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If you build it, they will come. Or so a disembodied voice told Kevin Costner's character, Ray Kinsella, in Field of Dreams, encouraging him to create a baseball diamond in rural Iowa. In real life, however, it's far more complicated.
When developers hear mysterious voices, they would do well to be a bit more skeptical. True, sports arenas can draw tens of thousands of fans and beef up traffic in centers — but there are obvious problems.
For starters, sports seasons are by nature restricted. How do you fill the stadium when the home team isn't playing? Then there are the traffic and parking dilemmas.
“On race days, you see a little less traffic in Cabela's and the Nebraska Furniture Mart,” says RED Development LLC vice president Steve Graham, of the firm's initial retail endeavors at Village West next to the Kansas Speedway and the Kansas City T-Bones baseball field. “People just kind of stay away from the area because they're worried about traffic.”
Nebraska Furniture Mart nevertheless likes having the Speedway as a neighbor. Its store — 712,000 square feet of shopping and warehouse space — will grow to a combined 1 million square feet by year-end to accommodate customer demand. The Speedway provides “immediate identification for the area,” says NFM marketing director Mark Hamilton. He doesn't mind the added traffic of big race weekends because it cuts both ways: “Some people think there's too much traffic during an event weekend,” says Hamilton. “Others come from a long way away and make a shopping stop on top of the stop for the event.”
NFM's demographic is a good match for NASCAR, but that isn't always the case in sports-retail matches. Pulling 18,000 hockey fans to a center seems guaranteed to pump up business, but are exuberant ticket-holders, who like watching fists fly and blood spurt likely to be in the market for women's shoes? Will the presence of raucous sports enthusiasts discourage more genteel shoppers? These are some of the questions that must be answered during the planning stages.
Survival of the fittest
Fact is, a center has to be designed to survive on its own, not depend on flocks of fans to be customers. There must be the right mix of stores, restaurants and entertainment — and adequate parking for shoppers and sports fans. Also required is the right mix of sports and entertainment at the stadium so it's not vacant most of the year.
That's what Nationwide Realty Investors recognized in planning the Arena District in Columbus, Ohio. It couldn't use a standard mix of retail to draw tourists, downtown workers and residents just on the basis of the home side hockey team, the Blue Jackets. For one thing, two big malls already dominated the regional market.
“You have to respond to the specific market demand and whatever else is going on in your community,” says Brian Ellis, Nationwide Realty president. For Nationwide, that meant building the right entertainment mix. The Arena District's brick-paved alleys feature restaurants, bars and Arena Grand Theatre, an upscale first-run movie theater. Another draw is the PromoWest Pavilion, an indoor/outdoor music hall styled after the House of Blues.
Adjacent to Nationwide Arena, opened in 2000, the Arena District has attracted $540 million in development, including 1 million square feet of office space and 500 residential units — even though the Jackets play only 40 regular-season home dates.
Such success stories fire the imagination of developers and a number of projects are being planned (for a partial list, see sidebar, page 54). San Diego's Petco Park, home of the Padres, is helping to revitalize its neighborhood. JMI, the development firm headed by Padres chairman John Moores, has invested $1.8 billion in the recovering neighborhood next to the city's tourist haven, Gaslamp Quarter
In Wyandotte County, Kan., 12 million people per year visit a spread that includes the Kansas Speedway NASCAR track, the minor league Kansas City T-Bones, Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart and the Great Wolf Lodge resort with indoor water park.
RED's adjacent 800,000-square-foot Village West mall plans a “soft opening” in time for the holidays this year, with a formal opening next spring. Jeff Boerger, president of Kansas Speedway, welcomes his new neighbor. “More eyeballs seeing our facility extends the brand,” says Boerger.
Another success story is in Baltimore. Development around the city's Inner Harbor and nearby Camden Yards where the baseball Orioles play has “helped us turn around our city,” says Blake Cordish, vice president at Cordish Co., a firm that has been developing in that neighborhood for decades. He calls the ball park “one of the key catalytic anchors of the Inner Harbor revitalization” that enabled Cordish's Power Plant entertainment district.
The logistics of sports-retail mixed developments, however, are daunting. Many Brooklynites, for example, oppose the planned Atlantic Yards, which would become home to the current New Jersey Nets basketball team. They fear traffic, pollution and displaced residents and businesses. A proposed Minnesota Vikings football stadium development in suburban Minneapolis may be in trouble as state legislators — steamed at a player sex scandal — consider withholding sale of state bonds integral to the project.
Of course behemoth sports developments come with their own difficulties, including parking, cars and foot traffic.
Parking and vehicular traffic was a concern for Nationwide in Columbus. “We built the first movie theater downtown in 70 years,” says Ellis, “and we couldn't have somebody stymied trying to go see the latest feature film” because of hockey. The developer worked with the city officials to upgrade access to the site, with about $35 million in improvements under a tax-increment financing agreement. What's more, office workers, who park during the day, vacate spaces at night and on weekends, when Blue Jacket matches are played.
But what about weekday baseball games? You might try turning a parking gap to your advantage. RED Development's Village West in Kansas City, Kan., will cross-park 500 spaces with its 4,800-seat baseball stadium. “We want people to go and shop,” explains RED's Graham. T-Bones fans who can't find parking at the stadium will park at Village West, he reasons, and do some shopping before or after the game.
Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va., however, doesn't know yet how parking will work. The 600,000-square-foot center has yet another spin on the arena angle: Topping its parking garage is an enclosed ice rink where the Washington Capitals pro hockey team will practice. When the facility opens in May 2006, you can lace on the blades yourself or watch the Caps drill. Ballston expects skaters and their rides to glide between rink and retail. When you drop someone off for hockey practice, would you rather sit in cold bleachers, or go shopping? Its 3,000-space ramp already serves shoppers and office workers. When will skaters show? “We'll be keeping a close eye on parking,” says John Moore, vice president and general manager of the mall. “The question will be, ‘How do peak demands for hockey fit in?’”
Kansas Speedway manages traffic so well that it has done a big race during the day and an evening baseball game, Graham says. Randy Smiley manager of the Cabela's store across the highway from the race track, lauds the Wyandotte County government for hosting monthly meetings with the Speedway, retailers and law enforcement to plan for big events. The only problem is the kind you can't predict — say, rain interrupting the race and fans flooding the stores and restaurants.
Designers are learning to handle traffic at other sites as well. At Westgate in Glendale, Ariz., the mega venues — hockey arena and football stadium — are on one side of the site and retail on the other, each with its own access. And at any sports venue, adjoining restaurants and retail may soften the impact of thousands of vehicles arriving or leaving at the same time: Some fans will come early for dinner; others stay late.
Developments must also handle foot traffic deftly — 50,000 football fans pouring through a lifestyle center may be worse than no traffic at all. How do you adapt? Do you require stores to stay open to serve departing throngs after night games? “That's a nasty time to have your store open,” says John Siegfried, a Vanderbilt University economist who studies stadiums. “It doesn't make much sense to me.”
And what about clashing demographics? Ballston Commons' Moore found it noteworthy that the Capitals hockey team targets the same demographic as the mall: high-income families with kids, good access, large population base. But that's not always the case. “The demographics you may have going to the event — whether it's hockey or Britney Spears or the Eagles — may not necessarily be the demographic you've targeted for your retail,” acknowledges Jim Baeck, vice president with Development Design Group, an architecture and planning firm in Baltimore.
Last is the challenge of what to do when the facility is dark. After Nashville's hockey franchise, the Predators, started playing, new bars opened — but then complained that they only did good business 40 nights a year. “Were they not supposed to read the schedule in advance?” asks Siegfried. “I really think entrepreneurs would be a little smarter than that.”
Developers with projects next to stadiums argue that the retail must stand on its own. “It's all gotta work before you add the sports facility,” says Graham. “Is that a location where retailers would have gone before?” In St. Louis, “Ballpark Village needs to operate for the people who are using it on a day-to-day basis,” says designer Jim Chibnall, principal with HOK in Kansas City. “The key thing is to get it to work as a community for the 280 days the Cardinals aren't playing.”
Venues try to maintain traffic by booking concerts, indoor beach volleyball, tractor pulls, you name it. In Glendale, Ariz., Westgate will have a smaller outdoor plaza seating 5,000 for acts that won't fill the 18,000-seat arena — and to stage arena promotions. Beach volleyball in the arena? Set up a demo game outside.
In short, it's complicated. Having one entity master-developing and then coordinating retail mix and promotion is essential, argues Cordish. At his firm's Louisville, Ky., arena development, a Cordish unit sets up 150 to 180 events per year — concerts, street festivals and the like. The entertainment component, Cordish notes, “places a premium on the ability of the development community to think outside the traditional box.”
Where thousands gather, of course they'll shop — but thousands on a few days and empty stores the rest of the year won't do. Retail must stand on its own and ride the spikes, booking entertainment and other draws to keep the shops hopping when the team is out of town. This is a new game for mall managers — but they're learning.
Fun and Games
Despite daunting challenges, sports arenas will complement retail developments. Here are a few examples:
- In Brooklyn, Forest City Enterprises Inc. plans an 850,000-square-foot arena for the National Basketball Association's Nets franchise. It would anchor the proposed Atlantic Yards, a $2.5 billion project with 300,000 square feet of retail, 2.1 million square feet of office and 4.4 million square feet of residential.
- The St. Louis Cardinals picked Cordish Co. of Baltimore to develop retail at the new Busch Stadium opening next year. Ballpark Village will include 25,000 square feet of restaurant, 110,000 square feet of shops and services for neighborhood residents and a one-acre plaza.
- The Ellman Cos. plans Westgate in Glendale, Ariz. The first phase, set to open in 2006, will include 500,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space adjacent to a hockey arena and football stadium.
- A Hallandale, Fla., lifestyle center links with Gulfstream Park, a horseracing track that draws up to 25,000 spectators. The first 400,000-square-foot phase of the Forest City project will open by October 2007, with another 500,000 square feet to be added.
- Forest City's Ballston Common Mall in Arlington, Va., a 600,000-square-foot center takes another spin on the arena format. An enclosed ice rink will top its parking lot. When the Washington Capitals professional hockey team isn't practicing there, locals can skate.


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On Thursday, Billionaire Carl Icahn, an economic activist who first disclosed his stake in Apple Inc. almost three years ago, has sold out of his position because of concerns about the company’s relationship with China.
“We no longer have a position in Apple,” Icahn told CNBC. Icahn sold most of his remaining stake in February, he said. “I got out because I’m worried about China,” he furthered.
Icahn perceives a risk in Apple’s relationship with China and that made his already profitable investment in the company no longer a “no-brainer,” he said. China shut down Apple’s iTunes, iMovies and iBooks services recently, showing that the company isn’t immune to the reach of Beijing regulators.
“You worry a little bit, and maybe more than a little, about China’s attitude,” Icahn said. Apple has a good relationship with China, providing vast employment there, but also relies on the country for lots of sales, he said.
Apple shares declined 2.7 percent to $95.18 as of 3:10 p.m. in New York, giving the company a market value of about $521 billion. They dropped more than 7 percent this year through Wednesday.
In the fourth quarter, Icahn sold 7 million Apple shares, leaving him with 45.8 million shares worth $4.8 billion, according to a February regulatory filing. He reduced his holding just before the company’s shares started to slide this year on concerns that the smartphone market is becoming saturated and that China will no longer fuel sales growth.
“We have this huge profit so by definition it’s not the no-brainer it was — but two — if China was basically steady I would probably go back into” Apple, which he reiterated he viewed as a great company with great management. “I hope one day to get back into it.”
After disclosing his Apple stake in August 2013, Icahn pushed Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook to return more of the company’s ballooning cash pile to investors. The iPhone maker stepped up its share buybacks and increased dividends, helping to fuel a 38 percent share rally in 2014. That petered out in 2015 when Apple shares declined 4.6 percent.
On Wednesday, Apple said sales for the three months ended March 26 dropped 13 percent to $50.6 billion, ending a streak of 51 consecutive quarters of uninterrupted growth.
- U.S. Employment Costs Surge
- UAW Strike to End Following Tentative Deal with General Motors
- Prices for Goods and Services Increase Beyond Expectations
- GDP Soars 4.7% Thanks to Rise in Consumer Spending
- New Home Sales in the U.S. Rise Amid Skyrocketing Interest Rates
- Reports: X/Twitter Shrinking Worsens Following Rebranding
- Reports: Amazon Testing Humanoid Robots for Warehouse Operations
- Elon Musk’s X/Twitter Announces Subscription Tiers

domain: news


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Sprint first released the Motorola Photon 4G back in August of last year. It was a pretty high powered device last year with its NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core processor, its 8 megapixel camera, and running on Springs 4G WiMax network. We first hear rumors of a successor to the Motorola Photon 4G back in April and have yet to hear much since. Today, we are one step closer to finding out more info about the Motorola Photon Q LTE as it has hit the FCC with model number XT897.
Unfortunately, all we really found out about the device was that it has built in NFC support, LTE 25, and EVDO. This is good news nonetheless as it means that the device is relatively close to being released or revealed in the near future.I expect a direct competitor for the Samsung Galaxy S3 with this device. As a high-end device, it will most likely support 4G LTE networks, which also means that the Snapdragon S4 dual-core chip may be the likely candidate for this phone, just like the Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X.
A HD screen is certain, along with Android ICS — although there is a remote possibility of it having Jellybean as well. In the back, a 8 megapixel camera with 1080p HD recording although the megapixel count could change we just know that it will be a high quality camera. We will keep you updated on the Motorola Photon Q LTE as more info becomes available.


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2015 Annual Report Released
May 5th, 2016 0
We have just released our 2015 Annual Report which you can download here. Mountain Commer ...
Mountain Commerce Bank First Vice President Elected to Statewide Banking Board
May 12th, 2017 0
KNOXVILLE, TN — May 12, 2017 — Mountain Commerce Bank (OTCQX: MCBI) announced that Mic ...
Promotions at Mountain Commerce Bank reinforce strong leadership
May 13th, 2009 0
Mountain Commerce Bank announced today the promotion of six of its key personnel. These ne ...


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Dropshipping, asset sharing, and investing in crowdfunded real estate are a few ways entrepreneur Jen Glantz plans to make passive income in 2023.
Founders who focus on generating passive income can have greater flexibility to focus on their business ventures.
'Making $10k a month is not that hard': How TikTok influencers are luring followers with deceptive promises of side-hustle riches
TikTok and YouTube influencers are hawking get-rich-quick schemes — but they're actually raking in cash by deceiving their followers.
I made $1.4 million in revenue last year doing retail arbitrage on Amazon. Here's how I got my start with a $2 used cookbook.
"Amazon has been a great equalizer. I mean, if two menopausal grandmothers living in the Ozarks can do it, anyone can do it, too," Gaye Lisby says.
There's never been a better time to start a business when it comes to accessibility and overhead costs.
A 29-year-old makes about $218,000 a month from online side hustles. He shares 5 ways he's earned money with little cash down and the pros and cons of each.
Each option has its pros and cons. Some side hustles earn more than others but require more work.
Business Insider interviewed and vetted e-commerce entrepreneurs to offer advice about how to break into the exploding market and scale a business.
A 21-year-old 'dripping in dropshipping money' has sold over $1.7 million in products on Shopify. He now shares his biggest tips for making e-commerce profit.
Kamil Sattar is a drop shipper and e-commerce mentor who thinks 2020 is a great time to get into e-commerce.
Why Nordstrom is doubling down on dropshipping, a controversial tactic popular with e-commerce entrepreneurs
Nordstrom expects wholesale to make up a smaller portion of its sales in the near future and wants to share more "risk" with its brand partners.
This dropshipping duo sold $12 million in goods during their first full year in business. They reveal the secret for scaling from a side hustle to a money-making machine.
Steve and Evan Tan give their 3 tips for scaling a dropshipping business sustainably: grow slow, focus on operations, and put energy into hiring.
40% of retailers — including Nordstrom and Kohl's — use dropshipping to expand their online inventory and compete with Amazon. That percentage will only grow, experts say
With dropshipping, retailers can list products online without buying them from suppliers, and customers receive the products directly from suppliers.
Two brothers spotted a toy hamster in China and figured out how to make it a viral hit in the US, sparking over $1 million in sales. Here's the inside story of how it happened.
Dropshippers Steve and Evan Tan are a Singapore-based e-commerce duo who said they were early pioneers of bringing the talking toy hamster to the US.
How dropshipping marketplace Spocket vets suppliers to help entrepreneurs gain repeat customers and compete with Amazon
Saba Mohebpour's app, Spocket, is designed with customer satisfaction in mind. He wants to help dropshippers create repeat customers, not fast cash.
Neil Patel goes against typical short-term dropshipping tactics. "The people who find products they love and are passionate about do extremely well."


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SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – More than a year later, new banners are now flying along a Santa Fe street.
For more than a year, businessman Lance Blankenship has been leading the push to get neighborhood banners hanging on Guadalupe Street. Around 45 businesses pitched in but Blankenship says the business they paid to make the banners never did.
In February, they finally got their money back but COVID-19 hit. Now, months later the banners are finally being installed. Blankenship says it’s actually the perfect time for a boost to morale.
- Santa Fe businesses promised refund after Guadalupe St. banner delays
- Lady of Guadalupe banners sparking controversy in Santa Fe
- Santa Fe committee okays use of Lady of Guadalupe banners


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BOG urged to reduce interest rates to make new cars affordable
Chief Operations Officer of Rana motors, an automobile marketing company Kassem Odaymat is urging the Bank of Ghana to further cut down interest rates to enhance the affordability of new vehicles by the public.
The automobile sector continues to be a major driver of economic growth serving as a significant foreign exchange earner.
Unfortunately, many people are not in the position to acquire brand new cars as a result of increased cost.
Mr Odaymat said “… talking with banks and even talking to Bank of Ghana if we can take the rates and the interest rates down so that we can make it more affordable for each and every Ghanaian to be able to buy a car.
Honestly speaking, a lot of second-hand cars are coming into the country, it is causing more pollution and at the same time, they are not safe and they are not made for our country in terms of even equipment and options,” he said.
Mr Odaymat raised this concern on the sidelines of the launch of Ford Truck 3543T in Accra.
Ghana is the first to launch the Ford Truck 6x4 tractor head (3543T) which is the latest from Ford Trucks, made specifically to meet the demand of the Ghanaian market.


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Covering catering services, living payment, shopping consumption, transportation and other scenarios
Digital RMB is getting closer and closer to us (Online China)
You don’t need to bind a bank card, you can pay with a “touch”, and it’s as easy as leaving the Internet; funds arrive in the account in real time, no waiting, no handling fees; transactions are controlled and anonymous, and consumer privacy is protected...Digital RMB is working with us His life is getting closer.
Experts said that as a new payment method in the digital economy era, the digital renminbi has huge potential.
Just touch it and the payment is complete
"Just touch it and the payment will be completed. How convenient." Mr. Liu, 60 this year, visited the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pioneer Zone in Hainan a few days ago when he happened to run into a digital RMB experience event.
The old man wears a watch that supports digital renminbi payment. When shopping in the store, he only needs to touch the POS machine of the merchant with the watch, and the payment is successful.
"This'wallet' is easy to use." Pointing to the smart watch on his wrist, Mr. Liu was full of surprises. He hoped that this new payment method would become popular as soon as possible.
For merchants, especially retail stores, digital renminbi brings great convenience.
Recently, citizens who live near the Shanghai Xinzhen Ning Vegetable Market came here to buy groceries. They found a new payment code for "digital renminbi" next to the WeChat and Alipay payment codes at each stall.
The stall owner, Ms. Chen, said: “The daily turnover is automatically returned to the bank account and transferred to suppliers and family members through digital RMB. The account is received in real time without any handling fees, which is very affordable.”
What is a digital renminbi?
It is essentially a legal tender issued by the People's Bank of China with a national credit guarantee. It is digital cash, which is completely equivalent to banknotes and coins.
At the end of 2019, digital renminbi will be piloted in Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiong’an New District, Chengdu and future Winter Olympics scenarios. By October 2020, six pilot testing areas will be added in Shanghai, Hainan, Changsha, Xi’an, Qingdao, and Dalian. The scope gradually expanded in an orderly manner.
Experts said that one of the major characteristics of the digital renminbi is its convenience and speed.
Since there are only payers and payees, this payment method can be credited to the account in real time; in an offline state, it can also be paid in the same way as cash.
More importantly, due to the realization of controllable anonymity, merchants and third-party platforms have no right to obtain the identity information and payment data of consumers, and the privacy is higher.
Mu Changchun, director of the Digital Currency Research Institute of the People’s Bank of China, said that controllable anonymity, as an important feature of the digital renminbi, is not only conducive to ensuring the public’s reasonable anonymous transactions and personal information security, but also helping to prevent, control and combat money laundering and terrorist financing. , Tax evasion and other illegal and criminal acts to maintain financial security.
Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, recently stated that China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has a very large retail market. The digital renminbi can provide the public and merchants with a more convenient and effective payment method, which is conducive to the upgrading of the retail system.
Will show its talents in the real economy
"The consumer experience is very good." As one of the pilot cities for digital renminbi, Ms. Xu, a citizen of Chengdu, recently won a red envelope of 238 yuan.
She immediately took her family to a hot pot restaurant that accepts digital renminbi for consumption.
"The payment method is similar to Alipay and WeChat payment." Ms. Xu said that now some restaurants, bookstores, supermarkets, e-commerce platforms, and subway travel all support digital renminbi, and the coverage is getting wider.
In pilot cities, with the in-depth participation of many banks, digital renminbi has covered multiple usage scenarios such as catering services, living payment, shopping consumption, transportation and travel. Sight card-style "hard wallet", two-way exchange with cash and other payment modes.
Experts predict that the digital renminbi is expected to penetrate into online fields such as e-commerce and short videos in the future, and to show its talents in the real economy fields such as corporate trade and supply chain finance.
Why research and develop a digital renminbi?
"In the era of digital economy, digital currency has huge potential for development, which can help improve economic operation efficiency, and may also give birth to new economic formats and economic models." Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce, told reporters. China has many advantages in developing digital currency.
On the one hand, the infrastructure and payment system required for the development of digital currency in China are relatively complete; on the other hand, Chinese consumers and merchants have a higher degree of acceptance of electronic payments.
In addition to convenience and security, what changes will digital currency bring to people's lives?
"The large-scale promotion of digital currency will bring major changes to the current payment system and currency pattern." Song Xiangqing, deputy dean of the Institute of Government Management of Beijing Normal University, told reporters that in the era of digital currency, people will prefer payment and transactions. , Because digital currency brings maximum convenience, security and privacy protection, which may lead to changes in people’s payment habits, lifestyle habits, and financial management concepts.
Mei Xinyu believes that the new crown pneumonia epidemic has caused consumers around the world to develop new consumption and payment habits, and digital currency will improve the efficiency of cross-border settlement.
At the same time, innovation in the financial and commercial fields will accelerate, and personalized solutions will become possible, ultimately helping consumers, families, and companies improve their financial health.
Large-scale applications still need time
Li Bo, vice governor of the People’s Bank of China, said at the Boao Forum for Asia 2021 annual meeting that the central bank will do a good job in three areas: one is to do a good job in pilot projects and expand the scope of pilot projects; the other is to further improve the digital renminbi infrastructure and further Improve the safety and reliability of the system; the third is to establish a relevant legal and regulatory framework.
Song Xiangqing said that the mainstreaming of digital currency may take some time.
The main reason is that the basic supporting facilities and basic laws and regulations of the digital renminbi still need further planning, design, demonstration, construction and testing. The large-scale application in the future depends on the establishment and improvement of the relevant ecology.
"The digital renminbi is about the stability of the financial system, about consumers' experience and trust in the new currency, and even more about the industrial development and economic situation. It must be prudent to make decisions and start steadily." Song Xiangqing said.
With the mainstreaming of digital currency, will it replace paper money and electronic payments?
Mu Changchun said that the issuance of digital renminbi is not achieved by administrative compulsion, but in a market-oriented way.
In the foreseeable future, paper currency, electronic payment and digital renminbi will coexist at the same time.


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EVO 2017 proved to be an exciting event for DRAGON BALL FighterZ with the announcement of Trunks as the next character to join the highly-anticipated fighting game’s character roster.
Check out Trunks as he demolishes any and all enemies that dare challenge him in DRAGON BALL FighterZ below.
Also announced at EVO 2017 is the impending start of the DRAGON BALL FighterZ closed beta for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 which will feature nine playable characters for fighting game aficionados and DRAGON BALL fans to take into battle.
DRAGON BALL FighterZ is slated for an early 2018 launch on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Registration for the closed beta will open on 26th July.


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Antonio De Luca, who heads a communication design studio in Berlin, has masterminded an art show that brings affordable art to the public and benefits a worthy cause. The 100 $how, which opens tonight at Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, will feature 100 Illustrators, with more than 100 works to be exhibited and for sale for 100 $.
The original art can be purchased directly from thegallery walls on opening night. But if you can’t get to Portland, online purchases begin this morning and continue through February. This is the second installment of the international fundraiser, which launched with the 100 Euro Show last year in Amsterdam; the third will take place in Berlin, starting April 29th.
The 100 Euro Show, at Wieden + Kennedy Gallery (Amsterdam), last Summer.
With artwork selected from Canada, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden and the U.S., the 100 $HOW is the largest group of award-winning published illustrators to be exhibited in Portland. 50% of the sale will go to the artist, and 50% of the sale will go to the MercyCorps, a charity dedicated to efforts such as emergency response, sustainable farming, and small business loans to women.
THE 100 $HOW continues through February 24, 2012 at Wieden + Kennedy, 224 NW 13th, Portland, OR.
Antonio De Luca, formerly an Art Director at Wieden + Kennedy (Amsterdam) founded Bureau Antonio de Luca in 2011. Among his design credits areAmerican Photography 27; The Walrus; Cmagazine;and the digital culture magazineShift. He is currently a guest professor at the AdBK Nurnberg, Germany. Information.


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With Thanksgiving officially behind us the Christmas spirit is up and running.
Nowhere is that seen more than at the shopping malls and Christmas tree lots. Frasier Firs, wreaths, and garland are flying off lots, but officials say this isn't even the biggest weekend for Christmas tree sales. They expect even more sales next weekend, something the high gas prices may surprisingly help because they say people are spending more money at home.
Christmas tree officials say that the colder weather from last week has helped get people in the mood for the holiday.


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The rumored cheaper iPhone 4 is supposed an iCloud iPhone.
Since a while we see rumors that claim that Apple will unleash two new iPhones this fall. A new premium iPhone with the iPhone 5 and a lower cost simplified iPhone. Today a new rumor report surfaced that claims that Apple calls the lower cost iPhone internally the iCloud iPhone. The iCloud iPhone would rely mostly on the iCloud and have limited storage. It would be streaming most data.
Don't Miss: See the first leaked Black Friday 2016 Ad
The report claims that Apple will launch the iPhone 5 and the iCloud iPhone in the last week of September. The iCloud iPhone is supposed designed to look like a small iPad 2. The Apple'n'Apps report confirms that the iPhone 5 would have the rumored thinner design as depicted here.
Apple'n'Apps claims that the information about the iCloud iPhone comes from three independent sources connected to Apple. With all the HTML5 services that pop up these days an iCloud iPhone could make sense. The iCloud would though to have more features than we know about today. It would need to include an HTML5 App Store and real iTunes streaming. Right now we only know that the iCloud will sync media across your devices.
Don't Miss: iPhone 8: Everything You Need to Know
More iPhone 5 Rumors.


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The industry that pioneered delivery food is divided on whether to make its pies available through apps like
and Uber Eats in addition to their own delivery services. As pizza chains look to maintain growth after the pandemic, some are working with the apps to reach new customers or add delivery capacity, while others say the services cut too far into their margins.
Papa John’s International Inc.
has struck deals with the major delivery apps to promote its restaurants online and use their drivers at times. Chief Executive
said his chain is advertising to reach consumers who got a taste for delivery during the health crisis, including those searching for pizza on DoorDash and other delivery apps.
“It’s profitable or we wouldn’t be doing it,” Mr. Lynch said of sales through delivery apps.
Domino’s Pizza Inc.
refuses to work with delivery apps, saying their fees dilute restaurant profits and distance chains from their customers.
Over the last five years, Domino’s and other pizza chains have gained market share from independent slice shops by offering cheaper pies and delivery with their own drivers, a shift that accelerated during the pandemic and sent Domino’s shares up 31% last year. Domino’s and Papa John’s U.S. same-store sales grew by double-digit percentages last year.
Pizza Hut is using delivery with app companies in limited circumstances, typically when its own drivers are busy with other orders, said
interim U.S. president for the chain. It is also working to keep customers ordering from its stores, which he said have faster average delivery times than the apps do, particularly in the suburbs where companies like
are building out driver networks.
He said it is also usually cheaper to order directly from Pizza Hut than most other cuisines on an app.
“When you start adding up the delivery fee and the menu markup, it’s a much more expensive proposition,” Mr. Hochman said.
Similar debates are playing out across the restaurant industry, where businesses are pushing back on the commissions charged by delivery apps or are developing ways to keep more control on customer orders.
One edge for the pizza business is its low costs. Pizza, since it is mainly dough, sauce and cheese, is generally cheaper to make than many other types of food. Pizza restaurants are often left with more profit to pay drivers and other overhead costs than restaurants that specialize in other cuisines and rely on delivery companies, industry executives said.
Speaking at a Wall Street Journal event earlier this month, investor
said his Pershing Square Capital Management LP fund took a nearly 6% stake in Domino’s because it owns its delivery service and doesn’t rely on companies such as DoorDash Inc.
“You can deliver pizza for $7.99. It’s hard to do that with a delivery service taking a massive, massive cut of the proceeds,” Mr. Ackman said.
An Uber Eats spokeswoman said the company offers a range of pricing structures for different services and that globally more than 50,000 pizza restaurants use its platform.
Slice, a pizza-specific startup, is trying to compete with the big apps. The company charges $2.25 to process an online order for an independent restaurant, amounting to a roughly 6% commission on a typical order of $40. Most of the 16,000 independent pizzerias on its service do their own deliveries, but Slice negotiates fees based on the operator’s size to transport pies for the small business, founder
“It’s the most critical decision that any independent business can take, to transform digitally,” said Mr. Sela, who aims for his online pizza network to compete with Domino’s.
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What’s your outlook on the longevity of pizzerias in the delivery age? Join the conversation below.
Domino’s has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on digital infrastructure including a proprietary sales system and GPS order tracking. It is testing on-the-road delivery with robots at one Houston store.
Many Americans want fast, accurate delivery after trying more of it during the pandemic, raising the bar for restaurants, said Dennis Maloney, Domino’s chief innovation officer.
“We think their expectations around delivery are just going to continue to grow,” he said.
Pizza is second only to burgers as America’s most popular entree ordered from restaurants, according to market-research firm NPD Group. Pizza delivery was around decades before smartphone apps arrived on the scene. Domino’s founder Tom Monaghan helped build the world’s largest pizza chain by sales through to-go innovations such as corrugated boxes designed to keep pies hot and a 30-minute delivery guarantee.
Pizza delivery boomed during Covid-19 lockdowns, but the bulk of that growth benefited quick-service pizza chains. Sales at independent and small pizza chains fell 19% last year, according to industry firm Technomic Inc. Nearly 81,000 pizza places closed during the pandemic through April, around 10% of the total, according to market-research firm Datassential.
co-owner of La Perla Pizzeria in Eugene, Ore., didn’t offer delivery from his Neapolitan-style pizza shop before the pandemic. With office workers and college students at home, he lost carryout business. Mr. Barofsky said when he added delivery with the app-based companies, their commissions of roughly 30% erased his margins. And discounts offered by chain pizza places made it hard for his higher-cost pies—topped with homemade mozzarella and imported meats—to compete, he said.
“The perception is that pizza is cheap. What we were doing was higher quality,” Mr. Barofsky said. “That was a challenge we had from day one.” He closed the restaurant in January.
Write to Heather Haddon at [email protected]
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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The company was acquired in 2006 when it had 120 stores. Only 44 of those stores remain and are available for sale.
The head of the Marijuana Business Association says the industry needs lawyers, marketers, investors and agritech experts to get involved.
Indiana is one of six states that allows hemp cultivation for commercial purposes.
While the coal advocates praise the move, it introduces "uncertainty" for the state's electric utilities.
The three-year project will focus on how to add larger amounts of silicon, which helps conserve energy, to the small steel components of electric motors.
Indiana convenience stores want Hoosiers to hear directly from them on the need for changes to the state’s alcohol laws.
An expert weighs in on how President Trump's decision to leave the Paris Climate Agreement could play out in Indiana.
Bosma Enterprises is one of about 90 National Industries for the Blind agencies across the country and is the largest employer of blind people in Indiana.
The developer ran into a number of obstacles, including difficulties securing a liquor license and opposition from local environmentalists.
Chief Financial Officer Derica Rice helped Eli Lilly and Co. navigate the loss of patent protection from cheaper generic competition for several key drugs.


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Over the last half year, the Swiss Municipality of Zug has been accepting Bitcoin as payment for municipal services. The pilot started in July, and runs till the end of this year. According to Niklas Nikolajsen, CEO and cofounder of the Bitcoin Suisse trading house in Baar, this is the first case of a government agency accepting the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin is a digital currency based on the blockchain technology. Its wallets and transactions are protected by strong cryptography — hence the term cryptocurrency — while its distributed (decentralised) transaction store serves as a public ledger.
The Municipality of Zug has been accepting Bitcoin payments up to a value of CHF 200 (about 180 Euro). Typical applications are fees for small government services like issuing a birth certificate, a proof of residence, or an identity document. The decision to do so was made by the City Council on 3 May.
This move fits the city's ambition to become a regional hub for the financial technology (fintech) sector in Switzerland.
In the last few years the Zug region has become home to a cluster of companies in the digital finance sector. The Swiss "Crypto Valley" already includes more than fifteen companies. By accepting Bitcoin as an official method of payment, the City Council wanted to send a message to fintech companies and the public.
We want to express our openness to these new technologies and gain experience at an early stage of their development, mayor Dolfi Müller said at the start of the pilot.
We are inviting fintech companies in our region to exchange ideas with the City Council. We aim to get a better understanding of their needs for optimal development in our home city and economic area.
What makes this move by the Municipality of Zug special is that governments who accept currencies other than their own for taxes and fees lose the ability to impose a hidden tax on holders of the official currency by "printing" additional money.
We are used to having a central bank that influences the supply of money in the market, Müller says.
As a matter of fact, all commercial banks have influence through the creation of money. Since many of the world's banks depend on the exchange rate with the US dollar, however, their room for manoeuvre is limited.
So far, people have trust in currencies because of the whole economy that is behind them. In the case of cryptocurrencies, you only have to have trust in technology. In Switzerland, we already have a parallel currency called WIR-Geld, which works really well as long as there is a market for it. Cryptocurrencies will be succesful if there are enough people on the supply and demand sides of the market.
According to Müller, the blockchain technology has great potential in transactions as well as e-governance.
And there will definitely be cryptocurrencies in the future world. It may be Bitcoin, it may be not.
Description of the way to implement the initiative
According to Müller, nothing special had to be undertaken to start accepting Bitcoin. The City just created an electronic wallet and communicated its address to the public. The cashiers were given a short introduction on how to work with the wallet.
That was all. The procedure is very simple, and we did not have any costs involved with the implementation.
There was also no need to add any additional fees to the current exchange rate for citizens willing to pay their levies in Bitcoins.
Müller emphasises that the Municipality of Zug did not create a new currency.
We just accept the existing Bitcoin currency for payments of certain services the City provides.
Technology choice: Open source software
Our taxpayers, of course, expect us to not lose money on these transactions. So all transactions are hedged [meaning that the received Bitcoins are instantly and automatically exchanged for Swiss Francs in an electronic marketplace], so we cannot lose due to the volatility of the Bitcoin exchange rate.
Main results, benefits and impacts
In September, two months after the start of the pilot, only a dozen transactions had been made, mostly for copies of certificates and identification documents. According to town clerk Martin Würmli, these Bitcoin transactions were mainly made by younger people.
Since then, the number of Bitcoin transactions made has not increased. According to Müller, the actual number is not important.
There are not many people with a Bitcoin wallet in Zug. The symbolic value of this initiative has been far more important than the practical value. In the future, however, everything we do will has to have practical value as well. The main goal for our administration for 2017 is digitalisation; we have some good ideas we will be working on.
Return on investment
Interest in our Crypto Valley is high, Müller says,
even though we do not know exactly why these companies come to Zug or Zürich. The Canton [district] of Zug has the main responsibility for the region's strategy, not the Municipality of Zug.
Over the last half year, we have improved our contacts with the firms that were already here by organising round tables. From those we learnt that fintech companies come to Switserland because of our tradition of democracy and decentralisation. Their primary needs are a good relationship with the banks, and open-minded people in the government.
The most important message to us is that our city faces really big challenges for the future.
Over the coming weeks, the pilot will be evaluated. Then the City Council will decide whether Bitcoin — and possibly even other digital currencies — will be accepted in the future for further municipal and urban services.
For now, the Municipality of Zug will continue to accept Bitcoin as it has been doing, Müller says. There are no plans to accept other cryptocurrencies than that.Scope: Regional (sub-national)


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This week in Beijing, takes places Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2013 at the China National Convention Center, where ZTE has introduced its first smartphone powered by Intel’s new 32nm Clover Trail+ processor.
ZTE Geek as it is called, follows-up in the footsteps of ZTE Grand X In (top photo), it has a 5-inch HD screen with resolution of up to 1280×720, comes with an Intel Atom Z2580 CPU clocked at 2GHz which is twice more powerful than the previous Intel processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB built-in storage, 8MP rear-facing shooter, 1MP in front, a 2300mAh battery and it runs Google Android 4.1 JellyBean operating system.
“Our recent collaboration with Intel on the ZTE GEEK builds off of the success of the Grand Series and further enhances our competitiveness in the high-end smartphone market,” said ZTE EVP and Head of the Mobile Devices Division Mr. He Shiyou. “This partnership also will improve customer experiences by providing them with more choices in the market.”
This shows ZTE’s 2011 shift towards high-end devices.


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Trade Results - ORCL
Trade Results - Oracle (ORCL) Hello Smart Option Sellers! And just like that, the markets have flipped higher this morning. Why? Because China is now saying that they're closer to a trade deal with the U.S. But just yesterday, President Trump said the opposite. This back and forth is giving the markets a severe case of whiplash. And it makes for stressful trading. But we can rise above that and stick to our game plan of selling put options at strategic times on quality stocks. That will never change. And it's what we did successfully yesterday on ORCL, as we had no problem getting filled on the new put-sell position. The trades went across the tape between $.27 to $.32 per contract, with a majority around $.29, so that's where we'll take the official mark. Here's what we did: Sold (sold-to-open) the ORCL March 20, 2020 $42.50 strike put option contracts for an official sale price of $.29 per contract as an opening transaction (sold-to-open). I would've liked to have gotten a bit higher price as this put option had a market of $.32 bid/$.34 offer when I wrote up the alert yesterday. But, we take what the market gives. If you did not place your trade yet, you can still get filled today at decent prices. Do not sell for anything less than $.25 per contract. Ok, that's all for now. Continue to hold all other open positions as-is. Contact us here with fills, comments, questions or concerns. Regards,
Lee Let's Grab That Cash!


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The meme stock craze is back: AMC, GameStop and Bed Bath & Beyond soar
Meme mania has returned to the stock market with a vengeance.
Shares of movie theater chain AMC, video game retailer GameStop and struggling home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond soared Monday, extending last week's big gains.
AMC was up 16% and has now spiked 70% in just the past five trading days while Bed Bath & Beyond shot up 40% Monday and has more than doubled in the past week. GameStop rose 12% Monday and has gained 30% in the last five days.
What's going on? All three consumer stocks have rabid followings among individual investors on Reddit and other social media sites. These investors are hoping to punish professional hedge funds and big institutional firms who have bet against these stocks by short-selling them. Short sellers profit when a stock goes down.
This army of traders has galvanized on Reddit to support these so-called meme stocks —even though there are serious questions about the companies' fundamentals. All three firms are expected to lose money this year and next.
Streaming media services and gaming downloads pose challenges for AMC and GameStop. Bed Bath & Beyond just ousted its CEO following less than three years on the job after the company reported lousy results in June.
GameStop chairman Ryan Cohen, who also founded online pet retailer Chewy, tweeted after GameStop announced a new NFT marketplace in July that the "left for dead retailer just launched something new." The tweet ended with the flushed face emoji.
Cohen's RC Ventures firm is the top investor in GameStop and also has recently bought a big stake in Bed Bath & Beyond.
AMC is taking its appreciation for the apes one step further. The company announced earlier this month that it plans to reward shareholders with a special dividend to be paid in the form of an AMC Preferred Equity unit, a new class of stock that AMC has applied to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "APE."
AMC CEO Adam Aron said in a press release that the company is "rewarding and recognizing our passionate and supportive shareholder base." AMC also intends to issue an "I OWN APE" NFT exclusively to those investors.
Even as short sellers continue to circle these meme stocks, the apes may have the upper hand for now.
AMC shares are down 5% this year. That's not as bad as the broader market and is a relatively small loss considering the stock soared nearly 1,200% in 2021. GameStop is up more than 20% in 2022, following a nearly 700% pop last year. Bed Bath & Beyond is still down more than 20% on the year, though, despite the recent surge.
Financial TikTok – or FinTok – has become one of the most popular trends on the platform, and is emerging as a go-to resource for Gen Z and millennial audiences looking to learn how to invest, budget or even spend more wisely.
As the cost of living continues to rise and pay gaps persist, there is a growing desire for more open discussions around earnings, something experts argue could help ensure everyone is being compensated fairly.
When it comes to uncomfortable conversations, matters of inheritance may be near the top of the list. But as the cost of living rises and the generational wage gap grows wider, experts say it is now more important than ever to open up that dialogue.
Canadian employers are anticipating the highest salary increase in two decades as they try to balance inflationary pressures, surging interest rates, recession risks and a tight labour market, a new survey has found.
Along with a high inflation rate, Canadians are also contending with a loonie that's dropping in value. Personal finance columnist Christopher Liew explains the impact this will have on your personal finances, and tips to make your money go further.
Canadian shoppers are spending more at the grocery store, but bananas, tofu and flour remain affordable despite inflation.
Amid soaring prices at grocery stores, a new survey has found that 24 per cent of Canadians have had to cut back on the amount of food they were buying.
Tipping fatigue is hitting consumers as requests for gratuities increase and spread to new businesses amid the rise of automated payment machines and preset tip suggestions.


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Easter spending could reach $12.6 billion
The National Retail Federation predicts Easter spending this year will reach $12.6 billion, up from $9.6 billion last year.
That's because the late date of the holiday -- April 16 -- is prompting us to spend the extra $3 billion burning holes in our wallets, maybe on a special outfit just for the occasion or a few more marshmallow Peeps.
The federation did a survey of 6,000 individuals and reports Americans said they'll spend an average of $121 each, up from $96.50 in 2005. Spending is expected to double among 18- to 24-year-olds, who dropped $65.40 last year but plan to spend nearly $130 this year.
Besides clothes and candy, Easter-season purchases encompass flowers, decorations, cards and "gifts," the NRF says.


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The Xiaomi share has undoubtedly seen better days: Traded at 1.68 euros in Frankfurt a week ago, the shares of the Chinese technology company have continued to move downwards almost daily. On Tuesday, the Xiaomi share lost another two percent and was trading at 1.46 euros in the afternoon. The weekly minus amounts to around 13 per cent, and new developments from the operating business are apparently not enticing investors at the moment.
Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G is a charging monster
For in May, the time has come when not only the most powerful model of the current Xiaomi 12 series is to appear in the form of the Ultra, but also the cheapest. We are talking about the Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G smartphone, the features of which have already been speculated about several times. But now a leaker is “naming all the suspected specifications of the new Xiaomi 12 Lite 5G as the cheapest offshoot of the Xiaomi ( Daily Current Rating ) 12”, it says on notebookcheck.com.
The well-known leaker Yogesh Brar has, unsurprisingly, named the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G as the processor on Twitter, they say. In addition, the storage options 6 and 8 GB RAM as well as 128 and 256 GB storage space. In addition to the known details, however, Brar also mentions a few new things. According to this, “the battery will be 4,500 mAh and charge with up to 67 watts”. That’s quite a claim; the MagSafe charger of the iPhone 13 mini or the iPhone 12 mini from Apple only delivers up to 12 watts of maximum power.
Xiaomi share value halve
The fact that Xioami is technically ahead of its US competitor in many areas, and at significantly lower prices, is certainly noticeable in the Chinese company’s sales figures. In 2021, Xiaomi has secured third place worldwide behind Samsung and Apple. However, the development of the share is lagging behind: since June 2021, when Xiaomi was valued at 3.20 euros, the share price has more than halved.


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Eat more tuna. On whole-wheat bread. With trans fat-free margarine.
Within hours of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's release of Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, special interest groups were flooding the newswires, spinning the long-awaited recommendations to the advantage of their pet commodity or product.
The updated guidelines, said the U.S. Tuna Foundation, "will help to underscore the important health benefits of canned tuna and other fatty fish for people of all ages." It's true: The guidelines recommend a doubling—two servings weekly totaling 8 oz.—of previous levels of fatty fish consumption to derive their omega-3 benefits.
But it doesn't stop there. " ? Margarine products are in sync with recommendations" in the guidelines, says the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers, claiming that margarines with low levels of saturated fat and no trans fats are widely available and a good source of vitamin E.
With all the focus that commercial interests place on individual components of the guidelines, many seem to be missing the point. While the FDA did promote whole grains over refined, and unsaturated fats over saturated and trans fats, most of its emphasis was on calorie control and physical activity. It recommended moderate to vigorous exercise of 30 to 90 minutes duration—depending on whether the goal was to maintain weight, lose weight or prevent chronic disease—on most days of the week. Even when it came to making specific recommendations, FDA seemed to be promoting a holistic approach to nutritional health. With regard to fats, "We want consumers to focus on the totality [of trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol] rather than on any one," said Robert Brackett, executive director of FDA's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition.
It is here that the natural foods industry can make a significant impact, says David Seckman, chief executive director and CEO of the National Nutritional Foods Association. "We wholeheartedly support the recommendation that Americans meet their nutritional needs by consuming healthier foods, such as whole grains and by avoiding processed foods that are often high in trans fats," he said.
"Many Americans must make significant changes in their eating habits and lifestyles," to reduce chronic diseases caused by obesity, said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman in a joint statement. "We live in a time of widespread availability of food options and choices. More so than ever, consumers need good advice to make informed decisions about their diets." Organic advocates agree, but note that the guidelines don't go quite far enough. "Making the right food choice is about choosing the right quality, not just the right quantity," said Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and board member of the Organic Center for Education and Promotion. "The higher up on the food chain you eat, the more important it is for you to choose organic."
In addition to reducing intake of empty calories and upping physical activity, the panel also noted that many adults are deficient in several nutrients, including calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E.
The 13-member committee emphasized, however, the need to derive nutrients primarily from food. "In certain cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements may be useful sources of one or more nutrients that otherwise might be consumed in less than recommended amounts. However, dietary supplements, while recommended in some cases, cannot replace a healthful diet," the committee wrote.
With all the hoopla surrounding the release of the updated guidelines, they are not aimed at consumers. Instead, they are "intended primarily for use by policy-makers, health care providers, nutritionists and nutrition educators," according to the panel. The committee is expected to release an update to the current food pyramid—the visual manifestation of the guidelines—this spring. Until then, it's up to the food industry to educate consumers about what the government calls "our best science-based advice to help Americans live healthier and longer lives."


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If you want to survive online, you need ads. It’s just common sense, even Facebook and Twitter eventually figured out that you need ads to get by. Except sometimes you don’t.
Just ask Andrew Sullivan. The former Daily Beast writer yesterday launched an independent publishing platform called Dish publishing and within six hours of launch had raised US$100 000… in subscriptions.
No ad to show here.
That’s right, just subscriptions… no ads. Sullivan plans to keep it that way too. Sullivan charges US$19.99 for a full annual subscription, although they can pay more if they want to. According to Sullivan about a third of the people who’ve signed up to the site have done just that.
He describes the site as operating on a “leaky filter” system. This means that readers can hit ‘read on’ a set number of times before they’re forced to pay. They also won’t be forced to pay if they’re linked to the site from another location (clever move that).
Sullivan says that he decided to move to the subscription-based model after years of watching the media “whoring” itself out to advertisers with galleries of topless celebs and the like.
He also told TechCrunch however that it had a more “subtly corrupting” influence, leading to the creation of things like special issues, which he says are essentially just “gussied-up vehicles for advertising.”
“Both those avenues seem kind of desperate,” he said. “You find yourself trying to create pageviews that don’t really have any editorial basis.”
He also reckons that the subscription-based approach is more honest and puts power back in the hands of the reader.
“It really does leave it in the hands of the reader. We’re not going to get bailed out by [IAC/Daily Beast owner] Barry Diller or Credit Suisse or some ad network. They know that the readers are all we’ve got.”
It’s uncertain whether the initial excitement around Sullivan’s blog will turn into something more sustainable, but it is promising. Sullivan thinks the model may have potential for smaller blogs, particularly if the blogger has a reasonable amount of recognition value.
“If you get rid of all the overhead… I think it is scalable with a smaller blog,” he said. “I don’t see why not.”


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It's taken more than two years, but Sky is finally ready to launch its own mobile service. At its annual Investor Day, the company confirmed it will open registrations for Sky Mobile, its O2-powered network, from October 31st. The move will ultimately allow Sky to sit alongside BT, Virgin Media and TalkTalk as a true "quad-play" provider.
Sky has yet to confirm pricing or an official launch date for Sky Mobile but did say that existing customers will be invited to sign up first ahead of a wider expansion in 2017. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Stephen van Rooyen, Sky's UK and Ireland CEO, told investors that the company had "long had its eyes on the prize" when it came to entering the mobile phone market.
"There are literally millions of customers for us to go after," he added. "We know that our customers are not only interested in Sky Mobile, but once they have been shown the proposition, they would consider switching to Sky."
Like its rivals, Sky is expected to offer sweeter deals to customers who choose to go all in with the company's TV, phone, broadband and mobile services. With 22 million customers across Europe, over half of which are in the UK, it surprised many that Sky would come so late in the game.
While it's spent the past two years finalising its plans, broadband providers have begun adding their own TV services, ensuring that Sky now has increased competition on all four quad-play fronts.


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On August 20, cannabis advocates and business owners were pleasantly surprised to learn that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that the federal government officially reschedule the plant from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III.
If the Drug Enforcement Administration agrees to make the switch — a very big if — cannabis would be recognized officially by the federal government as having medicinal value, and would be on the same legal level as anabolic steroids, ketamine and hydrocodone-infused aspirin. For owners of cannabis businesses, a move to Schedule III would have big financial benefits, including the ability to finally use tax exemptions.
The medical and recreational cannabis industries and many cannabis-adjacent businesses are banned from filing for tax exemptions with the Internal Revenue Service under code 280E, which targets entities associated with trafficking Schedule I or Schedule II substances. The tax code, written in the ’80s to restrict financial movement of cocaine traffickers, has forced cannabis business owners to pay tax rates as high as 70 percent on their earnings.
Schedule I status also bans the majority of cannabis businesses from banking and financial services, such as debit and credit-card processing, loans and customer accounts. This would also change under Schedule III, according to cannabis business and legal experts.
Colorado's cannabis business owners have been hungry for good news. This year has seen a continued downturn of flower prices and dispensary sales, which have been dropping since the second half of 2021. As cannabis banking reform in Congress continues to stall, the prospect of a new avenue opening more financial services is a welcome development for the pot industry in Colorado and beyond, according to Marijuana Industry Group Executive Director Truman Bradley.
"It's hard to describe the excitement, because this was much needed. The marijuana industry, both in Colorado and nationwide, has been struggling under the crippling nature of unfair taxes. In addition to the possibility of that going away, I expect capital markets to reopen for a much-needed investment," Bradley says. "This is the first meaningful step that the federal government has taken toward inevitable legalization, and this news is being received positively among both licensed business owners and consumers."
The news was indeed praised by the majority of cannabis stakeholders. The Instagram account of Colorado Governor Jared Polis posted a statement that he was "thrilled" at the prospect and looked forward to "seeing the demise of this archaic tax penalty levied against state-regulated businesses."
But much of that optimism is tempered, Bradley notes. Although he recognizes the importance of the development — given how rare the federal government's acknowledgments of the plant's health benefits have been — he says the move is "not good enough" in the long run. Like many others in the cannabis trade, Bradley wants nationwide legalization and worries that Schedule III status could create an unfair playing field.
"While business owners are relieved at the prospect of not having taxation, there are concerns around the viability of small business after this. Marijuana businesses have never operated under Schedule III status, but big pharma definitely has," he cautions. "It's also important to remember that a move to Schedule III still makes marijuana a controlled substance, and one people can still get arrested for."
Organizations representing minority business owners and criminal justice reform were even less excited by the news. The Minority Cannabis Business Association sent out a statement suggesting that rescheduling cannabis "simply re-brands prohibition."
"Although this decision would lead to much-needed tax relief for some cannabis businesses, it would do nothing to remove criminal penalties that still continue to disproportionately impact minority communities," MCBA president Kaliko Castille adds.
The HHS recommendation comes almost a year after President Joe Biden announced that his administration would review the plant's Schedule I status and pardon low-level federal cannabis offenders. If approved by the DEA, a Schedule III label for cannabis would clear research pathways. Because of Schedule I, cannabis research and production for research has been tightly controlled by the DEA, which has blocked and stalled previous attempts to loosen those restrictions.
Cannabis advocates view the DEA's required involvement as much more than a formality, according to VS Strategies partner Mason Tvert, a longtime cannabis legalization consultant who campaigned for Colorado's statewide legalization amendment in 2012.
"This recommendation comes following that review, and so now that goes to the DEA. It's all kind of a tricky web of different agencies and whatnot, which is why ending cannabis prohibition has been so tricky," Tvert explains. "Unfortunately, the DEA is notorious for taking its sweet-ass time."
If the DEA does eventually approve the rescheduling of cannabis, Bradley and Tvert agree that states with established cannabis industries, such as Colorado, would likely see more engagement from investors and workers. Small-business owners, who are more affected by the lack of tax breaks than companies with more starting capital, would also have more financial breathing room, Tvert notes.
But for Tvert, whose cannabis consulting and public relations firm is often denied financial services, going to Schedule III is still too little, too late. He calls the move "significant and much-needed progress," but worries that cannabis reform is being held up for political points.
"Would this be done prior to an election? After an election? What impact might it have for this administration to make a significant change? I'm not saying I know that would drive a decision, but it certainly could be," he says. "Rescheduling to Schedule III does not accomplish all of the goals set out by President Biden when he announced this review last year, but it does make significant and much-needed progress toward those goals. When he made that announcement in 2022, he made a lot of talk about criminal justice, and cannabis would obviously remain federally illegal at Schedule III."


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The CEO of Zume thinks the growing panic over the coronavirus, or Covid-19, could lead to an increased demand for restaurant delivery in the U.S., according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
Alex Garden’s company first made headlines a few years back for its pizza-making robots and giant delivery trucks outfitted with pizza ovens. The company has since moved away from robots and now focuses on data and logistics in the foodservice sector.
At the recent RestaurantSpaces conference, Garden noted that many Americans won’t want to leave their homes if the virus continues to spread. “If we look around the world to where this is really, unfortunately, taking hold and really changing people’s way of lives, they are being confined to their homes,” Garden said. “What do you think will happen to delivery habits if people are confined to their homes for a couple of weeks?”
Garden speculated that the virus will “fundamentally shift” attitudes on delivered food. “I think we are going to see a massive change toward delivery in the next, probably, six to eight weeks,” he said, according to NRN.
MarketWatch also suggested that restaurants with a food-delivery option could benefit from the coronavirus panic. Food delivery is already a fast-growing sector, and according to David Portalatin, an executive with market research firm The NPD Group, “It is reasonable to conclude that if we were to have a serious outbreak here, it would be an acceleration of the previous trend.”
In an investment note on third-party delivery platform Grubhub, analyst Tom Forte of D.A. Davidson has said that “concerns related to the outbreak may motivate consumers to stay home and order in, which could provide a boost to short-term revenues,” according to MarketWatch. A wider coronavirus outbreak “increases the potential for consumers to stay home and order in, which could be beneficial to Grubhub’s sales in the March quarter and even [the] June quarter, depending on the duration of the outbreak and extent of the impact on consumers’ behavior,” Forte wrote.
Meanwhile, fears of the coronavirus led to the cancellation of this week’s Expo West foodservice event, which was expected to draw nearly 90,000 industry leaders to Anaheim, California. As Forbes reports, New Hope Network, which has produced Expo West for four decades, announced on Monday that it was calling off the event and would have a rescheduled date by mid-April. Prior to announcing the cancellation, New Hope Network had sent out a letter to registered attendees saying that the show’s attendance would likely be down by 40-60 percent.
The coronavirus could also lead to the cancellation or postponement of the World Pizza Championship in Italy. That country has quarantined nearly a dozen towns in northern Italy due to infection, according to Wine Spectator.


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Did the fast-food hamburger chain Wendy's really aim to create a hidden message in its latest logo redesign? Does it even matter?
Last week, the company received a flood of publicity online, in print and on TV, for what appears to be the word "Mom" spelled around the collar of redesigned logo illustration of the pig-tailed, red-haired little girl.
The latest version of that image -- the girl is modeled after founder Dave Thomas' daughter -- was the first company redesign in 29 years.
Wendy's rolled out the new redesign in October, but it wasn't until recently that anyone made the connection.
Wendy's has said it was merely a coincidence.


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The payday financing industry is constructed on a standard issue: numerous Us americans you live paycheck to paycheck, and donвЂ™t have sufficient money to produce ends fulfill whenever emergencies arise.
Customers should start by wanting to negotiate re payments with creditors, landlords and energy organizations to see if thereвЂ™s any flexibility about whenever and just how much they spend. Barring those choices, check out options:
Credit union loans
Payday alternative loans (PALs) can be found through federally-chartered credit unions as an element of a scheduled system administered by the nationwide Credit Union Administration. As of 2017, around 503 federal credit unions offered the loans.
The loans resemble conventional payday advances for the reason that they are able to vary in size from $200 to $1,000 consequently they are supposed to be reduced over a period that is short of between one and half a year. Nevertheless, the attention price and charges are a lot reduced вЂ” the maximum APR is 28%, and credit unions may charge a credit card applicatoin charge of a maximum of $20.
Unlike payday advances, borrowers cannot remove a lot more than three PALs in a six-month duration, and rollovers arenвЂ™t allowed. Borrowers should also have already been an associate associated with credit union for at the very least a to qualify, and the loans do go through some underwriting month.
вЂњBecause theyвЂ™re a various model and are at the mercy of legislation, credit-union options have already been to the knowledge more productive and safer alternatives,вЂќ said Suzanne Martindale, senior policy counsel for Consumer Reports.
Some companies and nonprofits are formalizing this method of offering loans while informal lending circles вЂ” groups of people who pool money to lend to each other in times of need вЂ” are not a new concept.
For example, California-based nonprofit Mission resource Fund helps facilitate the creation of financing sectors: customers can apply on the internet and join a team of individuals.


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- Liquid Motivation
Rutland’s quiet healthy-lifestyle renaissance has taken another step forward this fall. In recent weeks, the city gained a juice bar, and the new home of the Rutland Winter Farmers Market will open next week.
“There just wasn’t a lot of healthy options in downtown Rutland,” says Gene Schubert, who recently opened Liquid Motivation inside the new Pyramid Holistic Wellness Center on Merchants Row. Besides fresh vegetable juices and smoothies — including versions with kale, peanut butter and chai — the café offers a daily roster of veggie, vegan and gluten-free soups, sandwiches, cookies and baked goods.
Most of those are cooked or baked by Hilary Adams-Paul, aka the Domestic Diva, a New England Culinary Institute-trained chef known for her gluten-free treats and creative use of local ingredients. So far, Adams has stocked Liquid Motivation’s cases with vegan pumpkin-squash soup, tomato-mozzarella-barley salad, vegan/gluten-free coconut-peanut noodles and gluten-free banana coffee cake.
If Schubert’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he spent 15 years running the Gene’s Beans coffee kiosk inside Rutland’s Diamond Run Mall, and at least two decades supplying local eateries with organic java. Though Schubert closed that café earlier this year, he says Liquid Motivation still offers the organic, custom-roasted coffees and espresso for which he’s known.
Located at 120 Merchants Row in Rutland, Liquid Motivation (779-3977) is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week.
After a summer of renovation by dozens of volunteers, the Vermont Farmers Food Center will open its doors on November 3 as the new home of the Rutland Winter Farmers Market.
The food center sprang from the ruins of the former Mintzer Brothers plant, which an alliance of residents and contractors has steadily transformed into a space to host 50-odd participating farmers and food vendors, as well as hundreds of visitors to the market each week.
It’s the first step in a graduated renovation of the industrial site: A commercial kitchen, space for cooking and food-preservation classes, and areas for storage, freezing and processing are all in the works. By spring at the latest the Vermont Foodbank will begin using a portion of VFCC as a regional distribution center.
The Rutland Winter Farmers Market will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until its return to Rutland’s Depot Park on May 11, 2013.


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Severe winter weather did not dampen December retail sales as shoppers took advantag
Twenty-eight high schools are sending 44 teams, a total of 220 culinary and restaurant management students to the 2014 T
As individuals across the country make New Year’s resolutions, Pei Wei Asian Diner has resolved to reFRESH nationwide wi
Technomic has announced the winners of the 2014 Chain Restaurant Consumers' Choice A
PizzaRev, a fast-casual pizza concept, has brought back its lower-calorie “PizzaRes-olution” pizza by popular demand.
New research from the U.S.
American consumers are snacking more than ever thanks to less frequent restaurant dining, frenzied lifestyles that encourage on-the-go eating, and
Caribou Coffee announces the launch of its new loyalty program, Caribou Perks, created to enhance the overall guest expe
TW Garner Food Company added CHA! by Texas Pete sriracha sauce to its line of sauce flavors.
Consumers didn’t increase their visits to restaurants in 2013, but when they did, they spent more, according to the NPD Group, a global information


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If Lexus wants to target a younger demographic, the new Lexus IS350 F Sport might be its best bet, and maybe its only one. CNET's Brian Cooley takes it out for a spin and checks the tech.
The replacement for the Lamborghini Gallardo finally arrives with more power and tech, but less weight.
The new Range Rover Sport proves that luxury can not only exist within, but take on the hard conditions of the great outdoors.
Low production yields of the tough but pricey material means it won't surface on the next iPhone in time for a September launch, Trendforce analysts conclude.
With tech apparently heading toward inevitable wearability, might Cupertino be tempted to have a few smaller high-tech/high fashion brands under its wing?
As our coverage of the 2012 Paris Motor Show winds up, we reflect on the impressive displays and sheer ambition in the automakers' efforts, during a time when the European economy is in a bit of a slump.
Following the most successful fitness crowdfunding campaign to date, the team behind Moov is gearing up for batch two and making sure its wearable arrives in time for summer.
The CNET staff has come up with its Tech Car of the Year for 2013, along with a raft of 10 other notable achievements in automotive tech.
BMW is one of the most respected brands in the world of performance and luxury cars. With new players and innovations shaking up the industry, it needed a shot in the arm. Thus was born Project i.
Except for the Meridian audio system, cabin tech in the 2014 Range Rover Sport remains run-of-the-mill, but this SUV's on- and off-road capabilities are truly extraordinary.


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Fusion Resort Cam Ranh, on Vietnam’s south-central coast, has welcomed the new year with a new name and a new wellness concept. The all-spa inclusive resort has revamped its spa menu and is introducing a packed schedule of healthy and…
Originally built as the property’s darsena, or “boathouse,” the Spa at Il Sereno has been transformed by renowned designer Patricia Urquiola into a contemporary oasis while remaining reflective of the building’s history and Lake Como destination.
Luxury Maldivian eco-resort, Gili Lankanfushi, is debuting a revolutionary new wellness programme for 2018. Four world-leading international wellness practitioners, working in areas as diverse as transformational breath-work, sound therapy, and hypnotherapy, will be leading island residencies throughout the year.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, has teamed up with award-winning trainer and founder of London’s successful PilatesPT studio, Hollie Grant, to offer a menu of holistic and bespoke programmes.
Euphoria Retreat is a holistic wellbeing destination spa opening in the Greek Peloponnese in May. The new spa will offer an unusual blend of treatments and experiences to enable health and personal transformation, using Ancient Greek and Chinese philosophies and…
To celebrate Chinese new year, which begins on February 16th, Mandarin Oriental has launched the Year of the Earth Dog Spa Experience to ground and relax guests while rebalancing energy for both body and mind.
Hard Rock Hotels is expanding its Sound Body wellness programme with the launch of Rock Om, an in-room yoga experience, energising the body and soul through the power of music.
The new 160 room five-star luxury Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence in Lucerne, Switzerland, has opened its doors after an extensive regeneration programme.
The final line up has been announced for Edinburgh’s first ever wellbeing festival. The event will bring together some of the biggest names in health and fitness in the capital, from Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge and Shona Vertue to…
Italian Hospitality Collection is delighted to announce that Grotta Giusti, Tuscany, has been voted the World’s Best Thermal Grotto Spa at the prestigious World Spa Awards 2017.


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Eight states accounting for about 28 percent of the U.S. automobile market are releasing more information about their plans to boost zero-emission vehicles. In October, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont announced their pledge to get 3.3 million such vehicles on the road by 2025, as described by Lauren Hepler of the Silicon Valley Business Journal. However, the initiative may be taking on more urgency since demand for those vehicles is flagging. There are only about 200,000 of them out today, and the category has faced resistance from automakers themselves. -- The Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal Business top headlines:
Apple agrees to buy Beats for $3 billion
Gene technology regains some of its luster
Eight US states to roll out electric vehicle plan
Costco third-quarter profit rises
GM engineer talks to investigators
Target board failed to manage risk, ISS says
Fate of Clippers remains uncertain
Contracting economy? What to watch in Thursday's report on US GDP
New York Times Business top headlines:
A pushback on green power
Ackman plans public hedge fund
Hachette and Amazon dig in for a long fight over contract terms
Santander Bank to face suit claiming bias in mortgages(Providence, RI)
Delay sought in SEC case against Steven Cohen
Reuters Business top headlines:
Malaysia Muslim groups call for boycott of Cadbury, Kraft foods after pork traces
BlackRock CEO says leveraged ETFs could 'blow up' whole industry
Boeing 787 receives US approval for expanded flying
BP asks US Supreme Court justice to block Gulf spill payments
Bloomberg US region top headlines:
NFL players battling Cleveland over intercepted income: Taxes
GM executive says Google could be 'competitive threat'
SoftBank sees eBay, Amazon as guide to Alibaba value
Ex-AIG chief must face NY suit seeking industry ban
US states meld zero-emission car plans amid sales push
Google vows to improve diversity, discloses staff makeup
Find more videos at The Business Journals video page
Notable expected earnings
THURSDAY: Abercrombie & Fitch, Avago Technologies, Costco Wholesale Corporation, Express Inc., Guess?, Lions Gate Entertainment, Pacific Sunwear of California, Pall Corporation, Splunk.
FRIDAY: ANN INC., Big Lots.
MONDAY: Conn’s, Guidewire Software, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Quiksilver.
TUESDAY: ABM Industries, Ascena Retail Group, Dollar General, Mattress Firm Holding Corp.
THURSDAY: GDP (8:30am), Jobless Claims (8:30am), Pending Home Sales Index (10am), EIA Petroleum Status Report (11am).
FRIDAY: Personal Income and Outlays (8:30am), Chicago PMI (9:45am), Consumer Sentiment (9:55am).
MONDAY: PMI Manufacturing Index (9:45am), ISM Mfg Index (10am), Construction Spending (10am).
TUESDAY: Motor Vehicle Sales, Factory Orders (10am).
Popular on The Business Journals:
Action News slashes marquee anchors in Jacksonville -- Ashley Gurbal Kritzer of the Jacksonville Business Journal
Lawsuit: Giant Eagle told developer it "cannot allow" new Whole Foods store -- Tim Schooley of the Pittsburgh Business Times
Massive Galleria-area theater will break ground this summer -- John Cain of the Houston Business Journal
Today in 1453:
Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire. -- Wikipedia


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By Barbara Ortutay, Frank Bajak, Associated Press
The average Internet user has 19 different passwords for various accounts and websites. "Qwerty” and “123456 remain the most popular. To commemorate World Password Day, learn why these bad habits persist and how to choose more secure codes.
By Megan Squire, The Conversation
The New York Times and a Midwest security firm are reporting a massive breach of online privacy that includes the collection of more than a billion username and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses. Gwen Ifill talks…
By PBS NewsHour
New York Times Computer System Victim of Lengthy Chinese Hacking Attack…
A Perilous Cyber World: Guarding Personal Information from Hackers and Thieves…
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text: Well, folks, it’s finally official. You’ve been clamoring for an HTC One on Big Red’s airwaves, and so it shall be — Verizon has confirmed that the HTC One would be headed to store shelves at some point later this summer. We’re not given much more than that as the news was broken in a Tweet on the VZWNews Twitter account. It looks like those of you on Verizon won’t have to look enviously at AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint customers after all. We’ll be trying to get as many details as we can, but for now just rejoice knowing that it’s coming.


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A staggering eight million tons of plastic trash is dumped in our oceans each year, according to a 2015 Science report.
As a way of putting a spotlight on the issue, Spanish designer Adolfo Correa created the art for The Paradise? Shirt, a Hawaiian-style shirt that, at first glance, looks standard-issue. Look closer and you'll see he's put plastic waste -- like toothbrushes and six-pack rings -- into the design.
The shirt was a collaboration between Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, Corona and Parley for the Oceans, created for World Oceans Day (June 8). The limited-edition shirts were being sold at the World Surf League Store for $69/each but have already sold out.
images via Adolfo Correa
Share (previously) is an annual festival held in Turin and Belgrade and curated by Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic; the 2020 Share Festival call for entries just went live, along with this year's theme, "Riots: Here we are."
Otherti.me presents a new example of Raphael Bastide’s digital artwork each day. Today, I am starting a series of web based artworks: one page a day for 30 days. It is called https://t.co/Z49qqAy9pa and it is starting with the first release: https://t.co/M1JkcFcPHb#othertime #netart pic.twitter.com/HT6oxrwSTd — Raphaël Bastide (@raphaelbastide) November 16, 2019
In 2003, artist Tom Kiefer took a part-time job as a janitor at a Border Patrol facility in Ajo, Arizona. It was just something to subsidize his creative work. But he watched first-hand as things got more crowded, and policies became more cruel. He saw canned food taken away from migrants and donated to a […]
Weighted blankets are officially a thing. And if you’ve ever tried one, you know there’s a reason for the fuss. Parents have known for generations that swaddling a baby has a profound calming effect, and the gentle pressure that blanket weights provide can have the same effect on restless sleepers. Pretty much all parts of […]
Walk through any office, and you will likely spot a few bobbleheads. These wobbly figurines are great fun to have around, although most celebrate people we will never meet. For something a little more personal, try Handmade Custom Bobbleheads. These mini caricatures are sculpted and painted by skilled artisans, based on any photo you provide. […]
In the early days of the web, everyone wanted a .com domain for their site. As a result, all the good ones got snapped up. But .com no longer has the cachet it once did. In fact, many new businesses and individuals are opting for other top-level domain extensions. One of the most memorable is […]


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An open beta will go live for “Dissidia Final Fantasy NT” early next year, and it is one that many fans are already looking forward to.
To be more specific, the open beta will start on Jan. 12 and will run for more than a week before ending on Jan. 21.
The open beta is going to be made accessible to players in North America and Europe. Unfortunately, additional details about it beyond the ones mentioned above have yet to be provided.
Still, if the open beta that is set to go live in North America and Europe will be similar to the one that has already been made accessible to fans in Japan, then a recent report from Gematsu may be able to shed more light on what the testing will feature.
According to that report, the beta taking place in Japan includes the three-on-three online-based Class Matches. There are two types of Class Matches – solo and party – and both are featured in the beta.
Rush battles are also included in the beta, and these are very similar to the Class Matches with the main difference being players will take on CPU-controlled characters instead of ones directed by other fans.
Customization is also included in the open beta, and using this feature, players can tinker with the elements of the game such as EX Skills and character skins.
The “Dissidia Final Fantasy NT” beta in Japan also allows participants to obtain treasures that contain character skins, player icons and chat symbols among other things.
Story mode is also included, and for those interested in learning more about the game’s overarching narrative, they can check out the story trailer provided by the developers that has been embedded below.


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There is no denying the importance of Honda's CB line in motorcycle history and today the company pays tribute to the range with the CB-F Concept. Inspired by the CB900F, a bike that launched in 1979, the CB-F brings that idea into 2020 with a modern design that boasts a 998cc water-cooled, 4-stroke, 4-valve, inline 4-cylinder DOHC engine with a six-speed transmission. The chassis features a lightweight, high-tensile steel mono-backbone structure, an inverted front fork suspension to improve handling, and a lightweight aluminum rear suspension with a single-sided Pro-Arm setup.
Honda is bringing the Monkey and Super Cub to the US
The retro bikes will begin to hit dealers this October.
This year's Quail Motorcycle Gathering celebrated the world's first superbike
The bike that put Honda motorcycles on the map.


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After the legalization of recreational marijuana that had taken place last November, Nevada finally launched the sales of weed products for recreational purposes on July 1. The state expects to attract many tourists and build the largest cannabis market in the country. However, there are still strict limitations that every pot user should be aware of when visiting Nevada.
Catalonia, Spain, has finally legalized cannabis after a long fight. The campaign in support of the issue collected more than 67,000 petition signatures. This substantial number forced the community’s government to consider the matter and adopt new laws for regulating the cultivation, distribution, and consumption of weed for adult use. This decision will make marijuana clubs regulated and the weed itself decriminalized in the autonomous region.
The cannabis industry is one of the most promising spheres nationwide. Since it attracts millions of dollars and provides significant profits, the industry is becoming an important source of taxes. However, current marijuana-related laws still contain plenty of disputable issues concerning the collection and use of pot taxes.
When it comes to improving the cannabis policy, Canada does not hesitate. Medical marijuana is already legal across the country, and it looks like the legalization of recreational weed is just around the corner.
Uruguay, the first country that legalized recreational marijuana in the world, is finally ready to launch a new cannabis program. According to the new legal measures, hundreds of pharmacies will start selling weed in July 2017.
The San Diego Police Foundation donated two mouth-swab devices to the local police for testing drug-impaired drivers last week. These testing machines have already been used by the police in other places with legalized recreational marijuana, such as Arizona, Nevada, Los Angeles, and New York.
The Liberal government has set a preliminary timeline of Canada's legalization of recreational weed. The new law that is to be adopted next month will ensure marijuana legalization in the country by July 1, 2018, according to CBC News.
Alaska has recently rejected an initiative that would allow the use of marijuana at retail pot stores. What states with recreational cannabis are more tolerant to the public consumption of weed?
Here is a list of states that legalized the recreational use of marijuana and their positions toward pot use in public spaces.
While more and more American states legalize cannabis use, people in the neighboring countries are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about weed policies in their regions. However, in most Latin American countries, using, cultivating, and trafficking marijuana remains illegal.
Though marijuana use is legalized in 28 American states, legal pot users still face a lot of limitations of their human rights if they decide to openly consume weed. Unfortunately, even those states that try to develop a pot-friendly environment can do little with federal limitations.
In 2016, voters in four states supported the legalization of recreational marijuana. Following their example, more and more states across the U.S. are considering the possibility of changing their cannabis policies. Here is the list of four states that may make a decisive move towards fully legalizing weed in the next twelve months.
Virginia State Senate has recently received two bills that would significantly reduce penalties for those who commit the offense of cannabis possession. The new initiatives signal a positive shift in how marijuana is viewed by the state’s authorities.