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Former White House photographer Pete Souza has been making headlines lately, but not the way he usually does. Souza, it seems, is using his old Obama photo archives to comment on, mock, and otherwise troll the new Trump Administration.
Max Asabin is a Russian hobbyist photo retoucher and digital artist who has been wowing the Internet as of late with his Photoshop skills. Many of his creations involve combining various photos together into seamless composite portraits of people.
Today is Google Maps’ 12th birthday, and graphic design student Matteo Archondis is paying the platform homage in a really cool way. A fan of timelapse and hyperlapse techniques, Archondis created a visual hyperlapse tour of the world using only screenshots taken within Google Maps.
Improved optics, improved stabilization, improved autofocus, there’s not much that isn’t improved about the new Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS II. Maybe that’s why Kaiman Wong calls it “Canon’s best lens” in his latest gear review.
Want to see the world’s most advanced selfie stick? Check out the video above, which shows the Automated Selfie Stick.
DJI has announced the winning photos of its 2016 SkyPixel Photo Contest, which honors the best aerial and drone photos captured around the world using DJI camera drone equipment. The grand prize winner this year is the photo above, titled “Fishermen close the net” by Ge Zheng.
It’s often said that a camera adds 10 pounds to a person being photographed. SciShow made this 2-minute video exploring reasons why cameras play tricks on our eyes when it comes to apparent weight.
How many times have you rolled your eyes at those “zoom… enhance… zoom in closer… I SAID ENHANCE!” scenes on television shows? Well, Google is attempting to unroll your eyes with a pair of neural networks that can intelligently “enhance” images using a source image that is just 64 pixels.
The exodus continues. Warren Ng, one of the only recognizable faces left at DigitalRev, has announced that he, too, has left the company and its 1.7-million subscriber YouTube channel DigitalRev TV.
Photos of Canon’s soon-to-be-announced EOS M6 mirrorless camera have leaked, and unlike the M5, it doesn’t feature an EVF. Instead, Canon is releasing a new removable EVF that has also leaked for your peeping pleasure.
On Saturday, PetaPixel ran the story of a photographer whose photo had been imitated to a surprisingly thorough degree by a German ad agency. While a poll on that article suggested that a clear majority (~74%) of respondents saw it as unethical plagiarism, I thought I’d dig into the legal aspects a bit.
Need a home studio for some product photography? COOPH has some great ideas for you. In this inspirational little video, the magazine shows you how to build a DIY photography studio at home using mostly household items.
Yongnuo has been making decent Canon knockoffs for a while now, so when it was discovered that an 85mm f/1.8 Canon clone was in the works, we got excited. Now, we get to find out if the Yongnuo, at half the price of its Canon counterpart, can keep up.
Roger Cicala—the founder of Lens Rentals and one of the most entertaining and informative voices in the world of optical testing—has some news for you: zoom lenses are never as good as primes, and they vary so much from copy to copy that you should probably never trust a zoom lens review.
Tetyana Dyachenko is a Ukrainian photo retoucher who often does restorations of vintage photos that are extremely damaged — often seemingly beyond recovery. Yet using her Photoshop skills, Dyachenko is able to recover (and recreate) extremely fine details in the photos.
I had a few hours to kill before work one morning, so I decided to head down to a public garden a few miles from my house and take some pictures.
How much of an impact does light pollution have on how we see the night sky? Photographer Sriram Murali has created a new video that aims to show us the answer.
There are a lot more music photographers than there are music photography jobs — that’s just how it is in this corner of the industry. It’s a port of entry for many hobbyist photographers, and the result is saturation of the market. A lot of budding photographers are willing to work for free, making the gigs that are out there even tougher to get.
But wait, there’s more! They never actually say it, but Westcott’s new Omega 360 Reflector is dripping with “But wait, there’s more!” The versatile reflector kit from Westcott touts itself as the world’s first 15-in-1 reflector.
An iPhone cannot compare to a $30,000 100MP Hasselblad camera. It’s like comparing a Chevy Nova to a Bugatti Veyron. But there is a way to make this comparison “fair,” and that’s what Usman, the lead photographer at Sonder Creative, did in this intriguing comparison video.


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Samsung is working on the foldable display for years now and the company at the Developer Conference in 2018, finally showed off the prototype of this device with its new OLED panel; the Infinity Flex display. The company back then didn’t reveal many details regarding the specifications except for the display size.
However, digging deep inside the firmware teardown of the Verizon 5G device codenamed “Bolt,” there were references to a new Sony camera sensor that Samsung will use in their foldable phone. “Winner” is the codename Samsung is using for the foldable phone. These files are library files that represent drivers for the device. This camera driver is for the unannounced Sony IMX374 sensor for the device code-named “winner”.
However, there is no information regarding the sensor itself. With the launch of the Galaxy S10 inching closer, there is no news regarding the camera sensors and it is rumored that the company will be announcing more information in February right before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The Sony IMX374 sensor could be announced at CES or may lead up to MWC. Samsung isn’t planning on launching the “Winner” foldable phone until after Q1 of 2019, so don’t expect much launch information just yet.

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Tracy Hinson, Miss California Rodeo Salinas, rides the hood of the Rodeo's promotional vehicle in a parade in Redding earlier this year.
Each year the California Rodeo Salinas uses a promotional vehicle in an effort to spread excitement about the event. This year, you can see the Rodeo car driving around town with a red-and-yellow full vehicle wrap. The vehicle, a 2013 Suburban , is furnished by MY Cars auto group and the wrap was applied by Central Coast Sign Factory, both Rodeo sponsors.
The California Rodeo Salinas uses the vehicle from April through the third week of July to promote Big Week up and down the state of California. Almost every weekend during that time the vehicle and Tracy Hinson, this year's Miss California Rodeo Salinas, travel to other rodeos and parades to represent the California Rodeo. Hinson rides on the hood and waves to rodeo fans all over the state. The vehicle has traveled from Redding to Santa Maria and will venture into Reno, Nevada, in June.
When the Rodeo car is not in a parade the marketing staff and Rodeo officials use the car for day-to-day business. They can be seen around the Salinas Valley.


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People hoping to profit from the procedure may face legal problems.
NEW YORK - Hackers have figured out how to unleash Apple's iPhone from AT&T's cellular network, but people hoping to make money from the procedure could face legal problems.
At least one of the companies hoping to make money by unlocking iPhones said it is hesitating after calls from lawyers representing the phone company.
Unlocking the phone for one's own use, for instance to place calls with a different carrier, appears to be legal. But if it's done for financial gain, the legality is less certain.
"Whether people can make profits from software that hacks the iPhone is going to depend very much on exactly what was done to develop that software and what does that software do,'' said Bart Showalter, head of the Intellectual Property practice group at law firm Baker Botts in Dallas.
John McLaughlin of Uniquephones.com, an outfit based in Northern Ireland, said in a phone interview Wednesday that its unlocking software for iPhones is ready, but the company is holding off while it gets legal advice.
He said it had been contacted by lawyers from O'Melveny & Myers LLP, an international law firm representing AT&T, who told him the software contained material copyrighted by Apple Inc.
"They don't have it, so therefore they can't actually threaten us,'' McLaughlin said. "It was ÔÇ˛friendly advice.'┬ ''
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel and Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said their companies had nothing to say about the case.
Uniquephones.com had planned to release the software via iphoneunlocking.com. The price for people on its mailing list, which contained just fewer than half a million addresses, would be $25 per iPhone, McLaughlin said.
"From their e-mail addresses, they're from everywhere in the world,'' McLaughlin said. "Everybody is just waiting for it.''
The iPhone is sold only in the U.S., and only for use on the AT&T network, but it is compatible with cell phone technology used around the world, which means an unlocked phone can use an overseas account and number. In the U.S., T-Mobile is the only other major carrier compatible with the iPhone; Sprint and Verizon Wireless use different network technologies.
Most U.S. phones are locked to their carrier when sold, because the carrier subsidizes the cost of the phone. The iPhone, however, is apparently not subsidized by AT&T.
Some carriers provide the unlock codes on request when a subscriber's contract expires, but that doesn't apply to the iPhone, and in any case, the phone only went on sale two months ago, while the minimum contract length is two years.
Another Web site, iphonesimfree.com, has said it plans to release iPhone unlocking software in a few days.
The Copyright Office of the Library of Congress last year issued a statement that unlocking cell phones was not a violation of copyright under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. That law has been used to go after software that copies DVDs.


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Hello again, and welcome to CNET’s second edition of Nonfungible Tidbits, where we round up a few of the most interesting happenings this week in cryptocurrency, NFTs and related realms.
Other than Bitcoin slowly making its way above $40,000 for the first time since November, the biggest story this week was the $324 million hack on crypto platform Wormhole, which the company confirmed on Wednesday. In an interesting turn of events, a company called Jump Crypto stepped in the next day and paid the money back to Wormhole — but no word from the hackers yet. In other news, GameStop announced a partnership with a blockchain startup on Thursday and confirmed plans to create an NFT marketplace. Here are a few other stories that caught our eyes this week.
‘Trust yourself, not celebs,’ says NBA player Jimmy Butler in Binance’s new ad campaign
The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange has partnered with NBA player Jimmy Butler for a new ad campaign with a deceptively simple message: “Trust yourself, not celebs.” Binance’s campaign is somewhat ironic — Jimmy Butler is a five-time NBA All-Star — and it comes as celebrity influencers are increasingly under fire for promoting cryptocurrency and NFTs to their audiences. A lawsuit alleging a pump-and-dump scheme was recently filed against Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and others by a group who bought a cryptocurrency promoted by the celebrities.
Nevertheless, celebrity and cryptocurrency remain intermingled. Crypto.com and FTX, two major cryptocurrency exchanges that compete with Binance, have both bought ad time on this year’s Super Bowl, which is less than two weeks away. Crypto.com recently released an ad campaign featuring Matt Damon.
Picasso’s estate isn’t OK with NFTs of his art
A couple of weeks ago, Pablo Picasso’s granddaughter, Marina Picasso, and her son, Florian Picasso, showcased a ceramic bowl they said was an art piece created by Pablo Picasso. The mother and son told Associated Press they planned to make NFTs to sell online. However, a lawyer representing the Picasso Administration, which is run by three children and two grandchildren of Picasso and manages the late painter’s estate and IP, clarified that no authorized Picasso NFTs are on the way. The business manager for Marina Picasso and Florian Picasso then noted that the NFTs going on sale are based on the work of Florian — not Pablo — Picasso. So if you find an NFT of Guernica online, feel free to save the JPEG — but don’t buy it.
Anonymous internet group wants to do mad scientist stuff with mice
BitMouseDAO is an online group that is raising money for an extremely 2022 project: Integrating the code of a bitcoin into the DNA of a mouse. Let’s back up a moment. DAO is an acronym for “decentralized autonomous organization,” essentially a crypto-savvy collective of people online that uses digital tokens to vote on what they do as a group. A spokesperson for BitMouseDAO, who declined to identify themself, told Motherboard that “BitMouseDAO is an art project that connects the crypto world with the art world as well as the biological realm through the bold idea of putting bitcoin in [a] mouse.”
The group appears to have nine investors and a few thousand dollars in ether in funding. BitMouseDAO says its art project is inspired by the work of Eduardo Kac, an artist who combined the DNA of a bunny and a jellyfish to create a fluorescent rabbit that glowed green back in 2000. Perhaps to avoid confusion, the BitMouseDAO spokesperson told Motherboard, “We explore consensus on the value of crypto and our vision for the future of technology. We don’t make a biochemical monster.”
That’s it for this week’s tidbits. Thanks for reading. If you’re so inclined, here’s last week’s edition of Nonfungible Tidbits. We’ll be back with plenty more to talk about next week. In the meantime, check out this story on quantum computing and cryptocurrency by CNET’s Stephen Shankland. See ya soon.
A direct deposit of news and advice to help you make the smartest decisions with your money.


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Sorry, there are no wedding service providers in this category at present.
Independent luxury fashion retailer Jules B is launching a womenswear store in the centre of Harrogate. The site at 5 Cambridge Crescent opens on 22nd September and will introduce customers to a new and inspiring shopping destination. The two-storey, 3,270 square-foot retail store will showcase the latest collections from an exclusive selection of designer brands. The store's launch event will take place on Thursday 22nd September from 5-8pm. Customers will have the chance to win designer prizes, receive gifts-with-purchase and enjoy a glass of bubbly while browsing the latest luxury collections.
Posted: 13 September 2022
Tadcaster hat shop Simply Devine is celebrating in style. Liz Devine-Wright has taken the overall titles of Specialist Wedding Supplier of the Year and Wedding Boutique & Accessories Supplier of the Year in the English Wedding Awards 2022.
Liz collected her two trophies at a ceremony held in the Mercure Piccadilly Manchester Hotel. This is the fourth win for Liz at the English Wedding Awards, as she took the overall titles after winning the Yorkshire regional heats, beating competition from suppliers from the north east and north west.
Posted: 8 March 2022


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What's Going On With Tesla Stock Today?
TeslaInc TSLA shares are volatileWednesday ahead of the company's fourth-quarter results, which are due after the bell. The stock may be facing selling pressureafter Senator Joe Manchinsaid he would introduce legislation to delay new EV tax credits.
What Happened: Manchin on Wednesday said he plans to present new legislation that would hold uptheimplementation of tax credits for electric vehicles put forth in the Inflation Reduction Act, per The Wall Street Journal.
The report indicates that thebill will directthe Treasury Department to halt theissuance oftax credits for vehicles that dont comply with battery requirements. Manchin has previously expressed concerns over loopholes regarding the $7,500 tax credit.
What Else: Multiple analysts also adjusted price targets on the stock ahead of the EV maker's quarterly results.
- JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman maintainedTeslawith an Underweight rating and loweredthe price target from$125to$120.
- Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas maintainedTeslawith an Overweight rating and loweredthe price target from$250to$220.
Q4 Results Preview: Tesla is set toreport fourth-quarter earnings after the closein what Wedbush analyst Dan Ives on Tuesday referred to asone ofthe most important earnings calls in history.
Continue read on benzinga.com


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In celebration of IPA Day, Newstead Brewing is launching two different beers, while Green Beacon, Hawthorn, Wolf of the Willows, Stone & Wood and Modus Operandi have an array of new brews to try.
Stone & Wood
As part of Good Beer Week 2019, Melbourne steak institution the Railway Club Hotel will welcome Stone & Wood into the venue for one night only.
With development now approved by Brisbane City Council, Brisbane beer-lovers are set to enjoy their own Stone & Wood brewery by spring 2019.
Stone & Wood has launched a childcare support benefit scheme to help employees and their partners as they head back to work.
Stone & Wood today launched its new limited-release Counter Culture beer range with an entirely new beer style for the Northern Rivers brewery.
Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale in cans will be released nationally from 22 January. Jump on Beer Finder from Tuesday to find a location closest to you.
Stone & Wood’s London-based brand ambassador Pat Keeble says 2019 will be a big year for the brand as it continues to enlarge its UK footprint.
A safety culture that puts people first has reduced injuries and won Byron Bay craft brewery Stone & Wood the December icare aware award.
‘Tis the season to try a Christmas Ale from Red Hill Brewery, or a summer staple like Stone & Wood’s latest commemorative can release of its Pacific Ale.
While many small brewers pride themselves on their awareness, scale potentially gives larger breweries an advantage in what they may achieve in the sustainability space.


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COLORADO SPRINGS — Cerberus Brewing Company has continued to find ways to not only adapt and thrive during the pandemic, but also give back and support the community of Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas via meal/drink discounts and brews specifically supporting local nonprofits and frontline workers.
Brewery management reports that the past 11 months has been a roller coaster, the inability to seat as many customers indoors as in previous years creating challenges; while curbside pickup, to-go cocktails, intentional visitation by customers, and beer sales have also created some of the best months on record for the small business.
Through it all, the brewery attributes their continued ability to stay open and provide their same quality of service, to the continued patronage of loyal customers and small business-minded Coloradans.
As the brew-based business continues to move forward, they are also continuing with their mission of throwing their own support behind the community.
Each Monday, the company provides food and drink discounts to workers in the bar and restaurant industry.
"If it weren't for community supporting us," stated Carrie Simison, brand ambassador for Cerberus, "we wouldn't be here at all. So the very least we can do, besides exist, is give back to the people who mean so much to our business."
"It's an ecosystem, we reference how people come and give to us what they can, it's the same way we have to give back to our community in those same regards," continued Nick Thomsen, a Cerberus manager.
Additionally, Cerberus is working on another charity beer.
Early in 2020, the brewery released Howling for Heroes, a beer that supported first responders; during March, Cerberus will brew up a charity beer that will support the nonprofit bike share, PikeRide.
"That charity beer will help fund our free rides and any of our other initiatives, so to be able to do that and also have beer together," said Riley Bratzler, community outreach manager for PikeRide, "is pretty great."
The beer is set to release this coming April.


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The official tally for Open Handset Alliance members stands at 78 but the unofficial bandwagon is considerably higher. Add another one to the list today as NEC Casio Mobile (NEC, Casio and Hitachi) says they plan to offer Android phones in the coming year. Like Panasonic did earlier this week, these guys are forecasting big things both in Japan and around the world. NEC Casio Mobile CEO Yamasaki says they hope to sell 6 million smart phones worldwide by 2012, with roughly 40-percent coming from outside of Japan.
SelectTV brings together hundreds of online entertainment sources into one easy-to-use guide, including full episodes from the top TV networks, the largest free movie libraries, channel collections, and more.
T-Mobile is honoring the members of the military and their families with a new plan which brings great discounts. It's called T-Mobile One Military and will be available starting April 22.


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The Covid-19 pandemic is ruining our livelihood.
This year began with a promise of strong economic growth, not only in Nigeria but around the world.
The International Monetary Fund projected in January that the world economy will rise by 3.3 percent in 2020. The World Bank projected that it will rise by 2.5 percent. (more…)


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The auction officially concludes Tuesday.
The Bid United Online Marketplace will feature great merchandise and services from local businesses.
Using auction-style bidding, consumers can place bids on items, and if at the end of the auction they are the highest bidder, they win.
All transactions will be processed online using secure payment methods or in-person at the United Way of the Wabash Valley office.
Window-shopping began Friday at www.bidunited.org.
More than 70 packages can be bid on, including a Playstation 3, baseball glove chair, autographed memorabilia, luggage, billboard space and more.
The auction concludes at 8 p.m., Tuesday.
All proceeds from the online auction go to benefit the United Way.
Those with questions are asked to direct them to United Way of the Wabash Valley Resource Development Director Kathy Barker, by calling 812-235-6287 or e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.org.


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A look at some trends in the telecoms industry before COVID-19.
Telecoms are big business these days, especially broadband. And it only looks set to get bigger. In 2019, the value of the global broadband services market was estimated at a whopping $263.4 billion; this year, that figure looks set to climb to $355.6 billion.
But the pandemic arrived and threw a spanner in the telecom works. Data from the International Finance Corporation, a World Bank Group, and experiences with their telecom clients and partners, gives us a taste of the challenges the industry has faced. We also look at a few trends before the whole COVID-19 mess kicked off.
Network and facilities construction disruption
The pandemic has created a shortage in materials, particular materials from China, and has prompted some businesses to halt production temporarily until they can get the materials in. As the world battles to get back to normal, businesses are expecting fewer delays in the shipment of materials for network construction in the second half of 2020.
Potential decline of revenues
In the medium term, revenues may well fall, due to the less economic activity during the lockdown. However, the good news for the sector is that falls in revenue will be a little lower than in other sectors because customers generally telecoms in their business.
That being said… mobile network operators and internet service providers may well have seen a short-term spike in revenues. This is due to the higher data and internet usage that the pandemic has brought on.
Before all this started, however, some interesting trends had been starting to emerge. Over in the UK, the telecommunications regulator Ofcom had been looking into internet infrastructures and pricing and published a report in December 2019. Insiders at the financial services company Deloitte have also commented on internet trends. Here are some findings:
Consumers prefer bundles
Ofcom reported that 85% of the UK’s households buy two or more services from the same provider in the form of a bundle. They explained that bundle prices mattered more to households today than standalone prices.
The regulator also stated that the fact households can save money by signing up for a bundle is a major consideration, as is the fact they also receive just a single bill rather than have to manage several bills. If you don’t currently have a bundle with your ISP, you may wish to check out the broadband deals and see if you could make a saving.
Businesses are striving to harness the power of 5G
Right now, 5G is very much in its “build” phase, according to Deloitte LLP’s Vice Chairman and US Telecommunications, Media and Entertainment Leader, Kevin Westcott. Telecoms businesses are still trying to understand what it can do and how they can make it work for them with a focus on apps. As 5G rolls out more and more, it will generate huge revenues for businesses that provide and sell network and infrastructure services and equipment.
So there are some interesting things happening in the industry just now. The pandemic has created chaos for companies, but it’s not game over, and the emergence of 5G could turn things around for some. Meanwhile, pre-COVID trends may persuade consumers may persuade consumers to look around and make a saving. Let’s see what happens.
Cameron Cox is a retired telecoms consultant who still has an immense passion for his sector. Outside of his tech interests, he enjoys DIY and following the fortunes of the New York Giants.
The post COVID-19: How is it Affecting the Telecoms Industry? appeared first on Industry Today.
,A look at some trends in the telecoms industry before COVID-19. Telecoms are big business these days, especially broadband. And it only looks set to get bigger. In 2019, the value of the global broadband services market was estimated at a whopping $263.4 billion; this year, that figure looks set to climb to $355.6 billion.
The post COVID-19: How is it Affecting the Telecoms Industry? appeared first on Industry Today.,Communications, Post, Technology


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Arsenic found in rice products too
Studies have revealed high arsenic levels in rice and rice products such as rice bran and rice crackers. A study published in April 2008 in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reported high levels of arsenic in baby rice sold in supermarkets in the UK. The samples of products they tested came from Japan and the US. The study revealed that 35 per cent of baby rice samples tested had an average arsenic level of 0.11-0.25mg per kg.
However, this is not the first time that the dangers of arsenic in rice have been highlighted. Based on analysis of samples collected through a survey of household in Nadia district of West Bengal, researchers from University of Manchester, UK, have linked arsenic to prevalence of cancer in the region. The study will be published in Applied Geochemistry.
Authors of another study say arsenic, a known carcinogen, and its concentrations in rice grains are often high enough to cause concern even though it is grown in uncontaminated soils. The study was published in PNAS.


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Key markets for New Zealand manufacturing beef are starting to show signs of weakness from competition and quieter-than-expected demand.
Prices for bull and cow manufacturing beef in the key United States market eased US$20 to 25c/pound in recent weeks and the expected pickup in demand from China has so far not happened.
AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad said compounding the problem have been delays in the expected easing in domestic US production, economic pressures softening demand and high export volumes of Australian manufacturing beef.
She said Australia beef production is higher than it has been for some years, with that higher volume sold to markets in the US and Asia.
In May alone Australia exported 91,500t, the second highest monthly total so far this year, of which more than 40% was shipped to China and the US.
Drought in the US has led farmers to liquidate their herds and while production is declining, it hasn’t yet reached a point where demand is having to be met by imported beef.
NZ farmgate prices for manufacturing bull and cow beef are close to levels of a year ago despite weaker international prices.
Croad said total average NZ export beef prices for April were $9/kg compared to $10/kg a year earlier.
At $9/kg, Croad said, April export prices are still $1/kg ahead of the five-year average.
Looking ahead, Croad said US beef production will continue to tighten, providing opportunities for imported beef, but prospects are looking more likely that an El Niño weather system is forming in Australia.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has calculated a 70% chance of the weather system forming by the end of winter or early spring, which tends to create drier conditions on the east coast.
This could have implications for Australia’s beef herd, sending production even higher.


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343 created a new engine Halo Infinite because the game was so ambitious that the studio new technology to realise the game's ambition.
Speaking on stage during Microsoft's keynote at the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer revealed that there will be new generations of the Xbox console. Our MR devices work with Steam games now - I love what's happening there - and in the living room there are still, in my opinion, challenges to be solved.
"The world of gaming is on a historic growth path", Spencer said at an Xbox media event ahead of the formal start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo here this week. The latest game will be available in 4k resolution at 60 frames per second, but you need to have the right support for it in the form of the Xbox One X and a suitable TV.
PM 'to appeal for unity' on Brexit vote
There are two amendments that could prove particularly tough for the government to overturn. The bill underpins the government's Brexit strategy.
Microsoft officials said the company is building a new Santa Monica, Calif. -based studio which it's calling "The Initiative." And while Forza Horizon 4 might not be the biggest surprise of E3, it brings an interesting new wrinkle to the beloved open-world racing series - and is as gorgeous and fun as the franchise has ever been.
343 also responded to criticisms of the last game in the series, 2015's Halo 5: Guardians. The first one will be published by Microsoft Studios, as was the first episode which has yet to make it to Xbox Games Pass. And that engine will power the game for both Xbox One and Windows 10, a major step for the typically Xbox-focused franchise. Go for the Ultimate Edition and you'll get to enjoy the game a little bit earlier, on September 28.
We look forward to spending more time drifting through the seasons when Horizon 4 hits shelves (and Xbox Game Pass) on October 2.
Microsoft also introduced new innovations to push digital gaming forward, including FastStart, an innovation from Microsoft's Machine Learning Team, and plans from Microsoft's Gaming Cloud Team to develop a game streaming service to unlock console-quality gaming on any device.
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ASIA PACIFIC - Mobile devices will account for 75 percent of global internet use next year, according to Zenith’s new Mobile Advertising Forecasts report.
The mobile proportion of internet use has increased rapidly, from 40 percent in 2012 to 68 percent in 2016. And the agency forecasts it will reach 79 percent by 2018.
The first edition of the report looks at mobile advertising and mobile technology in 60 countries. It forecasts the rising amount of time consumers devote to mobile internet use, the spread of smartphones and tablets, and the growth of mobile adspend.
“Mobile devices are already the primary means of accessing the internet across the world,’ said Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at Zenith, in a statement. “Countries in Western Europe, Asia and North America are leading the transition, but mobile technology is spreading rapidly everywhere. Next year mobile devices will become the main vehicle for internet advertising as well.”
Hong Kong and China lead mobile internet consumption in Asia
The countries with the highest levels of mobile internet consumption are dispersed across Western Europe, Asia and North America. Hong Kong comes second globally, with 79 percent of internet use being mobile, followed by China (76 percent) and the United States (74 percent). Italy and India come joint fifth, at 73 percent each.
By 2018, Zenith expects Hong Kong to have the highest mobile internet use, accounting for 89 percent of total internet use. China will be second with 87 percent and Spain third with 86 percent, followed by the United States and Italy at 83 percent each, and India at 82 percent.
Smartphone penetration increases 2.4 times between 2012 and 2016
The increase in mobile internet use is being driven by the rapid rise in the penetration of mobile devices. In 2012 just 23 percent of people in 60 markets had a smartphone, and 4 percent had a tablet.
Smartphone penetration has now reached 56 percent, an increase of 2.4 times over four years, and the agency forecasts it will rise to 63 percent by 2018.
Ireland is estimated to have the highest smartphone penetration this year, at 92 percent, followed by Singapore (91 percent), Spain (88 percent), Norway (86 percent) and South Korea (84 percent). Ireland is expected to remain in first place in 2018, with 94 percent penetration, followed by Switzerland and Singapore at 92 percent each, and Norway and Taiwan at 91 percent each.
Tablet use varies widely
Tablets are more of a luxury item. Only 15 percent of people in 60 markets own one now, and Zenith expects them reach 17 percent penetration in 2018.
In 10 of 60 markets, tablets have penetration levels above 50 percent, and in another 10 they have penetration levels below 10 percent.
Just 3 percent of people in China have tablets, which drags down the average substantially, since China accounts for 27 percent of the population of the 60 markets studeid. In India, which accounts for another 26 percent, 6 percent of people have tablets.
The highest level of tablet penetration is in Singapore (at 75 percent), and Thailand matches China for the lowest (3 percent).
60 percent of internet advertising will be mobile in 2018
As stated in its Advertising Expenditure Forecasts of September 2016, Zenith believes mobile advertising will overtake desktop advertising in 2017, increasing its share of global internet advertising to 52 percent from 44 percent this year.
In 2018, the agency expects mobile advertising to account for 60 percent of all internet advertising. That year mobile advertising expenditure will total US$134 billion, which is more than will be spent on newspaper, magazine, cinema and outdoor advertising put together.
What it means for advertisers
Zenith advises that all brands need to become mobile-first in their digital communication: all assets—from brand websites to video ads—should be built to deliver the best and most effective experiences on mobile devices.
Advertisers also need to think about consumer mobility, not just mobile devices. During the day consumers shift their attention from tablet to desktop to smartphone, sometimes while watching TV, so advertisers need to build brand experiences that are coherent across screens and devices.
Zenith also recommends that advertisers consider the full mobile ecosystem, including smartwatches, activity trackers and other smart devices, when planning their communications. Consumers tend to use the more specialised devices on very specific occasions, giving advertisers the opportunity to target these moments of their life with precision.


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LONDON — Europe’s major markets all headed down in trading Tuesday morning.
The CAC 40 in Paris fell the most, losing 1.2 percent to 4,389.87, while the FTSE 100 in London declined 1 percent to 6,706.20. The DAX in Frankfurt slipped 0.8 percent to 9,674.36, followed by the FTSE MIB in Milan, down 0.6 percent to 20,544.86.
The falls came as Markit Economics released its flash euro-zone purchasing managers’ index figures Tuesday, showing that business activity in the area in September “grew … at the lowest rate seen so far this year,” according to the firm. Its PMI composite output index stood at 52.3 in September, down from 52.5 in August.
Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said: “The survey paints a picture of ongoing malaise in the euro-zone economy.”
He added: “Concerns about the Ukraine crisis, related Russian sanctions and worries about the single-currency area’s general economic plight appear to be having an increased impact on the euro-zone economy.”
Fashion, luxury and retail stocks had a largely downbeat morning, too.
Tesco continued to be one of the biggest fallers in London, down 2.9 percent to 1.97 pounds, after the supermarket chain’s shares declined almost 12 percent Monday following the disclosure that the retailer had overstated its first-half profit expectations by 250 million pounds. Following the news, Tesco said Tuesday that it had brought forward its new chief financial officer Alan Stewart’s starting date to be effective immediately, rather than Dec. 1.
Other fallers included The Mysale Group, 7.4 percent to 1.90 pounds; Boohoo.com, 3.1 percent to 0.52 pounds, and Marks & Spencer, 1.4 percent to 4.27 pounds.
Among the few risers were Esprit Holdings, 2.7 percent to 12.74 Hong Kong dollars; French Connection, 1.8 percent to 0.63 pounds, and Aeffe, 1.5 percent to 1.85 euros.
At 11:08 a.m. CET, the pound traded for $1.63, the euro for $1.28 and the Hong Kong dollar for $0.13.


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Friday, November 28, 2008
Odds & Ends, Bits & Pieces 2: Mickey's Bulletpoints...
With the Thanksgiving weekend upon us, I thought we would take this opportunity to just take a look at several really cool items related to Disney from around the web...
In no particular order:
Over in Japan plans are underway for the Christmas holiday events. Ever wonder what the commercials for the resort look like? Well wonder no more thanks to the brilliance of YouTube.
A NOTE:YouTube has expanded its standard window size for its videos from a 4:3 normal TV square(425x344) to a widescreen ratio(640x360). So all those new Disney videos can be released more like cinema and with greater image quality...
Here's a commercial from Tokyo DisneySEA for this Christmas.
Here's a couple of commercials under the "Have A Dream" marketing campaign for the Tokyo Disney Resort as well, here and here. As well as a normal commercial for the Resort here and one advertised for summertime here.
Oh, and if you've never seen how they advertise for the Tower of Terror over there then take a look at this commercial for it as well. BTW, if you recognize that person playing the part of Harrison Hightower III, it's Disney Imagineer, Joe Rohde who's the czar over DAK.
Oh, and while we're on the subject of the TDR, check out the official websites holiday offerings for TDL's Christmas Fantasy here and here. And some merchandise for the Christmas Fantasy here and here.
Over at Tokyo DisneySEA they're not being left out of the festivities either. Here's the official website for the Harborside Christmas. Check out this official website for decorations at TDS's Christmas celebration also.
And if you liked some of those commercials for the site there are those and several more here.
And talk about being prepared in advance... the TDR already has their Valentines day celebration website up for the upcoming "Valentine Nights". It's purty...
Moving across the ocean over to the Asian mainland we come upon Hong Kong Disneyland. Did you know that China's first Disney Resort has an official YouTube channel filled with videos? Well, now you do. Expect to hear a lot of news about HKDL next year, as well as Asia in general and China in particular...
Crossing the ocean back to sunny California were they're going to be holding the upcoming 3D Entertainment Summit from December 1-2. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group president Mark Zoradi will be one of keynote speakers recently added to the schedule. It's going to be interesting to hear what he has to say about "Twilight"...
Disneynature's trailer for "Earth" has been released on YouTube as well.
If you've ever wanted to know what John Lasseter's five favorite films are then Rotten Tomatoes will satisfy that desire.
The American/English cast for "Ponyo on the Cliff" has been announced by Ghibliworld.
Speaking of Ponyo, the director of that film, Hayao Miyazaki has an interview over at Twitchfilm.
Finally, if you love animation then you'll know who Richard Williams is... for those that don't, he's the man that orchestrated the animation on "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", and he's a brilliant animator. Well, his lifetime dream was a project he worked on for twenty-plus years known as "The Thief and the Cobbler". He was eventually thrown off the project and it was reworked as "Arabian Knight" for Miramax. It came and went without much fanfare, but if you'd like to see what his cut of the film looked like then check out this little gem on Google Video. Ahhh, the wonders of the web.
Till Monday, enjoy the holiday weekend. Blue Sky Disney will return...
Posted by Honor Hunter at 12:29 AM
Labels: Bulletpoints, Christmas, HKDL, Links, Odds and Ends, TDR, YouTube
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The Tokyo ads were fun; it's just a shame someone hasn't put them on YouTube with English subtitles.
That's a really creepy picture.
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As if Mahindra XUV500 SUVs weren’t already flying out of dealerships, it has emerged that Mahindra is wishing to bag more sales with petrol and automatic models.
This info comes straight from Mr Ruzbeh Irani, Chief Executive Officer of International Operations at Mahindra, who said that the popular UV manufacturer has commenced working on both these variants.
Before you may argue that no market exists for a petrol powered XUV in India, let me add that the upcoming variant is headed to markets like the US where petrol is cheaper than diesel.
Talking about the auto transmission, it is being said that the auto tranny for the high selling SUV might take as long as two years to make a debut. The XUV Auto will sport a 6 speed ‘box and this transmission will be sourced from another car manufacturer. Talks with Korean Auto giant Hyundai are on.


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Metallic drummer Lars Ulrich says his bandmate was being optimistic in saying the band could have a new album out next year. The rocker tells South Africa's Channel 24 he'd be surprised if the group has their next disc in stores before 2015.
He explains that it takes them "a while to make records," and adds that they're currently "so busy with so many other things." But he says Metallica hasn't scrapped their recording career, and will "get around" to their next album "eventually." Guitarist Kirk Hammett recently told GulfNews.com the band was "hoping" to have their next studio project in stores in 2014. But he also admitted he wasn't sure if that would be "a reality."
Those "other things" occupying Metallica's time lately include their 3-D movie Through The Never, which will be arriving in theaters this fall. The band just wrapped up a series of shows in South Africa on Saturday.
Metallica's next album will be the follow up to their 2008 effort, Death Magnetic.


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In 2016, McKinsey estimated that only 5% of CEOs in Africa were female, highlighting just how much work is required globally to achieve gender parity in the corporate sector.
African governments need to create the environment for business to invest in infrastructure
While the road ahead may still present significant challenges, some of Africa's most long-standing internal trade barriers are beginning to show signs of falling. We interview David Williams, Maersk Line Africa chief executive and global head of Safmarine to find out more
Ilse van den Berg 30 May 2017
In SA, Famous Brands produces 265,000 cups of specially blended coffee a day. With 2,175 restaurants, the company, whose brands include Wimpy, Steers and Mugg & Bean, also makes 77m ice-cream cones a year. It's the big daddy of SA franchising, with a R9,7bn market capitalisation, and it wants to repeat its local success in the rest of Africa.
Zeenat Moorad 16 Sep 2013
Economies in sub-Saharan Africa will ride out the bumpy global recovery in the next few years to post growth rates not seen outside Asia, the IMF said in its latest economic forecasts Tuesday (16 April).
Although Africa made huge strides in increasing human development in the past decade, gains could - with hundreds of millions of people being pushed into extreme poverty - easily be reversed should "significant progress" not be made in halting global warming.
Schalk Mouton 20 Mar 2013


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Survey: Colo. Holiday Travelers Booking Earlier This Year
Most Coloradans will finalize holiday travel plans before October.
While the summer travel season just came to an end, folks aren't waiting to lock in their travel plans for the year-end holidays. Per a new AAA survey, 60% of Coloradans are already planning to take a holiday vacation. More than half of them (58%) are booking holiday travel plans earlier this year due to higher travel prices. A striking majority of holiday travelers (70%) say they're planning at least one flight during the holiday season.
"2023 has been a bonkers year for travel, with record-breaking demand throughout the summer," said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA. "By all accounts, those trends will persist into the year-end holidays. If you know you're going to travel, don't delay booking - or you just won't get the itinerary you want at the price you want to pay."
More than half of Colorado travelers (54%) are planning a trip with at least one overnight stay for Thanksgiving. Per the survey, the largest share of travelers (37%) will lock in their Thanksgiving travel plans during September. By the end of this month, 61% will have already booked their trip.
The busiest travel days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday. Consider booking a flight Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving and Saturday after the holiday. Airports will be less busy, and flights should have more availability, though not if you wait to book.
The timing is more spread out for Coloradans who are planning a trip for Christmas. Only 11% have already finalized plans, as a quarter will wait for September (24%), October (25%), and November (23%) to book.
Most travelers depart two to four days prior to Christmas Day. Since Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year, travelers should expect the busiest days at the airport to be Friday and Saturday, before the holiday.
AAA's Advice for Booking a Flight
• Book early for the best combination of availability and price. Most travelers want to skip layovers and get right to their destination. Nonstop flights, especially those going cross-country and internationally, will fill up fast.
• Book a direct flight that leaves early in the morning. Afternoon and evening flights are more susceptible to delays/cancellations due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Connecting flights multiply the risk of something going wrong.
• Consider traveling a day or two earlier than planned. Even if you face delays, you are still likely to arrive on time.
• If your flight has connections, build in a couple hours between flights. That way, if your first flight is delayed, you are less likely to miss your second one.
More than a third of holiday travelers (36%) say they are less likely to fly this year because they're concerned about flight delays and cancellations. AAA urges travelers to consider travel insurance, which will make you whole if your travel is affected by severe winter weather.
"Given recent challenges with air travel, we are seeing more and more passengers opt for travel insurance," said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA. "Travel insurance is such a valuable resource for air travelers, because it provides financial benefits for lost or delayed luggage, flight cancellations, and flight delays of as little as three hours."
Experiences Over Presents
AAA travel advisors are seeing more people gift experiences to loved ones instead of presents. In many cases, those folks are already thinking about the holidays. "I just booked travel for one family who's surprising their children on Christmas morning with a trip to Disney World, leaving later that same day. That family had to book early to get exactly what they wanted," said Cady DeBlois, a travel advisor for AAA.
Europe, Cruises, and Theme Parks Sell Out in Advance
European travel is booming this year, and the holidays will be no exception. AAA travel advisors say touring Christmas markets in Europe is extremely popular and itineraries sell out in advance. River cruises are also in high demand during the holidays, along with Caribbean cruises. Theme parks are a holiday favorite among families with kids when students are on winter break.
AAA will release its Thanksgiving Travel Forecast in early November.
About the Survey
The AAA Consumer Pulse™ Survey was conducted online among residents living in Colorado from August 1-7, 2023. A total of 400 residents completed the survey. Survey results have a maximum margin of error of ± 4.9% points. Responses are weighted by age and gender to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the adult population (18+) in Colorado.
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 13 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 64 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.


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KARACHI: Numerous eateries, bakeries and canteens around the city were sealed by the Sindh Food Authority (SFA) amidst a search on Thursday night.
Several areas around Karachi were raided by the SFA team including University of Karachi and Jamshed Road after which three restaurants were closed following the uncovering of food and beverages of second-rate quality that were harmful for health.
The team had recovered unrefined oil from Jamshed Road’s Fish Point while also discerning that the place was insufficiently cleaned.
Moreover, an eatery at Nagan Chowrangi was also closed off owing to inferior hygiene settings and meat recovered from freezer said to be ‘many days old.’
Another bakery in town was shut by the team upon improper cleaning methods.
Substandard items being sold in two of the canteens at University of Karachi also led to their closure while the team also revealed that several vendors were also found using textile food colors rather than appropriate tested food coloring.
Published in The News International, December 21th, 2018.


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Hindenburg report knocks off $526 million from Jack Dorsey’s wealth
Jack Dorsey’s wealth tumbles $526 million after Hindenburg short
International Business News: Dorsey’s fortune plunged by $526 million on Thursday, his worst single-day decline since May. He’s now worth $4.4 billion after the 11% drop, accordin
Jack Dorsey Loses $526 Million Net Worth Hours After Hindenburg Report
Block Inc. co-founder Jack Dorsey's net worth was hammered after Hindenburg Research's latest report, which alleged the payments company ignored widespread fraud. Dorsey's fortune plunged by $526 million on Thursday, his worst single-day decline since May. He's now worth $4.4 billion after the 11% drop, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Hindenburg released a report Thursday claiming Block had inflated user metrics, and that the stoc…
Stung by Hindenburg, here's what Jack Dorsey's Block plans to do
Hidenburg Research, who came in limelight in India after accusing Adani Group of financial fraud, on Thursday released a fresh report charging Jack Dorsey's Block with "widely overstating" the number of users on its platform. Here, we show an update on what has transpired till now in the case.


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Today San Francisco-based CARDFREE announced the launch of its white label end-to-end mobile, online, and point-of-sale (POS) payment solutions to help merchants adopt mobile payments, and make it easier for smartphones to eventually become the first thing consumers reach for when they approach the checkout. The company’s platform will give merchants the ability to better manage promotions, process payments, and access analytics with integrations through their existing POS. The company also announced that it has closed a $10 million Series A round of funding from Jeffery Katz, founder of payment processor Mercury Payment Solutions and previous investor in companies like Restaurant Sciences and Snapfinger.
In an interview with BetaKit, CEO Jon Squire said the company will be using the capital to add to its engineering team. Squire was most recently the CMO at CorFire, which led Dunkin’ Donuts’ mobile efforts, and was SVP of Payments at mFoundry, a mobile payments company that works with retailers and financial institutions, where he led the team that developed the mFoundry-powered Starbucks Mobile App.
“We’ve got a combination of folks who were vendors to merchants like ourselves who are from mFoundry, CorFire, and then we’ve also gone to what we think is exciting territory and hired from the merchants themselves,” Squire added. “That point there is to understand not only the pain points but the points of integration, all the other sort of roadmap issues that merchants themselves may directly feel that we may not know being on the vendor side.”
With CARDFREE, merchants will be able to create digital prepaid cards which the company states work with 90 percent of existing POS systems. However, the company recognizes that processing mobile payments is just one part of the equation, which is why it also built out its platform to offer merchants the ability to manage deals, loyalty and rewards, and social media engagement, in addition to providing reporting tools and analytics to help them gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns. The company will price its services based on the requirement of each individual merchant, depending on whether they have existing mobile payment infrastructure or need to build something from scratch.
When asked what set CARDFREE apart from competitors like LevelUp, which recently partnered with First Trade Union Bank showcasing its own ability to build white labeled mobile payment apps, in addition to companies like Square, Isis, and PayPal, Squire went first and foremost to the team behind the startup, noting the success of both Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts’ mobile features. He then added that currently merchants have to turn to a wide array of vendors to manage different parts of the puzzle, whether it’s offers, coupons, payment processing or analytics, and CARDFREE is looking to be an all-in-one solution.
The company will be looking to work with a handful of merchants to make the case for its approach in an increasingly competitive landscape before scaling any further. With its platform, CARDFREE hopes to increase the rate at which merchants go to market with their mobile payment solutions, and will be looking to use the funding and a team of seasoned industry veterans to win some key accounts. Whether it succeeds in trumping more established and recognizable brands is something that remains to be seen, but the team’s history with Starbucks and other retailers means it already has a head start.


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Musk admits Tesla’s biggest mistake
TESLA has been forced to suspend production of its Model 3 sedan - a car that is considered vital to the company's future but has been plagued by production delays.
The apparent problem with Tesla's Model 3 assembly line? Too many robots, according to the man behind the wheel of the company.
Tesla boss Elon Musk took to Twitter to admit his big mistake as the company struggles to fend off critics.
"Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake," he tweeted on the weekend. "To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated."
Mr Musk has been a vocal advocate of the idea of universal basic income, claiming automation and robots are set to wipe out all sorts of traditional jobs. However Tesla's own attempts to heavily rely on automation has apparently caused problems.
"We had this crazy, complex network of conveyor belts," Mr Musk added in an interview with CBS on the weekend. "And it was not working, so we got rid of that whole thing."
His concession came as a report published by Reveal in conjunction with The Center for Investigative Reporting claimed that in the company's eagerness to ramp up production of its Model 3, Tesla quietly concealed the true number of workplace injuries at its Californian assembly plant.
Injuries were reported by workers to supervisors or managers, but the complaints were reportedly dismissed and not passed on to regulators as is required by law.
In a statement on the company's blog Monday titled "A Not So Revealing Story," Tesla denounced the story calling Reveal an "extremist organisation" which produced "an article that paints a completely false picture of Tesla."
On Tuesday morning, it was reported that for the second time this year Tesla has been forced to shut down production of its Model 3 vehicle, the company's more affordable offering.
The announcement of the four-to-five-day production pause came without warning, according to Tesla employees who spoke with BuzzFeed News.
A Tesla spokesperson said the production halt will be "used to improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks in order to increase production rates."
More than 400,000 people have pre-ordered one of the Model 3 vehicles but their wait continues.


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Best Buy is set to cut 400 corporate jobs at its headquarters based in Minneapolis, Minn.
According to a company spokesperson speaking with Reuters, of the 8,000 people Best Buy currently employs in and around its Minn. headquarters, 400 of them will soon be cut to reduce costs. The move is expected to save the company around $150 million in expenses, most of which will come from non-salary expenses.
This is the latest move by Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly that announced in Nov. of last year that he had a plan to reduce costs by $725 million over time.
No word as of yet when exactly these cuts will take place, or high up the corporate ladder they reach.


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Keithley Instruments Inc. (NYSE: KEI) has reported a third-quarter profit compared to a year-earlier loss on a solid increase in sales. The maker of electrical test instruments said its net income in the quarter that ended June 30 totaled $5.6 million, or 34 cents a share. In last year's third quarter, Keithley lost $3.4 million, or 22 cents a share. Sales rose 31%, to $30.7 million from $23.4 million. "We are encouraged that instrumentation orders for this quarter marked their fifth consecutive sequential increase since their low point reached in March 2009,” chairman, president and CEO Joseph Keithley said in a statement. “The global electronics industry appears to be recovering faster than other industries, led by increased demand for consumer electronics, automotive electronics and capital equipment spending by companies for computer hardware and software.” Looking ahead, Keithley is estimating that sales for its fiscal fourth quarter, which will end Sept. 30, will be in the range of $29 million to $34 million.
Keithley Instruments Inc. reports third-quarter profit vs. year-ago loss
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The news service notes that industrial companies reporting earnings over the past few weeks "have described steps they've taken — from acquiring trucks to move their own goods to building products that sit around on factory floors waiting for missing semiconductors — to deal with delays and shortages that have dogged them over the past year."
One example comes from Sherwin-Williams, the paintmaking giant.
"We want to optimize our supply chain to its fullest," CEO John Morikis told analysts last month about how the company has started using its own trucks — a much costlier route than using third-party services — to get around bottlenecks in transport systems.
Reuters says Morikis admitted this is "less efficient," but necessary to meet surging demand. Over time, he said, he hopes "the efficiency will work its way back."
The embrace of inefficiency likely is a short-term phenemonon, according to Cliff Waldman, the chief executive of New World Economics, an economic analysis firm that studies manufacturing trends.
"We want efficiency, because higher efficiency means lower cost," he said. "But companies don't want efficiency at the expense of excessive risk."


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The founder of Lolli on why New York is behind Miami in attracting crypto startups and how brands can use bitcoin to win more customers. Adelman is a speaker at CoinDesk’s Consensus festival in June.Read MoreFeedzy
Bitcoin Pizza Day on May 22 is fast approaching. It will mark the 12th anniversary of an annual celebration of Bitcoin and a solemn parable for the virtue of HODLing. (Laszlo Hanyecz spent 100,000 bitcoin on two pizzas, crypto that’s now worth upwards of $4 billion.)
A decade ago, Bitcoin was considered a digital payment system (rather than the store of value narrative today), and Bitcoin enthusiasts would spend hundreds of bitcoins (then worth only couple of bucks) on everyday items like coffee and pizza.
But times have changed. These days bitcoiners typically want to acquire as much bitcoin as possible – or “stack sats” as they call it. And what could be an efficient way of stacking sats? Alex Adelman, co-founder and CEO of bitcoin rewards company Lolli, thinks he’s unlocked the answer. Lolli lets people earn up to 12% back in bitcoin when they make purchases using U.S. dollars from companies like Nike, Adidas, eBay and many more.
Adelman has a long track record in e-commerce. In 2017, he was selected to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for the retail and e-commerce category. So his journey to launching Lolli is anything but a coincidence. He was previously the CEO and co-founder of Cosmic (acquired by PopSugar, then Ebates), an e-commerce infrastructure company. At Cosmic, Adelman and his co-founder invented the “buy button,” which has now become a common piece of online architecture.
As an economics major, he was influenced by Muhammed Yunus’ microfinance experiments in Bangladesh, which demonstrated (among other things) how access to mobile phones can empower the poor. Adelman’s approach to Bitcoin comes from a similar conviction: The idea that Bitcoin as a software is a powerful financial force that could unleash trickle-up economics. And for that reason, he’s passionate about creating a way for people to get their hands on their first bitcoin – or satoshis (sats) – that doesn’t involve investing, which tends to turn off plenty of risk-averse people.
Adelman, a speaker at CoinDesk’s Consensus festival in June, spoke with CoinDesk from Miami, Florida, where he attended the Bitcoin Conference 2022.
So right now, you’re in Miami because of the Bitcoin Conference. Do you see Miami becoming the Bitcoin city as Mayor Suarez hopes it to be?
Miami’s definitely compelling. There’s a lot of really nice parts of Miami, but I think Miami has some catching up to do with New York.
But I think a lot of the young kids, the 20 to 30 year olds, are moving to New York overwhelmingly. It’s impossible to get a lease right now in New York, and all these builders want to live in a cool, fun, young city. I think there’s so much going on around Web 3, Bitcoin, crypto, and NFTs. That’s happening in New York because it’s such a cultural hub. A lot of investors or people who have already made money are moving to Miami, but I’m not seeing the true builders – the engineers, the founders – move there overwhelmingly.
The sad thing is that New York, on a regulatory side, has been a laggard. It’s probably the worst place to build, on a regulatory standpoint, a company. But then, from a talent perspective, there are so many brilliant people, executives and hard working individuals that have deep experience in financial technology, engineering and security that I think New York is still the best place to scale a financial company – a fintech company. I think that e-commerce, retail, everything is in New York.
I have a hard time thinking about moving the company to Miami, but there’s a lot of really interesting things happening in Miami and, clearly, things like conferences, everybody flocks here, and it seems really great. But I personally love being in New York, and I love having a presence in North Carolina as well, which is where I’m from.
It’s interesting to think how cultural factors can be more important when it comes to making a decision on where to be based rather than macro considerations, like political, regulatory factors.
Yeah, it’s really tough to be building. We’re pushing regulators to really make New York a more Bitcoin-friendly state, and New York City a more Bitcoin-friendly city. I think (Mayor) Eric Adams has big plans to make it a hub of innovation, but it has a long way to go. They have to get rid of BitLicense.
I think that New York has a long way to go to get to a point where it is attracting businesses to be started there because right now we’re losing out to other [places]. Wyoming and specifically, Miami, are doing a really good job of attracting this next wave of people. It’s going to be like a flag theory type approach, where every state is going to compete to have the best talent. And states that don’t, will get left behind. I think it’s gonna be interesting to see how that develops.
What about North Carolina, your home state?
North Carolina is kind of in between. We’re working with regulators in North Carolina as well, but they’re just slow moving. There’s not a lot of tech-world leadership in North Carolina. We’re constantly educating people. The Research Triangle has this amazing talent if you treat it as one city. It has more Ph.D.s per capita than any place in the country, and it’s such a hub of innovation. And we’re just gonna keep losing people if we don’t actually be a crypto-forward state, and specifically, a city. Personally, I think North Carolina has everything to gain and everything to lose. I’ve been pushing regulators to be more forward-thinking. And I might just have to get more involved in politics in order to actually create real action there!
How was the Bitcoin Conference this year? Last year, there were lots of weird clips or anecdotes from the Bitcoin Conference, right? I mean, we had this dogecoin guy who went up on stage. We had Max Keiser who yelled “f*ck Elon” and a bunch of other stuff. Like, none of it happened this year, or maybe it didn’t make it to Twitter – was that your experience as well?
Yeah, I wonder if security was tighter or something like that, but it was massive. There were so many people. I don’t know the final count, but I heard it was estimated at 40,000 people. I have been going since they started the Bitcoin Conference, and it’s just night and day. Just amazing to see how many more people joined, and it was way less, to your point, chaotic in a really nice way. It was just a very well organized conference and just a lot of really good people.
Another really cool thing about the conference this year is that a ton of bankers were there, merchants were there, and traditional investors. I had never seen so many legitimate people from the outside industries who were there, and looking to partner with Bitcoin companies. That was really cool and very different.
When did you start going to the conference?
I believe 2018 was their first conference, and we had just launched Lolli – the first Bitcoin rewards company out there – and the immediate reception was amazing. The Bitcoin community was incredibly welcoming. I think that a lot of bitcoiners are constantly looking for a use case for bitcoin, outside of just store value. Lolli created a very innovative way of talking about bitcoin, and making bitcoin a part of everyday life. Now, we’re part of the ecosystem.
We’re in a market slump right now. Do you find it to be ironically bullish for Lolli because now people have more purchasing power, so they get more bitcoin for their buck?
Yeah, there’s kind of a meme internally in our community where it’s a “stack the dip,” that’s what a lot of people say. When bitcoin is down, it’s “stack the dip,” and then when bitcoin is up, a lot of people will talk about their earnings doubling or increasing 5%, 10%.
And with most cash back systems, you get your $5 in cashback, and it’s $5 – you’re not even accounting for inflation. When you get $5 in bitcoin, and it goes up, people get really excited about it. More and more people talk about the rewards and how much they’ve gone up. We’ve even had this phrase that our users call “the Lolli effect,” and it’s when the reward is paid for the item you bought. The item becomes free because your purchasing power is so great with bitcoin that you’ve accumulated. Since we launched, bitcoin is up about 9x as of today, a lot of people have already had their items mostly paid for with their bitcoin rewards.
Do you feel like Lolli helped onboard people onto Bitcoin, or is it the bitcoiners who use your product, and so you’re kind of preaching to the converted?
I think over 50% of our users, from what we can tell, never had bitcoin before. They’re looking at Lolli as a risk-free way of getting into bitcoin. And the nice thing about the natural user experience is that, because people shop all the time, people don’t really invest all the time. But everybody shops and everybody does it all the time.
The other nonobvious thing about our product is that we’re bringing merchants that never touch crypto into the space as well. I estimate less than 10 of our 1,100 partners actually accept crypto. We have over 1,100 partners today. For a lot of merchants, we’re their first interaction with bitcoin.
Would it be a trade secret if I asked how you managed to convince all those big players like eBay to partner with Lolli?
Great question! I previously started a company called Cosmic, and we built a buy button technology. And that company sold primarily to merchants in North America. I made these merchants a lot of money. When I was starting this company, I had already sort of built their trust. I came in and asked for a lot of favors, and was able to get 500 merchants to launch. Then the data started coming back, that we were really doing well to drive sales and increased conversion rates, so the merchants ended up really loving what we were doing.
And you studied economics at Chapel Hill. Which is funny, right, because people who study economics don’t often end up being bitcoiners since it’s a very doctrinal discipline. Would you say your economics training maybe make it hard for you to be “orange-pilled”?
The way my brain works is, I question everything, I’m very skeptical of things, and I don’t take experts as truth. A lot of my teachers were Keynesian – very classic, old-school economists. I felt like a lot of the things that they were teaching were outdated. I didn’t really agree a lot of times or really understand, to be honest, monetary policy. I felt like it was sort of this black box that they tried to rationalize with 60% accuracy. I was more curious with the 40%: What was happening in the unknowns, what were the behavioral sides, and how are we basing monetary policy on these sort of archaic beliefs?
Fast forward a little bit, I just felt like I was constantly questioning a lot that was going on at university. And then I really got into microfinance and everything that the Grameen Bank was doing in Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus was working on this experiment that I was studying, where he gave the poorest woman in every village a cell phone and saw the trickle-up economics that would occur from that initiative. It was really impactful for me in my learnings, and I’ve been building technology since I was 12 – professionally, since I was 16. I kept thinking, “Okay, well, what do I want to build that’s going to contribute to giving people – everybody – technology that’s going to enable them?”
I ended up starting a company with this idea for Cosmic in college and then started really working on it after college. Then, we built the first dynamic “buy button” that lets merchants sell their products in different channels, anywhere, trying to open up and democratize commerce for merchants.
In 2013, I ended up learning about Bitcoin when I was crashing on couches, and I ended up getting really excited about the idea that you could connect 4.5 billion people with an internet connection through money. And it brought me back to the early days of learning about economics and seeing a monetary policy that everybody had the same rules on. And everybody understood, it was dead simple.
It didn’t take an economics degree or Ph.D. to understand what was actually happening – it was like, there’s only 21 million of these things. Everybody that you know can see the code base, everyone has the same rules, and it’s actually way simpler than the monetary policy that I was learning that fiat institutions were built on for the last few decades.
There’s this liberating power of cell phones in some of the poorest parts of the world, isn’t there? Did you perhaps also see Bitcoin as a financially liberating software – like how a cell phone is as a hardware.
Absolutely. Going back to the example of the Grameen Bank, giving the poorest woman in every village in Bangladesh a cell phone is not too different from giving somebody a Bitcoin wallet. You give someone a Bitcoin wallet, and that person now has access to a bank – they now have access to hold their own money, to hold their own keys.
That sort of financial empowerment, I think we’re going to see this trickle-up economics where now, 100% of people that have an internet connection immediately have a bank; they have a right to a bank, and no one can take that away from them. That is so incredibly powerful, it’s going to do so much good for the world, and there’s no stopping anytime soon. I’m incredibly excited for that future and it’s really not too different from the initiatives of the Grameen Bank back in the day.
You said you found out about Bitcoin in 2013. That was a time when people would enthusiastically spend bitcon on coffee or pizza. And now the irony is, people don’t want to spend their bitcoin! And at Lolli, you’re in the business of getting people to spend fiat, and earning bitcoin in return. Funny contrast from the time you first found out about bitcoin, isn’t it?
It’s a really cool contrast. It’s also kind of questioning everything, right? Reading the original white paper of Bitcoin was incredibly inspiring for me, and what I think it will eventually do. But it was a hypothetical of a future world where we lived on a bitcoin standard, and people were able to pay for things with bitcoin – we don’t live in that world.
My extrapolative interpretation of the Bitcoin paper was very different from most people, where it was like, “How do we get there? How do we fill in the gaps?” I think a lot about behavioral psychology and behavioral economics, and how do you study what people are doing every day? And then how do you get somebody to change their behavior? It’s incredibly difficult.
Before we started Lolli, there were no bitcoin rewards companies. It was just people buying bitcoin as an investment. And so I was like, if you’re just doing it as buying, and you’re just doing it as payments, no one wants to pay with something that’s going up.
Like, you’re not going in paying with your Apple stock, right? You’re buying Apple stock, you’re holding it, because it’s life changing and hypothetically, it will go up as the market goes up, and you’re making an investment. No one thinks to use that as a payment mechanism. That’s how everybody was thinking about Bitcoin for most of the time.
There was no business case for merchant payments, so I was powering a lot of these cashback rewards coupon companies, with my last company being a buy button technology. I was listening to their problems and also listened to a lot of their successes.
Wait you mentioned this before, so I have to ask: what does it mean to be the inventor of … buy button?
My co-founder, Matt Senter, and I were the creators of the first dynamic buy button, and PayPal created a payments button that lets you pay on a merchant site. But my definition of a buy button – I think most people’s definition of a buy button – is being able to buy anywhere. In order to do that, you needed to create an abstraction of that payment outside of the site. PayPal never did that, no one ever did that. What we did is … we created that. For the first time, a merchant through APIs could create a direct connection into their back end and sell an actual product backed by actual inventory outside of their site. That was what we really created.
Also, keep in mind this is 2011. Now, buy buttons are everywhere. But before Instagram, Pinterest, Google, nobody was buying outside of each other’s sites, right?
Alright, since we talked a lot about Bitcoin and also mentioned the white paper … a hard question for you: Who’s Satoshi?
Who invented Bitcoin is a controversial and complex question. To be honest, I like this idea that it doesn’t matter who made it as long as that wallet never moves. I think that there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there of “Who did it? Why did they do it?” So far, that wallet hasn’t moved in a very long time. And it doesn’t quite matter because proof-of-work is working, it’s just an incredibly distributed network of miners and nodes and everything. The best part is that we don’t know who Satoshi is. And it doesn’t matter at this point who he is or who they are.
I have my theories, but I think those theories matter very little of who it would possibly be. And what they actually created and put out in the world was this near-perfect financial system and the start of a revolution of data and money.
It would be an absolute chaos if those Satoshi wallets suddenly moved one day though, right? Like, the worst day in crypto kind of situation.
It would probably be pretty crazy if someone moved those wallets. It’s always interesting to kind of think in hypotheticals, like what would happen? It’s fascinating, but I think it’s for the best that no one touches it and it doesn’t move.
Okay before Bitcoin and before that long journey in e-commerce, a long time ago, you worked as a cook, didn’t you? Crypto and food are my two passions, so I’m gonna have to ask you for some culinary “alpha leak” as a former kitchen professional.
Oh my god, I love cooking! It’s my favorite pastime. I love throwing dinner parties. My first job, when I was 13 and a half, was as a cook – my first real job. I was building software on the side. But my parents were like, “Okay, go get a real job at a restaurant”. And yeah, I started working as a cook and had a really good time, learned a lot about cooking. My family really loves cooking and it was a really cool experience.
Let’s see, some alpha … I’m not typically a cookbook person, but I got a really good cookbook that I’ve learned a lot from, it’s “The Food Lab” by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt. It’s very digestible – no pun intended – molecular gastronomy. It teaches you the science of cooking, which gives you this really good understanding of everything. It teaches you the basics of where proteins break down, and how to cook eggs and mother sauces.
I think it teaches you the basics, so that you can extrapolate into other things and get really comfortable in the kitchen. Because once you know the science of cooking, I think it makes all cooking and sort of the experimentation behind cooking really easy. Thank you for asking that! What do you like to cook?
Oh, I mostly cook Turkish stuff – I’m originally from Turkey – and I also like Asian stuff like Thai or Sichuanese. And also lots of French classics.
Turkish food – amazing. Too late in my life, I learned and started to enjoy Turkish breakfast!
And in Thailand of all places! There was this Turkish family that opened up an incredible Turkish restaurant outside in Phuket, and I had been eating Thai food for two weeks. This place was highly reviewed randomly, I went there and just had one of the best meals in my life. And then the people there were so kind and so friendly. Their Turkish family was visiting, it was just a really cool, communal event. And I was like, “Oh, wow, I have to get into Turkish food.” So now I’ll go and I’ll seek out Turkish breakfast if I see a good spot.
That’s amazing. So an American trying Turkish food in Thailand. That’s globalization for you, right?
Exactly. Yeah, it’s pretty crazy.
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RBI rolls back norms for deposit of old notes by KYC customers
By MEHER ONISA : 21-Dec-2016
New Delhi: On the 43rd day of Demonetisation, the Reserve Bank of India sends its 60th Notification on Wednesday about its restrictions on deposits of over 5000 rupees.
The fresh notification mounted anger among the masses because the already complicated banking process has turned more and more complex to be understood by the commoners spending their time in the queues.
The previous notification issued as on December 19 allowed deposit of over 5000 rupees in bank accounts by the people provided they had furnished a “satisfactory explanation” to the bank official.
The RBI’s Wednesday’s rollback makes an exception for fully KYC complaints. It means that customers without fully compliant KYC norms will require submitting a “satisfactory explanation”.
KYC, ‘Know Your Customer’, is a process through which banks acquire data about the identity of its customers holding accounts for safety measures. A copy proof of identity along with the residential address proof in the form of Aadhar Card, driving license, and Voters ID Card, Passport or Pan Card have to be attested for account verification.
The irritated people questions as to why they had to provide explanation for depositing their own surplus money. They express legitimate reasons for delaying their deposits till the last week of December. They also had recalled PM Modi’s promise made on November 8 during his TV address to the public saying that the deposits could be made till December 30.
Yogendra Yadav mentioned the new order of the RBI as an unfair and stupid one that is actually eroding the credibility of the RBI.
The recurring decisions taken by the Centre is adding confusion in the modes of digital payments or point of sales (PoS).
The government sources stressed that cash payment of wages have not stopped even after the government has passed its ordinance to approve the payment of wages electronically.


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A city committee is set to discuss a single-use item reduction strategy that would increase the price of paper bags and new reusable bags in an effort to encourage less waste.
The proposed statute would require Calgary businesses to charge a minimum fee of $0.15 for paper shopping bags, $1 for new reusable shopping bags, and ensure their paper bags contain at least 40 percent of recycled materials. There would be a second price increase a year after the statute took effect, raising costs to a minimum of $0.25 for paper bags and $2 for new reusable bags.
The strategy would also implement a “per order” requirement for all food items such as straws, stir sticks, utensils and toothpicks, regardless of their material. This would also include prepackaged condiments and napkins.
Earl Richard Pootmans said he looks forward to the community development committee’s discussion of the strategy during Tuesday’s meeting.
“Mixed feelings, but I think it’s probably the right direction,” Pootmans said Monday.
He said that many people have already changed their habits to carry reusable bags when they go to the supermarket. He wants more information from the city administration on how the federal government’s plastic ban would work with the proposed local statute.
the recommendation to committee by the city administration comes after the federal government has approved a ban on many single-use plastic items. By the end of this year, companies will be banned from importing or manufacturing plastic bags, takeaway containers and four other categories of plastic.
A waste composition study completed in Calgary in 2019 found that approximately 3.5 million plastic shopping bags, 6.4 million plastic utensils, 2.4 million takeout containers and 2.4 million Disposable cups are disposed of in the residential and commercial trash streams each week.
With a ban on plastic items at the federal level, the proposed statute in Calgary would focus instead on the reduction and substitution of single-use plastic items that will occur.
“The focus is on reducing waste from single-use items regardless of composition, not simply replacing single-use plastic items with single-use items made from other materials (even if recyclable or compostable),” he says. the city administration report. .
According to a waste reduction survey conducted by the city in 2021 and 2022, 91% of Calgarians believe the city should play a role in reducing waste from single-use items, through education, the disclosure and development of regulations for companies.
The waste reduction survey indicated that 87 percent of Calgarians bring their own shopping bags to the grocery store all or most of the time.
The city administration report says that promoting reusable products, reducing the use of single-use products of any material, and ensuring the lowest impact end-of-life scenario will reduce Calgary’s environmental footprint.
Earl Jennifer Wyness said the proposal feels like a “clickbait policy” that the federal government has already initiated.
“We have Co-op that has come up with a compostable bag and we would be penalizing that innovation,” Wyness said. “What is the problem we are trying to solve and how are we incentivizing innovation? I don’t think this will.”
If the strategy is approved, the city’s waste and recycling services will work with the engagement team and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) to better understand how the city can support the transition and address concerns.
“Given that the federal government has the most power to really make a change in Canada, and that companies are already adapting and making changes in this field, I feel like some of the ideas here are not solutions,” Wyness said.
“What are we achieving? What we are doing when we start adding fees to these exchanges is increasing the profit margins of corporations. How do we make sure we’re not just incentivizing more profits for companies?”
Angela McIntyre of the Calgary Climate Hub said the group supports policy decisions on waste reduction like this.
He added, however, that this strategy on single-use items seems hackneyed compared to the much larger environmental impacts of other city decisions, such as suburban expansion, especially after the current city council declared a state of emergency. climate.
Canada bans making and importing ‘harmful’ single-use plastics from December
Council approves five new communities as critics raise climate concerns
Regulation or innovation? City seeks to reduce single-use plastic waste
Robert Tremblay, also of the Calgary Climate Hub, said it’s good for the environment and climate that the city encourages less shopping bag and food waste.
“It seems short-sighted to change one single-use thing to another single-use thing, so I think it’s good to focus on moving towards a circular economy model rather than just swapping plastics for paper,” he said.
“It is important to reduce our use of landfills. Using reusable shopping bags makes a lot of sense.”
from Edmonton the city council is in talks about a similar statute that would see the minimum price for paper bags rise to $0.25 and reusable bags to $2, with an exemption for charities. If approved by the council, the charter would take effect in July 2023.
The statute in Edmonton would also require restaurants to serve beverages in reusable cups for dinner service and create policies for handling reusable tableware. A public hearing on the proposed statute is scheduled for October.
In an effort to reduce the impact Calgary’s proposed statute could have, the city administration says charities would be exempt from bag fees, stores would be encouraged to accept bag donations for a bag program shared and the city would look for a free reusable bag. system for low-income locals.
If the strategy is approved by the Calgary community development committee, it would go to the council for a final vote at the next combined meeting. The statute would take effect in early 2024 if approved by the council.
— With files from Michael Rodriguez


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Amazon selected New York City and Arlington, Virginia, as the locations for the company’s new headquarters. In addition, the company also selected Nashville, Tennessee, for its new Center of Excellence for its operations.
According to company officials, the company will invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters locations, with more than 25,000 employees each in New York City and Arlington. The new locations will join Seattle as the company’s three headquarters in North America.
In addition, Amazon announced it selected Nashville for a new Center of Excellence for its Operations business, which is responsible for the company’s customer fulfillment, transportation, supply chain, and other similar activities. The Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville will create more than 5,000 jobs.
The new Washington, D.C. metro headquarters in Arlington will be located in National Landing, and the New York City headquarters will be located in the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens.
“We are excited to build new headquarters in New York City and Northern Virginia,” said Jeff Bezos, founder & CEO of Amazon. “These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come. The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities.”
As an incentive for its New York facility, Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of $1.525 billion based on the company creating 25,000 jobs in Long Island City. This includes a refundable tax credit through the New York State Excelsior Program of up to $1.2 billion calculated as a percentage of the salaries Amazon expects to pay employees over the next 10 years, which equates to $48,000 per job for 25,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000; and a cash grant from Empire State Development of $325 million based on the square footage of buildings occupied in the next 10 years. Amazon will receive these incentives over the next decade based on the incremental jobs it creates each year and as it reaches building occupancy targets. The company will separately apply for as-of-right incentives including New York City’s Industrial & Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) and New York City’s Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP).
The community will benefit from New York City providing funding through a Payment In Lieu Of Tax program based on Amazon’s property taxes on a portion of the development site to fund community infrastructure improvements.
In Virginia, National Landing is an urban community in Northern Virginia located less than 3 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of $573 million based on the company creating 25,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Arlington. This includes a workforce cash grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia of up to $550 million based on $22,000 for each job created over the next 12 years. Amazon will only receive this incentive if it creates the forecasted high-paying jobs. The company will also receive a cash grant from Arlington of $23 million over 15 years based on the incremental growth of the existing local Transient Occupancy Tax, a tax on hotel rooms.
Amazon’s new Operations Center of Excellence will be located in downtown Nashville. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of up to $102 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Nashville. This includes a cash grant for capital expenditures from the state of Tennessee of $65 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs over the next 7 years, which is equivalent to $13,000 per job; a cash grant from the city of Nashville of up to $15 million based on $500 for each job created over the next 7 years; and a job tax credit to offset franchise and excise taxes from the state of Tennessee of $21.7 million based on $4,500 per new job over the next 7 years.


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A Lichfield supermarket celebrated its 25th anniversary with a day of celebrations.
Customers at Midlands Co-operative’s Boley Park store were treated to entertainment by a Clarinet Ensemble from the band of the West Midlands Fire Service, free face painting, a colouring competition and balloon modeller for children, food tastings, product giveaways and 80s staff fancy dress to turn back time to the store’s first year.
Local community groups also had the opportunity to enter a competition to win one of twenty-five, £50 cash donations and customers also benefited from £4 off their first £20 spent on shopping.
Store manager Gary Brooks said:
“The team worked very hard to make sure everything everyone enjoyed the day and that all customers received a great service and shopping experience. We had a fantastic turn out and people gave us very positive feedback on the store’s new look, light and airy feel and how convenient it is to shop at the store. Some of them have been Midlands Co-operative customers for 25 years and it was great to hear their stories and give them something back.
“We are encouraging community groups to continue entering our free prize draw which will see 25 groups winning one of the £50 cash donations. Entry forms will be available in-store and the offer closes on Tuesday November 17.”
The store has been completely remodelled following a £600,000 refurbishment. Improvements were made to the in-store bakery operation so baking is visible to customers, and to the café which has been given a full makeover. All the tea, coffee and hot chocolate now served in the café are Fairtrade. The store recently gained the ‘highly commended’ award in the Fairtrade category of the Lichfield Chamber of Trade and Commerce Awards which was voted by local shoppers.
As well as being the store’s anniversary, the fun day also marked the imminent retirement of the store’s original manager who opened it in 1984. Since then Pete Whitmore has progressed his way through the ranks to become the Head of Food Operations in Retail at Midlands Co-operative Society and will be retiring October 30.


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Pubs are planning to pump in artificial scents to mask the smell of stale beer, sweat and drains that used to be disguised by cigarettes before the smoking ban.
The aromas of ocean breezes and freshly cut grass are being tested by Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), which manages 2,000 pubs in Britain. The group is even considering a perfume that smells of tobacco smoke.
— Read the rest in Make mine a pint of Chanel, landlord in today's UK Times Online.
Not content with flogging us their albums, their films and even their wardrobe cast-offs, celebrities are tapping into that most personal of attributes – smell – to get their fans to part with even more cash. The launch of a new perfume this week by Kate Moss kick-starts a rash of celebrity scents. Coleen McLoughlin's eponymous perfume goes on sale next week.
— From a rundown on the latest celebrity fragrance releases in The Independent. Thanks to Ruth for the link!
I read The Independent article through a link on MUA. Sounds like all marketing is to the “ever younger” fan, and the competetive rush is fierce! Certainly seems as if there's no time for quality at all, not that anyone seems to mind as long as it sells. Interesting about the pub scents – what to make over developement of a perfume that smells like cigarettes!
They could just pipe in Caron Tabac Blonde
Thanks for providing the link, Robin. Interesting article. Is it just me, or did the writer of that article sounds about as weary as I am about the gazillion Celebrity fragrances as I am?
Well you know, by now there have also been a gazillion celebrity scent roundups in the press…they've got to be sick of writing these!
Piped-in scent? *appalled* This is so wrong. I'll take the stale beer and sweat and yearn for the cigarette smoke. It's a bar, people. If you need fresh air, step outside.
Fresh cut grass seems all wrong in a pub, doesn't it? Ocean breeze isn't much better.
Sounds like a job for Christopher Brosius… CB Experience: Pub Crawl (apologies to Mr. Brosius if you are reading this).
LOL – so true!