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Identify a need. Offer a solution. That’s the quintessential advice for starting a small business venture.
But when it comes to advertising techniques, business models and growth strategies for these startup businesses — one size doesn’t fit all. Entrepreneurs looking to occupy a hyper-niche market have their own set of best practices.
Just ask the handful of business owners who have recognized an emerging demand for restaurant-quality, gluten-free food. Multiple eateries specializing in this restricted diet have cropped up in Maryland in recent years, and owners say that following a typical small-business plan is simply not appropriate.
The target market of these businesses is highly defined, said several people who have opened bakeries, delis or cafés, and devised menus that are either exclusively or primarily gluten-free. Each owner has a very specific customer base and does not advertise to the general public because they say they already know who will be coming through their front doors.
“We don’t do any kind of advertising,” said Richard Dsouza, who owns two gluten-free restaurants in Baltimore — Sweet 27 and Meet 27. “It’s all word of mouth.”
Sarah Pulcher, who owns Freedom Bakery in Severna Park with her parents, Alicia and Larry, also relies mostly on talking to people in the community. She said she asks doctors to recommend the shop, spreads the word at celiac disease support groups and uses social media to reach people in nearby states.
An estimated 1 in every 133 Americans have celiac disease, a genetic disorder marked by the inability to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains. These entrepreneurs said they don’t want to capitalize on the problem, but where there is demand, they will supply.
“This year has been our best year so far,” Dsouza said. “The demand is always growing. Every day people come in and say they just got diagnosed and need to know where to go.”
In a hyper-niche market, maximizing sales potential is crucial. Because many gluten-intolerant people also have other food allergies, many owners said they created recipes free of dairy, egg, soy, casein, peanuts or other common food disorders.
Pulcher said she also decreased her portion sizes because customers usually shop for one or two people, not large groups. She said cupcakes sold better than cakes, for example.
In the gluten-free eatery business, owners’ attitudes toward competition are starkly different from most other entrepreneurs. That’s because there is no competition, or at least they don’t view it that way.
“There’s not a lot of other people in the industry, period,” Pulcher said. “So it’s better to work together rather than try to compete against each other.”
Pulcher said she has friendly relationships with other gluten-free entrepreneurs in the area, such as Maureen Burke, whose Baltimore company One Dish Cuisine has been rapidly expanding since she started starting gluten-free food wholesale in June 2010.
Burke said the camaraderie among business owners is possible because they share a passion for helping the gluten-free community rather than just making money.
“We all help each other out,” agreed Burke. “If I hear something I might say, ‘Hey Sarah, check this out.’ We’re all in this because we have to be, not because we want to cash in on the gluten-free craze. … We’re in it for the right reasons, we’re passionate about it and we want the food to be good, because we have to eat it, too.”
In fact, many owners say that opening their businesses stemmed more from a desire to improve the quality of the gluten-free products on the market than a desire to start a business. Most said they have gluten intolerance or celiac disease, so they understand there was a niche that needed to be filled.
“Our business model was trial and error,” Pulcher said. “We had no idea what we were doing, and it didn’t take us very long to figure out what was not working.”
Pulcher didn’t expect Freedom Bakery to be profitable immediately, but things are looking up. Sales have been increasing steadily almost every month since the store opened in April 2009, she said.
The store typically sells about $300 to $400 worth of cupcakes, breads and other baked goods every day, but around Easter, she said she sold $1,000 per day.
“We haven’t broken even yet, but we have noticed that we’re getting closer and closer, which we’re really excited about,” she said. “We usually judge Thanksgiving and Christmas by Easter … they’re two to three times what Easter is. And this year we were slammed … so now we’re like, wow, what’s it going to be?”
The potential for long-term success is absolutely there, but it will take time, said Bob Aebli, a counselor with the Southern Maryland chapter of SCORE, an association of mentors sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Cash flow is likely to be a major challenge for the hyper-niche small business owner, he said.
“I think there would be a lot of inertia to overcome before you really got some traction in the industry,” he said. “I think it would take one longer to develop an ongoing clientele than it would selling some other commodity.”
While the gluten-free food industry isn’t an instant gratification endeavor, it’s by no means a black hole.
One Dish Cuisine — though perhaps a bit of an anomaly — has already become profitable for Burke, who said she broke even within the first year. She has a background in sales and said she kept “a business plan in [her] back pocket,” but she also attributed her success to learning the hard way.
When Burke was diagnosed with celiac disease about 20 years ago, she said there were few resources or tasty gluten-free options available. Celiac sufferers experience severe abdominal pain, gas and bowel dysfunction when they eat — or even come into contact with — even a tiny amount of gluten.
“There was just me,” she said. “So I’d already perfected recipes. But also, I feel that the biggest need for people is in the three square meals a day, which I can provide.”
One Dish Cuisine sells ready-made meals to restaurants and markets, while other businesses carry less variety. Her first eatery, a café, deli and bakery, is slated to open within three weeks in Ellicott City.
Additionally, Burke tests her products in an independent lab to verify they are free of whatever allergens the label claims. That extra effort allows her to sell her product to three Maryland hospitals, in addition to local markets and through mail orders to individual consumers.
Pulcher said that’s her next step for expansion down the line. But for the owners of these eateries, raking in the big bucks isn’t their priority. Still, several said they recognize the enormous potential of a niche market.
“I said, you know what? It’s a bad economy, but people gotta eat,” Burke said. “And they will pay more for a good product.”
People on the gluten-free diet have long desired more variety on the market, said a customer who has visited several of the eateries mentioned in this article but asked not to be named. She said she thought One Dish Cuisine was a bit pricey given the portion sizes.
The woman also stressed that having specialized restaurants makes it far easier to feed herself and her sons, as they all have celiac disease. It can be very difficult, she said, to find tasty options that are entirely gluten-free.
“They’re really supportive of the community,” she said. “It’s tough out here in the gluten-free world, but it’s nice that these small businesses really take it seriously and go the extra mile to make sure there won’t be any cross-contamination.”
The specialty shops are particularly nice “because it makes us feel really normal,” said one of the customer’s 12-year-old sons.


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Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Restoration Hardware (NYSE:RH) in a report released on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set an “overweight” rating and a $198.00 price target on the stock. Barclays‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 5.06% from the stock’s current price.
Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on RH. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Restoration Hardware in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. They set a “hold” rating and a $197.00 price target for the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Restoration Hardware from $196.00 to $202.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Loop Capital increased their target price on shares of Restoration Hardware to $180.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Restoration Hardware from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Finally, Wedbush increased their target price on shares of Restoration Hardware from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Restoration Hardware presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $164.38.
Shares of RH traded up $13.25 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $188.47. 2,829,236 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 673,035. Restoration Hardware has a fifty-two week low of $84.11 and a fifty-two week high of $192.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.79. The business’s 50 day moving average is $177.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $137.00.
In other news, CAO Glenda M. Citragno sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,650 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $410,750. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Demonty Price sold 23,900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.27, for a total transaction of $4,093,353.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 56,949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,753,655.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 62,790 shares of company stock valued at $10,602,127. Corporate insiders own 36.40% of the company’s stock.
An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Restoration Hardware stock. Griffin Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc (NYSE:RH) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $62,000.
Restoration Hardware Company Profile
RH, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer in the home furnishings. It offers products in various categories, including furniture, lighting, textiles, bathware, décor, outdoor and garden, tableware, and child and teen furnishings. The company provides its products through its retail galleries; and Source Books, a series of catalogs, as well as online through rh.com, restorationhardware.com, rhbabyandchild.com, rhteen.com, and rhmodern.com, as well as waterworks.com.
Read More: The four types of profit margin
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Gust are porting Ar noSurge, the follow-up to Ciel noSurge, to PlayStation Vita, this week’s issue of Famitsu magazine reports. The Vita version will be titled Ar noSurge Plus, retaining the naming convention from Gust’s Atelier ports. (Thanks, Hokanko)
As per usual, Ar noSurge Plus will include new costumes, compatibility with the Vita’s touch screen and additional purification ceremony characters.
Also coming to the Vita is an offline version of Ciel noSurge, says Famitsu. This version of the game has reportedly been reprogrammed from scratch.
Both Ar noSurge Plus and Ciel noSurge Offline will be released on October 2nd in Japan.


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The Lawyer Asia Pacific 150 is the only research report to provide a ranking of the top 100 independent local firms and top 50 global firms in the region. The report offers critical review of some of the fastest growing firms and their strategies, a country-by-country guide to leading legal advisers and legal services market trends, plus exclusive insight into the current business development opportunities in the Asia Pacific. Read more
This year, The Lawyer’s annual ranking of the largest UK law firms by turnover is available as an interactive, digital benchmarking tool. For the first time this will allow you to manipulate each data set against the metrics of your choice.
Music streaming service Spotify has brought in Taylor Wessing to help defend a database copyright claim levelled at it by dance music label Ministry of Sound (MoS).
The case was launched at the High Court on Monday. The MoS has instructed Wiggin partner Simon Baggs to lead the case. Baggs has instructed Maitland Chambers’ Edmund Cullen QC as counsel.
Spotify has brought in Taylor Wessing’s head of trademarks, copyright and media Niri Shan to defend the case. Counsel is yet to be instructed.
According to the MoS, Spotify had infringed its trademarks because it made available playlists that were identical to those put out on MoS compilation albums. The company said it launched the case after Spotify refused to take any action to prevent the duplication. It argues that the law protects the expertise and creative effort involved in creating compilation albums.
It is seeking an injunction to force Spotify to remove the playlists in contention and to permanently exclude from the service all playlists which appear to be copies of MoS compilations. The Ministry also wants a declaration that Spotify has infringed the copyright.
Spotify is yet to file defence of the claim at the court.


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Use our new Journey Planner when making your Christmas travelling plans
1,600,000 trips planned since launch in July
People planning festive journeys – to see relatives, visit friends or to attend social events – are being urged to try out the new Journey Planner launched earlier this year by the National Transport Authority.
The Journey Planner, which helps people plan their personal journeys from door-to-door, anywhere in Ireland, using public transport, is available online at www.transportforireland.ie, or as a smartphone App for Android and iPhones.
Since its launch in July 2012, people have used the Route Planner to calculate some 1.66 million journeys. The service has answered about 5.4 million requests for information on departures, timetables, maps, etc.


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Roger Ebert seems to love social media, but does it love him back? It’s debatable, as one of America’s strongest personal journalism brands has had one of the strangest years on Twitter and Facebook.
Ebert yesterday made waves by tweeting “Friends don’t let jackasses drink and drive.” The Twitter comment was made in the wake of “Jackass” actor Ryan Dunn dying in a car accident hours after he tweeted a photo of himself drinking a beer.
This morning, Ebert tweeted that his Facebook Page had been taken down. Around 9 am ET, his Twitter message read: “Facebook has removed my page in response, apparently, to malicious complaints from one or two jerks.” His Page has since been restored.
Facebook spokesperson Andrew Noyes suggested to ClickZ News via email that temporary page removal was unrelated to the Dunn controversy. He wrote, “The page was removed in error. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
It’s the latest incident in which Ebert appears to have entered a Twitter hornet’s nest. In January, he tweeted “I’d rather be called a Nigger than a Slave,” protesting the decision by a publisher of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” to replace the word “nigger” with “slave” in all instances in the Mark Twain classic. He eventually apologized on Twitter for upsetting people with the language.
Why’d he quit? Some of his 479,000 Twitter followers and 58,000 Facebook “likers” accused him of shilling for products. Ebert had pitched books about Alfred Hitchcock, packaged goods like O.N.E. coconut water, and New Balance sneakers.
ClickZ News sent Ebert questions about the Amazon endeavor, which he answered on his Chicago Sun Times blog in a piece dubbed, “What’s the deal with those Amazon tweets?” The film critic went into great lengths describing how he ran his Amazon-Twitter program. For instance, his response to a question about how he was financially compensated as an affiliate was 829 words long.
But that early January blog has since been removed from his archives.
President Trump's digital savvy isn't limited to social media. As it turns out, the Trump Organization owns thousands of domain names, possibly even more than 10,000.
Social media has developed into an effective component of digital strategy, but measuring its performance is still a challenge. How will analytics affect social media in 2017?
I didn’t vote for him last November. There was no way this registered Democrat from the blue state of Massachusetts would check that box. But I have to give him props for his tweets.
On Thursday, Twitter reported its earnings for Q4 2016, and the results have raised questions about the company's long-term future.


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The managing director and chief executive officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) at the weekend won the maiden edition of the New Telegraph Newspapers “Public Integrity Award 2021.”
The organisers said the AMCON boss was selected from a large poll of public servants that are heading different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the government across Nigeria because of his commitment, dedication, uprightness, and patriotic zeal that he has gone about the recovery drive from AMCON obligors who owe Nigeria a current outstanding debt of over N4.4trillion.
New Telegraph Newspapers said the honoured Kuru and some other notable Nigerians in keeping with its commitment to rewarding individuals and businesses in Nigeria that have distinguished themselves by their remarkable contributions to the development of the country in both the public and private spaces in Nigeria.
The management of New Telegraph led by Ayodele Aminu said it decided to organise the annual awards in the firm belief that such reward system has the twin effect of galvanizing and inspiring awardees towards greater excellence, while also helping to incentivize others to aspire to such distinction.
The awards which, was received on behalf of the AMCON MD/CEO by Jude Nwauzor, Head, Corporate Communications Department of the Corporation held at the weekend at the Balmoral Event Center, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.
Top of the list of winners are the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Abia State Governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and the Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum.
The rest include Governor, Mr. Samuel Ortom of Benue State; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, and a host of others.
Communication Expert Unveils Three Corporate Brands
BY INNOCENT ODOH
In its commitment to the process of brands engagement and detailed brand storytelling, McEnies Global Communications has officially launched as a 360-degree marketing communications powerhouse with a cross-solution services delivered by two new other businesses.
In a statement by the company, the two businesses are Perfect Clicks Signature, a creative visual production firm and modelling services agency, Ruby Models. The three-in-one businesses were unveiled on Friday, at a grand event held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
While delivering her keynote speech during the three-in-one opening, Omolaraeni Olaosebikan, Group CEO of McEnies Global Communications said the three businesses are poised to integrate to offer extra value, provide solutions, re-define quality service delivery, and drive brand visibility for all its clients.
“Our goal is to create total marketing communications effects that leave a lasting memory of professional fulfilment, superlative business result and personal endearing experience. We have not come to this space to claim we know better, but we are bringing a collection of innovative ideas and youthful touches, using technology-driven processes to bring to fore your personality, organization and brands for a remarkable experience.
“The three corporate brands offer what your companies, products, services, personal life need to stay on the competitive edge whilst you keep a great feel of your decision to come along with us”, she said.
McEnies Communications, which has been in existence for almost a decade, is an upwardly wholly company with vast expertise and competency in integrated marketing communications services providing top-notch solutions to big and medium firms across all sectors and industry. McEnies takes a holistic approach to marketing communications services and digital engagements. Its in-house expertise and services allow the company to offer agile, flexible and value-driven solutions for its clients.
Narrating how the three companies were established, Olaosebikan stated that “McEnies Communications discovered the undisputed importance of visual representation and maximally deploying technology to bear creativity within the industry for effective brand engagement. That led to the birth of Perfect Clicks Signature, a new definition of photography and video production.
“Perfect Clicks Signature is a game-changing brand, passionate about creating delightful experiences for customers. It is a brand that renders premium photography, videography and cinematography, equipped with cutting edge technology and highly experienced experts.
Under Ruby Models, we build children’s confidence and nurture their talents. We believe that’s one of the greatest gifts you could give a child. We do this through our talent coaching, technology and photographic skills. Ruby Models agency is a trusted modelling hub for kids. We work through various diverse needs for kids to be deployed for advertising, promotional and media needs for all forms of businesses and engagements”, she disclosed.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Charles Ajibade, in his remark, applauded the vision of the consummate communication expert, Olaosebikan for her passion and tenacity to help her clients meet their personal and business goals.


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Last week when a two-month delay was announced for Square’s Final Fantasy 15, no one really knew why. This week’s Famitsu, however, solves that mystery…a new interview with director Hajime Tabata reveals the game turned out to have some bad bugs that Square wished to fix.
“For starters,” he said, “the optimization isn’t [yet] sufficient. There are also various bugs as well as places in which the frame rate drops.” Not all of these glitches are bad enough to interfere with gameplay, but they’re embarrassing enough to eradicate. “There are still of number of bugs like characters floating unnaturally in the air or appearing all strange [and glitchy]. We are going to fix the issues,”
Tabata admitted it would be possible to stick to the original release date and fix the bugs though a day-one patch. This is what any other company would have done, but Square is concerned about the people who don’t connect their consoles to the Internet. That doesn’t sound like a lot of people, but Tabata cited a source that stated the number was over twenty percent in Japan — enough, in his opinion, to avoid leaning on patches.
This delay also gives the team the opportunity to make some last-minute adjustments. “Another thing is that I also wanted to refine the game balance,” says Tabata. Final Fantasy XV will be released November 30.


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The Underfashion Club met on March 12th at the Harvard Club of New York to learn about Consumer Evolution with The NPD Group; an authority on market size and trends in over 20 different industries. Presenters Todd Mick, Executive Director of Apparel and Kristen Classi-Zummo, Apparel Market Analysis Director shared their knowledge and data regarding consumer trends in the intimate apparel industry.
Kristen Classi-Zummo described today’s changing consumer using key themes:
- New Committed Consumption
- Casualization Nation
- Digital Divas
- The Responsible Consumer
There have been significant changes in consumer culture recently due to the Internet’s accessibility. Over 25% of currency spent on apparel was made through online transactions. Apparel sales have been flat over the past 3 years and are expected to decline in 2019.
Where are consumers spending their money today? People are buying experiences—as observed in increased sales in park attendance, travel, and RVs. Subscriptions cost the average consumer about $300, which results in less for discretionary spending. Consumers of apparel subscription services often cancel within the first 3 months due to loss of interest.
Personalization is key to keeping the consumer invested. The sign-up process is a great opportunity to collect preferential data on individual consumers for personalized recommendations. Shipments that are varied, interesting, and considerate will more likely keep subscribers committed.
Activewear’s popularity helped influence a casualized nation. Despite being made for athletic performance, 60% of those who frequently wear activewear almost never exercise. More people are choosing to stay in, investing in the home’s comfort and streaming media. Meal kits and food delivery services replace grocery shopping. Home automation services and social media encourage the trend to stay at home even further.
The preference for casual comfort is seen in intimate apparel trends such as high-waisted underwear and wire-free bras.
Social media connects us to influencers and the latest styles, impacting how consumers view fashion. However, 46% of people don’t follow their favorite brands on social media. This is a big opportunity for businesses to use social media to connect to potential customers. Over half of consumers purchase clothing after seeing it advertised on social media, and over half of those made repeat purchases.
Social media is the perfect platform to showcase your brand’s message and values, connecting to the consumer’s will to shop responsibly. Social responsibility and sustainability is a movement that is growing, influencing consumers to consciously support companies whose mission reflects their personal values.
We’ll cover presenter Todd Mick‘s segment of this seminar in our next blog!
View photos from The Consumer Evolution on Facebook.
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Pat Davis' Crime Plan: Pay To Play
Say you pay for a pizza, sit down to eat it and the owner comes by and takes a quarter of it away. Would you be happy?
Then imagine that after taking a quarter of your pizza, the owner makes you pay for a second pizza for the people at the table next to you because he thinks they're more important than you.
Would you pay for it?
I doubt it.
But, thanks to Albuquerque City Councilor Patrick Davis, you, meaning city taxpayers, might be forced to buy that second pizza for somebody else.
That so-called second pizza would come in the form of paying for extra police protection for some businesses that Davis thinks are more important than other businesses.
Here's the background.
Davis has introduced a proposed ordinance that would allow some businesses to band together and work with the Albuquerque Police Department to create “Security assistance Funding Zones” and crime-fighting plans for businesses in their neighborhoods.
Once those businesses put up $50,000 of their money, the city would pitch in $50,000 of your money as a match. The businesses would be able to use the money to buy security cameras and hire private security guards to patrol their areas.
Davis says its a way to fight crime and take some of the pressure off a chronically undestaffed APD.
But there are so many problems with this proposal.
First, why should any of us have to pay extra for more police protection when we already pay taxes for police protection? It's not our fault that Mayor Richard Berry has decimated APD. And no group of businesses or neighborhoods should ever be allowed to buy extra police protection. The cops are supposed to serve all of us equally.
Second, not all businesses in town would qualify for the extra taxpayer money to buy enhanced police protection.
Because Davis' bill lists only certain, preferred types of businesses that would be able to buy more cops. Here are the types of businesses that his bill would give special preference, and your money, to:
“The Council must find that the area meets the following conditions: The area is a commercial or arts and cultural district with significant economic development, art or cultural impact, tourist-related facilities and attractions or tourist-related transportation systems, or is of other significant importance to the city. The area cannot be primarily residential in nature.”
In other words, you have to be part of the arts crowd to qualify for extra police protection and extra taxpayer money. If you're a dry cleaners, or auto repair shop, or nail salon at Zuni and Wyoming, you won't qualify for more police protection no matter how many times your place has been robbed or burglarized.
Third, even if you're one of Davis' chosen types of business, you might not be able to afford the extra money you'd have to put up to buy APD's help. In other words, this is a type of police protection welfare plan for businesses that already have money and are doing well. If you're just making it by, well, screw you. You don't get extra cops, security cameras or security guards. You just continue to get robbed and burglarized.
The bottom line is that this is just a way for wealthier business people and neighborhoods to buy extra police protection.
And where will all that extra police help come from?
From neighborhoods and business areas that don't have much money. You got it, poor neighborhoods.
Cops and APD resources will be siphoned from poorer neighborhoods to wealthier ones.
If well-to-do business owners want to pay for their own private security guards, they should. I have no problem with that. But don't let them get more public police protection simply because they have more money and can buy it. Aren't we sick of wealthy people getting more than their fair share of public resources?
Davis told me that his bill is aimed at businesses in Nob Hill and the UNM area. He justified the potential public money giveaway to them by saying that those types of businesses pay a greater portion of gross receipts taxes than other businesses.
I'll have more on that in another post. But you can bet that the businesses at Coronado and Winrock malls, and the ABQ Uptown area pay more GRT than do the businesses in Nob Hill.
So what did I mean when I mentioned the pizza joint owner taking away a quarter of the pizza you paid for?
The decreased police protection you've gotten from Berry's administration because of the way he has ruined APD. You're paying for a fully staffed police department – or an entire pizza – with your taxes, and you're getting far less than that.
If Davis' privileged and chosen business owners want a deluxe pizza with five or six toppings, let them pay for it out of their own pockets, and let them hire private security people.
And give me back the quarter of my plain cheese pizza you took away.


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Legal firm Lawgistics, which specialises in providing legal help to the motor industry, has launched a dealer support programme called Black Box, aimed at ensuring they are aware of the law and ensuring they can demonstrate to enforcement agencies they have taken all reasonable steps to comply with trading standards, consumer and employment, health and safety and VAT legislation.
The Black Box starts with a full audit of a dealer's operation and goes on to provide information guides on the law, staff communication procedures, training manuals and log sheets, plus offers a telephone advice and counselling service. If appropriate Lawgistics will provide representation in negotiations with enforcement agencies.
Senior partner, David Combes said: “It can be difficult not to break the law because so much legislation exists. What's more it is constantly changing and dealers need a service such as ours to keep their information up to date and accurate. The motor industry is at the top of a hit list issued by the Office of Fair Trading and dealers can expect to be mystery shopped increasingly by Trading Standards officers. The Black Box process provides an effective defence for dealers.”
For more information call 01480 455500.


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Medical cannabis dispensaries in Oklahoma are engaged in a price war, fueled by an oversupply of retail stores and no qualifying medical conditions required for an MMJ card, according to a nonprofit journalism publication.
There are 2,242 licensed dispensaries, according to the latest figures from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
According to Oklahoma Watch:
- There are 56 dispensaries per 100,000 residents in the state.
- The 238,786 medical marijuana cards issued equates to one in 13 adults in Oklahoma holding one.
- Dispensaries recorded medical marijuana sales of $345 million in 2019.
Oklahoma launched medical marijuana sales in 2019 and has quickly grown to be one of the largest and most valuable cannabis markets in the nation
That success has led to “intense competition” among licensed dispensaries as well as a saturation in which some stores are on the “same block of a city street,” according to Oklahoma Watch.


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Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check h Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check him out on Google+.
Back in June last year, we reported that BBC Worldwide was launching a mentoring scheme for digital media startups called BBC Labs. Well, now the BBC’s commercial arm has announced a second programme for 2013.
The six month programme is aimed at emerging digital media companies in the UK, with a view towards helping the selected startups gain traction and scale by working closely with them. Back in August last year, BBC Worldwide announced the six (rather than five, as it originally planned) startups that would participate in the inaugural Labs scheme.
The next programme will kick-off with an induction session on March 5 at Wayra’s Academy in London, with attendees getting the chance to hear from Claude London, Digital Director, BBC Worldwide, who will lead a panel discussion with three of the programme’s current startups – Yakatak’s, Simon Davies; MiniMono’s Melissa Clark-Reynolds; and Flooved’s Hamish Brocklebank.
Last year’s final participants included WireWax, KO-SU, Flooved, Yakatak, MiniMonos and Foodity, the latter of which recently became the first Labs startup to ink a commercial deal with BBC Worldwide. This deal saw BBC Good Food and Tesco enter a partnership to bring the supermarket’s online shopping experience to GoodFood.com users.
“I am so proud of everything we’ve achieved with Labs over the past six months and thrilled to be announcing the launch of the second programme,” says Jenny Fielding, Head of BBC Worldwide Labs and Digital Ventures.
“It has been an honour and a pleasure to help raise the profiles of six bright and talented start-ups in the UK, all of whom have a promising future ahead,” she continues. “It has been a huge learning curve for us all and I’m very much looking forward to finding the class of 2013 and furthering our ambition of helping more emerging digital companies realise their ambitions.”
It’s worth noting that BBC Worldwide isn’t seeking to invest cash in the companies, or take equity for that matter. Instead, it hopes that it leads to commercial tie-ups – as with Foodity – while en route offering support from mentors and industry experts, giving access to intellectual property, content and technology and the use of office space in London.
If you want to participate, you can reserve a place at the induction session on March 5, or you can just go ahead and submit an application. The deadline for submissions is midnight (GMT) on April 4, 2013.
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Busty Yoruba actress, Peju Johnson has debunked claims that a man gave her money to buy her new car.
Speaking in a chat with Punch, Johnson said: “I bought the car with my hard-earned money. I actually paid for it in early 2020 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could not be shipped to Nigeria until recently.
“People are entitled to their opinions. They are free to say whatever they like. I have found that people who don’t even know one are the ones that usually have the most to say about one. I am used to it and I don’t consider it to be a big deal anymore.
“Many actresses do more than acting. Many of them are influencers on social media and they have other businesses. Whenever they are contracted to represent any brand, they are well paid for it. I am an influencer and I also have other businesses. I sell female items. I don’t know much about male actors but I don’t think many of them do ‘influencer jobs’. I have read many comments on this issue online but I really don’t know why that is so. I only gave my perspective.”
Asked how how her light skin had been an advantage to her career, she said, “I am not sure it has. There are many actresses who are not fair-skinned, yet are doing very well in their careers. There are men who prefer dark-skinned women. I am naturally light complexioned; I did not alter my skin for the sake of any man.”


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The all-new Galaxy S24 lineup comes packed with its most advanced camera system. The South Korean tech giant has recently launched the Galaxy S24 smartphone globally. The Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra smartphones run the Android 14 operating system and come with AI editing tools.
Samsung Circle to search promotion in Cape Town
To promote the new Galaxy S24 Series AI feature, Circle to Search – a new way to search anything on the device with a simple gesture without switching apps – Samsung Electronics embellished the clear skies above Table Mountain in Cape Town with circles, marking the new era of Galaxy AI.
“In our pursuit to bring attention to Circle to Search, created in partnership with Google, for the recently launched Galaxy S24 Series, Samsung made a bold and engaging move drawing circles in the sky to mark a new era for Galaxy AI. Now, with a simple gesture, you can circle what you are curious about and get more information right where you are,” says Kgomotso Mosiane, Head of Marketing for Mobile eXperience at Samsung South Africa.
Press and hold the home button on the screen to enable Circle to Search, and then do just that – use your finger to draw a circle around text or scribble on an object on the screen to search for it on Google. If you have the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can use the S Pen instead of a finger. And you never have to leave whatever app you’re on to do it! Circle To Search can help you quickly identify items in photo or video.
Meanwhile, the S24 Ultra DxOMark tests include 144 points and received a position of 18th on the leaderboard.


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Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil announced on Saturday that the value of trade exchange between Egypt and Russia increased by 55% during the first quarter (Q1) of the current year.
Kabil explained that the value of trade exchange between Egypt and Russia during Q1 2018 amounted to $1.33bn, up from $862m during the same period last year, an increase of 55%.
This came during Kabil’s meeting with a Russian delegation led by the governor of the Sverdlovsk region, Yevgeny Kuivashev, to review Russia’s hosting of Expo 2025 in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, in the presence of Russian Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Georgy Kalamanov.
Kabil pointed out that the most important Egyptian exports to Russia were agricultural crops, especially potatoes, onions, garlic, grapes, fresh and frozen strawberries, and medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as industrial goods such as household appliances, household furnishings, and pharmaceutical products.
He announced that the meetings of the Egyptian-Russian joint economic committee will be held in the second half of May in Moscow.
The meetings are expected to witness the signing of a number of agreements and protocols to promote joint cooperation between the two countries, especially in the industrial, agricultural, and customs fields.
The Egyptian minister said that the establishment of a Russian industrial zone in Egypt will be at the forefront of the topics to be discussed during the activities of the joint committee.
On Friday, Kabil announced in a press statement that Egypt’s non-oil exports rose by 15% during Q1 2018, explaining that Egyptian non-oil exports recorded $6.32bn during Q1 2018, up from $5.52bn during the same period of 2017.
He revealed that the value of Egypt’s total trade exchange rose by 9%, reaching $21.3bn in Q1 2018, up from $19.5bn in 2017, pointing out that Egypt’s trade deficit also showed a 2% improvement.
For his part, Ismail Jaber, chairperson of the General Organisation for Export and Import Control, stated on Friday that the main markets that received Egyptian exports during Q1 2018 included nine countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Germany, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Italy, and the UK.
“The nine countries’ markets received Egyptian exports worth $3.2bn during the first three months in 2018 compared to $2.7bn during the same period last year—a hike of 8.5%,” he stressed.


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Messe Frankfurt to launch Boulevard Prêt-á-Sale trade show in 2017
International trade show organizer Messe Frankfurt announced on Wednesday that it has joined forces with fashion industry veterans Arnold and Bruce Zimberg to launch Boulevard Prêt-á-Sale. The new trade show will be held in New York City twice a year in March and October.
Boulevard Prêt-á-Sale was created with an eye on the present and future state of retail sales. The trade show is the first of its kind offering global retailers the opportunity to meet with brand-name apparel, accessory and footwear companies all at once.
The debut show will be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center’s River Pavilion from March 21, 2017 through March 23, 2017, and it will focus solely on menswear. In October, Boulevard Prêt-á-Sale will feature both menswear and womenswear together.
"The retail industry is in a state of tremendous change, with shoppers looking for value more than ever before, and retailers looking to provide them with the best products available," said Arnold Zimberg, co-founder, boulevard prêt-à-sale. "Value retailers are the most important retailers of today, and of tomorrow, and they are not given the same exposure to fashion brands, or the opportunity to develop the same relationships with manufacturers and designers. Boulevard prêt-à-sale will offer networking opportunities to those retailers and allow them to better cultivate their offerings for customers. Most importantly, this show is about helping both brands and retailers reestablish a return on investment."
The introduction of Boulevard Prêt-á-Sale expands Messe Frankfurt’s New York City show offering, which currently includes Texworld USA, Apparel Sourcing USA and Home Textiles Sourcing Expo.
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.


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- Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) witnessed a bumper half-year period ended 31 December 2021 on strong sales and earnings growth across its retail businesses.
- Wesfarmers reported a statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of A$1,390 million during the period.
- The company’s board also announced an interim dividend of 88 cents per share.
How Wesfarmers’ (ASX:WES) profit zoomed 25% despite COVI
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) on Thursday reported robust earnings for the half-year ended 31 December 2021, marked by strong sales and earnings growth across its retail businesses. The company also said that there was an improvement in industrial and safety performance during a period of continued disruption and uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wesfarmers reported a statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) of A$1,390 million during the period. NPAT from continuing operations, excluding significant items, rose by 25.5 per cent to A$1,414 million. The company’s board also announced an interim dividend of 88 cents per share.
Image Source: Wesfarmers ASX update, 18 February 2021
Strong performance by Bunnings, Kmart Group and Officeworks
Commenting on the financial results, Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott said a strong performance by Bunnings, Kmart Group and Officeworks demonstrates their ability to adapt to changing customer preferences and provide a safe environment for customers and team members. He added that the result in Chemicals, Energy and Fertilisers (WesCEF) reflected a solid operating performance..
Online sales double
Wesfarmers said that total online sales across the Group more than doubled for the given half, excluding Catch. The online sales stood at A$2.0 billion for the first half, including the Catch marketplace.
Image Source: © Cmmeraydave | Megapixl.com
The retail businesses across the Group remained robust through January and February, even as the government-mandated trading restrictions in Victoria, Western Australia and New Zealand posed some impact. However, growth in retail sales was expected to moderate from March as the businesses started to recover from the initial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in the prior year, particularly in Bunnings and Officeworks.
READ MORE: Three trading tips from Paul Tudor Jones
The Group’s portfolio of cash-generative businesses with leading market positions is on track to deliver satisfactory shareholder returns over the long term.
Shares of Wesfarmers closed down 0.46 per cent to A$54.15 on Wednesday, 17 February 2021, against the previous closing on Tuesday, 16 February 2021.


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Lee Sung-hye, a 23-year-old fashion student, was crowned the 2011 Miss Korea at the Sejong Arts Centre in Seoul on Aug 3.
Lee, who stands at 170cm with a 35-25-35 figure, emerged victorious among the 54 contestants at the 2011 Miss Korea Pageant. Lee received the much-coveted tiara from last year’s winner, Jung Sora.
Lee, who majors in fashion design at the Parsons School of Design in New York, will go on to represent South Korea in the upcoming Miss World and Miss Universe pageants.
An aspiring CEO of a fashion company, Lee is also a skilled Korean traditional dancer.
On Wednesday’s show, Lee said, “I respect fashion designer Vera Wang the most. I really liked the goddess-themed dress from this pageant. Since I’m studying fashion design, I would like to one day design a dress using Hanbok (traditional Korean dress).”
She continued, “I learned a lot through a variety of activities overseas, so I’m sure I’ll be competitive enough to promote Korea globally. I’ll do my best to spread Korea’s beauty around the world in the coming year.”
Most Miss Korea winners and finalists go on to pursue careers in the entertainment or fashion industry, so no one will be surprised to see Lee Sung Hae on TV in the near future.
This year marked the 55th anniversary of the iconic and recently panned competition, which was a national event in the first few decades of its existence and boasted 34.8 percent viewer ratings on MBC as recently as 1997. But it came under fire in the past decade for being disorganized and for focusing only on physical beauty.
Despite the criticism from pressure groups and the media, the Miss Korea title still remains coveted among many young Korean women — especially celebrity hopefuls.
The show was streamed live on cable channel tvN (it was pulled from major television broadcasts beginning in 2002) with 1.16 percent viewer ratings.
The show started off with all 54 women performing the cancan so well that they would have put any debuting teeny-bopper girl group to shame. In the latter half of the pageant, the candidates came out sporting matching blue rain coats and twirled their pink umbrellas, singing “Singing in the Rain.”
After dancing to “Hot Honey Rag”, the contestants sang the Miss Korea Anthem before starting the swimsuit parade.
Actor Shin Hyeon-jun and actress Yu Sun were on the receiving end of harsh criticism for their poor emceeing skills, especially when they only announced 16 quarter-finalists when there were actually 17 contestants who had made it to the next round. Shin also shouted, “Wait a minute” during the final announcing of Miss Korea, and to top it off, several seconds of dead air throughout the show left the crowd confused and bewildered.


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Samsung started this year with the launch of the Galaxy S21 series and since then, they have been launching a lot of different 4G and 5G smartphones in the market, trying to expand their offering in each segment. Now the company is reportedly working on a new smartphone called the Samsung Galaxy A82, which will be the third offering in the A series of smartphones. The phone was recently spotted in the Bluetooth SIG and Geekbench’s database.
The phone could have a slide-up rotating camera, which was one of its major features for the Samsung A80. Also, it will come with an innovative camera module, that will be the industry first. As per the resources, the phone’s camera setup will carry a 64MP primary camera sensor from the Sony IMX686 lens and not a Samsung ISOCELL GW2/1 sensor. It has also not been confirmed if the phone has a slide-out camera as its predecessor. The phone is also said to be aimed at only the South Korean and European markets for now and could come to the global market at a later time.
It is said to be equipped with a Quantum Random Number Generator chip for better data encryption. Past leaks revealed that the phone could be powered using the Snapdragon 855 or Snapdragon 855+, including 4GB of RAM and Android 11 OS. The only confirmed detail about the phone, for now, is that it will have Bluetooth 5.0. We expect to have a lot more leaks related to the phone in the coming days.


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Accenture, Schaeffler, SAP… And Other Large Tech Brands In The World Attend FPT Software's Technology Event
On July 20, 2022, FPT Software held a technology event with the participation of more than 300 senior leaders from the world's leading enterprises, such as Accenture, Schaeffler, SAP, and Toshiba..., consisting of thought leadership discussions exploring the global Digital Transformation (Dx).
Top-level leaders of FPT Corporation and FPT Software at the Customer Appreciation event on July 20
Under the theme "Breakthrough in the new future", the tech event was dedicated to customers and partners of FPT Software (a subsidiary of FPT Corporation) as its commitment affirmation of bringing world-class Dx technology and services to clients on a global scale over the years.
Demonstrating the image of the ship crossing the sea, the organizers simulate the journey of reaching out to the world for FPT, particularly FPT Software, with the powerful desire to turn Vietnam into a high-tech country. FPT's Chairman Truong Gia Binh emphasized: "From the dream of bringing Vietnamese wisdom to the world 23 years ago, we have gone through a long journey steering the FPT boat to many continents, discovering unprecedented opportunities and reaching lots of achievements."
"We are proud to have contributed to placing Vietnam on the global tech map. And now, we continue to pursue the goal of reaching the Top 50 leading digital transformation service providers in the world", affirmed FPT's Chairman.
At the event, FPT Software's Chairperson Chu Thi Thanh Ha said, "In order to realize the goal of being a billion-dollar enterprise and getting to the top of big technology enterprises, FPT Software has promoted coordination with global partners, creating technology for outstanding development and accompanying to become the top-of-mind partner of businesses".
Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, CEO of FPT Software, added: "FPT Software brings world-class experts and technology solutions to help businesses transform digitally and achieve business goals in the new era. We are committed to working hand in hand with partners to change, create, and reach the future flexibly."
Guests attending the exhibition and experiencing akaVerse
A series of big brands such as Accenture, Schaeffler, SAP, Toshiba, and Standard Chartered.. gathered at the special event. At the event, senior leaders of the world's leading companies shared stories and perspectives during panel discussions, providing an in-depth look at the world's digital transformation application.
Another remarkable highlight was the demonstration of superb technology solutions and systems researched and developed by Vietnamese technology engineers. In particular, applications integrating Artificial Intelligence & Big data and global digital transformation solutions gained much attention. They are also the segment that FPT Software has earned considerable achievements this year, such as the critical partnership with Landing AI or technology patents in Deep Learning in the US.
In the past year, the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform - akaBot - has launched multi-solutions geared towards Hyperautomation - the emerging trend of combining human and automated robots to reduce operating costs and enhance performance efficiency. In addition, the end-to-end digital transformation platform for manufacturing - akaMES - has been successfully used in steel mills, car factories, and mechanical plants in Vietnam, Japan, and Malaysia.
Attendees excitedly discussed digital transformation technologies
The akaVerse solution uses 3D and VR/AR technologies to enhance the online shopping experience by building virtual stores. The Cloud Suite includes six solutions to support management and migration to a multi-cloud environment. Crystal Sound filters "two-way noises" with AI for online meetings and smart factory solutions.
These technologies have applications in many industries, such as automobile, banking, retail, healthcare, energy, hardware manufacturing, and industrial plants. In particular, the event's participants are the partners and customers who receive FPT's Software consulting and comprehensive technology services.
With more than 25,000 employees working in 59 branches and offices in 26 countries, FPT Software is a subsidiary of FPT Corporation, the leading technology company in Southeast Asia pioneering digital transformation. In June 2022, the enterprise exceeded the milestone of 25,000 employees. It is considered one of the companies with the best working environment in Asia.
With the philosophy of "The sun never sets", FPT Software provides 24/7 world-class technology services with core tech such as RPA, AI, Cloud, IoT, AR/BR, BPO... to more than 700 customers globally. Hundreds of them are on the Fortune 500 list in all fields, such as Banking and Finance, Logistics, and Transportation.


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GOAT expands into apparel and accessories
It’s called fashion, and it’s good news for the hypebeasts.
GOAT's new AR feature lets you 'try on' the hottest sneaker drops
It's the latest AR endeavor from the online sneaker marketplace.
Sneaker marketplace GOAT has an app just for China
Chinese customers get a new native app and WeChat mini-experience.
GOAT lets you preview sneakers in AR before they launch
See the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Mocha’ before its May 11th release.
The best apps for buying sneakers
It’s never been easier to find a new pair of shoes, limited-edition or not.
Foot Locker invests $100 million in online sneaker seller GOAT
The companies will leverage Foot Locker's physical stores and GOAT's digital marketplace.
GOAT sneaker marketplace partners with NBA player Kyle Kuzma
Kuzma is the first pro athlete to sign with an online sneaker seller.
Sneaker Con bets NFC will keep fakes off its new shoe-selling app
The company is turning to tech to get ahead of the competition and scammers.
ICYMI: Goat-inspired robot design and apple picking
Robotically bounding up cliffs as nimbly as a mountain goat.


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The Karnataka High Court has put the ED’s last week seizure of Xiaomi India assets worth $725 million (about INR 5,51 crores) on hold. Much to its chagrin, Xiaomi has been facing a lot of challenges in India lately. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has accused the company of violating the Indian foreign exchange law. According to the department, Xiaomi India sent INR 5,551 crores to its parent companies in a bid to avoid tax in the country. As a result, the ED seized assets worth INR 5,551 crores of Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited.
The department claims that the company was illegally sending funds to three foreign entities in the form of royalty payments. Moreover, one of the receivers of these funds turned out to be a Xiaomi group entity. However, Xiaomi has denied these allegations in its statement. The company clarified that its royalty payments and statements to the banks are all truthful and confirming to the rules. Xiaomi India went on to file a challenge against ED’s decision in the Karnataka High Court. Now, a report by Reuters sheds more light on the challenge.
Gizchina News of the week
Karnataka High Court Puts ED’s Seizure Of Xiaomi India Assets On Hold
The report confirms that on May 5 the High Court of the southern Karnataka state put a hold on ED’s seizure of the funds from the company’s account. The next hearing is slated to take place on May 12, according to the Karnataka court’s website. In response to ED’s action, Xiaomi said that it wasn’t doing anything illegal. Also, it insists that the royalty payments and bank statements in question are genuine. Despite getting some relief from the High Court, it is worth noting that Xiaomi will have to share details about its royalty payments and fund transfers with ED and Indian authorities. On Thursday, a judge put the ED’s decision on hold after hearing the company’s lawyers.
This piece of information comes from two unnamed sources who weren’t authorized to share these details with the media. Notably, Xiaomi has been on ED’s radar since December 2021 after it raided the company’s office. Interestingly, ED raided the offices of Oppo and Huawei as well. However, the department launched an investigation into Xiaomi India’s operation after discovering irregularities in its records. Interestingly, former Xiaomi India Director Manu Kumar Jain was also under investigation for breaching India’s foreign exchange laws.
As per the ED, Xiaomi India has sent money to three entities abroad without availing of any services. To recall, Xiaomi made its debut in the Indian market in 2014 and is now one of the country’s top smartphone manufacturers. The company has a notable 24 percent market share in the smartphone industry in India. Furthermore, the annual turnover of the company is reportedly around a whopping INR 34,000 crores.


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One of the most-played games in the world recently suffered a security breach.
Developer Riot Games released a blog post yesterday that revealed hackers accessed sensitive information relating to its competitive multiplayer title League of Legends. Someone was able to access usernames, email addresses, passwords, and real names. The passwords are salted and hashed, which means they are unreadable, but Riot warns that the users with simple passwords are more vulnerable to account theft.
Riot also revealed that the cyber criminals were able to access up to 120,000 transaction records that contained encrypted credit card numbers.
“The payment system involved with these records hasn’t been used since July 2011, and this type of payment card information hasn’t been collected in any Riot systems since then,” Riot president Marc Merrill wrote in the blog. “We are taking appropriate action to notify and safeguard affected players. We will be contacting these players via the email addresses currently associated with their accounts to alert them. Our investigation is ongoing, and we will take all necessary steps to protect players.”
We’ve contacted Riot, but the company isn’t divulging how this happened. A spokesperson would only tell GamesBeat that “some systems were compromised.”
To deal with future security issues, Riot plans to implement new password complexity requirements and two-factor authentication. Riot is also mandating a password reset for all of its North American users.


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In A Permanent Save State is an interactive, artistic work by Benjamin Poynter. The short-lived iOS game — now removed from the App Store — featured a surrealist style, pairing soft colors with harsh lines and keeping a hand-drawn aesthetic throughout the experience. Poynter says the game imagines an afterlife for seven overworked employees who took their own life. The narrative found in the game was influenced by the real-life suicides that occurred in 2010 at Foxconn’s manufacturing plants, an undeniably large part of the reason the game was removed. Especially since Apple has been under fire lately for the riots and strikes at various Foxconn plants protesting poor work conditions.
Poynter described the game in more detail to The Verge via email:
“I related quite a bit to the situation of these young people and the stress that comes with not seeing the end of things. I guessed in my mind what they would have wanted to see in their eternal setting, as I had visions of it myself.”
However, following its established pattern of banning controversial applications from being downloaded in the App Store, Apple removed In A Permanent Save State after less than an hour. The exact reason it was removed, in other words which Apple guideline it violated, has not been determined. Sources familiar with the review process think it probably has to do with rules against “objectionable content” and material that “solely target a specific race, culture, a real government or corporation, or any other real entity.”
But Poynter told The Verge he had a suspicion his app wouldn’t last long in Apple’s hands. He did his best to keep Foxconn out of the spotlight, choosing instead to focus on the human side of the issue.
“I wanted to go all in,” he said. “No looking back, even if it meant offending certain groups or corporations.”
This isn’t the first time Apple has drawn the curtains on a game alluding to the creation of its beloved iPhone. Phone Story, a satirical game that looked at the ethical and environmental issues created throughout the lifespan of a smartphone — complete with a “Suicides” mini-game — was also banned from the App Store for being “objectionable.” It’s not just smartphone-related controversy Apple would like to avoid either. In 2010, Apple refused to reinstate The Manhattan Declaration, originally removed because of its homophobic and anti-abortion advocacy, despite a large petition defending its message.
Do you think Apple is right in taking down In A Permanent Save State or is the smartphone leader just trying to protect its reputation?
- Sony reverses wrongful ban of PlayStation 4 player due to ‘offensive’ PSN ID
- Censorship controversy surrounds international version of Rainbow Six Siege
- The best movies on Netflix right now (January 2019)
- Four fake cryptocurrency apps were listed on the Google Play Store
- The best drawing apps for the iPad Pro


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Byline: The Log Staff
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico — The third annual Cabo Marine Show is scheduled July 5-7 at a new location: IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas, docks K-M. The boat show will be open to the public and will feature exhibitions from more than 50 local and international vendors.
“We are very proud to be partnering once again with IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas in our long-term vision to establish an international boat show here in Los Cabos, Mexico,” said Sergio Igartua, organizer of the Cabo Marine Show. “The participation and support of all of our sponsors are what make this type of event possible.”
MAA+Eventos, a Mexico City-based events management company, has been contracted to handle all sales and logistics for the show — including booth sales, registration and hotel accommodations. For more information, call MAA+Eventos at (01152) 555-563-5386 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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In this month's roundup of American Banker's favorite stories: JPMorgan Chase moves third parties away from screen scraping, Wells Fargo launches its new virtual assistant, bank CEOs predict a full
Beyoncé made a stunning appearance at the fifth annual Wearable Art Gala last week in a strapless black dress with a shiny satin bodice (and we’re still not over it!) The Renaissance hitm
Bad gal RiRi is back.
Everyone's favorite bad gal is back to work — and in full force.
Within a matter of weeks, Rihanna, who recently became a first-time mom, announced that she w
Hoda Kotb opted for a daring new look on Thursday when she rocked a figure-hugging leather dress to show her support for an important cause.
MORE: Hoda Kotb shares surprising wardrobe mish


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PWR Lab is the latest winner of Moonshot’s pitch with a portable information concept.
When Adam Stepanovic worked as a data scientist at a large tech company in Northern California, he saw a problem with the way the data collected by those companies was – and was not – used.
On the one hand, the wealth of information collected, analyzed and segmented to target end users, information essentially aggregated for “marketing and manipulation,” as Stepanovic put it.
Meanwhile, a lot of actionable data has been left out – information that, with the user’s consent, could be used to benefit both businesses and consumers.
“If we give individuals the power to choose who has access to their data and what they want in return for that access, it creates a balanced opportunity for businesses and customers,” he said.
With this philosophy, Stepanovic and his partners, computer engineer Chris Berthiaume and physiotherapist Jeff Moreno, founded PWR Lab four years ago. The company has developed a platform that aggregates “lived experience” data, primarily what is collected by devices like smartwatches and other wearable devices.
For example, a runner wearing a GPS-enabled smartwatch generates data that would tell a running shoe company how often that person runs and whether that activity occurs on trails or on the pavement. The geolocation information could identify the weather conditions prevailing in the area. All of these factors would allow the company to quickly and accurately identify the best products for that runner.
The customer would get timely advice on the perfect pair of running shoes and associated gear and apparel, while the valuable recommendations from the company would build brand affinity and customer loyalty.
In fact, it was a lived experience that led Stepanovic and his partners to the idea of using portable data to help both businesses and consumers.
“I had a running injury and saw Jeff as my physiotherapist,” he said. “We were wondering why it was so difficult to find the right equipment for runners and how useful it would be for Jeff, as a PT, to use the data collected from my smartwatch to help me prevent my injuries in the first place. “
PWR Lab is currently focusing on partnerships with brands in the sports sector, where information on the lived experience of wearables is particularly relevant. Current customers include: Brooks running shoes, Method Seven specialty optics, and the Fleet Feet chain of stores.
But, unlike most large tech companies, PWR Lab has a deep sense of responsibility to the people who generate the information.
“Data is collected anyway, if you have some type of digital device,” Stepanovic said. “Our company makes it easy to connect with brands and services that care enough about you to focus on how your data can benefit you as an individual.”
The PWR Lab platform makes it clear what data is being collected and individuals control whether that information is shared with a particular company.
Ultimately, the company plans to set the digital standard for wearable device data across a wider range of brands and consumer categories and not just those in the sports sector. The company estimates that currently up to 99% of the data value of portable devices remains untapped.
It was this potential that caught Moonshot’s attention at NACET, the Flagstaff-based entrepreneurial program.
PWR Lab moved to Flagstaff last year as Stepanovic and his family sought to escape the frequent wildfires and prohibitive housing costs of Northern California. The family knew Flagstaff through parents – Stepanovic’s sister-in-law is a city-based Olympic runner, and her husband, Mike Smith, runs the track program at Northern Arizona University.
Shortly after moving to Flagstaff, PWR Lab became a client of Moonshot and works in the program’s accelerator building on the North Gemini campus.
“Moving to Flagstaff was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” said Stepanovic. “The community is warm and dynamic. The environment is incomparable. Moonshot at NACET is the icing on the cake as it is a great place to grow a business with incredible support.
Admiration is mutual. Last month, PWR Lab won first prize in Moonshot’s annual Pioneer Pitch competition. He was one of 14 region-based startups who attended the event, which was judged by a panel of community actors, business mentors and Moonshot staff.
“We chose PWR Lab for the top prize because it is a forward thinking Moonshot idea that has unlimited future uses, builds on Flagstaff’s growing digital technology sector, and will create high paying jobs. in northern Arizona, ”Moonshot told NACET President and CEO. Scott Hathcock.
PWR Lab is now working to connect with more advisors, investors, like-minded businesses, and individuals who may be interested in their platform.
To learn more about the PWR Lab platform, visit pwrlab.com. For more information on Moonshot at NACET, visit moonshotaz.com. NBF
By Cindy May, FBN


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By Dennis Seid/NEMS Daily Journal
On the day JCPenney announced it was letting go its CEO last week, word came that the company’s store in Vicksburg was closing.
The Vicksburg closing isn’t a big deal for most of you reading this. It was just one of 47 underperforming stores the company said it was shuttering.
But I’m a Vicksburg native, and there’s quite a bit of nostalgia that goes with that store. Well, with all old department stores, really.
The first JCPenney in the River City was built in the 1930s on Washington Street. My grandparents shopped there, as did my parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends and many, many others.
It moved to what was then the new Pemberton Square Mall in 1984 in a building with little character, unlike its old downtown spot.
I didn’t come around until the late 1960s, but I remember going to the old store as a kid. That’s when department stores were cool and you could find just about everything you wanted. There was the multi-story Valley Department Store the next block over that was even better.
The stores all had a particular smell that I can’t quite place. It was a “department store” smell. And the stores back then certainly didn’t bake bread or fry chicken or have floral departments.
I certainly wasn’t interested in the clothes and shoes at JCPenney or any other department store. I remember how cool it was to run up the stairs in the back of Penney’s and peering back over the sales floor. Maybe the toy department was up there, too.
Ah, memories. McRae’s, before it was bought out by Belk, was another stalwart on the retail scene. As were TG&Y, Howard’s, Gibson’s.
Then came Walmart. The Arkansas retailer changed the department store game that few were able, or willing, to adapt to. And where are those other stores today? Gone.
It was a nice trek down memory lane for me to think about what it used to be like at JCPenney and those other stores.
But if JCPenney doesn’t want to join the rest of them in extinction, it’s got to right its ship now.
If you’ve been wondering what the company’s been doing the past year or so, join the crowd. Maybe hiring a former Apple exec was thinking too far out of the box for JCP.
A new pricing plan was supposed to be revolutionary – there would be fewer sales and coupons, giving way to everyday low prices. But the execution of the plan flopped, and led to confusion for consumers. The company changed its message several times but still couldn’t get it right.
The results speak for themselves: company sales dropped by 25 percent and losses hit nearly $1 billion last year.
Department stores have changed and aren’t what they once were. It’s not business as usual anymore. They still must adapt to survive and thrive. But as JCPenney discovered, going too far can be just as bad as doing nothing at all.


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The year 2017 has been a notable one in terms of automotive technology. While 2016 saw major announcements and concepts, 2017 has been the first step towards realising all the futuristic technologies that will soon become synonymous with automotive innovations. The first driver assistive units have begun rolling out, electric cars are no longer a talk for the future, and just like every year, old pioneers have retired to make way for new ones.
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- Digit SquadVideosPhotos Contest Hot Deals


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This summer will be the biggest season to date for the cruise liner industry, an industry spokesperson says.
Adam Armstrong, the regional manager of Royal Caribbean Cruises, said about 1 million Australians and 60,000 New Zealanders went on cruises each year.
Eleven new ships were expected this season, in an industry that was worth about $500 million to the economy.
Mr Armstrong said the average age of cruise ship passengers had fallen to the low 40s and many families were going cruising as well.
He said some cruise liners carried 5000 passengers and 1500 crew, and that could bring up to $1m a day to a port.
"You've got a small town of 6500 people descending on a port, they can bring between half a million to a million dollars per visit, per day - a massive cash injection.
"And these cruises are calling all the way up the coast, five or six or seven ports per cruise, you're getting multi-million dollar investment from these guests."
About 250,000 passengers were expected this season.


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‘I can’t believe how slow we move’: Overheard at the Digiday Retail Summit
At the Digiday Retail Summit, taking place this week in Austin, Texas, retail executives came together to hash out the most daunting challenges facing their businesses: the massive amounts of data they’re collecting and what to do with it, changing consumer behavior, an inability of internal structures allowing them to move quickly, and the small problem of Amazon taking over, well, everything.
“The world is changing. Consumers are changing,” said Brian Kavanagh, the senior director of retail experience at The Hershey Co., during a presentation on Feb. 21. “We have to throw the old playbook out and listen to our shoppers.”
We gathered the best overheard moments from candid conversations about working with platforms, struggling with internal silos and dealing with a ton of data that in some cases can be misleading.
Breaking down barriers
“The biggest thing we’re struggling with internally is how to be partners and not competitors with people in our company. It’s crazy how territorial people can get when we’re dealing with new products and technology that didn’t exist when our departments were created. We need to work together, not against each other.”
“The amount of micromanaging my team experiences is insane. There’s no way to flesh out strategies on our own.”
“We’ve been working to move our brand into the digital realm, which means we’re in flux, which means there’s a ton of miscommunication and internal breakdowns. You’re basically in a car and trying to fix it at the same time — it’s fast but slow. To me, the biggest problem is that leadership roles act as if they’re in a vacuum. The ideas can come from anywhere if you listen.”
“They say change comes from the top down, but what are you supposed to do when the top isn’t driving any change?”
“As a legacy brand, it’s really hard to remain relevant with all of these newcomers in the space and a customer that no longer cares about legacy. For me, the most frustrating part is watching the executive leadership carry on based on some delusion that’s so far off from where the customer actually is.”
“Working for an apparel brand and coming from CPG is like going 20 years into the past. I can’t believe how slow we move.”
Navigating platform relationships
“It’s not inexpensive to produce the content in all the different formats we produce it, so the fact that we’re investing this much into platforms like Facebook and Instagram and getting nothing in return is incredibly tough.”
“We’ve been able to track actual conversion to YouTube. It will give you the data; Facebook doesn’t. Comparing the video experience on YouTube to Facebook is like comparing apples to oranges.”
“Our customers now know to research directly on YouTube when there’s something they’re interested in buying. Not Facebook, not Instagram, not Pinterest.”
“The medium matters. You have to be everywhere, but it feels like Facebook and Instagram actively block attribution.”
The data problem
“Data can be so overwhelming, to the point you’re scrutinizing individual data points trying to get meaning out of it where there is no actual meaning. Then, you’re paralyzed.”
“Does data matter? What is the data that matters? If an executive can’t answer those questions, they’re not a good executive.”
“The ‘so what’ question is huge. So much data is really just fun to know. So how do you differentiate between what’s color and what’s a key foundation for a business strategy?”
“To me, the scariest part is the potential consequences. People always say, ‘just look at the data,’ and never acknowledge that data can be really misleading. If you interpret it wrong or follow the wrong lead, you’re getting further away from who you are and who your customer is. We can’t really afford to muddy something like that.”
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28 March 2000
Cows suffer as dairy crisis deepens
By FWi staff
ONE in five dairy cows are suffering from over-work as cash-strapped farmers push them ever harder to produce more milk, a leading vet has claimed.
Animals are exhausted and emaciated as they produce up to 80 pints of milk a day, said Professor John Webster of the University of Bath veterinary school.
To achieve such output this “ultimate exploited mother” needs a high-quality diet, and when this is unavailable, its health starts to suffer.
Based on recent research on lameness, Prof Webster estimated that 20% of dairy cows in Britain could be affected.
A system which rewards good welfare instead of pushing farmers to produce ever-cheaper milk is needed to tackle this problem, he says.
“Farmers are under severe pressure and when farmers are under the pressure, it is cows which essentially pay,” he told the Farming Today on Radio 4.
“I would hugely applaud any system that rewarded farmers for increasing the tender loving care to their cows, so would farmers. Theyd be delighted.”
Prof Webster said everybody could be a winner if this strategy was followed, and called for supermarkets to consider it.
The public would get higher welfare standards, supermarkets could sell higher-welfare products and farmers would no longer have to produce “dirt-cheap milk”.
Farmgate prices have fallen to their lowest for 30 years in real terms while supermarkets prices have remained steady.
Lancashire dairy farmer John Loftus, who heads the Federation of Milk Producers, admitted that the current slump would ultimately affect welfare.
“Those under serious pressure will have to cut corners to decide which bill you can afford to pay. The pressure on the farm will eventually get through to the cattle as well.”
Farming Today conducted a straw poll asking supermarkets if they would force their processors pay farmers more for milk.
Tesco and Sainsburys, two of the countrys biggest supermarkets, said they had no plans to pay farmers more for milk.
Asda said it would not accept a fall in the amount farmers receive. Waitrose said it would give the same price to farmers until the end of April.


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At his July 22, 2022, press conference, Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Powell said that over the coming months, the Fed “will be looking for compelling evidence that inflation is moving down, consistent with inflation returning to 2%.” Is there clear, convincing, or compelling evidence that inflation is headed that way? Not yet. The outlook is still as clear as mud. Let’s look at a few factors that inform our outlook on inflation.
The level of inflation is very high. Even today’s inflation report, though down from its peak, is still uncomfortably high. As with all macroeconomic data, the markets care more about where the level is headed than where it’s been. When we think about where it’s headed, we consider the breadth and the persistence as well. The San Francisco Fed has calculated the dispersion of inflation based on the fraction of items with significant price declines and the fraction with significant price increases. In June, only 7.8% of things the typical household buys had significant price declines while 92.2% had significant price increases. That’s a lot of breadth! Breadth tends to breed future price increases.
For persistence, one way to look at it is via the Atlanta Fed’s Sticky-Price Consumer Price Index (CPI). Some prices change frequently (like gasoline prices) while others are slower to adjust (like rents). In July, the Sticky-Price CPI was up 5.8% year over year, and it’s been on an upward trajectory. The Flexible Price CPI, which doesn’t tend to tell us much about the future direction of inflation, was up 16.8% year over year, which is well off its February high of 19.8%.
So, the breadth and stickiness of inflation suggest inflation is going to stick around for a while. However, we have to consider other drivers of inflation. An easy way to think about these drivers is in terms of money supply, spending power, and supply chains.
- Money supply:
- The Fed is slowly shrinking its balance sheet, and money-supply growth (as measured by the Fed’s M2 Monetary Aggregate*) is down to 5.9% year over year, well below its February 2021 peak of 27%. For perspective, the average going back to 1960 is 7.2%.
- Spending power:
- Real spending by consumers has moderated to 1.6% year over year. The average going back to 2000 is 2.3%. So, some of the consumers’ spending spree is behind us even if there’s a continued shift in the basket of things people purchase, like shifting from buying goods back to buying services.
- With real disposable personal income down 3.2% year over year as inflation eats away at wage gains, it’s hard to see how consumer spending will reaccelerate to put upward pressure on prices, especially since the average back to 1948 is +3.4%.
- Won’t savings from stimulus checks prop up spending? Maybe. We don’t really know who saved what. Most evidence suggests that higher-income households have the excess savings, and they may be holding these as precautionary balances. We do know that as of the first quarter of 2022 (the most recent data from the Fed Flow of Funds), checkable deposits of households and nonprofits were around 3% of net worth. That’s up from 1% pre-pandemic and amounts to about $2.7 trillion in “excess savings.” While this sounds like a lot, it’s only about two months’ worth of personal consumption expenditures. If those excess savings are mostly in the accounts of higher-income households that are holding the funds as precautionary instead of transaction balances, then there aren’t really a lot of excess savings on the sideline to support spending.
- Supply chains:
- Repeated supply-chain shocks have been a recurring problem. To help quantify what’s happening, the New York Fed has a Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, which integrates transportation cost data and manufacturing indicators to provide a gauge of global supply-chain conditions. It’s a composite indicator, but the most important thing is that it was down to 1.8 in July, compared with 4.3 in December 2021. “Normal” would be zero, so there’s still a ways to go, but it does appear to be headed in the right direction for some inflation relief.
Over the next few months, this is what we expect:
- Durable goods prices will come down as supply-chain pressures ease and consumers continue to emphasize services spending over goods spending.
- Nondurable goods (mainly food and fuel) will swing wildly, but at least the average prices of gasoline and agricultural commodities have reverted back to where they were—if not lower—before Russia invaded Ukraine.
- Services prices are firm and rising, which we believe will be the source of persistent inflation in the future. Rents are the biggest component of services, but at least rent price increases appear to have slowed.
Folding these together, we expect that by September, the Fed could decide that it at least has two months of evidence that inflation is declining. Will that be enough? It won’t be enough to pause rate hikes but probably will be at least enough to slow the pace of hikes. On balance, that could be bullish for equities and bonds alike.
*The Fed’s M2 Monetary Aggregate measures the U.S. money stock that includes M1 (currency and coins held by the nonbank public, checkable deposits, and traveler’s checks) plus savings deposits (including money market deposit accounts), small time deposits under $100,000, and shares in retail money market mutual funds.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.


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Summer days are hot in New York City and Rihanna knows that keeping cool may require some very specific wardrobe choices.
Rihanna stepped out in a pair of cutoff denim shorts with slits on the sides and a crop top while out in the Big Apple on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The 26-year-old wore the outfit for a trip to Da Silvano restaurant in Greenwich Village.
The superstar singer has been out and about in NYC this week. On Monday night, Rihanna and Drake were spotted at Griffin nightclub, according to TMZ.


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DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor Co. is recalling over 634,000 SUVs worldwide as a result of a cracked gas injector can spill gas or leak vapors onto a sizzling engine and trigger fires.
The recall covers Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs from the 2020 by 2023 mannequin years. All have 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engines.
The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker mentioned Thursday it is not recommending that homeowners cease driving the autos or park them outside as a result of fires are uncommon and customarily do not occur when the engines are off.
However Ford mentioned it has obtained 20 experiences of fires, together with three that ignited close by buildings. The corporate additionally mentioned it has 4 claims of fires that had been seen lower than 5 minutes after the engines had been turned off. Ford additionally has 4 damage claims not involving burns, and 43 authorized claims attributed to the issue.
Repairs aren’t yeta accessible, however as soon as they’re, homeowners ought to schedule service with a most popular supplier, Jim Azzouz, government director of buyer expertise, mentioned in an announcement. House owners shall be notified by letter beginning Dec. 19.
House owners can take their SUVs to the supplier and get a free loaner, or they will get free pickup and supply.
Sellers will examine the injectors and substitute them if vital. Ford additionally says it is extending warranties to cowl cracked gas injectors for as much as 15 years.
Sellers will replace the autos’ engine-control software program so it detects a cracked injector. Drivers will get a dashboard message to get service. Additionally, if there is a strain drop within the injectors, engine energy shall be minimize to reduce danger and let drivers get to a protected location to cease and name for service, Ford mentioned.
They will additionally set up a tube to empty gas from the cylinder head and away from sizzling surfaces.
Ford mentioned it is not changing the injectors as a result of the failure price that causes leaks is low, an estimated 0.38% for 2020 fashions and 0.22% for 2021 to 2022 fashions. The speed is for 15 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometers).


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Newmarket is soon going to be home to the newest location of Locale Restaurants, with Bar Locale set to open its doors at 500 Water St. in 2024. “We are extremely excited to give a very warm welcome to Locale as we embark on the next chapter of 500 Water St.,” said Newmarket Mayor John Taylor.
“The creative vision for Bar Locale will perfectly complement the existing high calibre restaurants Newmarket has become known for throughout the GTA. This new addition will continue to enhance the cultural, culinary and economic vibrancy of our award-winning Main Street,” Taylor added.
Full Article: yorkregion.com


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Love Anti-American Style
By David Morse
One outcome of the war in Iraq has been the beating taken by French products and brands sold in the U.S. Consumers have boycotted French wine and cheese. The Sofitel Hotel was forced to lower the French flag. Cafeterias in the House of Representatives renamed french fries as freedom fries.
C’est la Guerre, but perhaps a bit more disconcerting when the shoe is on the other pied. According to a recent article in the London based Financial Times (January 5, 2005), U.S. brands, once synonymous with strength, glamour and cool, may be losing their international dominance.
For example, in European markets, many iconic American brands such as Coca-Cola, Marlboro, McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Disney and Gap have reported weak or declining sales. And it’s not just consumer products. Swiss banks have been gaining share from U.S. competitors in the Middle East, France and Germany. American airlines and hotels are losing ground as well.
To combat America’s brand image problem, Keith Reinhard, Chairman of DDB Worldwide, has formed a coalition of companies called Business for Diplomatic Action that includes such global big guns as McDonald’s and PepsiCo. Says Reinhard, “Foreigners are transferring anger at the U.S. government to anger at the U.S. and anger at U.S. business.”
There’s a mounting body of market research that supports the link between U.S. politics and brands. A poll by Global Market Insite (GMI) found that one-fifth of Europeans and Canadians said that their anger over U.S. foreign policy would deter them from buying American brands. A global study by NOP World found that only 35 percent of respondents trust American brands and only 15 percent associate them with honesty, significantly lower ratings since the Iraq war began.
The response by some American companies has been to blur their connection to the States with a focus on local. McDonald’s, for instance, has been running successful ads in Indonesia
since the Iraqi war, celebrating the people that comprise the largest Muslim country in the world. Starbucks has been downplaying its Seattle heritage while emphasizing its support
of the developing world.
In the words of “Brand America” author Simon Anholt, “The world’s love affair with America isn’t exactly over, but it has stopped being a blind and unquestioning kind of love.”
Moderator’s Comment: Is the heyday of the American brand over? Obviously acting locally is good, but should U.S. companies be downplaying their American
heritage when outside the United States? Do consumers really care?
One thing is certain – our standing in the eyes of the world community is not what it used to be.
A BBC World Service poll just released found that nearly half of those surveyed now see the U.S. influence in the world as largely negative; 58 percent
said that President Bush’s re-election to the White House made the world more dangerous.
According to a 2004 poll conducted in Latin America by Research International, 82 percent say we eat too much, 80 percent say we care only about ourselves
and 78 percent say we mistrust non-U.S. people. At least there was a silver lining – six in ten claim they don’t care where a brand comes from as long as it is what they want.
David Morse – Moderator


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Xiaomi is rolling out the MIUI 12.5 update for the Redmi Note 10 Pro, and Redmi Note 10 Pro Max smartphones last week in the Indian market. This update took a long time to reach devices outside of China, but it’s good to see that Xiaomi is finally seeding it to global customers. Now, the company is moving on with the release of the MIUI 12.5 stable update for the Mi 11X smartphone in the country. Now, the Mi 11X is effectively the first Mi 11 series to receive MIUI 12.5 update in the country. For those unaware, MIUI 12.5 global was unveiled in February. The new update is faster and lighter than the previous version as per the company claims. Xiaomi also claims that MIUI 12.5 requires 35 percent less background memory and 25 percent less power consumption.
The new update is rolling out for the Mi 11X units in India with MIUI 22.214.171.124.RKHINXM serial. In addition to the goodies introduced with MIUI 12.5, the firmware also bumps the Android security patch level to May 2021. The update is rolling out with a total weight of 487 MB. As aforementioned it brings all the MIUI 12.5 features for the premium mid-range smartphone.
Gizchina News of the week
As before mentioned, the new MIUI 12.5 reduces the consumption of system apps. Some of these system apps are now uninstallable, so if you consider a specific app as bloatware, you can easily uninstall it. The new MIUI 12.5 also brings an upgrade in terms of computing power as it has 20-times the rendering engine than before. Moreover, the company has worked on UI animations to ensure a seamless experience. You can check the changelog below.
Mi 11X MIUI 12.5 update changelog
- Custom device model adjustments, any phone becomes faster after the upgrade.
- Response to gestures is now instant.
- 20 times more rendering power, there are now few limits to what you can see on your screen.
- MIUI became lighter, faster, and more durable.
- Updated Android Security Patch to May 2021. Increased system security.
- Excerpts save text, URLs, and images to Notes in a few simple taps.
- Dynamic layouts bring the typography in Notes to a new level.
- Compose mind maps with complex structures.
- New tools for doodling and sketching.
- Press and hold a sketch to adjust the strokes automatically.
- A gesture shortcut now allows you to create notes, tasks, and excerpts anywhere.
- All-new Notes.
- Location info can be now reported automatically before the device is powered off
Worth noting that the update is rolling out in a staged manner. So it may take a couple of days to reach all eligible units of the Mi 11X. Xiaomi usually does this limited early rollout to avoid potential issues and hold the update if any critical issue is detected.