fix for issue causing navigation bar to be hidden when switching device orientation in certain conditions.
- Fix for issue causing PIP window to render incorrectly for certain apps.
- Fix for issue causing Wi-Fi network to drop connection in certain conditions.
As noted by GSMArena, the update weighs in at around 215MB if you currently have the November 2021 security update and 40MB if you already have the botched December 2021 update. The January 2022 security patch should be available to all Pixel 6 owners within the next few days, provided that everything goes well.


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Nesbit said the main customers for the new peeled whole onions are foodservice operators and food processors.
Wahluke continues to offer potatoes under five different labels.
Washington Potato Commission
Ryan Holterhoff, director of marketing and industry affairs, said the Washington State Potato Commission planned to launch a revamped website immediately after the show.
The website was to feature social networking tools and details about the commission’s growers’ charitable work.
Temecula, Calif.-based West Pak Avocado Inc. has moved into a new, 115,000-square-foot facility, said Dave Culpepper, import/export director who also handles national and international sales.
The new location has four more ripening rooms than the old one, bringing the total to eight.
The company recently bought a new Compac sizing and grading machine that also does color grading.
West Pak also has facilities in Chicago, Philadelphia and Texas and owns and operates a packinghouse in Mexico. The company handles about 17 items from Mexico, including cucumbers, vine-ripe and roma tomatoes, bell peppers and squash.
Wilcox Fresh, Rexburg, Idaho, is expanding its Mother Earth Fresh brand to more than 70 organic fruits and vegetables this fall.
Executive vice president of sales and marketing Jim Richter said the company plans to offer organic vegetables from Goodyear, Ariz., this fall and winter. From April to November, the company plans to ship organic fruits and vegetables from Cuyama and Santa Maria, Calif., through a grower partnership.
Richter said Wilcox hired Rusty Justus as national sales director for organic in June. Justus most recently owned a freeze-dried fruit company but has also worked for retailer Tom Thumb and specialties grower-shipper Melissa’s.
Wilcox Fresh also opened its fourth distribution center in Portland, Maine, in mid-October, Richter said, The center will receive mostly potatoes and onions.
Retailers and consumers can expect a major promotional push in 2013 from the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, including efforts from new promotions director Dana Rady and visits from the Spud Mobile.
Executive Diretor Duane Maatz said association members recently decided they needed a larger presence in the market. Rady, who joined the staff this fall, will help coordinate efforts that are expected to include ramping up the buy local campaign.
Maatz said the Spud Mobile has taken a bit longer to design than anticipated. It will include areas for food preparation and cooking demonstrations in retailers’ parking lots. It should be on the road in the first half of 2013.
The association’s celebrity spokeswoman, Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton, also plans to step up her work spreading the nutritional news about potatoes.


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The whirlwind that is Dr. Julie Lumeng’s life normally doesn’t make time for preparing home-cooked meals for her family.
The pediatrician and mother not only wants the best for her two young children but also a fulfilling career. But careers in the ever-growing knowledge-base industry often demands people spend far more time in front of computer screens than boiling pots. Balancing work and family means Dr. Lumeng and her husband, also a pediatrician, are unable to regularly create Norman Rockwell moments, such as picking up fresh fish from the supermarket, in their normal 60-hour workweek.
"Trying to prepare a meal and get it out here and make it healthy and make it different was just too much," Dr. Lumeng says.
The Ann Arbor-based Lumeng family is a patron of a growing market of businesses that make home-cooked or gourmet meals for people too busy to consistently do it themselves. These businesses will cook up to a week’s worth of meals at once and package them so they can be pulled from the fridge, popped in a microwave and served to practically the same reception a home-cooked meal receives.
Before the Lumeng family found these services, they would go out to eat a couple of times a week and again on the weekend. Those costs were on top of a $120-a-week grocery bill. Now they spend about $70 to $80 on meals delivered by Ann Arbor-based What’s Cooking!, go out to eat once or twice a week and spend about $30 a week on groceries. But the real reward is the time and effort saved.
"I don’t spend as much time cooking and preparing food," Dr. Lumeng says. "It just means more time with my family."
A microwavable feast
Eating precooked meals is nothing new to the American lifestyle. TV dinners, warming up leftovers and frozen, easy-to-prepare meals appeared shortly after women joined the workforce en masse in the 1950s. But the luxury of a healthy, home cooked meal without someone in the family actually cooking it has long been the kind of perk only the well-off could afford to enjoy. Despite what the Brady Bunch would have you believe, most suburban homes cannot afford their own Alice.
For decades a precooked meal for a middle class family meant picking from a list of predictably unhealthy choices: fast-food burgers, frozen pizzas, and greasy take-out. In recent years two wage-earner homes, long commutes and extra work hours have become the norm and what was once a last resort option has become an everyday necessity. Families determined to eat together found themselves regularly compromising on quality and taste.
But like most things, the Internet has upended the status quo. Google the words "home cooked meals delivered" and you'll find page after page of Internet links to businesses ranging from national chains to family operations trying to capture the prepared meal market. From chef prepared meals to epicurean hot bars to self-prepared kitchens, the options, cuisines and prices are truly dizzying. It's a trend that has been growing rapidly on both U.S. coasts and in Europe for years, and now the industry is taking root in Michigan.
Ann Arbor-resident Stacy Williams is just one example. The owner of What’s Cooking! set up a small kitchen on the city’s south side last fall so she could cook healthy meals on demand for busy families throughout the area..
"I noticed a lot of people don’t like to cook or don’t have time to cook and I like to cook,” Williams says. “So I thought, why don’t I cook for them? They don’t have to do anything."
She mostly caters to professional young families where both adults work full time and would rather spend an hour on family time than preparing an elaborate meal. Using healthy ingredients such as whole grains, fresh vegetables and as many organic foods as possible, Williams has banned trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, and MSG from her kitchen.
"Health has always been important to me," Williams says. "I have always been involved with in healthy living. I found a lot of people in Ann Arbor particularly want that."
Her instincts seem to be paying off. Since opening her business What's Cooking! has doubled its e-mail list to more than 200 families and that number grows every month.
The prepared food trend is not lost on national chains either. Whole Foods Market, the international organic supermarket chain, not only offers an elaborate hot food bar with quality meals to go, it also provides a home-cooked meal service. Customers can call in meal orders to any of the chain’s stores in Metro Detroit – Troy, Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills and West Bloomfield – and walk out with a turkey dinner with all the trimmings made entirely with Whole Foods products.
"We have a pretty good demand for it," said Kate Klotz, a Whole Foods spokeswoman. "It’s something that we are keeping and expanding so that shows its success."
The prepared meal market isn't just limited to highbrow take-out and pre-made microwaveable feasts. The Chop Shop in Birmingham allows it customers to prepare up to week’s worth of meals themselves in their Chop Shop kitchen; no shopping or cleaning up, they'll even provide the recipe.
Jane Bonanata, owner of the Chop Shop, says her business is the first licensed retail prep kitchen in the state and has grown 30 percent since opening in October of 2004. Business has been so good that she added a second prep kitchen and can now accommodate as many as 24 people at once. Her typical customers are busy, working mothers with a couple of kids in school.
"My market is pretty wide," Bonanata says. "These are people who value putting a nutritious, traditional meal on the table and eating in a family setting."
Then there's Warren-based The Original Wandering Gourmet, Chef Dan Engel, who will come into his customers’ homes and cook their dinners for them. Engel handles all the shopping, brings his own equipment and prepares custom gourmet meals. He does everything from romantic feasts to casual catering.
The autoworker was looking for a new career in case he lost his job when a friend suggested becoming a personal chef for people who don’t have time or can’t cook. He started with two clients three years ago. Today he cooks five days a week and even turns down business but keeps his auto job so his young family still has benefits.
"I get up in the morning and I cook until 1 p.m. and drop the food off to my wife before I go to work (for the rest of the day)," Engel says. "And then I get up and do it again the next day."
Time, money and conveyance
Prepared meal services have served Dr. Maria Freydl’s family of four quite well. The Northville resident prides herself on her cooking and serves her two young children the most-healthy food possible. She makes it a point that the family has dinner together every night, as a way to share in each other’s lives. But sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day and that’s when What’s Cooking's meals come out of the fridge.
"It’s really a struggle sometimes," Dr. Freydl says. "You basically get accomplished what needs to get done, especially on days when you work late. So this is a Godsend."
Freydl says the meals are "as good as I would make at home." Her 2-year-old daughter is particular fond of the Caribbean beef stew.
"I think it is a market that is waiting to be tapped," Freydl says. "As more and more women get into positions like mine you’ll find more and more demand for this type of thing."
Jon Zemke is a Detroit-based writer who regularly contributes to both metromode and Model-D. You can read his article about Michigan's wireless workforce here.
Photos:Whole Foods in Ann ArborStacy Williams - owner of What's Cookin!Whole Foods in Ann ArborStacy WilliamsPhotographs © Myra Klarman PhotographyMyra Klarman
is an Ann Arbor based photographer and regular contributor to metromode


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by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola.com
Based on past conditioning, the latest developments in the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) fight to provide Americans with the safest foods possible may not come as such a great surprise.
What started as a ban on raw milk to protect consumer health quickly escalated when the federal health authorities realized just how deadly and polluted American meats are. After all, raw meat, whether beef, pork, or poultry, is actually responsible for a vast majority of food-borne illnesses.
For example, virtually every E. coli infection can be traced back to the unsanitary conditions in which food-producing animals are being raised, processed, transported, stored, and ultimately sold for human consumption.
© 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola


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Rising start-up The Buxton Pudding Company was one of only seven fledgling companies in the Midlands to be honoured at a government initiative recognising food and drink entrepreneurs.
Some 50 “Food Stars” from across the country were selected from hundreds of award-winning businesses to receive a great accolade and meet leaders from the British food and drink industry, which reached a record value of £103 bn last year.
The event, held at Defra headquarters at Noble House in London on Thursday, February 26, was the launch of an initiative to support food and drink entrepreneurs at a time when micro-businesses are cumulatively the largest employer in the county and food and drink production surpasses the aerospace and car manufacture industries combined.
Owner of Buxton Pudding Company, Dom McCall, 47, said: “The whole day was very busy, we had masterclasses in accessing finance, which is always an issue these days, branding and marketing, exporting - they were giving us access to people you wouldn’t dream of getting advice from.”
Among other guests were the Secretary of State for Environment Elizabeth Truss, former CEO of Sainsbury’s Justin King and Dame Fiona Kendrick, CEO of Nestle UK and Ireland.
Dom added: “It was really important to tap into those expertise because it can be quite a lonely experience here when you’re just ploughing on with work, and you can be in danger of forgetting how important these things are.”
“They were encouraging us to think in terms of exports as well, to China particularly where people are enchanted with British products and the quality we can produce.”
The business has been going for two years now, supplying higher-end farm shops and delis with hand-made puddings - which so far have won 18 Great Taste awards. It employs four people and produces thousands of products each week.
The first initiative of its kind, the Food Star scheme aims to help winners grow their business and get more produce on supermarket shelves in the UK, as well as abroad.
Environment secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “The Midlands has always been a place where sparky entrepreneurs come up with great innovations in food and drink, people with the ambition to grow and take on the world.
“Now is the time to celebrate that success, which is helping to grow our economy - that is why we’ve created Food Stars to recognise the bright innovators of today and support them to become the major players of tomorrow.
“From street food to gin, coffee to baking kits, Midlands Food Stars truly represent the best of British and demonstrate the creativity and determination in this country. Our Food Stars show if you want to see a vision for Britain’s bright economic future, look no further than the UK’s food and drink industry.”
Food and farming employs one person in eight in Britain. In 2013 entrepreneurs set up 30,000 new food and drink businesses generating thousands of jobs in the sector.
Exports of UK food and drink are also booming with almost £19 bn shipped to more than 150 countries.
Following Thursday’s launch and lunchtime trade fair, the 50 Food Stars will receive a package of continued support from the Food and Drink Federation and Cranfield University over the next year. This includes a tailored information service and access to a range of events and development opportunities in agriculture and food, the environment, management and leadership.


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Most Android users have probably never seen the default wallpaper that Google brought to the open-source version of Android almost 5 years ago. But for those who are familiar with the pink sky default wallpaper, it looks like we’re finally getting a new one when Android 12.1 rolls out. It may not add any new features or change anything in the user interface, but this is kind of a big deal since it’s been five years since there has been any change in that aspect of the Android Open Source Project or AOSP Gerrit.
XDA Developers found a code change submitted internally for the AOSP Gerritt and it says “The sky is not pink”. It doesn’t seem to be a metaphor or anything but an actual change they’re making to the default wallpaper. For five years it has been a pink sky with a mountain wallpaper included in the open-source releases of Android since the Nougat release in 2016. But you probably only saw this wallpaper if you run a software build with light modifications to AOSP.
The sky is not pink. After almost 5 years, Google is replacing the default AOSP wallpaper in s-v2 (API level 32, Android 12.1?) pic.twitter.com/3ZalOGpfY3
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) September 17, 2021
But in any case, take their word for it, there is now a new wallpaper coming with Android 12. It’s more abstract than the pink sky and features different shades of blue from light to almost black. Of course it’s not yet live for now but XDA has been able to extract the new image before its release. Since it’s an image, you can download it its original resolution, both the pink sky from Android 7-12 and the new blue one coming with Android 12.1.
As to when we’ll get Android 12.1, first, we have to get Android 12 of course. The stable release is expected to launch this October 4 as per sources and the first point release will most likely come after that. It will be the one before we get Android 13 in the fall of 2022 although we don’t know yet what major things will come with it. A new AOSP wallpaper is of course not a major thing so it’s just part of it.
Android 12 is expected to bring a lot of new things including the Material You update. Some of the previously announced features include a new lock screen and notifications UI, dedicated one-handed mode, scrolling screenshots, improved widgets, and of course a lot of Pixel exclusive features as well.


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When the United States Mint announced that it would be changing the design on its Silver Eagles in 2021 — the first design change in 35 years — people went absolutely bonkers. Then, when 2021 arrived, collectors were presented with not one but TWO Silver Eagle designs: The first or “Type 1” version, featured John Mercanti’s original Heraldic Eagle reverse design. Midway through the year, the second or “Type 2” version, was released featuring Emily Damstra’s new Alighting Eagle design. It was a monumental year for the Silver Eagle Series with a “first” and a “last” in the same year of the U.S. Mint’s most popular coin!
The Mint announced during 2021 that it had purposely held back the final 200,000 Uncirculated Type 1 Silver Eagles as well as the first 200,000 Uncirculated Type 2 Silver Eagles. Furthermore, Mint officials reported that they had held back these coins in order to offer them as special pedigreed Silver Eagles to mark this historic design change.
|Year of Issue||2021|
|Strike Type||Mint State, Type 1, Type 2|
|Label||Silver Foil Label|
|Pedigree||First Day of Production, Last Day of Production|
|Diameter||1.598 in (40.6 mm)|
|Weight||1.000 troy oz (31.103 grams)|


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How to Use This PortalThe Chamber of Commerce Hawaii has created the Manufacturing in Hawaii initiative, which is led by the Manufacturing in Hawaii Group made up of business leaders from various fields and industries. Members can use this portal as a resource to gather information on how to help your manufacturing business in Hawaii. Jenny Lee.
Manufacturer News & Updates
The High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) will be administering the manufacturers grant program that was passed by the state legislature… More details
There’s been a lot of buzz regarding new nutrition labeling rules for food products. It can all be a bit… More details
Consumers are demanding healthy, natural, and convenient snacks; and they’re getting it. Two companies are finding rewards in their efforts with… More details
National Manufacturing Day is a growing grassroots movement of manufacturers dedicated to overcoming their collective challenges and helping their communities… More details
Tuesday, September 29, 2015 4:00-6:00 pm Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Diamond Head Room, 5th Floor 2454 South Beretania Street,… More details
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 8:00am – 1:30pm Neal Blaisdell Center The Chamber will host its second Small Biz Academy workshop, a popular… More details


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The average number of balloons per party is on the rise – a shift surprisingly caused more by economics and the environment than social media.
As ecommerce proliferates, bulky products like helium balloons get less popular because they’re harder to deliver. This is affecting party stores: much like gasoline brings customers into convenience stores, balloons often bring consumers into party stores. One way party stores compensate for this is by selling more balloons and by using electric balloon inflators as a sort of Peloton for parties – an expensive base product on top of which consumables can be sold. When the base product is so expensive relative to the consumable, buying the consumable every so often becomes a no-brainer and even a justification. In fact, the piece of hardware sitting there also serves as an always-preset reminder to buy. So selling customers an electric balloon pump is a way to buy repeat orders, online and off.
These party companies are also pushing decor that encourages using a greater number of balloons, like balloon arch kits (searches up 113% year-over-year) and balloon garlands (searches up 120% since last year). Many reviewers say they bought supplies they wouldn’t have gone for if they hadn’t owned an electric balloon pump – sometimes using hundreds of balloons. As the number of balloons per party rises, some brands are even building balloon arch calculator apps which are popular both on DIY websites and at stores trying to sell customers even more balloons.
On top of declining brick and mortar traffic, the global helium shortage is a contributor to air-filled balloons. And for companies like Party City, the multi-billion-dollar party supplies company, balloon sales are a big deal. Of their top 5 initiatives for the year, “win at balloons” was number 2.
Helium-less balloons are also taking hold because of environmental reasons. Helium balloons raise more environmental concerns than they used to. The old attitude towards littering was more out-of-sight, out-of-mind, but now, a growing number of consumers feel that any product they buy and lose sight of is an environmental problem, so some of them are switching to air-filled balloons that can't transform into floating garbage if they're released outside. This is similar to the trend of buying metal straws rather than plastic ones: a product that’s hard to lose is a product that won’t lead to accidental waste.
Selling customers balloon pumps helps party supply companies hedge against the vagaries of helium supply and demand, environmental changes, and the rise of ecommerce: whatever happens, they'll more easily be able to sell customers plenty of balloons.


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Mi 11 Ultra Price In India, Specs, Launch Date: To Start At Rs 69,999?
Mi 11 Ultra India launch has been officially confirmed. The top-end Mi 11 Ultra will be unveiled in India on April 23. The company took the wraps off Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11 Pro at the major Mi launch event alongside Mi 11 Lite 5G and Mi Smart Band 6. The company added three new phones to the Mi 11 series. The first Mi 11 debuted in China in December last year, which was launched globally last month.
Xiaomi previously confirmed Mi 11 series availability in India, expected to bring two or three phones to the country for premium segments.
Mi 11 Ultra Price In India: Mi 11 Ultra India Availability, Mi 11 Ultra Amazon
Mi 11 Ultra price in India is expected to stay around the global pricing only. The Mi 11 Ultra India launch will happen on April 23. It has been launched in China at a starting price of RMB 5,999 (around Rs 67,000) for the base 8GB RAM model with 256GB storage. The 12GB RAM model with 256GB storage is priced at RMB 6,499 (around Rs 72,500).
The top-end 12GB RAM model with 512GB storage is priced at RMB 6,999 (around Rs 78,100). Mi 11 Ultra price in India may start at Rs 69,999.
Mi 11 Ultra Specifications: Mi 11 Ultra Full Specs, Features
Mi 11 Ultra features a quad-curved 6.81-inch 2K WQHD+ E4 AMOLED display offering a screen resolution of 3,200× 1,440 pixels with a 120Hz refresh rate, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, a 551ppi pixel density and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision with an A+ rating from DisplayMate. Mi 11 Ultra runs on Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top. The device has a 1.1-inch (126×294 pixels) AMOLED secondary display at the back and supports always-on mode.
Mi 11 Ultra is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC with Adreno 660 GPU, up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 512GB UFS 3.1 storage.
Mi 11 Ultra packs in a triple rear camera including a 50-megapixel Samsung GN2 primary wide-angle sensor with an f/1.95 lens and Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) and two 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 ultra-wide-angle and tele-macro camera sensors with an f/2.2 lens and a 128-degree Field of View (FoV)
Mi 11 Ultra supports 8K video recording at 24fps with all the three sensors. The device has a 20-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 lens upfront. Mi 11 Ultra is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired and wireless fast charging support, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The phone has Harman Kardon stereo speakers and an in-display fingerprint sensor.


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Top Currency Pairs Monday 16th January 04:00 UTC GBP/USD: 1.22690 (Last Week: 1.21218) EUR/USD: 1.08600 (Last Week: 1.06671) GBP/EUR: 1.12974 (Last Week: 1.13637)
Pound Sterling On what is seen an unlucky day by many, Friday 13th produced some welcome data releases from the ONS, as the British economy showed it had grown by 0.1% in November. This came despite a prediction the UK economy would actually contract by 0.2%. In fact unless the UK economy shrinks by 0.4% in December, the economy could avoid a technical recession for the time being. This week analysts and investors will be looking into UK employment data for November released on Tuesday and UK CPI data released Wednesday. Today also sees Bank of England Governor, Andrew Bailey meet with the UK Parliament's Treasury Select Committee at 15.00 GMT where he'll be questioned about the banks financial stability report. Recent positive news should help the Bank of England remain in a Hawkish mood relative to their counterparts in the Federal reserve, which may support the British Pound short-term.
Euro Data released this morning showed some promising news as German wholesale prices fell 1.6% in the month of December. There is also some important data releases tomorrow coming out of Germany in the form of the ZEW survey of economic sentiment for January which is a survey that works by taking the expert opinions of 350 analysts, financial professionals and other experts to form an overall picture of the economic sentiment for a period. Early predictions show an improvement of -15.5 from -23.5 in December. The Euro and European equities have seen the benefits of this positive sentiment. This week important inflation data will be made available from the Eurozone and the return of the World Economic Forum will take place in the Swiss ski resort of Davos for the first time in three years. ECB President Christine Lagarde and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz set to attend.
U.S. Dollar Last weeks CPI data showed inflation fell for the first time in more than two and a half years in December. This boosts the notion that inflation is set to start contracting and the aggressive rate hike cycle employed by the Federal Reserve is nearing its end with hopes that rates will not rise to previously predicted levels. This week US retail sales data is to be released with November's reading fresh in the memory. After a posting of the largest decline in 11 months, any repeat in Decembers reading would further add weight to the expectation that the Federal Reserve will ease off on its rate hikes to avoid any negative effects on the US economy.
If you require alternative currency pair updates, please get in touch and we can arrange for a personalised weekly newsletter. For other FX enquiries, or to book a demo, please call us on 020 3908 4662, or email us at firstname.lastname@example.org Disclaimer: This is not investment advice; it is for informational purposes only.


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One of the themes I outlined for 2009 was "China will NOT save us", here is what I wrote then:
The myth that Australia is somehow insulated from the global recession because it digs up rocks and sends them to the fast growing Chinese economy will be completely shattered if it hasn't been already. Economists are forecasting the Chinese economy to slow to a growth rate of around 7 - 8% in 2009, I find that far too optimistic giving the growing signs of a sharp slowdown in the Chinese economy.
The myth of decoupling has been replaced by the reality of recoupling. The Chinese manufacturing sector has contracted for five straight months, not a good sign for an economy that relies on manufacturing for more than 40% of its output.
How will a Chinese economy growing at 2 - 4% affect commodity prices and the Australian economy? That is the question that investors should be asking rather than clinging to the hope that China will plow through at an 8% run rate in the face of a global recession.
Indeed forecasts of 7 - 8% growth in the Chinese economy for 2009 seem farfetched given the latest GDP data on the Chinese economy today, From Bloomberg:
China’s Economy Grows 6.8%, Slowest Pace in 7 Years
China’s economy expanded at the slowest pace in seven years as the global recession dragged down exports, increasing pressure for more government spending and lower interest rates to buoy growth.
Gross domestic product grew 6.8 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, after a 9 percent gain in the previous three months, the statistics bureau said in Beijing today. The figure matched the median estimate of 12 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News.
Plummeting Chinese demand for parts and materials for exports is reverberating across Asia and the Pacific, driving Taiwan, South Korea and Australia closer to recessions and worsening Japan’s slump. Premier Wen Jiabao said this week that the government must work urgently this quarter to reverse the slowdown and maintain social stability amid a “very grim” outlook for jobs.
“It’s an astonishingly steep slowdown,” said Paul Cavey, an economist with Macquarie Securities in Hong Kong. “We haven’t yet seen all of the pain.”
Click on the link for the full story. No doubt there is more pain to come. Economists will be ratcheting down their forecasts for Chinese growth and by implication their growth rate targets for the Australian economy.
It is widely acknowledged that Australia went into this economic downturn in better shape that most countries but does that necessarily mean it will whether the storm better given it's leverage to the Chinese economy? These are the questions investors need to ask rather than relying on the hope that things will turn out just fine.


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Warzone Season 6 falls upon the spooky season of Halloween, and the new Haunting event is set to bring some familiar Horror movie villains as Operators. However, some Warzone players have been spotting the Ghost face skin in-game early.
Just recently, players figured out a way to get Vanguard weapons in Warzone, and now the community is reportedly seeing Ghost Face running around Verdansk before the new Operators release during the Haunting event.
Reddit user Moco683 put up a post with a picture of them next to an eliminated enemy using the Warzone Ghost Face skin, stating: “Killed someone with ghost face skin.”
The Ghost Face skin isn’t supposed to be in Warzone until the Haunting event, which begins October 19.
This is still some time away, so it is no doubt surprising for some players to come across others who can already equip and use these upcoming cosmetic items in matches.
The player using this Warzone Ghost face skin has figured out some exploit that’s allowing them to use these unreleased skins in-game.
Ghost Face isn’t the only spooky Operator coming in the Season 6 Haunting event either, as Donnie Darko, a twisted bunny called Frank, will also be available. Recently their execution animations were also leaked.
While it doesn’t give these hackers an advantage, it’s still not fair for when the skins come out, as players will be purchasing them rather than cheating to get them free.
This is not the first time hackers have been able to exploit Warzone when it comes to cosmetic items, as hackers in the past hackers have created their own custom skins and made it much easier to spot a potential cheater. Now, this signal also consists of players having an unreleased Warzone Ghost Face Operator skin earlier than intended.
For more Call of Duty: Warzone, here are our best Assault Rifle loadouts in Warzone Season 6.
Image Credits: Raven Software / Activision
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Clients of commercial banks in the countries of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) will soon be able to send and receive money, in Eastern Caribbean dollars, same day between commercial banks in the ECCU.
The ECCU Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system, which offers a more secure, faster and more efficient method of transferring funds, is expected to be available to customers by June.
Globally, many countries have already moved or are moving towards electronic funds transfer. The implementation of the EFT, therefore, seeks to ensure that the ECCU keeps pace with global trends and international standards.
It also forms part of the overall thrust of financial institutions to enhance the services offered to their customers and is another step towards fulfillment of the ECCB’s objective of creation of a single financial space.
The Eastern Caribbean Automated Clearing House (ECACH), which was launched in September 2014, through a partnership between the ECCB and ECCU commercial banks, is responsible for the electronic clearing and settlement of cheques and will be responsible for the launch and management of the Electronic Funds Transfer system.
Name: Philomena Lee, General Manager
Phone: 1 246 231 8630
E-mail: [email protected]


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European and Latin American leaders meeting at a 50-nation summit in Rio de Janeiro agreed to launch talks aimed at creating a free-trade pact between the European Union and Mercosur, two of the world's biggest trade blocs. But the negotiations won't begin in earnest for a couple of years; the two sides didn't set a deadline for completing the deal.
Coca-Cola's most popular brands will be reintroduced in Belgium this week, but it will take a few weeks for full-scale distribution to resume, the company said. Coca-Cola is trying to recover from its worst-ever product scare after a contamination crisis forced the recall of millions of cans and bottles of its drinks across Europe.
Former penny-stock tycoon Robert E. Brennan avoided a trial by agreeing to pay $100 million and accepting a lifetime ban from the securities industry in New Jersey, according to court papers. Brennan denied wrongdoing but accepted a finding that he used "substantial influence" at two brokerages to make "unreasonably excessive profits" in low-cost stocks in which he held an undisclosed interest.
United Airlines named Rono Dutta president as part of a major management restructuring scheduled for next month, when Gerald Greenwald retires as chairman of the Chicago-based airline. James E. Goodwin, United's current president, had earlier been named to succeed Greenwald. Dutta is currently senior vice president for planning. United is the nation's largest employee-owned corporation.
A coalition of major record labels and electronics manufacturers announced new specifications for digital music players that they claim will eventually prevent people from illegally downloading copyrighted music over the Internet. On a yet-to-be- determined date, new music released by the major record producers will be digitally encrypted to prevent piracy, the Secure Digital Music Initiative said. At that point, only devices that can recognize the coding will play the music.
Wisconsin Energy, owner of Wisconsin's biggest power firm, agreed to buy Wicor for $1.5 billion in cash, stock and assumed debt, giving it control of the state's largest natural-gas utility. Holders of Wicor will get $31.50 a share in cash or Wisconsin Energy stock, a 19 percent premium on Friday's close.
Risk-averse investors pulled an estimated $2 billion out of stock mutual funds last week, according to Trim Tabs.com Investment Research. The stock market's bumpy performance prompted investors to move out of U.S. equity funds perceived as a higher risk. But the bulk of the outflows, $1.3 billion, came from funds that invest in international equities.
Louisiana-Pacific, the world's largest producer of oriented strand board, a plywood substitute, agreed to buy Canadian rival Le Groupe Forex for about $458 million in cash and debt. The move will allow Portland, Ore.-based Louisiana-Pacific to expand to eastern North America.
Dell Computer, the biggest direct seller of personal computers, signed an exclusive three-year agreement to supply personal computers to Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company. Boeing has about 175,000 desktop and notebook PCs worldwide.
T-bill rates rose. The discount rate on three-month Treasury bills auctioned yesterday rose to 4.750 percent, from 4.610 percent the previous week. Rates on six-month bills rose to 4.960 percent from 4.850 percent. The actual return to investors is 4.889 percent for three-month bills, with a $10,000 bill selling for $9,879.90, and 5.173 percent for a six-month bill selling for $9,749.20. Separately, the Federal Reserve said the average yield for one-year Treasury bills, a popular index for changing adjustable-rate mortgages, rose to 5.14 percent last week from 5.03 percent the previous week.
Gasoline prices were up about half a cent a gallon in the past two weeks, according to the Lundberg Survey of 10,000 gas stations nationwide. The national weighted average, including all grades and taxes, was $1.1960 on Friday, up 0.58 of a cent per gallon from the June 13 survey. Most of the increases were in the Midwest.
Former Sunbeam executives Albert Dunlap and Russell Kersh were awarded $1.4 million by a Delaware judge to cover legal fees. Chancellor William Chandler of the Delaware Chancery Court rejected Sunbeam's argument that it was only required to pay Dunlap and Kersh an actual "judgment, fine or settlement." The two men were fired in June 1998 following disappointing financial results.
Walgreen's third-quarter profit surged 26 percent, to $159.3 million, or 16 cents a share, beating analysts' expectations by a penny. The company credited strong sales in prescription drugs and its vitamin and photo-finishing businesses.
Philip Morris expects to fall slightly short of earnings expectations for the year but is aiming to resume double-digit earnings growth in 2000. In its first meeting with securities analysts in nearly three years, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, Kraft cheese and Miller beer said it expects to earn $3.30 a share before charges this year, up 4 percent from $3.17 last year.
Ford said it is recalling 703,000 1996 to 1998 Ford Contours and Mercury Mystiques because of vehicle-lighting concerns that may affect taillight or instrument-panel operations. In some of the affected vehicles, electrical terminals may be damaged by overheating, the automaker said, and circuits for instrument-panel lighting, parking lights and taillamps could fail. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries attributed to the problem, Ford said. Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail to arrange with their dealer to have the lighting problem fixed at no charge.
The U.S. dollar gained moderately against the Colombian peso after the government announced it would trim public spending and moved to devalue the currency. Colombia is in its worst economic crisis in 70 years, with unemployment at 19.5 percent and many economists projecting no growth in the gross domestic product in 1999.
CAPTION: Treasury Bills (This chart was not available)


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Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Register today.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is more than marketing mumbo jumbo. You needn’t look further for evidence of its pervasiveness than Amazon’s Echo smart speaker lineup, Facebook’s photo-tagging facial recognition systems, or Apple’s Siri.
Yet another influential player in the space is Pinterest. The social bookmarking tool, which boasts more than 200 million monthly active users, leans heavily on computer vision and natural language processing to “get people to do things in the real world,” in the words of chief technology officer Vanja Josifovski.
“We don’t see ourselves as a social networking engine. There isn’t a part of the company where we don’t use AI,” he said onstage at VentureBeat’s Transform 2018 summit.
One example is Pinterest’s Lens feature, which performs pattern recognition to pick apart the content of pins — the posts that populate Pinterest users’ profiles — and recommend like content. If you snap a picture of a dining room table, for example, you might get a list of room decor ideas, or buyable pins for candles and rugs in-frame. (Lens powers Samsung’s object-detecting Bixby Vision tool on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 9.)
Shop the Look, another AI-powered Pinterest tool, uses object recognition to detect and search for items in photos, surfacing recommendations from partners that include Curalate, Olapic, Project September, Refinery 29, ShopStyle, and retailers like CB2, Macy’s, Target, Neiman, and Wayfair.
That is just the beginning, however. Josifovski said future Pinterest products might tap AI to understand and collate interests that “are difficult to put into words,” like personal tastes and style.
“I think this type of area is where we’re going to build something that’s very personal, and that’s going to communicate with people in a way that’s even hard for friends to talk about,” he said.
Driving the algorithms that underlie those tools is data — lots of data. To date, Pinterest users have pinned more than 100 billion images and organized them into 3 billion collections — or boards, in Pinterest’s parlance.
“We’re truly a big data company — our scale is just tremendous,” Josifovski said. “Each [pin] is basically an image and text. People curate this content into boards, and those boards reflect very fine refinement of people’s tastes. We have 3 billion descriptions of things people like together.”
But even a company like Pinterest that relies heavily on AI is cognizant of its pitfalls. Bias is one. Privacy is another.
“Bias [is] really hard to take out,” Josifovski said. “So many other parameters are correlated to the bias feature that it’s almost impossible to cleanse your model of any influence.”
On the user privacy front, Josifovski said solutions are likely to spring up from political, not technological, innovations.
“On privacy, I don’t know if there’s a technical solution for it … As a company, you need to have a clear policy of what you want and don’t want to do with users’ data,” he said.
Despite AI’s roadblocks, Josifovski is convinced it’ll follow the adoption curve of home PCs: Before long, the tools to build it will become ubiquitous.
“AI is going to be available in everybody’s palm … You can be a small shop owner and be able to use it. You can go online and pick it up,” he said. “The democratization of AI is a bigger factor in driving anything.”
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American multinational retail corporation Walmart has decided to lay off 150 employees in India as a result of break-up of its joint venture with Bharti Enterprises and a temporary halt in its expansion plans.
Cutting down on its workforce, Walmart India, with around 1,100 employees, will lay off 100-150 senior to mid-level employees, reports The Financial Express.
Sources familiar with the matter also said that many recruitments have been kept on hold for now, which were hired in anticipation of the retailer’s expansion plans in India.
Started in a 50:50 joint venture with Bharti Enterprises, Walmart India currently runs 20 Best Price Modern wholesale units in India. The joint venture was called off in October 2013.
As per an agreement reached between the two companies, Walmart decided to buy Bharti’s 50% stake. The process of disengagement between the two has already begun, with employees being transferred to Walmart India’s rolls.
Bharti Walmart was started in 2007 for wholesale cash-and-carry and back-end supply chain management operations in India to sell a wide range of fruits and vegetables, groceries and staples, stationery, footwear, clothing, consumer durables and other general merchandise items.
Break-up of the joint venture has also halted Walmart’s expansion plans for its cash-and-carry stores in India until 2015.


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Causal onlookers watching cruise ships dock in the Tauranga Harbour on Saturday morning, may have thought that the boat was going somewhere it shouldn’t.
The Seven Seas Mariner is operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises and in 2009, the boat made the news when it rescued an around-the-world-sailor from a crippled sailing yacht west of New Zealand.
An avid boat watcher, who wishes not to be named, says he saw what looked to be an unguided cruise ship, go way too far down the harbour.
“I have never seen a cruise ship do this before and it came very close to a cargo ship berthed at the container cranes.
“I have never seen cruise ships down by the container cranes before. I don’t remember seeing this particular cruise ship in port before.”
In a statement issued to SunLive from the Port of Tauranga, it says there was no problem with the Seven Seas Mariner cruise ship on Saturday.
“It may have looked unusual to the casual observer because the Port of Tauranga pilot on board used the southern turning basin instead of the northern one.
“This was due to operational requirements at the time.
“Wide, tide, other ship movements, etc are all taken into account.”
The 17-year-old boat is currently on a 66 day voyage, one-way from Miami to Sydney which started on October 10. The Seven Seas Mariner docked in Tauranga on December 1.