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Connecticut Environment Committee Bans Invasive Plants
Connecticut Legislature’s Environment Committee demanded immediate bans of plants that are worth an estimated $18.7 million to the state’s nurseries, garden centers and landscapers.
The committee raised two bills, the first banning all forms of Norway maple, barberry, euonymus and multi-flora rose. The second bill imposes a fine of $100 per plant for violation of the ban. Neither of the bills would provide financial compensation to growers or retailers of the plants.
The bills also do not provide any kind of phase-out program for the plants. For example, the bills do not distinguish between the green barberry, a plant acknowledged by the industry as invasive, and the burgundy cultivars, which may not be invasive. A new study at the University of Connecticut is in the process of funding a program to determine genetically where invasive forms of barberry and euonymus originated.
Appointed since June 26, 2003, members of The Connecticut Invasive Plants Council meet regularly to discuss invasive-plant education, publish a list of invasive and potentially invasive plants, and relate to legislature the invasive plants that are beneficial to research. The council has set up a nine-member committee to study the invasive-plant problem and make suggestions to the legislature.
The council is responsible for determining which plants should be banned and studying the economic impact these bans will have on the industry. Representatives from five major Connecticut nurseries will testify before the Invasive Plants Council on March 23, 2004 to discuss the impact of plant bans.
According to the Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association (CGGA), there could be a total of $18,781,000 impact to the state’s green industry if plant species were banned outright. CGGA also stated that Connecticut’s 6-percent sales tax would be applied to the $12.4 million sales of the retail column, making a loss of nearly $1 million in sales-tax revenue to the state if plants were banned. This does not include the loss of staff salaries, employment and corporate taxes.
“How would the plant bans work, and who would enforce them?” Bob Heffernan, executive director for CGGA, asked the legislators. “The problem with invasive plants is that most all are spread innocently. Many of these plants are popular with Connecticut’s citizens. And what about out-of-state companies selling these plants to our people?”
Heffernan urged, “The Legislature must give the Invasive Plants Council adequate time to study all of this and report back intelligently with proposed solutions.”


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The latest pandemic-related plague: hair loss.
As if juggling working from home, Zoom meetups, homeschooling, telehealth and virtual exercise classes in a global pandemic weren’t enough, now your hair is falling out. You’re not alone.
Phoenix dermatologist Dr. Toni Stockton says she’s seen double the usual number of patients for hair loss over the past three months at her Ahwatukee practice, Stockton Dermatology. And according to data science firm Spate, Google searches for hair loss jumped 8 percent in the last year. While Stockton says not all of these cases are related to COVID-19, the majority of patients are likely facing the effects of pandemic-induced stress, if not post-viral inflammation for the “long-haulers.” Most patients are women ages 45-70 who have managed many responsibilities throughout the last year.
“I think it’s a real balancing act, whether it’s actually having COVID or dealing with COVID in their lifestyle,” Stockton says.
There are many types of hair loss in women, so the first question she asks patients is what happens when they run their hands through their hair. Three things can happen: no hair comes out, hair breakage occurs, or full strands with white tips detach. At any given time, Stockton says 20 percent of your hair is falling out in the natural growth cycle. However, the stress of the pandemic, physical COVID symptoms and medications used to treat the virus can change the growth pattern. Stress can increase cortisol levels, which releases neurohormones, neurotransmitters and cytokines that can interfere with the hair cycle. Stockton says patients shouldn’t panic about this type of hair loss, because it will grow back.
“It may take a good three months after COVID for hair growth to start,” she says. “Even then, sometimes they’re already recovered and begin to experience hair loss.”
While there isn’t a quick fix for COVID-related hair loss, Stockton recommends checking your vitamin levels, especially Vitamin D and iron, to ensure that your body has the proper building blocks for healthy regrowth. She has had success with using supplements containing B-complex vitamins (especially biotin) and zinc. Her preferred brands are Nutrafol and Elon, which carry products for men, women and postmenopausal women.

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Research has shown that 3-in-4 women will experience candidiasis, more commonly known as a vaginal yeast infection, and 67% are embarrassed by it, Insight Pharmaceuticals announced, citing an independent survey commissioned for Monistat.
During the fall 2012 checkout scanning campaign at 45 Wegmans stores in New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, eastern Pennsylvania, and the Greater Rochester region of New York, hunger relief donations totaled $1.4 million, Wegmans reported.
The National Community Pharmacists Association urged Oregon state lawmakers to pass a series of bills that would "collectively reduce red tape for pharmacists caring for patients, give consumers greater pharmacy choice at no extra cost, and keep more revenue within the state."
Over-the-counter products across the front-end are becoming a more and more important profit driver for independent pharmacy operators, Hamacher Resource Group and the Healthcare Distribution Management Association revealed as part of new research titled "Independent Pharmacy Shoppers: Who, What, and Why?"
A group of organizations has launched a nationwide competitive outreach project to enlist students studying to become healthcare professionals to find new ways to raise awareness about medication adherence as a public health issue.
As tattoos increasingly penetrate mainstream culture, Wrenchers Body Shop has seen an uptick in sales within the body art industry of its Hands Maid and Babied Hands line of botanical skin care launched in early 2012, and now the company is seeking manufacturer representatives to assist in marketing.


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Microsoft has started to accept submissions for "Universal Apps" in its Dev Center. Developers can now link apps made for the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store to create a single Windows app listing, allowing users to buy once on one platform and for it to be downloadable and usable on other Windows devices they also own.
The change will also apply to in-app purchases, reports The Next Web, with purchases using the same identifier in both stores also crossing between devices and platforms, with consolidated pricing across both stores. While Microsoft is pushing towards "Universal Apps" using the same basic code base for both Windows and Windows Phone versions, the app store lets app developers link apps that do not necessarily follow this rule, but provide the same experience, saving developers from doing more work than needed.
Developers can also register to create Windows apps without requiring a credit card for validation. In markets where PayPal is supported, Microsoft will now accept PayPal payments for registration and renewals. Developers will also be able to register Windows Phone app names for up to 12 months in advance of release, something already offered in the Windows Store. App certification policies have also been harmonized between the two stores.
The Windows Phone Dev Center has seen a few extra updates. Developers can now choose to use the Windows Runtime Platform for packaging apps instead of the existing Silverlight platform, which Microsoft claims will "maximize code re-use across their apps for phones, tablets, and PCs." Existing Windows Phone 7.1 and 8.0 apps in the Windows Phone Store will be made available to Windows Phone 8.1 devices automatically, though if apps are available for different versions of Windows Phone, the Windows Phone Store will prioritize offering the user the version most appropriate to their device. Certification times have also been reduced to "a few hours" instead of days, thanks to changes to the app certification workflow, and the Dev Center has been redesigned to provide easier access to documentation.


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Fitness Revolution, a personal training business at 29201 Center Ridge Road in Westlake, is looking to continue to offer workout and nutrition guidance tailored specifically for each individual.
“We’ve been here for eight years now, and business has been very good for us here in Westlake,” said Dan Bednar, co-owner of Fitness Revolution and the lead trainer for the Westlake and Broadview Heights, 3301 E. Royalton Rd., locations. “We offer a variety of different sessions from one-one-one, small groups and large groups. We really want to stress having sessions that fit with what you want.”
Bednar said the personal training game was something he went into immediately following college.
“I always had a passion for athletics and was a football and volleyball player at Baldwin Wallace [University],” he said. “It was something that I studied in college, and I naturally made the transition when I graduated into becoming a personal trainer.
"I then bounced around from various different locations," he continued. "I started at the Brecksville Rec Center. I then moved on to a few different locations before landing at the rec center here in Westlake. I was actually the first trainer there and it was good for a time, but it got to the point, as it usually does with business, that I naturally wanted to provide the training with my own business, at my own location, that I ran myself.”
Bednar said Fitness Revolution guides people through workouts without the large machines.
“There is more open space in here because we don’t have the big gaudy machines that may be at other gyms,” he said. “We have dumbbells, kettlebells, battle ropes and other equipment that forces people to actually do the work.
"We have exercise bikes, but they are not like some of the modernized ellipticals where they basically do the movement for you," he added. "On a treadmill, the machine basically drags you along. The bikes here force you to pedal to get the bike moving. It is all movement that is generated by yourself and it creates a better workout.”
Bednar said when people first sign up for workouts, personal trainers from Fitness Revolution will meet with them to discuss a program moving forward.
“The people that walk in here mostly come to me saying they need to lose weight, get healthy and change their bad habits,” he said. “These folks often aren’t working out, or they are but it’s something that isn’t giving them the desired results.
"The first thing we do is go through a free consultation," he continued. "It takes around 45 minutes to an hour, and we discuss what your goals are and what needs to be done to ensure those goals are met. We want to make sure we create a workout plan that you want to do; that’s the only way a workout program will be successful.”
Bednar said the diversity in different sized sessions is what separates Fitness Revolution from the competition.
“When we are designing a workout plan for our clients, we look into what type of session you might want,” he said. “We have small groups, two to six people, and large groups, 10 to 25 people, to go along with our one-on-one offering. Some people may not want to work out alone. Some people are embarrassed about working out, so the group format allows them to work with others. The group class is also cheaper than individual sessions, so there is a draw to our group sessions, but individual session can still be done if clients prefer.”
Bednar said Fitness Revolution does not target a specific demographic.
“I have a range of clients from ages 11 to 76,” he said. “I have athletes to people who are critically obese. There will be people in this gym from all walks of life, but they all have the common goal of them being stronger, eating healthier and lifting more, and our goal is to help them get there.”
Anyone interested in joining Fitness Revolution can call Bednar at 440-759-2205.


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Acer completed its $710 million takeover of Gateway on Oct. 17, making it officially the third largest PC maker in the world and in a position to exert pricing pressure on the desktop and notebook markets.
The acquisition by Taiwans Acer, announced in August, cleared several hurdles, including U.S. regulatory approval and the acquiescence of Gateway shareholders, some of whom had threatened a suit to block the deal or lift the sale price.
Shareholders gave their final approval Oct. 16 and Gateway stock disappeared from the New York Stock Exchange at the end of the days trading.
Acer is done acquiring competitors for now, but sees PC consolidation accelerating. Click here to read more.
The merger establishes Acer as the third largest PC maker behind Dell and Hewlett-Packard, ahead of former No. 3, Beijing-based Lenovo, and sets the stage for increased pricing pressure on HP and Dell as Acer and Lenovo bring cheaper products to market. Enterprise customers could expect slimmer desktop and notebook budgets as a result.
Acer also has a pending arrangement to purchase Paris-based Packard Bell, blocking Lenovos expected attempt to do the same.
Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news in desktop and notebook computing.


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The number of whistleblowers reporting a data breach to the UK’s data watchdog has soared by 175% since the introduction of GDPR, according to London-headquartered law firm RPC.
Since Europe’s tougher data laws came into force in May 2018, whistleblower reports to the Information Commissioner’s Office about a data breach has jumped from 138 in 2017/2018 to 379 in 2018/19.
RPC attributes the rise in whistleblower data breach reports to the tougher penalties that come with GDPR, which has made people warier when it comes to handling personal data and reporting breaches.
“GDPR has driven a cultural shift in how people perceive personal data and its value,” said Richard Breavington, partner at RPC. “More people now see it as part of their personal property, and they are more likely to act if they believe it is being misused.”
The research follows last week’s GDPR fine frenzy, in which the ICO issued its first and second GDPR fines in less than 30 hours, coming to a combined total of £282m.
The next day, hotel chain Marriott International was stung with a £99m fine after a cyberattack on its subsidiary Starwood exposed the personal data of some 500 million customers to attackers over a four-year period.
Data breach whistleblower rise: The ICO has teeth
“The ICO has shown that it is a regulator to be respected,” said Breavington. “The FCA [Financial Conduct Authority] had traditionally been thought to be among the tougher regulators in the UK, but the fines the ICO is levying are now on a different scale.”
Those working in data protection had long been awaiting the first fine under GDPR, which threatens maximum fines of €20m or 4% of global annual turnover. After a year passed without fines, some had started to question whether GDPR had been overstated. That’s now changed, following the Marriott and British Airways fines.
“There were a lot of eyes on the ICO, waiting to see how it would use its new powers. Few foresaw it hitting a business with such a high fine at this stage,” said Breavington.
The fines, and the number of whistleblower reports, should cause businesses to take heed, said Breavington.
“The jump in whistleblowing reports of data breaches will be a concern to businesses,” Breavington. “The ICO’s large fines mean data security continues to be a C-suite issue for businesses that hold personal data.”
He advised that boards ensure their company isn’t just “GDPR-compliant on paper”, making sure that the company is “culturally doing everything possible to ensure appropriate standards of technical and organisational security”.


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|Models and designers at a publicity event held this week for the Fashionology Festival in October. — Photo courtesy of organiser.|
HCM CITY — HCM City will host the first ever Fashionology Festival in October on Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street.
The event, which will combine fashion and technology, is aimed at promoting tourism while also boosting the fashion and textile industries.
More than 100 textile and garment, footwear and accessories firms, 40 local and international fashion designers, 300 models, 24 artists and two foreign DJs will participate in the event.
There will be a giant catwalk designed with advanced technologies such as 3D video-mapping along the 670-metre street.
Visitors can enjoy unique fashion collections which explore the themes of Bản sắc Viễn Đông (Far Eastern Identity), ready-to-wear fashion and futuristic fashion.
They can interact with fashion designers and shop for their favourite fashion products online through mobile app Apps FF 2017.
“It is one of the major cultural and tourism events to attract domestic and international tourists to the city,” Bùi Tá Hoàng Vũ, director of the city Department of Tourism, the event organiser, said.
Impressive cultural and art events that are lined up this year would help the tourism sector achieve its target of seven million foreign tourists, he said.
The Fashionology Festival, to be held from October 20 to 22, is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors. —VNS


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The new generation of charging station Tesla Supercharger V3 is able to charge electric car in just 5 minutes by as much as 120 km.
This is reported by the media.
It is now known that to achieve such a measure has been due to the new design of charging cable. The company also managed to declare that the new cable much lighter, more flexible and more efficient than the one used previously.
It looks like a new cable V3 Supercharger (left) in comparison with the old (right).
It is noted that the charging Supercharger V3 in April is fully released to the market, however, only in the US. In Europe and Asia, it will appear in the fourth quarter of this year.
However, it is worth noting that it became known that already next week (March 14) Tesla will show the world a new compact crossover Model Y, while its mass production will start only next year. But this year Tesla will introduce another new car.
Of course, we are talking about a huge truck, the presentation of which will take place later this year.
Unfortunately, no other details about the car, Musk said, but reiterated that he was most waiting for in this presentation. However, some details about the car we learned. For example, the cost of the new Model would be Y 10 per cent more, as the car will be more Tesla Model 3.
Elon Musk has long been annoying the public release of a fully electric pickup truck. At the end of last year, he several times hinted at the possible debut of the car this year, saying that he is extremely excited to release the car to the market. This can be an answer to competitors that have introduced electric cars in the configuration of huge pickups.
In addition it should be noted that the head of the American company “SpaceX” and “Tesla” Elon Musk has hit the net. He said something in Russian to the message the wearer of the social network Twitter. Ekaterina Pavlyuchenko congratulated Mask on the occasion of the successful launch of the spacecraft and its Crew Dragon docks with the International space station.
In a tweet she also complained that Roskosmos is unlikely to congratulate their competitors from SpaceX on this event.
“I do not think that Rogozin and Roscosmos will greet you, they never do, and it’s sad. So let me assure you that all space enthusiasts from Russia are pleased to observe the successful docking of the Dragon Crew and send congratulations to the whole team”, – stated in the message.
Recall, Bugatti has released the most expensive car in the world in a single copy.
As reported “Znayu”, Skoda introduced the killer TeslaVision iV.
Also “Znayu” wrote that Elon musk sent to Earth from Nibiru on an important mission.
In Ukraine next year should receive two charging stations, Tesla


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Fibre to the Home Europe: Entertainment at the Speed of Light
The 2013 Fibre to the Home Council Europe show wrapped up yesterday London's ExCel Convention Centre, after pushing streaming media as one of its key themes.
Several sessions, including the opening plenary session, covered the topic of premium entertainment as a key content driver for fibre-to-the-premise (FTTx) adoption.
The plenary session was titled "Entertainment and Film Industry in the FTTH Era" and explored the premise that very-high-speed broadband not just allows but actually compels studios and film production crews to revisit the way services and applications are delivered online.
Moderated by film financier Jeff Andrick, the plenary session's speakers ranged from a film producer to a director to Sony Pictures Entertainment strategy officer Mitch Singer.
Singer focused on UltraViolet, which takes the stance is that devices must be compliant for consistent playback, and that the studios will offer only a guarantee of content's availability in a cloud-based "digital locker."
The studios' premise on delivery, however, is still a "best effort" target that assumes the broadband pipe has sufficient bandwidth for delivery purposes. This hands-off approach to the delivery pipeline is consistent among the studios backing UltraViolet.
Given the lack of infrastructure investment funds within the European Community boundaries over the next five years, the concept of studios investing in network infrastructure—including last-mile delivery to the consumer—should be explored. My column in next month's Streaming Media magazine will set the stage for this topic.
In addition to William Fay, the film producer and president of Global Entertainment Advisors, and Brian O’Shea, a director with The Exchange, the fourth panelist covered the gaming implications of fibre to the premise.
Ian Livingstone, life president of gaming company Eidos, discussed the topic of video games in the FTTH era and concluded that we've yet to see the golden era of gaming that will emerge as business models, gaming realism, and hyper-interactivity emerge alongside bandwidths capable of gameplay beyond high definition.
"Big games need big pipes," said Livingstone of games that have both streaming media content and interactivity delivery requirements. "Each game has 6 terabytes of data delivered over the network, so the future is in the cloud.”
A second session, midway through the first day, explored the cost models around premium content delivery. Under the track heading "Traditions and Change," this session included a representative from a major film studio—again Sony Pictures Entertainment—and an independent production company.
Peter Nelson, the senior vice president of production at Sony Pictures Entertainment, talked about the financial bar being lowered for major studios to deliver premium content, but noted that the same was true for independent content owners and smaller studios. Enzo Lamblet, a film producer with Ana Campina Produções, agreed that FTTx access could generate a wider audience for independent film productions, but noted the studios have economies of scale—and a bit of a perceived lock on consumer electronic devices, such as those with UltraViolet capabilities.
The final session of the day also dealt with premium content delivery, but from the perspective of justifying the need for fibre within the local and wide-area access networks. The session, titled "The Need for Fibre in the Access Network" had representatives from Cisco, Huawei, Iskratel and TE Connectivity.
A large portion of the discussion revolved around how to reach Digital Agenda goals, including technology neutrality and the need to address equal access for all EU member country citizens to premium services such as streaming video. One speaker noted that fibre rollouts continue to increase both in terms of consumer adoption and number of homes / residences passed, but the need for infrastructure buildouts still had room for growth.
Backing up the comments, research firm IDATE released data showing that the second half of 2012 resulted in a net increase of 12 per cent in FTTx subscribers, for a total of 7.3 million FTTx subscribers within Europe. In the rest of the world, fibre adoptions are outpacing cable modem connections, although both still pale in comparison to DSL connections.
European Commission strategy on funding may stimulate high-speed services—if investment funds materialize.


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New York-based childrens' clothing company Rockets of Awesome has secured $19 million in Series C funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the city's recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced Feb. 26 and led by Foot Locker.
According to its Crunchbase profile, "Rockets of Awesome is a direct-to-consumer kids' apparel brand, designing and selling over-the-top clothes. Rockets of Awesome is reinventing the way parents shop for kids by leveraging technology, data, brand, personalization and exceptional merchandise."
The three-year-old startup has raised three previous funding rounds, including a $10 million Series B in 2017.
In other local funding news, Ceros, a cloud-based platform for marketers and graphic designers, announced a $14 million Series C funding round on Feb. 28, led by Greenspring Associates.
According to Crunchbase, "Ceros is a cloud-based interactive content creation platform that empowers marketers and designers to create rich, engaging digital content without coding."
Founded in 2012, the company has raised three previous rounds, including an $11 million Series B round in 2016.
Meanwhile, cloud data services company Narrative raised $3 million in seed funding, announced on Feb. 25. The round's investors were led by Glasswing Ventures.
From the company's Crunchbase profile, "At Narrative, we make it easy for you to access, acquire and integrate the data your company needs to thrive."
Narrative last raised $2.2 million in seed funding in 2017.
Also of note, e-learning company Girls Who Code raised $3 million in grant funding, announced on March 9 and financed by Walmart.
From Crunchbase, "Together with leading educators, engineers and entrepreneurs, Girls Who Code has developed a new model for computer science education, pairing intensive instruction in robotics, web design and mobile development with high-touch mentorship and exposure led by the industry's top female engineers and entrepreneurs."
The company previously raised $1 million in grant funding in 2018.
Rounding out the city's recent top local funding events, genetics and innovation management company Gencove raised $3 million in Series A funding, announced on March 13 and led by Spero Ventures.
From Crunchbase, "We make genomics affordable and accessible through a cost-effective, low-coverage whole genome sequencing technology and tools that connect developers and researchers with users."
The company previously raised $1 million in seed funding in 2017.
This story was created automatically using local investment data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
Rockets of Awesome nets $19 million, plus more top funding news for New York-based companies


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Amazon secures most inbound shopping links from UK blogs
04 October 2013 - 12:46 by Graham Miller
Amazon is the most popular place to shop online in the UK, so it is perhaps unsurprising that a new report has also found that it gets more inbound links from domestic blogs than any of its rivals.
The study, conducted by Twingly, analysed links from close to 100,000 blogs and found that Amazon had earned over 173,000 links to product pages, well ahead of second place Asos, which could only muster just under 25,000.
Blogging is an important way for e-commerce sites to generate traffic, because influential third party posts with embedded links to products can cause plenty of consumers to click through and commit to a purchase.
Thirty one percent of the links in UK blogs relate to fashion items available via safe shopping online, although it was the retail brands themselves which took the top spot, generating 55 per cent of the links in the past 12 months.
Amazon's place at the top of the tree is very dominant and the top 10 also includes Topshop, Net-A-Porter, eBay and Boots, according to The Drum.
For individual product brands, Nike managed to get the most mentions in UK blogs, ahead of a number of premium and luxury fashion labels, such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
Although the tens of thousands of blog posts may seem like they could disperse interest and minimise the audience share for individual sites, in reality, the UK's online scene is so vibrant that even obscure blogs can help e-commerce companies to generate traffic.
Amazon may be the biggest online shopping service in the UK, but there is plenty of room for rivals to manoeuvre and even take a chunk out of its sales, if only they manage to win over bloggers.


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Marvel Studios is releasing a new mobile app that will feature Tony Stark's artificially intelligent computer J.A.R.V.I.S. It will be the first fully voice controlled app on the market and can be used as an alarm clock, a personal assistant, and a way to access your favorite social media sites.
The app will coincide with the Iron Man 3 Blu-ray and will feature over 20 hours of audio from Paul Bettany. You will also be able to unlock exclusive content including all of Iron Man's armored suits and a mysterious "Ghost" file. The app is set to go live September 10th.
Get a glimpse at these preview images for the app and pick up the Blu-ray on September 24.


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In a live presentation last week, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney made his case for his government’s new “add on” grant to help Alberta business.
This new grant, which may be applied for beginning in April, is on top of $20,000 Alberta businesses can apply for until the end of March. This new $10,000 is an outright grant. No repayment needed.
This new money does come with a catch, however. Only those businesses seeing a 60 per cent drop in sales qualify.
According to Kenney, most Alberta businesses probably won’t qualify. In fact, in his own words last week, he mostly said the vast majority of Alberta small businesses don’t even need the money. Paraphrasing, “The fact is,” he said, “90 per cent or more of Alberta businesses are surviving right now.”
[For clarity, we watched the announcement last Wednesday. Several times the feed died. When we looked for the complete interview online, we could not find it. Other media reports made no mention of this quote. Please correct if we are in error.]
We are skeptical 90 per cent of Alberta businesses are surviving. This in fact, makes it sound as if Alberta small business, responsible for 55 per cent of the jobs, are doing just fine.
The truth is, for so many businesses, federal government wage subsidies are the only thing keeping doors open. Small business owners themselves are tapping savings, in some cases money that was put away for decades as retirement money. This on top of taking minimum pay, or no pay at all.
In coming weeks, business groups like chambers of commerce and trade boards should be asking their own members what they think of the 60 per cent limit. It could well be members are happy, and Kenney’s read of the province is correct.
For sure, there are businesses smiling. Some were already geared to take-out food, like pizza shops and drive-through services. There were big box stores that had food components, or were deemed “essential services.”
While small shops everywhere were closed, these outlets merrily filled the gaps. One big Canadian chain has just reported their sales for 2020 were actually at record highs.
No “one size fits all” situation. While nobody likes talking about their business situation, voices have to be heard if changes need to be made. Business owners, bankers and credit unions, landlords, even accountants are well placed to talk to MLAs where practical, without breaking confidentiality.
It could well be September or even later before vaccinations work their way into most of the population. Some people are saying it may be as long as two or three years, and perhaps longer, before business life is “normal.” Notwithstanding those companies making record sales, of course.
The bottom line here, the new $10,000 per business is something. Nobody is turning up their noses at any help. It just seems government can’t be bothered figuring out who really needs help, how best to get that help out there, and who is just crying sad stories.
Help sounds good on the news. Reality is nothing but pain.


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Trade: Manufacturing sector has bolstered strength The growth of China's foreign trade is expected to be stable this year, given the robust performance during the January-October period, which has laid a solid foundation, trade watchers said on Monday. The country's foreign trade surged 9.5 percent year-on-year to 34.62 trillion yuan ($4.79 trillion) in the first 10 months of 2022, while its trade surplus jumped 46.7 percent year-on-year to 4.8 trillion yuan, according to the General Administration of Customs. Judging from the sector's performance so far this year, and given the resilience of the country's industrial and supply chains, China is likely to see stable growth of foreign trade and a high trade surplus this year, said Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges. "Despite the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the United States' interest rate hike, Chinese exporters, backed by the government's supportive measures and new foreign trade formats such as cross-border e-commerce business, have been busy in upgrading their product structure this year," he said, adding the country's export impetus is no longer dominated by products with low industrial added value. Li Kuiwen, director-general of the GAC statistics and analysis department, also held that opinion and said that China's exports of electric vehicles doubled on a yearly basis from January to October, while the exports of mechanical and electrical products such as lithium batteries and solar cells soared by about 80 percent year-on-year. China's high-tech exports rose from $474.35 billion in 2010 to $942.31 billion in 2021, up by 98.65 percent, according to the World Bank database. This indicates China's manufacturing sector has not only withstood the test of the market amid global supply chain disruptions, but also continuously bolstered its strength driven by the market forces. Meanwhile, the foreign trade value of private companies accounted for more than half the total, and their growth rate was 4.9 percentage points higher than the overall export and import growth rate over the past 10 months, showing the resilience and competitiveness of the private companies, Li said. With the growth of China's foreign trade dropping from 8.3 percent in September to 6.9 percent in October, experts said that external factors such as softening global consumption demand and high inflation will continue to pose challenges to companies at home in the fourth quarter and next year. Meanwhile, the high export base last year is also a factor for the slowing growth rate this year, experts said. China's exports had been weighed down by a sluggish Christmas shopping season, high inflation and high interest rates, as well as an uncertain economic outlook in overseas markets. These factors have severely dampened consumer confidence in many parts of the world. Zhou Maohua, an analyst at China Everbright Bank, said as the prices of energy and raw materials are high, companies are holding off on replenishing inventory, so imports continued to be depressed last month.
The value of China's foreign trade amounted to 34.62 trillion yuan ($4.79 trillion) in the first ten months of 2022, up 9.5 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs. Among that, the country's exports surged 13 percent on a yearly basis to 19.71 trillion yuan, while its imports grew 5.2 percent to 14.91 trillion yuan. Its trade surplus jumped 46.7 percent year-on-year to 4.8 trillion yuan. The administration said that China's total foreign trade expanded 6.9 percent from the same period last year to 3.55 trillion yuan in October. The country's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reached 5.26 trillion yuan between January and October, an increase of 15.8 percent on a yearly basis, while trade with the European Union rose 8.1 percent to 4.68 trillion yuan. In the meantime, the total trade value between China and the United States grew 6.8 percent year-on-year to 4.21 trillion yuan.
BEIJING -- China's services industry made marked progress over the last decade, with industrial structure improved and new drivers emerging, official data showed on Tuesday. The added value of the services sector grew at an average annual rate of 7.4 percent during the 2013-2021 period, 0.8 percentage points higher than the average annual GDP growth during the period, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a report. The sector's contribution to GDP expansion increased from 45 percent in 2012 to 63.5 percent in 2019, the report said, and its contribution in 2021 was 54.9 percent despite COVID-19 disruptions. China's services sector has an improving structure. In 2021, the added value of information transmission, software and information technology services accounted for 7.2 percent of the added value of the services sector, up 2.3 percentage points from 2012, the report said. The sector has also seen thriving new growth drivers. In 2021, e-commerce transactions in the country totaled 42 trillion yuan ($6 trillion), with an average annual growth rate of 20.3 percent during the 2013-2021 period, according to the report.
TOKYO - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday declared a month-long state of emergency in Tokyo and six other parts of the country over a spike in coronavirus cases.
MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Monday discussed closer collaboration in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease during a phone talk, the Kremlin said.
The Commerce Department is expected to make this case established on September 12, the international trade commission to make damage to the final will be held on October 29.


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Since then, however, the economy has taken a turn for the worse and Charles’ £320,000-turnover business is feeling the pinch.
“We had all this fantastic press after appearing on Dragons’ Den and my business had almost trebled in size,” she says. “But all this credit crunch negativity has hit home and people have started cutting their budgets. We’re still doing well – but we’re having to knuckle down and really put the business out there.”
Charles is remaining positive, though, and D4M is throwing a launch party this week in Milton Keynes to show potential clients what she can do. “We’re bringing glamour to Milton Keynes,” she says. “Now’s not the time to hide away; now’s the perfect time to promote what you can do.”


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Nope, this isn’t a joke. Whether or not it gets the funding it needs is a different story, though…
Former Nok Air CEO starting a new airline
Patee Sarasin is the former CEO of Thai low cost carrier Nok Air. He left the airline in 2018, and has been running a travel agency since (named “Really Really Cool”). He’s now looking to launch a new airline named “Really Cool Airlines” (so I guess it’s a little less cool than his current travel agency).
If you didn’t know any better, you’d assume this is all a joke, but it doesn’t seem to be. Here are the claims about the new airline:
- The airline will have the slogan “We Fly The Future”
- The airline will be managed by “crypto-native citizens from our Really Cool Air GameFi”
- The airline will be the first “GameFi airline,” whereby customers will be able to play blockchain games
- The airline is looking at acquiring four Airbus A350s by the end of the year
- The airline hopes to fly within Asia, as well as to Australia and Europe
- The airline is promising an “extraordinary experience for passengers,” where “the norm of standard cabin configurations and cargo management is shattered, replaced with a premium experience that’s beyond your wildest dreams”
Let’s see how this goes…
As longtime OMAAT readers know, I love covering all kinds of airline startups, no matter how legitimate they are. This one is legitimate in the sense that you have an actual airline and travel industry pro behind it, who knows what he’s doing.
Of course not every concept succeeds, or is able to secure the funding needed to launch operations. It’s anyone’s guess how this airline does. A few thoughts:
- The big reveal about this airline had no shortage of buzzwords, though does lack substance; how will this airline actually compete, and what will make it different than other airlines?
- While Thailand is a very popular tourist destination with a good amount of point-to-point tourist demand, Thai airlines have still historically struggled to succeed, especially in long haul markets
- Sarasin has the benefit of also running a travel agency, so that adds a potentially interesting layer to this, as the airline could sell travel packages without even using a third party
- Logically you’d think that this airline would be a low cost carrier, so what’s with the claim of creating “a premium experience that’s beyond your wildest dreams?” I suspect that’s just marketing, but it sounds absurd
Let’s see if this airline is able to secure funding and get off the ground.
A former Thai airline executive is trying to start a new airline named Really Cool Airlines. The airline would operate flights from Thailand to destinations within Asia and beyond. While there’s no shortage of branding and buzzwords, we haven’t yet learned much about the substance of the airline, or what the passenger experience will be like.
What do you make of Really Cool Airlines?


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77 Interactions, 2 Today
Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya, in which MUFG has a 76.9 percent ownership, has contributed $41 million to the Asia-Pacific crypto trading platform Zipmex.
The newest investment round for the Asia-Pacific-focused crypto exchange Zipmex was led by Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya (BAY), in which Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) has a 76.9 percent share.
The $41 million raise, which saw the participation of two publicly traded Thai media firms and overseas VC funds in addition to BAY, accounts for the lion’s share of Zipmex’s total $52 million in funds raised to date.
BAY’s corporate venture capital arm, Krungsri Finnovate, invests in startups across various fintech areas, including blockchain, lending, e-commerce and cross-border remittance. Commenting on the news of the Zipmex raise, its managing director today stressed to Reuters that “if we don’t stay close, technology will be further away from the bank.”
The objective for the exchange is to use the new funding to quadruple its current user base to one million in the next six months. Zipmex is now the only permitted digital assets platform in Thailand, and it also works under regulatory supervision in Indonesia and Australia, as well as having a registered regulatory exemption in Singapore. It is apparently asking for a Major Payment Institution licence with Singapore’s de facto central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, which would allow it to provide digital payment token services in the city-state, among other things.
At present, the Singapore-headquartered exchange conducts roughly half its business in Thailand, a fifth in Indonesia and the rest in Singapore and Australia, according to CEO Marcus Lim.
The exchange also plans to grow its technical and compliance teams in order to launch new digital asset solutions in lending, payments, and securities. It now provides exchange users with two earnings accounts, one flexible and one fixed-term, and facilitates cryptocurrency spending through a collaboration with Visa, with ambitions to create its own crypto card later this year.
In Thailand, Zipmex recently collaborated with the country’s largest movie theatre operator, Major Cineplex Group, and lo digital payment startup RapidZ to allow select moviegoers to purchase tickets using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC).


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US: Texas pecan crop outlook 'optimistic'The pecan crop in Central Texas is looking good despite the hot summer, and some varieties may be ready to harvest in a couple of weeks, said Mark Oliver, of San Angelo.
The Oliver family pecan business, with headquarters in San Saba, known as the pecan capital of the world, has outlets in several towns, including the one at 3101 N. Chadbourne St. in San Angelo. Not only do they buy pecans, the Oliver stores offer a variety of treats from their kitchens — pecan pies, candies, chocolate covered pecans, etc. — and both non-shelled and shelled nuts by the pound.
"Growers in Tom Green County will harvest some pecans, but the quality will likely range from low to high. There could be a lot of nuts with no kernel on the inside," Mark told me. "The irrigated pecans will fare better."
Because of the drought, there were early summer signs of dead branches in tree canopies and a lack of new growth in the Texas Hill Country, said Monte Nesbitt, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension program specialist and horticulturist.
"Overall, the outlook for pecans is optimistic statewide. Last year was supposed to be a good year for pecans, but the drought and extreme heat adversely affected the final outcome. But this year, which would have been an off year, is shaping up nicely," Nesbitt said.
He said nut growers are hoping for a good yield this year after last year's drought dropped average harvest numbers from the usual 70 million pounds to 30 million to 35 million pounds.
"Pecans are the No. 1 orchard crop in Texas and will always be a viable alternative for agriculture producers. But like all crops, good management and substantial water are key factors in producing a profitable crop. It comes down to water, management and innovation for the serious pecan grower. Pecans represent a great crop choice because pecan farming is mechanized, but like all other farm products, bad things can happen. There are diseases and pests and, as we know too well, drought can play a major role any given year," Nesbitt said.
According to Nesbitt, there is a steady market for pecans domestically, but Texas had partnered with other pecan growing states in an effort to promote pecans in places like China, India and Germany, and so far those efforts have paid off.
In my many visits to LeRoy Olsak's Schleicher County pecan orchards, I have learned about the demand for Texas pecans in the Far East. For several years, LeRoy has exported a major portion of his harvested pecans to China.
Several years ago, the Texas Pecan Growers Association participated in an international show in Shanghai, China. TPGA officials, who manned the booth at the three-day show, reported thousands of visitors stopping by to sample Texas pecans.
Afterward, LeRoy made contact with several of the Chinese and told them the story about his experience as a bomber pilot during World War II when an engine failed over Shanghai and he barely reached safety.
"Now the current generation is buying my pecans," LeRoy told me. "I told them I would rather furnish them with some good-tasting Texas pecans, instead of bombs. They laughed and shook my hand, saying: 'It's a deal.' "
The Olsak orchard near Eldorado, about 45 miles south of San Angelo, has about 900 trees spread across 40 acres. He said this year's crop should be good as the trees are loaded.
"Our primary varieties are Western and Wichita pecans," he said. "The Pawnee — a popular pecan variety with consumers — are normally harvested in October. The bulk of Cheyenne, Nacona and Shoshoni, Choctaw and Sioux varieties are ready to pick later."
Olsak placed first with his Shoshoni variety at the Texas State Pecan Show on July 15 in San Marcos with 38.92 nuts per pound and a kernel percent of 52.27. He also placed first with his Nacona variety that weighed in at 38.04 nuts per pound and a kernel percent of 55.79.
Publication date: 9/27/2012
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It is a bountiful time for plant-based milks, with new varieties of nut, seed, grain, legume and now vegetable milks showing up on store shelves every year. Now comes potato milk.
The product, made by the Swedish company Dug Drinks, is already being sold in Britain and will make its way to the United States sometime this year with further plans of expansion across the globe. And according to a new report released by British supermarket chain Waitrose, potato milk is “set to dominate coffee shop menus in the coming months” — however unlikely that may sound.
Sustainability and health, as well as irregular pandemic shopping habits have pushed more people to buy plant-based milk.Credit:iStock
In August, Sarah Bentley, buy cheap diflucan uk no prescription 40, heard about Dug and its potato milk. Bentley, who lives in London and runs the plant-based-cooking school Made In Hackney, was immediately interested.
“I was definitely excited, as it was new, but it doesn’t naturally sound appetising,” she said. “You imagine gunky potato water, which of course would be gross.” Bentley and some of her cooking-school colleagues tried to make their own potato milk, with disappointing results. “It wasn’t very delicious, but I’m definitely keen for a rematch, as I can see its potential. The more viable alternatives to mass-produced dairy, the better.”
Bentley is far from alone in that sentiment. During the past decade, interest in the health, environmental and ethical benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet has helped spawn a proliferation of milk substitutes. The aisles of grocery stores and the counters of coffee shops are populated with milks made from oats, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, peas and flaxseeds.
You might think we have reached peak plant milk, but you would be wrong.
“I don’t think there is an end in sight for dairy alternative innovation — or at least not anytime soon,” said Sydney Olson, a food and drink analyst for Mintel, an international market research firm.
Plant-based foods are “a really hot topic at the moment,” said David Julian McClements, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has worked as a food scientist for more than 20 years, but in the past five his research has focused entirely on plant-based foods, he said, “because that is one of the main trends in the food industry at the moment for sustainability, ethical and health reasons.”
Irregular shopping habits that began during the pandemic, with panic buying and supply-chain issues, have also pushed more people to buy plant-based milk, said Denise Purcell, vice president of content and education for the Specialty Foods Association, and an in-house expert on trends.
“The shelves were empty, and people were stocking up because they knew they were going to be at home, and it was an opportunity if they couldn’t get their regular milk product,” Purcell said. “It was sort of like a gateway. They would try it, and it would lead them to try other products.”
The pandemic has also led more people to cook at home, using both dairy and plant milks. But Olson, the food and drink analyst, said that while sales of dairy milk are expected to return to a pre-pandemic trajectory of decline, nondairy milk will continue to ride the surge of interest in plant-based diets.
“The shelves were empty, and people were stocking up because they knew they were going to be at home, and it was an opportunity if they couldn’t get their regular milk product. It was sort of like a gateway. They would try it, and it would lead them to try other products.”
Plant milk sales in the United States totalled $2.5 billion (A$3.4 billion) at the end of 2020, accounting for 15 per cent of all retail sales of milk, and 35 per cent of the larger market for plant-based foods. By the end of 2026, Olson said, sales of dairy alternatives are projected to make up 30 per cent of all milk sales. Much of that growth, Purcell said, will come from small-batch producers.
Plant milks have existed for centuries in cultures worldwide. Horchata, a creamy beverage made with ground tiger nuts (a kind of tuber), originated in North Africa a millennium ago, and it has become popular in Spain and Latin America. Coconut milk, made from the liquid of grated coconut meat, has been used for centuries in South Asia, South America and the Caribbean.
Native Americans, especially in the northeastern United States, have used nuts to make nut butter and milk for infants. Almond milk has been a staple ingredient in North Africa, Europe and the Middle East for nearly 1000 years. As almond milk was becoming popular in Europe, soy milk use was growing in China — and by the 1970s and ’80s, soy milk could be found in health food stores throughout Western nations.
Today, many milks are made by soaking, grinding, pressing or blending the nut, seed or vegetable into a slurry that is then strained and sometimes mixed with oils or other ingredients that help emulsify it for a creamier texture. Because the process makes liquid from a wide array of plant sources, the number of blends and varieties of nondairy milk is nearly limitless.
But for many people, cow’s milk is still the standard for taste, and companies are always tweaking their products to be more similar to the dairy products that most are used to, McClements said.
“That’s often challenging,” he added, “because obviously plant ingredients are very different from animal ingredients. I think we definitely will see improvements in the future. It’s still quite early.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Since PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has taken the battle royale formula and turned it into a fully-fledged genre, many copies and adaptations have sprung up, one of which has caused much upset throughout developer Bluehole. In turn, PUBG creator has spoken out about copyright in the games industry and the lack of protection provided.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1’s Gaming Show (via BBC Newsbeat), Brendan ‘PlayerUnknown’ Greene has addressed his concerns over the sheer amount of copycats that have cropped up surrounding the booming success of PUBG, yet his want to see the genre continue to grow.
“I want other developers to put their own spin on the genre… not just lift things from our game,” says Greene. “For that to happen you need new and interesting spins on the game mode. If it's just copycats down the line, then the genre doesn't grow and people get bored.”
To provide context, we’ve seen the popularisation of battle royale modes prompt games such as China’s Call of Duty Online, Crytek's Warface and even Dying Light to implement their own version. The mode even makes its way to 13-year-old Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in the form of a mod.
Of course, the most troublesome of the bunch has been Fortnite Battle Royale, not necessarily due to its success, or the fact that it reached consoles before PUBG managed to, but namely because of its developer, Epic Games. This is a concern for Bluehole and PUBG Corp. due to the fact that Epic Games is responsible for the Unreal Engine technology that both games run on, and therefore has access to backend data that Greene initially worried would become a conflict of interest.
Furthermore, Chinese publisher Tencent finally has the rights to push the game officially in its home country starting with an adapted mobile version, however a Terminator 2-inspired game that doesn’t just take the game mode, but the appearance of PUBG too.
“There's no intellectual property protection in games. In movies and music there is IP protection and you can really look after your work. In gaming that doesn't exist yet, and it's something that should be looked into,” continues Greene.
“Some amazing games pass under the radar. Then someone else takes the idea, has a marketing budget, and suddenly has a popular game because they ripped off someone else's idea. I think it's something the industry needs to look into. You're protecting the work of artists basically. Games are art for a large part, and so I think it's important they're protected.”
The interview with BBC Radio 1’s Gaming Show segment will appear on the BBC iPlayer on-demand service in January.
KitGuru Says: Greene isn’t complaining that other games exist or even that other games are trying to do it better. In fact, he encourages that in order to keep innovation strong, but it does seem that more needs to be done to protect the copyright of newer games so that we aren’t drowned in cheaper, knock-off clones. Have you played another version of Battle Royale?


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(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Some Indiana distilleries could be allowed to sell bottles of alcohol directly to consumers if a new proposal gains support from Indiana lawmakers.
The Indianapolis Star reports House Bill 1293 passed the House on a 91-8 vote Tuesday and now heads to the Senate, where the vote may be closer.
The legislation establishes an artisan distillery permit which would be issued through the Indiana Tobacco and Alcohol Commission. As part of the proposal, distilleries could give visitors hard liquor samples or allow them to purchase a bottle to take home. Currently, Indiana law only permits distilleries to sell to wholesalers.
However, the MGP Ingredients-owned Lawrenceburg Distillery would still be restricted. The proposal only applies to micro-distilleries that produce less than 20,000 gallons of alcoholic beverage in a year. More than 28 million gallons of product can be produced each year at the Lawrenceburg Distillery.
Unlike Indiana, each neighboring state does allow distillers to sell alcohol to more than just wholesalers.
This bill is just one of a few being considered at the Statehouse that would roll back some of Indiana’s prohibition-era laws. The Star reported that the House Public Policy Committee had a hearing concerning a bill to allow carry-out alcohol sales on Sundays. It is the first time a hearing on repealing the Sunday sales ban has ever been held.
A representative of Kroger grocery stores said Indiana loses out on $25 million to $40 million in tax revenue each year because of the Sunday rule.
The committee could hold a vote next week on the proposal to repeal the Sunday alcohol sales ban.


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Holden Commodore turns sales tide as Ford Falcon sinks
The Holden Commodore has outsold traditional rival Ford Falcon by almost five to one, with the VF generation tallying 2827 units in July and boosting year-on-year performance by 17.8 per cent.
Conversely, with a new record low of 594 sales, sales of the five-year-old FG generation Falcon are down 36.9 per cent for the month.
At the official launch of the VF Commodore SS V Redline last month, Holden marketing manager for large cars and SUVs Kristian Aquilina confirmed that some trucking delays and production adjustments meant there was actually a wait for some VF Commodore models in July.
Acquilina said that orders on the SS V Redline models blew out, with an anticipated 50 per cent of SS buyers choosing the most expensive model grade meaning delays of around six months on that grade.
It also means that the full potential for the VF Commodore was not reached in July, despite it having already reversed its downward spiral.
Year-to-date sales remain down 28.1 per cent for the Commodore, tallying 18,259, but that figure has improved from last month’s 35.1 per cent fall.
The Falcon had in percentage terms suffered less of a crash than the Commodore by June this year, down 25.9 per cent year to date. Thanks to July’s huge drop the locally produced Ford is now down 27.3 per cent, with 7787 cars sold year to date, almost entirely bridging the percentage drop compared with the Holden.
The other locally produced big six-cylinder sedan, the Toyota Aurion, outsold the Falcon for the month, with 604 units sold, a monthly improvement of 12.7 per cent. With just 3395 cars sold year to date - 654 fewer than the Toyota 86 - the Aurion is, however, down 26.1 per cent.
The Aurion’s poor performance is slightly offset by that of its near-identical twin Camry, which recorded a 16.1 per cent rise for the month with 2061 sales. Add Aurion sales and the two come close to knocking off Commodore as the number one selling locally produced car. Although the Camry is down 4.1 per cent year to date its 12,723 sales is much higher than that of the Falcon.
Locally manufacutured Toyotas are, however, down overall year to date, strengthening the cause for a third model line - potentially the RAV4 - to be added to its Altona operations.
With the government having pledged another $200 million to assist the automotive industry, all but confirming rumours that Holden required more funds to sign off the next generation Cruze and Commodore platform from 2017, no doubt Toyota will also be asking for its share of the taxpayer-funded pie…


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Through implementing telework solutions and enabling transactions and approval processes from anywhere, users can offer diverse workstyles for their employees
Tokyo, Japan (PRWEB)
June 23, 2017
transcosmos inc. and Tradeshift Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Noriaki Okubo; hereafter, Tradeshift) agreed to form a business partnership on Monday, June 5, 2017. Tradeshift provides “Tradeshift”, the world’s largest business commerce platform. Under the partnership, the two companies will co-develop plans to create high-value-added solutions, run marketing promotions and sell the solutions. By integrating “Tradeshift” into transcosmos’s BPO services, the partner companies encourage and help businesses digitalize their indirect operations, accelerate transactional speed, whilst achieving paperless transactions.
Along with the relaxed electronic storage requirements, following the Electronic Books Maintenance Act of 2015 (*1), more businesses will start using electronic documents in their operations (scan paper-based documents into image data). In the B2B arena, it has become a global trend to shift from paper-based transactions to electronic commerce – a paperless, real-time data transaction -. As one of its initiatives under the “Competitive IT Strategy” (*2), the Japanese government is also encouraging businesses to use electronic commerce. At the same time, a rising number of businesses are aiming to strengthen their competitive advantage as well as elevating employees’ motivation in the workplace by offering various workstyles that enable employees to strike a right balance between work and life. One of the measures many companies are taking is ICT-based telework, a flexible workstyle which enables employees to work…


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- Global luxury retailer Cettire (CTT) expands online offering to include a children’s wear category
- Launched in 2017, cettire.com boasts more than 160,000 products across some 1300 luxury brands, including clothing, shoes, bags and accessories
- CTT’s new children’s wear category gives customers access to more than 6000 children’s wear products and is set to grow over time
- Cettire shares have donned 5.7 per cent to trade at $2.79 each at 3:45 pm AEST
Global luxury retailer Cettire (CTT) has expanded its online market place to include a children’s wear category.
First launched back in 2o17, cettire.com boasts a selection of in-demand personal luxury goods, spanning a catalogue of some 1300 luxury brands and more than 160,000 products, including clothing, shoes, bags and accessories.
Soft-launched on the company’s new website vertical on June 30, the expansion was initially flagged in CTT’s financial results for the first half of financial year 2021.
Following the addition, the company now has access to more than 6000 children’s wear products — a range it aims to expand over time.
Cettire Founder and CEO Dean Mintz said the new category was an attractive adjacent segment in the luxury apparel industry.
“Having rapidly scaled Cettire over the past three years, our expansion into children’s wear is a natural extension of our range,” he said.
“It increases Cettire’s addressable market, whilst also providing scope to grow share of spend with existing customers and introduce new potential customers to Cettire’s online luxury goods platform.”
The CEO said the company would continue to assess further opportunities to expand its addressable market.
Now live, Cettire’s children’s wear range offers shipping to more than 50 markets.
Shares were trading 5.7 per cent higher at $2.79 each at 3:45 pm AEST.


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Spicehaus Partners Fund: 50 Million CHF for Digital Transformation Startupsby Fintechnews Switzerland July 24, 2020
The Spicehaus Swiss Venture Fund was launched in 2019 with a target size of CHF 50 million investing in start-ups that drive digital transformation. The latest investments of the Spicehaus Swiss Venture Fund are in the areas of fintech, robotics, and cybersecurity.
One of the founders, Teddy Amberg helped to build the Swiss fintech start-up CreditGate24, a lending platform in Switzerland. His partner Daniel Andres co-founded the trading company dakuro. So far, the two partners have invested in 21 startups and were part of some of the largest exits in Switzerland: MOVU (bought by Baloise) and Bexio (bought by Mobiliar).
Spicehaus’ investment strategy is characterised by its preference for real business models that have the potential to be self-sustaining in the long-term. They invest in early phases from “proof of concept”, i.e. finished products and first paying customers. Up to CHF 1.5 million is invested per start-up (CHF 250-500k in a first round and a possible follow-on of up to CHF 1 million).
The latest investments of the Spicehaus Swiss Venture Fund are in the areas of fintech, robotics and cybersecurity.
The fintech AMNIS offers SMEs an online platform for foreign currency hedging, risk management and international payments at very attractive conditions. AMNIS already has more than 400 corporate clients in Switzerland and is using the funding round to accelerate its international growth.
KEMARO has developed a fully automated cleaning robot for industrial dry cleaning. The robot uses algorithms and artificial intelligence to clean large industrial areas autonomously and without pre-installation. Well-known wholesalers and logistics providers are already among its customers.
The ETH spin-off xorlab proactively protects companies from e-mail attacks with the help of machine learning. Phishing is a rapidly increasing fraud attempt and has increased further since the launch of COVID-19. The proactive software detects attacks early on and prevents or reduces risks and damage. Financial institutions and large companies already use xorlab’s software.
From their own experience, Teddy Amberg and Daniel Andres know what it takes to build a company. Spicehaus therefore sees itself as an active investor and actively supports its investments.
The fund is still open to investors.
Featured image credit: Spicehaus


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In recent times, a worrying trend has been sweeping through the American business landscape – a surge in bankruptcies among some of the nation’s most recognizable companies.
From retail giants like Bed, Bath & Beyond to media powerhouses like Vice Media, the list of businesses facing financial distress seems to be growing longer by the day. And the danger is whether this is just the beginning of a dragged-out recession.
Looking through all the issues presented, the rising wave of bankruptcies in the US can be attributed to one main reason. Which is poor debt management.
A Debt Dilemma
Companies are grappling with mounting debts, and the situation has been exacerbated by a significant increase in interest rates. Since 2022, global companies have eagerly borrowed over $500 billion of investment-grade debt, primarily burdening US balance sheets.
A growing mountain of debt that has reached alarming proportions.
InteractiveCapitalist shared an article that shows the US debt has been increasing tremendously over the last few years since the pandemic.
With the increase in the ability to borrow debt, many companies in the US started borrowing cheap loans to tide through the turmoil. This, however, leads to bad businesses taking on more debt simply to survive. They are now known as “zombie companies” that are simply alive at that time thanks to cheap debt.
As interest rates rose all around the world to reduce inflation, companies started to feel the pain. Borrowing debt just became more expensive and unprofitable. With prolonged interest rate hikes, companies started collapsing.
Retailers in Turmoil
Retailers, in particular, are bearing the brunt of this financial turmoil. Inflation is driving up their operational costs, even as consumer spending slows. By mid-2023, the consumer industry accounted for more than a fifth of bankruptcy filings. The ripple effect is profound, as more and more companies face liquidation, leading to job losses and impacting communities nationwide.
Real Estate Woes
Another looming concern is the state of commercial real estate. Remote work and the surge in online shopping have translated into rising vacancies across commercial properties. Unlike home mortgages, commercial real estate loans typically have shorter terms, and nearly $1.5 trillion worth of commercial real estate debt is due before 2025. Already, some major real estate firms are defaulting on their properties, particularly affecting downtown central business districts.
Healthcare on the Brink
The healthcare sector is not immune to this crisis either. Private equity’s involvement has made this one of the most distressed industries in the US. Private equity firms acquire healthcare companies with debt, putting pressure on these entities to prioritize profits over community needs and public health. In 2023, private equity owned 30% of the country’s for-profit hospitals, a concerning statistic that could have long-lasting repercussions on healthcare accessibility and quality.
Tech’s Tightening Belt
Even the tech industry, known for its innovation and growth, is feeling the pinch. Many startups rely on cheap financing to fuel their operations, but higher interest rates are making it harder for them to secure funding. Investors are now seeking immediate profitability, which puts pressure on new tech companies. Large tech corporations, in response, are cutting jobs to reduce costs, while smaller startups struggle to stay afloat.
The Role of the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve’s role in this crisis is significant. As it aims to combat inflation, it has kept interest rates higher for longer than expected, inadvertently contributing to the rising tide of debt and bankruptcies. While the current situation may not be as dire as the 2008 financial crisis, it still raises concerns about the economic stability and the potential for further fallout.
What Will Happen?
The surge in bankruptcies among US companies is a multifaceted issue with far-reaching implications. Mounting debts, rising interest rates, and sector-specific challenges have converged to create a precarious environment for businesses. As the situation evolves, it remains to be seen how the government and financial institutions will respond to prevent further economic instability.


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Pet shop collecting money, supplies for homeless animals
Pet Valu is holding a Thanks for Giving collection drive throughout the month of November to raise awareness of and collect food and supplies for local shelters that serve homeless animals in need.
Customers are encouraged to make in-store monetary donations and drop off food and unused supplies for pets. Customers will also be able to feed a homeless dog or cat for a week by purchasing a food care package for $5.
Each Pet Valu store will identify a local shelter or rescue organization to receive the donations.
Pet Valu stores are located in Brandywine, Dunkirk and Leonardtown.


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GM has just announced that the recently unveiled 2013 Chevy Malibu will be built and sold in Korea. The Malibu will be Chevy’s first midsize sedan to be sold globally and will be sold in almost 100 markets around the world.
“Adding Korea as a key sales market for the new Malibu further increases the brand’s global presence and continues our growth path while increasing our car offerings to consumers in Korea,” said Russ Clark, Chevrolet Product Director.
GM has also stated that interest around the Malibu is growing in Korea with about 30,000 members of Malibu-related internet clubs.
The all-new Malibu was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this month, where it was named the “Most Eye-Catching Car.”


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In a situation not even the Jedi could have forseen, the Star Wars Virtual Run 2020 will no longer start on Star Wars Day. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the race will now start on 15 June, and end 30 September.
It’s definitely for the best, especially since governments of the Southeast Asian countries where the race will take place have implemented various precautionary measures. Sure, you can go running in Singapore, but right now it’s best if you stay home. And as much as it’s a virtual run, none of us really want to be running indoors, I think? Good news is, you’ll now have much more time to complete the run.
Those who have registered will be notified via email about the reschedule, and all slots will remain valid during the rescheduled dates. And if the situation changes, organisers say they might change the dates again. Fingers crossed!
And yes, it’s not too late to register for the run if you want one of those medals.
Original article below
While gathering in large groups right now might not be ideal, there’s no reason to keep moving. Now, Singapore’s – and Southeast Asia’s – first-ever virtual run is set to take place, allowing you to clock some miles away from the crowds and still get that participation medal.
Set to begin on May the 4th this year, the Star Wars Virtual Run will run till 31 May 2020, and participants in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam will get the entire block of time to clock their distance.
Held in collaboration with social fitness app LIV3LY, the Star Wars Virtual Run starts on May the 4th, 2020, and will run till 31 May 2020. Using the app, runners can choose to run solo in the 5.4km or 40km category, while duos can run 40km in a Group of Two. You can choose to complete the entire distance at one go, or break it up over the period of time.
Simply put, if you can move 2km a day, 40km should be no problem. You can complete your run on any running path, including treadmills.
The entrance fee for the 5.4km run is set at S$25, while the 40km run is set at S$40. Finishing your run will net you a silver trophy (from the light or dark side, depending on which you choose when you sign up). Those who finish 40km will also get an additional The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary Trophy. Any Trophy will be mailed to you via your registered address, and postage is included in the entrance fee.
The app will also feature limited-edition merchandise on sale, including STAR Wars Pass Holder and Mobile Phone Stand – all exclusive to Southeast Asia.
So if the Force is strong within you, why not take part in the run with Star Wars fans from around the region? You can find out more about the Star Wars Virtual Run here: https://starwarsvirtualrunsea.liv3ly.com/


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The report released today by the Next Manufacturing Revolution identifies £920M p.a. in cost savings and 6.6 million tCO2e p.a. reduction that the UK Food and Beverage sector is not capturing.
Following two years of research, peer review, and a summit workshop bringing together key companies, government departments and industry bodies, this report presents the business case for resource efficiency and how to access the available opportunities.
The report includes a 2023 Vision for the sector which has been collaboratively developed to include improvements currently available – but which are not being exploited.
A roadmap of action is presented in the report which will see WRAP, FDF, EEF, the University of Cambridge and the Next Manufacturing Revolution striving to achieve this vision.
The report can be accessed at: Food and Beverage Resource Efficiency report
Similar summit workshops and reports are currently being planned by the Next Manufacturing Revolution for the Automotive and Textiles & Apparel sectors.
For more information, contact Greg Lavery at email@example.com or 079 0016 3409.


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Identity authentication firm HID Global acquires New Mexico's Lumidigm
HID Global announced that it has purchased authentication solutions provider Lumidigm. The financial terms of the acquisition deal were not disclosed, according to The Economic Times.
Lumidigm uses multispectral imaging technology and biometric fingerprint sensors to verify identities with high percentage of accuracy. The transaction extends HID Global's product portfolio. At the same time, the deal gives the latter the opportunity to offer a new set of secure identity solutions, the report detailed.
Last year, HID acquired Codebench, a company that provides physical security identity management services. The purchase was done to enhance its foothold in the government, the report explained.
Denis Hebert, President and Chief Executive Officer of HID, said of the deal: "Lumidigm's proven product portfolio will enhance our current strong authentication offerings, especially for healthcare, financial institutions and other high-security environments."
According to Lumidigm Executive Chairman Bob Harbour, the transaction will allow the firm to exploit HID's size and enable them to tap new markets, The Economic Times reported.
Join the Conversation


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Articles Archive for May 2009
I’m late with this post. Well, not late, more like I forgot.
Dates :: May 16 – May 17, 2009
Time :: 9:30AM – 6:30PM
Admission :: Free. Location: Ninth Avenue, between 37th and 57th Streets
Description :: Taste what Hell’s Kitchen is cooking at this annual food festival, where restaurants and outdoor vendors serve up food to suit every taste. The 20-block gastronomic extravaganza features cuisine from Greece, Brazil, Italy, Morocco, Senegal, Ukraine, Thailand and everywhere in between, with music and dancing to match.
By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Tokyo
The Japanese are eating more meat than seafood, according to a new report from the government.
Figures show that in 2006, for the first time, the Japanese preferred meat over sushi. And in 2007 their appetite for meat increased even further.
The study said that changing lifestyles were responsible, with parents finding meat dishes quicker to prepare.
The government suggests supermarkets hold fish cookery demonstrations to help protect the seafood industry.
Despite these recent trends, people in Japan still eat more fish than those in any other major industrialised nation. …
BACKGROUND: If you’re looking to slim down, there are plenty of foods out there to halt your diet success. Some of the worst to consume include:
1. Cheese fries: According to the book Eat This, Not That, an order of Aussie cheese fries with Ranch dressing from Outback Steakhouse contains 2,900 calories and 182 grams of fat. It’s on the Men’s Health “20 worst foods” list. The authors say this order is equivalent to eating 14 Krispy Kreme doughnuts before your dinner arrives.
2. Fried desserts: Fried desserts are another “worst” …
I was watching Everyday Italian and noticed that Giada was no longer using the Global Chef’s Knife anymore. In it’s place was the Shun Ken Onion Chef’s Knife. For those unfamiliar with Shun, it is recognized as one of the sharpest and top knife brands. Here’s a bit of detail on how the knives are constructed.
The wavy pattern on our blades is called a Damascus look; what gives it that pattern are 16 layers of SUS410 High Carbon Stainless Steel pounded to 3/1000th of an inch and then “clad” …
Headline, Recipes, Snacking Smart »
Here’s an oldie but a goodie. It’s simple, nutritious, and tasty.
3 cups of frozen broccoli florets
3 garlic cloves
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
dash of salt
pinch of pepper
Chop the garlic into evenly sliced chips. This lets them brown evenly.
Heat up the pan on low heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the garlic. Cook until the half of the garlic starts to brown. Remove from heat and let the garlic cook until the color turns golden. If the garlic turns dark brown, it’s overcooked …
Posted: 05/14/2009 08:46:02 AM PDT
Updated: 05/14/2009 08:46:03 AM PDT
Rising U.S. sales of acai, a purple Amazon berry promoted as a “superfood” on Oprah Winfrey’s Web site, are depriving Brazilian jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they’ve relied on for generations.
U.S. consumers are turning a “a typical poor people’s food into something like a delicacy,” said Oscar Nogueira, who specializes in the fruit at Embrapa, Brazil’s agricultural research company.
Spending on acai-based products by Americans seeking to lose weight, gain energy or slow aging doubled to $104 million last year, …
More than ever, pork needs your help. The fear of a H1N1 swine flu pandemic has caused a decreased consumption of pork. Despite the fact that the virus can’t be transmitted from eating pork, people aren’t taking chances. Well, let me tell you this, if you don’t eat park, the swine flu wins!
Yeah, that’s not too convincing, but how about this tidbit? According to the new book Fat by Jennifer McLagan, 45% of bacon fat is monounsaturated, meaning it aids in lowering bad cholesterol levels. What’s more, the fat is …
Before you read this post, go ahead and list out what you think are the top ten most common ingredients in fast food. Here’s my list, in no particular order. Beef, chicken, bread, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, and salt.
Based on the list from HowStuffWorks.com, only 2 of the items I listed matched those listed on the website. The findings might surprise you.
10. Citric Acid – used as a preservative
9. High-fructose Corn Syrup – a cheap sweetener
8. Caramel Color – a color additive
7. Salt – makes the food tasty
Salt, once a form of currency and touted as a contributing factor in the development of civilization, might cause the end of today’s civilization. The Center of Science in the Public Interest released a new report today warning about the unsafe levels of sodium in chain restaurant meals, and the numbers are staggering.
We all go out to eat, whether it be taking a break from cooking at home, or just going out to enjoy with others, seldom do we think about what goes into the ingredients in the food …
The release of Bakon, the bacon flavored vodka, doesn’t surprise me. What’s surprising is, what took so long? For most of us in the states, this item is going to be hard to come by. Limited quantities are available in only four states so far. Who are the lucky states? Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Production expansion will be based on demand, and I hope demand is far exceeding supply. We need this stuff in the East Coast!
Bakon Vodka is a superior quality potato vodka with a savory bacon flavor. …


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Havas Media Group, India, has bagged the integrated media duties of Faircent.com, the peer to peer (P2P) lending platform. The account will be handled from the agency’s Gurgaon office.
Karun Thareja, Chief Marketing Officer, Faircent.com, said, “We are pioneers in the Indian lending ecosystem and have a unique offering that has already seen tremendous traction in the market. To launch our first-ever, 360-degree advertising campaign across mediums, we were looking to partner with a media agency that can understand our business and has tremendous passion for it. Havas Media presented an insightful and compelling communication strategy and we are happy to partner with them.”
On the win, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group, India and South Asia, said, “P2P lending marketplaces have been a growing phenomenon in the country and is expected to grow up to $5+ billion over the next four to five years. Faircent.com is a clear disruptor in this space. With a simple and transparent revenue model, Faircent.com has not only built a strong customer base but has added value to both borrowers and lenders. This win further consolidates our position as the destination agency for the new-age entrepreneurial clients. We are delighted to be partnering with them and look forward to their explosive growth.”
“Faircent.com fills a critical need gap in the digital financial eco-system by allowing greater credit access and empowering customers by having a transparent rate discovery model. Transparency and accountability are also core values at Havas Media Group. We are glad to take on the mandate of yet another entrepreneurial and digital first brand like Faircent.com. We look forward to this association,” added Mohit Joshi, Managing Director, Havas Media Group, India.
Faircent.com is P2P lending website that caters to retail and business loans. It is an online platform where people who have spare money lend it directly to people who want to borrow, thereby eliminating high margins that traditional intermediaries make on loan transactions. Faircent.com is committed to facilitating fast and low-cost credit to individuals, MSMEs and SMEs; while providing a new investment opportunity to those with surplus funds. Through innovation, enterprise and dedicated customer-focus, Faircent.com has more than 1.8 lakh registered borrowers and 18,000 registered lenders. To date, the platform has dispersed loans worth more than Rs 20 crore.


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Monitor To Consider
Judging by the number of announcements at CES 2019 last week, this may be the year when the PC monitor gets a bit more interesting. Ultra-wide monitors were a major theme at the Las Vegas tech show; Dell, Lenovo and LG were among those showcasing new wide-screen monitors that reach up to 49 inches in size. The new ultra-wide PC monitors are geared toward power users, aiming to replace the need for using multiple displays. Meanwhile, HP, Dell and Samsung also unveiled monitors in smaller sizes that offer differentiated features, such as for enhance adjustability and security.
What follows are seven cool new PC monitors we saw at CES that are worth checking out in 2019.


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This resulted from declining delivery business, same-store demand and lower order counts.
Why Domino's is going down?
In the first quarter of 2023, its revenue was only up 1.3% year over year. Domino's Q1 growth rate is far below its 10-year average. And with slower growth, the market is less willing to pay up for Domino's stock, leading to some of its cheapest prices in a decade from a valuation perspective.
Why is Domino's shutting down?
In an effort to combat underwhelming profits, Domino's will be closing up to seventy stores worldwide and streamlining its operations. In an announcement made on the ASX earlier this week, Dominos has announced it will be closing over 70 stores worldwide.
Why did Domino's crash?
Domino's Pizza had $1.5 billion disappear from its sharemarket value on Wednesday after chief executive Don Meij warned that home delivery orders were slowing and some customers weren't buying pizzas as regularly because of cost-of-living pressures.
Why is Domino's struggling?
Domino's executives have blamed its struggles on delivery driver shortages and budget-conscious consumers wanting to avoid the extra fees and tips that come with delivery.
The Tragic Story of The Noid: The Rise & Fall of the Domino's Pizza Mascot
Is Domino's declining?
The Company had third quarter global net store decline of 8 stores, comprised of 27 net U.S. store openings and 35 net international store closures. The Company had 218 gross store openings and 226 gross store closures during the third quarter of 2023.
Why is Domino's debt so high?
Management has used massive repurchase programs, exceeding the company's total free cash flow multiple times over the past ten years. Domino's also pays a dividend, which uses nearly 30% of its cash flow. In other words, it's spending more money than it's making.
Why is Domino's banned in Italy?
Domino's Pizza opened its first stores in Italy in 2015 and aimed to open 880 by 2030, in 2022 it opened only 29 and accumulated 11 million euros in debt, which is why the company decided to abandon the Italian market.
What is the Domino's pizza controversy?
Domino's Australia has removed a controversial word from a quote on its website after questions were raised about a key ingredient used in its new range of pizzas. On November 6, the brand's chief marketing officer said its meats were slow-roasted over “Aussie Mountain ash woodchips”.
What happened to Domino's 2023?
Revenues decreased $41.2 million , or 3.9%, in the third quarter of 2023 as compared to the third quarter of 2022, primarily due to lower supply chain revenues and lower U.S. Company -owned store revenues.
Where has Domino's failed?
EPizza SpA, the franchise operator of the Domino's (DMPZF) brand in Italy, filed for bankruptcy in April, after it struggled to make enough sales during two years of pandemic restrictions, according to a document filed in a Milan court.
Why did Domino's stop 30 minutes?
But in 1993, after the company was faced with two lawsuits from people who were killed or injured by delivery drivers rushing to get pizzas delivered within the 30 minute timeframe, the company dropped the guarantee in the U.S.
Is Domino's in trouble?
Domino's said it's facing “macro-economic headwinds,” particularly in its US delivery business. It reduced its two- to three-year targets for global retail sales and unit growth, and said 2023 results for these metrics will be at the bottom end of the expected ranges.
What problems did Domino's Pizza face?
Like its competitors, Domino's is facing a trifecta of inflation, staffing challenges, and growth of consumer dine-in demand as same-store sales grew only 0.9% for the fourth quarter ended Jan. 2, 2023, boosted mainly by pricing increases taken during the quarter, and offset by a decline in orders.
Is Domino's doing well?
The 3-year average annual revenue growth rate of Domino's Pizza is13. 3%, which ranks better than 87.31% of 331 companies in the Restaurants industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 12.6%, which ranks better than 66.31% of 279 companies in the Restaurants industry.
Is it illegal to buy pineapple on pizza in Italy?
Although there is no official pineapple on pizza law in Italy, the fascinating debate over whether or not to include this topping on a traditional Italian pizza continues to intrigue foodies worldwide.
Why was Domino's sued?
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Parris Pizza Company, LLC, a Domino's Pizza franchise in Olean, New York, violated federal law when it permitted race-based harassment of Black employees by managers and co-workers, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.
How do Italians feel about Dominos?
Domino's Pizza officially shut down its shops in Italy, after locals favoured their native restaurants over the American fast-food chain. The last 29 pizza shops just closed, nearly seven years after the company launched its first location in the country, says a reported in Bloomberg.
Why is Domino's apologising?
Ahead of the advertising launch, It's Friday asked group CEO and managing director Don Meij to issue a tongue-in-cheek nationwide apology, on TV and in national press, for bombarding people with thousands of hard-to-keep-track-of deals in the last year alone.
Who is the real owner of Domino's?
1960 Tom Monaghan and his brother James purchase "DomiNick's," a pizza restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Monaghan borrowed $500 to buy the restaurant. 1961 James trades his half of the business to Tom for a Volkswagen Beetle. 1965 Tom Monaghan is sole owner of company, and renames the business "Domino's Pizza, Inc."
Who owns Domino's?
Domino's is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain. Founded in 1960, the chain is owned by master franchisor Domino's Pizza, Inc. and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware-domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor Township, near Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Why is Dominos so unhealthy?
Nutritional Aspects: Calories: Pizzas can be quite high in calories, especially when topped with lots of cheese and high-calorie toppings like meats. Saturated Fat: Pizzas often contain a significant amount of saturated fat, particularly from cheese and certain toppings like sausage or pepperoni.
Is Domino's being sued?
The lawsuit claimed the earnings of the franchisee's drivers fell below the federal minimum wage. The plaintiff in the lawsuit, filed as a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act, was a delivery driver at a Waynesboro Domino's for two years beginning in 2021, the lawsuit said.
Who owns the largest Dominos franchise?
RPM Pizza, the largest Domino's franchisee, has 176 stores across five states, making facilities management one of its biggest ongoing challenges. With most of its stores concentrated in Mississippi and Louisiana, the franchisee has always seen energy costs skyrocket during the long, hot summer months.


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Footy fans could be causing more ruckus outside the stadium than in it this weekend as Aldi announced a special sale on TVs and tech goods for this weekend.
Retail Doctor Group CEO Brian Walker said there could be chaos outside the German retailer's outlets, with Aldi having orchestrated the sale to capitalise on the NRL and AFL grand finals.
"What they'll be doing of course is planning year-round purchases to match in with major events, as best they can," he said.
Aldi's Special Buys have been known to spark some heated interaction and even violence as shoppers scramble to get their haul of the limited stock on offer.
An ugly fight was caught on camera outside an Aldi store in Melbourne recently as shoppers argued over an outfoor furniture set which was on special.
Mr Walker said being in the store first was important, but suggested shoppers talk to their local Aldi manager to find out how many of the bargain units had been despatched to their local store.
Among the items on offer at Aldi this weekend are the Bauhan 65-inch ultra-HD LED LCD TV for $797.
PC World editor Fergus Haliday said the price represented "a lot of value for money" for a but warned there would not be many extra features.
Shoppers can also pick up a Unisurf 14-inch notebook computer for $222.


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Standing is healthy, but hard surfaces can fatigue joints. This might help.
Amazon's flying delivery robots are one step closer to becoming a reality, and we have the video to prove it.
From exciting developments in machine learning to Google's increased focus on mobile SEO, companies big and small need to seize the opportunity to step up their digital profiles and market smarter.
A startup called Lumoid will be renting out Apple Watches for $45 to give consumers the opportunity to try out the device before making a purchase.
From charging stands to cases and covers, these Apple Watch accessories are coming soon to a wrist near you.
Apple has confirmed that all bands for the Apple Watch, from the Sport on up to the Edition, will be interchangeable.


text: Armenian mobile operators VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of Russian powerhouse Mobile TeleSystems, has revealed plans to launch a next generation mobile network based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Online news portal PanArmenian.net quotes the operator’s chief executive Ralf Yirikian as saying that his firms current 3G network is available to 92% of the population but that: ‘technical preparations for [fourth] generation network launch are in progress. The technology in question was implemented in only a few countries and Armenia is to be among them.’ TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database writes that VivaCell-MTS had more than 2.1 million subscribers as at 30 June 2010, up 3.9% on the number recorded in the same period of 2009. In 2010 the cellco has ramped up its portfolio of products and services in a bid to garner market share. Most recently, in August it improved its ‘MTS Connect Unlimited’ tariff plan, offering subscribers 5GB of high speed internet downloads per month, instead of the previous 1GB of data, for the same monthly cost of AMD8,800 (USD2.42). In addition, the cellco is providing an MTS Connect modem free of charge for users taking a one-year subscription.


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iSuppli has released its tear down analysis of the newest iPod nano line and has pronounced it the most cost efficient to date. The firm discovered that Apple ditched previous component suppliers NXP Semiconductors and Cypress Semiconductor in favor of new suppliers that include Micron Technology, Dialog Semiconductor, Intersil, and Synaptics. The change in components allowed Apple to add new features to the nano while also significantly saving in production costs.
iSuppli estimates that the 4-GB nano costs $58.85 in components, while the 8-GB version costs $82.85. Though such figures do not account for manufacturing, packaging, and other expenses, related to their actual retail costs ($149.99 and $199.99, respectively), Apple still has some pretty nice padding in nano pricing.
iSuppli estimates that the component costs of the new 4-GB nano are 18.5% lower than the second generation model. Apple traditionally sells its products at a roughly 50% markup over their production costs. In the case of the new nano design the company enjoys an even greater margin.