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From Bloomberg News:
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)’s DePuy unit defectively designed a metal-on-metal hip implant and was negligent, a California jury decided in the first of 10,750 lawsuits over the device to go to trial.
The Los Angeles jury awarded $8.3 million in compensatory damages to Loren “Bill” Kransky, a retired prison guard from Montana, after finding that the design of the ASR XL hip replacement caused his injuries. Jurors also found DePuy properly warned of the risks and didn’t owe punitive damages to punish the company.
Important points from the verdict, for both recipients of DePuy ASR XL hip replacements, and recipients of metal-on-metal hip replacements in general, are as follows:
- Although the jury did not award punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson, despite evidence that DePuy failed to test the device adequately before selling it in the U.S. in 2005, buried surgeon complaints of mounting failures, and studied a redesign of the ASR before scrapping that effort in 2008, the jury did award Mr. Kransky $338,136 for medical expenses and $8 million for his pain and suffering.
- According to Bloomberg, attorneys representing plaintiffs in DePuy hip replacement cases believe they have a good chance of obtaining punitive damages awards against DePuy in subsequent trials. In Mr. Kransky’s case, the jury was asked to award $179 million in punitive damages, and at least one juror was in favor of awarding punitive damages.
- In reaching its verdict, the jury found that the ASR XL was defectively designed. In many states, including Arkansas, a defectively designed product makes the manufacturer of that product strictly liable for any damages caused by that product.
- The jury awarded damages to Mr. Kransky despite evidence, and arguments from lawyers for DePuy, that the health problems he attributed to his defective replacement hip were the result of “diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, vascular disease and his many other health problems.”
- The Bloomberg article quotes University of Michigan business professor Erik Gordon as stating that the verdict will set a starting price for settlement discussions for other recipients of DePuy ASR XL hips and, presumably, other metal-on-metal replacement hips, as well.


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It's your money; it's your health | Letter to the Editor
I am a Northwest native, and have chosen to live in Bellevue and Redmond for the past 55 years. As a young man, I had the opportunity to work on my cousins’ farm in Minnesota and a dairy farm in Redmond in the early 1970s. I feel that farms and farmers are the backbone of America, and that family farms are the true expression of a free market.
I just read about a 75-year-old soybean farmer taking agricultural giant, Monsanto, to the Supreme Court. What this case shows to me is that Monsanto is monopolizing the seeds that farmers use and, with the backing of the U.S. government, is destroying farmers' freedom to choose from a diverse array of seeds. Monsanto’s goal is to be the sole source for crop seeds, which will damage the free market system in our country and hurt the few family farms that are still around. A few years back, one of Monsanto’s top executives stated that labeling food that had genetically engineered ingredients is like putting a skull and crossbones on the box or container. Kind of self-revealing.
For all these reasons, I support Washington’s Initiative I-522 that would require the labeling of genetically engineered food in our state. I believe it is my right as an American citizen to know what is in the food I purchase. It is my right to know whether the food I buy has been genetically engineered. The giant corporations that are vested in genetically modified food will pour millions of dollars into fighting to keep us in the dark. They will lie to the consumer about the costs of labeling. To date, they have invested millions into genetically modified food and care only about their profits. Many countries throughout the world have labeled or banned genetically engineered food due to health and environmental concerns.
Please stand by me. It is your right to know what you’re buying. It’s your money; it’s your health. Protect our free market system and family farms. Say no to Monsanto and yes to I-522.
Jeffrey Wilson, Redmond

domain: news


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A slowing of the rate of inflation has been reported in the latest quarterly Construction Tender Price Forecast published by RLB.
The report provides market commentary and insight into expected tender price uplifts for UK regions from 2023 to 2025.
The latest update shows the UK construction industry is markedly busy despite economic uncertainty and general resource-shortage challenges.
Forecasts suggest a flattening of the input price increases and a moderation of levels of tender price uplift. The report notes with inflation, interest rate increases and continued supply chain issues, emphasis is being placed on procurement models and advice featuring methods of approach which deal with the additional risks which now affect the market.
Mike Righton, RLB’s managing partner for the Thames Valley region, said: “There is a broad mixture of factors currently influencing our view of the market but, ultimately, the combination of these issues indicates a softening in construction tender price inflation, following a period of sustained increases.
“Therefore, in our latest quarterly update, we have downgraded our forecasts for the period 2023 to 2025.’’
The report can be downloaded here.
© Thames Tap (powered by ukpropertyforums.com).
Sign up to receive our weekly free journal, The Forum here.


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Empathica Inc., a provider of customer experience management solutions, has announced that its Consumer Insights Panel survey of more than 6,500 U.S. consumers found that nearly all U.S. consumers (93 percent) visited a big box retailer in a one month period, with seven out of 10 consumers visiting more than three times.
Survey results show that the most important factor in choosing a big box retailer is price (61 percent). Other important factors to U.S. consumers include location convenience (12 percent) and a wide selection of products (10 percent). Seventy-one percent of customers also indicated that they prefer to visit big box retailers that offer a "one-stop" shopping experience, with all essential products at one store.
"While price is the most important factor to most U.S. consumers shopping at big box retailers, not all retailers can offer the lowest price, so they must find other ways to stay ahead of the competition," said Dr. Gary Edwards, chief customer officer, Empathica. "One such way is customer experience — by offering location convenience, a wide selection of products and exceptional customer service, big box retailers can drive customer loyalty."
Lack of personalization was cited at a high rate for big box retailers — with two in five consumers reporting that their shopping experience did not feel personalized. That personalized customer experience, when found in other outlets, leads to greater loyalty and a better chance for the customer to become a brand advocate, said Edwards.
Many survey respondents also report that employees do not provide satisfactory answers to customer questions. One in five respondents report that employees do not provide accurate answers to questions in their areas of expertise, and only 39 percent of customers believe employees listen when a customer approaches them with a question.
Despite affection for visiting big box retail outlets, consumers believe that front line employees are not happy with their work. Only 38 percent of those surveyed believe employees at big box retailers appear to be enjoying their jobs.
"Absence of employee enjoyment can mean there is something amiss in the retail environment," Edwards said. "Location managers have much room for improvement when it comes to engaging their employees and emphasizing the importance of customer service standards."
Survey results revealed that while nearly all U.S. consumers visit big box retailers in a given month due to price and convenience, many consumers report inconsistencies in the experience at brands' multi-unit locations. One in five consumers report they do not have a consistent experience at big box retailers across their various locations.
"Even if you have a great experience in one store, you can't trust the brand to deliver in others. This inconsistency erodes brands equity. Retailers that can consistently manage the customer experience will drive regular consumer habits, which in turn will drive sales," Edwards said. "Big box retailers must create an environment where consumers are confident their needs will be met at each and every visit no matter the location."


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Just eight months ago, U.S. chicken farmers were celebrating the reopening of the Chinese market. Now they’re cheering the dizzying pace of sales that have pushed China to the number-one position in April and May in foreign markets, and the trade shows no sign of slowing down.
“We just finished our second month in a row that China was our number-one chicken export market,” USA Poultry and Egg Export Council President Jim Sumner told Agri-Pulse in an interview. “Two months in a row.”
And it's not just chicken paws — a product that is mostly unwanted in the U.S. but coveted in China — that are generating the hundreds of millions of dollars in new trade. U.S. producers have been pleasantly surprised by the rising demand for legs, wings, thighs and other cuts.
It was in the middle of November that China confirmed it had lifted its five-year ban on U.S. poultry — shortly after USDA announced it would allow imports of Chinese chicken — and American producers were already salivating at the chance to export their chicken paws. U.S. chicken producers have been offloading their paws for just pennies on the pound to renderers ever since China hit the U.S. with a blanket, nationwide ban in reaction to outbreaks of avian influenza.
The U.S. produces about 1.5 billion pounds of paws per year; U.S. renderers only pay about 5 cents per pound for the paws, but Chinese importers pay about 90 cents per pound.
And the sales are skyrocketing.
In May alone, the U.S. sold 20,688 metric tons of chicken paws to China, about an 8% increase from April.
“The paws are not an essential food in China,” said Sumner. “They’re a luxury item that the people like. They can’t get the jumbo paws from any other country that produces them with the quality and the size that we do. They love our paws and they’re willing to pay a premium price.”
Beyond the paws, the Chinese are also buying other cuts and other types of poultry. Chinese importers are also snapping up U.S. turkey and duck at a quick pace, bringing a welcome new source of profit for farmers.
“The main thing we wanted to sell them was the paws, because we don’t have another market for that, but we have been pleasantly surprised in the last couple of months,” Sumner said. "We’ve shipped more of the other chicken parts than we have of the paws, which is an added bonus.”
The U.S. sold 58,200 metric tons of broiler meat to China in May, valued at $82 million. That brings sales for the first five months of the year to 157,917 tons, or $226 million.
“The total volume of broiler meat sent to China accounts for nearly 11% of all U.S. broiler exports in 2020 and highlights just how crucial that the opening of the market has been for the U.S. chicken industry, particularly since no exports were sent in all of 2019,” according to an internal report circulated recently to USAPEEC members.
Chinese imports of paws are expected to continue rising, but broiler shipments may fluctuate, depending on prices, the report added.
The data also means China has already become the second largest market in the world for U.S. broiler meat, putting it behind only Mexico, which shares a border with the U.S.
The large volumes are even more significant given that January was the first time U.S. chicken exports — mostly paws at first — began flowing back to China since the ban was enacted in 2015.
Interested in more coverage and insights? Receive a free month of Agri-Pulse.
Adding to the success for the U.S. poultry sector is China’s quick resumption of turkey imports. China was the second largest market for U.S. turkey before the 2015 ban and now the Chinese have already reclaimed that title in 2020, says Beth Breeding, a vice president with the National Turkey Federation.
China imported 1,878 metric tons of turkey in May, valued at about $3 million. That was a slight dip from sales in April, but the numbers are still very strong. The January-to-May total is 6,696 tons, or about $11 million worth of product, a strong indication that trade will be able to reach pre-ban levels, which tended to fluctuate sharply. China imported about $51 million worth of turkey in 2014, down from $71 million in 2013.
For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.


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Headquartered in Milwaukee, Briggs & Stratton Corporation may be the world's largest
producer of outdoor products that use gasoline engines, but it's their newest lawn mower technology that has people talking. Bringing its technologies together, Briggs & Stratton has created a new engine that is 60% quieter (when compared to a Honda and Toro model), and what is unbelievable to many, is the fact it never needs an oil change.
As winter turns to spring and the grass starts to grow, many Americans will be scurrying around mower shopping and Briggs & Stratton feels it has hit a home run with its Quiet Power Technology. Customers say they want an easy to operate and worry-free lawn mower, and Briggs & Stratton has delivered.


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It looks like Windows 7 will get DirectX 11.1 after all. Last week a Microsoft employee told the world that DirectX 11.1 would be exclusive to Windows 8 on Microsoft’s Answers Forum.
The fear was that gamers who wanted the latest graphics would have to upgrade. But there was a fear that developers might move away from DirectX 11.1 because there would be a limited audience for their software. Microsoft has since announced that there has been “some confusion” over all this. Normally this means that someone said something they should not have.
Windows 8 is to feature the full DirectX 11.1 Runtime package, including Direct3D 11.1, Direct2D, DirectWrite, DXGI 1.2 and a revised version of Windows Imaging Component. For Windows 7, parts of these features will be made available through an update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1.
The Service Pack 1 update installs several APIs for DirectX 11.1, but will support just the WDDM 1.1 drivers, and not Windows 8’s WDDM 1.2 drivers. Direct3D 11 is also available, including Direct2D and DirectWrite improvements, as well as the D3D11 Feature Data D3D9 detection and WIC updates, Microsoft said.


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TOKYO -- Hit largely by drops in cars and industrial machines, Japan's factory production in June logged its sharpest fall since the 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster. Production fell 3.3% month-on-month after a 0.7% rise in May, the trade and industry ministry said.
It is the worst drop since March 2011, when production dived 16.5% with supply chains disrupted by the natural and nuclear disaster.
The June reading was also much worse than the market's median forecast of a 1.2% drop.
Companies had stepped up production ahead of an April 1 sales tax rise -- Japan's first in 17 years -- as shoppers made a last-minute dash to buy staples and big-ticket items such as cars and refrigerators.
In the latest report, the ministry said a survey of manufacturing sectors shows they expect to increase production by 2.5% month-on-month in July, and another 1.1% in August.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014


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ftc guidelines news search results
Developer news items we found relating to ftc guidelines
Microsoft Provides Windows COPPA Support for App Advertising to Kids
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 by Stuart Parkerson
Microsoft is releasing COPPA support in its Dev Center to help developers define how to manage ads in apps whose primary audience is children.Beginning in September, developers can indicate if their app targets children under 13 as defined in the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If a developer selects this option, Microsoft will disable its behavioral a...


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Split ends, fried curls and overgrown tresses have become a welcome sight at Kutters Hair Salon.
The more hair on the cutting room floor the better.
Kutters has been collecting hair to help the cleanup effort in the Gulf of Mexico, where an oil rig exploded a month ago allowing millions of gallons of oil to spew from a broken wellhead hundreds of metres below the surface of the ocean.
Hair that would normally make its way to the garbage is being swept into a growing mountain of curls and locks in the corner of the salon.
Kutters isn’t the only salon contributing to the effort.
In a do-it-yourself show of support, hair salons across North America have been bagging up discarded hair to send to the Gulf Coast.
The hair is stuffed into old pantyhose legs to make sausage-like hair “booms”. The booms are encased with a mesh-like covering and then are floated on the surface of the ocean to stop spilled oil from spreading.
It’s a cheap and effective way of mopping up oil while allowing people to help out from afar.
Kutters started collecting hair last Friday and in just three days managed to gather half a kilogram of hair.
An indiscriminate mound of grey, colourless hair, it sits in a blue, plastic garbage bag stretched around a discarded shampoo box. A long enough look at the pile threatens to produce a gag reflex with passersby.
“I actually expected that there would have been more hair,” said one of the hairdressing assistants who paused to sift through the hair clippings with her hand.
In the same way that hair on your head collects oil and needs to be shampooed, discarded hair can suck up extra oil from a spill. A kilogram of hair can draw up two litres of oil. The cleaner the hair, the more it absorbs.
The idea came from hair stylist Phil McCrory following the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska in 1989.
For the last 10 years, the ecological non-profit group, Matter of Trust, worked with McCrory to make hair mats and hair booms especially for oil spills.
Kutter’s owner Melanie Graham heard about the idea from a friend who saw it on the news last week.
“Enough hair goes down the drain and into the garbage each day we figured we may as well do something with it,” said Graham whose hair salon has been involved in previous fundraisers.
“You’re helping the environment, so why not?”
Last week Graham sent out e-mails to friends in her address book and has so far been overwhelmed by the response.
“There’s been an amazing amount of phone calls from people,” she said, explaining that other hair salons in Whitehorse have already started contacting her to drop their excess hair off with her.
Kutters is also accepting clippings from dogs. In other parts of North America fur from llamas, horses, sheep and even feathers from birds have been collected for the effort. Animal hair is often even more absorbent than human hair.
DHL Express, a local shipping company, has offered to send the boxes of hair South for free.
The first batch of hair gets shipped out of Whitehorse this week and will be postmarked to Florida.
Contact Vivian Belik at


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Looks like the COVID-19 lockdown isn’t downing the customer interest in the all-new 2020 Hyundai Creta. The carmaker launched the second-gen Creta in India in March, just before the country went into a lockdown to tackle the Coronavirus outbreak. Now, over a month post its official launch, the new Hyundai Creta has managed to accumulate over 20,000 bookings in the country.
It is worth noting that around 14,000 of these total bookings were received even before the car was launched. This talks about the customer confidence that the Creta moniker enjoys in the Indian mid-size SUV market. Additionally, Hyundai has revealed that it had accumulated a total of 18,000 bookings before the lockdown got implemented. Nonetheless, having 2,000 bookings at a time like this is worth acknowledging.
What is interesting about the Hyundai Creta bookings is the fact that out of all bookings received by Hyundai India for its entire portfolio of cars, 75% are for the new Creta. Sadly, Hyundai hasn’t managed to deliver any of the Creta bookings yet. The company is expecting to commence deliveries post the lockdown is lifted.
The 2020 Hyundai Creta is available with three engine options – a 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.4-litre turbo petrol, and a 1.5-litre diesel. The turbo petrol is available with a sole DCT automatic gearbox, while the other two engines get both manual and automatic transmission options.


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Video Premiere: Herrmann Kristoffersen – Gone Gold
Herrmann Kristoffersen release their second single Gold Gold from their second album of the same name out next month on Bytes Recordings.
We’re premiering a video of the single made by the German visual artist Moto Waganari. Working at the cutting edge of what is possible using AI with 3D wireframe sculpture, the video is based on Moto’s stunning sleeve design – where he created a golden wireframe avatar – and is a collaboration between Moto and the AI so he didn’t know exactly what the outcome would be. These beautiful, otherworldly visuals perfectly compliment the music.
The cassette has now sold out but you can pre-order the digital here which includes an exclusive remix from GLOK.


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Microsoft announce the release of new foldable keyboard during a press
conference in Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2015 holding in Barcelona.
The portable Universal Bluetooth-keyboard Foldable is for mobile devices based on iOS, Android and Windows.
The keyboard has a very compact size and besides it can be folded
in half and carry in pocket.
You can recall that last year, Microsoft introduced a similar Bluetooth-keyboard
Universal Mobile Keyboard , which is also compatible with mobile devices on iOS,
Android and Windows.
The price for the keyboard is not know yet but we hope it will be affordable .


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Last week was not Microsoft's finest hour. For years, it's been working on the successor to Windows Vista, and there's a lot at stake.
Rightly or wrongly, hordes of consumers haven't flocked out to buy Vista. The problems Microsoft had when it launched created bad perceptions in the minds of consumers that have never gone away.
Now add Apple into the mix. Never one to miss an opportunity to put the boot in, it's been running athat's cemented the perception of Windows as a bloated, virus-ridden OS for boring office drones.
Windows 7 is Microsoft's answer to its critics, and its success will be key to retaining its massive market share. Essentially Windows Vista with a few extra features and a less pretentious name, overall reaction to it so far has been positive, and rightly so. Vista is actually pretty good now, so Microsoft can't go far wrong if it basically leaves well alone.
But just as everything looks to be turning up roses, what does Microsoft do? Annoy the whole of Europe bythat, unlike the rest of the world, we won't be able to upgrade existing installations to Windows 7. Instead, we'll have to install a fresh copy of the software, copy our data over and re-install any applications we had before.
This decision isn't just a major pain in the bum, it's going to cause many PC users real problems. Leaving aside the fact that not everyone has the technical nous to make comprehensive backups of their data, the legions of people that have bought computers with software pre-installed could be out of pocket.
The days when new computers came with backup CDs are largely a thing of the past. If your computer came with an anti-virus program, office suite or photo-editing tool, it's likely they're contained in a hidden partition on the hard drive, designed only to be accessed if you choose a full re-install of the OS. That means you probably won't be able to access them once you've installed Windows 7.
Some people may be grateful for that -- this stuff isn't referred to as 'crapware' for nothing. But there are some decent bits of software out there, such as PhotoShop Elements and Premiere Elements. Regardless, the point is that consumers shouldn't have to be forced to work around this simply by switching from one Microsoft operating system to another.
What possible justification can Microsoft have for causing all this headache and disruption? The company is blaming the EU, saying it has been forced to release a different version of Windows in Europe from the rest of world following anti-trust rulings.
This is nothing more than spin. There's no technical reason why simply stripping Internet Explorer out of Windows should mean that everyone has to install a fresh copy of Windows. In fact, Microsoft told The Guardian in an interview that it "simply didn't have the time to do upgrade testing".
No time? Who's it kidding? The EU made its ruling in 2004. Microsoft lost an appeal against it in 2007. That's more than enough time for one of the largest, smartest, most profitable software companies on the planet to work out a solution to this simple issue.
Microsoft chose not to put testing for this on to its product-development schedule for Windows 7. Instead, it's throwing its toys out of the pram and blaming the whole thing on Europe, rather than simply solving the problem it created.
It's a dumb and unnecessary decision and it's not the way you win people's hearts and minds. I'm hoping there's still time for a re-think, with some sort of download released that will let people upgrade, although it would have to be released a month or two after the official launch of Windows 7.


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Posts tagged "identity theft training"
With all the news about fraud hitting big name companies, you might think that identity theft training is only for the corporate giants. Think again.
A study recently performed by a subcommittee in the U.S. House has revealed an alarming statistic: small businesses are a target for digital criminals just as celebrity brands like Twitter and Facebook attract fraudulent attention. But unlike those huge companies, smaller names usually have less to spend on security and are therefore more vulnerable to those kinds of attacks. According to a report mentioned in a statement by the subcommittee’s chairman Chris Collins, 60 percent of small businesses hit by online attacks end up closing within six months.
Here are some more rather frightening tidbits, courtesy of the same source: 87 percent of smaller businesses don’t even have an official written security policy. And attacks on companies with fewer than 250 employees apparently make up 20 percent of the total number of instances of online infringement. It’s not just the total gross that draws the attention of data thugs, and just because you’re not raking in billions doesn’t mean you’ll go unnoticed.
John Sileo knows identity theft and data breach first hand – he became “America’s Leading Identity Theft Speaker and Expert” after losing his business and more than $300,000 to these costly crimes. He has provided these Identity Theft Resources to help you protect your organization from suffering from the losses that result from unprotected private information. Visit John’s Identity Theft Prevention Store to learn more.
Hire John to train your employees to prevent identity theft, data breach and corporate espionage
Safe data is profitable data, whether it’s a client’s credit card number, a patient’s medical file, an employee’s benefit plan or sensitive intellectual capital. By the time John finishes his hilarious closing story, your audience will be fully empowered to protect private information, at home and at work.
Great employees are hard to find, but without the right employee background screening process, deceitful candidates are even harder to spot. Hiring dishonest employees puts your sensitive and confidential business information at risk and could cost you millions if stolen or damaged.
According to The Ponemon Institute, an independent research foundation, the average cost of data breach to a victim corporation is $6.75 million. In 2008, the lowest reported cost of data breach was $613,000, while the highest was just under $32 million. Given that the average cost per stolen record is $202, one missing laptop with 2,500 customer or employee records on it would come with a data breach recovery bill for a half a million dollars. And that doesn’t factor in loss of stock value, brand damage or customer defection that results from having your breach in the news.


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Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco had parked the $325,000 SUV in a Jacksonville, Florida, hotel parking lot last month while he was on an injury rehabilitation assignment. Alleged serial burglar Kahlil Eugene Mathis has been arrested in the June 22 theft.
Mathis, 24, allegedly used a wrench to break into the Rolls-Royce Cullinan at 3 a.m., then grabbed the safe, according to an arrest report. Police identified Mathis through an Arizona driver’s license and thumbprint he gave at a pawn shop where he sold some of the jewelry, a police report obtained by ESPN said. He was arrested July 4.
An alleged serial burglar stole more than $650,000 of jewelry from Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco’s car in June, according to court and police records obtained by me and @pinepaula. Nearly $550,000 worth has not been recovered.
News at ESPN: https://t.co/l4K9W5yMu8
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 22, 2022
Among the items that were in Franco’s safe were a diamond-encrusted Cuban link chain and circle medallion with diamonds and a W in the center valued at $300,00; a rose gold Cuban chain worth $200,000; a platinum Rolex watch worth $44,000; and a gold pendant of Jerry from the “Tom and Jerry” mouse cartoon.
The pawn shop where Mathis sold some of the items was just 20 miles away from the Doubletree Hotel where the theft occurred, according to police. Following Mathis’ arrest, police found the safe containing several of the items in the bedroom closet of an apartment associated with Mathis. Among the items inside were the two championship rings. The two chains and the Rolex have not been recovered, the sheriff’s office told ESPN.
Mathis is a suspect in nine burglaries that took place this year, including the Franco break-in, according to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records. He has also been charged with weapons, evidence tampering, resisting arrest, credit card fraud and drug charges.
Franco, 21, is in his second year in the Major Leagues and is considered a future superstar. He signed an 12-year, $185 million contract with the Rays last year. For the year, Franco is batting .260 with five home runs and 23 runs batted in. He is out of the lineup now as he deals with a broken hamate bone in his right hand.


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- K.O was livid after seeing his likeness being used to front a Covid-19 awareness campaign by the Gauteng government
- The star said he planned to seek legal advice as the incident had left him feeling extremely violated
- The company who produced the images, Yellow Room, said the images belong to them and not K.O regardless of them being in his likeness
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K.O has received a response after complaining about his likeness being used to front a government Covid-19 campaign without his permission.
The company who initially created the images, Yellow Room, claim that K.O has no rights to them.
They said the drawings and video were a "passion project" that they've now used in the Gauteng government Covid-19 campaign.
Yellow Room posted an official statement on Twitter about the matter.
READ ALSO: Isibaya's 'Ndlovu family' rural house used without permission
It said, "The video was not commissioned by any artist and thus the creators own 100% of the rights to the material."
Read the full statement below:
It's not clear if this statement can stand up against K.O's wrath (or logic) in court.
Surely, a creative can't just draw a picture of someone and then sell it to another entity to be used in a nationwide campaign without the person's consent?
The Gauteng provincial government is yet to make a statement on the issue, but Briefly.co.za will be sure to keep you posted when it does.
READ ALSO: Ntando Duma gives Sbahle 'Zozi' haircut: She's the happiest girl
K.O's fans totally supported him when he initially brought the matter to social media attention.
They agreed that the star had worked too hard on his brand for it to be used without his permission like that.
In other news, Briefly.co.za yesterday reported that Penny Lebyane proudly showed off natural hair with a touch of grey. The beauty is ageing like fine wine and isn't afraid to flaunt it. The star posted a stunning image of herself rocking her natural hair - it was tied back and exposed a few strands of grey. Another star who has made grey hair into a fashion statement is none other than 50-year-old stunner, Connie Ferguson.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!


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As Asia builds economic ties, Taiwan sidelined by China
Taiwan watches as Asian neighbors ink trade deals, lower tarrifs, and get access to Chinese loans for growth.
(Page 2 of 2)
The current government under President Ma Ying-jeou thinks boosting trade with China is the answer. Mr. Ma has ruled out political unification, but is aggressively pursuing closer economic links. Under Ma, Taiwan inked deals on cross-strait shipping and air and tourism links last year, binding Kaohsiung and other ports more closely to their Chinese counterparts. (Before, all ships had to pass through Hong Kong or another third location).Skip to next paragraph
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Now Ma is pushing a trade pact with China, called the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement. The pact would scrap tariffs on some goods like petrochemicals, as a possible first step toward a broader cross-strait free trade agreement.
The government argues that such a deal could add nearly 1.4 percent to Taiwan's gross domestic product. And it says other countries won't consider free-trade deals with Taiwan unless the island first lowers cross-strait trade barriers – thanks to Chinese pressure, and multinational firms' own preferences.
But the opposition is crying foul. It, too, backs closer cross-strait economic ties, but warns about the risks of playing into China's unification strategy – by which a "one-China market" paves the way for political union.
Ma's embrace of the "one China" principle is what has allowed cross-strait talks to shift into high gear, they note. The pro-independence opposition rejects that principle as a dangerous concession.
It also wants the details of any cross-strait trade pact made public and subject to referendum. "The government needs to tell its people what is the political price made for this deal," the party wrote in a recent newsletter.
Back at the port, pragmatic optimism
From the vantage of balmy Kaohsiung Port, though, the whole debate seems distant. The port, along with Taiwanese shipping firms, has already steamed ahead with a pragmatic, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" strategy.
For Mr. Shieh, cooperating – not competing – with China will help revive this once-mighty port. He says direct shipping links will boost the port's trans-shipment business.
"For a long time our government put restraints on our business, so Kaohsiung didn't benefit from China's rise," said Shieh. "But last year the government removed those limitations, so we can compete more fairly with other international ports."
Kaohsiung Port is reaching out to Chinese counterparts on investments and new shipping routes. Shieh hopes to combine China's production muscle with the edge that Kaohsiung Port still holds in logistics, port infrastructure, and value-added services.
And he thinks a trade pact will bring benefits, too. "We hope for more positive developments in the Taiwan Strait," says Shieh. "It will be good for both sides' people, shipping companies, and business."
Shieh strikes an optimistic note. But even he acknowledges that Kaohsiung Port's global heyday – and by extension, Taiwan's heyday as an export powerhouse – is likely gone for good.
"We probably can't make it back into the top three," says Shieh. "Our goal is to rejoin the top 10."


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Sharp rise in paraffin prices hits consumer
6 days ago, 08:02
Kerosene prices have doubled in the past two years due to a blend of higher taxes and rising global oil costs, hurting consumers that use the fuel for lighting and powering their cook stoves. Aside from home use by low-income earners, small-time fishermen worldwide have for long relied on kerosene lamps to provide vision during their nighttime fishing. In Kisumu, kerosene currently costs Sh78.66 per litre at the pump, having risen steadily over the past two years from Sh41.54 in a similar period ...
Category: business news opinion markets economy corporate


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March Global Manufacturing Update Reveals Modest Growth Overall
Despite modest growth overall, the global economic environment remains challenged, with manufacturers in half of the top 10 markets for goods manufactured in the U.S. reporting declining levels of activity in March. For example, the Chinese economy continued to decelerate and Canadian manufacturers reported weaker conditions in the past two months due to energy markets. In contrast, the U.S. economy remains a bright spot despite headwinds that dampened activity in the early months of the year. To learn more, visit here.
Final Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Underway
After several years of negotiations between the United States and eleven Asia-Pacific nations, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is nearing a make-or-break point. The TPP will be a game-changer for manufacturers in the United States by joining together nearly 800 million consumers and almost 40 percent of the world economy in a stronger trade relationship. The goal of the TPP is to help grow U.S. manufacturing, support our manufacturing exports, protect our intellectual property and ultimately, improve our global competitiveness. To learn more, visit here.
Consumer Prices Increase for Second Straight Month Thanks to Higher Gas Prices
The Consumer Price Index increased for the second straight month in March, up 0.2 percent, said the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Consumer Price Index growth is largely attributed to higher gasoline prices, which increased 2.4 percent in February and 3.9 percent in March. Apparel, medical care, new vehicles, shelter expenses and transportation services all saw notable price increases in March, while food prices declined 0.2 percent. On a year-over-year basis, core inflation has increased 1.8 percent, which is less than the Federal Reserve's stated goal of less than 2 percent. To learn more, visit here.
New Housing Starts Still Weak in March
Residential construction activity remained weak for the second straight month, according to the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Despite the fact that new housing starts increased 2.0 percent last month (up from 908,000 in February to 926,000 in March), the numbers are still below the 1,072,000 rate observed in January. Most notably, the Midwest, Northeast and West reflected reduced activity, with poor weather conditions being a critical factor in some of those regions. Overall, single-family permits were higher, while multi-family permits were lower. To learn more, visit here.


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Today is 2-22-22 ... and a Tuesday. Here's how to celebrate the rare date
Updated February 22, 2022 at 12:32 PM ET
Today's date is 2-22-22, aka "Twosday."The extremely rare date is full of opportunities for palindrome enthusiasts as well as wedding chapels, eateries, all sorts of businesses and — of course — regular people going about their (did we mention numerically extraordinary?) day.Aziz Inan, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Portland, tellsMorning Edition that it's worth celebrating however you can."These symmetric dates have what I call magic power," he says. "It's amazing how when you share, you know, you have to wait a hundred years to experience this again ... I can't imagine it doing anything else but spread positive energy and make people have fun."He points out that if you write the date in full according to the calendar system in which the day goes before the month, it comes out to 22-02-2022: another rare, eight-digit palindrome date."Such full dates do not repeat," he adds.As neat as the numbers on the calendar are, they don't necessarily signify anything on their own. Barry Markovsky, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of South Carolina, says finding meaning in today's date says more about humans' ability to find patterns than anything else. The capacity to recognize animals' footprints and distinguish predators from prey could mean the difference between life and death in primitive times, he explains. Today is not exactly about that, though."There's nothing of consequence, really, associated with the day itself," Markovsky adds. "Our calendar itself is kind of arbitrary and so those dates don't necessarily signify anything on any particular day, but it is just kind of a fun thing to notice."It's also a fun day for weddings, discounts and other celebrations — especially because today happens to fall on National Margarita Day in the U.S. Here are some events and suggestions for how to mark the day.
It'll make for a great anniversary date
Today is, unsurprisingly, a popular day for weddings.Sacramento, Calif., is holding what it calls its "biggest, once-in-a-lifetime collective wedding event" at the State Capitol, in which 222 couples will tie the knot in a ceremony concluding at 2:22 p.m. local time.In Las Vegas — where county officials just issued its 5millionth wedding license — wedding chapels are reporting limited availability for services due to heightened demand. Officials say Feb. 22 is likely to be Nevada's busiest wedding day in recent history, especially considering the drop in demand during the pandemic.In fact, the Clark County Marriage License Bureau decided to keep itstemporary popup facility at the Harry Reid International Airport (which is traditionally available for travelers coming to get married around Valentine's Day) open through Feb. 22 to accommodate the surge.The Contra Costa County Clerk's Office in Richmond, Calif., says it's performing 22 weddings today — almost double the number of ceremonies it typically offers.And for East Coast couples looking for something a little lower key: Kindred Spirits Weddings, a justice of the peace service, is offering $22 deals for anyone eloping in the Seacoast, N.H., region today.
Hotels and airlines are offering limited-time discounts
Hotels and airlines are capitalizing on the rare date, offering limited discounts for people who book travel plans today.Among them: The Great Wolf Lodge family of resorts is offering rates as low as $222 for a two-night stay in a standard suite booked today for any date before May 26. And Atlantis Paradise Islands Bahamas is offering a 22% discount, starting at $222, for guests booking a Caribbean getaway in the next two days.Australia's low-cost carrier Jetstar is slashing fareson 22,000 tickets to just $22 one way for certain travel dates in October and November. And United Airlines is offering discounts to United MileagePlus members who book flights today on any of its 22 nonstop routes between the U.S. and London from March 1 to Nov. 15. The flights are just 22,000 miles each way plus taxes, according to The Points Guy.
Fast-food chains and delivery apps are also getting in on the deals
Between Twosday, Taco Tuesday and National Margarita Day, many eateries and food delivery services are offering limited deals, too.For example, Burger King is giving rewards members 22% of purchases of $2 or more through the end of the week, while participating Krispy Kreme stores are giving customers a dozen glazed donuts for $2 when they order any dozen donuts or a 16-count of minis.Chili's and Ruby Tuesday are offering discounted margaritas for restaurant diners. Those who favor takeout can get 22% off their Grubub delivery today.Here are lists of deals from Thrillist and USA Today.
Celebrate with a simple Google search
The simplest and most immediately gratifying way to celebrate is right at your fingertips. Just type 2/22/2022 into the Google search bar and keep your eyes on the screen.
The audio version of this story was produced by Lindsay Totty and David West, and edited by Danny Hajek.The digital version of this story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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REHELIM — Wine produced in an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank and labeled “from the land of Israel” will soon be available for sale in the United Arab Emirates, settler business leaders said.
Palestinians have condemned the export deal, saying settlements are illegal under international law, a view shared by many countries but disputed by Israel.
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After forging official relations with the UAE last year under a U.S.-brokered deal that enraged Palestinians, bottles from Tura Winery in the Rehelim settlement are now in stock in the UAE, an alcohol retailer there said, although they did not appear to be on shelves yet.
The winery’s owner, Vered Ben-Sa’adon, told Reuters the exports showed that new Israel-UAE ties also extended to settlements, on West Bank land captured in a 1967 war and that Palestinians seek for a state.
“It’s very exciting for (people in the UAE) to feel the peace process, to be a part of it. When you sit in a hotel in Abu Dhabi, and drink a glass of Tura (wine), it’s to be a part of history,” said Ben-Sa’adon, 44.
Tura, which also produces and has sent olive oil to the UAE, places labels on its wine bottles that include the line: “WINE FROM THE LAND OF ISRAEL.”
Tura said the term referred to an area that includes Israel and the West Bank, where settlers stake a biblical claim to land they refer to as Judea and Samaria.


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Struggling retailer Office Depot Inc. said Monday that Roland Smith will retire from his post as chief executive of the company.
Smith was in charge when Office Depot announced a merger with larger rival Staples, a deal that ultimately was blocked by federal regulators. If the marriage had been approved, Smith would have received $46.8 million in golden parachute payments.
Smith, 61, will remain CEO until the company names his successor, a decision Office Depot said it will make by the end of first quarter of 2017. Smith will remain chairman of the Fortune 500 company.
Give Smith points for an atypical Plan B: He’s going to climb Mount Everest. Smith said he was training for the trek in 2013 but put the summit on hold to take over Office Depot.
“Now is the time for me to refocus on those personal ambitions while I am still physically able,” Smith said in a conference call Monday morning.
Smith joined Office Depot in November 2013. His resume includes stints as president and CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, American Golf Corp. and AMF Bowling Worldwide.
Office Depot responded to the failure of the Staples merger by continuing to close stores, although it also is experimenting with a sleek “store of the future.”
“My decision to retire has not been an easy one,” Smith said in a statement. “In 2013, I set aside a number of personal ambitions to accept a three-year contract with Office Depot, and it’s now time for me to refocus on those priorities. I am extraordinarily proud of what the Office Depot team has accomplished these past three years, and I am confident that we will successfully execute our new strategy and grow shareholder value.”


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General Motors' Opel said on Tuesday it would reorganize its Russian operations, responding to "difficult" conditions amid Ukraine woes.» Read More
Tesla says it will name its planned small car the Model 3, and the vehicle will compete with BMW's 3 series sedans, reports CNBC's Morgan Brennan.
CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports what's driving sales at General Motors globally, despite its recall crisis.
TOGLIATTI, Russia, July 16- To the pounding beat of house music and a triumphant trip down memory lane, the launch of Datsun's on-Do family sedan at Russia's largest automaker on Monday was hailed as a sure success.
WASHINGTON, July 15- U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in June as receipts at automobiles dealerships surprisingly fell, but details of Tuesday's report suggested the economy was on a solid footing at the end of the second quarter.
Volkswagen will spend $900 million to build a mid-sized SUV at its U.S. plant in Tennessee.
Earlier this month the brand revealed what it is calling "the most powerful muscle car ever," coming in at a screeching 707 horsepower.
General Motors has hired Johan de Nysschen to run its struggling Cadillac division.
LONDON, July 9- Future interest rate rises will not affect car sales in Britain and could easily be offset by manufacturers passing on their gains from foreign exchange, the head of one of the country's biggest car dealers told Reuters.
The Association of European Businesses said on Tuesday it now expected sales of cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia to drop 12 percent this year to 2.45 million units- far more pessimistic than its forecast earlier this year for a 1.6 percent decline.
In a year where luxury auto sales are overall up 4 percent, CNBC's Phil LeBeau reports Cadillac is the only luxury brand to see its sales slip.
Tesla is being sued in China for trademark infringement, casting a shadow over CEO Elon Musk's ambition to expand in the world's biggest auto market.
Don't tell Cadillac dealers this is one of the best years ever for luxury auto sales.
BRAZIL AUTO SALES EXPECTED TO POST -5.4 PCT GROWTH IN 2014 VS.
BRAZIL AUTO SALES POST -10.2 PCT GROWTH IN JUNE FROM MAY- ANFAVEA AUTOMAKERS ASSOCIATION.
Hyundai is showing off a new system that will automatically slow a vehicle down to avoid a ticket.
Itay Michaeli, Auto Analyst at Citi, discusses General Motors' vehicle sales in June. He also highlights replacement demand as the key factor spurring auto sales in the U.S..
General Motors Co bucked Wall Street's low expectations as well as negative publicity over a flood of safety recalls, reporting a 1 percent rise in U.S. sales in June. He added that GM's sales remain strong in part because consumers focus on brand names such as Chevrolet and Buick rather than the corporate name " General Motors."
Autodata reports the June auto sales rate is 16.98 million units versus 15.88 million, one year ago. CNBC's Domnic Chu digs into the numbers.
WASHINGTON, July 1- U.S. manufacturing activity rose at a steady clip in June and major automakers reported better-than-expected sales, pointing to momentum in the economy after a turbulent start to the year.
General Motors has recalled 29 million vehicles worldwide this year. CNBC Contributor Ron Insana, and CNBC's Phil LeBeau, discuss at what point recalls will impact GM sales and how rising interest rates will impact auto financing.


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The one big advantage is that unlike other kinds of teas which have some amount of caffeine in them, ballerina tea is totally caffeine free.
Onions are an indispensable ingredient of Indian cooking. However, the incredible health benefits of… Read more at: https://food.manoramaonline.com/food/special-diet/2020/05/10/immunity-boosting-drink-onion-tea-recipe.html
Recently, TikTok user went on to share a bizarre video targeting tea lovers where he went on to make some not so appealing tea and it makes netizens angry.
The branch – part of a national chain started by two Coronation Street stars – will be doing takeaways and deliveries
Recently, the officials restricted movements of some 100,000 people, who live in Istanbul but want to travel to the Black Sea provinces, to harvest tea in their land plots there, in a bid to curb the coronavirus spread in the region.
ea production for the month of March 2020 in Kenya reached an all-time high of 55.7 million kilograms against 26.5 million kilos recorded during the corresponding month in 2019.
When it comes to sources of boosting immunity, turmeric, basil and ginger are a few common ingredients that everyone talks about. But today, we are going to talk about another very common ingredient that we use daily, but never looked at it from health perspective. We are going to talk about onion and an effective…
Morrisons has announced it has opened new summer Steak and Seafood Bars in its stores. The new bars are open from today [April 20, 2020] and will sell restaurant-quality steaks, fish and shellfish for half price.
Healthy recipes: At a loss as to what to cook today? Fret not. In this daily series, STFood Online Editor Hedy Khoo features nourishing recipes you can whip up during the circuit breaker period
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of Sri Lanka like anywhere else in the world will be complex to predict in terms of magnitude, but directions are predictable. Being a trade dependent island nation, Sri Lanka will likely suffer from the expected recession in addition to the disruptions in global and domestic…


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From Amazon Warehouses, 189 Disturbing CallsNewser — Newser Editors
Between October 2013 and October 2018, it found that 189 emergency calls had been placed from Amazon warehouses across the US because of "suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and other mental-health episodes." And the examination of 911 logs and such covered only 46 warehouses in 17 states, or only about 25% of the total number of warehouses.
A quote from one former employee sums things up: “It’s this isolating colony of hell where people having breakdowns is a regular occurrence,” says Jace Crouch, who worked at a facility in Lakeland, Florida.
It’s “mentally taxing to do the same task super fast for 10-hour shifts, four or five days a week.”
The investigation does not compare the numbers at Amazon to those at other companies or make the case that working conditions in the Amazon facilities are any worse than elsewhere.
Also, some of the affected employees acknowledged having mental health issues before taking their jobs at Amazon, though they say the work exacerbated their issues. Still, the multitude of calls offers "a visceral, real-time glimpse of employees on the edge," per the story.
Amazon responds that the focus on the total number of calls is an “overgeneralization” that “doesn’t take into account the total of our associate population, hours worked, or our growing network.” Click for the full story, which includes 911 transcripts of some of the actual calls.
- Missouri Farm Official: New Whopper a 'Wake-Up Call'
- Bernie Sanders Explains How 'You Can Be a Millionaire, Too'
- Congress May Kill Chance of Free IRS Tax Filing
This article originally appeared on Newser: From Amazon Warehouses, 189 Disturbing Calls


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Apple turns out to have earned at least 10 billion yen to get Fortnite out of the App Store
In a trial between Apple and Epic Games over the removal of 'Fortnite ' from the App Store, Apple revealed that it earned at least $ 100 million (about 10.9 billion yen) as a distribution fee for 'Fortnite' I did.
Apple's Revenue From Epic's Fortnite Topped $ 100 Million --Bloomberg
Fortnite generated over $ 100M revenue for Apple ―― 9to5Mac
Apple earned over $ 100 million from'Fortnite' | AppleInsider
Apple Earned Over $ 100 Million From Fortnite --MacRumors
In August 2020, Epic Games introduced a payment method called 'EPIC Direct Payment' that does not go through the App Store to avoid the '30% of sales' fee charged by the App Store when distributing its Fortnite on iOS. Introduced. However, Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store, saying it violated the terms. Taking this opportunity, Epic Games sued Apple for 'not allowing payments other than the App Store is anti-competitive.'
'Fortnite' developer Epic Games sues Apple-GIGAZINE
In the Apple vs. Epic Games trial, which started on May 3, 2021 local time, Fortnite has never made a profit of 1 trillion yen or the sale of the Xbox itself. 'Apple has earned at least about $ 100 million in Fortnite,' said Michael Schmidt, head of App Store business development, summoned as a witness on May 19, 2021. It turns out that they were making a lot of money from Fortnite's sales commissions.
In connection with this, Schmidt also said, 'Apple has spent $ 1 million on marketing Fortnite on the App Store in the last 11 months,' but Epic Games said. A lawyer has argued that 'just spending $ 1 million on content that makes $ 100 million would be a good deal.'
Schmidt said the fees he got from Fortnite were 'at least $ 100 million,' but when asked about the specific amount and whether it was over $ 200 million, 'publication is inappropriate. I am refraining from answering. Meanwhile, mobile app market research firm Sensor Tower said, 'Fortnite has sold about $ 1.2 billion (¥ 131 billion) on the App Store and charged Apple about $ 354 million (¥ 38.6 billion). 'The actual sales could be much higher than Mr. Schmidt's declaration,' the press reports.


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AFA Floats Google Boycott over Campaign to Decriminalize Homosexuality
Google announced a new international campaign called Legalize Love “to decriminalize homosexuality and eliminate homophobia around the world,” and of course, the American Family Association is now weighing a boycott of Google products since the organization is already “boycotting efforts similar to this with other businesses,” like Home Depot and Oreo cookies. Buster Wilson, the general manager of the AFA’s radio network, said on AFA Today that a Google boycott “is going to be a hard one for a lot of us” but will “test the meat of our convictions.”
If the AFA goes ahead with its Google boycott, the group will also have to boycott Google’s rival Microsoft as the company recently endorsed marriage equality.
Kevin Swanson: God Let Orlando Massacre Happen Because The Sins Of Homosexuality And Islam Lead To Murder
6/17/16 @ 1:55pm
Ann Coulter: Donald Trump Is 'Our Only Hope'
6/16/16 @ 4:00pm
Donald Trump Taps Michele Bachmann, James Dobson & Other Far-Right Leaders For Advisory Board
6/21/16 @ 3:20pm
We Now Have 6 Years Of Donald Trump’s Tax History. In 3 Of Them He Paid No Income Taxes
6/17/16 @ 2:55pm
Glenn Beck: 'We're The Civil Rights Leaders Of Today,' Not Those 'Absolute Clowns' Like John Lewis
6/23/16 @ 2:01pm


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We have been hearing quite a bit about Intel’s Medfield smartphone platform since the company showed it off at CES 2012 back in January, and it looks like both Motorola and Lenovo has now been confirmed as partners who will use Intel’s new Medfield platform.
The news doesn’t come as a surprise as we have already seen some leaked devices, including a leaked Motorola device which will apparently be announced at MWC 2012 next week.
Intel are expected to release more information on their Medfield platform next week at MWC 2012 in Barcelona, and we suspect we could see a couple of devices from both Motorola and also Lenovo.
As soon as we get some more information on what will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2012 we will let you guys know.
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Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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"To give you an idea, over the last two years, I joined Veeam about two and a half years ago," says Clarke. "I was employee number four for Asia Pacific. Across Asia Pacific you now have 53. Globally I was employee number 314 I think. We now have more than 1,000 employees globally. The revenue has been on that exponential growth year on year and one statistic that we released the other day was a global statistic and I'll break it down for you.
"We recently announced that we've just hit the 62,000 customer mark globally. It took us six years to get to 50,000 customers. It took us an additional six months to get to 60,000 customers so it shows the brand awareness and particularly the investment we made in what worked for us as growth markets here in Asia really paying off as the brand awareness grows.
"As these markets become more virtualised, the desire for our technology grows. So in South East Asia we now have more than 400 partners. Many of them, the majority really would be Singaporean. From a customer perspective, we're up to something like 8,000 customers across the region and again, over the last two years, that's more than tripled."
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Independent furniture retailer The Furniture Warehouse has expanded with the opening of its second store in Northamptonshire.
The business has officially opened at the Old Cinema on Rockingham Road in Corby, and takes over from the Furniture Clearance Outlet, which has now ceased to trade.
The new store adds to The Furniture Warehouse’s existing site in St James Retail Park on Towcester Rd, Northampton, and offers a large range of sofas, tables, dining sets and home accessories.
Commenting on its new store, the company said: “From affordable sofas to high quality discounted furniture and one-off ex display items, our newest store has everything you’ll need to transform your home. We’re a different business entirely with an existing store in Northampton.”
As for the Furniture Clearance Outlet, the business posted a closing statement: “After many years of build up and anticipation, the furniture clearance outlet has finally closed down.
“The Furniture Warehouse has now taken over the Old Cinema, and we hope that you’ll support them the way that you’ve supported us throughout the years. They have done a fantastic job of refurbishing the store, you almost wouldn’t recognise it. We can’t thank you all enough for the support.”
The Furniture Warehouse, which is currently revamping its website, officially opened the new Corby store on 10 August.


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Facebook revenue climbs 44%, stock soars in after hours trading
The most successful company in mobile advertising is Google who will report earnings on February 1. The second is, of course, Facebook. Today they reported earnings and killed it, reporting a 44 percent increase in revenue and net income more than double the same period a year ago.
Facebook said that 80 percent of its ad revenue now comes from mobile.
Not surprisingly, Facebook stock is soaring in after hours trading today. It had been down nearly 3 percent as the US stock markets had another bad day. But the stock is currently up over 5 percent following the release of the earnings report.
Here is their release – read it and weep:
MENLO PARK, Calif. – January 27, 2016 — Facebook, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2015.
“2015 was a great year for Facebook. Our community continued to grow and our business is thriving,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder and CEO. “We continue to invest in better serving our community, building our business, and connecting the world.”
Full Year 2015 Business Highlights
- Revenue – Revenue for the full year 2015 was $17.93 billion, an increase of 44% year-over-year.
- Income from operations – Income from operations for the full year 2015 was $6.23 billion.
- Net income – Net income for the full year 2015 was $3.69 billion.
- Free cash flow – Free cash flow for the full year 2015 was $6.08 billion.
- Daily active users (DAUs) – DAUs were 1.04 billion on average for December 2015, an increase of 17% year-over-year.
- Mobile DAUs – Mobile DAUs were 934 million on average for December 2015, an increase of 25% year-over-year.
- Monthly active users (MAUs) – MAUs were 1.59 billion as of December 31, 2015, an increase of 14% year-over-year.
- Mobile MAUs – Mobile MAUs were 1.44 billion as of December 31, 2015, an increase of 21% year-over-year.
Fourth Quarter 2015 Financial Highlights
Fourth Quarter 2015 Other Financial Highlights
- Mobile advertising revenue – Mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 80% of advertising revenue for the fourth quarter of 2015, up from 69% of advertising revenue in the fourth quarter of 2014.
- Capital expenditures – Capital expenditures for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $692 million.
- Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities – Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities were $18.43 billionat the end of the fourth quarter of 2015.
- Free cash flow – Free cash flow for the fourth quarter of 2015 was $2.14 billion.


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The London Look’s favourite fashion new comer 15 year old Chloe Moretz has been named MaxMara’s Face of the Future 2012, The prestigious award show will take place in June in none other than Beverly Hills!
This news comes as no surprise, Chloe is without a doubt the best dressed teenager in Hollywood. We have been spying on her style for a long time, naming her “best new comer 2011″ And she has proved us right!
No stranger to Designer clothing and Couture Moretz floats up and down red carpets in pieces from Vivienne Westwood, Mui Mui, Burberry and Versace, a teenagers dream come true!!
Miss Moretz is more than half the age of last years winner wifey of Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, so we know that the competition is tough!
The italian brand have set their standards very high with criteria for a young woman who “is experiencing a turning point in her career through her work in the film and television industries and through her contributions to the community at large, in recognition of her outstanding achievements and her embodiment of style and grace.”
The Kick Ass leading lady has no shortage of either!!


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Over the past half-year since the fast-casual vegan chain formerly known as By Chloe announced its new name — Beatnic – the New York City-based lunch spot has been honing its brand identity with a new slogan (“100% vegan, 100% delicious), an updated look (with a 60s-inspired logo and groovy packaging aesthetic) and an evolving loyalty program.
Beatnic president Catey Mark Meyers is especially proud of the new comfort food-driven menu items on the updated menu like the Buffalo cauliflower tots, which were a Super Bowl special that became a menu mainstay after they were super popular, or the loaded shroom nachos made with crumbly fable meaty mushrooms resembling the heartiness of ground beef on nachos.
“One thing we’re focusing on right now is rather than bringing in a lot of fake meat products, we’re taking vegetables and letting them shine,” Mark Meyers said. “The broad availability of meat substitutes is helping bring awareness and broader acceptance of the vegan movement but we like to let whole ingredients shine.”
Mark Meyers and her team have been promoting the newly reimagined Beatnic brand at New York Fashion Week in February, where they were able to cater some events and grow brand awareness with models and celebrities.


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Marks and Spencer (MKS) has announced this morning that that Marc Bolland has informed the Board that, after six years in the role, he wishes to retire as CEO in 2016.
Bolland will be succeeded as CEO by Steve Rowe, executive director of general merchandise and former head of food.
Bolland will remain CEO and on the board until the end of the current financial year on 2 April 2016 when he will hand over to Rowe and will remain available in an advisory capacity to assist the transition until 30 June 2016.
Rowe has been with M&S for over 25 years and been a board member since 2012. Before joining the Board, Steve worked in a range of senior positions across the business including director of retail and e-commerce and various positions in general merchandise. In 2012 he was appointed as executive director, food, before shifting to executive director general merchandise in July 2015.
M&S said: “In particularly difficult market conditions Steve led the food business to produce 12 consecutive quarters of like for like growth, grow its margin and all its key performance metrics, continue its record of outstanding innovation and set out a path for further profitable growth.”
Chairman Robert Swannell said “Over the last six years Marc Bolland has led Marks & Spencer through a period of necessary change. Over this time, the company has made significant investment in enhanced infrastructure and capabilities.
“It is now positioned for a digital age, with its own on-line platform and dedicated e-commerce distribution centre, improved design and sourcing capabilities in general merchandise and an industry-leading track record of growth and innovation in the food business.
“I am delighted that, after the most rigorous succession planning, Marc will be succeeded by Steve Rowe. Steve has a deep knowledge of Marks & Spencer and a proven track record of delivering results in key parts of the business. The nomination committee was unanimous in supporting Steve’s appointment in the light of his considerable knowledge of the business and its people, his appetite to continue the process of change, particularly in general merchandise, his perceptive and effective problem solving, his values and his observed leadership.“
Marc Bolland added: “It has been a huge honour to lead one of Britain’s most iconic companies. I am delighted to handover to Steve Rowe as my successor. I have worked closely with Steve for six years and I am convinced that he will be a great leader for Marks & Spencer. I would like to thank all my colleagues and the board at Marks & Spencer for being so supportive of the drive to prepare M&S for the future. I am proud to leave such a large group of talent behind in the business.”
Steve Rowe said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed CEO of Marks & Spencer and to have the opportunity to lead this unique company and all its people forward.”


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The distinction of “Net Zero Plastic to Nature” has been attained by Bentley Motors.
Bentley Motors just became the first firm to get South Pole’s “Net Zero Plastic to Nature” accreditation.
Switzerland-based South Pole experts analyzed Bentley’s global plastic impact and deemed its efforts to reduce trash and recycle satisfactorily.
“Auditors proposed Bentley improvements.”
“Our journey towards a plastic-free future is a vital aspect of our Beyond100 vision,” said Peter Bosch, member of Bentley Motors’ Board for Manufacturing.
Bentley’s success is widely recognized and displays its commitment to a better environment.
The premium carmaker has invested in certified units to help South Pole’s plastic trash collecting and recycling initiatives in India and Thailand.
Bentley intends to be plastic-neutral by 2025, produce a new electric model yearly, and remove internal combustion engines by 2026.
The premium automaker wants to become “the most sustainable luxury automaker in the world” and carbon-neutral by 2030.


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Cycle Gear Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of motorcycle apparel and accessories, is pleased to announce that it has just opened its 97th retail store in Lynnwood, Washington. Located at 4210 196th Street S.W. The new store, which is open seven days a week, is close to Seattle, and is Cycle Gear’s fifth store in the state of Washington.
“We take pride in supporting motorcyclists nationwide, and the Lynnwood store is in a great location to help serve the greater Seattle area”, said Cycle Gear’s CEO Dave Bertram, “Cycle Gear is not only a great place to buy motorcycle parts and apparel; we also try to give back to the community.”
To celebrate the opening, Cycle Gear will host a benefit night on August 17, 2012, from 6-9 p.m. where 10 percent of sales will be donated to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Representatives of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation will be on-site providing more information as well as signing people up for the September 9 Puget Sound Ride for Kids.
In addition to the benefit, there will be special deals all month long exclusive to the Lynnwood location. Various vendors will be on-site for the grand opening weekend on August 18, and there will be weekly drawings for $100 gift cards. A grand prize drawing will be held on September 5th where the winners could receive a Shoei helmet, $500 shopping spree, or a GoPro HD Hero2 camera. Lynnwood will also be hosting their first of several “Bike Nights” on Tuesday, August 28, including exclusive in-store pricing, food, fun, and giveaways.
For more information, visit www.cyclegear.com.


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The fast-food chain has apologized and claims there is no company-wide policy banning workers from wearing BLM accessories.
The fast-food chain recently tweeted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in what now appears to be another…
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Six California police officers fatally shot a 20-year-old rapper who was sleeping in his car outside a Taco Bell, authorities said.
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The Central Bank of Nigeria has banned citizens of the country from transacting bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. All financial institutions, especially banks, will close the accounts of users found to be making crypto money transactions.
Central Bank of Nigeria took action to stop the increasing use of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Banks and financial institutions in the country have been instructed to “identify and close the accounts used to operate a crypto money exchange or to make transactions on these exchanges”.
Sanctions will be applied to those who don’t
In the decree of the Central Bank dated February 5, it was stated that these accounts should be closed immediately. It was announced that companies that do not comply with the decision will be subject to “strict sanctions”. Banks in Nigeria will not allow their customers to transact with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin after this decision.
The use of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria has spread rapidly in the last five years. According to Paxful’s research, Nigerian citizens have processed a total of 60 thousand 215 bitcoins during this period.
In the past years he had warned
The Central Bank started its warnings about cryptocurrency transactions in 2017. In a statement made at that time, it was stated that cryptocurrencies such as “Bitcoin, XRP, Monero, Litecoin, Dogecoin” were not accepted as legal payment instruments.
In 2018, it was announced that cryptocurrencies have no legal recognition, again in a statement published by the Central Bank. It was emphasized that “no legal guarantee has been provided” to those who invested in crypto money and lost their money.


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July 22, 2014 - 2:47 PM
VERNON - Hundreds of wooden bins that would have been used in just a short time to pack the North Okanagan apple harvest were damaged or destroyed in what fire officials are calling a suspicious blaze.
The 11:30 p.m. fire Monday night at Growers Supply, the sales arm of B.C. Tree Fruits, located in the Middleton Mountain area of Vernon, burnt an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 packing bins stored there. Spokesperson Chris Pollock says that could mean losses in the $100,000 range, not to mention problems for North Okanagan farmers.
“The growers in the northern region rely on these bins for apple harvests which is coming up shortly,” Pollock says. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure they get their apples off the tree, into a bin, to the packing facilities and into consumers' mouths.”
Salvaging some of the bins might be an option, but, Cam Stewart, regional manager for Grower Supply, says a food safety officer will likely be involved before they can be used.
“Anything that has smoke damage you can’t really pack fruit into. We’re going to make sure the bins are safe for the growers so they’re not putting their fruit in contaminated bins,” Stewart says.
Minus a few hours of limited access to the yard while fire and police crews attended the scene, Stewart says Grower Supply didn’t suffer any direct losses and is back to business as usual.
“It could’ve been much worse. The Vernon Fire Department deserves a lot of credit for getting on it as quick as they did,” Stewart says.
Stewart says there were around 18,000 of the wooden bins on site, protected by a chain link and barbed wire fence.
“We’re a prime target with all these bins sitting out here. It’s tempting for somebody (who’s) interested in wreaking havoc,” Stewart says. “It’s a little unnerving for sure.”
The company will be looking into security options like patrols and video surveillance, Stewart says.
Vernon’s alleged serial arsonist has so far evaded video surveillance, leaving investigators few clues in the hunt. Over the past few months, boats, dumpsters, wooden pallets, and most recently, the Kin Race Track grandstands were set on fire. Investigators say the fire at Growers Supply is consistent with the 21 other suspicious fires in the area lately.
“You hope they find the people, or the person, responsible for these,” Stewart says. “I know the community is struggling with it and it’s not good for anybody in Vernon to have that looming over them.”
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email email@example.com or call 250-718-2724.
News from © InfoTel News Ltd, 2014


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Per the CTAs numbers, nearly 2,000 companies released items at the 2021 event. The figure pales in contrast to the 4,419 companies showing last year, but thats to be expected. In addition to the uncertain nature of the event, its been a remarkably bad year for lots of business. I definitely had my doubts and questions going in– chief amongst them was the worth of an occasion like this for a startup? Without an in-person element, wasnt this just yet another possibility to get lost in the sound?
I heard comparable feedback from startups on the side, though eventually almost 700 selected to display at the program. I understand because I ended up going through all of them for the purposes of our coverage. It brought back a kind of visceral memory of the year I challenged myself to stroll every square inch of the program, and wound up being tough for completely different reasons.
Eureka Park, the packed startup portion of the program at the Sands Expo, is easily the best part. The blog writer instinct that lives dormant inside kicks in and I cant wait to get back in front of my laptop computer to inform the world.
There was no Eureka Park this year– not even a virtual version. Theres just no excellent way to approximate a show flooring online– a minimum of none that Im aware of. A couple of existing contacts used to send me stuff in the mail to keep an eye out. Sensel, for instance, has a new variation of its trackpad (which it revealed today will be incorporated into Lenovos newest ThinkPad). However for obvious factors, its simply not possible to get all 700 startups to send out evaluation systems to my one-bedroom in Queens.
More than anything, the virtual occasion highlighted the technology restrictions of an occasion at this scale. The in-person variations are, as well, of course, but we tend to be blinded by the spectacle.
The nature of press release was even more ambiguous this year. More business seemingly took liberties by dumping their news well ahead of the show. Other business used their own sort of counter programs. When it comes to my own peace of mind is how they control the news flow, one of the most significant advantages to these events. I know entering into the year that theres going to be one hair-pullingly challenging week at the beginning of the year where a heap of news is announced.
With CES less of a center of mass this year, I prepared for seeing a less segmented news circulation. Ive commented to colleagues over the last number of years that theres “no more sluggish season” when it concerns hardware news, and this will likely only increase that belief. Clearly theres advantage in having things more uniformly expanded, but Ive got the sensation were approaching something more similar to a series of little CES-like events throughout the year, and the thought makes my blood turn cold.
Ive invested more time than I care to mention over the last a number of years wondering aloud about the worth of in-person trade convention. Theres something apparently old-fashioned in the idea of jamming a lot of individuals in a room, strolling from booth to cubicle. Sure, theyve satisfied a crucial need in the past, however arent they simply an antique in this hyperconnected world?
Ive always presumed that if exhibition were to go extinct, it would be a gradual process– a sluggish fade into cultural irrelevance, like book shops and record shops (both things I miss out on dearly). Innovation has, for numerous intents and purposes, drastically lowered their relative worth to our society.
While its certainly true that Spotify and the Kindle Store are doing not have in much of the appeal and all of the charm of their real-world equivalents, were pleased to sacrifice all that and more at the change of convenience.
A rampaging pandemic has actually efficiently given us a year without in-person trade shows. Last years CES handled to get in just under the wire.
The bulk of the tech events Ive gone to practically in the previous year have actually been put on by a single business. More than anything, the virtual occasion highlighted the innovation restrictions of an event at this scale. Apple, on the other hand, moved from one occasion to a series of one smaller sized occasion every month towards the end of the year. Maybe rather of having thousands of companies contending for our attention at one event, were moving toward a model in which there are instead thousands of events. Eventually, nevertheless, I think the event served as a testimony to the fact that as much as we bemoan all of the headaches and head colds that come with an occasion like CES, theres still a lot of worth to be had in the in-person event.
Its been clear in recent years that business would rather break out from the noise of CES in favor of their own occasions, following in Apples footsteps. Apple, meanwhile, moved from one event to a series of one smaller sized occasion every month towards the end of the year. Perhaps rather of having thousands of business competing for our attention at one occasion, were moving toward a model in which there are rather thousands of occasions.
I still discovered worth in the virtual event. Eventually, however, I believe the event served as a testament to the reality that as much as we bemoan all of the headaches and head colds that come with an event like CES, theres still a lot of value to be had in the in-person occasion.
Theres little doubt that the CTA and the rest of these sorts of companies are champing at the bit to return to in-person events, even as a bumpy vaccine rollout leaves a big enigma around the anticipated timeline. Theres a great possibility that well see 2020/2021 as the start of completion for the in-person trade program. However provided the sorts of constraints weve seen in the previous year, Im not prepared to state them completely dead whenever soon.
The CTA (the governing body behind CES) appeared to have been planning a scaled-back in-person version of the program this year, following a comparable move by the team behind the Berlin-based IFA over the summertime. By July, nevertheless, it was clear that such a plan was illogical. To put it bluntly, the United States didnt have its shit together when it pertains to keeping this virus in check (I d be remiss if I didnt acknowledge that we simply struck 400,000 deaths on the day Im writing this).
CES 2021 was far from the very first tech show to go all virtual over this previous year. The size and scope of the occasion, on the other hand, are reasonably special here. Per the CTA, the 2020 show drew north of 170,000 attendees. Most of the tech occasions Ive gone to practically in the previous year have been placed on by a single company. CES is clearly a different monster completely.
The CTAs (nee CEA) role in the market definitely afforded it a reasonable little bit of goodwill up front. The program, after all, goes back to the late-60s. It has actually lessened and streamed over the years (taking hits from external forces like the 2008 financial crisis), but it has remained a continuous. Those of us whove been doing this for a while tend to deal with the show with equal parts anticipation and dread. But the companies constantly come out.


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Kia topped all other nonpremium brands in J.D. Power and Associates’ latest survey of new-vehicle quality for the first time ever, while Japanese brands fell below the industry average -- another first in the study’s 29-year history.
Each Kia vehicle improved this year as the Korean brand rose to second place in the overall rankings, behind Porsche. Kia had two nameplates, the Soul and Cadenza, in the top 10 — the first time the automaker has had vehicles in that elite group. While brands that launch new vehicles tend to take hits in the rankings, Kia avoided such a fate with the redesigned Sedona minivan.
Kia also performed well in the technology category, which continues to confound much of the industry.
“One of the biggest areas they improved was the audio, communication, entertainment and [navigation], which everyone is struggling with. They’re getting it right,” said Renee Stephens, Power’s vice president of U.S. automotive quality, in an interview.
Ford, which has struggled in Power’s closely watched Initial Quality Study, has battled through its growing pains with MyFord Touch to score above the industry average for the first time since introducing the infotainment system in 2011.
Although Fiat again ranked last in the study, it had the largest improvement of any brand, trimming 45 problems per 100 vehicles from its score. Infiniti had the second-largest improvement with 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, while Kia was next with a 20-point gain.
Chrysler (+32 problems per 100 vehicles), Lexus (+12), Cadillac (+7) and Land Rover (+7) showed the largest erosion in quality scores.
Power found that entertainment and connectivity systems remain the industry’s most problem-prone areas. Topping the list of gripes: problems with voice recognition and Bluetooth pairing.
Japan falls behind
Although Japanese brands as a whole improved slightly in 2015, it wasn’t enough to keep pace with the industry, notably major gains by European and Korean brands.
Domestic brands tied their Japanese rivals for just the second time after recording an average of 114 problems per 100 vehicles. European brands, on the other hand, bested the Japanese makes for the first time with a score of 113.
“This is a clear shift in the quality landscape,” said Stephens. “For so long, Japanese brands have been viewed by many as the gold standard in vehicle quality.”
General Motors, Hyundai Motor Co., Nissan Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG each had four segment winners to lead the industry.
The Lexus LS, with 61 problems per 100 vehicles, was the top-scoring vehicle. The Chrysler 300 sedan, winner of the large-car segment, was the only domestic product to reach the top 10 after registering 48 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in 2015. It is the first time the 300 has placed in the top 10.
Korean brands improved 11 percent year on year, while domestic and European brands each increased 3 percent. Japanese brands, in contrast, improved 1 percent.


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England underwent its latest easing of the third coronavirus lockdown on 12 April, when a range of businesses were allowed to reopen, including non-essential shops, hair salons, and gyms. Likewise, outdoor dining and drinking at restaurants and pubs was allowed to resume. Two weeks after this easing of restrictions, the latest research by Redfield & Wilton Strategies finds that a majority of the British public (54%) thinks the Government has struck the right balance with its current coronavirus restrictions. On the other hand, 29% consider the current level of restrictions to be too relaxed, whereas 17% consider it too restrictive. This latest result is relatively similar to what we found in early March and late February, before the latest reopening, when 26% said the level of restrictions were too relaxed.
Thinking about the pathway followed by the Government in order to get the country to its current state of reopening, our latest poll also finds that 31% think the Government has been too cautious in its approach to easing coronavirus restrictions, whereas 26% think it has been too impatient. Meanwhile, a plurality (43%) thinks the Government has struck the right balance between caution and urgency in its approach to easing restrictions.
Likewise, 60% of the British public consider that the Government is currently taking the right measures to address the coronavirus pandemic, with only 25% saying they do not think the right measures are currently being taken.
General satisfaction with the way in which lockdown is being eased and with the current restrictions in place mirrors the general optimism of the public in Britain. Overall, 57% think the worst of coronavirus pandemic is now behind the UK, compared to only 17% who still think the worst is yet to come.
Reflecting this high level of optimism among the population, our latest poll records that 55% now say they would feel safe shopping for clothes and such items, compared to 35% who would feel unsafe. These figures represent a significant reversal since January and February, when strong majorities felt unsafe going shopping.
Broadly in line with the proportion who say they now feel safe going shopping, 43% of British adults say they have visited a non-essential shop since they were allowed to reopen on 12 April. Among younger respondents, the proportion is even higher, with 58% to 59% of those aged 18 to 34 saying they have visited a non-essential shop in the past two weeks.
Likewise, a majority of the British public (57%) now say that they would feel safe going to a barber or hair salon, with 33% saying that they would still feel unsafe.
Our polling finds that a substantial 32% of British respondents have visited a hair salon or barber since they were allowed to reopen two weeks ago, reflecting significant levels of pent-up demand from the lockdown months when haircuts were not available. The proportion that has visited a barber or hair salon is particularly high in London, where 42% say they have visited a barber or salon in the past week.
When it comes to outdoor dining and drinking, the current figures indicate that 58% of the public currently feels safe eating at a restaurant or drinking at a pub outside, an activity which has now been allowed for two weeks.
Nonetheless, despite 58% of respondents feeling safe eating or drinking outdoors at pubs and restaurants, our polling finds that only 23% say they have visited a pub and 20% that they have gone to a restaurant in the two weeks since their reopening. This lower figure could be a reflection of limited capacity (since venues are limited to hosting customers in their outdoor space only), difficulty of securing reservations, weather that is still relatively cold, and the proportion of the population who generally does not go out to eat or drink, irrespective of safety concerns.
Alongside non-essential shops, hairdressers and barbers, and outdoor dining and drinking, another sector of the economy that was allowed to reopen on 12 April was gyms. Since the start of the pandemic, our polling has consistently found that strong majorities of the public would not feel safe going to a gym—and our latest poll is not an exception, as 55% still say they would feel unsafe working out at a gym. Meanwhile, 29% do say that they now would feel safe going to the gym.
The 29% who say they would feel safe going to a gym now likely include the 15% who say they have worked out at a gym in the past two weeks, since they were allowed to reopen. This figure is particularly high in London, where 31% say they have worked out at a gym at least once in the past two weeks.
In addition to visiting the range of businesses described above, the British public has also been particularly keen to finally meet with family and friends that they had not seen so far this year. Our research finds that 43% of the public has met with friends or family that they had not seen earlier this year since the relaxation of restrictions earlier this month. Among respondents aged 18 to 24, this proportion rises to 61%.
Although socialising indoors remains banned for people from different households, our research finds that the British public feels increasingly safe visiting a friend’s house, with 47% saying they would feel safe and 43% saying they would feel unsafe. The data from recent weeks represents a reversal of the results we saw from September 2020 until February 2021, when clear majorities of the public stated that they would feel unsafe visiting a friend’s house.
Overall, the first two weeks of reopened Britain appear to have been successful, with large sections of the public venturing out to go shopping, get a haircut, enjoy a meal or drink outdoors, or work out at the gym. Likewise, it has been possible for many Britons—especially younger ones—to reconnect with friends and family after what might have been several months of isolation for many of them. With coronavirus rates in the United Kingdom at some of their lowest levels since the start of the pandemic and the rate of vaccinations fast increasing, the British public is optimistic that the worst of the pandemic is now behind us and satisfied with the Government’s current approach to easing restrictions.


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A recent report from Games One has revealed just how much the top gaming companies’ CEOs made during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. The report indicates that while many industries were negatively affected by COVID-19, gaming CEOs brought in close to $1 billion USD collectively. GamesIndustry.Biz noted that it also details how much each of the 42 highest-paid CEOs of the gaming industry were compensated, factoring in their salary, stocks, bonuses and benefits.
While Activision Blizzard‘s CEO Bobby Kotick has been at the helm of a series of investigations regarding a company culture that stems from abuse and harassment, he came in second and received an approximate $150 million USD payday. Ahead of him sitting at the top spot is Playtika’s CEO Robert Antokol, who ended 2020 with more than twice the amount Kotick was compensated, making $372,008,176 USD. Playtika is best known for Bingo Blitz and Board Kings.
Andrew Wilson of Electronic Arts made over $34 million USD coming in fourth after Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise who clocked in at $103,321,052 USD. Others in the top 10 include Zynga’s Frank Gibeau, Unity CEO John Riccitiello, Strauss Zelnick, Taek-Jin Kim, Min-Liang Tan and Debbie Bestwick. At the bottom ten out of the top 42 industries, the lowest-paid CEO is Lars Wingefors of Embracer Group at $162,293 USD. Those also rounding out the lower part o the range include Claude Guillemot and Hannes Wallin who still made over $180k USD in compensation in 2020.
In other gaming news, Halo Infinite is finally reducing shop prices.


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Stryker Sells Bone Growth Franchise to Olympus
Stryker Corp. has inked a deal to sell its bone growth product franchise—the OP-1 product line—to the Olympus Corporation for $60 million. The productline was manufactured by Stryker’s Hopkinton, Mass.-based subsidiary Stryker Biotech LLC.
The deal also includes the divestiture of the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based orthopedic giant’s manufacturing plant in Lebanon, N.H. The transaction has been cleared by the boards of both companies. No timeline, however, was offered for a deal closure date.
The OP-1 product line includes OP-1 Implant and OP-1 Putty for use in orthopedic bone applications such as lumbar spine fusion and the treatment of long bone fractures. The active ingredient in these products is the OP-1 bone growth factor that induces the formation of new bone when implanted.
OP-1 products currently are approved in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE), having provided treatment to roughly 40,000 patients globally. The HDE allows a medical device to be marketed whose effectiveness has not been fully proven and is intended to benefit patients with rare disease or condition that afflict fewer than 4,000 U.S. patients annually.
In August, the company settled a lawsuit filed against its biotech division by the Massachusetts attorney general accusing it of illegally promoting the combination of a pair of its OP-1 products not approved by the FDA. Stryker paid $1.35 million for the settlement.
With the sale of OP-1, Stryker officials said they plan to redirect a part of the related R&D spending to other internal projects, which they believe have the potential to deliver better returns.
Stryker expects to incur a one-time non-cash charge of roughly $75 million to $80 million in fourth-quarter 2010 from the divestiture, which is expected to dilute its earnings per share for the quarter by about 19 cents to 20 cents.


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Remember how we were stoked Insty was testing out a new blogger-eque, monochrome design?
Well it’s official. Instagram has just announced the look is going to be rolled out across Android and iOS.
According to the company's blog, the minimal design of Instagram version 8.0 “puts the focus on your posts and keeps your features in the same place.”
But that’s not even the biggest news here. The Instagram logo has also had a complete overhaul.
The company has released two videos, explaining the updates. And considering all the work it took to get the new logo, we’re a little surprised by how decidedly simple it is.
See for yourself: