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Sam’s Choice and Great Value are among the Wal-Mart brands now available on Jet.com.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, 1-800-Flowers.com is changing its Facebook store. The retailer is now allowing shoppers to make purchases directly on their Facebook news feed, which is the first page Facebook users see when they log on to the site.
1-800-Flowers.com Inc. was the first retailer to launch a store on Facebook last July. Now it’s also among the first to realize that selling on Facebook requires a call to action.
When its Facebook store launched, the store was one of 15 tabs on the page. “Our customers had to come find us,” says Kevin Randford, director of web marketing.
Although he says engagement was “good” (Randford declined to disclose sales), after only seven months the retailer felt it needed to increase the visibility of its sales.
This week, just in time for Valentine’s Day, it shifted its approach. 1-800-Flowers, which worked with Minneapolis ad network and e-commerce applications developer Alvenda Inc. to develop its Facebook e-commerce functionality, is now pushing out special offers that feature select items to its fans’ news feeds. Fans can complete a purchase without leaving the news feed.
“Users come to Facebook to do certain things, like update their statuses and engage with friends,” he says. “Buying things may not be the foremost of what they’re looking to do. But if we engage them where they already are, it seems like an obvious way to change that.”
Before the change buying something via the 1-800-Flowers Facebook store required a shopper to find the retailer’s Facebook fan page. That was no easy task since a Facebook search of “1-800-Flowers” brings up 73 groups and eight pages. Even once he found the page, he had to find the store’s tab.
With 1-800-Flowers’ new approach, every fan of the retailer can see and immediately act upon its offers without leaving the page. A click on the offer expands the window into a fully functioning shopping space where a shopper can enter in all his pertinent information. If he wants to buy something else from the retailer, he can click on a button that redirects him to the 1-800-Flowers Facebook store that features around 10% of the company’s inventory. And, when a fan engages with the offer-by making a purchase or clicking the site’s “like” button-his friends can see that activity.
Randford says the retailer expects to see significant growth in its Facebook sales as a result of the change.
1-800-Flowers is No. 31 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide (a PDF version of the company’s financial and operating profile can be ordered by clicking on its name).


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Customers who choose to trade-in a mobile phone for money with Mazuma may find they are in profit should they opt for the T-Mobile Vibe as a replacement.
Asavin Wattanajantra, penning an article for CNET UK, explains the model is an attractive budget phone that can be purchased for about £40.
Featuring a 2.8-inch touchscreen, full qwerty keyboard and two-megapixel camera, the Vibe could be considered a top option by mobile users looking to spend within their means.
It comes in both pink and black, perhaps ensuring there is something for people of every style persuasion.
"Like a few others around this price range, the Vibe is geared towards young people who are looking for a cheap device that manages their social networking needs," the author notes.
All of the relevant sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Bebo and Myspace are pre-loaded and ready to go upon set-up.
Hannah Bouckley, writing for T3, recently named the HTC Wildfire as the top option for consumers on a budget.

domain: news


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The week before Christmas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released 14 public notifications about sex enhancement supplements that were tainted with hidden active ingredients, specifically undeclared sildenafil, which is the active ingredient in Viagra. According to Vocativ, before issuing these 14 notifications the FDA had already posted 33 other warnings about tainted sexual enhancement products in 2016.
Caught in a routine inspection by the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs when the drugs were shipped from overseas, these are likely only a tiny fraction of similarly misrepresented products. The agency isn’t able to test all products on the market that contain potentially harmful ingredients and it has little regulatory power over supplements.
Because of this, the agency warns consumers to be aware of the “emerging trend” and to protect themselves from products that can harm them.
“Hidden ingredients are increasingly becoming a problem in products promoted for sexual enhancement,” the FDA states.
“Funny as it might seem to see these supplements busted for being, you know, real drugs, there’s a danger to be aware of here,” said Vocativ. These supplements are available over-the-counter, yet they contain unknown amounts of a prescription-only ingredient.
Sildenafil can have unpredictable and dangerous interactions with other drugs, particularly blood pressure medication that contains nitroglycerin or other nitrates. Vocativ warns its readers that people have died and gone into comas from taking supplements laced with Viagra.
Those who are inadvertently taking sildenafil through tainted sexual enhancement products are also being exposed to that drug’s own hidden risks. Pfizer, Viagra’s manufacturer, is currently being sued by hundreds of men who claim that they should have been warned about the drug’s alleged link to melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
In the past several years researchers have found that sildenafil, as a PDE5 inhibitor, causes melanoma to grow more rapidly. The FDA is looking into the need for regulatory action regarding all PDE5 inhibitors.
“The cherry on top is the fact that virtually no over-promising supplements, whether for boosting your bedroom prowess or losing weight, are good at their jobs, at least if they aren’t laced with the real deal,” said Vocativ. “All in all, it’s worth reminding everyone of a familiar but relevant cliché: If it sounds too to be good, it definitely is.”


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The China Expert Series: Don’t Jump to Conclusions Over Brand Safety Issues in China
There’s been a perception that ad fraud is outrageously rampant in China. In our first piece in ‘The China Expert Series‘ with Exchange Wire, Darren Jacobs our Head of Agency Sales for SEA & Europe explains that while strong awareness of the complexity of the Chinese market is imperative, it offers a wealth of opportunities for marketers. Check out our take on the issue here!
Sammy Hsieh @ CT Goodjobs
April 12th, 2018
Our CEO and Co-founder Sammy Hsieh shared with CT Goodjobs his entrepreneurial journey – starting from a business vision in 2009 to eventually bringing the company to Nasdaq in 2017.…
Chinese New Year spending frenzy has just got bigger
March 2nd, 2018
The happiest-time-of-the-year among Chinese communities offer lucrative opportunities to those with the know-how and know-who. In the first five days of Chinese New Year (CNY) 2018, Chinese movie box office…


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Ann Arbor-based MSO C3 Industries raises $25 million in venture capital
With plans to fortify existing operations in Michigan, Missouri and Washington, operationalize licenses in Massachusetts, and expand into other U.S. markets, Ann Arbor-based C3 Industries announced on July 16 that it had raised an additional $25 million from existing and new venture capital investors.
Founded in 2018 by brothers and University of Michigan alumni Ankur and Vishal Rungta, vertically-integrated C3 has raised more than $65 million in venture capital financing. The latest round was led by existing investor Madison Square Park Capital, and included new commitments from existing investor Welcan Capital and investor Navy Capital.
C3 operates a 36,000 square foot cultivation and manufacturing center in Webberville, Michigan and multiple High Profile retail stores throughout the state. Funding will be used in part to build out production and retail licenses it has for Massachusetts.
C3 recently entered Missouri’s less than one-year-old medical marijuana market via its affiliate QPS Missouri Holdings, which has six cultivation, processing and retail licenses in the state. Jack Cardetti, a spokesperson for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, is an investor in QPS Missouri.
C3 initiated its cannabis operations in Portland, Oregon with a 36,000 square foot indoor cultivation facility. Co-founder and Chief Horticulture Officer Joel Ruggiero, a childhood friend of the Rungtas, previously served as head of cultivation at Colorado cannabis company The Green Solution.
While all of C3’s cannabis operations to date were developed through licenses it secured, a press release noted that the company is pursuing expansion opportunities in “attractive new states, which it plans to enter organically and via pragmatic, accretive M&A opportunities.”
With operations in the Oregon market where licensure is not limited and Michigan, where it is easier to secure cannabis licenses than in most developing markets east of the Mississippi River, C3 is an outlier for venture capital-backed multistate operators. The expansion plan for most multistate operators, which has been rewarded handsomely in recent years by public markets, is a focus on states where licenses are limited.
In 2020, Vishal Gupta told Grown In that his company is, “willing to compete anywhere,” regardless of the competitive landscape.
“We cut our teeth in Oregon,” he said, “which is the most competitive market in the world. I would go toe-to-toe with anyone.”
Innovative Industrial Properties commits $50 million to fund 4Front’s Illinois cultivation expansion
Phoenix-based 4Front Ventures Corp, which is vertically integrated in Illinois and operates one retail store in Michigan, secured up to $50.25 million from San Diego-based cannabis real estate investment fund Innovative Industrial Properties (IIP) via the sale and lease-back of a Elk Grove Village facility that will vastly expand the company’s cultivation and production capabilities in what is becoming a $2 billion Illinois market.
4Front, which entered Illinois in 2018 via the acquisition of medical marijuana license-holder Illinois Grown Medicine, plans to construct a 558,000 square foot facility, starting with 65,000 square feet of canopy and 70,000 square feet of production space.
In recent years, IIP has leased-back Illinois operations from cannabis corporations including Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, Cresco Labs, Ascend Wellness and Pharmacann, and Michigan-based operations for Cresco, Ascend, LivWell, Holistic Industries, Green Peak Innovations (formerly Skymint), Emerald Growth Partners and Sozo.
In addition to expanding cultivation operations in Illinois, which also include an existing facility in Elk Grove Village Grown In toured earlier this year, 4Front operates dispensaries in South Chicago and Calumet City, and the Om of Medicine dispensary in Ann Arbor. The publicly traded company also operates in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Washington.
Ayr Wellness enters Illinois via acquisition ahead of winning two additional licenses
New York-based multistate cannabis operator Ayr Wellness quietly secured four Illinois retail licenses in July via a $30 million acquisition of medical and recreational dispensaries originally operated by Quincy-based Herbal Care and the winning numbers pulled for two of the 55 Illinois retail licenses dispensed via a lottery held on July 29.
Founded in 2017 and funded through reverse takeover and debt transactions, vertically-integrated Ayr also operates in Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. The company’s stated ambition is to be vertically-integrated in multiple states where populations are high, regulations are thorough and licenses are limited.
Marijuana money moving to mushrooms
Many cannabis investors believe the trendy psychedelics industry will mushroom in the coming years and are reallocating capital to fund emerging companies in the headier and federally regulated space.
On July 13, Chicago-based Palo Santo announced an initial close of a $35 million investment fund that already has more than 20 portfolio companies. Also this month, Chicago-based WeSana Health, co-founded by former NHL enforcer Daniel Curcillo and cannabis entrepreneur and Fyllo CEO Chad Bronstein, acquired Toronto-based Psytech for $17 million in stock. Additional investors in WeSana Health include Grassroots Cannabis co-founder Mitch Kahn, serial cannabis investor David Friedman of Panther Capital and New York-based JLS fund, which is advised by Michael Gruber of cannabis VC Salveo Capital.


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What a Senate bill to legalize marijuana would do for Oregon
A bill to legalize cannabis at the federal level passed in the U.S. House late last year. Now, legislation backed by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is making big waves. Though widely believed to be unlikely to draw the 60 votes needed in the Senate to pass, those closest to the industry say it’s significant. Public opinion polling suggests support for legalization is close to 70%. The legislation would decriminalize use, allow for research, expunge marijuana convictions and fund restorative justice programs. Alex Tinker is a lawyer and the co-chair of the Cannabis Industry Practice Group. He joins us to talk through what legalization would mean for the U.S. economy, and specifically how it would grow Oregon’s cannabis business and the larger state economy.
This transcript was created by a computer and edited by a volunteer.
Dave Miller: From the Gert Boyle studio at OPB, this is Think Out Loud, I’m Dave Miller.
Adults can now buy recreational marijuana in 18 states, and can use medical marijuana in 37. But as far as the federal government is concerned, it is still an illegal drug. In fact, it’s a Schedule One drug, the same category as heroin and methamphetamine. Last week, three Democratic US Senators, including Oregon’s senior senator Ron Wyden, released a draft of a bill to change that. It’s called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. It would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level, give the FDA authority to regulate its sale, and fund efforts to address equity issues after almost a century of prohibition.
For more on what the bill would do and what its passage might mean for Oregon, I’m joined by Alex Tinker. He is a lawyer who represents clients involved in the cannabis industry for the law firm, Tonkon Torp. It’s good to have you back on the show.
Alex Tinker: Thanks for having me, Dave.
Miller: I mentioned the number of states where recreational or medical marijuana is now state legal. What does the national picture look like to you at this point, in terms of cannabis?
Tinker: I’d say that for quite a while, many have viewed an end to federal prohibition of cannabis as inevitable. And while the introduction to this bill is, on the one hand, a historic watershed moment (when you want to change federal law, there’s nothing quite like the support and even leadership from the top federal law maker,) but on the other hand, this is just another incremental step forward in a decades old movement to end the war on drugs, at least with respect to cannabis. To me, the most interesting part of this news isn’t the Senate leader supporting an end of prohibition, but that the proposal includes measures to mitigate some of the harm that prohibition has done, which of course has fallen disproportionately on people of color, and the poor.
Miller: Let’s dig into that as we go, but I want to start with removing from Schedule One, what that would mean? What does that listing mean currently for the states’ legal cannabis industry?
Tinker: Well, there’s two answers to that question. In a strict legal sense, that means that the entirety of every state’s legal cannabis industry is still considered drug trafficking, and violating every federal law that is tied to that. Schedule One is the highest schedule, there’s no legitimate use.
On the other hand, in practical sense for quite a while now, the federal government has been standing down, and standing down even officially to an extent with respect to state medical regulation, as for some time, the Department of Justice has been prohibited from spending its funds to interfere with state implementation of their medical cannabis programs.
Miller: But practically speaking, there still are federal laws that are enforced, or that prevent cannabis companies and companies involved in various aspects of the cannabis industry to actually do business like other companies. So what are they prohibited from doing?
Tinker: The one thing that this did is, it’s removed the risk of being locked up and going to jail, and given the cannabis businesses access to the courts to resolve disputes. But other than that, they don’t have many of the federal protections and tools that we think of and take for granted that are fundamental to businesses. They don’t have access to banks or that access is very limited. You can’t get the same kind of intellectual property protection under federal law, which is exceedingly important. And there’s this tax treatment for cannabis businesses, that essentially means you can very easily have taxable income while having an actual loss, based on the prohibition on deducting ordinary business expenses.
So while the federal stand down on criminal enforcement has allowed the industry to get up and running, it’s still been a very uphill climb, because these businesses have to be much more profitable than any other business that is allowed to deduct its business expenses. They’ve got to deal with the transaction costs of still dealing to a large extent in cash, or paying much higher banking fees. And they’ve got to get very creative in the way they protect their brands, protect their technologies, and so forth.
Miller: Or protect their piles of cash, which they are more likely to have because they can’t bank.
Tinker: Right. One of the arguments for regulation is we want to remove the things that can cause externalities, susceptibility to violence, to other crimes that everybody agrees are bad. But we haven’t actually solved that problem. As anyone in the Portland area who paid attention to cannabis knows there, for a while, has been a scourge of robberies of dispensaries. There have been some major theft at warehouses. And part of that is that you do have literally still piles of cash that have to be protected.
Miller: What would this mean for marijuana growers in Oregon? Let’s say that this were to pass, and maybe not all 50 states, but in more states, cannabis were legal. What would that mean for growers in Oregon or Northern California?
Tinker: It would be huge, Dave. Oregon, Southern Oregon especially, and Northern California, have some of the most productive land for growing cannabis in the world. And it’s got a long established industry, during the unregulated days of the market. It didn’t get that by producing cannabis for people in Oregon and California alone. Oregon especially, we have 4 million people here. That Oregon legacy industry exists because of exporting its product. To some extent, for part of that industry that decided to go get licensed in Oregon here, it’s been devastating to some producers. The first year that Oregon had a large number of outdoor licenses issued, the prices dropped severely. And a lot of people went out of business. That’s why there’s been a push among Oregon growers to provide for some structure for interstate trade in cannabis, even if it comes maybe before there’s full federal legalization. A couple of years back, Governor Brown even signed a bill providing for that to be permitted, if and when there’s a nod from the federal government.
But it’s not just a good thing for Oregon here. Right now, there is infrastructure being built out all over the country to produce indoor cannabis, which is, compared to growing it under the sun, exceedingly expensive, has a much higher environmental impact, and basically is just not very efficient. Any other products that we consume is produced in the place where the cost of production is lowest. And when you do that, you have lower prices for consumers, you have more surplus created, and just a better market and economy. So, one of the big obstacles to the US market developing is that product is stuck within the state that it’s produced in. And so opening up interstate trade would be not just good for Oregon producers, but also for the people in other states who can then buy that product, which may cost half as much or even more compared to what can be produced in a warehouse in New York, for instance.
Miller: I should point out that this would remove the federal prohibition on cannabis, but it would not preempt state level regulation. So if this were to pass, would you expect new anti-cannabis laws in some of our country’s more conservative states?
Tinker: We don’t need new anti-cannabis laws in the country’s more conservative states, they’re already on the books. What I do wonder is whether there are places that have not chosen to decriminalize or to move forward because of federal prohibition, and that might do so if we do have a change in federal policy. At this point, most states have decided to at least allow for CBD, or to decriminalize or to have medical programs. Many have adult use programs as well. And that progress continues. Big question for me is, are there states, and are there voters and legislators who would be more willing to change state law if federal law was not in conflict with the changes?
Miller: As you mentioned at the beginning, the end of federal prohibition is just one piece of this proposed bill, which is now 163 pages. There’s a lot more to it. Can you give us a sense for some of its other current provisions?
Tinker: I’ll note that even the senators introducing it have noted this is a “start the discussion” kind of bill. What it might look like if and when it actually gets a vote can change a lot. But some of the critical features are: providing an opportunity for people who are still serving federal sentences for cannabis crimes to get a hearing, to look at their sentence, to maybe get it reduced, to maybe get out of jail. And also proactive measures to provide access to capital and opportunity for the kinds of people who have been on the bad end of prohibition, meaning to support entrepreneurs from less represented communities, people of color and so forth.
You’ve seen that happening to a certain extent in various state programs, but usually as, at least with the early states, a second wave of reform, not as part of the package out of the gate. And to me, the most interesting part of this bill is not that the Senate Leader dropped a bill to end prohibition, but that we’re starting the conversation right now, with doing those things that are necessary, not just to stop doing bad moving forward, but to try to rectify some of the wrongs of the past.
Miller: Is it also possible though that politically, putting those in this decriminalization bill could make it a bigger lift?
Tinker: Absolutely. And you’ve actually seen some measures fail in states, in part, because of controversy over that. The thing to note here though, and part of why I say I don’t see this as the watershed moment, is that we’re talking about a bill in the Senate where you need 60 votes to pass, and the 40 senators, 41 senators who can block that, represent a small minority of the country. So I think starting the conversation there is a good move, because we need to have that on the table now, and that’s not going to be what makes a difference in terms of whether the Senate passes a bill this year or not. I would be pleased and very surprised if we end federal prohibition in the session of Congress. And so I think starting with everything on the table is the right strategy.
Miller: Right now, localities in Oregon, say cities, for example, they can charge taxes of up to 10% on cannabis sales, state taxes are 17%. Under this potential federal bill, the federal government after a couple of years would then levy its own federal taxes of 25%. At what point, when you add all these together, do you increase the likelihood of a thriving black market for untaxed marijuana, even within states where cannabis is currently legal, just because there wouldn’t be, when you add it all up, close to a 50% tax on the drug?
Tinker: It’s a really important point. I do think there’s one important caveat to the idea that this would impose a federal tax on cannabis for the first time. While it’s not regulated at the federal level, and there isn’t an X percent tax on sales, because of this IRS Provision 280E that allows ordinary business expense deductions, in effect, cannabis businesses are paying a whole lot of extra federal income tax for their business. So, the federal government, they might not want to admit it, but they are already making a lot of money from the state cannabis industry.
The question of taxation, there been some research done in Oregon because this question came up too, thinking about the elasticity of demand and so forth, and how do you get that transition? I think one important feature is that what regulation does is reduce the risk for everyone, whether you get a license or not. But that’s not true unless law enforcement continues to actually enforce the law against those who are operating unlicensed. And I know a lot of businesses, at least in the Oregon industry, have been disappointed to see that literally, in some cases, especially down in Southern Oregon, you’ll have an OLCC licensed farm with an unlicensed farm next door. There’s been pretty minimal enforcement there, and I think that’s the key to ensure that the illicit market all transitions to the regulated market, and that you can do that while also having meaningful taxation on the product.
Miller: Taxation is one side, regulation is the other. They sort of go together. Under this bill, the FDA would regulate the manufacturer and marketing of cannabis products, including product standards, labeling information, and directions for use. Where would that leave, in Oregon, the OLCC-run system that took a number of years to be up and running, which already regulates all of these things?
Tinker: I would say that having some normalization around some of these regulations would be to great benefit, and I would expect that the FDA would look to what the states have done, who’ve been thinking closely about this for many years now, in terms of how you regulate these products.
The burgeoning CBD product industry is an interesting example here, where there are really no standards, but you can go buy a CBD edible product at half the gas stations and supermarkets in the country now. Presumably, this would be preemptive, such that state regulations had to be at least at tight as federal regulations, but when you’re gonna have an interstate market, I think that makes sense, and entities that are gonna be selling products in multiple states probably want to have one set of standards that they can comply with.
If you’d like to comment on any of the topics in this show, or suggest a topic of your own, please get in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter, send an email to email@example.com, or you can leave a voicemail for us at 503-293-1983. The call-in phone number during the noon hour is 888-665-5865.
Copyright 2021 Oregon Public Broadcasting


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The glitz and glamour of Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are proving to be a big draw for Chinese travelers.
The UAE became an approved destination in China two years ago, which makes it easier for Chinese tourists to get visas to travel there.
The super luxury hotels and malls are some of the main attractions for wealthy Chinese.
Although Chinese tourists account for only a small percentage of the visitors to the area, the number of Chinese tourists jumped by 40% last year. “The number of arrivals from China in 2010 was about 150,000 out of 8 million,” according to Liz Martins, a senior economist at HSBC MENA. She said that this is still very early stage.
“It’s expected that there will be 100 million outbound Chinese travelers by 2020 and already it’s quite close to 50 million outbound tourists, so why would we ignore it? It’s a great opportunity,” said Gerald Lawless, executive chairman of Jumeirah Group which owns the Burj al Arab, the first self-titled 7-star hotel.
“Year to date, the total number of Chinese visitors to the Burj, the total percentage of our business, is about 25%,” he added. “One of the great things for us is that the Chinese love to travel in the summer time. They don’t mind that it’s quite warm in Dubai in the summer, so it’s not even pushing into our high season.”
The UAE has ambitions to double the number of tourists by 2020.
Meanwhile, the Jumeirah Group is opening hotels in China. It opened its first hotel in Shanghai in 2011 and has plans for five more in China.


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Exotica Petshop Simulator update 12 is now available to download on PC, Ps4, PS5, and Xbox one. According to the official Exotica Petshop Simulator patch notes, the latest update 12 addresses some bugs and crashes.
Previously, a major update 12 added new changes, fixes, and gameplay improvements.
Unfortunately, players are still experiencing several issues since the release. Today’s Exotica Petshop Simulator version 12 will fix a few of these issues.
Check out more details below.
Exotica Petshop Simulator Patch 12 Notes – July 18, 2023
- Fixed bugs such as draining water and removing accessories when there are animals in their livingspace.
- Fixed the issue where the fish’s values could not be displayed when placing with the Place button in fish breeding.
- Fixed the breeding of budgie’s sent to the depot always in the same color when spawning.
- Fixed the issue where Budgies bought were sent to the depot in the same color when they were supposed to come in different colors.
- Fixed the issue where animals moved to another livingspace could not be placed.


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REPAY to Attend Upcoming Investor Conferences
ATLANTA – March 2, 2023 – Repay Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: RPAY) ("REPAY" or the "Company"), a leading provider of vertically-integrated payment solutions, today announced that the Company will participate in the following upcoming investor conferences:
- On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Tim Murphy, CFO will participate in a fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in San Francisco, CA. The discussion will begin at 8:00am PT (11:00am ET) and will be webcast live from the Company's investor relations website at https://investors.repay.com/ under the "Events" section. An archive of the webcast will be available at the same location on the website for 90 days.
- On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Tim Murphy, CFO and Stewart Grisante, Head of IR will participate in investor meetings at the Wolfe Research FinTech Forum in New York, NY.
REPAY provides integrated payment processing solutions to verticals that have specific transaction processing needs. REPAY's proprietary, integrated payment technology platform reduces the complexity of electronic payments for clients, while enhancing the overall experience for consumers and businesses.
Investor Relations for REPAY:
Media Relations for REPAY:
Source: Repay Holdings Corporation


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Tacos 4 Life opening in St Louis
Tacos 4 Life, a fast-paced, casual restaurant dedicated to ending world hunger, will open a location near St. Louis in O’Fallon this year.
“We’re excited to serve the St. Louis community with this new location and our first,” said Austin Samuelson, co-founder of Tacos 4 Life, in a company news release. “Entering a new market with new franchisees who are focused on our mission-driven work is even more special. We pride ourselves on working with people who truly believe in what we are doing, who we are passionate about – and Matt and Jacy Rose are two of those people. “
In 2017, on the recommendation of a family member, the Roses visited Tacos 4 Life for the first time in Little Rock. They immediately fell in love with her and started exploring franchise options, the press release said. After months of planning, they chose O’Fallon and began working on the expansion and opening plans.
“Tacos 4 Life came into our lives at the perfect time as we prayed for an opportunity to help the less fortunate,” Matt Rose said in the press release. “The mission and the food are something we knew we wanted to share with our family and friends right away, and we can’t wait to open our doors to the community for them to share in this special place with us can.”
Tacos 4 Life opened its first location in Conway, Arkansas, in 2014. For every order of taco, salad, quesadilla, rice bowl or nacho sold, 24 cents go to Feed My Starving Children, the non-profit partner of Tacos 4 Life. The chain has operations in Arkansas, Texas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.


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By David Lieberman, USA TODAY
Yahoo became one of the Web's most popular news sources by aggregating and featuring other people's journalism. On Tuesday, it will take its biggest leap yet into the highly competitive business of creating its own news content.
The Internet giant will launch the Yahoo Contributor Network, harnessing 400,000 freelance writers, photographers and videographers from Associated Content, a firm that Yahoo bought in May.
Yahoo did not renew deals to sell Associated Content's stories to outside news organizations, including Reuters, Scripps and Fox News. The work will appear only on Yahoo, including its home page, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports.
The change will "deepen our engagement with the millions of people who visit us every day and provide new opportunities for creative contributors," CEO Carol Bartz says.
Although others including AOL and Demand Media are also wooing freelancers, Yahoo's ability to distribute to such a vast audience "is not something that exists (elsewhere) on the Web today," says Luke Beatty, Yahoo's general manager.
About a third of contributors are paid modestly upfront or collect fees based on the number of people who access their work. Others forgo payment to share views or interests with a large audience.
Will contributors stick with a Yahoo-only service?
"They're not a prestigious news outlet, at least not yet," says Allen Weiner, a media analyst at research firm Gartner. "If a substantial number of contributors don't want to write for one source, then you might see some pushback."
Contributors have expressed "some hesitation" about the change, says Sabah Karimi, author of The AC Source Book. But the concerns should pass, she says, if they attract bigger audiences — and, as a result, collect more money.
She expects "more exposure for all of us." The company has told contributors that it will recommend more targeted topics, easing up on evergreen topics such as holiday baking.
Yahoo expects to post "2,000 stories a day, and that number grows every day," Beatty says.
He doesn't know how many editors review the stories, but he says computers check to be sure nothing is plagiarized or offensive.
Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.


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To the Editor:
“Looking for Silver Linings” (Business Day, Feb. 11) underscores the lack of consumer education and understanding among those signing leasing agreements for rooftop solar, especially in those states that are changing or considering changing their incentives and policies related to solar.
The article also highlights the aggressive marketing tactics of some solar companies, but it does not point out the lack of customer protections in place for those entering lease agreements. Across the country, there are numerous investigations by state attorneys general, and new regulations and legislation are being enacted to protect consumers as a result of suspect business practices by certain solar companies.
Just this month, it was reported that a Nevada couple is suing a solar company for failing to disclose information about future electricity rates before it installed panels on their home.
Based on all of this, it’s clear that the outlook for rooftop solar leasing companies is still to be determined.
The writer, an energy consultant, is the former executive director of the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel.


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Putting yourself out there for love can suck, but here’s why you shouldn’t give up completely.
“I thought we had another day to smile.”
Some celebrity couples need to keep the PDA to a minimum …
Peter Gunz is likely used to dealing with women who are quick to forgive, but Erica Mena isn’t one of them.
While this is good news for residents, the crime statistics are still alarming.
After fighting her way to the top through reality TV, Tamar Braxton takes home three awards.
Barbara Walters‘ 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013 has been revealed, but the No. 1 spot won’t become known until
Last month ‘Yeezus’ became a United States federally registered trademark. The mark, owned by Kanye West (under his company, Mascotte Holdings), was filed to protect over 25 goods and services.
The battle between online shopping in contrast to the in-store alternative continues to baffle many. Here’s how to make your choice.


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Your Veemee is virtually you - a 3D virtual character that lives on your mobile device - designed by you. Create and customize awesome...
Showing results 1 to 20 of 443
News in the iOS world this week covered the first update for Apple Watch OS, a judge opens iPhone design to the world, and the watch will soon hit retail stores for purchase.
The small update is mainly bug fixes, a new default Today view and performance improvements, including some for Siri which has been inconsistent on my wrist of late.
It's about time for Apple's TV "hobby" to become a big deal: A new software platform for third-party apps would help. And the Apple Watch is expected to improve too next month.
This week in Windows Phone we saw a big new Windows 10 update, heard that porting apps may not be so easy, and the hot Lumia 640 is coming to the US.
Citrix updated its product line at its flagship conference with a focus on making enterprise apps more accessible on tablets and mobile devices.
Welcome to the official app for Vybenation. Download this app and never have an idle moment again. Receive realtime updates of the...
NetSuite also outlined customer wins including Pebble, the smart watch maker.
Google recently announced Wi-Fi support for Android Wear and now the companion app includes the Cloud sync feature, plus a choice of calendars to display on your watch.
DCD Converged is the official mobile app for the DCD Converged conference series.This mobile app allows you to:* View schedules, explore...
Google's latest software update for Android Wear will make the smartwatches easier to use in a hands-free mode and over Wi-Fi networks.
Apple has patched a security vulnerability in iPhones and iPads, which the company warned could allow an attacker to intercept encrypted connections.
The product updates and rollouts come just ahead of next week's Strata + Hadoop summit.
Microsoft is rolling out a first public preview of its OneDrive for Business for Mac client, and outlined new and coming updates to its OneDrive app for iOS and Windows.
Apple is facing a lawsuit over the amount of space that the iOS 8 update takes up on iPhone, iPads, and iPods.
A collection of notable security news items for the week ending December 26, 2014. Covers enterprise, controversies, reports and more.
Apple has issued a security update to address a critical security issue with OS X's Network Time Protocol service.
The final days for holiday shopping can't match Black Friday for sales, but procrastinators can save a little on iPads with these specials.
Anyone keen on Microsoft's new presentation app Sway can give the preview product a whirl today, while Australians and New Zealanders can try out an updated Sway app for iOS.
Combination of app and OS updates may reset your setting to the defaults.
Microsoft's latest batch of Intune rollouts includes a number of updates aimed to help companies lock down apps and data on iOS devices.
Security update for Safari browser on Mac OS X removed from distribution after causing problems. No word from Apple yet on disposition.
Sales on these devices don't always yield big discounts, but here's how to save a little on these popular holiday gifts.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 ZDNet Cloud TV: Hurdles to overcome (highlights)
- 2 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 3 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Parents always worry when they hear about a toy being recalled for safety reasons. Toy expert Chris Byrne explains how to find out about toy recalls and what to do if you have one of the recalled toys in your home.
TheStreet (Jan. 14, 2014) Anki Drive is a toy sold in Apple stores, but its high price and limited track could limit its appeal. Anki is similar to a slot cars that use a remote, but there is one major difference - the cars ... watch video
AP (May 16, 2013) In this interconnected world, the next big thing may be a fully-wired house. With everything from door locks to coffee makers to pet feeders controllable from an app on your smart phone. The AP's Lee ... watch video
France 24 (May 13, 2013) The future will be "driver-less." This week's TECH24 looks at autonomous vehicles and the future of transportation. And in TEST24 we check out a very smart scale… Smart Body analyzer does ... watch video
TheStreet (Jan. 10, 2014) The Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas was flooded with waterproof solutions for your smart phones. Apparently smart phone case makers think we all want to take our phones deep sea diving or at least ... watch video
Reuters - Business Video Online (Feb. 12, 2014) It's green and clean, but it could suddenly stop when you don't want it to. Toyota recalls nearly two million of its Prius models due to software glitch. Hayley Platt reports.
Video provided by ... watch video
Reuters - Business Video Online (May 30, 2014) Ford recalls nearly 1.4 million vehicles in North America, including the 2010 Ford Escape and Taurus models. Jillian Kitchener reports.
Video provided by ... watch video
TheStreet (June 4, 2014) U.S. Auto Sales came in at 16.7 million units vs consensus of 16 million units, the strongest reading since August 2008. Stephanie Link and Jill Malandrino point out that General Motors, in ... watch video
May 27, 2016 Given declining revenues from gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the need for new ways of funding road infrastructure, state and federal policymakers are considering or have enacted annual ... read more
May 26, 2016 Imagine a device that is selectively transparent to various wavelengths of light at one moment, and opaque to them the next, following a minute adjustment. Researchers report ... read more
May 26, 2016 Researchers are seeking to redesign concrete -- the most widely used human-made material in the world -- by following nature's blueprints. In a new paper, the team contrasts ... read more
May 26, 2016 Black holes are still very mysterious celestial bodies which, according to the majority of physicists, do not, however, escape the laws of thermodynamics. As a result, these physical systems possess ... read more
May 25, 2016 Borides are among the hardest and most heat-resistant substances on the planet, but their Achilles' Heel, like so many materials', is that they oxidize at high temperatures. Researchers have now ... read more
May 25, 2016 A new study asserts that the three-parameter 'alpha-beta-gamma' (ABG) model used in the past by 3GPP for predicting signal coverage might spell trouble at frequencies above 6 gigahertz ... read more
May 11, 2015 Confirming what many parents already know, researchers have discovered that toddlers, especially those with siblings, understand how the sounds they make affect people around ... read more
Dec. 1, 2014 In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have found that an estimated 3,278,073 children were treated in United States emergency departments from 1990 through 2011 for a toy-related injury. Children ... read more
Apr. 29, 2014 Babies begin to learn about the connection between pictures and real objects by the time they are nine-months-old, according to a new study. The research found that babies can learn about a toy from ... read more
Dec. 4, 2012 With the holiday season upon us, children are busy making their wish lists and checking them twice. But, parents may need to check them yet again to ensure toy safety. According to the U.S. Consumer ... read more


text: Huami, the Xiaomi-backed wearable brand, has expanded its wearable lineup in China with a new fitness band. Dubbed the Amazfit Cor 2, the fitness band looks similar to last year‘s Amazfit Cor but bumps up the battery life and supports less payments via NFC. It features a heart rate sensor and can track steps, calories burnt, distance travelled as well as sleep. The Amazfit Cor was launched in India in September 2018 at a price of Rs. 3,999.


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African Development Bank and African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat sign $11 million institutional support grant agreement
The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an $11.24 million support program to enhance the effective implementation of the Secretariat.
The signing took place on July 25, 2022, on the sidelines of the ninth meeting of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers Responsible for Trade, held in Accra, Ghana.
The AfCFTA Secretariat, currently in Phase II of its implementation phase, will benefit from this support program, which aims to boost sustainable intra-African trade and increase the number of participating African member states. The funds are intended to advance Africa’s trade integration agenda.
The grant, approved in July by the African Development Fund Board, will focus on three areas: institutional strengthening of the AfCFTA Secretariat; private sector support for the implementation of the AfCFTA and support for climate resilient regional and continental value chains to boost intra-African trade.
In addition, studies and initiatives will be undertaken to identify new business and economic opportunities for women, to help develop the AfCFTA’s Women and Youth in Trade Protocol, and to support capacity building and targeted business skills for women.
HE Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat signed the agreement on behalf of his organization, while the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Yacine Fall, signed on behalf of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group.
Wamkele Mene said, “We welcome the Bank’s support as this is a clear indication of our strategic partnership which will strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat and facilitate the start of meaningful trade under the preferences of the Bank. ‘AfCFTA. The COVID-19 pandemic and current geopolitical tensions have created an urgent collective action philosophy for the implementation of the AfCFTA. We all have a shared responsibility to change the destiny of all Africans as we achieve the laudable goal of the AfCFTA.
“The African Development Bank is proud of the strong partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat and is confident that this institutional support will help support our respective mandates to drive continental trade and economic transformation in line with the vision of Agenda 2063. of the Africa we want,” Fall said. “Africa’s hope to build back stronger and better lies in the successful implementation of the AfCTA.”
Distributed by APO Group for the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
African development bank :
Amba Mpoke-Bigg | Communication and External Relations Department|+225 07 57 25 77 00| [email protected]
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):
Grace Khoza | Senior Communications Advisor|+233 551606606 | [email protected]
Elydora Matubanzila |Communication Officer +233 207323201 | [email protected]
About the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA):
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want and entered into force on May 30, 2019. It is a trade agreement of great ambition, which aims to bring together the 55 Member States of the African Union, covering a market of more than 1.3 billion people, with a global reach that includes critical areas of the African economy, such as digital trade and investment protection, among others. By removing barriers to trade in Africa, the AfCFTA’s goal is to significantly boost intra-African trade, particularly trade in value-added production and trade in all service sectors of the African economy. , at a potential of 52.3%. For more information: https://au-AfCFTA.org
About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). Present in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.
This press release was issued by APO. Content is not vetted by the African Business editorial team and none of the content has been verified or validated by our editorial teams, proofreaders or fact checkers. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.


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The Löfberg family is Business Leader of the Year in Karlstad
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South Korean electronics giant Samsung has released a beta version of ethereum blockchain-based software development kit (SDK) for partner developers.
The kit provides “a full set” of functions that are required to build decentralized apps (dapps), the company said, adding that it also offers a payment gateway for cryptocurrency remittance with its user interface.
“Samsung Blockchain SDK is available to communicate with external blockchain node providing payment solution. It can reduce costs to build your dapp except in case if you have your own wallet logics already,” Samsung explained.
The kit currently only supports five devices: Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, S10 5G and the Galaxy Fold. The official version of the kit is expected to be released by the end of this year.
Galaxy S10 was launched earlier this year, which supports several dapps as well as features a Samsung crypto wallet supporting ether and ERC20 tokens. The giant was also planning to bring blockchain solutions to more budget-friendly Galaxy models.
Recently, there were also reports that Samsung is creating its own Ethereum-based blockchain network and may be planning to issue its own token too.


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Friday July 06, 2012
by Mark Skousen, editor Hot Commodities Alert
Dunkin' Brand Group (DNKN), which owns Dunkin’ Donuts, is much smaller than Starbucks in terms of revenues and employment. In comparison, Starbucks has $12.6 billion in revenues!
But Dunkin’ Brand has much more room to expand its franchises, especially out West and in foreign countries. It just opened up its first store in California. It’s about 10 years behind Starbucks.
The company plans to double the number of its Dunkin’ Donuts stores in the United States to 15,000 in the next 20 years. I think it will become the "go-to" choice for coffee, donuts, and even quasi-healthy fast food.
Dunkin' Donuts now is offering breakfast foods, such as the sausage, egg and cheese on an "everything" bagel. And the coffee is highly drinkable, relatively inexpensive and attitude-free.
The company also owns also owns Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream stores. These stores are a bit of a drag on financial performance and the parent company is closing some of the stores. But it is expanding Baskin-Robbins' franchises in Vietnam, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
With profit margins around 10%, Dunkin’ Brand Group earned $62 million on revenues of $641 million in the past 12 months. DNKN also has a return on equity (ROE) of 12%.
The current price-earnings ratio appears high (64) but that ratio reflects several one-time expenses last year and does not indicate true value.
These one-time expenses included a loss on the repayment of debt, costs related to secondary offerings, impairment charges related to a South Korea joint venture, and a sponsor termination fee.
The forward PE is estimated to be almost 28, which is not cheap but is nowhere near overvalued.
In addition, the money raised from the company's IPO last year was used to retire long-term debt. As a result, the company now has a much better cash flow.
Overall, I see a bright future for Dunkin’ Brand. Let’s buy it and set a protective stop of $28 a share here.
Learn more about this financial newsletter at Mark Skousen's Hot Commodities Alert.


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Priority Vendor Technologies’ existing venture capital investors Lightspeed Venture Partners and Catamaran Ventures will get an exit, senior executives told ET. Last month, C2FO had raised $200 million from investors led by Softbank Vision Fund. Armed with the war chest to explore inorganic op opportunities in new markets, C2FO acquired Priority to expand its India operations, as per the company.
“The Indian market currently accounts for 5% of total business. With this acquisition and our other growth initiatives, we expect to double share in the next few years,” said Pradeep Gode, India head, C2FO. The company is looking at introducing some of its global products here.
“We will introduce accounts receivable (A/R) financing solutions and data-driven funding options for our customers,” said Gode. “A big part of the $200 million fundraise from Softbank Vision Fund in August was to support our growth ambitions in India and geographic expansions. This acquisition is a vi vital next step as we define our growth strategy in India,” said Gode.
Founded in 2016 by Kunal Agarwal and Nipun Kohli, Priority Vendor Technologies is a supply chain focused fintech company which runs a dynamic discounting platform. It raised its series A funding from US-based Lightspeed and Catamaran in 2017. Its key clients include Jubilant Foods, TVS, Godrej Consumer, Apollo Tyres, Britannia, Dabur, Marico and Titan. It has 70 customers in India and recently it started providing services in Bangladesh, Dubai and Vietnam.
“We are also excited about the crossover that exists between the platforms,” said Gode. “Businesses that today independently use both the platforms will now be able to access all their accounts receivable on a single network and solve their cash flow needs. Our strategy continues to provide the most convenient and lowest cost sources of working capital in India.” The combined entity will have more than 100 companies in India (200-plus globally) and over 125,000 businesses using the platform. New-age fintech businesses have been disrupting how businesses meet their banking needs.


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Two Caught On Video Breaking Into Tulsa Cell Phone Store
TULSA, Oklahoma - Two people were caught on surveillance video breaking into a midtown Tulsa cell phone store, but apparently didn't take anything, according to police.
Officers said the burglary occurred at the Metro PCS Store in the 5300 block of South Peoria at about 12:30 a.m. Officers arrived to find the store's front window broken. A store employee was called, but after checking, they couldn't find anything missing according to police.
The store released a surveillance video and it shows two people running around, kicking in a door to a back room and then trying to open the store's rear door.


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Households on a finances are paring again the crimson meat on their menus after beef costs have risen greater than 16% since final 12 months.
Whilst costs for crimson meat have begun to dip barely from their pandemic highs, it is too late for financially strapped customers who’ve already made the change to proteins like rooster, which is not any discount, both.
Hen breasts reached a 16-year excessive in February of $3.82 per pound, based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They’re additionally up round 13.2% since final 12 months, however that compares to $11.65 a pound for sirloin steak or $4.63 a pound for floor beef.
Extra households are swapping out burgers and steaks for rooster, say grocers and meat wholesalers, who’ve adjusted their buying as properly.
“We’re seeing this shift to poultry in lower-income neighborhoods, the place customers who had extra disposable earnings final 12 months are actually being extra cautious about spending,” mentioned Daniel Romanoff, president of Bronx-based meat wholesaler Nebraskaland.
Floor beef price $4.63 a pound in February.Bloomberg
Hen breasts are at 16-year highs at $3.82 a pound.Jeff Greenberg
And the additional chew of inflation on different items – on the whole lot from gasoline to garments – is taking an excellent larger chunk out of meals budgets as costs on the whole lot are at a 40-year excessive, up 7.9% from final 12 months, based on the newest federal knowledge out Thursday.
Morton Williams, which operates 16 shops within the New York metro space, is now buying 30 60-pound containers of rib meat every week in comparison with 60 containers just a few months in the past, Victor Colello, the grocery store’s director of meat, advised The Put up.
All through many of the pandemic demand for all issues beef was sturdy regardless of traditionally excessive costs as a result of customers had extra buying energy, specialists say.
“Our rooster enterprise shifted to beef final 12 months and now in 2022 we’re seeing the reverse,” Romanoff added.
Inflation has turned beef right into a luxurious for a lot of households.Bloomberg
Quickly rising inflation is taking a chew out of budgets and placing a crimp in what households can afford.
Even Walmart, the biggest and lowest-cost grocer within the US, has raised costs “dramatically,” based on Gordon Haskett analyst, Chuck Grom, who surveyed finances retailers throughout the nation in late February and located that the common worth improve at Walmart, Goal and the greenback shops was 8.1%.
Within the fall of 2021, worth will increase at supermarkets had been between 4% and 5%, “however swiftly that just about doubled,” Grom mentioned.
At Walmart a dozen eggs price $2.13 in February, up from $1.21 a 12 months in the past, whereas a field of DiGiorno pizza price $5.94 in February — or 94 cents greater than a 12 months in the past — and a gallon of milk price $3.51, up from $2.82.
“Individuals obtained their pandemic checks final 12 months, which helped them to purchase extra beef,” mentioned Dean Baker, a senior economist with Middle for Financial and Coverage Analysis.
Andrew Gottschalk, founding father of HedgersEdge.com, which supplies market analysis on the ag business, mentioned wholesale beef costs are beginning to tick down from their sky-high costs, however that is not serving to the budget-strapped client.
“Decrease-income households may afford to maneuver up the protein ladder in the course of the pandemic and that is the place we noticed demand for beef enhance, however now with inflation their actual wage positive factors are being worn out,” he mentioned.
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The Facebook algorithm update: is the channel still useful for brands?
The first quarter of 2018 has seen the latest Facebook algorithm update. It’s a big change and one that has generated a lot of coverage in both mainstream media and the tech/marketing titles. Some articles are predicting real problems for publishers and brands. Is Facebook a busted flush for brands? Our post takes a look at what the update means for page owners.
The Facebook algorithm update: the details
The main thrust of the change is to Facebook’s news feed. From January, the feed will prioritise updates from friends rather than publishers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed that this would result in people seeing less content for news sources and brands. Facebook’s stated aim is to make the channel more meaningful and relevant for users. It’s also likely that it’s also an attempt to reduce the amount of fake news on the channel.
Is the impact real?
Do brands need to worry about the Facebook algorithm update? Yes. Any change to its algorithm needs to be monitored. Brands need to consider the impact on engagement and organic post reach. The evidence so far is that organic reach is declining for many brands. It’s also likely that Facebook is nudging brands with bigger pages to invest in advertising and posts. We can hardly blame Facebook for the latter: it’s a business and investors expect continued revenue growth. Given that the death of organic reach was a hot topic in 2014 we’ve been here before. This time though, the impact is more obvious.
Engagement: the goalposts have moved
The biggest impact we’re seeing is on engagement rates. In announcing the update it was made clear that ‘meaningful interaction’ was Facebook’s aim. For brands this means making sure that content genuinely resonates. The metric for this? Comments, comments and more comments. It appears that likes count for less. And with comments it means content that isn’t spammy so “comment to win”, etc won’t work. Excellent content via Facebook Live continues to generate excellent reach and engagement. The key here is quality.
Is Facebook still relevant for brands?
Yes the channel is still worthwhile for brands. The Facebook algorithm update doesn’t spell the death knoll for brands just yet. Those businesses spending time to understand audiences and evolve their content can still see returns from Facebook.
It is a harder channel to use. But if that means bad brand content disappears that’s a good thing too. Good luck if your content strategy is the same as it was in 2015 or 2016. Perhaps the bigger risk for brands is the belief that 13 – 24s will depart the channel in 2018. This combined with the above changes will make it harder for brands to reach and engage with younger consumers. However, Facebook owns Instagram which will pick up a lot of this audience.
If nothing else the Facebook algorithm update will remind businesses that social continues to evolve. Brands need to adapt their strategies and play to the strengths of each channel.


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The LG G Flex is expected to receive Android 4.4 KitKat very shortly, and a dive into the strings of the User Agent Profile reveal that the update will unlock the capability to support 4K video capture.
With a 13-Megapixel camera on the LG G Flex, the hardware seems perfectly capable of 4K video capture and it seems the capability is only currently disabled in software, waiting for the impending 4.4 KitKat update to unleash it.
We're giving stuff away to help celebrate our tenth anniversary. Are you in?
LG are expected to begin rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat in the next coming weeks, with it hitting devices before March is out.


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Pizza is an oven-baked flat bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. The modern pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world.
Friday, 15 August 2014
Victoria's family mum on KFC report
For the first time since the investigation 16 WAPT spoke with the Simpson County family that is standing by their story. Their scarred little girl was kicked out of KFC. Subscribe to WAPT...


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New Orleans Because the restaurant industry has dominated the lobbying process around past efforts to raise the federal minimum wage in the US, servers, bartenders, and others who receive tips are not paid the current minimum of $7.25 per hour as a guarantee, but have to hustle that wage from a base of $2.13. Despite all of the calls to reduce inequality, there has not been an increase in the federal minimum during President Obama’s first six years in office, and it’s not a sure thing, but it is a very safe bet there will not be an increase in the last two years of his term. Meanwhile campaigners, community groups, and labor unions have raised the banners for low wage workers in fast food, Walmart’s, and other bottom scraping employers to pay $15 per hour and the President has proposed raising the federal to $10.10. Just when the dawn was darkest, the tech industry has joined with the service industry to come up with a solution for this stalemate thank goodness. They want to make it easier for you to tip and to tip more!
You think I’m pulling your leg right? If you think this has to be the height of hypocrisy, you are close to the facts.
It seems that this is a multi-faceted campaign of moving the responsibility for the workers to the customers while the owners shuffle and smile. At one level, the American calculation of 15% as a fair tip for good service has suddenly, according to the wizards writing and interviewing for the New York Times, become 20%, and rising, even for small purchases in their reckoning, like a $3.00 cup of coffee. A $3.00 cup of coffee! We have a 100% fair trade operation at Fair Grinds Coffeehouse, but we sure would be out of business if we tried to juke a cup of Joe up to 3 bucks!
One bunch of fancies had used some tech doodad to allow customers to separate tips for the servers and tips for the kitchen. A customer was supposed to get the notion that this was a fine and progressive thing being done by the restaurateur, as opposed to a slick move on their part to make fair pay for the kitchen the customer’s responsibility in the same way they have so long shifted the burden of low pay to the customer for the server. There have been decisions from appropriate jurisdictions limiting the ability of owners to take the tips or direct the distribution of pooled tips, but there is no restriction on owners creating a voluntary culture of sharing with the kitchen, bus staff, bartenders, and others, which is common in busy and lucrative dining markets whether New York, New Orleans, or San Francisco.
More pernicious were all the tricks owners were playing with their new tech tools or those they were getting from the geek-get-rich-squads establishing “choice architecture” that would force the buyer into higher, semi-mandatory tips or going through a process of deliberately resetting a tip level themselves. One trick had to do with presetting iPads used as point-of-sale registers at certain levels. I’m not a big Apple fan, but we have had great luck converting from an old computer system to an iPad POS system, and there is a tip line when someone pays on the Square through the iPad POS, but for goodness sake, it’s not preset. There seem to be a dazzling variety of choices for other gee haws for coffeehouses and restaurants to suck more tips out of their customers.
The Restaurant Opportunity Center has tried to get establishments to sign up to voluntarily be good employers. Fair Grinds Coffeehouse was quick to do so when approached. By paying the full federal minimum wage of $7.25 and pooling tips, our baristas make between $13 and $17 per hour, which is a great hourly wage rate in New Orleans.
The solution isn’t in the tech, it’s with owners paying fair wages and communicating that to their customers rather than shilling their customers and shirking their own responsibilities.


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Honda Philippines is holding another 4-day sale for some of its best selling models
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc.’s 4-day sale’s back for November and it’s got exciting deals for its seven-seater vehicles.
This is a good a time as any to get your hands on a Honda.
Black Rhino is having a rainy season sale on its select wheels. Check all of them here.


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World News: 14:00 GMT Tuesday 14th January 2020. [PRGX Global, Inc. via Globe Newswire via SPi World News]
ATLANTA, Jan. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PRGX Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRGX), a global leader in Recovery Audit and Spend Analytics services, has been named to 2019 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list.
The annual FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list serves as a resource guide of software and technology providers whose products and services are critical for companies in the global food and beverage supply chain. PRGX was recognized for its sophisticated approach to conducting recovery audits and contract compliance audits for companies across the globe, including grocers and retailers. PRGX brings together fragmented, unstructured data across all departments, systems, stakeholders and geographies to identify more than 300 common points of leakage within the source-to-pay cycle.
“In an industry as complex as food and beverage, retailers and grocers are seeking to work with partners who make their jobs easier. Our team of world-class auditors and data experts strive to centralize source-to-pay data for clients and help them create seamless operations that maximize revenue for the long-run,” said Ron Stewart, president and chief executive officer of PRGX. “We’re honored to receive this recognition from and be featured alongside some of the industry’s most advanced, innovative technology and solutions providers.”
Companies on this year’s FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers list will be profiled in the November/December 2019 issue of , as well as online at .
Media Contact:Jamee NelsonPRGX Global, Inc.770.779.3213
Globe Newswire: 14:00 GMT Tuesday 14th January 2020
SPi News is published by Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd.
© Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd 2020. [Admin Only]
Sector Publishing Intelligence Ltd.
Agriculture House, Acland Road, DORCHESTER, Dorset DT1 1EF United Kingdom
Registered in England and Wales number 07519380.


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Fourteen-year-old Jeffrey Henderson is a showcase for hip-hop fashion: a pair of oversized Cross Colours denim shorts hang precariously from his skinny hips, his Malcolm X baseball cap is worn backward, and his red-green-and-white denim shirt recalls the colors of African tribal flags.
"The look is cool," says Henderson, who is white and grew up in Glendale. "And besides, all of my friends dress this way."
That's good news for black-owned-and-designed menswear labels such as Cross Colours, Karl Kani, DMD and Positive Wear, whose urban sportswear has struck a nerve with American teen-agers. Along with director Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule--which introduced its first complete sportswear collection this year--these companies are getting mainstream recognition that hasn't been afforded African-American menswear designers since Willi Smith created his largely successful Willi Wear line in the late 1970s.
"We feel that our clothes have a lot to say to people," says Carl Jones, who, with T. J. Walker, created Cross Colours, a boldly colored collection of denim jeans and jackets, hooded sweat shirts and T-shirts plastered with statements condemning racial segregation and gang violence.
Retailers "used to put us in their 'ethnic stores'," says Jones. "In L. A., that would be Crenshaw and Fox Hills Mall. We thought the label might eventually be accepted by other races, but we didn't really target a crossover business. We were targeting the black market.
"We thought if only the black consumers bought Cross Colours, we'd eventually be a $20-million company. But with the crossover, the potential is certainly much greater."
That's putting it mildly. In 1991, Cross Colours' first full year in business, retail sales hovered at just under $15 million. In the first six months of 1992, the company has sold more than $25 million worth of merchandise, and the owners expect to top $50 million by the end of the year. Those figures represent one of the highest sales volumes of any black-owned apparel company on record.
Karl Kani's signature collection of pieced-together and printed baggy denims is expected to reach the $6-million sales mark in its first year. (Analysts say most new apparel companies average less than $500,000 in their first year.)
And indeed, retailers sound confident. "In young men's sportswear, the inner-city look is a pretty dominant trend," says Derek Tucker, president of Oaktree, which operates more than 300 stores nationwide and nearly 50 in the Los Angeles area. "Forty percent of the store is made up of these looks. We even took some of Cross Colours' ideas and did our own versions at a lower price."
Macy's San Francisco and Bullock's South Coast Plaza did so well with Cross Colours and Spike Lee's 40 Acres this past season, the chains will offer both lines in half of their stores this fall. At the 950-store Merry-Go-Round chain, president Michael Sullivan says hip-hop fashions are "definitely on an upward trend" and he expects nearly three-quarters of the stores to carry Cross Colours, Karl Kani and look-alike labels by the end of summer.
J. C. Penney has tested the urban streetwear trend sparingly. "While it may be reaching maturation in the city, the suburbs are just picking up on it," says John Larranaga, brand development manager for young men's sportswear. Nonetheless, he predicts Cross Colours look-alike lines will represent nearly 20% of the store's merchandise mix beginning this fall.
At 40 Acres and a Mule, which Spike Lee began as a way of distributing memorabilia from his films, clothing was--at first--limited to T-shirts, baseball caps and a few jackets. But a complete sportswear collection will be on sale this fall, and business is expected to jump to nearly $4 million this year.
Macy's Northeast and Macy's Atlanta have 40 Acres departments in 16 stores. This fall, the 40 Acres line is expected to be launched in some Dayton Hudson and Marshall Fields stores. It will also be offered at Nordstrom and in five Spike's Joint stores, including a Melrose Avenue shop that is scheduled to open soon.
In addition, the company recently signed a licensing agreement with Cedar Japan, a distribution company that plans to market the label in five Spike's Joint stores in Japan.
While Cross Colours takes credit for instigating the hip-hop sportswear trend, most fashion observers say the look started in the mid-1980s with the success of rap music. When rappers such as MC Lyte, LL Kool J, May May Ali and Joe Public, as well as more mainstream groups such as New Kids on the Block, started wearing hip-hop clothes in their music videos, their fans had to have them, too.
Although store buyers have long recognized the link between music and fashion, many felt the looks borrowed from inner-city streets--where rap music was also born--were too offbeat to sell in large volumes to middle America. But stagnant retail sales convinced a few stores to take a chance. Their coffers have been overflowing ever since.


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BT chief's £1m to move house
TELECOMS group BT is facing the threat of strike action from furious workers after it emerged that its foreign chief executive is being paid almost £1m to cover the cost of moving to his new home in Surrey.
Dutchman Ben Verwaayen, 51, who took over last February, was paid a total of £2.17m in salary, bonuses and other benefits in the year to end March with a deferred bonus worth a further £849,000 payable in three years.
The benefits included a £200,000 one-off relocation package and a further £250,000 annual 'housing allowance' for three years to pay for his move from New Jersey to Valewood Grange, a £2.5m house in Haslemere.
The 'ludicrous' package - revealed in the company's annual report and accounts - has enraged the Communications Workers Union and employees already dismayed by BT's decision to cut costs by opening new directory enquiries centres in India.
A CWU spokesman said: 'When people see a company that says it is so poor it has to export jobs to India, then hands out £3m to a director, they are understandably not happy.'
The opening of the BT centres in India and closure of UK locations will save about £150m a year, with staff in India paid around £1.25 an hour against between £5 and £10 in Britain.
The CWU had already been considering industrial action over the move and said Verwaayen's pay will 'stiffen the resolve of people when we come to vote'.
The company defended the package, insisting Verwaayen had turned around the previously struggling group. A spokesman said: 'Yes, he's been paid a lot of money, but he has also delivered spectacularly on very specific targets.'
The company also denied that the India move would directly threaten UK jobs.
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In an unexpected twist of fate, a customer at a Hi-Life store in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township won a staggering NT$10 million in the Taiwan receipt lottery. The unique part? The customer spent a mere NT$15 (US$0.47) to send a fax, making the return on investment astronomically high. This story is not just a testament to the lottery’s unpredictability but also an interesting nod to the daily utility of faxing in Taiwan.
The Ministry of Finance reported the latest winning numbers for the Taiwan receipt lottery, which is also known as the uniform invoice lottery. While another Hi-Life customer also bagged the NT$2 million Grand Prize for buying two pineapple buns for NT$70, it’s the fax transaction that catches one’s eye.
The winning number for the NT$10 million Special Prize was 29268886. A number that will undoubtedly remain etched in the memory of the fortunate customer who opted to send a fax that day. It’s not every day that faxing can claim to have made someone a millionaire, but this incident shows it’s far from a dormant practice.
What makes this event stand out, besides the dizzying windfall, is its sheer randomness. Whether one is buying pineapple buns or sending a fax, the possibility of winning big is equally viable. The Taiwan receipt lottery serves as a perfect stage for such unexpected but delightful tales, turning everyday transactions into potentially life-changing moments.
So, while the debate around faxing can spiral into complex discussions on its practicality, moments like these add a sprinkle of magic and serendipity to our daily errands. The lottery numbers have been drawn, and they echo beyond their numerical form; they tell a story of an ordinary act leading to extraordinary luck.
While we're on the subject: need to send a fax to Taiwan? Click here to get faxing.


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Chinese President XI Jinping called on mankind to build in cyberspace common future. This is stated in his welcome letter to the participants of the 4th world conference on Internet governance, reports “Xinhua”.
According to the Chinese leader, the development of the Internet is accompanied by both opportunities and challenges to the sovereignty and security of countries. XI also called for joint efforts to protect the sovereignty, the development of partnerships in cyberspace through consultations. “We hope that through our efforts, we can make all of the country had to take the train development of the Internet and the digital economy”, — stated in the message.
The conference was attended by representatives of 411 high-tech companies from around the world.
At the event, the head of Roskomnadzor Alexander Zharov suggested that 25-30 percent of GDP growth of Russia and China by 2025 will provide the Internet technology.


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Cupertino giant Apple has started transitioning its Mac lineup to Apple Silicon processors, and some reports have suggested that the company might soon do this to the iMac too. Now, a currently unreleased iMac with the first-party processor, the ARM chip, had leaked through Xcode’s Crash Reporter feature. Notably, this leak comes just ahead of the release of a redesigned all-in-one iMac model which is rumored to launch sometime later this year.
As Apple is shifting its Mac lineup to the first-party chips, several reports and rumors hint that it’ll be an iMac next in the line. It seems like these rumors are soon going to turn true, as an unannounced iMac device with an ARM chip has made an appearance through a crash report file of the Xcode Crash Reporter feature. According to a crash report file shared with 9to5Google by DraftCloud developer Dennis Oberhoff, there appears to be an app crash while running on an iMac with an ARM processor. Since Apple doesn’t sell an all-in-one, Mac, with an Apple Silicon chip at the moment, it means that the file has surfaced from an unreleased model. You can see the attached screenshot of the crash report file showing an ARM-powered (ARM64) iMac.
Apple Could Soon Announce Redesigned iMac
As per the past reports, Apple has been working on a redesigned all-in-one iMac that it will release sometime in 2021. The upcoming iMac refresh is said to represent one of the biggest visual redesigns to the Apple ecosystem this year. A Bloomberg report from January has claimed that the upcoming redesigned iMac will feature a design that’s inspired by the Pro Display XDR. It is also expected to come in new colors like blue and green. Other details are not yet known but some rumors suggest a 24-inch model that would reportedly replace the 21.5-inch iMac.
Note that it is not clear whether the 2021 iMac lineup will use the M1 Apple Silicon chip or come with another iteration of the first-party SoC. Also, there is no official information on when the refreshed iMacs will release. However, there are some hints and indications that the upcoming iMacs would debut sooner than later. To those of you who don’t know, Apple recently stopped the manufacturing of the iMac Pro and some other 21.5-inch iMac configurations.
We don’t know when exactly we’re going to see the iMacs with the Apple Silicon processors, but if the reports are true, it shouldn’t take much longer as the tech giant appears to be working on them already.


text: Chase provided $20.2 billion in new credit to American small businesses during 2012, an 18 percent increase over 2011. Small business loan growth was most significant in California, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Chase made more than $1 billion in new loans to small businesses in each of Illinois, New York and Texas. In California alone, Chase extended nearly $7.5 billion of new credit to small businesses, 58% higher than 2011 lending levels. Chase continues to be the nation’s #1 SBA lender by units, approving 40% more SBA loans than its nearest competitor. “Chase is very proud to partner with small businesses around the country, providing capital and other financial services that help companies grow,” said Scott Geller, CEO of Chase Business Banking. “Our track record as a leading small business lender demonstrates the ongoing commitment Chase has to fuel the engine of the American economy.” Chase serves small businesses through Business Banking, Ink from Chase credit cards and Chase Merchant Services. Small business lending generally includes credit extended to businesses with under $20 million in gross annual revenue. About Chase Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. Chase serves more than 50 million consumers and 4 million small businesses through more than 5,500 bank branches, 17,500 ATMs, credit cards, mortgage offices, and online and mobile banking as well as through relationships with auto dealerships. More information about Chase is available at www.chase.com and @ChaseNews.


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With Christmas in mind, Candycat will introduce new products that reinforce its range of ideal gifts to offer on special days and seasons.
As part of a ‘Premium’ product offer, the new ‘Fondente’ is presented with a new metallic packaging with an elegant design. ‘Fondente’ is a “delicious dark chocolate praline with chocolate ganache filling that will amaze the most demanding customers”, promises Binómio – Soluções em Confeitaria, the company that owns the Candycat brand.
Candycat will also launch new caramel-filled milk chocolate pralines, also integrated into the same product line as the products of the ‘Mint’ line launched last Christmas.
The brand also invested in a renewed image – more modern and distinctive – for their new sugar-free bonbons/candies, “enhancing a new differentiated products range that is greatly distinctive and a high consumption trend worldwide”, explained a note released by Binómio.
The Candycat brand offers a diverse product range from bonbons, truffles, pralines, almonds, chocolate drops and gums.
Binómio – Soluções em Confeitaria, is based on its leaders’ more than 30 years of experience in the distribution of confectionery products. The company aims to be a differentiated alternative to multinational brands operating in the sector, providing operators and consumers with products differentiated from the international standard and adjusted to the market.


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Even though many of us are back to “normal”, a lot of people in the area are not. With temperatures dipping into freezing territory, it’s more important than ever that we don’t forget those without electricity, food or heat.
With donations from Jet Blue, Chase News, and additional money raised by the NYC Food Truck Association, food trucks are being sent to the Rockaways, Staten Island, Red Hook and Hoboken, some of the hardest hit places.
Please click here to donate money for the NYC Food Truck Association’s Sandy Outreach. So far, over 20,000 meals have been provided from food trucks to those without food, water and power.
Today, Phil’s Steaks is going back to the Rockaways, as is Milk Truck, Chinese Mirch and Korilla BBQ.
Korilla BBQ is sending their 2nd truck to Coney Island.
Sweetery NYC is going back to Staten Island. Wafels & Dinges is serving wafels, coffee and hot cocoa at New Dorp HS, also on SI.
Eddie’s Pizza is heading to Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Uncle Gussy’s is coordinating with Queens College to help people in a shelter near there.
For exact locations, check our Mobile Munchies twitter feed here.
If we missed anyone, we apologize. Things are still pretty crazy around here.


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Apple teased its next announcement event for Sept. 14 with an impressive demonstration of AR.
Tapping the Apple symbol on the announcement webpage launches a 3D object that, on an iPhone at least, can be positioned and resized in an AR view while casting a glow into the physical environment. If you move your iPhone closer to the symbol it reveals itself to be a portal with the text 9.14 floating inside. Using the latest iPhone 12 Pro with the teaser provided a pretty impressive demonstration of AR tracking technology — with the system robustly segmenting out people into the background with pretty believable occlusion. We know Apple is working on an advanced VR/AR headset but the company is known for cancelling projects late in development.
The event comes within days of a tease by Ray-Ban that’s expected to detail a pair of perspective-capturing Facebook smartglasses. While the device may be absent advanced AR features, we expect overlap between what the glasses do today and what features will be inside future eyewear from Facebook. In what’s likely a more near-term proposition than slim AR glasses, Facebook is pursuing a so-called “Quest Pro” high-end standalone that’s likely to incorporate more sensors for more robust tracking. Microsoft is already on its second-generation standalone AR headset (and working with the U.S. Army on a ruggedized version) while Google is unlikely to sit out the effort to power robust AR glasses. Pokemon Go maker Niantic is working on AR glasses and Snapchat recently launched an AR development kit.
The Apple announcement event on Sept. 14 will kick off at 10 am Pacific time.


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Codere Online Finalizes SPAC Deal, Debuts as Public Company Wednesday
Posted on: November 30, 2021, 09:53h.
Last updated on: November 30, 2021, 07:18h.
Internet casino and online sports wagering firm Codere Online has completed its merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) DD3 Acquisition Corp. II (NASDAQ:DDMX). That sets the stage for the operator to become a standalone publicly traded entity on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
It’s expected Codere will begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market tomorrow under the ticker “CDRO.” The associated warrants will list under the symbol “CDROW.”
The transaction will result in gross proceeds of approximately $116 million to Codere Online, or approximately $103 million net of transaction fees and expenses, which are expected to be used primarily to fund marketing expenditures in furtherance of Codere Online’s growth plans across Latin America, along with selected investments in technology and other enhancements to Codere Online’s gaming platform,” according to a statement issued by the company.
Codere Online, founded in 2014, is a unit of Codere Group — the only listed Spanish company in the gaming industry. The online operator is the first internet gaming entity from Latin America to publicly trade in the US.
Codere Could Carve Out Interesting Niche
The universe of domestically focused iGaming and sports betting equities is expanding rapidly. Because the US is the fastest-growing market for those industries, investors are leaning into home country fare.
For investors in the US, iGaming and sports wagering in Latin America is an afterthought. But Codere could change that perspective. The operator describes Italy, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama as its “core countries,” and said it’s on pace to launch in Buenos Aires later this year.
Additionally, the company’s focus on markets outside the US could prove beneficial to investors. That’s because the US sports wagering industry is fiercely competitive, with many operators bleeding cash in the name of boosting revenue and gaining market share — scenarios some market observers argue aren’t tenable over the long term.
Current penetration of mobile sports wagering in Latin America is low. But that’s changing for the better because of favorable demographic trends and increasing adoption of smartphones, e-commerce and internet connectivity.
Those factors “position the region for tremendous near, medium, and long-term growth (estimated at approximately 10x from 2020 to 2027, based on management projections and industry research),” said Codere Online when the SPAC deal was announced in June.
Codere Testing Cooling Waters
Codere Online is coming to market at a time of acute weakness for both sports wagering equities and stocks of de-SPACed entities, regardless of industry. Some of this year’s worst-performing gaming stocks are those that debuted by way of blank-check mergers.
Underscoring the currently frigid market temperature for gaming SPAC deals, Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) earlier this month scrapped plans to merge its Wynn Interactive unit with a shell company.
Those factors don’t mean investors won’t be receptive to Codere Online. But with increasing scrutiny on the finances of de-SPACed companies, the operator likely needs to show market participants it’s gaining market share in a cost-effective fashion.
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Al Jazeera is launching an online app, which it hopes will give people the chance to take control of their biometric security, as they approach the holidays.
The company is launching the app as a Christmas gift to customers who have already had their biometrics stolen by criminals.
The company says the app will allow people to lock their door using a PIN or biometric reader, but it will also allow them to unlock the door using their voice.
The app will also offer a simple way for people to register their preferences.
Users will be able to create a password that will be matched with the door knob and a passcode to access the door.
The device will work by sending a “fingerprint” to the phone that it uses to unlock a door.
This fingerprint will be linked to the fingerprint sensor on the door itself, and will be visible when the door is open.
The fingerprint sensor will then register that fingerprint when the device is switched on.
It will also store a unique fingerprint that can be matched to a person’s account.
When the fingerprint is stored in the app, it can be easily shared with other people in the home and stored in a cloud.
Users can choose from a variety of biometric options.
The company says it has worked with a number of manufacturers and will release a range of biometrically fingerprint-based locks in the coming months.
The firm has also been testing a “smart lock”, which will store biometric data in a lock, so that the user can unlock it by simply tapping the lock.
“Smart locks are becoming increasingly popular with criminals, and are being used to lock people out of their homes, businesses and other public spaces,” Al Jazeera’s director of consumer media, Richard Murphy, said.
“The next step for us is to create an app that will enable customers to choose from different types of biometry that they can wear in their home and office.”


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The Gujarat chapter of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded that the Goods and Service Tax (GST), to be made enforceable from April 1, 2010, should be deferred.
Traders affiliated to the CAIT said that a two-day national conference on GST was organized in Delhi on November 19 where trade federations and associations from about 26 states participated.
At the national conference, the traders demanded that a Central Board of Indirect Taxes (CBIT) be set up on the pattern of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and that a dedicated service for taxation should be formed similar to IAS and IPS.
Pramod Bhagat, vice-president of CAIT's Gujarat chapter, said "We are requesting the government not to implement the proposed GST in haste.
If at all the government is implementing it, the first two years of GST should be termed as transitional period and no penal action should be initiated against any trader except for willful tax offenders."
According to Bhagat, textiles, foodgrains, pulses, tea, milk salt, bread, kerosene stove and lamps and other such items of daily needs should be exempted from GST.