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Hold your horses -- the Nexus 7 doesn't have Android 4.2 just yet. But no-one seems to have told UK retailer HMV, which is putting out newspaper ads for the new 32GB version of Google's tablet, suggesting it'll come "with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean."
As Android 4.2 has yet to be finalized and open-sourced, you won't find it on any tablets currently on store shelves, and that includes the newly-released 32GB Nexus 7. But we're sure Google won't waste any time in pushing that 4.2 update out to Nexus 7 tablets just as soon as it's ready. Keep watching as we approach the Nov. 13 launch date for Nexus 4 and Nexus 10!
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These cases will ensure that your Tab S4 is safe from accidents and more
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Now you can play putt-putt from the comfort of your home.
Austin-based computer animation studio Mighty Coconut has made a virtual reality mini golf game with add-on courses set to release this summer and another near the end of the year.
These announcements come as tech races to form advancements in VR and the metaverse, a growing network of virtual worlds. So far, Austin’s tech scene has put its hat in the ring with games such as the hot-selling island world of White Sands.
For this latest game, known as “Walkabout Mini Golf: Myst,” Mighty Coconut partnered with Washington-based video game developer Cyan to make a 36-hole course that may rival Peter Pan Mini Golf in South Austin.
This partnership is bringing about a revival of sorts of the classic puzzle video game Myst, which was initially released for the Mac in the early 90s. Tapping into a market of gamers and non-gamers alike, it was able to become one of the best-selling videogames of the 20th century. Just last year, Apple optimized the game for its M1 chip and released it on the app store.
“Our generations of players have discovered the starkly beautiful and now iconic Myst island, so it now only feels natural that we open this virtual mini-golf attraction where fans can connect and explore,” Hannah Gamiel, development director at Cyan said.
Gamiel added that people will be able to explore the world the creators, known as the Miller brothers, made. Gamers can also “have friends from all over the world join them for fun—all around the whimsical game of mini golf,” Gamiel said.
Mighty Coconut said the course will be available on Meta Quest, Steam and forthcoming VR platforms and will feature settings, objects and the “spirit of puzzles” from Myst saga.
And it’s not all just about trying to score a hole in one. This latest game will also feature 18 lost balls to collect, a fox hunt scavenger expedition and a virtual, commemorative putter to collect.
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Island life in a luxury villa and riding around on ATVs is a world thousands are creating for themselves digitally through a game known as White Sands.
Started by Austin entrepreneur Adam Hollander, the venture adds to locals getting in on the metaverse, an early stage realm where developers are using virtual reality, augmented reality and other tools for virtual worlds.
According to KXAN, Hollander used $1.2 million of his money for the virtual space where users can take part in activities like hot air balloon rides, paintballing, stand up comedy and more.
GM...\n\nI LOVE my pink ATV! \n\nHere is me riding around @whitesandsgame \n\nENJOY.pic.twitter.com/BResPCpnU8— Blockchain Brown (@Blockchain Brown) 1648985235
Users can build on plots of land via Minecraft. Three thousand of those plots were granted to users through NFTs, or digital collectibles known as non-fungible tokens, and sold out quickly, with the value rising up 50%.
A couple of weeks ago, Hollander posted about how the initial land sale raked in 1,500 ETH, which is equivalent to $4 million.
KXAN also reports that White Sands raised millions without investor money and will put up luxury villas for sale, after which it expects to raise $4 million.
Gamification is a key feature of the metaverse, which Hollander knows well having served as Microsoft’s gamification director from 2015 to 2017. Before becoming co-founder of White Sands at the start of the year, Hollander was involved in other technology ventures, including Hungry Wolves, a collection of 6,000 randomly generated wolves prowling the Ethereum blockchain.
(White Sands Game/Twitter)
In a recent interview with FOX 32 Chicago, Hollander explained the value of this burgeoning real estate.
“One day you might be playing virtual golf, the next day you want to save a princess from a dragon, the next day you might hold a business meeting and at the end of the day, you’re going to need a place to come home to at the center of the heart of this ever-expanding, open and interconnected metaverse,” Hollander said.
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After a high-traffic weekend at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, passengers reported crazy long lines and traffic jams disrupting their travel plans.
According to an ABIA spokesperson, 30,991 passengers passed through TSA on Sunday, marking the ninth busiest day in the airport’s history, and 28,651 are projected for today. Nearly 9,000 of Sunday's passengers came in before 8 a.m.
With NASCAR, Texas Relays and Dell Match Play in town over the weekend, a high volume of passengers was to be expected. However, the lines were much more chaotic for those returning rental cars Monday morning.
Ummmmm.....have never seen anything like this. The rental car place at the Austin airport is closed so everyone is just leaving their cars in the through lanes of the garage. It’s getting all backed up and people can’t get up the ramp. I dunno what to do! pic.twitter.com/mPiFibJXkC
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck2) March 28, 2022
The spokesperson said that the jam started when a rental car stalled out at the drop-off curb and employees instructed them to leave it with the keys inside. Other passengers then followed suit, leaving a long line of empty cars and no way out.
Jeff Gluck documented his experience on Twitter while dropping off his rental car this morning, saying he couldn’t find any employees and waited for 10 minutes before ditching his car.
“I ended up just ditching mine in the road with everyone else. Keys still in it!” Gluck said on Twitter. “Hope they don’t charge us.”
One traveler, Joey Dillon, said he had to abandon both of his rental cars on the road lest he lose his flight to Columbus, Ohio.
My luck that my first time leaving the Austin airport was an apocalypse between Monday morning and both a NASCAR race and a PGA event this weekend.
We had to leave our rentals on the side of the road and security was easily at LEAST 2 hours hours deep. Thank you, pre-check 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/7RZuNfCqxE
— Joey Dillon (@joeydillon) March 28, 2022
Airport staff have confirmed the jam is cleared up this afternoon, after the airport called the rental car company to request extra staff. Operations have resumed as normal.
“In response to the strong demand for air travel, AUS continues to expedite terminal improvements through the Airport Expansion and Development Program and through working alongside our partners, like the TSA, to fill staff vacancies,” ABIA said in a statement. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our passengers and continue to ask them to plan ahead, arrive early and show kindness to airport and airline staff who are working hard to get them safely to their destination.”
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domain: news


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- The producer price index, a measure of prices for final demand goods and services, increased 0.2%, against the Dow Jones estimate for 0.3%.
- Headline PPI rose just 2.3%, down from 2.7% in March and the lowest reading since January 2021.
- Portfolio management costs and gasoline prices helped push the increase, while a 37.9% plunge n chicken egg prices helped keep the number in check.
- In other news, weekly jobless claims jumped to 264,000, the highest reading since Oct. 30, 2021.
Wholesale prices rose less than expected in April, according to a Labor Department report Thursday that provides more hope that inflation is at least trending lower.
The producer price index, a measure of prices for final demand goods and services, increased 0.2%, against the Dow Jones estimate for 0.3% and after declining 0.4% in March. Excluding food and energy, the core PPI also rose 0.2%, in line with expectations. The core reading was the same excluding trade.
On an annual basis, the headline PPI increased just 2.3%, down from 2.7% in March and the lowest reading since January 2021.
Though the PPI rise was less than expected, the services index increased 0.3%, the biggest move since November 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics report stated.
A separate Labor Department report Thursday showed that jobless claims for the week ended May 6 jumped to 264,000, a rise of 22,000 from the previous period. The total was well above the Dow Jones estimate for 245,000 and the highest reading since Oct. 30, 2021. Continuing claims edged higher to 1.81 million.
“This morning’s PPI release indicates that prices are inching lower, a significant indicator for a market concerned about an elevated trend in prices paid,” said Quincy Krosby, chief global strategist at LPL Financial. “The higher than expected initial unemployment claims release, similarly is market friendly as the resilient labor landscape, underpinning higher wages, is showing signs of easing.”
However, stock market futures were mixed following the data release as Wall Street worries over a debt ceiling impasse in Washington.
The reports come as the Federal Reserve has been using its policy levers to bring down inflation that had been running at a 41-year high last summer. Central bankers have raised their benchmark interest rate 10 times since March 2022 while reducing bond holdings that had approached $9 trillion at one point.
In a release Wednesday, the Labor Department said the consumer price index, a popular gauge of prices that consumers pay for a bevy of goods and services, increased 0.4% in April, equating to a 4.9% annual inflation rate. The latter number was the lowest reading since April 2021.
The PPI differs from the CPI in that it measures prices that producers pay for the goods and services they need.
The report showed that about one-third of the PPI services increase came from “portfolio management” services, which measures the prices for investment advice and increased 4.1%. Gasoline prices rose 8.4%, pushing the goods index higher by 0.2%.
Other notable increases came from food and alcohol wholesaling, outpatient care, and loan services. Decreases came from long-distance motor carrying and a 37.9% plunge in the cost for chicken eggs.


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…New innovative multi-media e-learning course to strengthen advanced skills in risk analysis and management of software testing...
With Thales Hardware Security Modules, RIPE NCC develops an easier and more secure way to help manage Internet routing and IP allocation
Intalio’s CRM solution to enhance Nimbus CSB cloud brokerage offering to CSPs
First exclusive podcast available from January 11th; Hong Kong mobile operator CSL discusses mobile strategy
Business communications software company saves £84,000 per year on business travel, and shares cost reductions with customers that facilitates growth and international expansion
The impending departure of Microsoft's Bob Muglia, president of the company's Server and Tools Busin
Today, at the National Retail Federation's annual conference, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq "MSFT") announced the upcoming release of Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail R2, the next iteration of Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail, which was made generally available in August 2010. Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail R2 will be available in more than 50 countries starting Feb. 1, 2011...
Gavriella Schuster: This week, we’ll participate in BETT, an education event taking place in London, dedicated to showcasing how technology can improve education all over the world. Our education vice president, Anthony Salcito, summarizes the conference news here.
From a Windows perspective, we’re really excited to be part of this effort in our quest to deliver technology that gives students a competitive edge.
At BETT, we’ll talk about Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 a Windows product developed to give teachers and students increased access to technology at a lower cost of ownership. We hear quite often from education leaders there is a huge need and desire for technology, but often schools are cash constrained and don’t have the money to spend on computers...
Marissa Mayer, the executive behind Google's search engine, now aims to help the company conquer soc
NVIDIA announced today that it has signed a new six-year cross-licensing agreement with Intel.
AMD CEO Dirk Meyer will step down after reaching an agreement with the company's board over his depa
Brad Weed: Last week, Steve Lohr of the New York Times explored the evolving landscape of computer vision. Steve notes that computer vision – which broadly includes robotics, object detection and recognition, sequencing, as well as modeling and object interaction - is moving into the mainstream; what would have required a super computer just a decade ago is now possible on common computers of all types. At Microsoft, we believe in the judicious use of these technologies as one way Windows helps you be more creative in how you find and organize your media...
Steve Ballmer: The best time to think about change is when you are in a position of strength, and that’s where we are today with STB – leading the server business, successful with our developer tools, and poised to lead the rapidly emerging cloud future. Bob Muglia and I have been talking about the overall business and what is needed to accelerate our growth. In this context, I have decided that now is the time to put new leadership in place for STB. This is simply recognition that all businesses go through cycles and need new and different talent to manage through those cycles. Bob has been a phenomenal partner throughout this process, and he and his leadership team have the right strategy in place...
Ed Bott: A new zero-day security hole in all versions of Windows is the subject of “targeted attacks,” Microsoft says. The flaw, according to Microsoft Security Advisory 2488013, occurs when an attacker exploits “the creation of uninitialized memory during a CSS function within Internet Explorer.” The result? “It is possible under certain conditions for the memory to be leveraged by an attacker using a specially crafted Web page to gain remote code execution.”
Microsoft has told BBC News that it is investigating why some handsets running its Windows Phone 7 s
Panasonic Eco Scrappage Scheme Now Available For Longer Through Wick Hill
Defining a new generation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “
Hartley Wintney, UK, January 10, 2011 - Getmapping has launched a WFS service to stream Ordnance Survey MasterMap®, over the Internet.
Microsoft Corp. today announced the preliminary findings of its multicountry Innovative Teaching and
The Big News for Windows Phone 7 coming out of this week's Consumer Electronics Show was captured in a single, brief blogpost at MobilityDigest: the first software update for the mobile UI will be ready in 30-60 days. For the calendarically-challenged that would be early February. Or perhaps early March. Somewhere in there.
Windows Phone 7 is pretty much missing in action at CES, which I think is a missed opportunity. Microsoft's approach, as revealed in this platform, has the potential to be an industry-changer, leading to a rethinking and recreating of the way users can interact with and through their smartphones.
The CES is already winding down in Sin City and as expected tablets were the hot ticket items. We do


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Some personal information just doesn’t age – here’s what the Facebook data leak may mean for you. ‘Half a billion Facebook users’ data breached’, this or something very similar is a headline you may have seen in the media in recent days. Any data breach, especially one that affects such a large quantity of users, … More Does data stolen in a data breach expire?
From overpayment to shipping scams, what are some of the most common threats that merchants using PayPal should watch out for? With a total payment volume of US$247 billion, PayPal remains one of the more popular online payment providers among major brands and a variety of smaller businesses and vendors. Indeed, the payment giant boasts 28 million … More PayPal fraud: What merchants should know
What are some common ploys targeting PayPal users? Here’s what you should watch out for when using the popular payment service. PayPal is one of the key players in the field of online payment providers, operating as a payment processor for popular online marketplaces, auction websites, as well as other commercial sellers. Popular brands such … More How scammers target PayPal users and how you can stay safe
They’re supremely easy to remember, as well as easy to crack. Here’s how to improve your password security. Cybersecurity experts often share advice about the do’s and don’ts of passwords as a vital part of good cyber-hygiene practices. And yet, annual roundups of the most common passwords show that many of us continue to prioritize convenience over … More The worst passwords of 2020: Is it time to change yours?
ESET researchers yet again look into notorious Latin American banking trojans. This time they’ve explored Mekotio, a banking trojan targeting Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries: mainly Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Peru and Portugal. Mekotio boasts several typical backdoor activities, including taking screenshots, restarting affected machines, restricting access to legitimate banking websites, and, in some variants, even … More Mekotio banking trojan fakes security update, steals bitcoins and exfiltrates Google credentials


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MSNBC By Roger Blitz in London Updated: 25 minutes ago
Any day now the Italian government is expected to show its hand on gambling.
In a move viewed by many in the sector as the latest evidence of a shift towards the liberalisation of gambling in Europe, Rome will award new gaming licences to a range of national and international companies vying for the chance to run betting shops, kiosks, casinos and online services.
The closely watched decision comes as governments, which have traditionally viewed gambling as an activity on the margins of acceptablity, are taking a closer interest in the sector because of the wider access to gaming brought about by advances in technology. With the Spanish regions poised to follow Italy in licensing online and onshore gaming, and a critical decision in Germany also expected imminently, operators are increasingly bullish about the prospects of attracting new customers in undeveloped markets.
Europe’s €50bn ($65bn) betting market has become even more critical to the sector since the end of September when the US shut its doors to online gaming and arrested UK executives connected with what was far and away the fastest-growing part of the industry.
The entire online gaming industry, which saw its value plunge by more than half virtually overnight after the US tightened its laws on online gaming, is now regrouping around Europe with new games offered in a variety of languages.
Tom Horn Gaming, an online casino provider, has launched another great table game, Announced Bets European Roulette. With this title, the brad elevates traditional roulette and introduces players with modern features in this game. This roulette variant serves as the perfect title for the provider's portfolio of casino games that keeps new players more engaged. Using cutting-edge technology, the game provides a realistic live casino experience that players can enjoy from various devices.
Yerevan, Armenia platform and white label provider, Digitain has inked a deal to include 1x2 Network's virtual sports, slots, and table games in their product offering alongside well-known names such as Microgaming, Betsoft, Playson, and Evolution Gaming.
The deal will see 1x2 Network's entire portfolio become available to Digitain's B2B customers for multi-channel distribution on the Digitain Gaming Platform that offers operators plug-in Casino and Sportsbook modules.
L&L Europe Ltd, purveyors of about a dozen online casinos focused on localized markets, is getting ready to launch Fun Casino in the near future. Not much is known about the casino yet other than that it will be multi-currency, multilingual, and will feature tournaments.
Localized Casinos in Europe and Nordic Region
The Maltese company currently operates several casinos that embody a certain look and feel relative to their target markets.


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BlackBerry CEO Heins Introduces New Z10, Q10 Phones
Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Thorsten Heins, chief executive officer of BlackBerry, speaks about the new BlackBerry 10 phone lineup and the decision to change the company name from Research In Motion Ltd.
BlackBerry's Vivek Bhardwaj and Martyn Mallick, and musician Alicia Keys, newly named global creative director, also speak. They speak at an event in New York. (This is an excerpt. Video courtesy of BlackBerry. Source: Bloomberg)


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The hack disclosed at the US Securities and Exchange Commission deals a fresh blow to confidence in the security of the financial system weeks after news of a potentially catastrophic breach at a major US credit bureau.
The federal agency responsible for ensuring that markets function as they should and for protecting investors was hacked last year and the intruders may have used the nonpublic information they obtained to profit illegally.
Beware of the stranger on the phone—it could be a scammer.
Apple will open a data center in mainland China with ties to the country's government, raising concerns about the security of iCloud accounts that store personal information transferred from iPhones, iPads and Mac computers ...
Experts, charities, the media and government confuse the public by speaking "different languages" on climate change, a new study says.The research team focussed on Colombia and likened climate change communication to a "broken ...
The Associated Press and two other news organizations asked a judge Monday to force the federal government to reveal how much it paid for a tool to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, shooters.
Maybe Gordon Gekko was right when he said that information was the most valuable commodity of all. A new study showing major investment advantages for banks in countries where public economic data is scarce seems to support ...
Saudi computer security systems are vulnerable to the "Shamoon 2" virus, a senior communications official warned Thursday, confirming reports of a fresh cyberattack on the kingdom.
The U.S. Justice Department wants a judge to throw out a lawsuit from Microsoft and keep a law that prohibits technology companies from telling customers when the government demands their electronic data.
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and the country's biggest phone carrier, China Mobile, announced a partnership Wednesday to develop internet-related services as web users migrate to mobile devices.


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It’s Friday. Fridays mean fried catfish at Laura’s II. In normal times, an elderly, Catholic crowd starts arriving early, setting the pace for a busy day. No meat, but the holy exemption of fried seafood is fair game. And Laura’s does it right: giant filets of well-seasoned, golden-fried catfish with plenty of rice and sides. But these aren’t normal times. Laura’s business is down approximately 40 percent during what is typically the busy season, and owner Madonna Broussard has been scrambling to adjust. She’s cut back the extended Friday service hours (lunch will end at 2:30 today). And last Friday, with elderly regulars noticeably absent, fried fish sales barely outpaced rice and gravy. It’s almost as if it’s not even Lent.
As coronavirus fears heighten, and quarantines become the new norm, no aspect of daily life seems to go uninterrupted. Even promoting her restaurant on social media can somehow seem inappropriate. “I feel so guilty,” Broussard says to me, “when everyone’s telling people to stay home and I’m posting, ‘we’re open’ and ‘come out.’”
Laura’s II on University Avenue is known for rib-sticking soul food. It’s also a social ritual. On Lenten Fridays and Sundays after church, the line snakes to the parking lot in front of the next-door laundromat. As the doors open, the procession makes its way in, bumping forward. While the menu stays fairly regular — house specialties include giant baked stuffed turkey wings and chicken fricassée perfected in a dangerously dark gravy — there’s no shortage of anticipation for the metal lids to come off the steam table behind the counter and unveil the daily lineup in its full glory. Important decisions need to be made promptly: Rice and gravy or rice dressing? Which two sides?
Dressed in a black T-shirt and apron, a halo of corkscrew golden red hair overtaking her white headband, Broussard is one of the three smiling faces behind the counter greeting guests. Affable and disarming, she can be stern, and keeps the train moving on time. As head chef and face of the restaurant, she carries the torch as third generation owner-operator of what is considered Lafayette’s first — and longest running — creole plate lunch restaurant. Her dining room reflects her style and charm: old school with a bright spirit. The cafeteria-style line turns to burnt orange paneled walls with funky retro signage, square wood grain tables and a line of classic diner booths. Guests make themselves at home.
That was in normal times. Today, the dining room and lunch line are closed. In the parking lot just outside the glass front door is a pop-up tent with two tables. Lines of tape designate where people who haven’t already called in can step up to place to-go orders. Broussard and a couple of family volunteers help run food in and out and take orders. A sign outside the front door reads: “We are taking extended safety measures to make a safe plate lunch.” Another sign encourages guests to keep a safe social distance from each other.
But one thing hasn’t changed. Broussard is frying Guidry’s farm-raised catfish the same way her mother and grandmother did before her at Laura’s. The fish is served in a traditional compartmentalized to-go box atop a thin piece of wax paper, which covers warm sides of rice, potato salad and corn macque choux. For a moment, things seem normal again.
“I just want people to know that we are trying to keep you safe,” Broussard says adamantly. “We don’t want to have loads and loads of people here all piled up together like we’re not adhering to what’s going on and we’re not compassionate about what’s going on. Because we are.”
As a family business built on personal relationships, Laura’s II is taking its social standing seriously in these abnormal times. The situation is similar at Acadiana’s other venerable plate lunch houses, including Creole Lunch House, Gary’s, Acadian Superette, Champagne’s Grocery & Deli and The Lunch Box on Moss Street. All are riding out the coronavirus storm in similar fashion: keeping their doors open, their comfort food consistent, and hoping for the best.
“We pray every day,” says Broussard, whose crew at Laura’s consists of herself, daughter Lacey and cousin Lynn Faulk Hudson. “Each day’s gonna just be what it is and make the best of it.”
At Gary’s, the Freetown neighborhood eatery that dates back to 1948, owner Troy Kling starts taking to-go orders at the front counter at 6:30 a.m. Delicious and simple, low-priced breakfast sandwiches (made with your choice of bacon, homemade boudin patty, sausage patty or hot link) and Gary’s signature breakfast burger feed a steady stream of customers, most regulars. “I probably know 90 percent of the people that walk in the door by name,” Kling tells me. “And I see probably 200 people a day.”
Here, the days of the week are synonymous with the specials on the board. Tuesday is chicken stew day. Wednesday brings hamburger steak. Fridays in spring yield homemade crawfish fettuccine and crawfish étouffée.
“[The farm] is where we learned how to to work. And that’s where you got your first doggone lesson not to touch your eyes and your face.”— Madonna Broussard
Gary’s has space to avoid any customer crowding, with guests in and out in short order (Kling also is walking out call-in orders to cars upon request). Kling has taken away the dozen chairs the store had for hosting in-house dining. “The good news for us is that 65-70 percent of our business was call-in, take-out to begin with,” Kling says. “So we haven’t felt the impact to the extent of a Don’s [Seafood] or a steakhouse.” In a shift that harkens back to Gary’s general store roots, Kling’s also stocked the store’s back shelves with household items like toilet paper and paper towels that have been in short supply at larger stores, and has offered some limited retail sales of his signature ground meat hamburger blend.
An avid sportsman, Kling proudly displays family fishing trip photos under the counter and plenty of “Who Dat” New Orleans Saints signage. Eight years ago, he left a demanding corporate job for the comforting confines of the lunch counter, buying the business from his brother-in-law Chad Peltier. Now representing the third generation at Gary’s, he feels at home at work.
Gary’s has been experiencing about a 20 percent decline in business of late, but Kling remains steadfast in keeping regular hours for both his small staff of three and blue-collar clientele. “We’ve got a good loyal customer base that’s keeping us going,” he says. “As I’m thanking them for keeping us in business, they’re saying, ‘No, thank you for being open and giving us a place to come get some good food.’”
Back at Laura’s II, Broussard looks out over an empty dining room, unusually quiet on a Friday afternoon. Lunch service has just wrapped up, and she’s reflecting. The coronavirus pandemic has already hit close to home for Broussard. Her family was well acquainted with one of the virus’s first Acadiana victims, Roderick Martinez, whom she learned today died at the age of 41 after testing positive for COVID-19. Staring back at her are two wood-framed pictures of her ancestors displayed on the side wall. One photo is of Laura’s restaurant founders Laura and Louis Broussard, formally dressed and seated at a red-clothed banquet table. Laura Williams Broussard started her namesake family business out of the home kitchen back in 1968. The other photo is of Pappa Joe, Broussard’s grandfather on her mother’s side, who had a cayenne pepper farm in Parks.
“That’s where we get our soul,” Broussard says of her grandmother. She turns to Pappa Joe, pictured in the field, holding up a small bundle of freshly picked peppers. “And that’s where we get our spice.” Memories of childhood time at the farm come rushing back — playing in the fields, gathering with family, picking peppers for her first paid gig after school. “Those were the good times,” she says. “[The farm] is where we learned how to to work. And that’s where you got your first doggone lesson not to touch your eyes and your face.”
Grandma Laura had a relentless work ethic of her own. Broussard recalls how she handled business downturns at the restaurant — by looking up phone numbers and making direct sales calls. “She’d be up in the phone book,” Broussard says, “she wouldn’t let corona[virus] stop her.”
Madonna Broussard feels that same drive. She’s trying to make the most of social media. She’s also trying to solicit large office lunch orders, to be delivered (Lauara’s II also delivers through WAITR). Having lost both her grandmother and mother, her two mentors and predecessors at the restaurant, Broussard is navigating these unusual times without their direct guidance. Fortunately, she has her own daughter by her side.
“I am blessed,” she says, “that we are still right here at Four Corners and still got people from all walks of life. That’s a lot. And that’s just to show how resilient we are.”
“I want to remain here,” she continues. “I want to remain here for generations. I have grandkids. I want to remain here like my grandmother remained here.”


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Violife, Upfield’s award-winning alternative to cheese, makes an entrance in the UAE
In a recent survey conducted by YouGov on plant-based diets in the UAE, it was discovered that almost half of the respondents have replaced dairy for a plant-based meal or drink in the past year. Two in five respondents also revealed that they opt for allergen-free dishes when eating out or ordering food. A growing number of restaurants and eateries have also begun to offer full-fledged, plant-based menus to meet this culinary trend that is slowly changing the dining scene in the UAE.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, Upfield is a producer of plant-based spreads and cheeses with more than 100 brands, including Flora, Rama, Blue Band, Proactiv, Becel, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, Country Crock and now, Violife.
To meet this growing demand, Upfield, the world’s largest plant-based consumer goods company has now launched its award-winning, 100 per cent vegan and allergen-free cheese brand Violife in the UAE.
Reinier Weerman, General Manager Upfield North Africa and Middle East explains the growth in the demand for plant-based foods in the Middle East, a diet mainly fuelled by people’s concerns about their health and the environmental impact of dairy and meat production.
Violife’s range of plant-based products are free from dairy, preservatives, lactose, gluten, nuts and soya, whilst being based on coconut oil and fortified with B12; and is suitable for all cooking and baking needs. Violife in the UAE comprises a selection of vegan cheeses, which include shreds, slices, blocks and spreads.
The entire Violife range is available at retail stores across the UAE. Furthermore, the brand aims to work closely with local hospitality businesses and restaurants to offer diners more plant-based options.
Visit the website.


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- Former KPMG and NN Netherlands financial expert joins Aito
- More than 25 years’ experience in auditing and financial management
22nd December 2021: Aito today announces the appointment of Jan Jaap Koelewijn as Chief Financial Officer.
The seasoned CFO started his career at KPMG, where he worked as Audit Manager for 15 years, conducting world-wide audits of large corporates including, PolyGram and Azko Nobel. Jan Jaap was then appointed CFO at industrial production company, NN Netherlands, where he managed numerous financial and legal projects, including the company’s post-acquisition integration. In 2013, Jan Jaap joined start-up e-Traction Europe as CFO to head up the company’s finances up to its acquisition by Evergrande Health Industry Group.
Jan Jaap comments: “I enjoy contributing to projects that are built from the bottom up, and so I was intrigued by Aito as an innovative start-up with ambitious goals. The haptic touch industry is booming, set to be worth more than $25bn in the next five years. As CFO, contributing to a company’s financial success in such a huge market appeals to me and I have the expertise to achieve this at Aito.”
CEO of Aito, Nedko Ivanov comments: “Jan Jaap brings his extensive knowledge and vast experience to the Aito team at a pivotal time. Our plans to go to market in 2022 require a skilled and experienced CFO to lead the way with our finances and Jan Jaap is the perfect fit.”
Jan Jaap joins Aito following a host of company developments, including the appointment of CEO, Nedko Ivanov, and Aito’s successful investment round that raised €4.1 million – the company’s largest fundraise to date. Aito has developed the slimmest, most versatile finger sensing and haptic touch solution on the market that delivers high fidelity, localised haptic feedback while consuming ultra-low power in standby mode with instant wake-up. Aito offers unlimited design potential to consumer electronics companies looking to deliver a key differentiator in an increasingly crowded and cost sensitive market.
Jan Jaap continues: “Working with a team of professionals – who, combined, have decades’ worth of expertise in their fields – makes me confident that Aito will achieve its goals. I believe Aito has a solution superior to others on the market, and I am excited to be a part of the company’s future success.”


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Eir has apologised to customers that were charged double this month after a “technical error”.
The error saw direct debit payments for broadband and telephone bills processed twice.
Eir has said a “small number of customers” were impacted – after the Irish Independent reported that around 3,000 customers were charged twice.
In a statement, the company said the cause of the issue was “quickly identified and has been rectified” – noting that all refunds have now been processed.
It said impacted customers were notified via text message or email and they do not need to take any further action.
The company said the error occurred during a “planned transition to an upgraded billing system”.
“Eir sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused and wants to assure customers that all refunds are in progress,” it said.
Customers with any questions or concerns can contact Eir’s dedicated support team on 1901.


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Call it what you will — new iPad, iPad 3, third-generation iPad, iPad nü — but Apple sold more than three million of them in the device’s first weekend back in March. When the long-rumored 7-inch iPad mini launch comes, following months of rumors, hype and speculation, supply chain sources say production will be running at 4 million units per month.
That news comes via a DigiTimes write up that sprinkles other details about Apple’s smaller tablet.
• Display size will be 7.85 inches
• Resolution “similar” to iPad 2
— Most observers expect the exact same 1024 x 768 size and aspect ratio(4:3)
• $299 is the likely starting price
• iPad mini will feature a thinner bezel
— See also: iPad mini: Like Big iPod touch
DigiTimes’ sources say that even if Apple wants $299, the iPad mini will be seriously competitive with the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7, which both start at $199 but offer smaller displays and notably less robust ecosystems (i.e. apps, peripherals, user bases, support organizations, etc.).
Regarding production, the important question is how many units will Apple have on hand for the iPad mini launch? That is, whereas the iPad 3 sold three million units in its first weekend, the iPad mini launch will come just as the holiday shopping season begins.
Moreover, though iPad 3 hype was hot and heavy, iPad mini buzz and expectations will blow that away. Having been prepped for a small tablet by Amazon, Google and others, people are ready for a new killer device from Apple.
Assuming Apple can make somewhere between 12 and 16 million units between now and the last shipping day before Christmas, will that be enough? Perhaps, but if the iPad mini turns into this year’s must-have gift even twice the higher number will fall short.
Will the iPad mini be the “Tickle Me Elmo” of 2012? Share your thoughts in the comments below.


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Last week, Umami Mart (815 Broadway), Old Oakland’s uber-stylish purveyor of Japanese barware and teaware, announced its newest project: a konbini (or Japanese-style convenience store) that they’ll be setting up in the back section of their shop. As first reported by Inside Scoop, the store-within-a-store, which owners Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano have dubbed U-Mart, is currently still in the planning stages, but is expected to launch with an opening party that’s scheduled for Tuesday, June 25.
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|Fumiaki Matsumoto: Guangzhou is the Center of All Functions|
|Foreigners in China|
With his passion and adventurousness in career, Fumiaki Matsumoto, Managing Director of Dongfeng Nissan, makes himself the best spokesman of the auto giant, which has an annual production capacity of one million units.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its founding in Guangzhou, Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Co. (Dongfeng Nissan) rolled out its 4.5 millionth vehicle in the city on June 16.
With an area of about three million square meters, the headquarters of Dongfeng Nissan is located in Guangzhou's Huadu District, which is well-known as an auto manufacturing hub.
Fumiaki Matsumoto, 54, has been taking the helm of the motor giant since April 2010 as Managing Director; he's also the Vice President of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. (DFL), a joint venture between China's Dongfeng Motor Group and Japan's Nissan Motor Company Ltd. Prior to joining DFL, Matsumoto was Managing Director of Nissan Motor Iberica, SA. Spain. He joined Nissan in 1981 after getting a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Tokyo.
As the passenger vehicle division of DFL, Dongfeng Nissan was founded in Guangzhou in 2003. "It was where our partner - Aeolus Automobile Company (one of Dongfeng Motor Group's subsidiaries) was based, and it knew how to produce Nissan vehicles," Matsumoto explains. "That's why we came here." Aeolus Automobile was reorganized as a part of Dongfeng Nissan when it was founded. "We also have terrific backups here," the Managing Director continues. "We have all kinds of suppliers in the area, we have received strong support from the local government – preparing lands for the plants but also suppliers, helping to relocate the employees… and the most convenient logistic network is one of the biggest advantages [to locating here]."
Although it was not until 2010 that Matsumoto began to lead Dongfeng Nissan, the Nissan veteran visited Guangzhou as early as 2003 when he helped to prepare the construction of the company's first plant, which began operation in 2004. Matsumoto says the huge changes he's seen in the city over the past decade has really surprised him.
"Ten years ago, before we came here, there was nothing, only big wide roads and empty areas," he recalls. "The development here is really speedy." But it is the learning capability of his Chinese staff that has impressed him most. "Nissan has been building plants around the world, and the Guangzhou plant has the highest efficiency compared with the rest of them globally," he relates. The boss of 16,000 employees credits that efficiency to the fast-learning Chinese crew, who constitutes the majority of the workforce at the plant: "Of course, we've brought in Japanese skills and experience, but most of the projects are led by the people here," he says.
When the company's second plant in Huadu was finished and put into operation last year, Guangzhou became Nissan's biggest manufacturing base in the world with an annual production capacity of 670,000 units. Together with its Zhengzhou and Xiangyang plants in central China, Dongfeng Nissan's total production capacity was one million units in 2012. The company's fourth plant in the country broke ground in northeast China's Dalian last June. It is designed to have an annual output capacity of 150,000 units and is expected to start operation in 2014.
Dongfeng Nissan is not only "made in China," but also "sells in China." According to its official data, the company's annual sales volume has risen from 65,000 units in 2003 to more than 773,000 units in 2012. "It is not only growing, but also jumping," Matsumoto says with a smile.
But not every marriage is sweet at the very beginning and in the case of Dongfeng Nissan, the division of China's biggest automotive joint venture, there was bitterness during the honeymoon period as "there were difficulties in understanding each other at the very beginning," Matsumoto says. That could explain the reason for a setback in the sales volume in 2004, the second year following the company's founding, even though it was laying out new models and the Chinese market was growing.
"It is a 50-50 joint venture," Matsumoto explains, "and the corporate cultures are different in the two companies."
It took one year for the two sides to discuss and iron out the corporate rules, and things turned out very well, as its sales volume doubled in 2005 to 158,000 units.
Dongfeng Nissan's Chinese customer-oriented strategy has also helped to establish itself as the most popular Japanese brand in the country. "We not only produce and sell here, we also develop and design here, to make our products meet specific market needs," Matsumoto reveals. In 2010, the passenger vehicle arm unveiled its first proprietary brand, "Venucia," or "Qi Chen" in Chinese. It is a motor venture brand designed by Chinese in China.
Representing one quarter of Nissan's total global sales, China is now the largest single market for Nissan, the second-largest automotive company in Japan, according to news reports. Matsumoto confirms his confidence in the Chinese market, and he's also optimistic about the luxury auto market in the world's second largest economy, as Dongfeng Nissan will put Infiniti, a luxury brand of Nissan, onto its assemble line in 2014.
Dongfeng Nissan is also a pioneer in zero-emission mobility as the company had inked a zero emission partnership with the Guangzhou government as early as 2009. "The Huadu government has bought 21 zero-emission cars from us… and our zero-emission taxis are in a pilot program now," Matsumoto says.
Born in Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu in Japan, and having spent years in Europe for his managing tenure for Nissan, Matsumoto enjoys his life in Guangzhou. He describes it as a "foreigner-friendly" city, and "easy to live here, especially for Japanese." The busy traveller also says that he finds the local people are more open-minded to people with different backgrounds than those in the rest of the country, "just like the people in Spain… I like the people here," he comments.
Having served Nissan for over 32 years, Matsumoto is still passionate about his career, and it doesn't look like he has any intention to retire in the near future. "It is interesting working here as there are always challenges coming," he says. "I love challenges." He clearly has made himself the best spokesperson of the Dongfeng Nissan's corporate motto - "Enjoy your work; enjoy your life and then develop yourself."
As the Deputy Chairman of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Guangzhou, which has some 200 Japanese member companies, Matsumoto also notices the difference between his host city and its manufacturing neighbors. "Most of the Japanese manufacturing operations in those cities like Dongguan or Shenzhen are mainly for export, but in Guangzhou, we design, develop, produce, project and even sell here," Matsumoto says. "Guangzhou is the center of all functions."


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Microsoft's Bing has integrated Facebook "Liked Results," which highlights links that your friends have publicly shared or liked.
The move is the result of Microsoft's partnership with Facebook and illustrates how search is trying to be more social. Microsoft surfaces Facebook while Google integrates Twitter in results. The big question for Google is whether it can have social results without Facebook.
In a blog post, Microsoft's Bing team explains how social will integrate with search.
While we are very excited to talk about our next development, we’re all aware that it’s all part of a longer journey. This is the first time in human history that people are leaving social traces that machines can read and learn from, and present enhanced online experiences based on those traces. As people spend more time online and integrate their offline and online worlds, they will want their friends’ social activity and their social data to help them in making better decisions. Integrating with Twitter data 16 months ago was one step, and exploring Facebook’s rich streams is another.
Bing noted that the Facebook Liked Results won't turn up in all searches. Indeed, I tried a few that I know have likes in my network and couldn't turn up any.
The upshot to all of this is that Google and Microsoft are looking to social networks to enhance and supplement their respective algorithms.


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Lussmanns offers a cheeky solution to sustainable fish
Nov 20, 2014
Lussmanns restaurants in St Albans, Hertford and Harpenden in Hertfordshire have become the first small restaurant group outside London to serve MSC certified sustainable fish and shellfish. One of the first MSC menus item will be pan-fried MSC certified cod cheeks with garlic, chilli and lime, served with a dill and tarragon mayonnaise. The cod is sourced from sustainable fisheries around the coast of Norway and the North East Atlantic.
Protecting the seas by eating fish might seem counterintuitive, especially when so many fisheries are being overfished. But MSC certified fish comes from a sustainable source and many of the fishing boats in the programme have made further improvements to reduce discards and look after fish stocks for future generations. A recent survey showed that 60% of diners want restaurants to show they have sustainable options. By supporting MSC certified fishermen, Lussmanns’ diners are helping to protect fish stocks and ensure a healthy future for the oceans.
Andrei Lussmann, founder of Lussmanns, explained the move: “Eating fish sustainably is the only way - today and every day. We have great respect for the Marine Stewardship Council and our new partnership is an important part of our aim to make sustainable dining accessible to everyone. Running restaurants with an environmental bias is a modern day discipline that we ignore at our peril. The MSC’s advice and guidance will help us to continue combining an ethical and sustainable approach with a passionate commitment to providing first class food and service to every diner.”
George Clark, Commercial Manager for the MSC said: “Sometimes making a difference is hard, but sometimes it’s a real pleasure. Eating MSC certified fish at Lussmanns is definitely the most pleasant way to help promote sustainable fishing! It’s particularly great that Lussmanns are starting their MSC certified menu with cod, a fish that a lot of people think they have to avoid and yet there are now plentiful supplies available from healthy stocks in the northern Atlantic fisheries.”
More about Lussmans
- Giles Coren, food critic for The Times, described Lussmanns as ‘everything a modern local restaurant should be’ and rated them 8/10.
- Lussmans has been recommended by The Good Food Guide since 2010.
- Lussmans are founder members of the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), SRA Three Star Sustainability Champions and won UK Sustainable Small Restaurant Group of the Year at the SRA Awards 2014.
- They are rated as one of the UK’s top restaurants by Fish2Fork, the campaigning restaurant guide for people who want to eat fish – sustainably.
- In 2011 and 2012, Lussmans won the Independent Restaurant category of the RSPCA Good Business Awards.
- The restaurants are in St Albans, Hertford and Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
- For more information, including supplier details, please visit the Lussmanns website
For media inquiries, please contact: firstname.lastname@example.org.


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ANNOUNCEMENT 20 Dec 2013In December 2013, the members of SACU announced a change in import duties.
NUMBER OF INTERVENTIONS
South Africa Revenue Service (SARS), Government Gazette No. 37154, No. R.1006, 20 December 2013: http://www.sars.gov.za/AllDocs/Embargo/Tariffs/LAPD-LSec-CE-TA-2013-74%20-%20Notice%20R1006%20GG%2037154%2020%20December%202013.pdf
International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) Report No. 448, 29 October 2013: http://www.itac.org.za/upload/document_files/20140923021155_Report-no-448.pdf
South Africa Revenue Service (SARS), tariff amendments of 2013: http://www.sars.gov.za/Legal/Secondary-Legislation/Tariff-Amendments/Pages/Tariff-Amendments-2013.aspx
On 20 December 2013, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) decided to temporarily eliminate the customs duty on polyvinyl butryal (PVB) (HS 3920.91) since there are no local manufacturers in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). The customs duty was, thus, reduced from 10% ad valorem to zero. However, EFTA states had previously been assigned only a duty of 2.5% and member states of the EU and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) were exempted from the duty altogether. The customs duty exemption stayed in effect from 20 December 2013 to 31 December 2013.


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Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013: Manish Arora
Explore This Story
For a cosmopolitan city like Paris, there are very few ethnic designers showing during fashion week. Manish Arora is an Indian designer that is developing a following for his colourful kaleidoscopic collections.
For spring 2013, the designer went back to his Mumbai roots for a collection that featured intricate gold embroidered over full dresses and styled with metallic leggings. His spectacular jewelry, some elaborate headpieces, were standouts but paired with these subcontinent looks took it into fantasy Bollywood territory. But hey, this is Paris, and there are runway shows where a pile-it-all-on mentality is not just embraced but celebrated.
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Samsung today announced that they are setting up a $300 million for their own self-driving car push. In addition, the company is setting up a dedicated business unit to develop for autonomous technology.
This new unit will be built inside Harman, which Samsung acquired last year for $8 billion. The goal for Samsung here is to build a full technological platform that automakers can use and incorporate in their cars. This would allow automakers to incorporate the system and offer capabilities such as infotainment and self-driving.
Dinesh Paliwal, Harman’s chief executive officer told Bloomberg that “Our industry is literally screaming, saying, ‘We love Mobileye but we need an open platform.'” In addition, he stated that “Competition is the best thing ever. The auto industry wants us to do it and we think we have the capacity and the fuel power.”
Samsung has announced this after it was granted a self-driving vehicle permit in the State of California by California Department of Motor Vehicles. Of course, many other companies also have self-driving permits in California, but today, Samsung shows some of its future ambitions in the autonomous area.


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Gionee has officially entered bankruptcy.
A court in Shenzhen has accepted the bankruptcy application, which will now put the company at a crossroads.
As of August, Gionee owes ¥20.2 billion, which is roughly around $2.9 billion USD, to 648 creditors. Despite this immense amount being owed, the founder of Gionee, Liu Lirong, states that he’d like to see a turnaround in three to five years. As of last week, a restructuring consultant was hired to create a plan for the organization that would allow it to emerge out of this situation.
Gionee’s money troubles were exacerbated when Liu – founder and chairman – lost a CNY 1 billion bet in a casino. That’s a whopping $144 million! He claims he didn’t use company money, but admits he may have “borrowed company funds”. Like we said, this story would make quite a movie.
For comparison, Liu claims that the company was losing around CNY 100 million ($14.4 million) a month between 2013 and 2015. The losses per month doubled in the last two years.


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Produce safety remains one of the biggest priorities throughout the food and beverage industry. Despite the best efforts, new headlines emerge of contaminated produce being recalled. This is not only damaging to the brand of the producer or seller, but it also decreases consumer confidence in healthy produce. For this very reason, food processing is a highly regulated industry with a series of strict procedures designed to safeguard food quality.
Producers will use common sanitizers such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide and PAA to remove soil or debris from the produce and prevent cross-contamination of harmful microbes. As part of the sanitation process, companies will be required to test their wash waters and validate their disinfection levels. This helps to ensure that sanitizer levels are high enough to be effective at ‘cleaning’ the produce, without compromising the integrity of the produce.
At PMA’s Fresh Summit, Palintest is introducing a new measurement technology to enable companies to validate their sanitizer levels and ensure effective food safety protocol. Their technology uses a sophisticated electrochemical technique which measures the reaction between their single-use sensors and the chemical in the water sample. Unlike common colorimetric solutions, this method removes any interferences caused by color in the water samples.
Kim Thye Lee, Managing Director of Palintest says:
“Food safety affects everyone and that’s why we are committed to improving food safety standards by supporting producers. Our technology has been tried and tested in a range of food and beverage facilities, and the reactions from the producers have been extremely positive. Their problem of inconsistent results from different operators will be removed as this technology is not dependent on the operator or their experience to perform the tests.”
Palintest has developed this technology with food processing in mind, working with businesses to ensure that the test is simple and easy to operate straight out of the box. Optimised for food processing facilities and the efficiency that it requires; the test uses no glassware and can be performed directly on the wash line.
Whilst performing these tests is a regulatory requirement, companies rely on this information to ensure that they are supplying produce which is clean and safe. By understanding their water matrix, companies can implement any corrective action and ensure that the produce reaching the shelves is safe for consumption.
Palintest’s new technology will be on display to the public for the first time at PMA’s Fresh Summit. To find out more visit the team at booth 352.
For marketing or press enquiries please contact email@example.com


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Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter Returns
Posted on October 3, 2020
D.G. Yuengling & Son has announced the return of its Hershey's beer collaboration called Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter. The brewery says the beer is return in response to strong consumer demand.
The beer was first released in 2019 in draft only. Yuengling says the chocolate beer pairs well with meats, cheeses and desserts. It blends Hershey's chocolate flavor with caramel and dark roasted malts.
Jennifer Yuengling, Vice President of Operations and 6th Generation Brewer, D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., says in a statement, "We heard our fans and saw consumers, near and far, scrambling to get their hands on a taste of Yuengling Hershey's Chocolate Porter. So, in keeping with our 191-year tradition of listening to our loyal fans, we decided to release our Chocolate Porter across our entire footprint and in bottles for even more consumers 21+ to enjoy."
Oreo Launches Gluten Free Cookies - posted January 3, 2021
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Roku Launches Limited-Edition Roku SE Streaming Player for Black Friday - posted November 17, 2020
Nintendo Announces Nintendo Switch Black Friday Bundle - posted November 9, 2020
Hess Toy Truck Launches First Plush Toy Fire Truck - posted October 22, 2020


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THE spotlight will be directed back on the show’s agricultural backbone, with the community more involved by, among other things, turning one stage over to daily local acts.
SRAWBERRY farmers are preparing for an influx of people ready to pick their own fruit as many WA growers open their farms to the public.
SANTA Maria College has confirmed one of its students found a needle inside a strawberry on Friday.
IF you’re heading to the cappuccino strip this weekend, don’t be surprised if your coffee comes with a side of strawberries.
WA Police have confirmed at least one of the about 20 claims of needles found in strawberries currently being investigated is false.
CUSTOMERS will pay more for milk at Coles and Woolworths stores with a 10¢ levy to be passed on to east coast dairy farmers gripped by drought.
SUPERMARKET giant Woolworths has taken the extraordinary step of withdrawing sewing needles from its shelves nationally following the fruit tampering crisis.
LATEST: SUPERMARKET giant Woolworths has taken the extraordinary step of withdrawing sewing needles from its shelves, while at least two children have been cautioned.
THE strawberry sabotage crisis continued to spread yesterday, with at least 19 cases being investigated by police in WA and retailers taking desperate action to try to halt a slump in sales.
AN elderly couple from Maddington are suspected of being the sixth victim of sabotaged strawberries after discovering a needle buried in their fruit.
IF there’s one thing you can rely on social media users to do in a crisis, it’s back a hashtag campaign.
MARK McGowan has spoken out on the needle crisis that has hit the WA strawberry industry, offering a a $100,000 reward for information that will lead to a successful prosecution.
A MOTHER has reportedly found a needle inside an apple she bought from a Woolworths supermarket in Sydney’s north-west.
THE strawberry needle crisis is spreading in WA with contaminated fruit reported in three Perth suburbs.
A MAJOR strawberry supplier has taken the desperate measure of scanning for metal contaminants as the needle sabotage crisis hits WA.
WA strawberry growers fear the sabotaging of fruit with needles could wipe out the market in Australia as police investigate reports a locally-produced and packaged punnet was contaminated.
A member of the public presented the strawberries to York Police Station on Monday afternoon.
THE national strawberry sabotage scare is set to devastate the local industry unless the culprits are caught soon, with WA growers confirming they have had to dump fruit as orders dry up.
A WA company has been dragged into the growing national scare over contaminated strawberries after a needle was found in a punnet of fruit in South Australia.
A STRAWBERRY producer in WA has seemingly become embroiled in the needle sabotage saga, with a locally sourced punnet found to contain a sewing needle.


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Speaking at India’s first tech startup conclave and awards summit in Delhi on Saturday, Singh said, “India is emerging as the world’s preferred startup destination due to its vast unexplored potential coupled with ease of business and regulatory environment.” He also pointed out that India’s startup culture is currently mostly confined to Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other big cities but it must spread to India’s B-towns too.
Singh said the Union Budget of 2022-23 is a “futuristic budget with scientific vision and startup incentives”. The tax exemption for startups up to 2024 and other incentives for domestic and export sectors will enable India to take a lead in the world. The announcements of new initiatives like digital rupee, digital banking units in 75 districts, digital university and startups linked to artificial intelligence, space technology, and drone shakti are examples of digital push and innovative ecosystem that the government wants to promote.
Singh also said that the government is extending full support to promote domestic manufacturing, industry-led research and the creation of a skilled workforce.


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Huntington Area CVB to host Business Expo for minority-owned businesses
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 2, 2023
Showcase event will be Sunday at Heritage Station
HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA – The Huntington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau will host their Honor Huntington Diversity Business Expo from 1–4 p.m. Sunday at Heritage Station in downtown Huntington.
The Honor Huntington Diversity Business Expo will provide a platform for local Black and minority-owned businesses to showcase their products and services.
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Admission is free to the public, and all are welcome to stop by, listen to live music and visit a variety of vendors offering food, fashion, and much more.
The Expo promises to be a vibrant and unique opportunity for community members to connect with and support Black and minority entrepreneurs in Huntington.
The event seeks to celebrate the contributions of Huntington’s Black community to the Tri-state area’s economy, by recognizing their entrepreneurial spirit and the city’s cultural diversity.
The event is a part of the Huntington Area CVB’s Honor Huntington campaign, which celebrates the present as much as the past.
The initiative aims to honor the city’s Black history and raise awareness of its contributions to today’s community.
The Honor Huntington project highlights the Huntington Area CVB’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, the growth of small businesses, and community engagement.
The campaign is hosted in partnership with Radiant Communications Agency, an advertising and public relations entity made up of students at Marshall University.
Vendor fees range anywhere from $75-150.
Huntington Area CVB will collect payment at the event.
Acceptable forms of payment include check or cash.
Proceeds will be dedicated to hosting future events associated with the Honor Huntington project.
To sign up as a vendor, contact Isabel Morris at firstname.lastname@example.org for more information.


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The Galaxy S8 has become the subject of a massive leak which touches upon a number of different specifications of the device inside and out. The handset is apparently going to be launched in late March and hit retailers on or around 21 April.
Two insiders told the Guardian that the Galaxy S8 is codenamed Dream and its bigger variant Dream 2. Both are set to sport dual-curved screens similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge and an edge-to-edge ‘infinity’ display. The panel apparently commands the maximum amount of real estate and leaves out very little room for bezels at the top and bottom.
There supposedly wasn’t even enough space to fit in a logo or brand name on the front. This radical new design has reportedly resulted in the fingerprint scanner moving to the back. The actual dimensions of the screen are unclear as of now, but multiple well placed sources allege that the smartphones will measure between 5-inch and 6-inch.
Interestingly, the two are expected to have either the same or smaller proportions as Samsung’s earlier flagships but with bigger displays. The above photo is seemingly a good representation of what the offerings look like. The devices are probably going to be blessed with the Note 7’s iris scanner and retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Also Read: Samsung confirms Galaxy Note 8 in the works
Under the hood, the Galaxy S8 is getting support for USB Type-C and a faster processor built on the brand’s 10nm technology. Previous speculation has asserted that it’ll pack Qualcomm’s 10nm-based Snapdragon 835 SoC for certain markets and an Exynos CPU for others. The handset may contain 64GB of ROM and support expansion up to 256GB.
In terms of photography, Samsung is likely to retain the Galaxy S7’s duo pixel rear camera while adding incremental enhancements to low-light performance, speed, and photo quality. It might also introduce an object recognition tool which works just like Google Goggles using the power of an AI assistant called Bixby.
The report goes on to talk about an intriguing new accessory for the Galaxy S8 dubbed DeX (desktop extension). The Microsoft Continuum-like dock will apparently allow the device to turn into an Android computer which connects to a monitor, keyboard, and various other peripherals. This is notably the second time talk of such an ability has appeared.
The Galaxy S8 could be announced alongside a fresh Samsung Gear VR headset and Gear 360 camera when it comes out in March. Stay tuned for more on the smartphone till then.


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HYDERABAD: Location specific deals platform Nearbuy has appointed Abhishek Rajwade, the former director of mobile products at Flipkart, as its senior vice president for products. The Indian arm of Groupon which rebranded itself to Nearbuy in August 2015 is on a hiring spree for a second rung of management leadership.
“Apart from the core team of 6 co-founders we are building our management team. From 260 employees in Groupon in August, we have grown to 600-plus in the past few months, mostly for technology and sales teams,“ said Ankur Warikoo, CEO and cofounder of Nearbuy. The new entity has a strong app-focus for location specific deal discovery.
“We are currently present in 32 cities and the average time period for utilisation of a voucher has decreased from 3.5 days in Groupon to 18 hours for Nearbuy.“ App-focused online to offline (O2O) deal discovery and services has so far seen fragmented players in the fashion segments.
US-based e-commerce giant said the EA award of Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) was enforceable and the single-judge bench of the Delhi High Court rightly gave an interim order in its favour granting a stay on the ongoing amalgamation.


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Healthy drinks company The Naked Collective is seeking to secure €2.5 million in investment through a crowdfunding campaign as part of an overall €15 million fundraise.
The Co Kildare-based company, which raised €6 million last year, intends to secure a further €5 million in the next few months with half of that sum to come through a campaign on Crowdcube. It will also look to raise another €10 million later in this year to bring total investment in the company to €21 million.
The crowdfunding campaign is due to go live early next month. Among other companies to raise money via the platform are BrewDog, Monzo and Revolut. Irish start-ups that have used Crowdcube meanwhile include Buymie, HouseMyDog, Lightly Technologies and See.Sense.
The Naked Collective has produced a range of healthy drinks under the Mude brand name that are low in sugar, isotonic and contain natural vitamins and minerals. It is also launching a range of non-alcoholic lagers under the So-Beer brand.
Its drinks are stocked by more than 1,000 outlets here including in Tesco, Spar, Mace, Londis and Circle K. It has also just gone live with Manna, the drone delivery company offering airborne deliveries in Oranmore, Co Galway.
Having recently secured listings in Canada and Italy, the Naked Collective earlier this month partnered with US sales and marketing company Acosta as part of a $12 million investment to expand in North America.
The Naked Collective's founders are Niall Phelan and Catherina Butler. Mr Phelan, who co-founded craft brewer Rye River, producers of McGargles beers, was also previously country manager for Molson Coors. Ms Butler, meanwhile, is the former chief financial officer at logistics firm Primeline, and previously worked at United Drug and Lifestyle Sports.
“We saw the crowdfunding approach as not just people investing in our company but also investing in our shared vision, to make the world a healthier, happier place one drink at a time. Who wouldn’t want as many people as possible to be a part of our rollercoaster journey?” said Ms Butler.


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Indian retail chains are not in a tearing hurry to get foreign direct investment, according to the chief financial officers of some of the biggest retail companies.
This is despite many of the big retail chains scouting for FDI in their hypermarket ventures.
“We will continue to operate for a long time. If the FDI in retail is delayed, it’s not a be-all and end-all for us,” said P Venkatesalu, CFO of Tata-owned retailer Trent, on the sidelines of Retail CFO Summit, organised by retailers body Retailers Association of India in Mumbai.
Trent has largely remained profitable in the last 10 years except last year when it made a loss of Rs 46 crore (Rs 460 million).
Tesco, the UK’s largest food retailer, is believed to be interested in investing in hypermarkets of Trent.
Tesco currently has a franchise agreement with Trent Hypermarkets for the latter’s back-end operations.
Senior executives of Future Group, the country’s largest retailer, also echoed Venkatesalu’s views.
“We can manage. We have already created three separate verticals which have brought in efficiencies,” said C P Toshniwal, CFO of Pantaloon Retail, the flagship of Kishore Biyani’s
Although the government has opened up India’s multi brand retail sector, it has not received any applications so far.
Although Future Group was in talks with various international retailers and investors, it has not announced any deals so far.
“Now we have done a lot of divestments such as our fashion format Pantaloons, Future Capital and so on.
"We are in a comfortable position now and not really looking forward to selling anything in retail now,” said another executive with Future Group.
However, it has sold a majority stake in its fashion format Pantaloons to Aditya Birla Group for a consideration of Rs 1,600 crore (Rs 16 billion), including the transfer of Rs 800-crore debt.
It hived off the fashion business of Pantaloon Retail and Future Venture to a new company, Future Lifestyle Fashion, where it has transferred a debt of Rs 1,220 crore to the new entity.
Both the deals are expected to reduce Pantaloon Retail’s debt by Rs 2,820 crore (Rs 28.2 billion).
As of December 31, 2012, it had a debt of over Rs 6,000 crore (Rs 60 billion).
“If you have scale and robust model, you can work around,” said the executive.


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1. 2018 Is, Again, Going to Be the Year of Video
In the past couple of years, all the major social media players have shifted their focus to video content.Nowhere has this battle played out on a bigger stage than between Facebook Video and Google's YouTube. YouTube had the head start but Facebook has leveraged its enormous social media platform to incentivize brands and marketers to add native video to their platform.
And why not? According to VentureBeat, video generates 1,200 percent more shares than both text and images.
Facebook has been savvy in its rollout, too. While organic reach may be dead for much of the platform, Facebook has been generous with doling out extra unpaid reach to people uploading native video, while dinging those who use third-party services. Third party services like, you know, YouTube.
Imagine That has seen consistent evidence that short videos on social media including Facebook and Instagram out-perform single images, both in regular posts and in ads. Keep in mind that videos can easily be shot on a smartphone, just remember to assume they are viewed without sound so ensure the video can stand on its own, and video in portrait mode (rather than horizontal mode).
2. Paid Social Media Is King
Speaking of organic, most marketers are all-too-aware that Facebook slashed organic reach for brand and business pages way back in 2014, and with 2018's roll out of "Facebook Zero", organic reach is, well, practically zero.
From Facebook's business perspective, this makes sense. The company is committed to a strong user experience to keep users on the platform, and they have to monetize their platform. Pushing businesses to use paid Facebook ads was a savvy way to get companies who made an investment in the platform to begin generating revenue for the social media giant.
Ultimately, businesses and brands have paid up, and will continue to do so, since in 2018 the ads continue to provide a strong ROI, even if ad costs and competition are rising somewhat.
3. Influencers Will Continue to Gain Clout
Organic reach may provide a rough go on most platforms, so teaming up with influencers provides an affordable way to reach new audiences.
Influencers are frequently paid or compensated in some other way (such as product or service trades), so this approach is not technically organic. However, influencers have access to large, loyal audiences that offer more qualified reach than an ad does, and can be more trusted than ads.
For 2018's social media marketing trends, expect businesses and brands to focus more on small and mid-tier influencers. (Think audiences in the ten-thousands.)
These micro-influencers provide businesses and brands more flexibility and audience variety at a lower cost than one high-following influencer, and are a good option for 2018.
4. Say Hello to Chatbots
There are already more than 100,000 active chatbots helping brands connect with customers on Facebook. These bots cut down on staffing while helping companies organically generate and nurture new leads.
Facebook has further encouraged chatbots by making messaging a new option in its ads system. It also makes us wonder if this was part of the impetus for splitting Facebook Messenger into a separate app on the mobile platform, or just a happy accident.
Either way, chatbots were one of the hottest social media marketing developments in 2017 and they become an even larger opportunity for efficiency next year.
5. More Augmented Reality
We can thank Snapchat for this trend.
Augmented reality (AR) -- the mixing of the real world with superimposed images and video -- gained mass appeal through the use of Snapchat filters. These filters are regularly used by youthful Snapchatters - adding ears, snouts and other entertaining facial elements to photos and videos for their friends.
Another watershed moment for the technology was the popularity of Pok'mon Go in 2016.
AR remains one of Snapchat's major features and Instagram has leaned into the technology in its newly-launched Instagram Stories feature, since Instagram Stories is essentially a Snapchat clone.
Watch for more augmented reality features in social media and apps that support social media moving forward.
6. Goodbye Evergreen Content, Hello Disappearing Content
Of all the social media marketing trends growing as we approach the new year, this is the one most likely to send shivers up the spines of digital marketers.
Marketing teams invest time, staff, and resources largely focused on static, re-usable, or evergreen (non time-sensitive) content. But with the immediacy of Snapchat, Instagram Stories, and now Facebook “Your Story”, content which disappears in 24 hours, all that is changing. And that's to say nothing of Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Twitter's Periscope live streaming functionality.
When our evergreen posts were published with the expectation that web surfers would happen across our content over the course of weeks or months, stories brings with it current, interesting, and time-stamped photos and videos that disappear in 24 hours of life online. This provides posters and viewers of the “stories” content real-time, of-the-moment experiences, but makes tracking results for marketers much more of a challenge. Add to that the need to post content daily, and we’ve seen that news outlets and highly committed brands have begun using the stories function more readily, whereas smaller businesses have continued to focus on standard posting approaches.
With the combination of Stories now placed at the top of news feeds, and video continuing to gain appeal (see #1 trend above), this trend is one to watch and consider for your business or brand and decide how to capitalize on the trend of temporary, disappearing content.
7. Mobile Optimization Is Crucial
If your user experience isn't optimized for mobile users in 2018, you might as well be publishing on a hand-crank printing press.
Upwards of 80 percent of time spent on social networks occurs on mobile devices, according to Pew Internet Research. It follows, then, that more than 80 percent of both Twitter and Facebook's ad revenue comes through mobile as well.
Social media networks are built with mobile users top of mind, and marketers need to ensure their content looks great, reads well, and performs for those standing in line at the supermarket entertaining themselves on Facebook. You may have noticed that when creating a Facebook or Instagram ad, they recently changed the first ad preview to the mobile news feed, which is another emphasis toward designing for mobile first.
In 2018, double check your social media posts and ads from your phone to be sure they have the look you want, communicate your key calls to action well, and perform the way you expect.
Hire an Expert to Make the Most of Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is forever evolving, but that's just the tip of the digital marketing iceberg. You still need to consider Search Engine Optimization, email marketing, content marketing, landing page optimization, and even AdWords pay per click Google and Bing advertising.
This is when having a strong digital marketing partner relationship on hand comes into play. Still not convinced? Check out these five stats that may just convince you to hire a marketing specialist to help your business succeed.
We at Imagine That wish you and your business all the best in 2018. Call on us when you need a little (or a lot of) support meeting your marketing goals - we are here to help you!
Imagine That, Inc


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£55m Rhyl development at fairground site gets go-ahead
A scaled-down plan to redevelop a former fairground in Denbighshire has been given the go-ahead by planners.
The £55m scheme on Rhyl seafront by the Scarborough Development Group includes a 62-bedroom hotel, a supermarket, pub, petrol station and other retail units.
Councillors have given outline planning permission for the plan which the firm says could create 350 full-time jobs.
The Ocean Beach funfair, which opened in the 1890s, was bulldozed in 2007 and the site has been derelict ever since.
The new plan replaces a larger £85m development proposed by the Modus Group.
That scheme failed to materialise after the company went into administration.
Proposals in the original scheme for new homes and offices have been dropped from the latest plan and the proposed supermarket has been reduced in size.
Councillors say they hope there will be no further delays in transforming the site which has been described as "resembling a bomb site".
Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane said: "It goes without saying that this site has taken far too long to be developed.
"There have been far too many false dawns and delays in developing what should be a prime site, not just in Rhyl, but in the central part of north Wales.
"Millions of pounds have been spent improving the harbour area but the opposite side of the road detracts from that.
"It is about time that development does take place and this should happen sooner rather than later.
"But - in retail terms - it does need to be done to complement the stores which are already available in the town centre."


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COVID-19 has greatly impacted the way we work, with most companies having to quickly switch to employees working remotely. This rapidly changing environment has required businesses to modify day-to-day operations and procedures like making payments. M&T Bank’s Frank Lago, Leigh Balcom and Kristen Karkau sit down to discuss threats that may impact businesses operating in a remote environment.
With a rise in fraud being seen due to the COVID-19 crisis, it’s more important than ever for businesses to know what to look for. The following checklist offers some suggestions on how you can help protect your PC from virus attacks and minimize internet payment fraud. This checklist is general in nature and is not geared toward any client’s particular situation.
Download Transcript >Protect your remote work environment from cybercriminals during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyondWith millions of Americans currently working from home and relying more heavily on home technology systems due to the pandemic, cybercriminals are increasing activity to take advantage of this new normal.


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MINNEAPOLIS — When Target added a new plus-size line called Ava & Viv last month, it was another sign of a stronger clothing market for larger women.
Plus sizes are on the upswing in women’s retailers and malls. But just as investors keep an eye out for indications of the next downturn, so do shoppers for niche-size clothing, whether big or small, man or woman.
“I’ve seen this movie too many times before. The ending will be the same,” Marshal Cohen, apparel analyst at the NPD Group. “When business gets tough, as it does in recessions, retail shrinks down the less-popular businesses and expands the higher-margin categories like shoes, cosmetics or accessories,” he said.
No category in apparel retailing is more volatile than plus-size women’s clothing. And none is more bereft of action than small-size men’s clothing, a niche without a national chain devoted to it. Internet retailing and custom tailors help niche-size buyers find what they need. But the seesawing availability of clothing in nearby stores frustrates many such shoppers.
To specialists in apparel, the focus on the high-volume, average-size clothing by most retailers is no surprise.
“Whether it’s clothes or bikes, retailers put out what sells,” said Alan Au, president at Jimmy Au’s for Short Men 5’8” and Under, the Beverly Hills, Calif., retailer that bills itself as the nation’s only seller of designer clothing for short men.
As the economy grew stronger over the past couple of years, a new cycle began for niche-size clothing.
In recent months, J.C. Penney, Sports Authority and H & M have all added to their store inventories of plus-size clothes for women. Before this most recent uptick, every niche saw its presence narrow in brick-and-mortar stores. Petite women have seen dedicated retail stores disappear, including Petite Sophisticate and Pinstripes Petites stores.
Tall women lost Tall Girl shops, though Long Tall Sally replaced it and many clothing retailers stock taller sizes online.
Most niche sizes are not as profitable as other departments. Plus sizes represent only 15 percent of the total women’s apparel business, which is not a large enough segment to warrant permanent staying power. A long-held stigma is that plus-size women aren’t much into fashion and don’t like clothes. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Cohen.
Vicki Senger of Minneapolis was a size 3X for many years. As a retirement plan consultant, she had to dress professionally when she made presentations to potential clients at Ameriprise. But Senger, unlike most plus-size women, had an “in.” Her best friend was a plus-size model and a sales associate at Dayton’s and later Nordstrom. “She knew my body type and knew before I did what would look good on me,” she said.
Senger knew what every other plus-size woman knows: Retailers aren’t ordering enough. “Many retailers can’t afford to stock the expanded size ranges on the floor, so they offer it online instead,” said Dan Butler, senior adviser at the National Retail Federation and president of Maple Point Consulting.
“When you add sizes you have to sell enough of them. I ran department stores for 20 years, and plus-size sales were never as big as we hoped,” he said. “They stock the sizes where they can sell hundreds, not 20.”
Retailers also don’t reorder new styles in plus sizes as often as average sizes. The result is plus-size women visit stores less often because they won’t see something new. Target hopes to avoid that problem with the Ava & Viv line by replacing it monthly, similar to what Target does with other apparel lines, spokesman Joshua Thomas said.
For short men, the supply-and-demand equation is tilted severely against them. The big-and-tall business is 15 percent to 20 percent of the men’s market, while short is less than 5 percent.
Finding a retailer who specializes in clothes for short men is especially difficult in the Midwest, where men are taller than on the coasts, said Marty Mathis, owner of Marty Mathis Clothiers in downtown Minneapolis.
He sells custom-made suits, sport coats and pants so that he can fit any guy. But the 5-foot-7 retailer said that buying off the rack is a challenge in the Twin Cities for a shorter guy.
Elliot Ginsburg, a 5-foot-3 Minneapolis attorney, said it’s “horrible” trying to find shirts, sport coats and suits locally. He orders nearly everything by phone from Jimmy Au’s, after visiting the California store once to take his measurements. He has to spend more than $100 on a dress shirt and $800 to $1,000 on a suit. “I only have a few of each, but it’s cheaper than buying a lot of stuff that doesn’t fit,” he said.
Although a short man can have sleeves and pants shortened, many choose not to go to the expense. Instead they roll up sleeves and pants when possible. David Hoang, who is 5-feet-2½, said he often pulls up the sleeves on his dress shirts to make them look right. “At least plus-size women and big- and-tall men have their own stores. You don’t see a ‘Short and Skinny’ or ‘Short and Chubby’ store in the mall.”
Cohen thinks short men need to apply more pressure to retailers. “Short men don’t like to talk about it,” he said. “Until they become as vocal as plus-size women, they’re going to be pushed to the fringe.”
©2015 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at startribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC


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Questionable spending revealed in TDSB trustee audit
Parking tickets worth $275, monthly phone bills of $250 and other 'inconsistencies'
An internal audit has revealed misuse of public funds by Toronto District School Board trustees, including questionable spending amounts on dinners, hotel rooms, parking violations and ring tones.
The trustee expense audit spans from 2010 to 2014, and measures the discretionary spending of the TDSB's 22 trustees. It comes in advance of a vote on how the board reimburses expenses on Wednesday.
The audit calls the spending "inconsistencies" within the current spending policy, and makes recommendations to amend that policy.
Some of the spending examples in the report include:
- Cell phone bills that extended up to $250 per month
- Extra cell phone services including premium ring tones, promotional text message subscriptions, and video messaging costs
- There were over $14,000 in U.S. and international calls, texting and roaming charges
- One trustee claimed 100 per cent of his/her internet expenses at two different residences
- One trustee claimed nine days of hotel and travel expenses for a three-day conference
- Trustees attended a conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, and filed hotel and dinner expenses despite living in Toronto
- One trustee charged $2,500 in taxi expenses, while another charged $4,700 in taxis over the course of the audit
- Five trustees claimed travel expenses for meetings they did not attend
- Trustees expensed gifts, including a $30 CD of music and $1,054 in glassware
- Unexplained trips were charged, including a 181-kilometre trip within Toronto
The average spending per trustee, however, was only $21,000, well under the allotted amount of $27,000.
The audit recommends monitoring trustees' phone bills, establishing guidelines around spending and delegation of responsibilities, more economical spending on hotel and travel expenses, and better overall record-keeping.


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KUALA LUMPUR (July 12): The FBM KLCI halted its ascend in ear;y trade this morning as regional markets stayed under pressure with escalating worries over the U.S.-China trade war.
At 9.10am, the FBM KLCI shed 1.06 points to 1,687.71.
The early decliners included Nestle (M) Bhd, Hong Leong Financial Group Bhd, Top Glove Corp Bhd, British American Tobacco (M) Bhd, Malaysian Pacific Industries Bhd, Hong Leong Industries Bhd, Hong Leong Bank Bhd, Genting Plantations Bdh, UMW Holdings Bhd and Genting Bhd.
Asian stocks remained under pressure on Thursday from fears of an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war, while the dollar stood stall after rallying against its peers amid the turmoil in broader markets, said Reuters.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.25 percent, it said.
JF Apex Securities Research in a market preview said US markets tumbled overnight as the trade war escalated after the US imposed new tariffs on Chinese products.
It said European stocks also declined sharply after US unveiled a new list of Chinese goods that could face tariffs.
“On the local bourse, the FBM KLCI ended 1.64 points higher at 1688.77 points after recovering from an intra-day low of 1679.18 points.
“Following the bearish performance in the US and Europe, the FBM KLCI is expected to trend lower with support at 1665 points,” it said.


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A website called The Local reports:
Swedish file-sharing website The Pirate Bay is planning to buy its own nation in an attempt to circumvent international copyright laws.
The group has set up a campaign to raise money to buy Sealand, a former British naval platform in the North Sea that has been designated a ‘micronation’, and claims to be outside the jurisdiction of the UK or any other country.
Shiver me timbers! No scallywag ever scuttled his booty underestimating the stupidity of the messdecks.


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Originally released back in November, the Leaders x Reebok Reverse Jam was based on Chicago’s very own Chicago Transit Authority subway set-up. With a number of different lines run by the company such as the red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, brown, and pink lines, all the colors can be seen incorporated into the midsole speckles. The previous aforementioned November release featured a blue Reebok logo while this upcoming release features a red logo, the reasoning is that both the red and blue CTA lines run close to Leaders1354′s two locations while the blue sole with CTA map visible is a tribute to Lake Michigan. All in all, a well-thought out piece from the crew at Leaders1354. The Red Lines “Leaders1354 Jam” will release at the new Leaders1354 store in downtown Chicago on Saturday, January 24th.
Leaders1354 Downtown Chicago
672 N. Wells
Chicago, IL 60654


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MENTOR, OHIO — Cleveland, Ohio-based DCR Systems has announced plans to build, staff, tool and operate state-of-the-art collision repair facilities in partnership with dealers nationwide. The new plan is designed to strengthen customer loyalty and enhance revenue streams for U.S. auto dealerships.
The company has developed a patent-pending production system based on “lean manufacturing” principles, which streamlines old-line body shop processes. Using this business model, DCR Systems founders have developed a 12,000-square-foot dealership add-on facility that has the flexible capacity to facilitate 80 to 200 vehicle repairs per month based on demand response.
The company is offering its new operation system to auto dealerships nationwide that don’t presently have an on-site body shop, fleet systems and for specific insurance applications. According to the company, its new system can help dealers retain more repair dollars that would normally go to off-location third-party shops. Dealers would provide the site and promote the service to customers and DCR would handle all remaining responsibilities.