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General Motors stated on Friday that it wants the U.S. to approve federal tax credits for the electric Cadillac Lyriq. Treasury to reconsider how it classifies the vehicle.
The Lyriq cannot be purchased for more than $55,000 at retail in order to be eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits since the Lyriq is not considered an SUV by the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service. The starting price for the Lyriq is currently $62,990. SUVs may cost up to $80,000 to qualify, but only up to $55,000 for cars, sedans, and wagons.
The needed clarity for consumers, dealers, regulators, and manufacturers will be provided by upcoming guidance on vehicle classifications, according to GM, which told us on Friday. “We are addressing these concerns with Treasury,” the company said.
GM recommended that Treasury employ standards and procedures akin to those used by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department. This promotes uniformity among current federal policy and clarifies things for consumers.
In 2022, GM only shipped 122 Lyriq vehicles to Americans. The classifications were defended by a Treasury spokesperson who claimed that the organization used fuel economy standards “which are already-existing EPA regulations that manufacturers are well-acquainted with. These specifications provide precise criteria for distinguishing between cars and SUVs.”
The EV tax credit was changed by legislation approved by Congress in August, and the 200,00 vehicle per manufacturer cap that had made GM and Tesla (TSLA.O) ineligible for EV tax credits as of January 1 was also removed.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, stated this week that the EV tax rules were “messed up.” The Tesla Model Y seven-seat version is an SUV and is eligible for the credit, whereas the five-seat version is not.
While the all-wheel drive version is considered an SUV, the Volkswagen (VOWG p.DE) ID.4 is not, according to the IRS. Friday, VW declined to comment.
Treasury announced last month that it would postpone until March the release of proposed guidance on the mandatory sourcing of EV batteries. As a result, some EVs that don’t comply with the new standards have a limited window of opportunity to qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit before the battery regulations take effect.


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News mentioning Dirty Culture
The triple-CD compilation will also mark the Melbourne promoters' first label release.
New Jersey's Little Helpers label will kick start its mix series next month.
The German artist mixes up his own label on the upcoming compilation.
The Stuttgart-based artist showcases his Affin label on a new collection, due for release in December.Search news for Dirty Culture

domain: news


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The Wall Street Journal reports Nokia plans to show a low-end Android phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month.
Apparently the phone was in development before Microsoft purchased Nokia’s handset business. Continue reading
In December Paul Thurrott’s Supersite for Windows published Windows Phone Turned the Corner in 2013. Thurrott is an influential US blogger and his story was picked up by other media.
Thurrott’s story looks at what went to make 2013 a turnaround year for Microsoft’s smartphone operating system.
However 2013 wasn’t all good news for Windows Phone. In January GigaOm’s Kevin C. Tofel reported a murkier picture in Nokia finishes 2013 with 30M Lumias sold, ending on a falling note. That’s significant as it was the last quarter before Microsoft is expected to take control of the business. Continue reading
You get a lot of smartphone for $500 with the Lumia 625. It includes most of the features you’ll find in Androids and other smartphones costing twice as much. There’s a decent back camera for photos and one on the front for video chatting. There’s Bluetooth, GPS and the phone will work on today’s 3G networks as well as the fast 4G services that are being rolled out around the country.


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Trio of Small Businesses Handles Torrent of E-Waste
But that 3,000 tons is just a fraction ... 99 percent of its inventory on eBay and is a top-rated seller on the popular website. Green Penguin has 3,100 unique listings on eBay, with one to 300 units of each, that sell anywhere from $2.79 to $2,500.
Climbing Up, Sliding Down: When it comes to jobs, all things are never equal
When it comes to jobs, not all times and places are equal ... 29.4 percent includes full-time students, homemakers, disabled individuals, people in prison, the idle rich, and people who have simply given up on landing a job. The fraction of that ...
Columbia proceeds with natural-gas deal despite environmental questions
The city uses 2 percent to ... with some fraction of renewable sources," Lile said. The report pointed out many troublesome environmental factors of the fuel, one of which is that "compressed natural gas is about equivalent to gasoline" in emitting ...
What’s New In Taxes: Year-End 2013 Tax Planning
Now is pretty much the last time to keep more of your hard-earned money by making those financial tweaks that will cut your tax bill for 2013 ... The credit is equal to the lesser of 10 percent of the cost of such a vehicle or $2,500.
MS Licenses Lapse—What's Next?
The Software Assurance fee is equivalent ... replace some of the 2,500 Windows PCs he currently supports. If so, it will be because of both the licensing cost increase and support costs. "The idea that we would have to pay a 30 percent maintenance fee ...


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- EAC Secretariat Secretary-General Peter Mathuki has hailed the governments of the Republic of Rwanda and the Republic of Uganda for their efforts ahead of the reopening of the Gatuna-Katuna border post
- He said the reopening would strengthen bilateral ties between the two EAC Partner States, which will revitalise social, economic and political relations
- Mathuki added that the border would also promote peace and security across the region
The EAC Secretariat has lauded Rwanda and Uganda for their efforts to reopen the Gatuna-Katuna border post on 31st January 2022.
In a statement seen by The Exchange Africa, EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki hailed the move terming it as a boost to regional integration.
The move, he added, would strengthen bilateral ties between the two EAC Partner States, which will revitalise social, economic and political relations.
“Reopening this strategic trade route is in line with the EAC Common Market Protocol and will speed up economic and social development of the Partner States by reviving the free movement of goods, persons, capital and labour,” said Mathuki.
The Secretary-General also observed that the reopening of the border would also promote peace and security across the region.
“The move reflects the deep commitment and existing goodwill among the EAC Heads of State to widen and deepen cooperation in the bloc, particularly as the Community expands with the expected entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said.
According to Mathuki, the community has been committed to supporting initiatives that promote regional integration within East Africa.
“The Secretariat is ready to provide any technical support that may be required to ensure sustainability on the movement of goods and services across all the borders,” said Mathuki.
The reopening of the border will spark social and economic activities and benefit the informal cross-border traders who rely on the two Partner States for the supply and market of their goods.
It will also fast-track the operationalisation of the Gatuna-Katuna One-Stop Border Post and reduce the cost of doing business across East Africa.
Reopening of the Tanzania and Uganda border
Mathuki’s remarks come when the East African Business Council (EABC) CEO John Bosco Kalisa has called for the full operationalisation of Mutukula One-Stop Border Post.
Bosco said trade facilitation officials would be deployed to offer 24 hours’ service on the Uganda side for the seamless flow of cargo between Tanzania and Uganda.
”All agencies on the Tanzania side offer 24hrs services, but on the Uganda side, only the immigration department operates 24hrs at the Mutukula border,” he noted.
Kalisa explained that East Africans could not trade with each other because NTBs imposed EAC originating products that countries have a comparative advantage.
He appealed to the EAC Partner States to abolish tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) on rice and maise.
In 2020, Tanzania goods exports to Uganda reached USD.743.6 million while imports stood at USD. 95.1 million (International Trade Centre).
Joseph Cosmas from Tanzania Chambers of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (TCCIA) noted that the Uganda and Tanzania planting and harvesting seasons are different and added that the ban affected imports of maise.
“The import ban on maise from Uganda by Tanzania is affecting the competitiveness and growth of intra-EAC trade as trucks export products to Uganda and return empty, instead of bringing back to Tanzania the harvested maise during deficit season.”
Moses Kadera, Chair of Tanzania Freight Forwarders Association(TAFFA), noted that the excise tax on rice was increased by Uganda from 6% to 13%, creating unpredictable and paralysing Uganda- Tanzania trade at Mutukula.
They spoke during an EABC-TMEA public-private dialogue at Mutukula OSBP that attracted over 50 delegates composed of Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and trade facilitation agencies.
Others included importers, exporters, transporters, women cross-border traders and the Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI).
The EABC-TMEA public-private dialogue at Mutukula OSBP charted out several recommendations, including creating a trade information desk for women small-scale traders.
They also called for financial support for cross border business recovery amid Covid-19 and sensitisation campaigns on customs procedures, among others.


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Google Analytics: E-commerce Tracking is a feature that allows you to track the sales and conversion data of your online store. It provides valuable insights that ..
There are many different types of luxury watches that collectors can choose from. However, there are 10 iconic luxury watches that every collector should own. These ..
Employees of the company, whose project NASA has chosen to build houses on Mars, said that their housing can be adapted for earthly needs. The Marsha capsule, consisting ..
The Huawei manufacturing company from the People’s Republic of China has reached the final stage of the development of the so-called “augmented reality glasses”. It ..
Experts and journalists of the resource Steerexpert decided to make a rating of crossovers, which cannot be called off-road vehicles in the full sense, but they ..
Engineers of the Celestial Empire are going to surprise the world by creating the longest underwater structure – a tunnel 125 kilometers long. The facility ..
Magnetic Exercise Bike NordicTrack GX3.4 is a great option for home workouts. Stylish, to be in place in any home, modern designed in accordance ..
Apple invited journalists to the presentation, which is expected to present its own video service. Apple Inc. representatives Journalists were invited to an event ..
Google removed about two billion ads and blocked 90 thousand websites due to violations of current legislation. This “cleansing” was carried out as part of their new ..
Apple has tested its intellectual “heart” hours. The results did not please the experts. Specialists from the American Apple Corporation, together with ..


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Things aren't looking very good for everyone's favorite piece of space junk. Yesterday Slashdot reported on this story about a space fungus that's been slowly eating the station alive. Apparently the mold was discovered twelve years ago crusting over one of Mir's windows, and has since spread to many of the station's systems. Think I'm kidding? Here's a quote:
A microbiologist, Natalia Novikova, eventually identified the growth as an aggressive space fungus. And since then, she's had her hands full examining the various forms of fungi found growing aboard the ship. The aging Mir, it turns out, is nearly overrun with the stuff. Visitors have found numerous fungal patches with hues between green and black, feeding behind control panels, slowly digesting the ship's air conditioner, communications unit, and myriad other surfaces. Pull out an insulation panel on Mir, and you'll probably find fungus.
But Mir's problems don't stop there. After being abandoned by the Russian government last year, Mir was taken over by a company calling themselves MirCorp. Unfortunately, MirCorp has just about run out of money, and unless $7-10 million is raised in the next few days, plans will be made to de-orbit Mir sometime after its 15 year anniversary this February.
The captains of the Russian space industry sealed the fate of the Mir space station during a crucial meeting on Tuesday.
Officials decided to send the outpost crashing back to Earth soon after it marks its 15th anniversary in orbit in February 2001.
That's not all though. Unless someone comes up with an additional $60 million to fund another mission to Mir, the station will be dropped out of orbit and sent plummenting to Earth. So this February if you're outside and see a large burning object falling from the sky, watch out for the mold. Thanks to Slashdot for the links.
|Zotac Magnus EN1080 may be the fastest mini-PC yet||3|
|Seagate 5TB BarraCuda and 2TB FireCuda drives are big and speedy||17|
|Nvidia licenses Rambus' DPA tech for side-channel data leak prevention||17|
|iOS 10.1 update includes portrait mode beta for iPhone 7 Plus||6|
|Lenovo ThinkCentre and ThinkPad machines pack AMD PRO APUs||23|
|Biostar belatedly announces GTX 1060 graphics cards||13|
|HyperX Alloy keyboard gets lean and mean for FPS gaming||11|
|AMD drops prices on the Radeon RX 460 and RX 470||54|
|Reports: Radeon RX 470D is a budget Polaris card for China||9|
|Signing your posts is daftly redundant. Meadows||+27|


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Why Chinese restaurants are changing their menu to cater to the global population
Indian diners have been increasingly turning to Chinese restaurants in the US, where their cuisine has become increasingly globalised.
While most American diners opt for the familiar menu of Asian-influenced dishes, Indian dinaries have been experimenting with new cuisine such as dim sum, Thai and Filipino cuisine and a new trend is the Chinese version of Thai pizza.
A new restaurant in Houston is also trying to change the way Americans eat by offering a traditional Indian dessert made from rice and sugar.
In 2017, the restaurant named as Bishan, which opened at a time when Indian food was becoming more popular, was widely seen as an example of what could be possible.
“I think it’s a sign that the trend in Indian food is catching on in America, especially in the last five years or so,” said Vijay Sharma, the chef.
Sharma, who runs the Indian-themed restaurant in the trendy downtown neighbourhood of Katy, said his restaurant was a way to try to introduce a more traditional Indian meal to a more modern American palate.
The menu at Bishasan features “ladybugs”, a rice cake filled with a sweet-sour doughnut, which is served with a fried egg.
One of the dishes is called “kichuri”, which is a dish of fried rice noodles, and is made with a rice doughnut and a sweetened condensed milk sauce.
On the menu, customers can choose between a chicken dosa with curried onions and rice, a lamb dosa topped with curries and rice or a chicken korma with currys and rice.
Bishan is also selling a chicken chowmein with curras and rice and a potato curry with curraks and rice for a portion of $13.50.
It is an unusual approach to traditional Indian food, which traditionally consists of curries, curries with rice, curried chicken and curries.
A chicken chowder is served in a bowl with currants and rice with a side of rice.
A dim sum restaurant in New York, named Nandamala, was recently named the world’s best restaurant by US magazine Fast Company.
The menu is called Biyo, which translates to “sister”.
The menu includes traditional dim sum with currant and rice noodles and a side.
Nandamla is also known for its Chinese take on a traditional Chinese dish called biyo.
It has a Chinese take-out window that is open during peak times and serves a special dim sum dinner that is served on a bamboo skewer.
When I’m in India, I’m happy to come home with dim sum.
I have friends who have lived in the U.S. for a long time.
The best thing about being in India is the freedom of choice, said Ramana Chaudhuri, the owner of Nandamsal.
I think the more people are going to learn about Indian food and the more they can learn from Indian chefs, the better,” she said.
At the same time, she said, Indian restaurants were beginning to make their mark in the mainstream, where Americans were now more interested in their traditional food.
As a result, the Chinese restaurant business in the United States is now booming, with restaurants like Bishansan and Nandamaras, as well as Chinese-themed restaurants like Nandamas, opening their doors.
Indian restaurant owners are becoming increasingly concerned about the future of the restaurant business.
They say the trend of Indian restaurants becoming more globalised could result in food being mislabeled, sold in different locations or mislabelled as Chinese food.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently issued a warning that mislabeling food is a potential food safety risk, citing the use of Chinese-branded foods and food that has been mislabeled in the past as Chinese.
In December, the USDA issued a directive to food manufacturers to stop using Chinese-brand ingredients in food.


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VF Corp. has tapped one of its own, Karen Murray, to serve as president of its sportswear coalition.
With this promotion, Murray, who joined VF last September as president of the Nautica Men's Sportswear and Nautica Jeans Co. business, will oversee both the Nautica and Kipling businesses in the U.S.
VF has yet to name a replacement for Murray in her former post and has not pinpointed when that might happen, according to a company spokeswoman.
Murray was not available for comment Thursday. She assumes a post vacated by Denise Seegal, who left the firm in May. Seegal exited less than a month after VF revealed plans to close Nautica's women's sportswear business. At that time, sources speculated Murray would be Seegal's likely successor.
VF's sportswear coalition also includes the John Varvatos business, which is led by Varvatos, who reports to Eric Wiseman, president and chief executive officer, the spokeswoman said.
Murray and Seegal worked together at Liz Claiborne. Prior to joining VF, Murray logged 15 years at Liz Claiborne, most recently as group president for men's wear, midtier, international alliances and licensing.
At VF, Murray reports to Wiseman. On Thursday, Wiseman touched upon her rapid ascension: "A proven leader with a track record of success in men's sportswear, Karen has demonstrated exceptional leadership since joining VF and has brought fresh perspectives and energy to the business. I have great confidence in the improvements Karen's team is making in Nautica sportswear, and in her ability to execute our long-term vision for the coalition."
While there will be the typical exchange of ideas between Murray's department and VF's newly formed contemporary brand coalition, she will not be responsible for the latter. Earlier this month, the Greensboro, N.C.-based manufacturing giant acquired one-third of the capital stock of Mo Industries Holdings Inc., owner of the Splendid and Ella Moss women's labels. VF's contemporary brand coalition was founded last July when the company acquired premium denim brand Seven For All Mankind and women's active lifestyle company Lucy Activewear for an estimated $885 million.
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews
“Stranger Things” is getting a new cast member for season 2. Meet @sadiesink_, the 15-year-old who will be joining the Netflix series for its new season. You may recognize her from “The Glass Castle” with Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson, but the Texas native’s next role goes in an entirely different direction. She describes her character, Max, as “a rough and tumble skater girl [who] becomes friends with the boys at school.” The second season debuts on October 27. (📷: @jgreenery) #wwdeye
Amid the Harvey Weinstein controversy, there’s another sector that’s being put under the spotlight for sexual abuse: the modeling industry. While rumors about abuse and sexual harassment of female and male models — and the photographers, agents and others who perpetrated it — have circulated within the fashion world for years, model @cameronrussell started posting stories from models on Instagram last week about abusive situations they’ve encountered — from sexual harassment and molestation to attempted rape. Over 75 have weighed in so far. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. #wwdnews
To celebrate its 16th anniversary, @dylanscandybar tapped designers and celebrities to create mosaics out of candy. The mosaics will be auctioned off to support the philanthropic cause of each participant’s choice. Pictured here is the mural created by @aliceandolivia's Stacey Bendet. For a first look at some of the other artwork being unveiled tonight, go to WWD.com. #wwdeye
The annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Pacific Palisades this weekend drew Kate Hudson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Laura Dern and more. See pictures of the star-studded event on WWD.com. (📷: @chelsealaurenla) #wwdeye
In his new book “Hollywood Royale,” Andy Warhol’s Protégé Matthew Rolston celebrates the Eighties revival of Hollywood glamour. Featuring more than 100 portraits taken by Rolston from 1977 to 1993, the book contains photos of icons like Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and @drewbarrymore, pictured here in 1991. “Hollywood Royale,” out today, will be accompanied by an exhibition opening at Los Angeles’ Fahey/Klein Gallery on March 1. #wwdeye


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Online Gambling Firms Targeting the Wrong Audience
- Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
- Share this article:
Only 21 per cent of consumers believe online gambling companies are targeting the right audience with their marketing, while two thirds are concerned at the amount of advertising for gambling online, according to a report released today by digital marketing company IgnitionOne.
The report interviewed over 2,000 members of the British public, including over 600 active or previous online gamblers, as well as speaking to 11 senior marketers in the sector. Among those who currently gamble online or have in the past, 49 per cent used between two and four different sites, with women more likely to use just a single site.
According to the marketers interviewed, the increase in new platforms like mobiles and tablets makes acquiring new customers difficult and costly, as each new platform requires a specific approach. While both the public at large and marketers placed more importance on television advertising as a tool for driving use, those who were current or former gamblers said that online ads were just as important.
The report also revealed what factors influenced gamblers choice of site, with an easy user experience, the quality of the games offered and regular discounts cited as the most important aspects. Corporate responsibility was also a big driver, with 52 per cent saying the knowledge that the company paid taxes in the UK influenced their decision; 50 per cent pointing to a system that limited spending as important; and 44 per cent preferring sites that make a financial contribution towards the treatment of gambling addicts.
Simon Haynes, managing director of IgnitionOne, said “We recognise the challenges that online gambling marketers face and how difficult it is to reach the right audience through digital and traditional channels, amidst a minefield of issues related to regulation, reputation and responsibility. We believe that online gambling marketers have only scratched the surface of what can be achieved with innovative digital marketing and that ROI from online channels can be achieved by using the right technology.”


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CLOQUET, MN -- Americans are still stocking up on guns.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the FBI processed 7.8 million background checks for gun purchases nationwide between March and June.
In June 2020, the Wall Street Journal reports Minnesota processed twice as many background checks as it did in June 2019.
Sales of firearms first climbed at the start of the pandemic, but business owners are still reaping the benefits into July.
"Every day new people walk through the door, it's great," said Owner of Dead on Arms, a gun shop and shooting range in Cloquet, Chad Walsh.
Walsh said Wednesday his fire-arm sales and permit to carry classes are hitting an all-time high.
"Firearms sales are up. They're up about 300% from last year. [Permit to carry class sales] is up about 225% from last year," said Walsh.
Walsh says he's having a difficult time keeping up with demand.
"We make our own AR's here, and we are having problems getting parts from the actual manufacturers because the demand is so high," said Walsh.
He credits the uptick to the nation's current climate.
"People, they're nervous. Normally we find an uptick in March, April, May in gun sales, but this year was unusual due to all the civil unrest and everything that is going on with the pandemic," added Walsh.
Having a background in law enforcement, Walsh said people could also just be using their 2nd Amendment right.
"Yes, law enforcement will get there when they can but it's your ultimate responsibility to protect you and your family."
Dead on Arms isn't alone, Superior Shooters Supply said their gun sales have doubled since last year.


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Project Agora co-founds Union, the new EMEA Video Platform
The joint venture by five leading media technology companies offers local publishers and international brands a new video advertising solution
To empower local publishers in catering for premium inventory demand by international advertisers, Project Agora has partnered with like-minded regional media technology providers PlayAD, ShowHeroes, Video Intelligence and Viralize to launch Union, a new video platform for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
With a total of over 300 employees located in 34 cities, the five companies enjoy strategic relationships with thousands of local market websites across the EMEA region providing video content, monetization and technology to publishers.
Union aims to assist premium local content providers in accessing video ad spend from international brands who want to support local media at a time when their trusted content is needed more than ever by their readers.
At the same time, by offering a new source of quality supply, Union enables international advertisers to activate video campaigns on the local sites that really matter to their target audiences.
Available programmatically and as a managed solution, Union brings a unique blend of pre-roll and outstream video formats to market, providing advertisers with powerful contextual targeting on brand safe, trusted publishers and a total audience of nearly 300 million users. Union’s publisher partners include global brands such as Marie Claire, Elle, Vanity Fair and CNN, as well as leading local publishers such as Aller Media, Axel Springer, Stryia, Libero and Funke Media Group.
Steven Filler has been announced as Managing Director for Union and will lead the launch across EMEA. In over 20 years of experience in the digital industry, Steven has held major commercial roles across a range of leading companies including The Guardian and AOL and, upon his appointment, he said: “The current global crisis has highlighted the continued importance of local quality media in providing the truth and guidance to readers, so that they can be informed citizens. At the same time, advertisers demand more quality, brand safe video inventory and Union makes this possible through a single-entry point while also allowing brands to support the publishers that really matter to their local audiences.”
Odysseas Ntotsikas, founder of Project Agora, said: “The launch of the Union is further reinforcing and expanding the reach of Project Agora’s mission to Keep the Open Web Open. Local Publishers so far unable to attract advertising budgets from international advertisers and trading desks can now see an uplift in such revenues by working with Project Agora, Union’s founding partner in Central, SE Europe and MEA. For local advertisers looking to advertise out of their home market there is now a unique opportunity to see their brand in the top local sites of every European market that people trust for their news and entertainment”.
Reach out to learn how you can benefit from Union’s services via our form.


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Nintendo announced during the last Wii U-focused Nintendo Direct, which took place in January, that a new 3D Mario platformer and Mario Kart for Wii U are scheduled to be playable at this year’s E3. Also during the online presentation the company touched on the next original The Legend of Zelda game for its latest console.
Although none of them were given official names, pre-order pages for all three games have already popped up on Walmart’s website. The retailer is listing these three Wii U games for pre-order: Mario 3D, Zelda 2 (RPG) and Mario Kart U. Note that “Zelda 2 (RPG)” isn’t referring to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker remake, as that title has a pre-order page, too.
Pre-orders for upcoming Wii U-exclusive The Wonderful 101 are now being accepted by retailers. To pre-order the action video game from GameStop, go here, or click here to pre-order it from Amazon. Nintendo has yet to confirm a release date for the title, but it was initially classified as a launch window game, which is the period beginning November 18th, 2012, and ending March 31st.
Capcom USA is currently holding a promotion for those looking to purchase the Wii U version of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. Those of you who pre-order the game with Capcom USA will be eligible to receive a free Wii Classic Controller Pro to play the game with. The free accessory is only available to those that pre-order and there will presumably be a limited stock quantity.
Pokémon X and Pokémon Y were revealed earlier this month, and both of them will be released this year exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS. Amazon.com has begun taking pre-orders for the two role-playing games. If you want to encounter the legendary four-legged deer, Xerneas, pre-order Pokémon X here. If you want to catch the legendary Y-shaped bird, Yveltal, pre-order Pokémon Y from the online retailer here. Pokémon X and Pokémon Y will launch worldwide in October.
Although Wii-exclusive Pandora’s Tower launched last year in Australia and Europe, thanks to publisher Xseed Games, the action role-playing game will finally be released in North America this Spring. It was rumored yesterday that GameStop no longer accepts pre-orders for Wii games; however, this is not true, as consumers can pre-order Pandora’s Tower from the American video game retailer. Consumers can also pre-order the game from online retailer Amazon.com. Based on both retailers’ listings, the game’s price tag is $39.99.
American video game and entertainment retailer GameStop has apparently stopped taking pre-orders for upcoming Wii games. The reason for this is because GameStop supposedly wants to have more virtual space available for Wii U pre-orders. The Wii is over six years old, and Nintendo confirmed that it’s no longer developing new Wii titles. However, there are publishers that are still bringing games to the aging platform, including Xseed with the localization of Pandora’s Tower for North America and Disney Interactive Studios with Disney Infinity, both of which will be released this year.
Update: Pandora’s Tower Now Available For Pre-Order From Amazon And GameStop
Pre-order Konami’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate from GameStop to receive a case that features artwork of three Castlevania characters – Trevor, Simon and Alucard. The game launches next year and is exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS.
Pre-order the game from GameStop here.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops II‘s release date is November 13th for existing platforms, including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, and November 18th for Wii U. However, consumers are already receiving their pre-ordered copies of Wii U’s version of the game from online retailer Amazon, although the new console launches in a week.
UK retailer GAME has just begun taking pre-orders for the cute yellow Pikachu Nintendo 3DS XL console which was confirmed for Europe a few months back. The handheld will set you back a reasonable £179.99, but the release date has yet to be announced.
Wii U’s version of Call of Duty: Black Ops II launches alongside the new console on November 18th. “The game is not natively 1080p,” says its publisher, Activision. This means that the Wii U will be able to upconvert the resolution to 1080p, but it will not be native. Activision also confirmed that if you pre-order the Wii U version of the game, you’ll receive the Nuketown 2025 bonus multiplayer map for free.


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With Wall Street penciling out breakup values for Sara Lee Corp. that are as much as twice the company's current market capitalization, CEO Brenda Barnes is under pressure to deliver strong financial results next month.
Sweeter in slices?
It's been a struggle for Ms. Barnes, who is four years into a five-year turnaround effort. Sara Lee has missed analysts' earnings expectations for the past two quarters, and the stock fell to an eight-year low last week.
Now, some analysts calculate that Sara Lee's pieces could be worth much more than the whole. Sara Lee's market cap is $8.6 billion, but its six units could fetch between $13 billion and $18 billion, according to Alexia Howard, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York.
The difference in values underscores the need for Sara Lee to report strong fiscal fourth-quarter results next month and to improve performance in the next fiscal year.
"I'm sure there will be vocalization from activist investors if there is not improvement in the next six to nine months," Ms. Howard says. "If they can't make improvements, the question may become: Should they think about selling part of the business?"
Downers Grove-based Sara Lee's stock, which closed Thursday at $12.15, has lost more than 38% of its value since Ms. Barnes took over in February 2005. The S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index rose 14% in that time.
Sara Lee is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of about 12.4, compared with Kraft Foods Inc. at 15.8, General Mills Inc. at 16.7, Kellogg Co. at 17.7 and H. J. Heinz Co. at 18.1.
Ms. Barnes originally vowed to boost operating profit margins to 12% by 2010 but later backed off that timetable. Today, operating margins stand at around 7.5%.
Earlier in her tenure, Ms. Barnes sold or spun off 40% of Sara Lee's businesses to focus on core food, beverage and household divisions. In February, she hinted to analysts that Sara Lee was ready to look at acquisitions, and many speculated the company would purchase bakeries or bread brands.
But since then, Sara Lee has missed analysts' earnings targets as it struggles to offset soaring commodity costs. The company has set high expectations for the fourth quarter, which ended June 30.
"As I look at the results to date and what we need to achieve in the final quarter of the year, I recognize, as I am sure you do, too, we need a strong conclusion to the year," Ms. Barnes told analysts on May 6.
Analysts expect fourth-quarter earnings of about 26 cents a share, compared with 17 cents last year.
"They need to start delivering the goods, and the fourth quarter is very important for Ms. Barnes," says Tim Ramey, an analyst with D. A. Davidson & Co. in Oregon. "If they start to deliver this year, I think it will keep Ms. Barnes off the frying pan."
Selling off all the businesses would lead to heavy taxes, Mr. Ramey says, but Sara Lee could shed its overseas household and body care division.
He estimates the unit which includes Kiwi shoe polish and Sanex body care brands could fetch about $5 billion and attract consumer product giants such as Procter & Gamble Co., Unilever PLC and Henkel A.G. & Co.
Bernstein's Ms. Howard also sees household and body care as the most likely sale candidate; she values the unit between $3.5 billion and $5.8 billion.
A Sara Lee spokesman declines to comment.
Higher ingredient costs have hurt foodmakers' profits, but deals are still being made, says David Epstein, a principal with J. H. Chapman Group LLC, a Rosemont food industry investment bank.
"Every few years, food companies shuffle the deck, and it's about time Sara Lee took a look at all its businesses and determined whether they would be better off with someone else," Mr. Epstein says. "They definitely could be a player in acquisitions or divestitures."


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GLN & Remitly enable cross-border digital remittances in Korea
By Gloria Mathias
GLN International, a subsidiary of Hana Bank (GLN), has launched a cross-border remittance service with Remitly, offering instant, secure, and inexpensive money transfers from abroad to all domestic bank accounts in Korea.
The service aims to benefit Korean residents, international students, and other overseas remittance customers. With Remitly, a U.S.-based remittance platform, GLN seamlessly disburses funds to the preferred domestic bank accounts of the recipients in Korea by leveraging GLN’s bank-level secure platform.
In August, the Korean financial regulator granted GLN the license to carry out its cross-border remittance service. Through the stability of its transaction processing system and enhanced security, GLN is becoming a growing, bank-backed FinTech company and gaining recognition from trusted companies such as Remitly.
GLN International Inc.’s CEO, Kim Kyung-ho, expressed his enthusiasm for the expanded opportunities for domestic and international customers to benefit from overseas remittance services through GLN’s robust global payment network.
He emphasized that overseas remittance is a pivotal aspect of GLN’s global market expansion strategy, and with the upcoming initiation of domestic-to-overseas remittance services, they plan to collaborate with various partners to further expand the global remittance market.
To build its global financial network business, GLN leverages KEB Hana Bank’s global banking network, stringent Anti-Money Laundering (AML) system and compliance policies
GLN services are now available in the following countries and regions: Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Remitly is an international payments company that leverages digital channels, including mobile phones, to send money internationally. Remitly’s digital products are fundamentally faster, less expensive, and more convenient for customers to send money across borders.


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While mingling in an open-air pen, the turkeys at K.L. Lemmon & Son in Manchester gobbled up food and water to ready themselves for the holidays.
"The turkey is the centerpiece of the meal," said Kendall Lemmon, co-owner of K.L. Lemmon & Son. "It's always a good feeling when you contribute to someone's
Lemmon said this year's turkeys will range from 12 to 35 pounds. Lemmon, who farms with his wife Vicky and their 25-year-old son Kyle, plans to sell 1,000 turkeys between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
"People like to know where their meat is coming from. They like to buy local and buy fresh," Lemmon said.
Lemmon said customers look for tenderness, flavor and juiciness in their turkeys.
"Part of that comes from the raising and part of that comes from the processing. Once you've had a fresh turkey, you don't want to go back to the store and get a frozen one," Lemmon said.
Lemmon explained the turkeys are hybrid converters, bred for efficient feed-to-meat conversion.
"They're free range," Lemmon said. "We give them lots of room, fresh air, and we get their feed from a local feed dealer."
Lemmon, who has raised turkeys for six years, said he has several groups of turkeys with different target weights.
"The first group started in May, and these were hatched in August," said Lemmon, pointing to a group of birds. "We usually get them at a couple of days old."
Lemmon explained that he uses red feeders because the color encourages the turkeys to eat.
"It's all automated," Lemmon said. "They have full feed, free choice. The more they eat, the bigger they get."
Lemmon explained that the ideal turkey size depends on the number of people at the table.
"You should usually plan about a pound per person," Lemmon said. "Some people like the leftovers. They think the best part of Thanksgiving is the next day's turkey sandwich."
Lemmon, who has been farming for a little more than 30 years, said the turkeys supplement the farm's income. They have 75 acres and also grow hay, straw, grain and beef cattle.
"It's all just good fun," Lemmon said. "It's a good life. Very family-oriented."
Lemmon said three-fourths of the customers come back year after year.
"Lots of businesses give them out to their employees as gifts of appreciation," Lemmon said.
Carroll Tree Service's chief financial officer, Steve Sprague, said their company has purchased K.L. Lemmon & Son's turkeys for over five years.
"They're fresh, the price is fair, and they drop them right off for us. No muss, no fuss," Sprague said. "The turkeys are always good quality, and they're always on time and ready to go."
Darling & Daughters office manager Patti Jacobs said the company has been buying K.L. Lemmon & Son's turkeys for their employees for years and they "always look forward to it."
"The owners of the company try to keep it local and support small businesses," Jacobs said. "There's nothing that compares to a fresh turkey. They're delicious."
Vicky Lemmon said the family sets up a stand on the farm every year to pass out the turkeys. Customers can pick up the birds on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Thursday and Friday before Christmas.
"It's a real social event. We love it!" she said. "People see each other and like to catch up. A lot of people come out every year."
"Handing them out is exciting," Kendall Lemmon added. "It's nice when they come back and say, 'We enjoyed your bird.'"
Places to order fresh turkeys
•Baugher's Orchard & Farm, 1015 Baugher Road, Westminster. Call 410-848-7490 to order.
•Bullocks Country Meats & Farm Market, 2020 Sykesville Road, Westminster. 10 to 35 lbs. Call 410-848-6786 for prices.
•Chestnut Creek Farm, 3610 Baker Road, Westminster. 15 to 25 lbs. $3/lb. Call 410-746-5768 or email email@example.com to order.
•K.L. Lemmon & Son, 2510 Ebbvale Road, Manchester. 12 to 35 lbs. $3/lb. Call 410-374-3133 to order.
•Local Homestead Products, 2425 Marston Road, New Windsor. 10 to 28+ lbs. $3.29/lb. Order by Thursday, Nov. 10 by calling 410-635-2011.
•R.F. Warner Sons, 4229 Main St., Manchester. 14 to 30 lbs. $3.75/lb. Call 410-374-2660 to order.
•Truck Patch Farms, 3205 Sams Creek Road, New Windsor. 12 to 22 lbs. White broad breasted $4.79/lb. Heritage $5.79/lb. To order, email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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NEW YORK (Jan. 16)
Israel succeeded in reducing its trade deficit in 1984 by $1 billion-from $3.5 in 1983 to $2.5 billion last year-it was reported by the Economic Office of the Government of Israel here.
In disclosing Israel’s first economic statistics covering the full year of 1984, Uri Oren, a consul and government spokesman, also said that Israeli exports of goods and services rose by 13 percent in 1984 while imports of goods and services fell by 1 percent. Most of the gain in exports came in industrial products, especially electronics and metals, he noted.
Another favorable development was a decline in Israel’s balance-of-payments deficit last year, Oren reported. He said the decrease amounted to about 12 percent or some $600 million, compared with 1983.
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION DOWN SHARPLY
The Israeli spokesman said that “a conscious government policy to discourage private spending” had resulted in a drop in consumption, on a percapita basis, of 7 percent compared with 1983. This decline, he said, was the largest year-to-year decrease in this category since 1950, a year of large-scale immigration to Israel.
“The actual erosion in the purchasing power of Israelis in real or dollar terms was more than 20 percent in 1984,” Oren declared. “This decline in the ability of Israelis to buy on the local market encouraged producers to seek bigger markets abroad, leading in turn to the rise in Israeli exports.”
NO CHANGE IN GNP
The Israeli official noted that the Israeli system of linking wage increases to the rise in the cost of living had been significantly altered under the terms of an agreement late last year among the government, the Histadrut, and the Israeli Manufacturers Association. Whereas workers had previously been compensated by wage increases amounting to 80 percent of inflation, the new rate is only 60 percent of the former linkage.
“This means, in fact, that the linkage now covers less than half of the rise in the cost of living or 48 percent,” Oren said.
Other statistics released by the Israeli Economic Offices here showed government spending up 3 percent-“largely as a result of a substantial rise in defense-related imports,” Oren said-and a decline in local investment of 9 percent.
During 1984, he said, Israel’s gross national product was the same as it had been in 1983. Manufacturing output in 1984 rose 1.2 percent over the previous year.


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The company would increase the capacity of the plant to 790 million litres a year in 2024 and 1.215 billion litres a year in 2030, as well as extend the project’s life to 50 years.
At the ceremony to hand over the certificate of investment, Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee said he appreciated the contribution of American investors in general and Coca-Cola Vietnam in particular in the export of Hanoi as well as the city’s socioeconomic development. He said the city would do all it can to facilitate the operation of Coca-Cola Vietnam.
Coca-Cola Vietnam started investment in Vietnam with a project in Hanoi in 1994. The project is located in Duyen Thai commune of Thuong Tin district.
From 1994 to 2013 the company did not pay a dime of corporate income tax though it continuously invested in expanding operations. In 2014 however, the company reported profit and paid the authorities $20 million in tax.
The company was among many multinationals in operating in Vietnam suspected of transfer pricing. According to number earlier released, since its establishment in February of 1994 to the end of 2010 the company incurred cumulative loss of VND3.768 trillion ($166.8 million), higher than the initial investment of VND800 billion ($35.42 million). In 2011, 2012 and 2013 it continued to report loss. The reason for the loss, according to the company, is the very high cost of ingredients that it has to import from the parent company, and this expense accounts for between 70 and 85 per cent of the cost of production.


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China-based Knano Graphene Technology launched an ambitious project to construct a large-scale graphene production plant. We talked to the company's marketing chief to learn more about this interesting project.
Knano aims to finish construction by the end of 2016, and to start shipping products to customers in 2017. The new plant will mostly produce graphene-enhanced pastes, used for coatings and as Li-Ion battery anode materials. Knano says it already has customers that approved these products produced at the company's current production lines.
The new plant's total annual capacity will be 2,200 tons:
- 1,000 tons of graphene paste for Li-Ion batteries
- 1,000 tons of graphene paste for coating applications
- 100 tons of graphene nanoplatelets
- 50 tons of graphene plastic masterbatch
- 50 tons of graphene powder
The graphene paste uses about 5% graphene, which means that total annual capacity will be around 250 tons/year of actual graphene. If this plans goes through, KNano's plant will be the world's largest graphene plant (or the second largest, if China's Ningo Morsh 300 ton/year graphene plant is operational at full capacity, it is not clear).
It is very interesting to hear that Knano already lined-up customers for battery and coating applications. Batteries are one of the most interesting graphene applications in the near future. Check out our own Graphene Batteries Market Report to learn more about this market.
Knano's current graphene flake plant is operational, and can produce a few dozens tons per year. The company holds more than 40 patents, and is a public company that trades in China's OTC stock exchange (NEEQ:836410).


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iPhone customers today received a Google gift, the ability to download and use Google Translate for their mobile devices.
While Google Translate had been made available in an HTML5 format, the actual application was never released via the Apple App Store.
The HTML5 version was also missing several important enhancements including speak-to-translate which offers 15 languages, the option to listen to translations in 23 languages and a full-screen mode for easier text reading.
While those features are all added bonuses, the Android app still has a few exclusive tricks up its sleeve including conversation mode which translates words on the fly.
Have you tried out the iPhone version of the app yet? Leave us a message with your first opinions of the program.


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Bharti Airtel’s DTH platform, Airtel Digital TV has been launching new offers for its new subscribers. Airtel Digital TV is one of the most popular choices out there in case you are in search of a new DTH connection. However, this piece of news is not about a new promotion from Airtel Digital TV or a product but about a major new channel addition that has been made on Airtel Digital TV. As per the updates from the subscribers and the channel list of Airtel Digital TV, a new addition that has been made for the subscribers' choice includes “Times Now Navbharat HD”.
Airtel Digital TV Gets New Channel
It’s worth noting that the channel that has been added with the name of “Times Now Navbharat HD” is a new channel from Times Now. It will exist besides the old Times Now channel which is an immensely popular English news channel in India. The new Times Now Navbharat HD channel will be available at LCN 327 on Airtel Digital TV. Another thing worth noting about the channel is that it is not an FTA channel, meaning that the subscribers will have to shell out a few bucks to subscribe to this channel. The channel will be available to the subscribers at the price of Rs 1.50 per month.
Information About Times Now Navbharat HD
In an official statement, Times Group has also informed about the launch of this Hindi news channel. The editor-in-chief of the news channel would be Navika Kumar, and the roster of anchors would include names like Sushant Sinha, Padmaja Joshi, Ankit Tyagi, and Meenakshi Kandwal. Times Now also noted that the new channel would be seeking to break away from the stereotypical news format and would be aimed at innovative news delivery, with solution-oriented discussions.
Times Group’s new Hindi news channel has been launched with the tagline of “Ab badlega Bharat, Banega Navbharat” thus stressing the “New India”. The group has also clarified that it won’t be running after sensational TRP chasing headlines, but would be dedicated to bringing worthy news to the viewers. The channel is also available across other MSOs now.


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Winners will be announced at the second annual TIS summit in Seville on November 11
Entries open for the 2021 Tourism Innovation Awards
Entries for the 2021 Tourism Innovation Awards have opened with winners sought in five categories.
The awards will be handed out at a special awards ceremony on November 11 during the second annual Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville in November.
Last year, the awards recognised the work of companies such as Iberostar and ARCTUR, start-ups such as Our Mapp, and destinations such as Korea, Barcelona and Norway.
Organisers said the awards are seeking ideas and projects that, based on technological innovation and sustainability, respond to the current challenges of the tourism sector.
The TIS event focuses on innovation and digital transformation in the tourism industry and takes place on November 10 to 12.
Edgar Weggelaar, director of the Tourism Innovation Global Summit, said collaboration will “make the tourism industry the leading sector of the worldwide economy”.
“It is essential to establish public-private collaborations that find solutions to promote the entire tourism industry,” he said.
“In this sense, the Tourism Innovation Awards 2021 are an example of the number of ideas that we can exploit to achieve this common goal”.
The Tourism Innovation Awards 2021 five categories include:
- Best Customer Experience Award
- Best Innovation on Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics Award
- Best Digital and Innovation Award
- The Best Sustainable Tourism Project Award
- The Best New Business Model Award
The awards are open to all companies, projects, initiatives, R&D, start-ups, and innovation centres with a disruptive solution applied on the travel industry.
The deadline for entries is September 30 and submissions can be made now.
Entries will be evaluated by an international jury, which will assess each proposal based on innovation, leadership, disruption, strategy and execution.


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Shop Our Tee Shirts 👕
October 19, 2017 1 min read
My favorite board game of 2015 and the current #1 ranked board game of all on BoardGameGeek has a sequel coming out real soon. That's right, Pandemic Legacy Season 2 releases worldwide on October 26.
I had a chance to play the prologue of Pandemic Legacy Season 2 at PAX West this year. It changes up the formula a bit from the classic Pandemic gameplay. Instead of adding disease cubes when a city comes up, the game removes supply cubes. Instead of fighting back four treatable diseases, there's just one incurable plague. Instead of starting with a pristine map and destroying it over time, there's only a fraction of the world revealed and it gets added to through exploration.
There are only a handful of board games I've been excited to play this year, and this is one of 'em. Who knows if it'll live up to its predecessor, although a lot of the early previews suggest it does. We'll get our hands on it a week from today. In the meantime, have a launch trailer.
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Online retailers continued to post big holiday sales numbers last week, with a jumpstart from a record-setting Cyber Monday, according to data released Wednesday.
So far, more than $17.5 billion has been spent online in the first 35 days of the holiday shopping season through Dec. 5, a 12% increase over the same time last year, according to comScore, an online analytics firm.
For the week starting with Cyber Monday, four separate days topped $800 million in aggregate sales for online retailers.
Shoppers kicked off the week by spending $1.03 billion on Cyber Monday, which became the heaviest online spending day on record. That was followed by $911 million on Tuesday, $868 million on Wednesday and $850 million on Thursday.
Overall, sales for the week ended Dec. 5 were up 9% from the year-earlier period -- a little below the rate of growth for other parts of the season.
"We anticipated that the post-Cyber Monday period would experience a slight hangover after many of the retailers' most aggressive deals and promotions expired," comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni said in a statement.
Promotions such as free shipping increased in popularity this year, with each of the most recent three weeks seeing more than 50% of all transactions including the incentive.
"Without a doubt, free shipping has become a critical driver of e-commerce purchasing, with the majority of consumers indicating that they will abandon their shopping carts if they get to check-out and find that free shipping is not included," Fulgoni said.
A Chinese consortium of internet gaming and advertising firms has offered to buy the Opera browser for $1.2 billion. More
Fed Chair Janet Yellen's testimony highlighted concerns about the most recent volatility in global markets as well as the economy's gains. More
Amazon's new terms of service for Lumberyard won't apply if zombies attack. More
Many things can hurt the value of your property, especially a murder, or living close to a cemetery or funeral home. More


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South African performance marketing startup Xineoh has raised US$2 million from US and Canadian investors, to complete and roll out its new product – a personal shopping assistant for video streaming.
Founded in 2014 and based in Bloemfontain, Xineoh has built an algorithm capable of tracking user behaviour and predicting potential purchases; with the solution based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
While solutions built by Xineoh’s international competitors see prediction success rates between 3 per cent and 8 per cent, the startup’s algorithm has a prediction rate of 14.5 per cent.
Xineoh has now raised US$2 million from a pool of US and Canadian investors in order to build out a new product – a personal shopping assistant for video streaming, VideoLlama.
VideoLlama will be rolled out in the US, looking at the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to find users the best possible streaming deals. The solution will use the Xineoh algorithm to offer up calculated recommendations based on future behaviour.
The assistant asks users to swipe left or right based on their preferences, and specify various viewing parameters – such as whether they’re watching with a partner or a child. The algorithm then retrieves relevant titles, and begins to further refine its suggestions based on the user’s expressed preferences.
“The major problem with streaming services today is that they tend to offer up recommendations based on how much you will like a specific movie or show. And while they aren’t inherently wrong, they don’t necessarily offer up real value for viewers,” says Vian Chinner, founder of Xineoh.
“With VideoLlama, we’ve tapped into our algorithm to serve up realistic recommendations based on the behaviour of others, serving the types of movies or shows you’re likely to stream based on the time of day, your company and various other latent variables.”
The startup will also use the funds to expand its engineering and content creation teams; while it also has plans to expand to new sectors, starting with the real estate space.
“Property is a high-investment purchase, and given the economic environment, real estate portals now need to entice users within the first 10 seconds if they have any realistic hope of sustaining interest,” says Chinner.
“Using our algorithm, these sites will be better able to serve users homes based on what they’re actually looking for, tapping into known associations to produce a refined, concise offering far more likely to result in conversion.”
The post SA marketing startup Xineoh raises $2m appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
from Disrupt Africa http://ift.tt/2rU6e6I


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Hotels Promote Hygiene While Improving Sustainable Initiatives
Supporters of green and sustainable cleaning initiatives have long been plagued by the waste coming from hotels, specifically in the form of amenities. Hotel guests count on those mini bottles of shampoo, soap and lotion, but they rarely stay long enough to use it all. As a result, hotels across the country are contributing substantial quantities of plastic bottles and used soaps to landfills.
In an effort to reduce their environmental footprint, many hotels are now implementing recycling and reuse programs. For example, Commercial Appeal reported that, in Memphis, the All Suites Brands by Hilton — Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites and Home2 Suites — have partnered with a nonprofit organization to recycle the soaps and distribute them to people in need across the world.
Working with Florida-based nonprofit Clean the World, the program has diverted 55,000 pounds of plastic from landfills. And in the first year, 121,000 pounds of soap were collected and reformed into 650,000 soap bars — each of which will reportedly wash 180 hands.
Clean the World is a very active organization. They also recently partnered with Las Vegas Strip resort properties to build 35,000 hygiene kits using reclaimed amenities. According to Fox 5 KVVU, The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo & Convention Center all contributed to the assembly of hygiene kits that will be distributed to eight organizations that deal with homelessness in Southern Nevada.
Since partnering with the Las Vegas resorts in 2011, Clean the World has recycled 240 tons of waste from the properties into more than 2.1 million bars of soap – material that otherwise would have gone to landfill, according to a release from the organization.


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But, at the board level, 26% of companies have periodic meetings addressing sustainability, with just 21% of companies having directors that assess the success of sustainability initiatives.
Most (71%) companies have been able to maintain their sustainability agenda during the economic downturn. However, almost half claim that the biggest barrier to implementing their strategy is perceived high costs, coupled with a lack of belief in rates of return.
These are the findings of a new study commissioned by Coca-Cola Enterprises, which makes and bottles Coca-Cola products in Western Europe.
Developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ‘Sustainability Insights: Learning from Business Leaders’ researched 300 European business executives to understand how sustainability strategies have performed in recent years.
“Despite the challenging economic environment, companies have largely stayed with their sustainability goals. What we are seeing now is a real shift to mainstream sustainability-related initiatives in Europe. Companies are learning how to better integrate this into their businesses profitably,” said Brian Gardner, senior editor at the EIU. “There is still a lot of room to improve but this is a profoundly positive change.”
The research identifies the need to build a stronger business case to convince the wider European business community of the value of putting sustainability at the heart of its operations.
For those companies that recognize the value of sustainability, the benefits they cite include differentiation from competitors (24%) and enhanced stakeholder engagement (38%). While only one in five (19%) cite boosted profits as a key benefit of their sustainability endeavors.
Leading companies are increasingly turning to collaboration to maximize resources and intelligence. Nearly half of businesses (43%) now work with competitors to seek out ideas for sustainability innovation, compared to only a quarter (24%) which work with NGOs and civil society.
Over the next three years, businesses say that partnerships will be important contributors to driving sustainability success.
A quarter of companies (24%) believe technological innovation will also drive the success of their sustainability strategy in the next three years. And over half (55%) say that technological developments contribute to sustainability-related innovations.
“We are proud of the progress we have made on our own sustainability journey, but the next era of sustainable business will be led by more meaningful collaboration. Working with government and society, we all need to identify the innovations that will address the significant societal and environmental issues of our time,” said John F Brock, chairman and CEO at Coca-Cola Enterprises.
“Business leaders need to embrace disruptive new approaches to sustainability – both within our own organizations and through our value chains. We need to advocate for this among the broader European business community to create breakthroughs in sustainable business.”
3 Oct. — written by Lucinda Broad , 2degrees


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Microsoft recently released a new film titled ‘Sab ki baat agar sunta main, toh sab jaisa ban jata.’ The film features entrepreneur Vineet KKN Panchhi, who delivers a composition about his journey towards success. It portrays how starting a business is a choice available to all, but it takes grit to take a leap of faith. Through this film, Microsoft celebrates this single source of energy that helps business owners overcome the doubts and opinions of themselves and others around them.
In the commercial, Panchhi is seen using his Surface device to manage his business tasks while on the go, such as designing for his clients, presenting his pitches across locations, remotely collaborating with teams while on the road to simply working on his ideas while absorbing the beauty of his natural surroundings. As per the company, the commercial highlights the capabilities of Surface devices that enable business owners to work securely from anytime and anywhere, empowering them to accomplish their needs.
Speaking about the film, Rahul Dutta, head, Surface Devices, Microsoft India said, “We are happy to showcase how Surface devices can empower business owners like Vineet KKN Panchhi to achieve their goals and dreams from anywhere, anytime. With the Surface ecosystem, users can stay productive, creative, and secure while on the go, making it an ideal choice for modern entrepreneurs who need to stay connected and productive at all times.”


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Gustavo Bernal Torres
Hundreds of Companies Promised to Help Save Forests. Did They?
Cargill, Nestle, Carrefour and others pledged to reach net-zero deforestation in their supply chains by 2020.
Ten years ago, some of the world’s largest companies, including Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, Walmart and Mars, pledged to change their practices to help end deforestation by 2020. Some, like Nestle and Carrefour, went even further, saying they would eliminate deforestation from their supply chains altogether.
The 2020 deadline arrived, and some companies reported advances toward their goal. No company, however, could say it had eliminated forest destruction from its supply chain. Many others did not even try.
Without regulation, we will see similar articles in 2030 explaining why the net zero pledges failed.


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Leader in Total Car Care Invites Community to Attend Special Event with Classic Car Show, Food and Prizes
The center will host a special event on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.AAMCO | 02/12/2016
AAMCO announced today the opening of its latest center in Chula Vista, California, located at 1415 Broadway, Suite 103 in the South County Autoplex. To celebrate, the center will host a special event on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include a classic car show featuring exotic and race cars – and the center’s own AAMCO-branded truck – as well as food and door prizes. In addition, the community is invited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon along with local dignitaries and members of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce.
AAMCO of Chula Vista specializes in transmission repair and total car care services and features five full service bays, in addition to a diagnostic bay. The new owner, Dan Lingel, brings more than 20 years of experience in retail sales management and customer service to AAMCO. Lingel also leads an off-road racing team and plans to hold additional community events at his center in the future.
“I am incredibly proud to be part of the AAMCO family and excited to share my passion for cars with the community,” said Lingel. “My goal is to provide each and every customer with the very best in service, so that AAMCO of Chula Vista becomes a trusted source for their automotive needs, and an integral part of the community. We invite local residents to take part in the celebration and meet our team at our grand opening event.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dan into the AAMCO family with the opening his AAMCO shop in Chula Vista,” said Director of Operations for the AAMCO West Division, Brian Joo. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the new center, and his enthusiasm for cars and passion for customer service are the perfect combination for success. We look forward to helping Dan grow and watching his business thrive.”


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SEMCORP Advanced Materials Group, the world’s largest producer of Lithium‐Ion battery separator products, has chosen Sidney in Ohio as the location for its $916 million manufacturing plant.
The new 850,000-square-foot facility will produce separator film, a crucial component in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), and bring nearly 1,200 jobs with around $73 million in payroll.
“The Sidney facility is one of the biggest investments in our company’s history because we know the United States is strongly committed to building the supply chains for EVs and energy storage here at home,” said Paul Lee, the Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of SEMCORP. “Our Sidney site will be America’s largest manufacturer of separator film for EV batteries. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with state and local leaders to make the large-scale domestic production of this component a reality.”
According to the Shanghai-headquartered company, they selected the Sidney location because of Ohio’s impressive commitment to vocational education, the strong work ethics in the state, the proximity to key customers, and the preparedness for a massive project like SEMCORP’s.
“We’re thrilled to call Sidney home, and we’re going to do all that we can to earn the trust of the local community,” said James Shih, SEMCORP’s Group Vice President of Global Projects.
SEMCORP ensures they will not make batteries and will not operate any lithium mining at the site as there are also no lithium deposits in Ohio. James Shih confirmed that their company would run the Sidney facility in compliance with all the required environmental and safety standards.
The construction of the $916 million manufacturing plant is also expected to expand Ohio’s electric vehicle supply chain. Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) President and CEO Jeff Hoagland said they are thrilled to welcome SEMCORP to the region.
“Their decision to manufacture in Sidney advances Ohio’s efforts to develop a robust ecosystem for electric vehicles,” Hoagland stated. “The fast-growing market for electric automobiles and aircraft represents an incredible opportunity for the Dayton region to remain competitive in the changing manufacturing economy and provide opportunities for our skilled manufacturing workforce.”
SEMCORP’s new facility will be built at the Sidney Ohio Industrial Park at Millcreek and Kuther roads. The company did not provide any timeline yet for the construction.


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Financial technology, or fintech, is a massive industry. It attracted about $4.27 billion in U.S. venture capitalist investments in 2016, according to Solarino Ho of Reuters. Fintech originally described technologies used and applied within the traditional financial sector, according to Bernard Marr of Forbes. However, the definition of fintech has expanded beyond the existing finance sector with the development of new technologies like mobile payments, crowdfunding, and digital money transfers. While at one time it assisted the banking sector, today fintech is disrupting this traditional finance field.
Start-Up Businesses Are Less Reliant on Banks for Funding
In the past, local bank branches provided funding for many new business endeavors, according to Marr of Forbes. He explains that the rise of fintech has expanded funding options for start-up businesses.
Crowdfunding has made capital more accessible for many start-up businesses across the globe. Banks will not approve business loans without sufficient credit or collateral, but these traditional requirements are not barriers to crowdfunding. Through this fintech movement, ordinary people donate money to campaigns they believe in, including new business efforts.
Along with popular general crowdfunding websites like GoFundMe, KickStarter, and Indiegogo, increasing numbers of specialized crowdfunding sites support particular entrepreneurial groups. Elle Perry of Memphis Business Journal noted that Urban Fundr, a crowdfunding website established for African-American entrepreneurs as well as members of urban communities, raised approximately $34,000 in its first two years. In August 2017, Morgan Eichensehr of Baltimore Business Journal wrote about iFundWomen, another emerging crowdfunding platform raising capital for female-led businesses. This initiative helps women-led businesses receive financing through crowd-sourced donations. This is crucial at a time when women are starting twice as many businesses as men, yet accessing half the working capital.
Businesses that cannot obtain traditional bank loans are not the only ones turning to crowdfunding. Marr explains that many start-ups prefer crowdfunding because they can access funds much sooner than they would through a traditional financial institution. Crowdfunding can help businesses access capital in just a few weeks rather than several months.
Businesses Are Turning to Fintech for Payment Systems
Once businesses are operational, many continue to rely on fintech. Traditionally, banks facilitated business credit card payments. However, mobile payment systems like Square and PayPal allow businesses to accept credit card payments without bank assistance or the landlines and large equipment investment once required. With less equipment to consider, fintech payment options are ideal for traveling salespeople, market vendors, and other organizations conducting transactions outside a fixed business address.
Less hardware is not the only advantage for small business owners accepting mobile payments. Marr highlights that, unlike bank credit systems, businesses don’t need to perform a set volume of satisfactions to qualify for a mobile payment account. That makes mobile payment systems ideal for very small and fledgling businesses.
PayPal also makes accepting payments from international customers simple, so it can be a valuable tool for businesses expanding their global reach. The online payment provider automatically converts small transactions into various currencies for easy and accurate payment from customers based in other countries.
Consumers Are Utilizing Mobile Technology
Modern Americans are increasingly dependent on mobile technology. A 2016 study from Bank of America found that 29 percent of Americans interacted more each day with their smartphones than with any other person or thing. Smartphone use was more widespread among younger Americans, with 39 percent of millennials interacting with their mobile device daily.
This dependence on mobile technology has changed consumer behavior and expectations of businesses, including those in the financial sector. When they can do so much on their smartphones and tablets, consumers don’t want to have to enter a bank branch to adjust their investments or deposit checks. When branches cannot deliver these services remotely, consumers are turning to fintech firms that can. Marr says these customer expectations are consistent whether users bank with a small financial firm or a multinational organization.
A variety of mobile apps can help businesses meet consumers’ expectations and help consumers manage their money as banks once did, according to Patricia Hart of Time. Apps like Acorns, Mint, and Digit track spending and help consumers stick to a budget, much like a bank’s financial advisor once may have. Betterment and Wealthfront are two popular apps offering mobile services previously available only through wealth managers. Rather than applying for a personal loan from a bank branch, people can secure money for personal expenses through peer-to-peer lending applications like Prosper and LendingClub.
People Are Relying Less on Banks for Social Transactions
In the past, if individuals owed friends or family members money, they would likely get their account details and go to a local bank to transfer the money. However, today it is much easier to bypass the banks and transfer money via PayPal’s website and mobile app. PayPal does not charge its members to send or receive personal payments or payments relating to friends or family members within the users’ own country, except those made with debit and credit cards.
Fintech is also helping friends in other countries affordably exchange money. Banks have long offered international transfers, but these can be expensive. According to Spencer Tierney, who analyzed the international wire transfer fees of 40 leading U.S. banks for NerdWallet in 2017, local banks charge an average of $44 for outgoing international wire transfers. New fintech website Transferwise claims Americans can transfer money overseas using its services for up to eight times less than at local banks.
Fintech Is Forcing Banks to Reevaluate Business Models
As fintech firms infiltrate the spaces formerly occupied exclusively by banks, financial institutions must consider ways to mitigate the threat to their business. Hart of Time suggested that we may see banks increasing fees associated with low-margin services and closing some branches entirely.
Banks may also develop their own technologies to challenge fintech firms or acquire existing fintech businesses. We’ve already seen some banks entering the fintech industry, including BBVA Bancomer, which acquired OpenPay in January 2017, according to Fintech News, and Deustche Bank, which bought a 12.5 percent share in TrustBills in April 2017, according to Deustche Bank’s press release.
The influence of fintech is shaping not only the finance industry but also every business sector dealing with it. This means that modern finance education must change as well. Those working in the banking and finance industries should consider upgrading their qualifications with a master’s in accounting online. Visit the New England College – Master of Science in Accounting Online page to learn more.


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Atari’s own cryptocurrency, Atari Token, is currently in its second round of pre-sale which means that anyone can buy some of these cryptocoins for a limited time before the official launch later this year.
During this pre-sale, Atari Tokens can be purchased with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin, three of the most-common cryptocurrencies on the market. Buying with traditional USD is expected to be supported during the next round of pre-sale or during the public launch.
I purchased 100 Atari Tokens this morning for $0.08 each with some Bitcoin and the entire process was extremely simple and bug-free, taking just a few minutes to complete from start to finish. For those interested, I performed the entire process on my iPhone using the Coinbase Wallet app to send the required amount of Bitcoin and the official AtariChain website within the Microsoft Edge iOS app.
Note that bought Atari Tokens remain on the AtariChain website for now but users will be able to send them to wallets that support the cryptocurrency at a later date.
While there are literally hundreds of cryptocurrencies out there, Atari Token is arguably the first one to be created by a company that’s a household name. Atari seems to have a long-term plan for its crypto with it set to initially function as the primary form of currency for its upcoming online casino before tools being made available to app and game developers to make Atari Tokens accessible elsewhere.
An official Atari cryptocurrency wallet is currently being tested for Android smartphones and tablets though it’s likely that a similar wallet app will be developed for iOS and Windows 10 devices as well. Once Atari Tokens are accepted by online crypto exchanges, support for it is expected be added to other popular crypto wallets such as Exodus Wallet, my personal favorite Windows 10 cryptocurrency app.
There are currently several Atari games on iOS and Android that let players gamble for real money and it’s not a stretch to think that support for Atari Tokens will be added to them in future updates. Atari even has some video games on Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles and, while they don’t feature gambling, it’ll be interesting to see if Atari uses such titles to introduce console gamers to the world of crypto. In-game purchases with Atari Tokens wouldn’t be that different from buying skins in Fortnite with V-bucks after all.
Cryptocurrency has been increasing in usage in recent years but it has yet to go properly mainstream and replace regular fiat currencies. The Microsoft Store used to accept Bitcoin for purchases, for example, but eventually removed the option due to the dramatic fluctuations with its price. The company hasn’t given up on cryptocurrency or blockchain technologies entirely though as it is one of the main players in the new Bakkt project designed to aggregate digital assets and simplify the process of using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
What do you think? Does the Atari brand name have the power to make Atari Token a success? Have you bought any in the pre-sale? Let us know in the comments below and then follow us on Pinterest and Facebook for more technology news.


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Brings network coverage, performance and intelligence toward 5G era
Ericsson has launched four new solutions to support communication service providers in capturing the business opportunities created as the 5G era moves closer. The solutions will be showcased during Mobile World Congress 2016.
Fuelled by the Internet of Things, 5G and the cloud, service providers will see a growing number of diverse network uses, which will bring new value chains, financial models and business opportunities. To capture the opportunities ahead, service providers will have to continuously transform and adopt new ways to create value for consumers.
Along with this development, network performance is becoming increasingly important and an increasingly challenging task. A new study, which will be published in the MWC edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, reveals that a poor video streaming experience can actually have a “double whammy” effect, since it not only leads to lower service provider brand equity, but actually helps competing brands to gain brand equity.
The latest Ericsson Mobility Report forecasts that 90% of the world’s population will be covered by WCDMA/HSPA mobile broadband networks by 2021. At the same time, more than 50% of the world’s population today still lacks internet access, especially in developing countries. This provides a great opportunity for mobile operators.
Mobile Broadband for Everyone supports the vision of making mobile internet accessible to everyone by doubling network performance and improving efficiency by a factor of three while lowering TCO by 60%. In support of the vision of making mobile internet access available to everyone, Ericsson is addressing three different challenges: enhancing network performance, improving operations efficiency and lowering cost for mobile broadband coverage.
Ericsson’s WCDMA Flow of Users doubles network performance on existing site infrastructure, Zero Touch WCDMA increases network operational efficiency by a factor of three and Mobile Broadband Expander drastically lowers TCO by up to 60% while simplifying deployments of all the hundreds of thousands 2G-only sites that already exist. Mobile Broadband for Everyone will be fully available in the second quarter 2016.
Delivering Extreme App Coverage evolves today’s LTE to become part of 5G, with world’s first commercial Gigabit LTE downlink data speeds and hyper- scalable radio access network architecture for Cloud RAN. As part of the evolution toward 5G, and to improve the performance and efficiency of today’s LTE technology while meeting the network demands created by growing data traffic, Ericsson is launching new Ericsson Radio System software and hardware.
The launches support the world’s first commercial offering of LTE 1Gbps peak data rates, in addition to hyper-scalable radio access network architecture for Cloud RAN.
The Ericsson Radio System is also being complemented with three new radio access products supporting 4×4 MIMO, and new spectrum bands. Efficiently addressing user demands for extreme app coverage will also drive requirements for multi-gigabit capacities and multi-band solutions in the backhaul, which Ericsson is addressing with new microwave additions to the Ericsson Radio System. Delivering Extreme App Coverage will be available beginning in the second quarter 2016.
Experience Centric Managed Services adds functions to monitor both performance and customer experience, and makes networks truly experience-centric. For subscribers, network performance and user experience are increasingly important. To support operators in becoming experience-centric, Ericsson is launching the Service Operations Centre (SOC) and the Experience Management Centre (EMC) functions of our Experience Centric Managed Services offering.
The SOC monitors the performance of services such as video streaming and web browsing in real time, which is translated and correlated into network performance requirements. The EMC monitors consumers’ experiences and perception through, for example, customer surveys, social media analytics, Net Performance Score studies and churn analysis, which is translated and correlated into service performance requirements.
Operators that have a better understanding of both service quality and their consumers’ perception of their experience are better able to improve by both measures.
The new features of Experience Centric Managed Services are available immediately.
Finally, new cloud-ready charging and billing product, Revenue Manager, offers business agility, customer experience and operational efficiency necessary for digital transformations.
Revenue Manager is a convergent, real time charging and billing product for digital service providers. It uses a breakthrough, cloud-based highly configurable architecture to deliver new levels of automation, flexibility and operational efficiency. It is the first business support system (BSS) designed for the opportunities and challenges of the networked society, claimed Ericsson.
The product enables service providers to launch new products and services in days, capture new revenue streams with real time revenue sharing and drive customer experience through personalized omni-channel interactions, embedded analytics and unified policy control.
Revenue Manager 16 will be generally available in June 2016.


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Picnic platters, delicious drinks collected from an outdoor bar and free walking maps of the surrounding Windrush Valley have been introduced at The Maytime Inn in Burford, this summer.
The Cotswold country pub’s takeaway menu changes on a weekly basis, with orders taken a day in advance.
As well as pub classics including wild boar burger and beer-battered haddock and chips for locals to enjoy, The Maytime Inn is also offering two sharing platters, perfect for daytrips and picnics – one with cured meats, pickles and salad, another with a selection of artisan cheeses and fresh bread.
The Maytime Inn’s outdoor bar is also serving a small range of wine, gin and local beer to take away too, which can be bought via contactless card payment on the day of collection.
Plus, you can also pick up a free walking the surrounding Windrush Valley too.
Strict social distancing rules will be in place at The Maytime Inn to keep customers safe when collecting their food and drinks.
Food takeaways, including picnic platters, must be pre-ordered via text to 07712 718900 or email to email@example.com by 6pm on the day before collection. Orders can then be picked up on Friday from 6 to 8pm, Saturday from 12 to 3pm or 6 to 8pm and Sunday 12 to 3pm. The outdoor bar will also be open at these times to collect takeaway drinks.
For more information, visit themaytime.com.


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NEW YORK CITY (WCBS/CNN) – The IRS is keeping an eye on Uber.
The company said Tuesday its 2013 and 2014 tax bills are being audited.
Uber said its taxes are also under investigation by various state and foreign tax authorities.
It says a decades-worth of its taxes remain open across multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Australia, India and the Netherlands.
Those countries have not yet signed off on their tax bills from 2010 through 2019.
Although Uber says it believes it has sufficient money set aside for any additional tax liability, it says the timing of the resolution “is highly uncertain.”
The company did not have any comment beyond the filing.


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One of Bristol's most widely recognised and cherished characters has shared a positive message for the people of the city amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
Jeff Knight is known for the fist bumps and uplifting comments he offers passers-by as he sells the Big Issue in Stokes Croft.
The 53-year-old is not currently working as all Big Issue vendors have stopped doing so temporarily to protect them from the virus, but the publication is being sold in major supermarkets for the first time in its 29-year history to continue raising funds for vulnerable people.
While the Jamaican, who now has a van to sleep in at night thanks to the generosity of Bristol, might not be sporting his red tabard he is still out and about spreading positivity.
I cycled past Jeff in Stokes Croft on my bike ride this morning so stopped for a chat, ensuring we were two metres apart.
He told me he's doing okay but is missing selling the Big Issue to the many familiar faces he used to see on a daily basis.
He said he's enjoying the beautiful weather, adding he's glad there are at least some people still walking past he can interact with.
Given the strict social distancing rules he's had to place a temporary ban on fist bumping for now, and is instead waving and "air bumping" at his friends.
"Be strong": Jeff's message to the people of Bristol
He then shared a message for the people of Bristol, urging everyone to "be strong" and "appreciate what you've got".
He said: "Love is everything ladies and gentlemen, everybody, be strong, don't let this thing get you down.
"Be strong, keep going, keep fighting. Do not give up and hang on, no matter what you're going through.
"Love is the key, love is everything, just appreciate what you've got."
How to support the Big Issue during lockdown
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, The Big Issue took the decision to safeguard its network of vendors by asking them to stop selling on streets across the whole of the UK.
A spokesperson for the magazine said: "You can support The Big Issue by downloading the app, available on Apple Store and Google Play for weekly downloads of the magazine at £2.99 for a copy or via subscriptions, starting from £32.99 for three months.
"You can also subscribe at bigissue.com or make a one-off support payment to help The Big Issue through this period.
"Copies of the magazine are also available to buy in selected Sainsbury’s stores and online and from 1,400 McColl’s stores and 2,600 Co- op stores.
"50% of net proceeds will go to vendors needing their help. The remaining 50% will enable The Big Issue to continue its vital work with vendors now and in the future."


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dine and design: Nate Berkus reveals his new home
collection at Target®
Nate Berkus – award-winning designer, author, television host and producer—is the latest in Target’s long line of design partnerships, debuting a new line of home products this fall. On May 2, we broke the big news of Berkus’ collection on Twitter via @ABullseyeView from an intimate dinner party hosted by Nate and Target® in New York City.
Design-industry insiders celebrated the announcement of The Nate Berkus Collection at Target over candlelight and got a sneak peek of the products. Ranging in price from US$5.99 to US$149.99, the exclusive collection boasts more than 150 pieces—including bedding, bath accessories, lighting, rugs and more.
Target has a long history of teaming up with fashion and style icons. In February, Canadians were treated to our partnership with American fashion designer Jason Wu at a Toronto pop-up shop. Past collaborations include Italian style powerhouse, Missoni and Britain’s beloved Liberty of London.


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- The world's stocks lost more than $1 trillion in value Monday after the U.S. and China increased tariffs on each other's imports.
- The Dow and S&P 500 stock indexes lost 2.4% while the Nasdaq composite lost 3.4%.
- Trade-dependent sectors, including technology and agriculture, showed the biggest losses.
U.S. stocks had their worst day in four months on Monday after a series of escalations in the U.S.-China trade war. The Dow lost 617 points, or almost 2.4%, closing at 25,324. The S&P 500 lost 2.4% while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite lost 3.4%.
The plunge, piling on an earlier decline in global financial markets, lopped more than $1 trillion off stock markets around the world, according to Bloomberg.
China list of an additional $300 billion in products the U.S. buys from China that could be subjected to higher tariffs as early as July, covering nearly all American imports from China.on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods starting June 1. The move is a response to the U.S. on Friday on $200 billion of Chinese goods to 25%, up from 10%. U.S. trade officials on Monday released a
Tech, industrial and agriculture stocks were hardest hit. Deere & Co., the heavy-machinery manufacturer, lost 6.2%, dropping to around $146, while the agriculture giant Archer-Daniels-Midland lost more than 4%, falling to about $40. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, lost 6.5%, falling to $5.07.
Nvidia fell more than 6%, to about $158. Apple had its biggest drop of the year, falling 5.8% to about $185. Apple has lost almost 12% of its stock market value — a $120 billion loss in shareholder value — since President Trump first tweeted his latest China tariff intentions on May 5.
"The core underlying fear in the eyes of tech investors is around what this move as well as a retaliation move from the Chinese can do to the tech food chain," Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, wrote in a note Monday. Easy trade with China is crucial to the supply chains of tech companies as well as their consumer base. Apple is expected to sell about 20 percent of the iPhones it manufactures in the next year in China, Ives said.
Other Wall Street analysts warned that the tariffs could ding U.S. GDP growth while theyof numerous household goods.
"[T]he costs of US tariffs have fallen entirely on U.S. businesses and households, with no clear reduction in the prices charged by Chinese exporters," Jan Hatzius, Goldman Sachs' chief economist, wrote Saturday, before China's announcement. He added that the tariffs have also encouraged U.S. producers to raise their prices on products competing with Chinese goods.
Global stock markets dropped earlier in the day. The CAC 40 in Paris dropped 0.5% to 5,298 in midday trading while Germany's DAX gave up 0.7% to 11,970. The FTSE 100 in Britain edged 0.1% lower to 7,194.
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The Aston Martin V12 Speedster that was initially unveiled earlier this year has recently made a dynamic debut in a gorgeous Matte black prototype form. Even though this is just prototype debut for crucial road testing, we cannot but confess to just how sleek, beautiful and sexy the V12 Speedster looks like already. Anyone who loves sports cars might never really be able to take his/her eyes off the Matte black prototype. Just take a look below.
This is the Matte Black Aston Martin V12 Speedster prototype that recently made a dynamic debut - sexy isn’t it?
A first glance at this beautiful prototype that is finished in Matte Black paint should already steal anyone’s attention even before talking about some of its other unique features. It is also very interesting to see that the prototype car looks almost completely identical to the show car itself. The only differences or exceptions so far being very subtle and almost forgivable help us expect the final car to be extraordinary.
According to Aston Martin, only 88 units of the V12 Speedster will be produced for customers worldwide with deliveries starting in Q1 of next year. This new V12 Speedster is undoubtedly an eye-popper as it mixes the DBS Superleggera and Vantage underpinnings together in a bespoke well-bonded aluminium architecture.
The Aston Martin V12 Speedster sportscar is going to be one comfy and sexy “baby” when it is finally rolled out
Apart from the interior and exterior uniqueness, petrol heads will be thrilled to know that the final Aston Martin V12 Speedster draws its juice from a 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine that outputs 690hp (700PS) and 555 pound-feet (752Nm). This engine also gives the sportscar an impressive 3.5-second acceleration time from zero to 62mph and a controlled 186mph top speed.
For more details and photos of the Aston Martin V12 Speedster prototype, watch this short video below;
Aston Martin V12 Speedster Prototype Is DROP DEAD Gorgeous