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Scientists say the naturally occurring antioxidant lycopene, found in abundance in tomatoes, helps block the body from absorbing “bad” LDL cholesterol. This bad cholesterol is primarily responsible for clogging arteries.
In its natural form, lycopene gives tomatoes their red color, but is also poorly absorbed by the human body. Now scientists at the British Cardiovascular Society say a new supplement derived from tomatoes “can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the body to almost zero within eight weeks,” according to a report by the BBC. The supplement, Ateronon, provides a modified form of lycopene that is readily used by the body. The modified lycopene compound was originally developed by Swiss food giant Nestle.
Early evidence suggest that the supplement “could be much more effective than statin drugs currently used by doctors to treat high cholesterol,” according to the report.
We are eager to hear the reaction of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They have created a “Catch-22” situation in which:
- All drugs must be FDA-approved.
- The FDA defines “drugs” as “articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease,” even if those substances are naturally occurring.
- If a substance has not been declared an FDA-approved drug, no health claims may be made about it, regardless of the scientific backing for the claim.
Case in point: In 2005, the FDA banned information about the scientifically proven health benefits of cherries from appearing on websites, calling cherries “unapproved new drugs.” And more recently, they said the maker of Cheerios cannot claim any health benefits of the cereal lest they too be declared a new drug.


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Parallel importers sold nearly 10,000 Vezel in 2016
THE astounding popularity of the Honda Vezel has made it Singapore's overall top model for the second straight year and boosted the parallel import trade to its highest volume in eight years.
In 2016, parallel importers (PIs) collectively sold 9,966 units of the Vezel, or
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By Ian Sherr
CHICAGO (Reuters) – With only 160 shopping days left, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in some stores.
After U.S. retailers posted 10 straight months of sales declines, some chains are trying to bring holiday spirit — and revenue — to the summer with “Christmas in July” promotions.
Both Sears Holdings Corp and privately held Toys R Us are holding wintry holiday-themed events this summer ahead of their back-to-school promotions, which usually start around the end of July.
Sears began its sale last week. The company decked the halls of about one-third of its 930 namesake stores, as well as its Sears and Kmart websites, by touting cold-weather gear and snow-topped porcelain collectibles at the same time as it sells inflatable swimming pools, sundresses and sandals.
Toys R Us is planning a similar event, but with more emphasis on holiday-themed pricing of roughly 50 percent off bicycles, video games, doll houses and portable DVD players.
While the chain won’t be selling holiday merchandise, it will be bringing unseasonal cheer, complete with Christmas cards and candy canes, to its stores on July 25.
“Everyone needs a little Christmas, right this very minute,” the company said in a release last week.
Even the MoMa Design stores, which are part of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, are getting in on the action, selling holiday-themed greeting cards, a fold-up gingerbread house and polar bear Christmas tree ornaments as part of a “Last Chance Summer Sale.”
The year-end holiday season is the most important for U.S. retailers, which can sometimes ring up as much as 40 percent of their annual revenue in the weeks between the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday in late November and Christmas on December 25.
SANTA HATS IN SUMMER
Sears and Toys R Us have not disclosed expectations for their promotions. But they may be hoping for success similar to that of high-end department store operator Nordstrom Inc, whose annual anniversary sale in late July features discounts on cold-weather jackets, boots and coats.
The event has become so popular, Nordstrom said, that its second quarter, which this year began on May 3, is now as important as its fourth. And the first day of the sale has become the company’s biggest day of the year.
It is not unusual for retailers to stock up on fall sweaters and other items in July, but products like scarves and down jackets do not usually arrive until later in the year.
While the Nordstrom promotion includes cold-weather clothing, spokeswoman Brooke White said there would be no mention of reindeer or Santa Claus.
“Our customers really love the fact that we do not celebrate the holidays until the day after Thanksgiving,” she said, “and we have no plans to change that.”
But Toys R Us and Sears will embrace those yuletide images.
In fact, the Salvation Army, whose bell-ringing workers are known to flank store entrances in Santa hats during the holiday season to collect money for the nation’s poor, will be at these chains and other locations this month.
“It’s something we’ve gotten behind, and the community has embraced,” said Stephen Warren of a Salvation Army branch in New Hampshire about its July donation drive. “People are not only in need during Christmas.”
NAUGHTY OR NICE?
Ken Perkins, president of research firm Retail Metrics, questions whether this season-switching will gain traction with U.S. consumers who have been dogged with falling home values, rising unemployment and other financial worries.
“Consumers have way too much on their minds to be worried or even thinking about five or six months from now,” he said.
At a Sears store in downtown Chicago, the reviews were mixed.
Beverly Lewis, a librarian from South Dakota, said she had no problem buying winter items in July if the price was right.
“A sale is a sale,” she said.
But 35-year-old Todd Smith of Chicago took a different view.
“It’s very odd,” he said. “It makes me think they’re desperate.”
(Published July 17, 2009 on the wire with Reuters News, here. The piece was also featured on the front page of Reuters.com over the weekend, and enjoyed wide publication, including the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, CNN Money, and Forbes.com among others.)


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The Lagos State Government has said the integrated rice mill in Imota, in the Ikorodu Local Government Area, will on completion produce 2.4 million bags of polished rice annually.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, disclosed this on Wednesday at an Ofada Day Rice Symposium to commemorate the 2021 World Food Day in Lagos.
Olusanya who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Hakeem Adeniji, said the state was making efforts to produce Ofada rice to international standard.
She said, “The Lagos State government’s 32 metric tonnes per hour capacity integrated rice mill at Imota, in Ikorodu Local Government Area – the biggest in Nigeria and in West Africa – is nearing completion and at full capacity will produce 2,400,000 bags of 50 kilogramme polished parboiled rice from about 200,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice annually. It is expected that no fewer than 250,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created along the rice value chain.”
Olusanya added that the state had upgraded the processing and packaging of Ofada rice to put it on the global map.


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From writing a business plan to choosing a corporate structure to raising money, starting a business is full of daunting challenges. Here's how to get started.
It takes more than a good idea to start a business — or to win a contest for business plans.businessNews
In the Hunt
Two studies show that faking enthusiasm and other hints at slickness can kill a deal.businessNews
Small business owners should think carefully before accepting an investor’s offer of cash.businessNews
It has never been easier to lay the groundwork for starting a small business.businessNews
ARTICLES ABOUT START-UP STRATEGIES
The ride-sharing company raised $5.5 billion, making it one of the world’s largest start-ups and underscoring its global ambitions....
April 28, 2017, Friday
Technology, investors and entrepreneurs are behind a groundswell of innovation in hardware. A Brooklyn center dedicated to commercializing hardware start-ups shows the trend....
April 27, 2017, Thursday
This isn’t science fiction. A number of start-ups as well as big aerospace firms are trying to build personal aircraft you could fly around town....
April 24, 2017, Monday
Amy Errett encountered skepticism when she quit her job to start a company that makes home hair-coloring kits....
April 22, 2017, Saturday
The effort by Gregory D. Wasson involves working with a team of entrepreneurs to develop businesses around new technologies lent by big corporations....
April 21, 2017, Friday
Though not plentiful, a new crop of work spaces are aiming to offer child care and entrepreneurship support....
April 19, 2017, Wednesday
The firm that has helped buy companies like Dell and Ultimate Fighting Championship is looking for more tech and media....
April 17, 2017, Monday
Companies like Shift appeal to millennials in particular, but experts say the traditional dealership isn’t about to disappear....
April 13, 2017, Thursday
Today’s striking advances in artificial intelligence owe a lot to research in Canada over the years. But the country has so far failed to cash in....
April 9, 2017, Sunday
An internal Pentagon report urged action to guard against Chinese efforts to acquire American technology that may underpin future military weapons and tools....
April 7, 2017, Friday
When Marcus Weller asked his brother, Mitchell, to help with his start-up, Skully Systems, he didn’t expect that it would also bring his family closer together.
An updated list of business-plan competitions and related events.
- Accounting »
- Business Travel »
- Buying & Selling a Business »
- Family Businesses »
- Finance and Capital »
- Franchising »
- Going Global »
- Health Care »
- Human Resources »
- Insurance »
- Legal Issues »
- Management »
- Marketing »
- Personal Finance »
- Real Estate »
- Retailing »
- Start-Up Strategies »
- Sustainability »
- Technology »


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How to protect yourself from the sun’s ultraviolet rays: A guide
It’s easy to get sunburned on the job, and it can feel even more so when you’re trying to be an Olympian.
Luckily, some of the best safety gear available will make it easier to stay cool.
But if you want to make sure you can keep the sun off your eyes, it’s important to take a look at some of our favorite sunscreen brands.
Editor’s Picks The NFL’s new uniform policy is making a lot of people think twice The NFL announced Thursday that players who don’t wear the official uniform will be required to wear goggles and a black face mask to prevent sunburn, an effort aimed at increasing visibility on the field.
Here’s a quick rundown of what we know about sun protection, how it’s supposed to work and what you need to know if you’re worried about sunburn. 1 Related


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Nowadays, it’s becoming more and more common for dishonest vendors to cheat customers of their money by selling them something that’s completely different from what’s advertised.
A woman in Kelantan found herself being the victim of deceitful business practices after she was sold a donut which wasn’t a donut at all.
Bought donut which was burger bun with a hole in the middle
In a lengthy Facebook post shared by the woman named Fatimah Mulyati on Saturday (Feb 24), she said she bought a strawberry-flavoured donut at a food expo in Bachok for her child.
To her horror, she discovered that the donut wasn’t technically a donut but was actually a piece of of burger bun with a hole in the middle to pass off as one.
Confronted vendor over ‘fake donut’
Feeling cheated, Fatimah went to confront the vendor who sold her the ‘donut’, who replied her:
“Eh, we sell bread dipped in chocolate, not donuts.”
Frustrated by the vendor’s answer, Fatimah told him to come clean with what he was selling and not deceive consumers.
This isn’t a donut. This is bread dipped in chocolate and you’re charging me RM3 for it. If it’s bread, just say so. Donuts don’t look like this at all.
Fatimah also said in the post that the vendor even asked a staff whether what he sold was bread, which left her puzzled and wondering if the vendor knew what he was selling in the first place.
“It’s frustrating to see vendors being dishonest while running a business. Pity my child who ate the fake donut. Please don’t do this to others or else your earnings will not be blessed,” she wrote.
WeirdKaya has reached out to Fatimah for a comment but has yet to receive a reply at the time of writing.


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Private equity firm eyes China malls after US$4.5b Hong Kong test run
PRIVATE equity firm Gaw Capital Partners may move on to buying neighbourhood malls in China after leading groups that snapped up US$4.5 billion of the properties in Hong Kong in less than two years.
"Once we have learned how to do it right, I think we can actually scale this," Goodwin Gaw, chairman and managing principal of the firm, said in an interview in Hong Kong.
Less-than-glamorous shopping centres in Hong Kong's public housing estates now bump up against five-star hotels and grade-A office towers in Mr Gaw's US$18 billion global real estate portfolio.
The properties are a "defensive" play because local communities rely on the shops for daily necessities, limiting the malls' vulnerability to e-commerce, according to Mr Gaw.
In China, "there are many of these neighbourhood malls - usually developers are not too focused on operating them, so that's something we can eventually move into also", said Mr Gaw.
In Hong Kong, the firm led groups that bought 17 malls from Link Reit in 2017 and completed the acquisition of another 12 last week.
While the purchases may have secured lucrative yields, they've also put the firm in the local political spotlight after tenants and politicians complained about rent increases.
"There will be complaints - the only thing we can do is to do our part: upgrading the malls, putting in more facilities, like sports facilities," said Mr Gaw.
"Doing what we can to improve foot traffic and improve revenue, so that ultimately we can justify the rent increase."
Yields for neighbourhood malls can be attractive - 3 to 4.5 per cent versus 2.5 to 3 per cent for high street shops and grade A offices, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.
The shopping centres' local focus also makes them immune to declines in tourist spending, according to Tom Broderick, senior director of research at JLL. BLOOMBERG


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Ever since the debut of the Rio MP3 music player last October, the music industry has worried that mixing the Internet and music would lead to widespread piracy. To date, though, finding pirated music on the Internet has been difficult.
Napster, a small start-up, gives music lovers a chance to chat online and browse each other's collections of MP3 music, the de-facto standard for high-quality audio on the Internet.
The feature that has caused traffic to the site to overwhelm the company's servers, however, is Napster's ability to let chatters trade their MP3 files with each other. "It has been hugely successful," said Shawn Fanning, chief executive of the company. "We have doubled in size for the past five days. Our goal eventually for our users is to be unaffected by the growth."
While users of the service passing back and forth copyrighted music may be breaking the law, Napster could sidestep any prosecution. The recently passed Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 allows search engine companies to link to MP3 files. However, if notified that the link points to copyrighted music, the search company must remove the link immediately.
"Anyone that contributes to the infringement of a copyright can be prosecuted," said Bob Kohn, chairman and founder of Internet music label Emusic.com and music licensing expert. "Someone that has a search engine that links to a (copyrighted) MP3 file can be accused of contributory copyright infringement."
The upshot for search engines like Scour.net, Lycos and Napster? "If the search engine removes the file immediately upon notice, then they are safe," he said.
A legal tightrope Fanning stressed that he is intent on playing within the law. In fact, the company chief has hired the firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati to advise the company and deflect the inevitable legal crossfire. That same firm successfully staved off a lawsuit filed by the music industry against Diamond Multimedia Systems, the maker of the Rio MP3 player.
Colouring within the legal lines is not all that Napster is doing. The company is also using technical means to separate itself from its users' conduct. The service is structured so that none of the content -- copyrighted or otherwise -- is stored or cached on the company's servers. "There is no copyrighted music that crosses the Napster network," said Fanning. "We are about building music communities, not stealing."
Such semantics may not impress the music industry defender, known as the Recording Industry Association of America, however. "The RIAA has said that law works," said director of strategic planning for the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Consortium for Audiovisual Free Expression, or CAFE. "And they haven't been shy. They've used a variety of legal methods to enforce copyright."
While the RIAA's offices were off on Friday and its staff not available for comment, Emusic.com's Kohn thinks that Napster could be the testing case for the recently passed copyright law. "A large record company has several thousands artists," he said. "(Under the law,) they can provide a notice and takedown request with all the links that were taken from Napster's search engine." For Napster, that means it would have to block certain song titles from appearing or the offending user from getting on the service.
Still, that remedy has obvious flaws. Users could easily rename their songs to something less obvious and then let a fellow chatter in on the secret. That could slow down any attempts to find illegal links and refocus the music industry's ire, not on Napster, but on the consumer.


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Allplane got some shots from the unveiling of Thai Airways’ first Airbus A380, including the crew quarters (the A380 is so big that it’s staffed by 23 people). They look like they come from the future. [Allplane]
These A380 Crew Quarters Look Like A Star Trek Set
Trending Stories Right Now
Rumours broke yesterday that IKEA was going to recall millions of dressers today. And they were right. But it's not just the Malm, as we originally heard. IKEA is recalling 29 million dressers of all varieties in partnership with the US Product Safety Commission after the death of a 22-month-old child who was crushed by a Malm dresser earlier this year. However, they aren't being recalled in Australia.
We've heard a lot of buzz recently about the Anthropocene, the geologic epoch of man and machine. Does it exist? Are we in it right now? Later this summer, the International Stratigraphic Union will convene and attempt to answer these weighty questions.
Plus and Premium plans will see a price hike, while the free Basic plan is now restricted to two devices, Evernote announced today. Current subscribers and Basic users who are using more than two devices will have "several days" to adjust before the changes roll out.


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In our Closing Bell “Too Hot To Handle” series we look into the top performing stocks on the S&P 500 year-to-date.
JDS Uniphase popped as one of the top performers, up 33% so far this year, and up 58% in the past six months.
We’ve got two analysts on both sides of the trade on this company that provides communication solutions.
Todd Koffman, Telecom Equipment Analyst at Raymond James maintains that valuation is still attractive at current levels and he’d be a buyer of the stock. Koffman pointed out JDSU has diversified over the years to make test equipment and other products.
“For many years, pushing 10 years, the phone companies underinvested in the core part of their network. This is the part that allows massive amounts of traffic to travel long distances. What's happened with the explosion in smartphone and data traffic, the carriers are now going into investment to upgrade the core. When you do that, you buy big optical systems products from people like Ciena and Alcatel Lucent and those are the customers for JDS Uniphase,” said Koffman.
JDSU’s direct competitor Finisar dropped 40% in two days earlier this month. Finisar warned that business is “weakening considerably.” Koffman said “investors are concerned that maybe this investment cycle doesn't have staying power. That's the single biggest risk.”
Cobb Sadler, Analyst with Catamount Strategic Advisors is neutral on JDSU in the short-term. Sadler’s advice is to wait for the stock to fall, he’d be a buyer at $16 a share.
Sadler points out two of JDSU’s biggest growth products may face competitive pressure. “XFP Tunable used in carrier equipment networks — they have 100% market share. It was only 10% of their optical revenue last quarter but 30% of the revenue growth. They'll be second, third and fourth source on that product in the next six to nine months. The one thing I've learned is that when there's a product transition going on and someone has 100% market share, stay away,” said Sadler.
However, on the upside, Sadler believes, JDS Uniphase has an “excellent management team.” As the smartphone market and tablet market grow, Sadler expects companies to expand their networks to sustain this and JDSU will benefit as a result.
“Too Hot To Handle” today on the Closing Bell at 330PM ET.
DISCLOSURES: Koffman’s firm owns JDSU. Sadler, no conflicts.
Donna Burton contributed to the article.
Questions? Comments? Write firstname.lastname@example.org


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This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 at its September event on Tuesday. The new iPhone lineup, which includes a standard, Mini, Pro and Pro Max version, houses an upgraded battery, new storage options, updated camera features, a A15 Bionic processor and a smaller notch. The company also took the wraps off the Apple Watch 7, iPad Mini 6 and updated entry-level iPad. But, as expected, we didn’t get a foldable iPhone.
Rumors from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said we won’t see a foldable iPhone, said to be called the iPhone Flip, for another two to three years, so it wasn’t a surprise when it didn’t make an appearance at Apple’s September launch event. But, that hasn’t stopped the buzz about the possibility of a foldable iPhone.
While competitors have released various foldable handsets — Samsung’s bendy Galaxy Fold, Z Fold 2 and Z Fold 3, and clamshell Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 3 (here’s how Samsung’s foldable phones compare), and the reboot of the Motorola Razr, to name a few — Apple has been slower to market. This may be a smart move, since existing foldables have been met with mixed reviews.
We’ve been following reports of a foldable iPhone for years. Way back in 2017, it was predicted that a foldable iPhone could be coming in the futuristic-sounding year 2020. Obviously, that didn’t happen. Analysts and leakers have been kicking the release date down the road ever since, and rumors and wish lists have simmered. Here’s everything we know so far.
Release date: The iPhone Flip launch is a moving target
It’s no secret Apple has its sights set on a foldable iPhone. The company has been registering patents for foldable mechanisms and devices for almost a decade now with no launch date in sight. The question is whether any of them will ever see the light of day, and if so, when?
Early rumors pointed to 2021 as a potential target date, but a report from longtime Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) suggests 2023 might be more realistic, if it ever happens. According to Kuo, Apple still needs to figure out technology and mass production issues before bringing a device like this to market, hence the two-year wait.
Read more: Top foldable phones for 2021
Speculation from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman aligns with Kuo’s predictions. In his Power On Newsletter, Gurman says that the foldable iPhone may not arrive for another two to three years.
Design: What will the foldable iPhone look like?
The 2023 timeline would match up with a report from Bloomberg earlier this year that indicated Apple already has a working prototype of a foldable iPhone display. While it’s not yet a working model, it’s a step up from a patent which, until then, was all we had seen.
Apple seems to have taken out every patent under the sun when it comes to foldable displays, including an origami-style folding display, a flip-up display and even a wraparound display. And while we don’t know which one will make the final cut, both Kuo and Bloomberg seem to agree that the current prototype is more of a traditional foldout design that would open up to a 7.5- or 8-inch main display.
Unlike Microsoft’s Surface Duo, which has the hinges on the exterior, Apple’s would have one continuous display with a hidden hinge mechanism like the Galaxy Fold.
However, Apple leaker Jon Prosser reported in early 2021 that the iPhone Flip will likely use a clamshell design and come in several “fun colors.” Between the flashy purple iPhone 12, the new blue and pink option for the iPhone 13, an array of fun colors for Apple’s first foldable device is definitely a possibility.
YouTuber ConceptsiPhone also gave us a glimpse into what the iPhone Flip could look with concept art of the foldable iPhone in the colors blue, red, gold and green.
Roadblocks: What still stands in Apple’s way?
While Samsung and others have been testing the waters, Apple has been learning from the pain points of their foldable devices and figuring out how they’d be used.
One of these pain points: the crease. A lot of the current cover materials, including the glass and plastic mix that Samsung uses for the Z Fold and Z Flip, show a visible crease when folded out to full screen. To avoid it, Apple would likely have to wait for Corning, Apple’s glass provider, to create some kind of bendable version of its Ceramic Shield screen. The company is already working on a bendable glass, but hasn’t announced a launch date for it.
Cost: Foldable phones don’t come cheap
Price is another major problem for these types of devices. Although Samsung lowered the price for its most recent foldable phones, its previous model, the Fold 2, cost $2,000 which is over twice the price of Samsung’s other flagship phones. And, a foldable iPhone wouldn’t be any cheaper. Apple’s foldable needs to be in line with current foldable and nonfoldable models to be able to compete against other brands and entice iPhone users to ditch their single-screen devices and pay more for a foldable.
A report in April found that half of American consumers are interested in buying a foldable phone, though Apple customers are slightly less willing to make the leap than Samsung or LG users. But perhaps the “Apple effect” will change those stats if and when a foldable iPhone ever becomes reality.
Source from www.cnet.com


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By Scott Baltic, Contributing Editor
The pending mega-merger between supermarket giants Albertsons and Safeway reflects important trends in the grocery business, according to industry observers, some of whom also have strong opinions about how this deal will play out over time.
AB Acquisition L.L.C., an investor group led by Cerberus Capital Management L.P., which owns the parent company of Albertsons and several other major grocery retailers, will buy Safeway Inc. in a $9.4 billion deal scheduled to close in the fourth quarter. The transaction will create a company with more than 2,400 stores, 27 distribution facilities, 20 manufacturing plants and more than 250,000 employees.
In addition to Albertsons itself, Albertsons operates Acme Markets, Jewel-Osco, Osco Pharmacy, Sav-on Pharmacy, Shaw’s, Star Market and United Supermarkets. Safeway’s chains include Safeway itself, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Vons.
Read the full article on the Albertsons, Safeway merger in the May, 2014 issue of CPE. Access is free!


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Sonus expects the deal to boost revenue by $15 million to $20 million in the 2012 second half, with the recognized amount dependent on the close date. At the $15 million level, Sonus said, it would expect a 3 cent dilution to EPS in the second half on a GAAP basis, or a penny a share on a non-GAAP basis. At the $20 million level, Sonys expects GAAP dilution of 2 cents, and a break-even to slightly accretive impact on non-GAAP results.
Sonus said the deal is consistent with its strategy of expanding its capabilities into the enterprise market.
The company noted that the purchase price is a 14.4% premium to yesterday's closing level.
In Tuesday morning trading, Sonus shares are up a penny at $2.35; Network Equipment is up 16 cents, or 13.6%, to $1.34.


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OAKLAND — The luck of the Irish will strike Montclair with an extended St. Patrick’s Day celebration, taking advantage of the fact that the holiday falls on a Sunday this year, allowing for a daylong celebration throughout the Village.
Residents will have the opportunity to take part in on-street festivities, featured side-by-side with the weekly Montclair Farmers Market.
Crogan’s will offer outdoor seating with music, bar service and an Irish menu, including traditional fare of corned beef and cabbage, Guinness beef, Irish stew, Smithwick’s Irish Ale fish and chips, corned beef sandwiches, potato leek soup and more, said Crogan’s manager Mike Williams.
Grill One Carvery on Mountain Boulevard will honor the day with a beer garden, replete with craft beers and Irish meats. Farmstead Cheeses and Wine will kick off its Sunday wine tasting from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and may showcase some cheeses from the region.
The bagpipes will break into song from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Daniel Swafford, executive director of the Montclair Village Association, seeks to celebrate the Irish saint in a big way.
“Let’s build on the excitement of the day,” he said. “Let’s blow it up. Make it more exciting and hope to create a new tradition.”
Saint Patrick’s Day commemorates the life of its namesake, who died in the fifth century on March 17. He is widely credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Few details are actually known about the saint’s life; however, centuries of storytelling have produced myriad tales, many of which are not true.
“It’s a great day to be Irish no matter what color your skin is or where you’re from,” said Avril Fitzgerald, an Irish transplant and Montclair resident. “Everyone can find an Irish relative. It’s a very inclusive holiday, especially in the United States. Everyone takes the opportunity to have fun, dress up, drink a pint of Guinness and tell jokes.
“In Ireland, there is not the same degree of high jinks,” continued Fitzgerald. The holiday is a more solemn occasion. Families attend church in the morning and celebrate with their families in the afternoon.
“The Irish never had much to celebrate,” Fitzgerald said. “Saint Patrick’s Day is the only day we can be proud to be Irish. To have a day to celebrate being Irish and the whole world celebrates with you is really cool.”


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Shares of Shopify Inc. dropped as investor concerns about long-term growth outweighed the Canadian e-commerce platform’s outlook for the current quarter.
(Bloomberg) — Shares of Shopify Inc. dropped as investor concerns about long-term growth outweighed the Canadian e-commerce platform’s outlook for the current quarter.
Shopify said Wednesday that revenue in the current quarter will grow by 20% or more. Even so, analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote in a note that investors “still lack any road map” on future growth after the earnings call. US-listed shares of the Canadian e-commerce company slumped as much as 6.6% to $58.33, erasing more than $3 billion in market value.
Shopify president Harley Finkelstein defended the company’s strategy Thursday in an interview on Bloomberg Television. “We are architecting a new shape of Shopify” with a “focus on our main quest which is commerce software and retail software,” he said, responding to a question on the Morgan Stanley note. “We are also earning more parts of the merchant business.”
The company is expanding its shipping business and global merchant base. The cost-to-value ratio has led the company to see more merchants migrate to Shopify, according to Finkelstein. In May this year, Shopify announced plans to cut 20% of its staff and sell its logistics business to Flexport, a San Francisco-based supply chain management company.
Finklestein said he was optimistic about Shopify’s prospects even in a recessionary environment, saying businesses will still need to modernize and improve their efficiency using Shopify’s tools.
“For $39 a month, you can build a multimillion-dollar or multibillion-dollar company,” Finkelstein said. On Wednesday, Shopify said its second-quarter revenue was $1.69 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations.
The shares fell 4.8% to $59.44 at 2:46 p.m. in New York and had gained 80% through Wednesday’s close.
–With assistance from Ed Ludlow.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.


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Last June, when anti-virus researchers reported the discovery of the first proof-of-concept cell phone virus, analysts and experts immediately predicted a coming wave of malware targeting high-end mobile devices.
Since then, the warnings have been coming fast and furious. According to the experts, the original proof-of-concept code quickly evolved into Cabir, a worm capable of bluejacking nearby cell phones running the Bluetooth-enabled Symbian Series 60 operating system.
Then came reports of mutants and Trojans and weekly warnings that the worm had spread to 17 countries around the globe. New reports that an underground virus-writing group called 29A had released the Cabir source code pushed the story onto the pages of the mainstream press, prompting anti-virus vendors to roll out plans to combat the threat.
But not everyone is convinced that the risk is high enough to justify the investments. On security discussion forums, there have even been suggestions that research firms are overblowing the threat to create an artificial market for cell phone anti-virus software.
“A lot of this is hyped to create a market that doesnt exist,” said Neil MacDonald, group vice president and research director at Gartner Inc. “The market will exist eventually because the devices are becoming more powerful, but the threat today is minimal and overblown.”
Gregg Mastoras, senior security analyst at Mass.-based Sophos Inc., echoed MacDonalds thinking. “Were not trying to be prognosticators and say mobile viruses will never be a big threat. But right now, it isnt and shouldnt be something an enterprise administrator should worry about. The level of the threat does not warrant all the headlines,” Mastoras said in an interview with eWEEK.com.
Sophos has no immediate plans to create—or market—anti-virus software for cell phones, but rival companies insist that there is a legitimate market to be served.
One such company is Kaspersky Lab, the well-known Russian anti-virus company that recently opened shop in the United States. “Malware for smart phones is now evolving, and seems likely to become a growing threat as smart phones gain popularity,” the company said in a statement announcing the launch of a beta anti-virus product for Symbian-powered cell phones.
Kasperskys beta is likely to evolve into a paid product, much like F-Secure Corp.s Mobile Anti-Virus software that promises “real-time on-device protection with automatic, over-the-air antivirus updates.”
Symantec Corp., Trend Micro Inc. and McAfee Inc. also have invested in mobile anti-virus products.
Steve Orenberg, a former Sophos executive who now runs Kasperkys U.S. unit, defended the companys push into the mobile anti-virus market. “Our philosophy is to be prepared. There is evidence that this will become a big problem, and we are positioning ourselves to be ready with a product,” Orenberg said.
He dismissed suggestions that Kaspersky was a party to overblowing the risk. “Were not telling people that theyre currently at severe risk. Compared to other problems with malware, the cell phone issue is not a high-priority issue right now. But if this problem were to accelerate like we think it will, we will be ready with a solution.
“The threat is there. Its up and coming and its in the wild. Theres no sense in waiting for something bad to happen to be able to react.”
Gartners MacDonald was blunt in his assessment of the immediate risk. “I havent had any clients call up asking for advice on dealing with a cell phone virus problem. And I dont know anyone in the real world who has been affected,” he told eWEEK.com.
If and when cell phone malware becomes a legitimate threat, MacDonald said he thinks the anti-virus vendors should focus their investments in a different direction.
“They are trying to replicate the desktop anti-virus model to the handset devices, and I dont think thats an efficient way to address the problem,” he said.
“The place where this threat should be addressed is at the network level. With handsets, the only way malware can get to the device is to go through the network. It would be more efficient and effective to have the wireless service providers do the scanning within the network,” MacDonald said.
Sophos Mastoras downplayed the threat entirely. “When you read the alerts and the news stories, you get the impression that virus infections are happening every day. Thats just not true. We dont think its the threat its been made out to be,” he said.
“We just dont see the market demand or need for it at this moment,” Mastoras added. “There are more pressing security issues that folks should be concerned about.”


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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is back on the Upper West Side at Lincoln Center, running through 9/12. The celebrate, the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District has once again organized their popular Fashion Plate Prix Fixe. 28 restaurants located between Columbus Circle and West 72nd Street Street are participating with a variety of dining discounts for their [...]
If you’ve been meaning to check out any of the more than two dozen Upper West Side restaurants participating in Winter Restaurant Week, now is the time. The bi-annual event offering discounted eats at well known restaurants enters its final week today, with the deals ending on Friday (2/8). Here’s the complete list of participating [...]
It’s that time of year again… Winter Restaurant Week is just around the corner (January 14 – February 8th), and once again there are plenty of Upper West Side options for you to sample the goods at. Unless otherwise noted, the restaurants listed below are offering their Restaurant Week menus for both lunch ($25) and [...]
Extending “Restaurant Week” beyond its initial end date has become an unofficial tradition of sorts, and this year is no exception. While officially slated to end last Friday (8/10), dining deals are now available at many restaurants through Labor Day, including more than a dozen on the Upper West Side.


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A well-known crypto veteran Mike Novogratz is back. The former Goldman Sachs partner posits that BTC occupies a unique spot in the crypto landscape. He also promises a new rally soon.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Novogratz said the crypto market at the end of 2017-beginning of 2018 was a bubble. Once it popped, everybody had to endure. Now, the retail frenzy is gone and various institutions are getting more and more comfortable with crypto. Novogratz particularly has high hopes of implementing custody solutions powered by Fidelity (surprisingly, he does not mention his joint custody initiative with Goldman Sachs.) He also mentions the soon-to-be-launched Bakkt as an example of institutionally-led crypto revolution.
“Over the next six to 12 months you are going to see institutions put a small amount of their assets in digital currencies,” he said. Within this context, he also mentioned big institutions like Yale University which recently invested in the crypto space.
Once the institutional money is in place, a new rally will start, according to Novogratz. And BTC will become digital gold. He uses Mendeleev’s periodic table as a metaphore:
“There’s 118 elements on the periodic table, and only one gold is valued just because it’s store value. Bitcoin is going to be digital gold, a place where you have sovereign money, it’s not U.S. money, it’s not Chinese money, it’s sovereign. Sovereignty costs a lot, it should.”
Making a tiny prediction
Novogratz did not elaborate on why he believes that BTC is more unique than ETH or XRP. Concurrently, he pointed out that the gold stored at Fort Knox is heavily protected. It costs money to store it and “we mine it.” Then he added: “Every blockchain doesn’t need the same level of security. It doesn’t need to be surrounded by tanks and guns.”
Novogratz often likes to make predictions. For instance, in September he stated that it is impossible for BTC not to hit $10,000 by the end of 2018. He lowered his prediction to $9,000 shortly after (without any explanation). This time, he also made a guess that BTC will trade at $8,000. He pointed out that “we are grinding along the bottom” and that crypto traders should not expect “to bubble back up.”
Previously, Novogratz announced that his crypto merchant bank is raising circa $250 million for cash-hungry crypto business. He also made a blunt claim that the market has hit the bottom. Back then BTC was trading at more than $6,000


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Even more ways for Alexa to stay in control
Alexa will now be able to wake up sleeping devices, making it easier to control devices in your home – even older TVs.
If you have smart devices, Alexa can now wake them up from a tech slumber using the new “wake-on LAN” functionality.
Essential reading: How to get started with the smart home
The issue is that when some devices enter sleep, they then close the ability to communicate with other things on your network. That means having to physically turn them on before you can start using them, which is absurd.
This new feature means more seamless home automation, and it can be added to most smart devices with relative fuss. That means older smart TVs can take advantage, and wake-on LAN is already heading to Hisense, LG and VIZIO sets.
“We have now delivered an alternative that can help power on devices, without requiring device makers to make hardware changes … Customers who have enabled the skill associated with their TV or other entertainment device will not need to take any additional steps to enable the feature,” said Brian Crum, senior product manager at Amazon.
It’s part of a raft of new features to land on Alexa over the past month, including Blueprints rolling out globally, and the launch of Music APIs. It shows that the company is building new frameworks for improved features – we just can’t wait for them to land.


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Apple is expected to release three new iPhone models this fall, and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says all three of the new handsets will feature wireless charging.
Kuo said wireless charging increases the internal temperature of smartphones, so he expects the rumored iPhone 8 with an OLED display and glass casing to have a new 3D Touch module with “additional graphite sheet lamination” in order to prevent the device from malfunctioning due to overheating.
Kuo says that while he doesn’t expect the average user to notice any difference, lamination of an additional graphite sheet is “needed for better thermal control and, thus, steady operation; this is because FPCB is replaced with film, which is more sensitive to temperature change of the 3D touch sensor in OLED iPhone.”
New iPhone Technology Comes at a Price
The new 3D Touch module could carry a $5 premium per phone over what Apple pays for the modules today. That expense, along with the added cost of the additional graphite sheet, and OLED screens, adds a bit of credence to yesterday’s claim that the new top-of-the-line “iPhone 8” could break the $1,000 barrier in the United States.
Apple is also said to be working with Lumentum on 3D-sensing technology for the new high-end phone. It isn’t clear how exactly Apple would make use of the technology for the new premium handset, although it could be used for facial recognition, or possibly be used to enhance image resolution.
As expected, the iPhone 8 is expected to have a bigger battery than the current lineup. However, the exact capacity of the power cell isn’t known at this point in time.


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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba signs 12-year deal with International Olympic Committee
Alibaba now joins McDonalds, Coca-Cola and Visa as the top sponsors of the Olympics.
What’s the story?
According to CNN Money, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced a 12-year deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide technological support during the Olympics. The partnership was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to Bloomberg Reports, the deal is worth around $800 million.
Michael Payne, the director of marketing and television for the IOC said after the confirmation of the deal, “It is far more than a sponsorship. It is getting into revolutionising the technology management in support of the Games, including the latest in digital technology and social engagement.
“This deal is not about sticking the Olympic rings on a product but a fundamental partnership for the future of the Games,” Payne further added.
In case you didn’t know...
Founded by Jack Ma, Alibaba is one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. In 2016, Alibaba surpassed Walmart as the biggest retail company worldwide. Alibaba entered India's e-commerce space with a 25% stake in Paytm alongside owner One97.
Over the past couple of years, Chinese companies have spent billions on sports after President Xi Jinping decided to transform China into a “great sports nation.” Since then, spending has gone up staggeringly, with the Chinese Super League especially lavish in their spending habits.
The heart of the matter
According to the terms of the deal, Alibaba will become IOC’s official Cloud Services and e-commerce platform services, partner. Alibaba would also have to build a new shopping platform for Olympic merchandise and develop an Olympic-affiliated digital TV channel in China.
Following the completion of the partnership, Alibaba now joins McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Visa as the top sponsors of the Olympics for the next six Games.
E-commerce has grown steadily into a booming business. The number of online shoppers has increased by nearly 20 million between 2015 and 2016. Thus, the partnership exposes the Olympics to a major market in China.
Alibaba became the second Chinese company after Lenovo to partner with the Olympics Games. The deal, in exchange, would help better expose IOC's Olympic merchandise to the Chinese market.
With China hosting the Winter Olympics in 2022 and also aspiring to make a potential bid for the World Cup, these kinds of sponsorship deals will help the nation win the support of major governing bodies in the future.


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Egypt plans to build a new Suez Canal alongside the existing 145-year-old historic waterway in a multibillion-dollar project aimed at expanding trade along the fastest shipping route between Europe and Asia. The Suez Canal earns Egypt about $5 billion a year in revenue, a vital source of hard currency for a country that has suffered a slump in tourism and foreign investment since its 2011 uprising. The new channel, part of a larger project to expand Suez port and shipping facilities, aims to raise Egypt’s international profile and establish it as a major trade hub.
This giant project will be the creation of a new Suez Canal parallel to the current channel of a total length of 72 kilometres.
Mohab Mamish, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority
The total estimated cost of drilling the new channel would be about US$4 billion and be completed in five years, though Egypt will strive to finish it within a more ambitious three-year deadline, said Mohab Mamish, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority. The original canal, which links the Mediterranean and Red seas, took 10 years of intense and generally poorly paid work by Egyptians. It took weeks if not months off journeys between Europe and Asia, otherwise necessitating a trip round the tip of Africa.


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Giving game developers access to the broader data that they need to make sound business decisions could be the positive shake-up that the industry needs.
NPD Group, a data analysis firm working in a number of business sectors, has partnered with the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) to provide members access to “actionable insights and analysis of current market trends,” according to a press release.
Game developers who are members of the IGDA will get access to information measured to “quantify sales” and track player preferences and interests. The goal is to help game developers make crucial business decisions linked to “consumer trends and market opportunities” and information from social media platforms and channels. Quarterly webinars from NPD will be available, as well as discounted access to gaming reports. All of this information is expected to “improve marketing and game development” for members, NPD said.
“This partnership with NPD will further the IGDA’s goal of helping game developers maintain successful careers,” IGDA executive director Jen MacLean said in a statement. “The intelligence offered by NPD will enable developers at studios large and small better navigate the business aspects of game development so their companies can weather the storms of our hit-driven industry.”
NPD’s latest report was released just days ago. The monthly report for February found that BioWare’s Anthem was the best-selling game of the month, and the second-largest BioWare launch in the United States. Mass Effect 3, which was released in 2012, holds to top spot.
The IGDA is currently in its 25th year of operation. The non-profit group is dedicated to helping game developers navigate the tumultuous industry. A revamped board of directors for the group was announced this week, with ZeniMax Online Games founder Lucien Parsons taking on a new role as the chair of the board. Under new leadership, IDGA will continue to work for game developers in the industry.
This partnership will give game developers rare insight into where the sales are coming from, what sector growth looks like year-over-year, and more. This could be a step towards the industry slowly peeling back the layers of what makes it tick. Numbers are everything, after all.
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The past few years haven’t been so sweet for chocolate companies, with obstacles varying from supply chain issues to rising raw material costs.
But one particularly precarious time of the year for these companies is summer; perishable foods that are sold and shipped online are more at risk of melting in transit. So much so that Amazon’s fulfillment service only accepts meltable products (which includes chocolate, gummies and jelly or wax-based products) from October 16 to April 14.
But in an age where shoppers expect that they can buy anything online, food startups are increasingly tasked with finding ways to beat the heat.
One young startup’s playbook provides a lens into how food brands can plan around these issues. Lovo Chocolate launched via its direct-to-consumer website and on Amazon in the spring — at the moment, it sells Swiss-made varieties like almond milk, hazelnut milk, oat milk and coconut milk chocolate. As Lovo enters its first summer season, the company put together a “melt-proof” shipping and climate plan. It includes various risk-reducing practices like heat mapping, insulated packaging and expedited shipping on orders going to further away destinations. According to the company, this action plan has helped kick off the season with a rate of 99% damage-free deliveries since April.
Plant-based, non-dairy chocolate has become more popular in recent years, but the majority of the available brands specialize in dark chocolate. Lovo’s president and CEO Simon Lester said the company is trying to tap the large swath of Americans who prefer milk chocolate but are interested in a plant-based version. “Almost 80% of chocolate sold in U.S. retailers is milk chocolate,” he said.
But it’s difficult to make a non-dairy chocolate due to texture and taste issues, Lester added, “and we worked on ours for a number of years before settling on using alternative milk.” To generate buzz and establish the brand online before retail, Lovo launched by selling online.
The problem? Chocolate is one of the most challenging products to ship. Lester said that, typically, chocolate begins to soften between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and melts at around 86 to 93 degrees. With 2023 predicted to be the hottest year on record, the company came up with a logistics plan to best operate its online business. Half of the year, Lovo uses Amazon’s fulfillment services. But for the remaining six months, “sellers have to ship perishable products themselves,” Lester said.
Lester, along with his wife and co-founder Courtenay Vuchnich, also own the 10-year-old allergy-friendly Pascha Chocolat brand. Many of the tactics that shaped the summer protocols come from the founders’ previous experience building Pascha’s digital business over the past few years, which gave them greater insight into what works and what doesn’t.
“Three years ago we were using styrofoam with frozen gel packs,” he said. “They work most of the time, but are environmentally horrendous and people don’t want to deal with recycling them.” That feedback, along with research on better cold pack insulation material, led Lovo to begin using insulated cellulose liners that can retain coldness for up to four days.
Other policies aim to reduce the risk of damage during the delivery journey. Throughout the year, the company also utilizes heat mapping across the entire U.S; at some point along its shipping journey, a box will be somewhere that’s over 71 degrees and is at risk of being damaged. According to the company, during colder months from October to March, all orders not going to a warm weather state ship via ground delivery throughout the week. For warmer destinations, Lovo checks temperatures along the route before shipping during weekends to help avoid products sitting and melting in delivery trucks.
During the warmer months, Lovo is only shipping on Monday through Wednesday — with a max two-day transit time. While in some cases, customers may have to wait longer, this practice prevents any shipments from getting stuck mid transit or over a weekend.
So far, Lester said the shipping plan’s success rate has been about 98%, with most of the damages coming from packages left out in the sun for over 48 hours. Still, all this effort comes at a cost, he said. In order to make selling direct-to-consumer more feasible, Lovo has a $50 minimum on its website to receive free delivery. “If you’ve paid for express shipping on an online order, you know how much of a premium fee the retailer adds,” Lester said.
However, the company is willing to eat the costs, for now, in order to convert customers and build a following. “We consider it a marketing expense,” Lester said. “But of course, there are some things that are out of our control.”
Online fulfillment for food brands has always been a difficult feat. Charles Haverfield, packaging executive at packing supplier U.S. Packaging and Wrapping, said that the shipping portion is usually the major obstacle for many companies. This has been documented with money-losing operations like meal kit services, for instance.
“Once they hand over the package to the driver, it’s out of the company’s control,” Haverfield said. “You can package an order very well, but ultimately outside conditions are going to be a risk.”
For example, even if an order arrives in perfect condition, Haverfield said, “people aren’t as reliable as retailers and packages can be left out in the rain.” He added that to be able to run a profitable online food business, like confectionery, “a company should be able to find the right balance of eating the costs while keeping customers happy.”
For Lovo, Lester said the company is focusing on its heat protocols this summer to leverage the new customers’ loyalty once they love the product and become more willing to pay extra for shipping. “The plan is all about minimizing shipping errors,” Lester said.


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A startup that has developed lab-grown chicken made by culturing animal cells received a key safety sign-off Wednesday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The California-based company, called Upside Foods, was cleared by the FDA on the safety of its animal cell culture technology, which can produce meat products without slaughtering any live animals. The FDA’s decision — the agency’s first for so-called cultivated meats — means the lab-grown chicken is considered safe to eat, though further approvals are needed before the products can be sold in the United States.
In an update released Wednesday, the FDA said it evaluated Upside Foods’ production process and cultured cell material and has “no further questions” about their safety. The decision has significant implications for sustainable food production and the burgeoning cultivated meat industry.
“This is a watershed moment in the history of food,” Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of Upside Foods, said in a statement. “This milestone marks a major step towards a new era in meat production, and I’m thrilled that U.S. consumers will soon have the chance to eat delicious meat that’s grown directly from animal cells.”
In order to sell its products to the public, however, Upside Foods still needs to receive approval from both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. The company said it is now working to secure the remaining regulatory approvals before its launch.
The industry for cultivated meats and meat alternatives has seen explosive growth in recent years, particularly as new companies look to create more sustainable and climate-friendly ways to produce food.
Cultivated meats are “grown” from extracted cells from an animal — typically through a biopsy, from a cell bank, or from a fresh piece of meat that was already slaughtered as part of the food system. The cells are fed a mixture of nutrients — such as amino acids, sugars, trace minerals and vitamins — causing them to multiply and turn into the finished meat products.
Upside Foods said its cell culture technology is designed to be “indefinitely self-renewing,” which means the production process will not rely on slaughtering live animals.
The FDA said it is currently evaluating other types of food made from cultured animal cells.
“Our goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our priority the production of safe food,” the agency said in a statement. “Human food made with cultured animal cells must meet the same stringent requirements, including safety requirements, as all other food.”
Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.


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Firm thinks it’s cracked code to bring coupons into the 21st century
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- Amber Jones, Staff Writer
Over the years, shows like Extreme Couponing have become hit television series. Viewers watch in awe as participants leave their local grocery stores with carts full of food and receipts for $2.
Many might assume these shows would stimulate a desire to begin bargain hunting, but surprisingly couponing is a limited business.
TJ Person, CEO of Koupon Media, says the couponing industry is a challenge he is prepared to take on.
Person, an entrepreneur since the seventh grade, says he enjoys repairing “broken business models.”
With more than $480 billion worth of coupons being printed or sent out each year, and only 1 percent actually redeemed, Person found his latest “broken” project.
“At the start of Koupon Media, we were looking at gaps and seeing where the next big thing would be,” Person said. “We really like to take on broken business models, and the big thing we saw that was broken was couponing.”
Koupon Media is a technology platform that allows retailers and brands to deliver mobile offers and products to consumers’ cellular devices. The application helps to eliminate the amount of waste that was previously created by paper options. Shoppers no longer have to print their coupons or hunt through newspapers to find a good deal.
Fraud is another problem Koupon Media is helping to resolve.
Reusing and copying coupons has been a tremendous factor in the multibillion-dollar problem.
Now customers will take their mobile devices to a register and swipe the front screen. Once it’s swiped, or the barcode is scanned, they are not able to use it again.
The small company was founded last year, has made $1 million in annual revenue, and received about $6.5 million in private investments to grow the company. Large clients, including Michaels, 7-Eleven, Pepsi and Sierra Mist, are contributing to Koupon Media’s rapid growth.
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15 Jul 2015 Nitrogen-infused coffee that tastes like beer is the new rage
Known as nitro coffee, the cold beverage is reminiscent of Guinness stout, with a head of cascading bubbles. It doesn’t just look like beer, it tastes a little like it, too.
Bon Appetit describes it as “rich and creamy” as well as “sweeter and less acidic than large-batch cold brew”, and even “chocolatey”.
The gas-infused brew bubbled up a couple of years ago from a few different coffeemakers. Food scientist Nate Armbrust introduced it at Portland, Ore-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
“In a nitro beer, you’ve got a large amount of nitrogen, but you’ve also got some carbon dioxide present from the natural by-products of the fermentation. With coffee, we don’t have the luxury of being able to use CO2 because once CO2 goes into solution, it becomes carbonic acid, and any addition of acid to coffee destroys the flavour and makes it unpalatable,” Armbrust says.
So Armbrust had to figure out how to get N2 into the coffee without the help of CO2. The secret, he says, is to make the tiniest N2 bubbles possible and force them into the coffee using precisely controlled pressure.
When poured properly, Armbrust says, the nitro coffee “seems like there’s cream in it, just because of the texture and the mouthfeel. But it’s just black coffee and gas.”
AC Beverage, an Annapolis company, has joined the new trend with its soon-to-be patented JoeTap system that it uses to “bubble-ify” its nitro coffee, making the drink “taste as if you’ve added cream and a sweetener to the cup”.
Charles Kleinrichert, founder of AC Beverage and inventor of JoeTap, says that his system, which debuted recently at the annual Specialty Coffee Association of America gathering in Seattle, breaks down the nitrogen into microscopic bubbles that better infuse the coffee giving it the velvety texture.
Described as a “paradigm shifter in coffee and what coffee can be and what flavours you can get out of coffee”, the JoeTap operates differently than standard nitrogen and/or Co2 taps, the kind developed for beer but used for coffee at places such as Slipstream, Meridian Pint, Room 11 and Chaplin’s.
Nitrogen gas bubbles are too large to infuse quickly into a liquid like coffee, Kleinrichert says. This explains why nitrogen taps mostly push coffee through the lines with little infusion. Some extremely patient, craft-crazy operators, such as Slipstream on 14th Street NW, will keg their cold concentrate coffee with nitrogen and let it sit for a day or two, occasionally shaking the kegs to infuse the gas.
He believes the JoeTap system can bring out flavours that previously remained buried in a coffee.
As those microscopic nitrogen bubbles open up and pop, they “can absolutely bring out some flavours that you wouldn’t normally get,” Kleinrichert points out, “You’re creating unique new flavours that were never found in coffee previously.”
Nitro coffee is not only being sold on tap, both Stumptown and Austin, Texas-based Cuvée Coffee are selling the stuff in widget-loaded cans…..
Washington Post: Read the full article
There’s a new coffee trend brewing and it delivers double the jolt. Adding nitrogen gives the drink qualities of beer, without the alcohol.
From coffee shops to coffee trucks, people are starting their morning like it’s Friday night, with a cold frosty brew straight from the tap.
“You’ve got something that’s an adult beverage,” Mod Cup Coffee Co co-owner Justin Hicks said….


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NNPC Has 2 Billion Litres Of Petrol For 'Ember' Months
Nigerians have no need to worry about fuel scarcity ahead of the yuletide. So says the head of the NNPC.
Since 1999 till 2015, Nigerians have become accustomed to panic buying and hording of petrol from December till February in the new year.
On Tuesday, NNPC announced that it has stored over 2 billion liters of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, to ensure a hitch-free holiday.
Speaking after his investiture as a special marshal by the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Maikanti Baru, said adequate measures were in place to ensure that motorists had unimpeded access to fuel.
Baru said the provision of adequate petroleum products would not only ease transportation but also make the roads safer for motorists.
“As we speak, the NNPC has over 2 billion litres of petrol and we want to sustain this level from now on up until the end of the year and beyond. This volume will give the country product sufficiency of about 60 days, well above the standard 30 days sufficiency threshold.”
Also watch: How To Spot A Flood Damaged Car


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Facebook Releases New Guide on Creating More Effective Stories [Infographic]
Whether you like them or not, Stories are on the rise, and have grown to become a key social media content option.
The usage figures tell the (ahem) story – Facebook alone now sees more than 1.25 billion people using the Stories options across its family of apps every day. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently noted that ephemeral stories are among the fastest growing areas of online communication “by far”, and even through your own usage, you’ve no doubt noticed the rise in Stories being posted, and have found yourself more inclined to tap in and view the latest vertical video update from friends and/or brands you follow.
There’s no denying the rising interest in the option – and that means that, as a social media marketer, you need to also be considering Stories in your process.
So what makes a good brand story, and what are the key elements you should focus on to ensure your stories stand out? Facebook has published a new report looking at exactly that – the full report (available here) outlines a range of key considerations in detail, but you can also get an overview of the highlights in the below infographic.
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Beverage market continues to grow, along with private label offerings
According to a recent blog from market intelligence company PipeCandy, the global beverage industry is valued at $1.8 trillion for 2022, with private label beverages expected to continue expanding. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4%, the industry is expected to be valued at $1.96 trillion by 2024.
Last fall, Store Brands hosted its Store Brands Industry Forum on Beverages, featuring experts from the coffee & tea, dairy, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage segments.
“As most of the popular leading retailers are coming up with their own private-label brands, private-labeled products are fastly occupying the central rows of the major retail stores,” wrote Vijaya Sripada. “For instance, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Target Corp., and Costco all have launched private-label drinks of various beverages categories. This is bringing loads of traction and growth in the private label beverage market.”
U.S. non-alcoholic beverage market size is valued at $225 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 3.8%. The industry will be valued at $234 billion in 2023, and $236 billion in 2024. Carbonated soft drinks (CSD) have been shrinking in size and revenue in recent years, and the market size for functional beverages is expected to grow and expand in the upcoming years. PipeCandy says this shrink in the market share soft drink category is compensated by the rise in the market share for the subcategories such as fresh juices, enhanced water, RTD coffee, probiotic drinks, etc. In addition, younger Americans are migrating from CSDs to healthier alternatives.
The alcoholic beverage segment is also growing with help from private label brands, though not as much as non-alcoholic drinks. The size of the U.S. alcoholic beverage market is estimated to be $237 billion in the year 2022, growing at a CAGR of 3.7%. The U.S. alcoholic industry comprises 80% malt-based beverages and 20% of spirit-based beverages. Among the malt-based beverages, beer is the most consumed product while the interest in crafted beers is trending among the Millennials (the major sect of consumers in this market).
“It is an exciting time to be in the beverage industry,” added Sripada. “Products such as kombucha, cold brew coffee, and hard seltzer are now filling the front and center of grocery display cases. On the other hand, new products such as CBD-infused beverages and vegan beverages are in demand as well. Changes in lifestyle and consumption habits of the new-age consumers are two major reasons driving this change.”
The full blog from PipeCandy can be found here.


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The independent aftermarket is a brand industry. Name recognition defines many of the market’s top manufacturers and suppliers, while some of the industry’s strongest product lines also are well regarded as aftermarket brands end users can rely on.
Even as more private label and white box products flood the fringes of the aftermarket, the confidence, stability and acceptance of premium branded product remains a key component of value propositions found across the distribution channel.
But brand equity isn’t just something that exists with parts or tools. During GenNext’s first-quarter educational webinar Wednesday, Marx Group President and CEO Frank Buscemi outlined how any product or business in the aftermarket can develop a strong brand presence that defines itself to its customers and the industry at large.
Buscemi says a company’s brand represents more than its products and services — it is the business in its totality. Everything it does well. Everything it does poorly. Everything it believes it has made clear to its customers and everything those same customers are yet to understand.
It’s not just a name, says Buscemi, it’s the entire customer experience.
“Whether you know it or not, your brand has a reputation,” he says.
And a brand is not only defined by the actions of a sales or marketing team instructed to nurture it. Buscemi says a company’s people, products, marketing and customers are equally responsible for how a brand is perceived. That first factor is particularly important, he adds, as “everyone in your business is a brand ambassador.”
Buscemi says any business looking to develop, nurture or revolutionize a brand must first understand what makes a great and successful brand. He says great brands (such as Apple, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz) all have the same three traits: they put the customer first, they are flexible and have a clear sense of self.
“They know exactly who they are,” he says.
Additionally, Buscemi says great brands are desirable. They represent a product or service that makes customers want to associate with them. He says that desire can take many forms — a brand that fills a need or solves a program can be just as valuable as a brand that supports a lifestyle — so long as it leads to customer loyalty.
Buscemi says building a brand from scratch takes 18 to 24 months at minimum. If that timeline seems extreme, Buscemi says to think about customer attention spans. Capturing a customer’s attention and developing a connection with that customer that will resonate requires time. He adds other challenges when building a brand include budget, capacity and competition.
As for pulling it off? Buscemi says establishing a brand requires extensive preparation, and notes five core principles that should be included in any plan:
- Self-assess: Buscemi says a business should know exactly what it is, how it is perceived in its industry and what it wants to stand for. He says the “Rule of -st” test is helpful here. A company can be the best, first, newest, cheapest, fastest to market. He says “whatever you decide is okay, but once you pick one, stick to it.”
- Develop a strategy: Buscemi breaks this down into five directives: Ready. Aim. Fire; Set realistic goals; Avoid quicksand; Fund it; and Create desirability. He says brand development plans should be comprehensive with clear goals and a timeline for execution.
- Execute the strategy: Buscemi gives another series of directives here: Commit and repeat; Be creative; Think backward; Manage expectations. He says the idea when it comes to execution is to remember who your customer is and make sure the plan you’ve developed is reaching them. He also preaches patience as brand overhauls don’t occur overnight.
- Stay committed: Patience is important here, too, Buscemi says. Businesses must be willing to stay the course on a brand strategy, providing funds and manpower to ensure every step in a strategy is properly completed. Employees also must remember to communicate during this process in case problems arise.
- Evaluate and adjust: Buscemi says problems can arise — even to the best laid plans. Businesses executing a branding initiative must be capable of monitoring their progress relative to their goals. When changes are required they should be implemented following the same clear structure used to first implement the plan.
Buscemi says developing positive brand recognition “takes time, it takes money and it takes commitment.” But it’s not impossible. “You don’t need Apple’s budget to market like them,” he says. With careful planning, any brand can develop desirability.


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Oppo is all set to transform its tagline “The Selfie Experts” to “The Portrait Experts” by upgrading its upcoming smartphones with innovative rear cameras.
As we previously reported that Oppo’s popup selfie-cam phone is soon going to make a debut in the Pakistani market, now we have a release date for the beast. Oppo is advertising its low-light photography champion on various social networks and we have recently noticed in a Snapchat ad that the BBK Electronics-owned Chinese phone maker, Oppo is releasing F11 Pro on 16th of April.
The smartphone’s ultra-clear camera system, a rising camera, and a panoramic screen are the most highlighted features of the device. The F11 Pro comes equipped with a 48+5MP dual rear camera and 16 MP selfie camera is perfect for capturing snaps in low-light locations. The rear camera system features F1.79 aperture, ball-bearing closed-loop VCM, 6P lens, and 1/2.3-inch image sensors to bring more light to the photograph.
Meanwhile, in bright light environments, the devices can directly output 48MP ultra HD pictures. On the other hand, in dark environments, F11 Pro’s “Tetra cell technology” analyzes the environment and captures the best portrait photos.
Two reasons to put your phone face-down this weekend:
— OPPO (@oppo) April 5, 2019
F11 Pro’s magnificent panoramic screen appears to be specifically designed to hide the front camera, making it “notchless” to create a stunning full screen. F11 Pro has a 6.53-inch display screen and a screen-to-body ratio of around 90.9% to deliver larger images. Such a huge screen also provides more visual space to live out eye-catching entertainment and gaming experiences.
To keep the device up and running at a remarkable speed, F11 Pro is powered by Octa-core (2.1 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A73 + 2 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A53) processor paired with 6GB or 4GB of RAM. The phone comes in 64GB or 128GB internal storage arrangement. As far as the battery is concerned, the phone has a 4000 mAh to make the phone last long enough.
At this time, we are unable to confirm the price of the phone but looking at its specs and features and guessing its price from other emerging markets, we are expecting the price to be above PKR 55,000/-.


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CBS News has just released a new hard-hitting piece that calls the morals and ethics of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump into question.
In a piece that focuses in on the failed “Trump Network” business venture, CBS explains how a business associated with the billionaire mogul cost many Americans their hard-earned money.
A CBS News investigation unravels controversy over a Donald Trump business venture. With the Trump Network, the billionaire pitched a “recession-proof” opportunity during the economic downturn in 2009. The Trump Network relied on participants to sell health supplements and other products, person to person.
The concept wasn’t revolutionary. Companies like Mary Kay have sold products through what’s called multi-level marketing for years. Those at the top tend to reap the most benefits. One person recruits three friends who recruits three friends, and so on down the line.
CBS explains how the Trump Network “scammed” thousands of people out of their money before it eventually collapsed amid its own financial problems. They also explain how the company lied about the credibility of their products, and the endorsements of important experts who supposedly recommended those products. The investigation even showed Mr. Trump explicitly endorsing the Trump Network products, even as his lawyers argue that he did no such thing.
While the news about another failed business venture and the people hurt by unethical business practices will likely not damage Mr. Trump’s standing with his own supporters, it will add more problems to his campaign as they try to win more voters to their cause. Almost 70% of American voters already say that they have an “unfavorable” opinion of Mr. Trump, and this latest story will do nothing to help his standing. (In fact, Mr. Trump’s numbers are so bad that they are actually helping to make President Obama more popular!) However, the story may play a role in hurting his chances with winning over any voters who remain undecided.
What do you think? Will the story about the Trump Network pass unnoticed by America, or will this have an effect on Donald Trump’s attempt at winning the White House?
The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by EagleRising.com


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|CPS GROUP APPOINTS PAUL LITTLE AS MD
CPS Group, one of the UK’s leading specialist print companies and a major supplier of labels to the furnishings sector, has appointed Paul Little as the new group managing director.
Paul, who is well known in the bed industry, will be responsible for the strategic development and leadership of the group with a view to taking its growth within the UK and wider European markets to the next level.
Said Paul, who has spent the past 14 years as executive sales and marketing director at Relyon and Steinhoff UK Beds: "I am really excited to join a progressive forward thinking and dynamic company at a very exciting time. I look forward to working with the team and helping to lead them into a new chapter of the group’s growth."
CPS was established 30 years ago by group owner Simon Green. It specialises in bespoke printing solutions, including lithographic, flexographic, digital and large format printing. The Caerphilly based company has also grown to become a major supplier of labels to the carpet and mattress industries and works closely with the medical sector.
Commenting on Paul’s appointment, which takes effect from September 1st Simon said: "Paul brings a wealth of sales management, strategic planning and brand marketing experience, that the CPS Group will find invaluable".
During his time at Relyon, Paul was responsible for relaunching the Dunlopillo brand in the UK. He said: “That alongside developing an outstanding sales and marketing team with whom I worked to significantly grow the business, was my proudest achievement.”
Simon will continue his involvement with the group, which is currently recruiting additional staff to handle a booming order book, focusing on new business development.
Further details about the CPS Group can be found at


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If it suddenly becomes a lot more difficult to get your hands on a Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kit this weekend, Kylie Jenner's rapper boyfriend might be to blame. Travis Scott dropped his third album, Astroworld, on Friday after months of anticipation, and his fans have chosen to celebrate the work with a slightly unusual take on a traditional music review.
While there were quite a few rap fans taking the time to break down the album's lyrics or analyzing the credits list for featured rappers and big-name producers, some of Scott's fans have decided to simply share their appreciation by clicking over to his girlfriend Kylie Jenner's website and picking up one of her cult-favorite liquid lipsticks. (Hey, all of those non-traditional marketing techniques helped land her on the cover of Forbes.)
After months of warning that Scott would fall under the infamous "Kardashian curse" — the concept that the successful men who date or marry into the famous reality TV family see their fortunes fall not long afterward — fans were so delighted by the finished product that they decided to celebrate the album with some new makeup, a Kylie Lip Kit, to be exact.
Twitter's newest favorite Scott-related meme is to declare that Astroworld is "so good" that everyone now has no other choice but to buy a Kylie Lip Kit in response. After all, Scott is Jenner's biggest fan (her Forbes cover even got a shoutout on the song "Sicko Mode"), so it makes sense that the best way to thank him for the music is to pick up a few candy-colored lipsticks — and maybe an eyeshadow palette or two. Haven't we all heard an album so good that it makes us want to stock up on makeup?
In addition to potentially enjoying some bolstered sales in the wake of Astroworld's release, Jenner has spent the past few days celebrating her boyfriend's new work, posting on social media to promote the album and to celebrate all of Scott's hard work.
"You didn't have to go this hard baby," she captioned a pair of photos of herself rocking an Astroworld tee and leather pants on Instagram before heading out to Scott's album release party. "Astroworld just dropped and it’s the craziest ride of my life."
Jenner celebrated with Scott on his album release day, first taking in his set at Lollapolooza in Chicago, and then hopping on an Astroworld-themed private jet to head off to the listening party. There, the couple were spotted packing on the PDA, with Scott and Jenner embracing each other and swaying in the center of the crowd while the guests listened to Scott's newest tracks.
Meanwhile, Jenner's best friend Jordyn Woods chronicled the day on her social media account, sharing snaps of the new mom arriving at the party by walking through a giant inflatable version of Scott's head and enjoying the party's psychedelic carnival theme (when they weren't focusing solely on each other).
The mogul couple was also caught in a sweet moment on the way into the party, sharing a kiss as they arrived in through Scott's giant, inflatable mouth.
Scott's Astroworld is available to purchase and stream everywhere in case you, too, are looking for a reason to stock up on a few new Lip Kits. Meanwhile, Jenner's latest Kylie Cosmetics collection launches on Aug. 6, just in time to celebrate her 21st birthday (or to create an Astroworld-themed beauty look) with plenty of sparkly eyeshadows and candy-colored Lip Kits. All things considered, this young couple is certainly having a week to remember.


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The FDA is giving the five top-selling e-cigarette brands – Juul, Vuse, MarkTen XL, Blu and Logic – 60 days to provide plans for how they will mitigate sales to minors. “I’ll be clear. The FDA won’t tolerate a whole generation of young people becoming addicted to nicotine as […]
“I’ll be clear. The FDA won’t tolerate a whole generation of young people becoming addicted to nicotine as a tradeoff for enabling adults to have unfettered access to these same products”, Gottlieb said.
‘We won’t allow the current trends in youth access and use to continue, even if it means putting limits in place that reduce adult uptake of these products, ‘ Gottlieb said. The FDA took the largest enforcement action against more than 1,300 retailers and five manufacturers of selling e-cigarettes on Wednesday. If the blueprints don’t promise to “substantially reverse” the youth-use trend, Gottlieb said the agency will consider steps that could lead to the temporary or permanent removal of flavored products from the market.
“We’re committed to the comprehensive approach to address addiction to nicotine that we announced a year ago”. So we don’t want to – we don’t want to extinguish this opportunity entirely, because we do see some potential benefit from having these products on the market as a way for adult smokers to get access to nicotine, without all the harmful effects of combusting tobacco.
Gottlieb warned action may require companies to change their sales and marketing practices; stop distributing products to retailers who sell to kids; and remove “some or all of their flavored e-cig products from the market”. Former smokers who vape may return to traditional cigarettes if flavored e-cigarettes are no longer available.
“If young adults go online and buy 100 units of a product to sell to teens, that activity ought to be easy for a product manufacturer to identify”, said Gottlieb. Regulators are considering restricting e-cigarette manufacturers from selling flavored nicotine liquid or forcing the products to undergo an agency review, as reported by CNBC.
And vaping products, including Juul and other brands, use fruity and candy-like flavors to attract users. In 2016, the agency “deemed” that products such as e-cigarettes also were under its jurisdiction and told companies to file applications to market their products by August 2018.
Investors in Juul’s competitors appeared to welcome the FDA announcement.
Gottlieb noted that the FDA continues to support the availability of products to help adult smokers quit, but ‘that work can’t come at the expense of kids, ‘ he said.


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Mobile app developers worldwide were directing the majority of their install marketing budgets to video. When added together, various types of video made up 61% of app install budget allocation in fall 2017.
Despite potential financial restrictions, marketing remains a priority for small business decision-makers.
Video formats now account for half of all app install spending by developers of the 100 top-grossing apps.
TV is, by a large margin, the best way to reach Boomers (born before 1965), according to marketers and agency professionals.
Political advertising reached $9.8 billion in the 2016 election year, marking a more than 4% increase from the 2012 election cycle ($9.4 billion) and representing a new record.
Senior marketers in the US, UK and Australia prioritize social media more than any other communications channels for product launches.
Referrals (66%) and company websites (47%) continue to be the best sources of new customers for local advertisers, much as they were back in 2011.
This heatmap tracks what viewers of this German billboard focus on.
The dislike of cinema advertising by Gen Xers may be explained by the fact that they grew up watching movies before the introduction of cinema advertising.
Of the major adult generations, Gen Xers (35-49) are the most likely to say that they’re exposed to multiple ads on the radio in a typical day.


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AT&T’s Home Box Office and Cinemax premium channels went dark to Dish Network subscribers Thursday after the parties failed to reach a distribution agreement, the first time the networks have ever gone dark to a distributor in their more than 40-year history.
Dish has about 13 million satellite TV customers, with around 2.5 million of those subscribing to HBO, according to reports.
In a statement, HBO said Dish had made negotiations “extremely difficult,” and responded to its attempts to negotiate with “unreasonable terms.”
“Past behavior shows that removing services from their customers is becoming all too common a negotiating tactic for them,” HBO said in its statement. “We hope the situation with Dish changes soon but, in the meantime, our valued customers should take advantage of the other ways to access an HBO subscription so they can continue to enjoy our acclaimed programming," HBO said.
Dish customers have endured several blackouts over the years, but they have mainly come at the hands of broadcasters over retransmission consent disputes. For example, it is currently entering the fourth month of a blackout with Spanish language broadcaster Univision. While Dish has had its fair share of scuffles with programmers as well, the HBO fight is different because the premium channel is a la carte – only those customers that want it get it and the revenue split with distributors is usually quite robust.
Dish was a vocal opponent of AT&T’s merger with Time Warner Inc., which brought HBO and several other networks under the telco umbrella. In a statement, Dish said that may have colored AT&T’s negotiations with the satellite giant, adding that despite the Department of Justice’s attempt to block the deal – the agency is appealing – there were on guidelines put in place to ensure the programmer “played fair” with distributors.
“Plain and simple, the merger created for AT&T immense power over consumers,” Dish senior VP of programming Andy LeCuyer said in a statement. “It seems AT&T is implementing a new strategy to shut off its recently acquired content from other distributors. This may be the first of many HBO blackouts for consumers across the country. AT&T no longer has incentive to come to an agreement on behalf of consumer choice; instead, it’s been given the power to grab more money or steal away customers.”
While Dish customers that want to access the premium channels can do so through the OTT service HBO Now, Dish argued that many of its rural subscribers don’t have sufficient broadband access to do so.
“AT&T’s actions are a deliberate slap in the face to rural Americans,” LeCuyer continued in his statement. “And furthermore, they are anticompetitive. AT&T, a company worth more than $200 billion, is intentionally punishing those who don’t have big-city broadband access, in an attempt to push customers to the only other satellite provider, its own DirecTV.”
Dish said the dispute centers around HBO’s demand that it pay for a guaranteed number of subscribers, regardless of how many actually sign up for service.
“AT&T is stacking the deck with free-for-life offerings to wireless customers and slashed prices on streaming services, effectively trying to force DISH to subsidize HBO on AT&T’s platforms,” LeCuyer continued. “This is the exact anticompetitive behavior that critics of the AT&T-Time Warner merger warned us about. Every pay-TV company should be concerned.”
Dish has suggested the dispute can be settled through binding baseball-style arbitration.
Rather than trying to force consumers onto their platforms, we suggest that AT&T try to achieve its financial goals through simple economics: if consumers want your product, they’ll pay for it. We hope AT&T will reconsider its demands and help us reach a swift, fair resolution,” added LeCuyer in his statement.
Dish and eligible Sling TV customers will be credited on their bill for time they do not receive HBO or Cinemax. Dish is also offering customers a free preview of HDNET Movies which offers movies uncut and commercial free.
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.


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Uh oh, someone is going to get in trouble at Sony. Kotaku and the Game Console Network are reporting that the June episode of Qore leaked onto PlayStation Networkland and … we’ll … it introduces us to the PSP Go.
If the video is still up by the time you read this, the short of it is this: It has 16 GBs of memory, Bluetooth support and the ability to download the latest games ie. LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo, etc.. That’s sort of a win. I wish they bumped up the memory a little higher. I don’t think 16 GBs will be enough for my gaming needs.
And that’s yet another leak coming right before E3.
As we move closer to the Grand Theft Auto IV launch date, the news has picked up. Here’s a nice handy roundup of what we’ve found.
1up has a great interview with GTAIV executive producer Sam Houser where he explains the differences between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions and comments on the need for more disc space and a standardized hard drive on the Xbox 360.
Hackers have purportedly put a pirated PAL version of the game on the Interwebs, according to Kotaku. This is just a rumor and hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Those lucky Europeans will be getting a PS3 GTAIV bundle, according to Gaming Bits.
Daily Motion has gameplay footage, which will be probably be taken down any minute now …


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It happened Wednesday night just before 9:30 on Satterfield Drive, off North Rodney Parham Road.
Police describe the suspect as a black man, 50 to 55 years old, 5'8" tall, who was wearing all black clothing and white shoes.
Two workers told police they had just closed the business, set the alarm, and were walking to their cars in the parking lot when the suspect walked up to them armed with a silver revolver.
He ordered them back inside, telling them "don't be a hero," according to the incident report.
Police say the suspect made the workers turn off the store alarm and get face down on the floor before ordering one of them to open the safe, which had a 10-minute delay. Once the safe opened, the suspect took the money and told the workers to count to 100. When the man left, the workers called police.


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Durable Goods (Economic Indicator)
News about Durable Goods, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
ARTICLES ABOUT DURABLE GOODS (ECONOMIC INDICATOR)
Demand for military equipment fell sharply but excluding defense-related goods, orders actually rose.
June 26, 2014, Thursday
The April result supports the view that the economy stands to benefit in the coming months from increased production at factories, which should bolster growth and spur further hiring.
May 28, 2014, Wednesday
Orders increased 2.2 percent in February, the Commerce Department said. Applications for home mortgages fell last week, reflecting an interest rate rise.
March 27, 2014, Thursday
Separately, a report from the Labor Department showed initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 348,000.
February 28, 2014, Friday
The most recent measure of durable goods orders fell unexpectedly, but house prices rose and consumer confidence improved.
January 29, 2014, Wednesday
A government report suggests strength in manufacturing and provides more evidence of a firming outlook for economic growth.
December 25, 2013, Wednesday
In a holiday-shortened week, the Commerce Department will release data on personal income and spending in November, and durable goods figures for November will be reported.
December 23, 2013, Monday
Economic signals are mixed as initial claims for state jobless benefits drop, but nonmilitary orders for capital goods also decline.
November 28, 2013, Thursday
Orders for core capital goods, which include industrial machinery and electrical equipment, fell 1.1 percent.
October 26, 2013, Saturday
Separately, new-home purchases rose, easing worries that higher mortgage rates have started to dent sales.
September 26, 2013, Thursday
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