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Why are diet-soda sales tumbling two to three times faster than sales of sugary fizzy drinks in America? Could be thanks to a supersize helping of negative news, as more and more reports uncap the facts that no-calorie sweeteners may not help your diet and instead could boost your risk for diabetes, heart disease and extra pounds.
No wonder one major soda maker has gone on the defensive, recently airing new ads touting calorie-free cola as an ally in the battle of the bulge. If your enthusiasm for artificial sweeteners has gone flat or if you're worried about mounting evidence that this phony sweet has downsides, you're not alone. (And BTW, you can quit. Dr. Mike quit his huge diet-cola habit cold turkey three years ago, switching to coffee, caffeinated water and plain water to wet his whistle.)
On the surface, diet sodas look like a dream come true. Flavor and fizz, without all that high- fructose corn syrup and calories. The Food and Drug Administration has approved six non-nutritive sweeteners for use in foods and drinks — aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), neotame (used in commercial food products), saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin), a stevia extract called rebaudioside A (Truvia, PureVia) and sucralose (Splenda, Nevella).
Yet even with FDA approval, conflicting and often-bothersome research about calorie-free sweeteners keeps bubbling to the surface. The latest? Evidence from human studies shows that artificially sweetened drinks are associated with weight gain in adults and teens, and raise risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Some data even suggest that these zero-calorie sips could double the risk for metabolic syndrome, a huge risk factor for diabetes and heart disease. Other recent reports show consumption is linked to higher rates of depression. And in one study, people who drank diet sodas had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference over a few years compared to those who skipped soft drinks.
One reason diet sodas may backfire in an overall diet is that it's easy to justify rewarding yourself with a cookie or fries or a second slice of pizza because you've eliminated hundreds of calories by choosing diet beverages over regular drinks. That's called compensation. And to be fair, it doesn't always happen.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Dr. Michael Roizen is chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. For more information go to www.sharecare.com.


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Dow Chemical raising prices due to energy
It supplies many industries, and they'll likely pass the increases on to consumers.
Better start stocking up on diapers and detergent.
Consumers hit hard in recent months by sharply higher prices for gasoline and food should prepare to start paying more for household items that contain ingredients from the Dow Chemical Co.
The Midland, Mich., company announced yesterday a price increase of up to 20 percent, starting Sunday, to offset the soaring cost of energy.
The company took the unusual step of directing blame at the nation's energy policymakers.
"For years, Washington has failed to address the issue of rising energy costs and, as a result, the country now faces a true energy crisis, one that is causing serious harm to America's manufacturing sector and all consumers of energy," Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical's chairman and chief executive officer, said.
Dow Chemical's spiraling costs are "forcing difficult discussions with customers," he said.
The company supplies a broad swath of industries, including agriculture, appliances, automotive, building and construction, furniture, health care, housewares, paints, processed foods, and textiles/carpeting. Any sizable price jumps would likely affect almost all of them.
The price increases will be based on a product's exposure to rising costs. Dow said that it spent $8 billion on energy and hydrocarbon-based feedstock, or raw materials, in 2002, and that the expense could climb to $32 billion this year.
The company reported in April a 3 percent drop in quarterly earnings amid a 42 percent jump in energy and raw-materials costs.
Its profit margin - net income as a percentage of sales - shrank from 9.8 percent in 2005 to 7.6 percent in 2006, and to 5.4 percent last year.
Kevin McCarthy, a Banc of America Securities L.L.C. analyst, said in a note to investors that there was "a growing unwillingness among chemical producers to function as an energy shock absorber."
Price increases from major suppliers significantly affect the cost of manufacturing, said Angie Chaplin, a spokeswoman for Solo Cup Co. The Highland Park, Ill., company is a customer of Dow Chemical.
Companies and entire industries are looking for ways to share increases in the cost of doing business, said Mark Stephenson, a spokesman for chemical giant BASF Corp., of Florham Park, N.J.
Another competitor, Rohm & Haas Co., of Philadelphia, announced April 29 that, beginning this month, it would apply an indexed raw-materials and energy surcharge to products made by its Specialty Materials businesses.
The American Chemistry Council wants new supplies of natural gas - used by its members to heat and power their facilities and as a raw material - brought to market by opening access to supplies that are currently off-limits.
Dow shares rose 60 cents to close at $40.83 in trading yesterday.

domain: news


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From the WebMD Archives
By Robert Preidt
TUESDAY, March 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — High levels of harmful bacteria found in many raw meat dog foods may be dangerous for more than just Fido, a new study suggests.
Not only can these foods put a dog at risk, but people who live with that dog, particularly the elderly, young and immunocompromised, are vulnerable, scientists say.
“This research offers further compelling evidence to support vets’ concerns about the potential animal and public health risks associated with feeding pets a raw meat-based diet,” said veterinarian Dr. Daniella Dos Santos. She is junior vice president of the British Veterinary Association.
“Bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella can cause significant gastrointestinal disease in animals,” Dos Santos explained.
“Pets can also shed potentially harmful pathogens present in raw food into their environment, so there is a risk to owners both in handling the food and coming into contact with the animal. Pet owners who choose to feed a raw food diet should be aware of the potential health risks and take full precautions while storing and handling the food,” she warned.
Raw meat-based diets have become popular for dogs in recent years. Unlike commercial dog foods, raw meat products are not heat-treated or freeze-dried to pasteurize their contents.
Researchers led by Dr. Ingrid Hansson, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden, analyzed samples from 60 packs of raw meat products for dogs. The food came from 10 different manufacturers in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany or England. The products contained either uncooked meat and/or edible bones and/or organs from cattle, chicken, lamb, turkeys, pigs, ducks, reindeer or salmon.
The samples were checked for bacteria that could potentially pose a health risk to animals and people: Enterobacteriaceae species; Clostridium perfringens, salmonella and campylobacter species.
All 60 samples contained Enterobacteriaceae species, which are indicators of fecal contamination. Levels varied, but 31 (52 percent) of the samples had levels above the European Union (EU) maximum of 5,000 bacteria per gram.
Most of the species detected in the samples are not known to cause infection, but E. coli — found in a third of the samples — does produce infection.
Another marker of fecal contamination and hygiene standards, C. perfringens, was found in 18 samples (30 percent). Two of the samples exceeded the maximum limits set by Swedish guidelines.
Salmonella and campylobacter bacteria can be passed from animals to people and cause infection. EU regulations don’t permit salmonella in any animal food.
But the researchers found salmonella in four (7 percent) of the samples, and campylobacter species were found in three samples from three different manufacturers.
The study was published online March 4 in the journal Vet Record.
Raw meat dog food should be: kept frozen until use, and thawed at 50 degrees Fahrenheit; kept separate from other food; and handled with separate kitchen equipment or with equipment that is washed thoroughly after use, the researchers advised.
Never let dogs lick people’s faces immediately after they eat raw meat dog food. Also, don’t give dogs raw meat products it they’re being given antibiotics, because this could increase the risk of antibiotic resistance.
“Dogs in families with infants, elderly people or immunocompromised individuals should also not be fed [raw meat products], as these groups are more susceptible to infections,” Hansson’s team wrote.
The British Veterinary Association also does not recommend making a raw food diet at home without veterinary guidance due to the potential for nutritional deficiencies in homemade diets, Dos Santos said.
“We would advise any owner wanting to try a raw meat-based diet for their pet to first consult a veterinary surgeon,” she said in a journal news release.


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Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi damages down retail supplies as well as the economic influence coronavirus is carrying retail business.
#coronavirus #COVID -19 #retail
Sign Up For Yahoo Finance: https://yhoo.it/2fGu5Bb
Regarding Yahoo Finance:
At Yahoo Finance, you break out supply quotes, updated information, profile monitoring sources, worldwide market information, social communication as well as home mortgage prices that aid you handle your economic life.
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Microsoft's software launch line-up for the next generation Xbox will reportedly include Kinect project Ryse and a new Forza game.
The game hasn't been shown since, although Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli told us last year that it's one of his "personal darlings so it's going to be rock-solid and strong".
According to The Verge's sources, "Ryse is designed to be Microsoft's new Gears of War / Halo mega launch title", with the game taking advantage of body tracking improvements featured in the next generation Kinect sensor.
A zombie game and a family-friendly title set on an island with Pixar movie-style graphics will also make up a small part of the software available for the console on day one, it's claimed.
The Verge was also told that the new Forza game will boast "super life-like" graphics, and that the aforementioned family title will use Kinect to scan a body and generate a virtual character in-game.
Additionally, the site claims that third-party software support in the FPS genre is strong, and that Microsoft intends to ditch Xbox Live's Microsoft Points for real money currency transactions.
It was recently reported that Microsoft will hold a reveal event for the next Xbox on May 21.


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All posts tagged "Events"
Narikiri World Event Announced for October 2022October 1, 2022
Bandai announced the Narikiri World event where various henshin items and role play toys from series...
Tsuburaya Exhibition 2022 Taking Place at Miyazaki Art CenterJanuary 12, 2022
On December 24, Tsuburaya Productions announced that Tsuburaya Exhibition 2022 will be held at the Miyazaki...
Ultraman Connection Live Featuring Dyna and Gaia Tickets Go on SaleNovember 11, 2021
On Nov. 9, 2021, Tsuburaya Productions began selling tickets for the latest Ultraman Connection Live alongside...
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It’s been a tough week (year?) for Gawker Media. Earlier this week, a former female writer took to Medium to slam the blog publisher’s treatment of its female employees. Today brought news that Gawker would be focusing on politics, letting four go in the process, and that the company would fold several of its verticals.
Gawker co-founder Nick Denton and top editor John Cook put out memos explaining the changes. They said that Gawker.com, which has its roots in publishing flame-throwing media gossip, would be doubling down on politics. Women-focused Jezebel also would be refocusing, onto celebrity and pop culture fare, with two staffers leaving as a result. More broadly, Gawker Media will be shutting down many of its subsites like Gawker’s The Vane and Jalopnik’s Flight Club, saying they’ve caused editorial confusion.
The company also will be shelving plans to license Kinja, its troubled publishing technology backbone and will just use it for in-house operations. And there will be belt-tightening.
There has been other upheaval at the company. Executives including Andrew Gorenstein, Gawker Media’s president of advertising and partnerships; and Erin Pettigrew, who built Gawker Media’s e-commerce and direct-response business, have left.
Gawker.com’s new political direction drew skepticism from Twitter, including from ex-Gawker staffers including Ana Marie Cox, founder of former Gawker political blog Wonkette; and Gawker.com co-founder Elizabeth Spiers.
Gawker, but for politics? Will never work. https://t.co/X8QrIrTIoE
— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) November 17, 2015
— Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers) November 17, 2015
One obvious problem with Gawker's new politics focus: Its lack of a DC presence https://t.co/dniybvxQQ2
— Corbin Hiar (@CorbinHiar) November 17, 2015
The narrowed focus may be an about-face for Gawker, which had long embraced the idea of using Kinja to democratize blogging, but its time was coming. Denton has long taken pride in Gawker’s status as an independent publisher, but today’s developments show that going it alone comes at a cost. The company has grown traffic in the past year, but it lags in comparison to its VC-soaked competitors including Mashable and Business Insider, which have expanded much faster. The middle is a hard place to be in today’s digital media economy, where many advertisers are obsessed with reaching as big an audience as possible (and preferably not one with Gawker’s brand safety issues).
It’s a snap back to reality for Gawker, which recently moved into its airy, new headquarters near Union Square. The company’s been roiled by its costly lawsuit against Hulk Hogan, and it was pilloried in the public when it published an exposé of a Condé Nast executive’s private life. That led to Denton saying it was time for a kinder, gentler Gawker. Is Kinja, long a thorn in Denton’s side, next to go?
Publishers report Q1 ad revenue is pacing 10-25% behind forecasts
Publishers are facing a slow start to Q1 and sales teams have a lot of work to do to regain lost time.
WTF is cookie stuffing?
Fraud is a well-documented pox on digital advertising, but it’s also an issue for publishers and marketers working together on affiliate marketing deals, too. One of the more tried-and-true techniques is cookie stuffing.
Bloomberg, Axios, Politico, other business publishers rethink subscriber retention during the economic downturn
Premium publishers, like POLITICO, Axios and Bloomberg, have to make sure their fees are still considered a necessity as readers recalculate their spending and companies recalculate their expense budgets.
SponsoredHow ad tech is tackling waste by optimizing supply chains
Sponsored by Bidtellect The programmatic and digital advertising industry is well aware of the inefficiencies in buying and selling — from auction duplication and volume bias to multi-integrations and reselling — but how did it get this out of control? How can we fix it? A redundant, multiple-step process to ad delivery has become the norm, […]
Why Vice, BBC, WaPo, others see new TikTok teams as the next wave of specialist publishing talent
As news publishers craft their TikTok strategies, Digiday spoke with the BBC, Vice, The Washington Post and LADbible to see who’s really behind the posts.
Digiday+ Research deep dive: Publishers anticipate a big drop in ad revenue this year
Digiday's survey found that publishers are not feeling great about advertising revenue as 2023 kicks off, with attitudes toward subscriptions and e-commerce shifting as well.


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NEW YORK Considering the magazine-heavy resume of The Daily Beast founder Tina Brown, it stands to reason the Web publisher would take her cues from that world. But rather than adopt the banner, the most magazine-like Internet ad format, the IAC-owned Daily Beast has sworn off "traditional" Web ads in favor of custom executions.
"[Banners] are small and standard, and have been in exactly the same place for so many years it's an easy user behavior to ignore them," said Caroline Marks, gm of The Daily Beast, which launched nearly eight months ago. "We felt the need to challenge the existing product set and look for new products to help advertisers leverage the benefits of interactivity."
The Daily Beast is not alone. Several other Web publishers, particularly in social media -- including Facebook and Digg -- are moving away from a reliance on typical display ads  and pricing methods as the linchpins of their ad efforts.
Instead, they're rolling out unique units and pricing systems, betting advertisers will find custom campaigns worth the extra time and effort.
At The Daily Beast, that's meant taking advertising from the periphery of banners and mixing it more closely with content. The site runs "sponsored stories," such as a Paramount campaign that included a Q&A with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button actress Taraji P. Henson. Luxury brand Bottega Veneta ran "breakthrough" ads with product shots plopped in the middle of stories. This week, the site is launching its latest ad twist, a two-week push with British Airways that puts the headlines of the site's most recent posts inside a BA "New Arrivals" unit.
"Being able to work with the site to develop something that's a combination of utility and advertising, you don't get that all that often," said Paras Shah, account director for the BA business at Agency.com.
The crisis of confidence in the banner comes nearly seven years after the industry settled on a set of standard formats. At the time, the Interactive Advertising Bureau's "universal ad package" was seen as a critical step forward in attracting ad dollars to the Web. Yet the flip side of standardization is commoditization: banners became interchangeable and are often sold like "pork bellies," in then-Yahoo ad sales chief Wenda Harris Millard's famous formulation. What's more, users have trained themselves to ignore ad units on the periphery. A .5 percent click-through rate is judged a resounding success.
The response rates in online social media have, in many cases, been even lower. There isn't much lingering over content on a site like Facebook or Twitter. The uneasy fit of banners with regular editorial content is downright antithetical to channels defined by users who scroll through streams of content commenting and rating, and who are attracted to the stream of constantly updated information in the middle of the page. The banner ad, meant to mimic the effect of flipping the page of a magazine, is a fish out of water there.
That's why Facebook outsourced its banner ads to Microsoft, and now concentrates its ad efforts around what it calls "engagement ads." They take advertiser content and enable it with the rating, commenting and sharing features of other site content.
Social news site Digg takes a similar approach. It places ads into that stream of content rather than in the margins in standard ad units. Last week, it unveiled plans for its first ad product, Digg Ads, which aims to flow advertiser content into the Digg experience more naturally. Rather than standard IAB units, Digg Ads take the form of stories users can vote on, as they do with the site's other content.
"We need to find ways for brands to borrow the grammar of the [user] experience," said Chas Edwards, the chief revenue officer at Digg. "There's a limited set of publishers large enough to make the case for a unique ad format."
Digg is using those user votes to determine the price advertisers pay. The more "Diggs," the less advertisers will need to pay for impressions. This is the same approach taken by the Internet's most successful advertising innovation, Google's search ad system, which sets the price paid based on the click rate for particular ads. A popular ad pays less than an unpopular placement.
The advantage of Digg Ads: they're easy to make. Customized ads, in general, have be-come easier to produce. Standardized ad formats have the advantage of letting agencies create one set of ads that run nearly everywhere. Now, agencies are getting smarter about the production process, breaking ads down into creative assets that can be assembled into varying formats with minimal tweaking.
Meebo, a group chat service, has decided to run custom-size units that better fit their environment. Meebo has a standard 728 x 90 ad that expands to a non-standard 900 x 400 placement when users click.
Like Digg, Meebo is veering from standard pricing formats. It sells its ads on a CPM basis, but it's also moving to price based on engagement. The rationale is ads on Meebo, a site that typically has long user sessions, draw more user interaction than typical social sites.
"With the Web awash in ad impressions, there's a need to stand out in the market," said Martin Green, COO at Meebo. "There's a growing number of impressions without any interaction, so the price is dropping to zero. Actions are harder to come by than impressions."
For now, the experimentation with non-standard formats and pricing will remain the exception, said Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus. He noted while it makes sense to build ad products around engagement since that's what advertisers want from those platforms, the ad industry infrastructure is based around standard display ads with impression-based pricing.
"It's a different mind-set when you're buying engagement-based media than impression-based media," he said. "But right now, most media agencies are buying impression media."


text: Comcast reset the email passwords for about 200,000 of its email users over the weekend. The company changed the passwords after a database of customer information was listed for sale on a dark web marketplace for $1000. The database included 590,000 accounts, most of which were inactive. Only 200,000 accounts from the list were still live. The company has not explained how the data was leaked.


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Dacia launched, mid-October, a new Dacia Duster, an SUV that aims to consolidate the presence of Romania auto builder on the European market. An offspring of the model launched in 2010, the new Duster ends the program of complete renewal of Dacia cars range, that started in March 2012 with Lodgy and continued with the launches for models like Dokker, Dokker Van, Logan, Sandero, Sandero Stepway and Logan MCV.
Dacia became, this way, the youngest European auto family, a performance dramatized within the launch event for new Duster. Dacia owners and fans from all over Europe gathered to welcome in the family the new member, Dacia Duster.
The concept of the event was based on the remarkable performances of Dacia range. We are talking here about a bigger and more diverse family that we could have imagined, one that includes millions of people that chose Dacia and that are, now, an European community. We wished for the family members to be the ones to welcome the new Duster in order to highlight the profoundness and complexity of this group. The scenic solution, a system of mirrors used for the first time for a launch event in Romania, allowed us to bring in front of the public members from all Europe’s corners, from small businessmen from Berlin to actors from Rome, Duster owners from Romania and France or celebrities like Horia Brenciu or Monica Davidescu, that followed with admiration Duster’s evolution
Managing Director Graffiti PR
Launched in a first version in 2010, Duster is one of the most successful Dacia models, with over 450,000 cars sold at international level
The creative idea proposed by Graffiti PR team for the launch of the new Duster convinced us from the very start. The mirrors game, with its multitude of facets, reflected the new image of Dacia’s brand, a dynamic rand, in full offensive on international markets, an admired and loved brand by more and more clients
Chief Communication Department Dacia
The launch event for the new Duster was developed and implemented by an agency-client team including Silviu Sepciu (Chief Communication Department Dacia), Silvana Zeana (Communication Responsible Dacia), Mircea Tomescu (Managing Director Graffiti PR), Bogdan Tomoiaga (Senior PR Consultant, Graffiti PR) and Sergiu Petre (PR Specialist, Graffiti PR).


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Social as a News Source
When asked where they go to read news, business, and lifestyle stories, search engines (79%) and social media (76%) were the top sources according to the results of a recent study published on HubSpot
This has changed dramatically in the last two years: Facebook has seen a 57% increase, Twitter a 25% increase, and LinkedIn a 21% increase in usage for content consumption.
Additionally, Facebook actually drives more traffic to sites than Google. In a report published last year from Parse.ly
an analytics platform serving some of the largest content publishers in the world—Facebook referrals grew dramatically in 2014 and 2015, ultimately sending 3% more referral traffic than the leading search engine.
Excelling in Social Search
The ever-increasing reliance on mobile for purchasing decisions is leading to a change in the way people search online. People are more likely to conduct thorough research online before making a purchase, even if the purchase is made offline. People are also spending more time in social networking apps, making a brand’s social presence critical in ongoing success.
To excel in social search, brands need to do more than just grow likes—they need to build social communities:
- Encouraging customers to review products may be effective if Facebook social search takes off. Search results will be combined with reviews and comments from individuals in a searcher’s network, increasing brand/product visibility and credibility.
- Utilization of social broadcast tools like Facebook Live will help to create an active social community, as will taking the time to provide customer service on social media.
Keep in mind that consumers have high expectations when it comes to social media interactions. Almost half of people who send complaints via social media expect a response within an hour
meaning that brands will have to be really dedicated to the platform in order to be successful.
Social Search as the New SEO
As people turn more often to social networks for content—be it news content, product information, or purchase recommendations—brands that have taken the time to build active social communities, share quality content on social networks, and provide exceptional customer service will continue to drive quality traffic that’s more likely to engage and convert.
Social is a marketing powerhouse: it drives content consumption, enables expanded distribution, and connects content with reviews and recommendations from trusted sources. Businesses who maintain active and useful social communities will be one step ahead as we approach the social tipping point where an evolved, interactive search process is preferred.


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The U.S. District Court in New York this week rejected the companies' request to base the amount of money paid to songwriters and music publishers on revenue directly attributable to music uses. Instead, the court said members of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) are entitled to a rate based on a formula in which gross Web site revenue is multiplied by the portion of Web site activity that is music-intensive.
The Digital Media Association, the trade group representing the three companies, said Friday it did not dispute that Internet companies should pay fair royalties. "We are disappointed, however, that the court ruled that online services' royalties should be based in part on service-wide revenue, not simply on revenue directly attributable to music usage," Jonathan Potter, executive director of DiMA said in a statement.
DiMA said it is studying the court's 153-page decision, and the only certainty is that the rate formula would require several weeks of consideration, including possible court hearings, before its impact is known. DiMA has posted the ruling on its Web site.
ASCAP said the decision covers license fees for periods starting July 1, 2002, and continuing through Dec. 31, 2009. The organization estimated that the court's formula would lead to a total payment of $100 million from the three companies. The case involves songwriters and music publishers only. Record companies are not a party.
"The court's finding represents a major step toward proper valuation of the music contributions of songwriters, composers, and publishers to these types of online businesses -- many of which have built much of their success on the foundation of the creative works of others," Marilyn Bergman, president and chairman of ASCAP, said in a statement.
Content providers are seeking a bigger share of the growing streaming video and music market, which will generate $70 billion over the next six years, according to Insight Research. That number, however, could be much higher, if per-stream costs decrease faster than expected, or consumers accept Internet TV sooner than predicted, or 3G delivery takes off more quickly than forecast.


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A frack job used 4.5 million gallons, of which a amount approximately 10 to 40 percent flows back to the surface as toxic water.
Waste generated by animal agriculture in the US has polluted over 35,000 miles of river in 22 states.
On average, one apple has a water footprint of 33 gallons.
One pound of cheese has a water footprint of 600 gallons.
One glass of milk has a water footprint of 52 gallons.
The average American throws away 20 pounds of food each month or about two-thirds of a pound per person per day.
A typical chocolate bar has a water footprint of 449 gallons.
One cotton t-shirt has a water footprint of 659 gallons.
It takes 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water.
Nitric oxides are released from farms in large quantities due to manure application and are among the leading causes of acid rain.
73 percent of the Earth's surface water is locked in ice and snow.
65 percent of Americans say that there should be more regulation of fracking for natural gas.
People who water their lawn with an automatic timer use 47 percent more water than those who just use a hose.
One pound of potatoes has a water footprint of 119 gallons.
69 percent of global freshwater is stored in glaciers and ice caps.


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8 March 2023
Key European tourism stakeholders co-sign a Code of Conduct on data sharing in tourism
In a move to respond to the digital transition of the tourism industry, 20 organisations representing the travel and tourism sector at European level agreed to sign a Code of Conduct on data sharing in the tourism sector.
17 February 2023
HOTREC Position paper on Packaging and Packaging Waste
17 January 2023
HOTREC Position paper on the str regulation
6 December 2022
Let’s preserve the status of the real self-employed!
Major industry representatives call for a balanced and proportionate approach on the Platform Workers Directive.
30 November 2022
The coexistence of single and multiple-use packaging in HORECA should be preserved
Brussels, 30 November 2022 - HOTREC, the voice of European hospitality, takes note of the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste.


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Since last March, the guys from Blackmagic Design, released DaVinci Resolve for Apple’s M1 processors, an update that significantly improved performance compared to the version for Intel processors. However, it seems like they weren’t happy with the performance and they just released a new update.
Blackmagic Design just announced the release of DaVinci Resolve version 17.3, an update that the developer claims, increases speed up to 3 times for 4K and 8K editing and recording on Apple ARM processors.
But this is not the only novelty that this new update offers us. In addition to offering greater speed, users of Apple’s M1 processors will be able to eligir whether to prioritize rendering speed or quality. According to the developer, this option will reduce rendering times by up to 65%.
In addition, users of laptops with the M1 processor, according to the company, thanks to this new update it is guaranteed that theThe battery life will be 30% longer than with the previous version.
The DaVinci Resolve app also features 300 new features and enhancements such as the new generation Fairlight audio engine with support for 2,000 audio tracks in real time, HDR grading tools, a redesigned inspector, and metadata clip views in others.
Other features include nNew shapes and more optical control for Resolve FX Mosaic Blur, new rotation controls for FX Keyer garbage mattes, new Farlight audio I / O preference with support for separate I / O sections.
Free version and paid version
DaVinci Resolve offers a free version, a version with a series of limitations that we will not find in DaVinci Resolve Studio, the most complete version that includes hundreds of effects, three-dimensional tools …


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HOUSTON - Yet another robbery at a Radio Shack ended in gunfire Saturday night after a dangerous confrontation between an off-duty police officer and a masked gunman.
The officer, a four-year veteran patrolman identified as S. Gromyko, reportedly was sitting in a back room monitoring security cameras at the Radio Shack on Gessner just north of the Katy Freeway when he saw three men suspicious-looking men wearing hoodies entering the store. So he stepped toward the door of the back room to walk out and investigate.
As soon as he got to that door, he was confronted face-to-face, a matter of inches apart, with a masked male in a hoodie who was pointing a pistol directly at the officer, said Kese Smith, a Houston police spokesman.
The officer fired his pistol, but missed the gunman. All three suspects scattered, two of them running out a back door and one bolting out of the store s entrance, Smith said.
The officer working as a security guard had good reason to be suspicious when he saw those men wearing hoodies. Radio Shack stores in the Houston area have been struck with wave of armed robberies dating back to last year, many of them committed by men wearing similar dark hoodies and masks.
That s insane to me, said Jo Beth Myes, a shopper outside a Radio Shack store in Pearland that was robbed just after Christmas. I mean, who does that? That s crazy!
Investigators believe at least some of the robberies are connected. Surveillance video shot at a Radio Shack in Stafford last week shows a gunman holding a woman behind a cash register at gunpoint as he snatched cash. His clothing looks similar to the outfit worn by the robbers caught on camera last week as they walked into a Radio Shack in Galveston.
The robbers apparently are attracted not only by money, but also by merchandise. The Galveston heist netted the thieves not only about $3500 cash, but also about $15,000 worth of electronics.
The wave of crimes prompted Radio Shack officials to meet with Houston police crime prevention specialists and discuss ways to make the stores less vulnerable to armed robbers. Some stores even have off-duty police officers working as security guards like the Radio Shack on Gessner where gunfire erupted on Saturday night.


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There is a new Congress, and a new bill to exempt premium cigars from regulation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Florida, has introduced H.R. 662, the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2015. The text is identical to H.R. 792, another bill sponsored by Posey.
The aim is to remove “traditional large and premium cigars” from regularly control by FDA. It defines “traditional large and premium cigars” as “means any roll of tobacco that is wrapped in 100 percent leaf tobacco, bunched with 100 percent tobacco filler, contains no filter, tip or non-tobacco mouthpiece, weighs at least 6 pounds per 1,000 count.”
In addition it must either have a 100 percent tobacco leaf binder rolled by hand or placed onto a machine, or a homogenized tobacco leaf binder that is laid by hand onto a machine if the cigar is rolled in the U.S.
Posey was the sponsor of similar proposed legislation in the 112th Congress (H.R. 1639). That bill finished with 220 cosponsors, while H.R. 792 finished with 167 by the time the 113th Congress met for the final time.
According to Kip Talley, senior director of federal legislative affairs for the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR), H.R. 662 already has 34 co-sponsors, including 23 Republicans and 11 Democrats. He also expects the Senate version of the bill to be introduced this week—with similar, if not identical—text to S. 772, the accompanying piece of legislation to H.R. 792.
“IPCPR looks forward to working with our Congressional supporters to ensure the premium cigar industry and small business retailers are not negatively affected by onerous federal regulations,” said Talley in a statement to halfwheel. “This legislation is an important step to protect these businesses and we encourage all retailers, manufacturers, and consumers to contact their Members of a Congress to urge support of this bill.”
When Posey introduced the first two pieces of legislation, the FDA threat was one that had not truly materialized. That changed a little less than a year ago when FDA announced plans for its deeming regulations. In it, FDA proposed two different paths to regulating premium cigars.
Under Option One, it would regulate all cigars similar to how all tobacco products are regulated, this would include costly product compliance that would not only raise the price of cigars, but put an end to many new cigars, as well as many businesses. The FDA itself estimates that up to 50 percent of the cigar industry may not survive Option One. Under Option Two, FDA would exempt “premium cigars” based off of a definition much stricter than the one put forth in congressional legislation. Amongst the requirements for exemption: a $10 retail price, no added flavorings and only “primarily” longfiller cigars.
Public comments on the matter were accepted until last summer. At this time, FDA is reviewing the comments and is expected to put out final rulings sometime in the future, perhaps as early as this summer.
(For more information about the FDA’s proposed regulations for premium cigars, visit our microsite, halfwheel.com/fda)
Update: Added link to the bill.


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AMD Launches Mobile Kaveri APUsby Jarred Walton on June 4, 2014 12:01 AM EST
Introducing AMD's Mobile Kaveri APUs
A couple weeks back, AMD flew us out to San Francisco for a briefing on their upcoming Mobile Kaveri APUs. Along with the briefing, we were given some time to run benchmarks on a prototype Kaveri laptop, though I'll note up front that the laptop isn't intended for retail and is merely a demonstration of performance potential. A funny thing happened about a week after the briefing, which some of you likely saw: AMD's web team accidentally posted all of the specs for the upcoming mobile Kaveri APUs ahead of schedule (for about half a day). We removed our coverage of the Mobile Kaveri APUs when AMD corrected the error, but we might as well jump right into things with the overview of the new mobile APUs.
Kaveri is AMD’s latest generation high-performance APU, and appeared first released on the desktop back in January of this year. We were a bit surprised – perhaps even perplexed – about the desktop first launch, considering AMD's "we're not going after the highest performance CPU market" stance. Then again, AMD-equipped laptops haven't been as strong as Intel-equipped laptops – not that the APUs aren't fast enough, but getting OEM partners to make a compelling AMD laptop seems rather difficult. As the saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." AMD has provided a compelling APU and platform solution for a couple years, but the perception is that AMD platforms are budget platforms, so basically almost every corner gets cut. I'll have more to say on that later, but it's still a major concern in my book. Regardless, since the desktop Kaveri launch we have been eagerly awaiting the release of the mobile incarnation.
The launch has been scheduled for H1 2014 for some time now, and with AMD able to offer significant GPU performance with their APUs coupled with the space benefits of an integrated GPU versus a discrete GPU, it should be an easy sell. Mobile of course is not without its challenges. Power use is paramount, and while AMD has always been able to meet the desired TDPs, there is often the matter of performance tradeoffs required to hit those TDPs. Mobile is also a highly contested market right now; Intel of course has their Bay Trail and Haswell parts, but we're now seeing tablets and ARM-based Chromebooks pushing into AMD territory.
Despite the somewhat questionable decision to launch first on desktop – particularly odd given both Llano and Trinity launched more or less simultaneously on laptops and desktops – it's now time to pull the wrappings off Kaveri for the second time and see what AMD has created. We're now almost exactly a year after the launch of mobile Richland, which was really just a minor tweak of Trinity that launched about two years back. This is the first major architectural upgrade for AMD laptop APUs in two years, and expectations and hopes are high.
Kaveri brings a number of improvements, including the higher performance Steamroller based CPU cores and modern GCN based GPUs. We've previously covered this material, so rather than rehash things on the mobile side I'll simply refer back to the desktop Kaveri launch information. (You can also view the full presentation deck in the above gallery if you're interested.) AMD's Kaveri will be going up against Intel’s existing Haswell products, and this is AMD’s best chance to claw back market share from the Haswell family. Of course AMD has other APUs as well – specifically, Beema/Mullins will target the ultra-low power and tablet markets – but those compete in an even lower price bracket and go up against Intel's Bay Trail offerings. For now, let's start with an overview of the new Mobile Kaveri APUs.
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gdansk - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkSurprisingly decent performance.
shing3232 - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkyep.
basroil - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkDecent? The TDP is twice that of the Intel offerings and it's still slower as a CPU. Mobile gaming might be decent, but we still don't know how the system scales down (could lose performance faster than TDP)
marvee - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkI vaguely remember reading how Intel TDP /= AMD TDP. The crux of the article claimed that Intel TDP represented average consumption, while AMD TDP represented the max theoretical consumption. Anyone familiar with the topic?
Vayra - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkWell, looking at how GT3(e) is set up in Haswell, it seems likely that Intel's TDP measurements are going to be close to the maximum usage as well in any graphical application. The graphics parts will push even cpu usage down if TDP limits are reached there, so...
Gondalf - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkYou are wrong marvee. This is an hold topic of many forums and the problem was solved long time ago. AMD TDP is equal to Intel TDP because "TDP" means a precise thing for OEMs. Go to a simple Wiki page and get a clue.
formulav8 - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkTDP is Thermal Design Power. In other words its not how much wattage it uses, its a guideline that AMD and Intel publish for the system builders.
gngl - Thursday, June 5, 2014 - link"its not how much wattage it uses"
Unless the laws of thermodynamic have changed somehow, I'd expect TDP to put an upper bound on a CPU's power consumption. So, yes, it is about how much wattage it uses in the worst conceivable steady state. (Or isn't?)
kingpin888 - Thursday, June 5, 2014 - linkThe thermal design power (TDP), sometimes called thermal design point, refers to the maximum amount of heat generated by the CPU, which the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate in typical operation
So , no its not.
silverblue - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 - linkIf you can't say anything nice...


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Vetements Pumps have arrived.
French-based brand Vetements has linked up with Reebok for a collaborative new pump sneaker, which was recently unveiled at the Vetements and MATCHESFASHION "Official Fake" capsule collection launch.
The futuristic (for lack of a better term) sneakers forego your traditional lacing system in favor of a sleek, all-white mesh slip-on upper, complete with pump technology and "Left" and "Right" text on either shoe just in case you forget where to put your feet.
The slip-on Vetements Pumps originally dropped exclusively at the Seoul pop-up and retailed for approximately $350, though a stateside release could be on the horizon. Additionally, there is reportedly more Vetements x Reebok products coming in the near future so stay tuned to see what they come out with next.


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Introducing 2017's Top Wine Industry Leaders: Retail Trailblazers
December 01, 2017
When Wine Business Monthly started creating a list of the year’s top wine industry leaders in 2016, we wanted to acknowledge the multitude of leaders shaping and defining the industry today. Creating a list is not an easy feat, as the wine world is full of innovators, incubators and personalities dedicated to moving the industry forward: A leader is someone who makes an impact or shapes how people act or how things occur—an agent of change.
Each year, we spend some time focusing on a few key trends that shaped the wine industry over the last 12 months. To preview the full list, which has been released today, Friday, December 1, we are announcing the leaders in our four trend-based categories, one trend each day.
The retail landscape has changed quite a bit over the last year. The business saw the consolidation of important players and was memorable for Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods, the results of which we are just now starting to see. Retailers have also expanded their private label programs, with Sam’s club and others signaling their intentions to pursue private labeling more aggressively.
These are the men and women who are changing the retail landscape with their private label wine programs.
Chief wine buyer, beverage alcohol division, Costco
Leading Costco’s wine program
Costco realized $3.9 billion in sales of wine, beer and spirits in 2016 with more than 700 locations worldwide with 506 in the U.S. The company has members in 49 million households. Costco has 12 wine buyers spread over all key regions of the U.S. Alvarez-Peters aims to select brands that will deliver the quality and low prices on which Costco has built its reputation.
Senior vice president, merchandising, Sam’s Club
Launching the Sam’s Club private labels
While wineries often have mixed feelings about them, private labels are a reality of today’s retail environment. Chandra Holt is a leading force behind overhauling private labels throughout Sam’s Club, giving consumers the best possible bang for the buck. The private brand team travels the globe with seasoned buyers in nearly every category in search of quality. One of the categories is wine. Holt, previously in merchandising roles with Walgreens and Target, says Sam’s “Member’s Mark” wants to deliver “great wine and a great price.” Holt has a diverse perspective on making collaboration with suppliers work.
Sales manager, Safeway Southern California Division
Building a new wine-in-store concept
Phil Markert’s current job title is a mouthful: leader, perishables and non-perishables localization initiative and neighborhood marketing efforts, Safeway. He oversees wine and liquor sales in Southern California for Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions. He’s been buying wine for Safeway and company for more than 30 years, eight of them nationally. Markert continues to develop the wine store within a grocery store concept—he basically created it—and has built connections with stores, wineries, winemakers and restaurants.
Co-founder, Total Wine & More
Building a retail wine juggernaut
Total Wine and More is an emerging company that has changed the wine retail game with a chain of “superstores” throughout the United States, featuring a large selection at all price points with low prices on items in wide distribution. A typical store carries 7,000 wine items. Brothers David and Robert Trone currently operate 171 stores and are continually adding more. They’re now in 20 states, with $2.7 billion in sales: 47 percent of that from sales of wine—$1.3 billion in wine sales last year.


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UPDATE May 21, 2020
ZeroFox Alpha Team observed that ShinyHunters made a post on the same forum leaking the WishBone.io trove for free to users.
ShinyHunters also claimed that they were responsible for the breach. Wishbone has not confirmed the breach.
ZeroFox Alpha Team identified an actor who is allegedly selling a database of over 40,000,000 users of the social media app, Wishbone.io. This actor has posted the details for sale on a popular cybercrime and breach forum:
This wouldn’t be the first time Wishbone has experienced a major breach. In 2017, the site exposed 2.2 million email addresses and 287,000 cell phone numbers. A mere three years later, Wishbone is targeted again. Except, the 2020 breach has almost 20 times the amount of exposed accounts.
The threat actor claims that today’s breach is separate from 2017’s breach, and that the data was obtained this year. For data on 40,000,000 Wishbone user profiles, the actor is asking for $8,000 USD. The data inside includes email addresses, names, usernames, phone numbers, geographic locations, genders, social media profiles and SHA1 hashed passwords.
The Wishbone app currently has over 5,000,000 installs on Android and is currently #37 in social media on the Apple app store. Mammoth Media also released a press release earlier this year where they announced an active monthly user count of 30,000,000 between two of its social media apps. This could indicate that if the company were breached, then it would be of a system that holds data across these apps. It could also indicate that if the breach were legitimate, it could contain the information of inactive users, in addition to current active users. Mammoth Media has not released a public statement regarding their user base for ZeroFox to be able to verify the legitimacy of the seller’s claims.
Megadimarus’ Impact Goes Beyond the Wishbone Breach
The alleged Wishbone breach is just one of many breach dumps offered for sale by this actor. As of May 20, 2020, the user has made 55 “for sale” posts since May 1, 2020. The profile is selling some older breaches, but the Wishbone breach and several others appear to be new datasets.
In total, these 55 breach sale posts include over 2,000,000,000 compromised accounts. These include older breaches and potential combolists. Some users have noted that not all of these sales are private, and may not be unique to this particular seller.
Without verification from the breached company, it is hard to accurately identify the legitimacy of the data. Our analysis shows that even actors who sell this data may or may not have all the facts, which makes it hard for researchers and responders to provide concrete proof to their organizations.
The alleged breach data contains SHA-1 hashed passwords. SHA-1 is a known insecure cryptographic hashing algorithm, where the search space of a hash can be attacked and reduced, undermining the security of the algorithm. Secondly, SHA-1 can be dangerous due to its inherent speed of generating output hashes. Crackers use a combination of techniques to effectively reverse these hashes into passwords at a much higher rate than other, safer cryptographic hashing algorithms.
Cracked passwords from these breaches can then be used for credential stuffing and targeted attacks. Other data inside the breach can be used for spamming, whether via email or SMS, and traded, repackaged and used for phishing and malware attacks.
Security Tips To Stay Out Of Megadimarus’ Crosshairs
- Enable two-factor authentication for all of your organization’s accounts to help prevent phishing and credential stuffing attacks.
- Monitor your assets on your network and shut down any internet-facing services that aren’t required to be public-facing.
- ZeroFox customers are advised to closely monitor their compromised credentials, network scanning, and entity-based alerts for illegitimate activity.
To discover other ways to keep your organization secure, reach out to ZeroFox today.


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We are excited and proud to announce Cherish PR – one of the UK’s outstanding small consultancies, has launched Over There, a new international agency network of boutique tech agencies focused on helping fast-growing, digital brands create compelling international PR campaigns in Europe and beyond.
The Over There agency network is the result of a long-standing partnership between Cherish and HotDot, a leading Berlin-based consumer tech agency, in which UK and German teams have supported …Read More
If you are interested in working with Cherish, we would love to hear from you.
Tel: +44 (0) 203 626 0282
19 Eastbourne Terrace


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There is no doubt that the internal-combustion car has an expiration date. No one is certain when that day will come, but it’s increasingly clear that it could happen in our lifetimes. In case you needed more proof, the French government announced today that it’s taking steps towards banning the sale of new gasoline- and diesel-powered cars by 2040.
The AFP news service reported that this announcement came as part of a new environmental plan presented Thursday by France’s environmental minister, Nicolas Hulot. This new plan reflects French president Emmanuel Macron’s desire for his country to be a leader in combatting climate change and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Hulot said that the end of gas- and diesel-powered car sales in France would be a “veritable revolution” and that ending their sale is a matter of “public health.” Additionally, he believes that French automakers like Peugeot Citroën and Renault are capable of making the transition to EV sales exclusively.
This new environmental plan notes that the transportation sector is the largest producer of greenhouse gases in the country but that the rise of electric cars will help combat this. In a speech today, Hulot said the goal of eliminating gas and diesel cars by 2040 is ambitious, but he believes it’s doable. Norway and India aim to do the same in 2025 and 2030, respectively.
Le Monde reported today that Hulot is promising financial incentives for French households to replace their pre-1997 gasoline-powered cars and pre-2001 diesel-powered cars with newer, more efficient models. As of right now, those financial incentives are yet to be determined.
- Paris Is Smoking: Bans 20-Year-Old Cars, But Collector Cars Can Stay
- Norway Looks to Eliminate Gas and Diesel Auto Sales by 2025 with EV and Plug-In Incentives
- German Transport Minister: Internal Combustion Ban Is “Utter Nonsense”
Still, 2040 is a long way off, and with a deluge of electric cars set to hit the market in the coming years, Macron and Hulot’s goal might be achievable.
This story originally appeared on Road & Track.


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With Skype's internet telephony solution being the most popular one available to consumers by far, it would make perfect sense that Microsoft would have attempted to acquire the company and its interlectual property in order to integrate its functionality into is software offerings. However, it seems that Google is also keen to integrate Skype-like features into its very own Chrome browser, and from the looks of it, the company appears to be in a position where it can potentially deliver a very compelling alternative to what Skype has been offering users for the longest time.
As far as Internet telephony and video conferencing are concerned, there is probably only one company that is capable of offering a decent solution that appeals to both consumers and enterprises, and it comes in the form of Skype's software product, which bears the same name as the the company which created it. However, it seems that Google has been harboring plans to create a Skype-like competitor for some time already, and that the recent acquisition of the company by Microsoft has been the catalyst that has led to the search giant unveiling its plans of integrating some form support for online telephony into its Chrome web browser via its WebRTC project, as revealed in a recent posting made on the Chromium developers mailing list:
Of course, an observant person would probably point out that Google already allows users to engage in Internet telephony on web browsers already via its GMail and Google Talk services. That is true, but the real draw of WebRTC stems from the fact that it, when integrated into a web browser, could "open the door for all kinds of new chat services and apps". And considering how the WebRTC project's home page claims that support for the new API is expected to make its way in Firefox and Opera soon, both of which are extremely popular web browsers in their own right, it might seem that WebRTC is in a good position to provide some serious competition to both Microsoft and Skype in the area of Internet telephony services.


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This is still unconfirmed at the moment, but word is going around that the recently mentioned Samsung tablet might be powered by Google’s Android OS instead of some edition of Microsoft’s Windows 7. To make the deal even juicier, apparently the device could feature calling via a headset, possibly with some implementation of VoIP, 3G and perhaps even 4G connectivity. Nothing is set in stone at the moment, so we’ll have to keep an eye on this. If it were up to you, what specifications would you give the Samsung tablet?
Next Story: Bing App For iPhone Updated


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CMO REPORT: UK Brand Insights 2021
In the past 18 months, Brexit and the COVID-19 crisis remain the biggest disruptions making it a difficult time for businesses in UK retail and e-commerce. During this time, there have been significant barriers to cross-border business with the EU and changes regarding shopping habits, supply chain reliability as well as many lessons learnt for a better future and growth in e-commerce.
In collaboration with research firm CensusWide, we surveyed over 300 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) at UK Brands Selling Online. Their insights have shone a spotlight onto an area of retail that has received relatively little attention in previous months. The CMOs confidence and optimism on display indicates that these companies will be the cornerstone of UK recovery as they adapt to the changes that Brexit and the COVID-19 crisis have brought.
The key takeaways from this report include:
- The effects of the COVID-19 crisis and Brexit on brands and their responses
- Brand reactions to changing consumer behaviour
- Brands’ new found approach to D2C selling
- Ways for brands to maximise on the growth of e-commerce
Download the full report to learn more


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It’s going to be a very merry Christmas at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Disney World is bringing back its popular Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for the first time since the pandemic. The after-hours event was skipped in 2020 and last year, the Florida resort hosted a modified event, Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours – which cost more than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas parties of years past.
Disneyland’s holiday celebrations are still largely under wraps, but the California resort confirms the pandemic return of “World of Color – Season of Light” at Disney California Adventure Park as well as “Believe … In Holiday Magic” fireworks, which made their pandemic return last year. More details will be announced in coming months.
Here’s what guests planning ahead should know now.
DISNEY GENIE+:Is it worth it?
THEY’RE BAAACK:Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Oogie Boogie Bash return
This year’s event will be held on 24 nights at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
November 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27 and 29.
December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20 and 22.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is not included with regular theme park admission. The specially ticketed, limited capacity event starts after Magic Kingdom closes to regular guests.
What it’s like going to Disney World solo
Tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2022 range from $149 to $199, depending on the day. That’s significantly less than the $169 to $229 range of last year’s Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours. But it’s markedly more than the $94 starting price of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2019.
Tickets go on sale June 30 for guests of select Disney resorts. Everyone else has to wait until July 7 to buy tickets.
Guests who don’t buy tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party can still enjoy seasonal foods, decorations and activities across Walt Disney World. Here’s what’s coming back.
Additionally, the Beacons of Magic that have illuminated park icons nightly throughout Disney World’s 50th anniversary will have festive displays mixed in for the season.


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The Suzuki Jimny could make a return to the UK in passenger-car form with five doors and an electrified powertrain.
The compact 4x4 was pulled from sales in Europe in 2020, due to the adverse effect it was having on Suzuki’s fleet-average CO2 emissions, although it remained on sale in other markets.
It was brought back a year later in limited-run, two-seat commercial form, due to the less stringent emission rules governing trade vehicles.
Now though, the Jimny has been spotted testing in Europe once again, with a substantially longer wheelbase, hinting at a new five-door bodyshell.
It was reportedly seen running with its engine off, suggesting some sort of hybrid powertrain is under the bonnet.
Suzuki no longer offers non-electrified engines in Europe, so a hybrid powertrain could be the Jimny’s ticket back to dealerships in the region.
It's expected that a Jimny hybrid would use a powertrain similar to that offered in the Suzuki Vitara. Options include a 127bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol mild hybrid and a 113bhp 1.5-litre full hybrid.
Before it was taken off sale, the Jimny was powered by a 100bhp naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which officially emitted 154g/km of CO2 while getting 35.8mpg.
Aside from being made more compliant with a cleaner powertrain, the Jimny could also be made more competitive in adopting a pair or rear doors.
The added practicality would strengthen its use case in light of larger rivals like the Dacia Duster and even more lifestyle-oriented crossovers, such as the Ford Fiesta Active and Toyota Yaris Cross.
It's expected to have a wheelbase 300mm longer than the standard 2550mm, while width and height are expected to be unchanged.
The passenger Jimny cost from £15,879 at launch in 2019 and the commercial variant currently costs £19,999 (after VAT), so any larger and electrified variant is expected to nudge past the £20,000 barrier.


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Suntory has introduced Mountain Dew WhiteOut in Japan, according to PepsiCo Japan. It's available in a 500ml bottle.
- Waterlogic signs distribution deal with Japanese trading company
- Claire Notin on restrictions in the use of aluminium in food additives
- Vivreau is 'preferred supplier' to Whole World Water campaign


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All the consumer data in the world is useless if marketers can't act on it, and Alliance Data wants to ensure it can do that across channels. The owner of data and email powerhouse Epsilon has agreed to spend $2.3 billion to buy digital-marketing-services firm Conversant in part to help ad clients target messages across devices, an especially complex thing to do in mobile.
For much of its 16-year-long life, Conversant was known as ValueClick, which stood as the last remaining large independent ad network before ad exchanges and programmatic buying began to dominate the display ad industry. The company changed its name to Conversant in February.
Though Conversant still offers legacy services for affiliate marketing, the firm's ability to tie individual devices together using an anonymized ID without cookies -- which don't operate in the mobile environment -- is crucial for Alliance. Alliance historically has focused more on personally-identifiable offline data than connecting anonymized digital IDs, a necessity for mobile targeting.
"As it pertains to mobile, what they bring to the table is quite important," said Epsilon CEO Bryan Kennedy in an interview with Ad Age. Though he acknowledged Alliance was attracted to Conversant in part for its ad technology, "more important than that, it's their cross-channel" capabilities. ValueClick acquired one of the first mobile ad networks, Greystripe in 2011.
"For us it was less about, 'Hey we just want to be another brand in ad tech,' and more about how do we solve this [cross-channel] problem for clients," he said.
Conversant will live as part of Epsilon, said Mr. Kennedy. "They essentially become the digital-media business for Epsilon," he said. Both firms have strengths in display advertising, and the combination should afford them greater scale. Conversant's mobile and video ad products also will complement Epsilon's Agility Harmony system for targeted digital communications.
The companies have potentially synchronous offerings for retailers, suggested Mr. Kennedy. Alliance Data operates a private-label credit card service for retailers, while Conversant has a focus on retailers through Dotomi, the retailer-centric dynamic display ad business it bought in 2011 and linked with its other businesses including Greystripe and its Commission Junction affiliate network, another retail-aimed service.
"Conversant has a strong footprint in the retail industry, particularly with Dotomi," said Mr. Kennedy, noting that packaging that with its white label credit card service, "is a very logical place to go."
As part of its Commission Junction business -- now known simply as CJ -- Conversant still offers lead-generation services. In 2008 ValueClick settled with the Federal Trade Commission, agreeing to pay $2.9 million to the agency as a result of its investigation into lead-generation ad practices alleged to have violated the CAN-SPAM and FTC Acts. The FTC claimed the company duped people into providing contact information in exchange for chances to win prizes. Mr. Kennedy declined to comment regarding the settlement.
Don't expect true backend tech integration between Alliance and Conversant just yet. "In 2015 Conversant will operate essentially as it does today and our focus will be on cross-selling," said Mr. Kennedy. Figuring out how to connect the platforms will come later, he said.
Conversant CEO John Giuliani, formerly chief of Dotomi, will stay on in his current role, and help guide Epsilon's digital strategy.
"He and I are good friends," said Mr. Kennedy of Mr. Giuliani. "We will really be looking to John to lead the charge" to determine the direction of Epsilon's digital path, he added.
No other "significant changes" are expected for either firm, he said.


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Proton to launch 'Australia's cheapest car'
AS CHINESE passenger cars and the sub-$13,000 Indian-built Suzuki Alto draw near, Malaysian marque Proton has moved to assert its influence at the budget end of the new-vehicle market with news that it will launch "Australia's lowest priced sedan" in October.
Proton Cars Australia (PCA) has also announced it will add new bottom-rung variants for its established Satria Neo, Gen.2 and Persona model lines in November.
Based on the Saga sedan sold in its home market, the still-to-be-named all-new model for Australia will, according to PCA, have "new specifications and ultra-competitive pricing" below $13,000 when it arrives in the final quarter – months ahead of the original launch date.
To replace the $13,990 1.2-litre Savvy five-door hatch, which is the current title-holder for Australia's cheapest new car with Hyundai's 1.4 Getz S three-door, the Saga-based sedan will come to market here with a 1.6-litre version of Proton's 'Campro' petrol engine and a five-speed manual gearbox.
An automatic transmission and a smaller 1.3-litre petrol engine option will be available from February 2010, with the latter enabling an even lower entry price.Proton Neo. Below: Proton Persona.
A Proton spokesperson told GoAuto that the aggressive pricing and the introduction of lower-spec models were in response to demands from its dealer network, which in recent months has been through a restructuring period in which the marque has severed ties with almost half its retail outlets and recruited other "high-calibre dealers to broaden the reach and service levels for customers".
"The dealers that Proton has been talking to wanted a bigger spread of models and an entry-level model that was a 'price starter', if you like, that would be an attraction to the sector," he said. "So it's really started with the bid to recruit better and stronger dealers."
The spokesperson said the Saga-based car would offer dual airbags and ABS brakes, as is the case with all models in the current range, and that equipment stripped from its remaining passenger lines to create new models variants – priced about $1000 lower than the current baseline – would be "cosmetic spec" such as power windows rather than safety features or essentials like air-conditioning.
Proton is counting on the new models resurrecting sales in Australia after a dismal first half in which it sold just 666 cars in six months to be down 35.8 per cent on the same period in 2008. The poor return over the first six months includes just 115 Savvy sales, 100 of Gen.2, 127 Persona sales and 97 from Satria.
Its biggest-selling vehicle is the Jumbuck ute, which has managed 227 sales year-to-date.
PCA managing director John Startari is in Malaysia finalising the Saga deal, but in a statement before his departure he said the combination of new specifications, improved manufacturing efficiencies and a stronger Australian dollar had allowed it to formulate a lower pricing structure across its range.
"Our plan is to champion the value proposition without sacrificing safety, quality and reliability, and that has been particularly attractive to the new dealers who we have been recruiting," he said.
"Clearly, there will be new low-cost brands entering the market in the coming months. However, Proton's strength is that it has been in this market for close to 15 years and is a factory-owned operation with the full backing of our parent company in Malaysia.
"Product, pricing and marketing support have received major boosts from our parent company to ensure that we have the tools to expand our market share in this country."
In a message to existing and prospective dealers, as well as customers, Mr Startari emphasised that Proton had "a solid base on which to build its future expansion".
"Proton has already recruited a number of new dealers and they have told us that they had considered taking on other low-cost brands but did not want to take the risk with brands that do not have an established record in Australia," he said.
"There are more than 25,000 Protons on Australian roads and we believe we can now take the brand to a higher level."
Suzuki's Alto arrives in August with a 50kW/90Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and a high level of standard equipment including six airbags, ABS brakes, air-conditioning, remote central locking, power windows and a CD/MP3 stereo. Electronic stability control will be available on a higher-spec model variant, but not on the sub-$13,000 baseline car.
Chinese compact cars from Great Wall Motors and Chery – to be distributed through Ateco Automotive – and Lifan were all scheduled to be introduced in Australia this year, but issues such as exchange rates and homologation have seen their expected launch dates pushed back to the first half of 2010.


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Old rivals of corporate India — Reliance Industries (RIL) and Essar — are back to competiting against each other. Both are bidding to acquire the retail assets and lubricants business of BP in five African countries — Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia and Tanzania.
According to two independent sources who did not wish to be identified, both Essar and RIL are likely to place bids in the range of $400-450 million (Rs 1,844-2,075 crore). However, BP is expecting $500 million (around Rs 2,300 crore), they said.
The executives said the two Indian companies may submit the bids by the end of this week. RIL and Essar are the only companies bidding for the entire portfolio of 220 retail outlets, along with the lubricants business.
Most other players, including local companies, are likely to bid for piecemeal assets. BP plans to sell assets worth up to $30 billion over the next 18 months to fund the mounting costs of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“From a seller’s point of view, if someone is bidding for the entire assets on the block, then they would naturally tend to prefer that. But everything will boil down to the actual money one puts on the table, as that’s what matters in a competitive bidding environment.”
When contacted, officials from both RIL and Essar said: “As a matter of policy we do not comment on market speculation.” Africa is a critical and strategic market for both the Indian oil and gas giants.
Last week, Essar Group’s chief executive, Prashant Ruia, had admitted the group was exploring the opportunity. “We are in the race with about a dozen other companies. It is in the early process. There are about five-six countries. We are going to look at all,” he had told reporters.
It was not clear if Essar would go alone or strike a joint partnership for the bid. Sources said in all probability Essar Energy will bid alone for these assets.
Essar Energy Overseas Ltd, a subsidiary of Essar Energy Holdings, has a 50 per cent stake in the 80,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd, where the Kenyan government is the other big stakeholder. Essar had acquired the stake in 2009 from its earlier shareholders, Shell Petroleum Company Ltd, Chevron Global Energy Inc and BP Africa Ltd.
Similarly, Reliance Industries (Middle East) DMCC a subsidiary of RIL, registered in the UAE, took over management control and majority shareholding of GAPCO Mauritius in July 2007.
GAPCO is one of the largest independent petroleum marketing and trading organisations and is primarily involved in petroleum product imports, retail and wholesale marketing, trading, storage, distribution, supply and transport of oil products to the countries in East and Central Africa.
# RIL, Essar finalise bid for BP's petro retail assets in Africa
# BP keen to sell its 220 retail outlets and lubricants biz
# Outlets in 5 countries: Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania
# BP expects $500 mn from sale
# Bids expected in $400-450 mn range
# Bids likely by August 6
Its own retail operations of 132 outlets are spread across Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. GAPCO also has its own large coastal storage terminals in Dar-e-Salaam (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya) and an inland terminal at Kampala (Uganda).
Analysts said for both players, it makes sense to capture the entire value chain. “Africa is a growing market and countries like Bostwana are growing much as the BRIC countries. There is political stability in many of these markets, too. So, these are strategic markets to expand. The last-mile connectivity (petrol pump outlets) is also critical as margins improve to the extent of 2-5 cents/tonne. Essar already has a refinery in Africa and RIL exports nearly 50 per cent of their refining capacity of 60 million tonnes,” said a research head of a foreign brokerage firm.


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Fighting 'food deserts'
Many small town North Dakotans don't have easy access to fresh fruit, vegetables and other foods because of what are called "food deserts."
Rural grocery stores are closing at an alarming rate, and legislators are expressing concern.
It's becoming a growing issue, and the Capitol has taken notice. Small towns are losing their only grocery stores.
When the State Legislature first started its study on food deserts last spring, 15 percent of rural grocery stores had closed over a five year span. Now, it's 20 percent, according to state data. Grocers blame the increase of online sales and growing distribution costs.
"It's very hard as a small-town grocer to be able to give everybody everything they want and I think that's something we run into,” said State Senator Shawn Vedaa, R-Velva.
When stores order a shipment from a distributor, they have to pay an "up charge," or buy a certain quantity of an item for the distributor to deliver it. Smaller stores buy smaller quantities, so they either have to pay more per item or won't receive a shipment at all.
"So I've struggled with this wondering how we help in this situation. And I guess the more I though about it, the more I came to the conclusion that it depends what the state feels is important about our rural areas,” North Dakota Grocers Association President John Dyste said.
One proposed solution is a central pick-up location. Small stores order together and ship to a shared location, where they pick up thier orders; meeting order quotas and lowering prices. The problem is running those shared points come with costs.
This issue goes beyond grocery stores. Hardware stores and even pharmacies have been closing their doors as well; leaving many to drive long distances to get prescriptions.


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Last week we witnessed the long-awaited launch of Hogwarts Legacy, the most recent production that takes us into the magical world of Harry Potter set a century before the events of the books and films. Harry Potter fans are very happy with Hogwarts Legacy and the only problem is that it has no mode multiplayerbut that could be solved with a fashion.
Since it was announced that Hogwarts Legacy was going to be an open-world game, Harry Potter fans have been expecting a lot from the game, since it is the first time that we will be able to walk through the corridors of Hogwarts and the surroundings of the castle in complete safety. freedom. It’s a shame we can’t visit Hogwarts with friends, but that will change when The Together team Launch your Hogwarts Legacy mod with its multiplayer mode.
The Together Group is the group of modders who gave us the Skyrim Together mod which allows us to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim in cooperative mode, which supports up to 25 players simultaneously in the same world. This result took months of work so don’t expect something similar in Hogwarts Legacy so close to release, but at least we can confirm that The Together Team is already working on their co-op mod.
The multiplayer mod for Hogwarts Legacy is called HogWarp and you can support their creators via their Patreon page. Those who support the Second Plan Project will receive early access to the HogWarp mod, which will allow them to play Hogwarts Legacy in its multiplayer mode. In case you don’t want to donate money to the project, you will have to wait for a public release of the mod.
Friday, February 10, 2023 saw the long-awaited release of Hogwarts Legacy on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC consoles, but Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console gamers will have to wait until April 4 to play. Nintendo Switch gamers will have to wait even longer to play Hogwarts Legacy, as the game is coming to the hybrid console on July 25 this year.


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Weekly highlight of top insider buys: FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX), AFLAC Inc. (NYSE:AFL), Pall Corp. (PLL), H&R Block Inc. (NYSE:HRB) and Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD).
FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX): Director R. Brad Martin Bought 6,500 Shares
Director of FedEx Corp., R. Brad Martin, bought 6,500 shares on Sept. 28, 2011 at an average price of $67.68. FedEx Corporation is a global transportation and logistics enterprise that offers customers a one-stop source for global shipping, logistics and supply chain solutions. FedEx Corp. has a market cap of $21.47 billion; its shares were traded at around $67.68 with a P/E ratio of 13.1 and P/S ratio of 0.6. The dividend yield of FedEx Corp. stocks is 0.7%.
On September 22, FedEx Corp. reported earnings of $1.46 per diluted share for the first quarter ended August 31, compared to $1.20 per diluted share a year ago, a year-over-year increase of 22%. Revenue was $10.52 billion, up 11% from $9.46 billion the previous year. Net income was $464 million, up 22% from last year's $380 million.
This month, Director R. Brad Martin and Director Susan C. Schwab bought shares of FDX stock. President and CEO FedEx Freight William J. Logue and Director Joshua I. Smith shares in July.
AFLAC Inc. (NYSE:AFL): Director David Gary Thompson Bought 5,000 Shares
Director of AFLAC Inc., David Gary Thompson, bought 5,000 shares on Sept. 26, 2011 at an average price of $34.95. AFLAC Inc. is a general business holding company and acts as a management company, overseeing the operations of its subsidiaries by providing management services and making capital available. AFLAC Inc. has a market cap of $16.33 billion; its shares were traded at around $34.95 with a P/E ratio of 5.8 and P/S ratio of 0.7. The dividend yield of AFLAC Inc. stocks is 3.5%. AFLAC Inc. had an annual average earnings growth of 10.9% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated AFLAC Inc. the business predictability rank of 3.5-star.
On July 27, Aflac Inc. reported its second quarter results. Reflecting the benefit from a stronger yen/dollar exchange rate but higher realized investment losses, total revenues rose 2.2% to $5.1 billion in the second quarter of 2011, compared with $5.0 billion in the second quarter of 2010. Net earnings were $280 million, or 60 cents per diluted share, compared with $581 million, or $1.23 per share, a year ago.
This month, Director David Gary Thompson and Director E Stephen Purdom bought shares of AFL stock.
Pall Corp. (PLL): Director Daniel J. Carroll Jr. Bought 4,000 Shares
Director of Pall Corp., Daniel J. Carroll Jr., bought 4,000 shares on Sept. 22, 2011 at an average price of $42.4. Pall Corporation is a supplier of fine filters, principally made by the company using its proprietary filter media, and other fluid clarification and separations equipment for the removal of solid, liquid and gaseous contaminants from a wide variety of liquids and gases. Pall Corp. has a market cap of $4.93 billion; its shares were traded at around $42.4 with a P/E ratio of 15.3 and P/S ratio of 1.7. The dividend yield of Pall Corp. stocks is 1.7%. Pall Corp. had an annual average earnings growth of 12.8% over the past 10 years. GuruFocus rated Pall Corp. the business predictability rank of 4.5-star.
On September 14, Pall Corporation reported financial results for the fourth quarter ended July 31, 2011. Fourth-quarter sales were $780.4 million, a 15.0% gain over last year. Sales in local currency increased 6.2%. Foreign currency translation increased reported sales by 8.8%.
This month, Director Amy E. Alving and Director Daniel J. Carroll Jr. bought shares of PLL stock. Vice President and Corporate Controller Francis B. Moschella and COO Roberto Perez shares in July.
H&R Block Inc. (NYSE:HRB): Director Victoria Reich Bought 3,500 Shares
Director of H&R Block Inc., Victoria Reich, bought 3,500 shares on Sept. 29, 2011 at an average price of $13.31. H&R Block Inc. is a diversified company involved in tax return preparation, electronic filing of income tax returns and other tax-related services. H&R Block Inc. has a market cap of $4.06 billion; its shares were traded at around $13.31 with a P/E ratio of 8.7 and P/S ratio of 1.1. The dividend yield of H&R Block Inc. stocks is 4.5%.
This month, President and CEO William C Cobb, Senior Vice President and CFO Jeffrey Brown, Director Victoria Reich, Director Bruce Rohde, Director Robert A. Gerard, Director Paul J. Brown, and Director James F. Wright bought shares of HRB stock.
Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD): Director David C. Nelson Bought 25,000 Shares
Director of Smithfield Foods Inc., David C. Nelson, bought 25,000 shares on Sept. 22, 2011 at an average price of $19.5. Smithfield Foods Inc. is one of the world's largest pork processors and hog producer. Smithfield Foods Inc. has a market cap of $3.24 billion; its shares were traded at around $19.5 with a P/E ratio of 6.1 and P/S ratio of 0.3.
This month, President and COO, Pork Group George H. Richter, Director John T. Schwieters, Executive Vice President Joseph W. Luter IV, Director John T. Schwieters, and Director Richard T. Crowder bought shares of SFD stock.
On September 8, Smithfield Foods Inc. reported results for the first fiscal quarter of 2012. Sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2012 were $3.1 billion, up 7%, resulting from higher average unit selling prices in the Pork segment and higher live hog market prices. The company reported net income in the current quarter of $82.1 million (49 cents per diluted share) compared to net income of $76.3 million (46 cents per diluted share) last year.
For the complete list of stocks that bought by their company executives, go to: Insider Buys.
- CEO Buys, CFO Buys: Stocks that are bought by their CEO/CFOs.
- Insider Cluster Buys: Stocks that multiple company officers and directors have bought.
- Double Buys:: Companies that both Gurus and Insiders are buying
- Triple Buys: Companies that both Gurus and Insiders are buying, and Company is buying back.


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Central Pacific Bank affiliate Island Pacific HomeLoans to open at Kahala Mall
- Staff Pacific Business News
Island Pacific HomeLoans, a joint venture between Central Pacific Bank and an affiliate of Prudential Advantage Realty, is opening a new office at Kahala Mall in East Honolulu.
The company, a full-service residential mortgage broker, will open on the upper level of the mall on Thursday under the leadership of Lorna Chan, a vice president and home loan manager.
Island Pacific HomeLoans was formed last year as a joint venture between M&A Enterprises, owned by Prudential Advantage Realty President Myron Kiriu and others, and CPB, which is owned by Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE: CPF).
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