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Cars and watches go together like Morecambe and Wise, Laurel and Hardy, Tom and Jerry and Ant and Dec. Motorsports is no different. It’s all about time. Timed race, timed laps, time in the [...]
This is the very limited edition SEAT Leon CUPRA R. SEAT will only make 799 of them and only 24 are bound for the UK. All 24 UK cars have been sold. 0 to [...]
We Blog Any Car has made it to the final of the UK Blog Awards 2018 (#UKBA18) in the automotive category for the second year in a row. I couldn't have done it without [...]
COULD THIS BE THE WORLD’S FASTEST ESTATE PRODUCTION CAR? THE ALPINA B5 BI-TURBO TOURING. New car news blog.
This is the new ALPINA B5 Bi-Turbo Touring which could be the world's fastest production estate car. Prices start in the UK for the Touring at £91,000 (saloon £89,000). For this you will get [...]
This is the first image of the new Infiniti Q Inspiration Concept car ahead of its debut at the 2018 North American Auto Show in Detroit. “We aim to take traditional saloon architecture to [...]
Wishing you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
We Blog Any Car spotted yesterday the new Aston Martin Vantage prototype car parked in a car park. My first impression of this new model even though it was a bit ruff around the [...]
Here are the first pictures of the new Mercedes-Benz G Class interior. It was only a matter of time before Mercedes-Benz redesigned the G Class or, as I usually refer to it, the G [...]
Polesatar, the new Electric Performance brand by Volvo, has announced the launch markets for the Polestar 1, which is Polestars first ever car to be launched. The countries that have been selected for the [...]
The final build allocation for the McLaren Senna has been auctioned at a private event. McLaren held it back for this event and It raised £2,000,000 for The Ayrton Senna institute. . The Ayrton [...]
Nissan has announced a new PCP offer on the new Leaf 2.ZERO exclusive launch edition. The PCP deal for customers looking to be the first owners of the new LEAF 2.ZERO special is: PCP [...]


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Argentina scoring a world cup victory over France, in one of the most entertaining finals in world cup history, the UK’s retail and hospitality sectors lost out on an estimated £164 million following England’s exit, according to a new report.
The World Cup 2022 Spending Report1 by VoucherCodes.co.uk estimated that 37.6 million consumers would watched the final of the tournament at home and in pubs, bars, and restaurants, should England have been playing.
But, as the Three Lions lost out to the French, the report expected just 16.4 million Brits to tune in to see Argentina and France battle itout – 56% fewer viewers than if England had made it through.
Retailers missed out on £50 million in sales due to England’s early exit. Despite no participation from Gareth Southgate’s men, the report expects shoppers will still spend £48 million in stores. However, if England had made it all the way, £98 million was predicted in retail sales.
Hospitality venues suffered a significant loss of £114 million as a result of England failing to reach the final hurdle.
Estimated sales were £15.9 million yesterday, as 2.3 million football fans braved the cold and headed to their local hospitality venue.
Contrastingly, if England had reached the final, hospitality spend was predicted to hit £129.8 million, with 7.1 million viewers.
Pubs, bars, and restaurants sold an estimated 6 million pints, down from an estimated 21.4 million pints predicted to have been poured if England had made it all the way.
Maureen McDonagh, SVP International and Managing Director at VoucherCodes.co.uk, commented: “2022 has been a hard-hitting year for the hospitality sector, with the cost-of-living crisis looming large over consumers and venues alike and unfortunately England’s premature departure from the tournament will be another hit. However, pubs, bars, and restaurants will be relieved that some fans are still continuing to watch the final of the World Cup at their local venues, despite the Three Lions’ exit.”

domain: news


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Netflix, the world’s leading entertainment platform, announced to launch Decoupled on December 17, 2021. The series is about fighting couples who are about to break up.
Decoupled, directed by Hardik Mehta, starred by R Madhavan and Surveen Chawla, is set in Gurgaon. Manu Joseph is the brain behind the story.
R Madhavan is a veteran Indian actor who primarily appears in Tamil and Hindi movies. He has to his credit many awards like three Tamil State Film Awards. Surveen Chawla is an Indian actress, known for her portrayals in series like Parched, Hate Story 2, etc.
In Decoupled, Madhavan acts as Arya, a frank pulp-fiction writer. Chawla appears as Madhavan’s corporate suit CEO wife, Shruti.
The clash between the hilarious Arya and the calm and composed Shruti is the thread of the story. The web series elucidates the life of modern couples who strive with the subtleties of marriage life while taxing to maintain their sanctity.
Web originals have become the new trend these days. They are developing as the pulse of the young generation. The industry authorities and platform directors recognized this new trend among the younger actors.
The online streaming platforms could stay independently, even when theatres are opening. Actors have understood the potential of online video streaming platforms.
Madhavan and his contemporaries from South India like Rana Daggubati, Vijay Sethupathi, actor Trisha have made appearances in web originals.
The actors have understood the enduring interest of online streaming media that developed tremendously. It can survive in the digitally transforming world.
Netflix has 24 million paid membership holders from over 190 countries. Its audience can play, pause and resume watching without being disturbed by commercials or other commitments.
The Reed Hastings-owned streaming service found that their platform is booming in size, almost three times, compared to 2020.
The Reed Hastings-owned streaming service has completed five years of its service. It generates programs across languages and genres. It has recently announced 40 plus originals which will soon appear in March.
A report by Media Partners Asia (MPA) on the growth of online streaming services is surprising. The study exposes that by the end of 2021, the subscriber base of Netflix will be 5.5 million.


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This mobile application was created to facilitate enrollment into the MISTIE-III Clinical Trial. MISTIE-III is a five-year clinical...
Showing results 1 to 20 of 109
Samsung shows off blistering mobile speeds as the race continues for prominence in future 5G networks.
T-Mobile continues to set the bar for US wireless carriers with two new initiatives launching soon.
Optus' Gigasites trial saw spectrum and mobile technologies combined to achieve a 2.3Gbps throughput speed on its mobile network.
A four-week trial of the new Mobile Notices app will be conducted throughout September in New South Wales.
Another boon for NFC mobile payments adoption.
Innovative Language 101 - Learn English, French, Japanese, German, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Chinese, and more
Are you ready for the Innovative approach to language learning? Whether youre new to language learning or have been studying with us...
Subscribers in Guangzhou and Shenzhen are the first in the country to get access to the Time-Division Long-Term Evolution network through smartphones, but only Samsung Galaxy S3 TD-LTE currently supports the network.
Telstra is moving to combat congestion on its mobile network in city areas through the trial of small cell networks known as heterogeneous networks.
Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android protects the digital files and secures the banking transactions on your Android devices. Because...
New Zealand is inching towards 4G LTE mobile coverage with a trial to see how people will use the new network.
Optus will trial NFC technology for mobile payments with Visa, ahead of a full launch in 2013.
AT&T's mobility chief Ralph de la Vega likes the early data on NFC mobile payment trials in Austin and Salt Lake City.
The Apple v. Motorola Mobility FRAND trial will not be starting today -- or possibly ever -- as planned.
With the iPhone still resolutely free of near-field communication, banks are looking at unusual ways of testing mobile payments involving the Apple device.
Advertising trial with 13 consumer brands shows potential for outdoor ads that interact with mobile phones.
Andy Rubin comes back to court, and Oracle and Google attorneys discuss the importance of mobile OEMs in this trial.
Google's senior vice president of mobile, Andy Rubin, took the stand on Monday afternoon during the ongoing intellectual property trial between Google and Oracle.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is reportedly in negotiations with US carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, which could see a dispute over the use of its coveted Wi-Fi patent settled out of court before it goes to trial.
Phones 4u has launched a new mobile plan that allows users to get a new handset as often as every six months for an additional monthly premium.The mobile retailer introduced the new JUMP — Just Upgrade My Phone — plan on Friday following the completion of a trial scheme that started in May 2011 in 100 Phones 4u stores.
The operator will perform a technical 4G trial early in the year, followed by further real-world tests
AT&T is hoping to push off the anti-trust trial regarding its proposed bid for T-Mobile until next year, but the mobile provider might have new competition on its hands.
A game of cat-and-mouse and one-upmanship continues between the FCC, the Justice Dept, and AT&T over its proposed merger with T-Mobile.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 2 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 3 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 4 Election 2016: How to filter politically sanctimonious Facebook posts from your news feed
- 5 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks


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Samsung Brand Ambassador Ksenia Sobchak Sued 1.6 Million Dollars For Using Iphone
A Russia woman has been sentenced to a fine of Rs 12 crore for using a phone from a prominent Apple company. If the phone is fine, then there is no doubt that there is a ban on the use of the phone. Get a look at those details.
Ksenia Sobchak is a brand ambassador for Mobile Company Samsung Company. Just a few days ago, Ksenia Sobchak attended an interview. But she tried to hide her smartphone repeatedly. The camera eye fell on that phone. Ksenia Sobchak utilizes the iPhone X. Samsung has fined her 1.6 million US dollars (literally Rs 11,71,84,000 in Indian currency).
In the past, her iPhone mobile use has been disputed. Samsung owns the concept of promoting her iPhone branding phone. Samsung was brand ambassador and ordered the company Samsung to pay a huge amount of compensation to the company,


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A rise in channel insolvencies could be an indication that the biting economic conditions over the past eighteen months have finally taken a toll.
According to figures from Graydon UK, the number of resellers that went to the wall in the third quarter jumped 29.5% year-on-year to 79.
Alan Norton, head of intelligence at the credit reference agency, branded the increase as "significant" and said the summer slowdown was clearly the final nail in the coffin for those businesses.
"The third quarter coincides with the holiday season and traditionally spend levels drop off during this period, prior to picking up in the fourth quarter," he told MicroScope.
Graydon stats revealed 45 firms were wound up voluntarily compared to 42 in Q3 2009 but compulsory liquidations more than doubled and there was a 54% upsurge in receiverships.
Norton said 95% of the casualties were SME resellers - with Calyx representing the largest corporate collapse in the quarter - and voiced concerns that a growing number of businesses were finally succumbing to the economic squeeze.
"The figures suggest we could be in for some turbulent times ahead, particularly as the government spending cuts start to bite. Interest rates are likely to rise in the future and there is still a lack of finance available from the banks," said Norton.


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Commercial Solar Power Offers More Savings for Australian Businesses
GEELONG, Australia September 2014 – Australian businesses are opting to use commercial solar power as their main source of power for more reasons than just the savings from a reduction in power consumption. As most businesses operate during the day when the sun’s power is at its strongest, solar power has become a popular option for savvy commercial industries. The discounts and rebates that solar power now offers far outweigh the installation costs that Australian companies pay when choosing to go solar.
Eligible businesses can currently receive an upfront discount of up to $64,000 off the cost of a 100kW solar power system. In addition to the upfront discount, the savings that businesses gain from continuing to use solar power eventually covers the installation costs.
Director of City to Surf Solar+, a solar power installation company based in Geelong, Christian Pritchett says that because “most businesses have high power consumption and run during the day when the sun’s at its brightest, the decision to go solar is a bit of a no-brainer”. www.citytosurfsolar.com.au
Benefits of using commercial solar power also include:
- Businesses registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) can claim the GST back on their Business Activity Statement (BAS)*
- Small Business Entities (less than $2million turnover) may be eligible for Simple Depreciation of 15 per cent in the first year and 30 per cent in following years, which means big tax savings*
- Businesses that do not qualify as a Small Business Entity may be able to claim 10 per cent depreciation per year for 20 years under the diminishing method*
- Entrepreneurs who lease their solar system through Solar Finance Solutions may have their lease repayments as 100 per cent tax deductible*
- Owners can future-proof their business against excessive future rises in electricity costs
“In the future, it’s likely that all buildings will need to meet minimum environmental standards. Installing solar power may help a business become compliant. If something like this is inevitable, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later and reap the financial benefits,“ Christian says. ”Now and in future years, the importance of businesses being more environmentally responsible will be seen as important by consumers.” www.citytosurfsolar.com.au
City to Surf Solar+ is a premier LED lighting specialist and solar power Geelong company, locally owned and operated. Their staff are qualified experts in solar power system installation and maintenance and home power monitoring. City to Surf Solar+ have Geelong’s only interactive showroom where guests can see live solar power systems and LED lighting displays. www.citytosurfsolar.com.au
The company installs and maintains commercial solar panels for businesses around the Geelong region, including the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula. Products and services include solar panels and modules, inverters, installation, maintenance, power monitoring, grid backup/stand alone, community and schools solar, and LED lighting. www.citytosurfsolar.com.au
- Contact Information
- Emma Pritchett
- City to Surf Solar+
- (61) 1300 348 847
This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


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The High Street earned some respite from a nightmare start to the year today, as the CBI reported far stronger than expected sales in the first half of January.
Fears for the retail sector have been mounting in the wake of the collapse of a succession of big names such as HMV, Blockbusters and Jessops, putting more than 10,000 jobs under threat. Official figures increased the misery after a surprise, 0.3% slide in sales during the crucial, pre-Christmas period.
But the CBI’s distributive trades survey for the first fortnight of the new year showed 41% of retailers enjoying higher sales volumes against 24% seeing a fall. The resulting 17% balance was much better than the 10% pencilled in by the City, although prospects for the second half of January look far less certain after heavy snowfall across much of the country.
The better news comes on the eve of growth estimates expected to show that Britain’s economy shrank 0.1% in the final three months of 2012, raising the risk of an unprecedented triple-dip recession. But Chancellor George Osborne has at least seen better news from the jobs market as unemployment fell to an 18-month low of 2.49 million in the quarter to November.
The CBI said grocers saw a ninth-successive month of year-on-year sales growth, making up for falling volumes and weaker growth elsewhere.
Clothing retailers had their worst month since August while sales of big-ticket household goods also continued to fall.
Judith McKenna, chair of the CBI’s distributive trades panel and Asda’s chief operating officer, said: “Despite mixed news from the High Street over the last few weeks, strong sales growth in the grocery sector has added a touch of sparkle to overall retail sales. However, we are far from out of the woods. With tough trading conditions and subdued consumer spending adding to the uncertain economic picture, retailers will continue to face tough market conditions in coming months.”
Retailers expect sales to dip slightly below seasonal norms once again in February, with year-on-year sales growth also slowing next month, the CBI added.
Capital Economics’ Martin Beck said: “This is a so-so result. The downside is that retailers don’t share much confidence over the next couple of months. High inflation and weak wages will continue to cap consumer spending.”Reuse content


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Dutch rider Leopold van Asten has a new exciting prospect in his stable; VDL Groep Miss Untouchable. The 8-year-old mare by Chacco-Blue x Aldatus has up until recently been seen under Ireland's Michael Duffy, who has competed the mare up to 1.50 level. The pair was also a part of the team at the 2015 European Championships for young riders where they claimed the team bronze and ended 5th individually.
Miss Untouchable was recently sold from the Gulliksen-family to a Dutch investment group, and this weekend Van Asten makes his debut with her at CSI2* De Warre.
This photo has been added to your cart !Your shopping cart »


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Adweek's annual #Brandweek summit will explore the ideas behind breakthrough successes, discuss solutions to pressing challenges and explore new opportunities in the Metaverse. Join leaders from Alo Yoga, Hyundai Motor America, Frito-Lay and more, Sept. 12–16 in Miami. Sign up early to save.
Since July, Pinterest has been testing app-install ads with about 100 smartphone-minded brands like Ibotta, Stash and Glu Mobile. Today, it’s rolling out that ad product, which is called Promoted App Pins, to all marketers. It will be available on the platform’s self-service system (Ads Manager) as well as pitched via its API


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Online continues clocking double-digit growth this year spelling good news for UK retail at a time when lacklustre high street sales dampen retailers’ spirit.
In April online retail saw an 11% year-on-year growth, indicates British industry association for online retail, IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index.
Even though e-tail is seeing growth, April’s figures were the lowest year-on-year growth rate so far in 2016. Sales I believed to have been hampered slightly with Easter falling earlier this year, in March.
Among the retail categories, clothing/apparel recorded a 15% annual increase in sales, driven by the continued consumer appetite for accessories and footwear which reported respective year-on-year increases of 25% and 19%. Lingerie performed most impressively, rising up to 32% year-on-year – a 19% growth on the previous month.
Other sectors that performed well include gifts that rose 16% year-on-year, and home and garden, up 13%. Smartphone sales continued to surge, growing 83%, at the expense of tablet sales that rose around 3%.
“The growth in April was probably slightly ahead of where we may have anticipated given the cold weather, with a number of sectors outperforming the total market, including apparel where sales growth was up over 15%. Year-to-date, overall e-retail growth is actually 2% ahead of our 11% growth forecast for 2016,” shares IMRG chief information officer Tina Spooner.
“A definite trend we have been recording so far this year is the displacement of sales from tablet devices – with sales growth just 3% through these devices – over to smartphones, where sales continue to be very strong. Larger mobile screens and better optimised sites seem to be working to increase confidence in using these devices for a wide range of activities,” Spooner adds.
“This was a tough month for retailers as their performance was up against Easter 2015, which fell in April last year. They were also hampered by the heavy rainfall discouraging shoppers from purchasing the seasonal items that traditionally drive the Index. However double-digit growth is still very respectable, and May is expected to be even stronger,” opines Bhavesh Unadkat, retail customer engagement and loyalty SME, Capgemini
How much technology is too much technology? Tech has inevitably become asApril 15, 2021 | By Shruthi Nair
According to a report by the United Nations, the fashion industry accountsFebruary 18, 2021 | By Shruthi Nair
UAE-based Carrefour announced its theme and plans for Ramadan 2021. The brand
Locally owned supermarket Spinneys celebrates 60 years of doing business in the
UAE-based Carrefour will become the first retailer in the region to offer new levels
The Organic Farmers’ Market is back in Bay Avenue for its 12th
UAE-based Lulu Group recently inaugurated its first-ever all-female staff store in Jeddah,
Jones the Grocer, the gourmet grocer and cheese retailer launches the Jones
UAE-based Al Maya Supermarkets is hosting a two-week food festival at select
Locally-owned supermarket Spinneys has launched its ‘Power of Plants’ initiative in the
Carrefour UAE has launched “Cookit Yourself” — a curated recipe box created
UAE-based Al Islami Foods, one of the largest frozen food companies in
Marks & Spencer’s plant-based range now offers over 25 vegan products including meat-free
World’s largest fully integrated online brand in fresh fish and meat e-commerce
Retailers in the Middle East are making strides in their multichannel offerings,
Gulf Marketing Group (GMG) is gearing up for a continued surge in
Blush & Bloom, an online maternity boutique that provides maternity, nursing, and
Abu-Dhabi based Rizek, the first app for on-demand home services in the
It is impossible for any retailer to survive without e-commerce capabilities, according
The unprecedented challenges of 2020 made way for the untapped opportunities that
GCC-based noon.com, the homegrown digital marketplace, announced its biggest ever Yellow Friday Sale
A new UAE e-commerce platform, Flip19.com, goes live in Dubai. The site
British quality grocery retailer Waitrose & Partners launched its first e-commerce platform
The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed online shopping behaviours, according to a
Swedish fashion retailer H&M Group adopts an integrated approach to grow, amid


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DBS to engage clients at Digital Day on how digital solutions can help 99% businesses indicate facing external pressure to transform digitally
Axiata’s Apigate believes API is the game of the future for telcos. Here’s why.
Hundred and fifty participants were given 48 hours to build working prototypes.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture has partnered with Abbaco Controls and Intel to create a pilot program that will increase yields and rice harvests.
Data breaches and cyber-attacks seem to have become the new normal in today’s increasingly digital world, but it’s not all gloom-and-doom – there are steps you can take to protect your organisation.
The IDA launched Data.gov.sg in June 2011 as a repository for publicly-available datasets, originally aimed at so-called ‘power users,’ but is now taking it a step further.
Investment in intelligent business systems and automation is well underway across the globe, but IT decision-makers are finding it difficult to assess the full extent of the risks, challenges and threats they pose, according to a study.
From today, Grab users can hail Lyft rides in the US from within the Grab app, the first integration to roll out from a global alliance involving the two startups as well as China’s Didi Kuaidi and India’s Ola.
US telco giant AT&T aims to move 75% of its network functions to software-defined networking by 2020 – a tough but worthwhile journey, it says. Benjamin Cher has the story.
HP Enterprise has announced the immediate commercial availability of HPE Haven OnDemand, as well as new data analytics and machine learning features for its HPE Idol solution.


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Clark County will reopen its drive-thru tax payment window for the last two days of the tax season, according to Treasurer Alishia Topper.
The drive-thru kiosk is at the east parking structure entrance at the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. The kiosk will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Monday.
“In response to the continued health and safety threat of COVID-19, I want to help limit the number of people waiting in our joint lobby and provide the option to drop-off a payment without leaving the car,” Topper said in a prepared statement.
Only pre-written checks will be accepted at the drive-thru, and no receipt will be provided. No other forms of payment will be available at the kiosk.
In addition to the kiosk, taxpayers can also seal their check payments into an envelope and drop them into a secured drop box on the first floor of the Public Service Center between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Taxpayers can also pay property taxes online using a credit or debit card or from their checking or savings account. E-Checks (from a savings or checking account) are free. Debit card transactions are a flat rate of $3.95 and credit card transactions fees are assessed a 2.39 percent vendor fee.
To make a payment, go to www.clark.wa.gov/treasurer/payment-options, or call 1-833-440-8685. To register to receive tax statements electronically and manage property taxes online, go to www.paydici.com/clark-county-wa/search/landing.
Tax payments can be mailed to the Clark County Treasurer, P.O. Box 35150, Seattle, WA 98124-5150. Taxpayers are encouraged to use the return envelope and payment coupon provided with their statement to mail their payments.
Tax payments must be postmarked by Monday to avoid interest charges.


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16: Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack
The Volkswagen Golf has always been a strong seller for the brand. But in recent years, the company has tried to enter new market segments with the compact hatchback. The Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack were an attempt to take some of the market shares that Subaru currently occupies with their Impreza series of compact cars.
Unfortunately, most diehard off-road wagon buyers are not going for the bait. So the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Golf Alltrack will be removed from the lineup for the 2020 model year as a result.


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Enterprise app stores seem to be the next big thing in corporate IT. According to Gartner, 25 percent of enterprises will have an enterprise app store for managing corporate-sanctioned apps on PCs and mobile devices by 2017. This trend is being ...
17 Jul 2015
2 min read


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The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) whose mandate among the many is to regulate “Production, conversion, distribution, supply, marketing and use of renewable energy” has failed to do that effectively.
It was against such things as hoarding of fuel supplies so as to create artificial shortage which in turn leads to higher profits for marketers that EPRA was formed.
However, information reaching cnyakundi.com on the mismanagement of the agency by one Pavel Oimeke is worrying.
Mr Oimeke was the puppet of such Total Kenya, a very powerful oil marketer in Kenya.
As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world, global oil prices plummeted to record lows and one would expect that in Kenya, fuel at the pump would sell at about Sh50 or Sh60, the later a Sh10 margin to cover for profits as Sh50 is all the taxes lumped on fuel in the cartel country.
However, in June 2020, Total informed its dealers that there was shortage of fuel and that they would be rationing supply. This was a move that was well-calculated in collusion with Oimeke’s EPRA.
Between June 15th and July 14th, EPRA had set the price of super petrol at Sh89.10 a litre in Nairobi, diesel at Sh74.57 a litre and kerosene at Sh62.46 a litre. This was an increase in prices from the previous month. And it was during a pandemic.
As countries began loosening Covid-19 restrictions towards mid-2020, the vultures descended. The hoarding of fuel products began ahead of July 15th when EPRA would set the new prices. They wanted to
hold onto fuel they had purchased at lower prices in June and sell the same at much higher prices in July.
Total Kenya told its dealers that could not get the quantities they were asking for. The dealers were in turn forced to purchase a certain quantity of diesel in order to be supplied with super petrol.
This caused a shortage of super petrol within some petrol stations within Nairobi. A dealer gathered courage and informed EPRA of these developments as the situation threatened to get out of hand.
EPRA appeared to fire a warning shot, “The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has received reports of artificial shortage of petroleum products in the country particularly in Western Kenya, despite the country being sufficiently stocked. Preliminary investigations indicate that a number of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are deliberately holding back sales to non-franchised petroleum retailers otherwise known as independents, in anticipation for a price increase. This practice is tantamount to hoarding and is an offence under Section 99(1)(k) of the Petroleum Act No. 2 of 2019,” EPRA wrote to OMCs.
The warning fell on deaf ears as this was a toothless dog, bought-off-management, barking orders for PR.
Despite a warning by EPRA that ‘the vice on conviction could result to a fine of not less than Sh1 million, or a term of imprisonment of not less than one year, or both and that not hesitate to permanently revoke licences for companies or individuals found in breach of the above mentioned provision’, the hoarding by Total Kenya continued.
Meanwhile, across the border in Tanzania, such nonsense is not tolerated.
The Magufuli-led country had stormed a meeting of OMCs in that country and arrested heads of some oil marketers for ‘hoarding fuel products and thereby causing artificial shortages in anticipation of significant price increases and therefore better margins’.
In that crackdown, Total Tanzania’s MD Jean-Francois Schoepp, Puma Supply Manager Adam Eliewinga and Oryx’s representative August Dominick were arrested.
According to EPRA regulations, OMCs are required to have at least 21 days of stock. This therefore means that cases of shortages resulting into fuel rationing should not arise. But we experienced it and EPRA did nothing yet they were aware,” a dealer intimated.
In July EPRA announced an increase in fuel prices as anticipated by the oil marketers.
For Total Kenya, in order to silence staff and affiliate petrol stations, a ban on talking to the media was enacted.
In a manner akin to Slavery In Kenya, Total Kenya experienced shortage of diesel towards the end of 2020 and in slave-driver style. During such times, its dealers are slapped with arbitrary fees and rent
The artificial shortage of fuel is an age old cartel move that in the past, through the Triton Scandal robbed taxpayers off Sh7.6 billion.
This is the beginning and Cnyakundi.com will be talking to dealers to serialise this scandal.


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Social media services have become increasingly dynamic spaces. For many consumers, these services offer ways to connect, gather information, and stay entertained. They provide both passive and active experiences and offer seemingly infinite streams of personalized content—and it’s all free and available anywhere, anytime.
In the United States, some 80% of social media users say they use the services at least daily, and 59% use the services several times a day, according to Deloitte’s 2022 Digital Media Trends survey, which polled 2,000 consumers from the United States and 4,000 consumers from Brazil, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Across all countries surveyed, Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X consumers are consistently more likely to use these services.
About half of U.S. respondents say they watch more user-generated content than they did six months ago, and half say they always end up spending more time watching user-generated content than they had planned (a number that jumps to 70% among Gen Zs). Approximately four in 10 U.S. respondents say they spend more time watching user-generated video content than they do TV shows and movies on video streaming services—a sentiment that increases to around 60% for Gen Zs and millennials.
Much of this user-generated content is fueled by the creator economy and so-called influencers—users whose large followings enable them to monetize their content through brand partnerships. Following influencers helps users connect with communities of like-minded people. Seventy percent of U.S. respondents say they follow an influencer, and one-third say these online personalities influence their buying decisions—a figure that increases to more than half for U.S. Gen Zs and millennials.
With such large audiences, social media services are becoming shoppable retail destinations, enabling businesses big and small to reach new audiences and potential customers.1 Leveraging their data and algorithms, these services can deliver ads and product placements that are highly targeted and personalized. More than half of U.S. respondents and around 40% or more in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan say they see ads on social media for products or services they have been looking for—a number that increases to 72% in Brazil.
To support the survey, Deloitte separately interviewed U.S. consumers about social media. In the above video, part of a series, individuals explain why they enjoy user-generated content. “User-generated content feels a lot more authentic, and it’s witty and fun,” one millennial interviewee says.
For more on trends in the United States and the other countries surveyed, see the full report.
1. Pamela N. Danziger, “Social commerce is a $1.2 trillion opportunity and the next global shopping revolution ,” Forbes, January 27, 2022.


text: Latest Tech News Jobs Social IT Services Mobiles PCs Apps Gaming Computing Who Is More Gadgets Mobiles Xiaomi Mi A3 launched: Price, specs and more The Xiaomi Mi A3 comes with a 6.1.-inch OLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Video gives a clear look at the rumoured iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max and iPhone XR 2 Unannounced Apple iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max and iPhone XR 2 Have shown up in a video by MKBHD, giving us a fair idea of the design and the rear camera setup. Oppo launches Limited Edition FC Barcelona Reno 10x Zoom smartphone, here’s what makes it special Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has renewed its three-year partnership with football club FC Barcelona and has released a Limited Edition FC Barcelona Reno 10x Zoom Series handset. Huawei rolls out EMUI 9.1 update for several smartphones in India Chinese technology giant Huawei has announced the roll-out of EMUI 9.1 for its eight smartphones in India. Xiaomi announces Gold and Diamond edition of Redmi K20 Pro Xiaomi today launched Redmi K20 and K20 Pro smartphones under its all-new Redmi K-series in India. Along with these, the Chinese smartphone brand also announced a special edition of its Redmi K20 Pro smartphone. Called the Redmi K20 Pro Signature Edition, the smartphone is made of Gold and has letter ‘K’ studded with Diamond at the bottom left corner. Honor 9X Pro gets listed online, to come with Kirin 810 processor Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro are expected to be housed by 3,750mAh battery with a 10W charger out-of-the box. Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro vs Redmi K20: What buyers will get on spending Rs 6,000 extra Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor while the cheaper Redmi K20 runs Snapdragon 730 processor. Xiaomi launches Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K20: Specifications, price and availability Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has launched its all-new Redmi K-series smartphones in India -- Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K20. The duo are the company's new flagship smartphones under its Redmi series. Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro are also the first ones from Xiaomi to come with pop-up camera. Xiaomi launched Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K20 in China early last month. Apple gives sneak peek into new emojis coming to iPhones later this year Apple has given a preview at some of the new emojis that will be coming as a part of iOS 13, to celebrate World Emoji Day. Xiaomi Mi A3 to launch today: All you need to know Xiaomi Mi A3 may come powered by 4030mAh battery and run Snapdragon 665 processor. Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro to launch today in India: How to watch the livestream Xiaomi Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro will be launched at an event in New Delhi at 12 am today. Xiaomi to launch Rs 4.8 lakh smartphone today Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro and the Redmi K20 will be launched in India today. Apple iPhone users beware, all your IDs and passwords are at risk of you're running this OS version Apple’s iOS 13 developer and public beta versions come with a major security flaw that exposes all the IDs and passwords stored in iCloud Keychain. Upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S11 may get One UI 2.0: Rumoured features Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is said to come with OneUI 2.0 and so is Galaxy S11 next year. The UI is said to feature select core Android Q functions. Planning to buy Redmi Note 7 series phone? Why you may wait for sometime Colour options of Redmi Note 7 include Onyx Black, Sapphire Blue, and Ruby Red. The Redmi Note 7 Pro, on the other hand gives following colour options- Neptune Blue, Nebula Red, and Space Black. Samsung Galaxy A40 gets new update, brings Samsung Pay support Major changelog introduced with the update is the added support for Samsung Pay to the Galaxy A40 phone. Further, the software version comes with bug fixes and resolves connectivity issues as well. You can get a smartwatch worth Rs 15,990 free with this Huawei phone Huawei P30 Pro comes with an original price tag of Rs 79,990. In the Prime Day sale, the phone is available with Rs 16,000 discount. It's official, Xiaomi Mi A3 to launch on July 17 in Spain Xiaomi Mi A3 phone is rumoured to feature a 48-megapixel primary rear camera. It is expected to offer a 6.08-inch AMOLED display. Vivo Z1 Pro to go on sale at 12pm today via Flipkart Vivo Z1 Pro comes powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712, first phone in India to feature the processor. It comes with a starting price of Rs 14,990. Samsung smartphone with ‘retractable’ screen, here’s what it may look like The patent not only talks about a retractable screen smartphone but also shows illustrations on how it could be.


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The government has received interest from top global and Indian players to set up a fabless display manufacturing plant in India and is likely to bring an incentive scheme for attracting 3-4 large such investments within the next six months, a top official said. “Both international and major Indian entities have come forward to expressing interest of various kind and we are hopeful that we would be able to take this process forward,” Ajay Prakash Sawhney, secretary-ministry of electronics & information technology (MeitY), said in a virtual industry summit on Thursday.
“Based on what we get from the expressions of interest that we have received and the extensive discussions that we have had with all the major players in this space over the past three months…we will attempt to come out with a scheme or incentive structure based on which we will then invite proposals to set up such manufacturing within India..within the next six months,” Sawhney said.
The secretary added that India has room for over 3-4 large investments in the display fab manufacturing area. He was speaking at the launch of a joint report written by apex industry body India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) and Grantwood Research on the subject ‘Creation of a Display Industry in India’.
According to the report, the industry is estimating government’s support to the tune of $20 billion in the form of financial incentives to display makers and display supply chain companies who agree to make substantial investments under the private-public partnerships. India should focus on two types of display fabs, namely, Gen 6 fabs for smartphone displays, and Gen 8.5 fabs for all other product categories.
G. Rajeswaran, Director & CEO, Grantwood Technologies said, “A typical LCD or OLED display fab for flat panel display with a capacity of 100,000 mother glass per month would require an investment of somewhere between $1.5-2 billion while a Gen-6 fab would need around $3-4 billion.” Localising display manufacturing would create value-addition in India of greater than $11 billion annually from the fifth year, create export opportunities of up to $10 billion and create employment to the tune of 200,000 new jobs, ICEA said.
A display fab investment is usually made with an eight-year plan, and the factory must achieve breakeven stage in the third year and start generating cash in the fourth year. Experts said, because display technologies evolve within 7-8 years, companies investing in India will need strong R&D activity to support the evolving manufacturing processes. There are a total 39 mass producing display fabs in the world, of which 24 are located in China, which will add 13 more in the next five years
The overall demand for displays in India for 2020 was about 253 million units valued at $5.4 billion. “Given the manufacturing plans for Mobile Phones, TV and IT hardware products, it is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 29.5% to 922 million units or $18.9 billion by 2025,” ICEA said.
Source : Times of India


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Why end-to-end test automation is the best way ahead in e-commerce?
In 2016, an estimated 1.61 billion people worldwide purchased goods online and global e-commerce sales amounted to $1.9 trillion. Even though this looks like a gargantuan amount, $1.9 trillion is just 8.7 % of the total retail sales in the year 2016. With the growing number of internet service providers, the proliferation of mobile data and the growing acceptance of e-commerce sites, there is a huge potential for further growth, and sales numbers are projected to reach $5 trillion by 2021. This has led to a flurry of new startups and investments in the e-commerce domain, and every new player is aggressively trying capture this market. One of the key metric that decides success in this field is that of “conversion rate”. The conversion rate is the ratio of visitors to a website that actually complete a purchase and every company is looking for new ways to increase this critical ratio....Read More
- FinTech has arrived in Scotland: Investing in skills will make sure it stays
- The changing landscape of Payment Switches for the 21st century
- There’s a growing culture of complacency for rigorous testing in UK Financial Services. Consumers deserve better.
- Outages for companies like Monzo don’t have to keep happening. Here’s why.
- Cruise Control on the FinTech Highway


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Colorado marijuana sales in November pushed the industry’s annual revenue to $2 billion for the first time. In November, dispensaries sold $175.1 million worth of products, according to figures released by the Department of Revenue on Tuesday. Recreational sales accounted for about $140.5 million, while medical sales accounted for nearly $34.7 million, the agency reported. While […]
The post November marijuana sales push Colorado’s industry to $2 billion annually for the first time appeared first on Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news.


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A manicure, a massage and a lesson in mechanics. It's not what most expect when they bring their car in for servicing. But one brand-new garage near Paris is revamping the masculinist mode of auto repair to suit a female clientele.
Only Girls, which opened in May in the suburb of Saint-Ouen-l'Aumone, caters to women who feel they've been sold short and charged long by mechanics in traditional auto shops.
"When you're a woman, it's like you've got 'sucker' tattooed on your forehead," says Sandrine Hautenne, one happy 42-year-old customer.
"One time, I went round to three different garages, and got three different estimates. Since then, I've sent my uncle to get estimates and - guess what? - the prices have dropped!"
From cam belt to brake pads, customer Sandrine got a 15-minute run-down on her car from a female mechanic. "If it had been a man, he wouldn't have explained any of this to me," she says.
With only a month to its name, Only Girls has seen 40 customers, two-thirds of them women. "They're so welcoming here!" gushes Jennifer Collon, a 25-year-old who was drying her ruby-red nails after a manicure here.
In addition to the "beauty corner", the garage includes a children's playroom. Its waiting room is more akin to a beauty spa than traditional garage, with mauve-coloured wallpaper, hardwood floors, flickering candles and velvet sofas.
With increasing numbers of women living alone or taking control of domestic affairs, it's simply good business to cater to them, says Rodolphe Bonnasse, from the communication group CA Com.


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Chainalysis analysis displays some of the highest bitcoin adoption rates seen in the last two years. According to the research, the global crypto usage rate has increased by 2300 percent in the last 24 months. It is the most impressive number for the cryptocurrency market, indicating the cryptocurrency’s future. On a global scale, the market has grown by 881 percent in the last 12 months as well. The data was gathered from all across the world between Q3 2019 and the end of Q2 2021.
Cryptocurrency usage is increasing all across the world. There haven’t been many objective measures of how rates of adoption and usage patterns differ around the world, except from anecdotal evidence. That is why the Global Crypto Adoption Index was formed. Our purpose is to quantify the adoption variations amongst countries around the world.
The data was acquired using a system that allowed them to rank 154 countries based on three primary variables. The amount of on-chain crypto received, the on-chain retail value delivered, and peer-to-peer exchange trading volume are the three measures. Furthermore, the US and China have plummeted in the rankings as their P2P trading volume for the internet population has decreased, according to the data. It’s encouraging that more developing countries are interested in digital currency.
The government’s new restriction, which is a result of more people wanting to know less, could be the cause of the fall in China. South Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and Latin America, according to the research, transmit more online traffic to the P2P network than Europe and North America. It would be fantastic to witness the adoption of cryptos in the next 12 months, especially with breakthroughs like Defi.


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Dairy farmers can no longer subsidize dairy industry
For several years either the USDA or the US Congress has continued to levy additional charges on dairy farmers. This must be corrected! How can this be done? Here is how.
We must pass a new dairy bill patterned after S-1640 (The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act).
Recently I was pleased to read that an economist for the American Farm Bureau raised serious questions regarding the make allowance. These make allowances are deducted from the value of milk and goes to the handlers that manufacture dairy products and reduces the value of milk that is paid to dairy farmers.
For a long time I thought Pro-Ag was the only one concerned about these make allowances. I want to state that S-1640 eliminates make allowances in all Federal Milk Marketing Orders. The Farm Bureau economist raised questions concerning bloc voting in Federal Milk Marketing Orders. Yes, a member of a co-op can request a ballot to vote on an amendment being proposed to a Federal Order.
One reason for bloc voting is if the vote on an amendment to a Federal Order is negative, then that Federal Order would cease to be operable.
Again, S-1640 says a negative vote on an amendment to a Federal Order would not eliminate the Federal Order.
It’s rewarding to hear someone else address this issue.
Another important article I read was in a Milkweed issue. The author quoted different officials illustrating some programs the co-op had initiated for its members.
One thing that caught my attention was what they call a smart-growth program to curb large increases in milk production by their members. Actually the program they have is contained in S-1640. Again, it’s rewarding to see other people using the same ideas as S-1640.
So let’s make reference to everything that’s being deducted from our dairy farmers.
Yes, the make allowance allows between $2 and $3 per cwt. to shortchange the dairy farmers price. And yes, all milk handlers can now charge the dairy farmers the full price for having the milk delivered to a plant. Yes, and now exorbitant marketing costs can be levied on our dairy farmers. And yes, some farmers have been charged fees for even dumping milk!
Let’s not forget the large fees charged to dairy farmers for advertising their milk. When you add up all these costs, it’s no wonder dairy farmers are shaking their heads when they receive their milk checks. However, there is one big item these other people are forgetting. And that word is “price”. It’s time dairy farmers receive a price that allows them the opportunity to cover their cost of producing milk.
Not only does S-1640 cover these costs, the bill also allows a new pricing formula for our dairy farmers to cover these costs. If we’re going to continue to have a reliable dairy industry, then dairy farmers must support a bill like S-1640.
Tewksbury is manager of Pro-Ag


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The United States is facing a notable decrease in beef production due to a significant drop in cattle inventory, potentially leading to record-high beef prices for consumers. A report from the American Farm Bureau Federation highlights this trend, exacerbated by a severe drought affecting major beef-producing states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. These conditions have diminished grazing options for cattle and forced farmers to reduce their herds, pushing beef inventory to its lowest point since 1948.
Farmers like Jacob Newton of Hillside Farms in Truxton are feeling the pinch, with reduced forage availability compelling a decrease in cattle numbers. Despite the dwindling supply, consumer demand for beef remains steady, suggesting a sharp increase in prices, which are already averaging about $5.00 per pound at grocery stores. In response, some, including the Newtons, are slightly increasing their cattle processing numbers to help fill the void.
However, challenges such as finding a USDA-certified processor in beef-limited states like New York complicate the situation further. Processors like Owasco Meat Company in upstate New York, which processes 800 cattle annually, are also feeling the pressure with rising cattle costs, leading to inevitable beef price hikes. In an effort to support local meat processing and ensure a resilient food supply chain, New York has announced $5 million in grant funding to expand facilities, a move welcomed by local businesses aiming to sustain their operations amidst these challenges.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].


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GM Taps China to Push Hydrogen Fuel
General Motors Corp. is trying to enlist the Chinese government in promoting cars that run on hydrogen fuel cells instead of gasoline, in hopes that the nation’s potentially huge market might generate enough sales to make the new technology profitable.
GM officials in Beijing said China could jump straight into alternative-fuel cars if it begins setting up special hydrogen filling stations now -- perhaps alongside new gas stations as they are built.
Mainland Chinese have only just started buying regular gas-powered cars in large numbers.
GM hopes its hydrogen-fuel-cell cars will be commercially viable by 2010.


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May 5, 2020 – Ripple Co-founder and now Stellar CTO Jeb McCaleb has sold 54 million XRP just this April 2020, as per an analysis done by news site The Crypto Associate. He was selling 1.8 million XRP a day during that time period.
When the 100 billion supply of XRP was pre-mined, 9.5 billion of that XRP was allocated to McCaleb. When he stated his intention to sell his XRP portion, a deal was made between Ripple and McCaleb that states he will limit his monthly and yearly sale of XRP.
As to how much McCaleb was selling, The Crypto Associate analyzed his wallet address, which has 69.9 million XRP as of press time. (Note than when The Crypto Associate published their news, McCaleb had over 76 million XRP in his wallet.)
The Crypto Associate found out that all outgoing transactions are going to a BitStamp exchange address. Additionally, XRP was being traded for USD.
The Crypto Associate commented that McCaleb’s constant sell pressure is creating a daily price suppression for XRP. Note that a legal settlement in the past enabled McCaleb to receive additional XRP every month.
McCaleb previously stated that he is only selling XRP at a slow rate and does not desire to negatively impact other companies (such as Ripple).
This article is published on BitPinas: Ripple Co-Founder Sold 1.8 Million XRP a Day in April 2020


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Finally, some good news for the state of Michigan. A new study released by Simple Thrifty Living
reveals that Michigan sells the cheapest cases of beer in America.
The study finds the average of a 24-pack case of beer in each state. Michigan's average comes out the least expensive at $14.62, beating out California, Illinois, and North Carolina.
The study looked at 10 different Walmarts and Total Wines with different area codes from each state to find the average cost for a 24-pack of beer.
For those who love craft beer, your average cost of a case of beer will obviously be nowhere near $14.62, but a case of Bud Light or Busch Light will probably be pretty close to that number.
We're not sure about you, but this is a study that we can definitely raise a glass to. Cheers!


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French’s has announced the release of new French’s Mustard Buns in celebration of National Mustard Day on Saturday, August 7. The company developed the limited-edition buns in partnership with Piantedosi Baking Company, a New England based wholesale bakery with over 100 years of expertise.
French’s plans to roll out its buns baked with French’s Classic Yellow Mustard at select well-known landmarks and baseball stadiums across the US in cities such as New York City, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.
“For over 115 years, French’s has delivered bold, all-American flavor to customers nationwide,” says Jill Pratt, chief marketing excellence officer for McCormick. “Year after year, we look forward to raising the French’s flag in celebration of National Mustard Day, by introducing exciting new ways to enjoy the bright, tangy taste of mustard.”
“When the French’s opportunity came across our desk, we jumped at the chance to collaborate. Together, we have over 200 years of quality, creativity and experience,” says Carmine Piantedosi, operations manager and owner at Piantedosi Baking Company. “Mixing the bold flavor of their Classic Yellow Mustard and our innovative baking process, we developed a truly unique bread formula for National Mustard Day. We’re thrilled to have thousands of people across the country taste the awesome buns that we created!”
The limited-edition buns will be available at the following locations and dates:
August 7, National Mustard Day (free pop-ups, starting 12 pm local time, while supplies last)
- The Hot Dog King (New York, NY) – free, hot dog cart outside of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Lodge (Chicago, IL) – free, hot dog cart in front of the tavern
- Pier Burger (Santa Monica, CA)– free, hot dog cart on the Santa Monica Pier
August 7, National Mustard Day (with stadium concession hot dog purchase, while supplies last)
- Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY) – with purchase of hot dog from Concession Stand 110 during the 1:05 pm game against Seattle
- Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD) – with purchase of hot dog from Camden Franks Concession (lower level, Eutaw Street) during Orioles 7:05 pm game against Rays
Saturday, August 14 (free pop-up, starting 12PM local time, while supplies last)
- The Best Sausage Company (Boston, MA) - free, hot dog cart outside of Fenway Park


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NEW YORK - Fairway Market will host its fourth annual Thanksgiving dinner cooking class on Nov. 14.
The course will be held at its Upper West Side store in Manhattan at 7 p.m.
The “Thanksgiving Dinner Refresher Course” will include instruction on how to make the turkey, stuffing, graving, cranberry relish and apple pie. Attendees will also be treated to a dinner of roast chicken, vegetables and apple pie. The cost is $45 per person.


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Trade of the day - GBP/NZDCreated: 6th Sep 2019
Another great trade of the day! Today’s trade is an S5 trade on GBP/NZD. We entered this trade at 2PM on Tuesday 4th September and closed out the next day with a massive 88 pips profit. Our strategies at Trendsignal identify key trading...
Category: Trade of the day
Important Financial News and Events for the w/c 12th AugustCreated: 14th Aug 2019
The latest market news for the week ahead, including Brexit, GDP, US/ China Trade war and much more... Attend one of our free trading workshops and learn more about financial markets -
Category: Market News


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Kiwi kids are hit with alcohol messaging nearly every time they go to the supermarket.
Last updated 17:36, October 11 2017
New Zealand children are being exposed to alcohol nearly every time they go to the supermarket, sparking a call from researchers to have it banned from such stores.
The over-exposure of alcohol to children put it on par with everyday products such as bread and milk, causing children to drink alcohol earlier in their life, Tim Chambers from Otago University’s Department of Public Health said. The department’s research found that 85 per cent of children were exposed to alcohol in Wellington supermarkets. ”This suggests alcohol is just another ordinary commodity, just another product on the shelves, a normal part of the grocery shop,” said Chambers, the lead researcher.
The cameras around 167 children’s necks showed they were exposed to alcohol 78 times at 30 different supermarkets in Wellington.
He said the study proved previous changes in alcohol advertising laws were not enough and the Government needed to ban it from supermarkets to protect children.
The study (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829217304549) had 167 randomly chosen Wellington children aged 11 to 13-years-old wear a necklace camera and GPS device for four consecutive days.
Over that time, the children visited 30 different supermarkets and saw alcohol on 78 of those visits.
Researcher Tim Chambers says exposing children to alcohol in supermarkets normalises its consumption, leading them to start drinking earlier in life.
Chambers said the technology allowed for an uninterrupted, first-hand account of what children saw day-to-day.
Over the four days of the study, none of the children were taken into a liquor store by their parents, he said.
Chambers said that “surprising” finding proved parents were already choosing not to show alcohol to their children, but the selling and advertising of it in supermarkets eliminated that “free choice”.
“Children are not meant to be exposed it, it is in the legislation.”
The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act requires supermarkets to only sell and promote alcohol in a single, non-prominent area of a store, not throughout it.
The Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) code for advertising and promoting alcohol states that the marketing and in-store placement of products should not appeal to any one under 18-years-old.
The study had 167 children wear cameras around their necks to film how much alcohol they saw over four days.
He said he and the researchers of the study were calling for the Government to repeal the law that allows supermarkets to sell alcohol.
Countdown alcohol responsibility manager Paul Radich said from the findings he had seen, it appeared that the majority of children in the study did not visit a supermarket over the four days. The 85 per cent referred to the children who had visited a supermarket, he said.
Radich said parents could avoid their children seeing alcohol by not taking them into the single area of a supermarket where it was sold.
“Regardless of where alcohol is purchased, children are most likely to see alcohol when it is being consumed in the home,” Radich said.
Cheers.org.nz executive director Matt Claridge said he thought banning alcohol from stores would not improve New Zealand’s drinking culture.
He said parents’ alcohol drinking behaviour influenced children’s future drinking habits, not what they put in their trolley.
“Product placement does not really matter, it’s about intentions to drink it and that starts at home,” Claridge said.
“As consumers, marketing will always try to influence us. When it comes to alcohol, it is what mum and dad get up to you [that influences children].”
Foodstuffs spokeswoman Antoinette Laird said the supermarket co-operative that owns New World, Pak ‘n Save and Liquorland, declined to comment because she did not have access to the research.


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People are increasingly engaging with Facebook-connected applications such as Pandora, Nike+, and Endomondo. They want to be able to tell more stories using these apps, but they also desire more control over how the apps post to Facebook and what information is accessed. On the eve of the Facebook platform’s sixth anniversary, the company discussed how it has brought third-party developers into the fold and what’s next for Facebook-connected apps.
Windows Phone users who want to get a jump on the next version of the Facebook application for that platform can install a beta version of the new app, Microsoft announced in a post on the Windows Phone Blog.
Facebook Thursday unveiled the closest thing to a Facebook phone, with Home. Select Android devices will have access to Home starting April 12, and it will later become available to more users. This news was met with curiosity, excitement, and a little bit of fear, knowing that Facebook would go from being a part of the phone to being a part of the entire mobile experience.
France Telecom’s Orange mobile service provider quietly rolled out its internet+ solution Oct. 31, which allows Facebook users to complete mobile payments with just two clicks, rather than being required to repeatedly enter credentials such as phone numbers, bank details, and login information.
An updated version of Facebook for Windows Phone just came out, bringing several upgrades and new features.


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Sony ($SNE) and Olympus ($OCPNY) will partner to develop and make new endoscopes and other medical devices, the companies said today.
Both disclosed the business alliance today, a deal that evolves out of Sony's decision to finally to invest $645 million into the beleaguered Japanese maker of endoscopes and cameras. A joint announcement on Sept. 28 from Sony and Olympus publicizes both the partnership and investment agreement.
The possibilities here are enormous, of course. Sony is a global maker and purveyor of all kinds of consumer technology. But as those sectors stagnate and struggle, the Japanese conglomerate is looking to grow its medical device and technology business lines. Olympus, the world's largest maker of endoscopes, is still facing financial fallout from a massive accounting scandal that rocked the company and became public late last year.
And as The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, AFP and many others are reporting, Sony's 11.5% stake in Olympus will help create a potentially new competitive element in the device industry. Both companies disclosed in their announcement that the idea here is to combine Olympus' lens and optical technologies, its brand and R&D prowess with Sony's digital imaging technologies and come up with new endoscopes and other medical devices that could be potential game changers.
Not everyone is convinced, however, that the deal is all that special. The Wall Street Journal ran a headline terming the alliance as "The Anemic Duo." As the article explains, both companies continue to deal with massive losses, Olympus because of its accounting scandal problems and Sony because of a sluggish games division and a TV business that has lost money for years. A new partnership between two companies tainted by massive losses and scandal won't necessarily address those problems, the story correctly notes.
Olympus spent months courting a variety of investment suitors, including Fujifilm and Terumo. And now Sony can grow its medical device business in direct competition with archrival Samsung, which is pursuing a similar business strategy.


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Amazon's smart TVs are back, and Best Buy will sell them
19 April, 2018, 02:04 | Author: Brenda Erickson
This time around Amazon is partnering with Best Buy, one of America's largest retail store chains.
While Amazon and Best Buy both sell a lot of TVs online, he said consumers still like going to physical stores to make such purchases, a significant acknowledgment from one of the world's richest men who has made much of his fortune from selling products online.
"Amazon and Best Buy have a long history of working together, and today we take our partnership to a new level", noted Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos in a press release. The Fire Edition TVs by Insignia and Toshiba are created to work seamlessly with Amazon's own voice assistant Alexa.
It's something of a peace offering by Amazon, lulling Best Buy into this idea of a fantasy land where the two companies can work together in flawless harmony. "Our partnership with Amazon is exciting because we believe Fire TV Edition delivers an incredible user experience and further strengthens the growing connection between home theater, home automation and voice control".
At a launch event Tuesday in Bellevue, Wash., Best Buy and Amazon executives declined to discuss the financial terms of their deal, the Wall Street Journal reported. Searching for content on streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube, and others alleviates the task of entering in phrases character by character with an on screen keyboard. The highlight feature of the Smart TVs is, of course, the Alexa integration.
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
Kohl's carved out space for Amazon shops in some of its department stores and Sears sells Kenmore appliances on Amazon.com. The products will be available in the USA and Canada starting this summer.
Rob Gronkowski's absence from the start of New England Patriots off-season training may not be the team's biggest worries. Brady would also throw for 505 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in New England's Super Bowl loss.
Combine this with the fact that he has also released two albums in the last two years, and you've got a pretty hefty body of work. According to Complex , KOD has three subtitles; "Kidz on Drugz", "King Overdose" & " Kill Our Demonz ".
All of those bullets that Eugene made were intentionally faulty and the Saviors' quick advantage was nearly immediately gone. And he kept on trying to fight it, He tried to drink his way out of it, he couldn't sleep.
It's parent, Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. accepted a bid from two liquidators Tuesday, to buy the bankrupt company's assets. In November, the firm announced shortly before Black Friday that it would close around 40 stores.
Her current whereabouts are unknown and Marceno warned people not to approach Riess, who should be considered armed and risky . Investigators in Florida said Hutchinson was murdered by a woman who is now the subject of a nationwide manhunt.
Wilkins, who is black, said he'd consider going elsewhere if something like the incident in Philadelphia occurred again. They also shouted slogans including, "A whole lot of racism, a whole lot of crap, Starbucks coffee is anti-black".
We're only four months into 2018, but if you're of an optimistic disposition you will be feeling good about this year already. Bank of America's bill to Uncle Sam plunged by 26%, even though the No. 2 United States bank earned 30% more.
According to the Guardian , the expedition gathered 480 pieces of the meteorite which had been spread over the desert. But researchers have discovered that one particular meteorite recovered from the Sudanese desert in 2008 is unique.
Elaborate security arrangements are being made at the Nampally Courts Complex where the NIA special court is located. Acquitting the accused, the special NIA court said that the prosecution failed to prove charges against them.
The Knights completed a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night in Los Angeles , shutting out the Kings 1-0. At this point, is it Stanley Cup or bust for Vegas? Obviously this is awesome, you know, but it's playoffs.
That dream may just have to stay slumbering with Dracula, though, because the next Castlevania title will be releasing on iOS. While we don't have a definite release date for Japan, Konami has opened up closed beta registrations.
The prospect of a trade war between the world's two biggest economies has rattled financial markets for weeks. Japanese economic growth is forecast to decelerate to 1.2 percent from 1.7 percent in 2017.
New York Giants: 7-Round 2018 mock draft nearly one week away
We all know Penn State running back Saquon Barkley has all of the tangible and intangible skills to become a force in the NFL . Despite the Giants adding left tackle Nate Solder and left guard Patrick Omameh, there's still a lot of work to be done.
Can plastic-eating enzyme cut pollution?
The structure of PET is too crystalline to be easily broken down and while PET can be recycled, most of it is not. But while manipulating the enzyme, the global team inadvertently improved its ability to devour plastic.
Confirmed tornadoes from Sunday
Powerful winds also damaged several buildings at the University of Central Arkansas, though no injuries were reported there. Marion Police Chief Randall Davis says at least one person was injured in the Saturday storm but wasn't life-threatening.
New York Yankees' Tyler Austin will appeal 5-game suspension
Porcello stayed in after a 45-minute rain delay and was working on a no-hitter before Aaron Judge's leadoff double in the seventh. Later in the game, Joe Kelly threw at Austin , prompting Austin to charge the mound and both benches to empty again.
U.S. regulators ask if ZTE can hear them now
ZTE plead guilty to conspiring to violate United States sanctions against Iran and North Korea in a U.S. court previous year . Cybersecurity officials in the country are concerned that China could force ZTE to infiltrate or sabotage telecom equipment.


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An enhanced version of the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet is likely on the way, just maybe not as soon as some in the company believe it might be.
According to a report from FlightGlobal, Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier, said this week that the 2022 or 2023 date previously tossed out by Airbus sales chief John Leahy was “too early.”
Emirates, the largest customer of the A380, has been encouraging an upgrade like the “neo,” new-engine option, the company has rolled out on both the A320 and A330 line.
Bregier acknowledged that it’s important to have a major customer pushing for the aircraft, but also said the company must still make the business case for the upgrade — in an era where massive jets aren’t as coveted by most airlines as smaller, more efficient models — before it can launch a new A380 program.
But he did indicate that it is likely coming at some point.
Emirates might take as many as 100 more aircraft, which is a lot of revenue (at least at list price), but some say the economics do not work. Even for a very large aircraft, a development program for only 100 units probably will not be a winner. Additional sales, in theory, could bring the program closer to an overall breakeven, but each additional delivery will be burdened by $25 million if there are only 100 delivered, even before accounting for interest on the additional development cost.


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After more than five years at their small shop at 1668 Marion Street, Marion Street Tattoo had to move: The city is booming, and the storefront that houses the shop and a photography studio will be torn down when the entire block becomes an apartment complex. Marion Street owner Ryan Willard got the bad news on January. "It’s shocking. It’s super-sad, if I’m honest," he says. "I put basically my whole life into Marion Street Tattoo and my vision for what that is."
A proponent of neighborhood businesses, Willard had chosen the original location because it reflected his idea of a home-grown tattoo shop that interacted with the community. "I thought [the neighborhood] was funky and different," he says. "Marion Street has always been a little different, more co-op based. It was a gallery space, we had musicians play. It was a very organic art space."
And the search for a new home wasn't easy. The rent at most of the storefronts he visited was triple what Willard had been paying. "It was completely untouchable for a small business to sustain," he says. A few realtors offered him a solution: hire more artists. But that's the opposite of Willard's vision for his business. "We have four artists, five when we bring guests artists in," he says. "We keep it small. We’ve tried to keep it very home-grown — what I think small business should be."
It's not just Marion Street Tattoo that is suffering from what Willard calls Denver's "growing pains." The city has attracted an influx of people attracted to the Mile High lifestyle, with innovative businesses, craft breweries and dispensaries just miles from the great outdoors. But skyrocketing rents are making it harder for the businesses that started it all to sustain themselves. Some of those businesses are raising prices, but Willard doesn't want to make tattoos an inaccessible luxury. "I don’t think just someone with a big pocket full of money should be the one getting a good tattoo," he explains.
Willard finally found a new spot at 2823 East Colfax Avenue, and the shop made the move last week. It was bittersweet, Willard says; while it's exciting to open a new place, it felt like leaving home. But even though the tattoo shop is now on East Colfax, it kept the Marion Street name. "Myself and Nate Stephens, Brandon Huckabey and A.J. McGuire, we’ve worked super-hard to build the reputation for Marion Street," Willard notes. "We’ve put tons of energy into it and I’d hate to change the name."
While they're already up and running at the new shop, the Marion Street crew will host a grand opening the weekend of June 20, with music, giveaways, $80 tattoos, drinks and special guests, including a few Broncos.
In the midst of change, Willard stresses the importance of remaining a part to the city's creative community. "We in Denver are super-proud of what makes us so cool," he says. "We need to make sure we support actual small businesses. We need to pay attention to the changes that are happening so we don’t lose our city to them."


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Surry, Virginia: Mid-morning shoppers tasted the homemade jams, scrunched the newly-sheared wool, tried to pass by tables of freshly baked cakes and muffins, unsuccessfully, and felt a bit healthier when taking home bags of turnip greens and kale. – Oh, and a 50-cent cup of Abigail’s lemonade.
Saturday marked the opening day of the Surry Community Farmer’s Market, and, as vendors and customers agree, the weekly gathering of local products and people couldn’t start soon enough. Following last year’s success, vendors set up their temptations right off of Rolfe Highway, catching ferry traffic and gardeners from Farmer Joe’s. And as Michelle Taylor, vendor and Saturday’s market manager, explained, the group applied geographic strategy.
“Location, location, location,” Taylor laughed. Outside of selling homemade breads from her market booth, she carried the responsibility of who, where, and when for the day. “We want people to support their neighbors, to support their community,” she shared.
Taylor credited the dedication shown by each member of the community group for pulling their own weight, yet, still working as a team. With 20 volunteers currently joining agricultural forces, all will eventually serve as a market manager. She noted, “We’ll cycle it around so one person doesn’t hold all the cards.” And on opening day, the planning paid off.
Bob Richardson, arriving from just outside Waverly, stayed busy selling fresh vegetables ranging from Swiss chard to bok choy. “Today the turnips went fast, and the curly kale is gone,” reflected the grower as he moved his spinach out of direct sunlight. “My next crops to come in are green peas in another two or three weeks.” Although weeds seem to create a constant threat, the vendor explained that he’s won the battle by scaling back and starting his vegetables on a sun porch and then moving the more protected farm to nature’s open land.
Richardson and his wife, Karen, relocated from James City County to an 1854 farmhouse with lots of land to maintain. His collection of crops sold at the community market only roots in a small amount of acreage. The grower explained that he foresees the rest of his property as becoming a tool for future farmers. “I’m trying to get what we call a farmer incubator program started.” And considering that Richardson already owns a tractor and farming equipment, all he needs are people who aren’t afraid of dirt. “We’d like to help new farmers get established,” said the inspired vendor.
Crystal Jones finds inspiration in the kitchen, not on a farm. Another vendor, born and raised in Surry, brought her mother’s recipes to the market in the form of desserts, or, depending on your appetite, a scrumptious lunch. She explained that she kept the family catering business running once her mother retired from the demanding job. Now, Jones bakes anything from apple jacks to corn pudding for customers looking to buy local.
“These are my mom’s famous rolls, and I use her recipe,” she pointed with a smile of success. As most cooks discover, baking rolls takes true talent. “We have three-layered homemade pineapple cake, and we have homemade butter pound cake as well.” Maybe after a serving of curly kale?
Yet, both Jones and Richardson faced some healthy competition from Abigail Upton’s lemonade stand, set up under her family’s tent of tomato plants and fresh eggs. The 9-year-old third grader handled a steady business selling homemade lemonade at 50 cents a cup to customers hoping to compliment the fresh sausage cooking a few vendors down.
Her rainbow earrings and red rain boots left several customers wide open, and this community farmer kept her selling goals in sight: money to buy an American Girl doll. “I like to play with them, and I like to play with other dolls too,” shared Abigail. So keeping the sweet and sour drink iced and ready played to her advantage, pouring eight cups before noon.
Her half-filled container, placed on a small table with a hand-written sign for publicity, created a supply of conversation as well as a pucker or two. Abigail explained her family didn’t raise hogs or cows at their Isle of Wight home, yet she quickly crunched down the numbers of other four and two-legged friends sharing her household: “Two dogs, one cat, and 21 chickens and one rooster.”
Yet, as any ambitious salesperson would do, she limited distractions and continued to push her product to a harmonious crowd. “It’s 50 cents a cup!”


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The Steam game "Dead By Daylight" will finally get an Xbox One port later this year. The publisher Starbreeze Studious decided to let console fans, also including owners of the PlayStation 4, to enjoy the frantic multiplayer 4vs1 survival horror experience.
According to a recent report from Gematsu, "Dead By Daylight" has been finally announced after it was released on the PC back in June 2016. The publishing will be taken care of 505 Games, who was also behind games like "Stardew Valley," "PAYDAY 2" and "Terrarria." The publishing company will be in charge of distributing the retail version, while Starbreeze will be taking care of the digital version.
"Dead By Daylight" was an instant hit on its initial release on the PC. Selling more than 1.8 million copies on Steam made it possible to be one of the most favorite streamed games through Twitch and YouTube.
"We're proud of Behaviour Digital's success with Dead by Daylight and can't wait to deliver it to consoles together," said Mikael Nermark of Starbreeze. Stephen Mulroney, Vice President at Behaviour Digital also added that making "Dead By Daylight" available for the console platforms is a significant move in reaching out to more fans who have been avid viewers of the game through various streaming sites.
At the moment, "Dead By Daylight" currently has a score of "Mostly Positive" on Steam, but it was recently getting "Mixed" ratings. Negative reviews mostly consist of complaints regarding the game's huge amount of insistent bugs ever since it got released. Some players, despite spending thousands of hours in the game, also find the game broken and at times, unplayable even.
Hopefully, these problems would be addressed in the console version of the game, where it would be safe to assume that updates will be twice as scarce for "Dead By Daylight." No release date have been announced yet, but updates are expected to come in the next few days.
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J.Crew To Make Its First Appearance In Asia, Continues Plan for World DominationPretty exciting international expansion! (They are definitely moving quickly abroad in the past few years.) Curious if they will slow down a bit and concentrate in the international markets they have just entered, or move forward to include additional locations...
By Hayley Phelan
June 11, 2012
J.Crew is on a roll. After reporting a strong sales lift two weeks ago (profits nearly doubled over the last year), the retailer has another exciting announcement: Their wares will now be available in Hong Kong and China, thanks to a new collaboration with luxury retailer Lane Crawford.
According to a press release, a curated selection of J.Crew’s women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collection, as well as shoes, will be available at select Lane Crawford stores and online starting in October 2012.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with J.Crew on this first-ever, unique multi-channel project,” Lane Crawford’s president Andrew Keith said.
The partnership is also a first for J.Crew. While the American brand has a similar relationship with Net-a-Porter, the collaboration with Lane Crawford marks the first time J.Crew’s clothes will be sold at brick-and-mortar stores outside North America. And J.Crew couldn’t be happier about it.
“We always want to work with the ‘best of the best,’ and Lane Crawford was at the top of our fantasy list,” J.Crew’s CEO Mickey Drexler said. “When it comes to editing and presenting collections with a creative and elevated point of view, no one does it better. We are beyond excited to partner with Lane Crawford to help introduce J.Crew to Asia.”
Of course, the collaboration with Lane Crawford is only the beginning. J.Crew has set its sights on becoming a household name all around the world. “One of the big priorities is building the global brand, in a disciplined, deliberate manner,” Stuart Haselden, J.Crew’s chief financial officer, told WWD. And with retail stores in Canada, an online store that distributes to 106 countries, and brick-and-mortar locations in the U.K. and Hong Kong expected to open soon, it’s safe to say the American retailer is well on its way to world domination.
What are your thoughts on J.Crew's entrance to the Hong Kong market? What market should they pursue next?


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Those looking forward to the idea of shop til you drop this Black Friday may also be a bit anxious about their bank balance dropping into the red after their day of bargain hunting.What does a run on the pound mean?
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in the US and this year Black Friday falls on Friday, November 24.
It will always be the day after Thanksgiving, which is a national holiday in the US meaning you won’t be able to head to the bank on Thanksgiving.
But what about Black Friday, the shopping day is not classed as an official holiday, so what does this mean for the banks?
While banks largely remain closed on Thanksgiving Day, all of the banks will be open on Black Friday.
Some employers will give employees Black Friday off as it is the day after Thanksgiving, but bankers will be heading back to the grind for the day.
There are some credit unions and smaller local banking institutions that will be closed on Black Friday including Welcome Federal Credit Union and the Allegan Credit Union.
Banks located on college campuses will be closed on Black Friday.
Black Friday has largely been considered the beginning of the Christmas Shopping season since 1952.
Retailers across the US will have earlier opening hours because of the advanced demand to get at the colossal discounts.


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Cecilie Moseng is account director at Xandr.
COVID-19 has staged new challenges for advertisers. Brands are now increasingly cautious about the sentiment of the content on which their campaigns are placed, and the uncertain economy also means that budgets are tighter. As a result, there is increasing pressure to justify ad spend and show returns on allocated campaigns.
Moreover, the exponential growth of screens and smart devices has placed increased attention and pressure on video advertising to deliver results. In Australia alone, video advertising grew by almost 20% in 2019. Before the effects of COVID-19 measures were felt, online video was already predicted to account for one-quarter of APAC’s entire video market by 2024, almost a 70% increase from 2019.
Now, as people spend more time at home, the need for on-demand video content has skyrocketed. BVOD viewing has grown by 21% since lockdown, according to ThinkTV, and subscribers to streaming services have all seen impressive increases: Netflix up 25.2% year on year, Stan up 45.2%, YouTube Red up 31.9% and Amazon Prime Video up 116.7%.
New measurement metrics are needed to ensure that programmatic continues to be a useful and effective tool. One solution is to shift the focus to engagement-based metrics like ‘video completion rate’ or ‘cost per completed view’ (CPCV).
Performance-based solutions are essential for marketers and agencies to maximise advertising budgets moving forward as they enable buying on outcomes as a currency. This is especially true for those looking to increase performance and minimise financial risk while improving operational efficiency.
Advanced buying platforms can provide real value here as they develop customised campaigns and optimisation settings to ensure buyers meet their unique KPIs and business goals. We identified early on that measurement in video poses a significant challenge, but by applying predictive machine learning, we have developed ‘Guaranteed Completes’, a solution that automatically optimises bids based on the predicted completion rate of available inventory.
This means that agencies and marketers only pay for impressions that have been played through to 100% completion and the solution can be applied across the entire open internet. This shift in how ROI can and should be measured in today’s world of evolving consumption habits is already showing results. By transitioning from ‘pay per impression’ to ‘pay per completed view’, buyers are enjoying significant reductions in CPCV, as well as improved operational efficiency.
Recently, buyers using Guaranteed Completes in APAC saw more than 90% reduction in CPCV, as compared to using social video platforms. Traders are freed up from the laborious task of manually extracting reports and optimising to completion rate or CPCV-specific metrics, saving up to 20% of their time.
As the pandemic and its ramifications evolve, marketers and agencies have to navigate a new ad tech landscape while also considering intense scrutiny following the ACCC ad tech inquiry. Brands will be looking for more effective and meaningful engagements and results that will lead to a tangible return on investment. When technology is employed judiciously, the ad tech industry can support the changing demands and requirements of brands. The key is to have a data-led, well-executed programmatic strategy and outcomes-led measurement metrics that ensure there is a direct impact on the business’ bottom line.


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ONLINE shopping giant Amazon repeatedly breached regulations when they transported potentially hazardous batteries by air, a court heard.
The retailer is facing trial for allegedly causing lithium-ion batteries, found in mobile phones and laptops, to be carried on aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) claim Amazon also broke regulations regarding the transportation of flammable aerosols and car screen wash.
The batteries were loose replacements for various electronic devices set to be flown by the retail giant to destinations including Estonia, Romania and other locations before being intercepted by scanners.
Packages had not marking despite the dangerous goods inside, jurors were told.
The batteries were loose as replacements for various electronic devices and were set to be flown to destinations including Estonia and Romania, before being intercepted by scanners.
Prosecutor Martin Goudie told the court: "We say that over a period from November 2013 to May/June 2015 Amazon breached the regulations in respect of these 11 counts.
"Lithium-ion batteries are prohibited from being carried as post on an aircraft.
"In addition the packages were not properly labelled as to alert the carrier to their content.
"This is not a situation where somebody has ordered a teddy bear and somebody had put a Lithium battery in the box.
"Where it has fallen down is on the safety side."
Most of the packages involved in the allegations were to be sent via Royal Mail with one of the aerosols set to be couriered by UPS.
Mr Goudie said the batteries "should not have been there" and that they "weren't properly labelled in any event".
The batteries can be sent when inside items but become dangerous when loose, the court heard.
The 11 sample charges represent "merely a few examples of further breaches" of the rules by Amazon.
"This is not a one shop outfit who has got difficulty trying to stay on top of things," Mr Goudie added.
"This is a big company who should be up to speed and have the resources."
The Royal Mail discovered several of the illegal packages and highlighted the danger but Amazon failed to properly respond, it is claimed.
The prosecutor claimed it was a "double failure" in that both "system and individual" errors were made.
"Anybody properly trained, properly thinking through this would have seen the sign on the side of it," Mr Goudie added.
In the last ten weeks or so of 2013 Amazon committed 334 breaches which equates to roughly five per day, the prosecutor claimed.
The company are expected to claim they had taken "reasonable care" and deny eleven charges of carrying dangerous goods on an aircraft.
The trial, expected to last around three weeks, continues.
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I blame Burger King for this nonsense.
As McDonald’s became increasingly concerned with the Coca-Cola path to international success, they homogenized every aspect of their advertising the way in which they homogenized the entirety of their restaurants. They kept everything as inoffensive as possible, and played it all very, very safe. Other fast food franchises played along, for a while, before realizing that their competition was amongst one another. You see, no one was going to catch McD’s, so it was time to be bold.
Burger King stepped out front first, putting out bizarre, even creepy advertisements, and showing that they were unafraid of being the “weird kid” in the burger wars. Other restaurants followed suit, with Checkers/Rally’s employing a rapping cat, and Wendy’s Twitter feed being helmed by one of the most brutal roast-comic-writers the internet has ever seen.
KFC has dipped their toes into the weirdness over the last few years as well, going so far as to help create a romantic Lifetime movie about Colonel Sanders, as portrayed by Mario Lopez.
Now, KFC has taken an even stranger step, creating a gaming console as powerful as the nigh-unattainable PS5.
The console wars are ????.
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020
KFC and Cooler Master, a computer hardware manufacturer, have revealed the specifications for the KFConsole. While the device boasts an ability to output 4K graphics and display 240 frames-per-second, it’s also reportedly designed with a slot to keep pieces of chicken warm while it’s powered.
“Never risk letting your chicken go cold again thanks to the patented Chicken Chamber,” writes Cooler Master on its website. “Utilizing the system’s natural heat and airflow system, you can now focus on your gameplay and enjoy hot, crispy chicken between rounds.”
So, will this be the spiciest gadget of the new year, or just a half-baked promotional stunt?
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Although the future of the Volkswagen Group is hybrids and vehicle power, combustion engines have been dominant for several years.
For those who want a diesel-powered car without losing the benefits of the TDI engine, VAG offers the option of compressed natural gas (methane) recovery.
Subsequently, the sister companies SEAT and the code improved Aaron and Octavius with TGI and G-TEC drives, and the VW group came into the same prize.
VW has unveiled the revised Polo TGI and King Golf TGI versions. Polo won the third CNG tank with 16.5 liters, which adds up to 9.15L.
According to the new WLTP Gaseous Emission and Consumption Standard, the Polo TGI with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder set of 90 hp reaches 368 kilometers only with CNG.
For golf, the TGI version has a new 1.5-liter ethanol cylinder with 130 hp, which requires 3.5-3.6 kg of natural gas per 100 kilometers.
Compared to its predecessor, Golf TGI can now go over 80 kilometers with less emissions.
With a boozer that announced the release of the new, eighth-generation Golf, for the year, it is definitely the latest Mk7 upgrade.


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Many people believe that green tea is a miracle worker. It speeds up your metabolism. It clears up your skin. It lowers your blood pressure. It reduces the risk of heart disease. And it even improves ones’ memory.
However, experts believe that the herbal tea isn’t as magical as we may think. Speaking to PopSugar, Dr Josh Axe stated that people need to realise that drinking the tea alone isn’t enough.
The best-selling author said, “Research suggests that a combination of lifestyle components account for the health benefits observed in people that drink tea.”
Basically, drinking one cup of green tea isn’t going to miraculously clear your skin. You need to practice a good skincare routine and drink plenty of water too.
Dr Axe suggested that the public should focus on their overall diet. Life would be great if we could eat as much pizza and chocolate as we wanted, but, as we know, balance is key.
One of the main reasons people drink green tea is to lose weight. However, Dr Axe stated that you need to do more than drink the herbal tea to shed pounds, “For weight loss, you may need to rely on the conventional methods of a healthy diet and exercise.”
You need to eat apples and kale, as well as well as cupcakes and salted caramel chocolate bars (unfortunately.)
Green tea may have some great health benefits, but Dr Axe urged the public to think of the negative sides, “Green tea extracts should not be taken by patients suffering from renal failure, liver disease, heart conditions, or major cardiovascular problems without supervision from a doctor.”
“Pregnant women and breastfeeding mums should drink no more than one or two cups per day, as some research shows that more caffeine than this amount may interfere with normal heart rhythms," he advised.