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Chris Lytle named as new Port of Oakland executive director
The Port of Oakland’s immediate goals include transforming the Port’s maritime business
Latest NewsState of Logistics 2016: Pursue mutual benefit U.S.-NAFTA freight sees 10 percent annual decrease in July, reports BTS AAR reports annual declines for week ending September 17 How Lean is your Lean Quality Program? How Mexico has emerged as the new nearshore destination More News
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The Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners announced the appointment of maritime shipping industry veteran Chris Lytle as the new Executive Director. While this fills a leadership void at one key West Coast ocean cargo gateway, it leaves another at the Port of Long Beach.
“Our commissioners will meet on June 3rd to discuss the recruiting process to find a successor to Mr. Lytle,” said the port’s acting director of communications, Art Wong.
Meanwhile, the Port of Oakland can begin to plan for the future as it ends its four-month search for someone to replace Omar Benjamin, who resigned amid a spending scandal last year.
The Port of Oakland’s immediate goals include transforming the Port’s maritime business.
“The future of the Port of Oakland is bright, and I am excited to be a part of the team as we work to realize its tremendous potential,” said Lytle in a statement.
He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, the second busiest container seaport in North America, a position he has held since November 2011, after having served as the Port’s Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer from 2008 to 2011. He joined the Port of Long Beach in September 2006 as one of four Managing Directors; he oversaw the Port’s Trade Relations and Port Operations Bureau.
Prior to his Port of Long Beach tenure, Lytle served as Vice President of West Coast Operations for the French-based shipping line CMA CGM, which has significant maritime and terminal operations at the Ports of Long Beach, Oakland, and Seattle.
About the AuthorPatrick Burnson, Executive Editor Patrick Burnson is executive editor for Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management Review magazines and web sites. Patrick is a widely-published writer and editor who has spent most of his career covering international trade, global logistics, and supply chain management. He lives and works in San Francisco, providing readers with a Pacific Rim perspective on industry trends and forecasts. You can reach him directly at [email protected]
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In 2018 the England football team came under fire after the Telegraph published a story of Bangladeshi garment workers being paid 21 pence to sew England’s 160 pounds World Cup kit. Fast forward to Qatar, where a new jersey design and new factory have similarly adopted the practise of low paid factory workers, this time in association with Nike.
Nike is the producer of England’s World Cup kit, with the Daily Mirror tracing the 100 percent polyester items to the Hi-Tech Apparel factory in Bangkok. Here workers are paid an average of 1 pound per hour with a daily wage of 353 baht, approximately 8.30 pounds.
Retail prices for the jerseys are 115 pounds at the high end, which includes personalisation, but other official World Cup t-shirts can be bought for 75 pounds, and junior sized jerseys for 60 pounds. The Daily Mirror estimated fabric and sewing costs to be 7.30 pounds and 3 pounds respectively, with the factory earning approximately 1.50 per sewn item. Polyester, one of the fashion industry’s cheapest and least sustainable fabrics, is a fast fashion staple, with more than two-thirds of all textile fibers synthetic, according to a 2021 study of the polyester clothing value chain.
Outsourcing factories to Asia
Nike, like many high street apparel giants, outsources the majority of its production to factories in Asia due to their low cost when compared to North American and European manufacturing. Lower-cost sewing allows for higher profit margins. While there is no evidence suggesting the Thai garment workers face sub-standard working conditions, Nike has previously been called out for sourcing from factories where workers have not been sufficiently paid.
In February the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) said over 1,000 factories producing garments for Nike, Zara, Gap, Abercrombie and many other brands, collectively failed to pay garment workers 60 million dollars over the course of the pandemic, the largest wage theft in global garment manufacturing history.

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Zomato, one of the fastest emerging foodtech startups in India, aired speculations that it may launch a new delivery service with home-cooked meal.
The theory was formed when Zomato India, on its official twitter account, wrote, “Guys, kabhi kabhi ghar ka khana bhi kha lena chahiye (one should eat home-made food once in a while)”. In response to the tweet, Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Zomato, adding little authenticity to the supposition, penned ,”Who did this? Good tweet”.
It currently operates in 24 countries. It provides information and reviews of restaurants, including images of menus where the restaurant does not have its own website and also online delivery.
On the other hand, Swiggy, which has a base of 1,000 customers in Gurugram, had launched ‘Swiggy Daily’ that lets people order home-cooked meals prepared by tiffin service providers and home chefs.
The new Swiggy app comes with a subscription-only plan for a period of one day or week or for months.
It is likley that the tweet by Zomato is an indication, it is set to launch a Swiggy-style home-cooked meal service.
Whereas, the company in 2018, faced a controversy where one of its food delivery agent was seen eating the customer’s food in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
While, a consumer court last week slapped ₹55,000 fine on Zomato along with a hotel for delivering non-vegetarian food to a lawyer who had ordered a vegetarian dish.


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A boardroom split over Humm’s plan to sell its consumer finance division has deepened, as major shareholder Andrew Abercrombie lashed the planned deal after Humm’s board said the business it was selling had been unprofitable.
Humm, formerly known as Flexigroup, earlier this year agreed to sell its consumer finance business to Ahmed Fahour-led Latitude for $335 million, in a deal that would ramp up Latitude’s push into the buy now, pay later sector, while leaving ASX-listed Humm as a commercial finance business.
But in recent weeks Abercrombie - a director of Humm who also owns about 20 per cent of the company - has revealed his staunch opposition to the sale, which he is trying to block. On Monday these tensions between Abercrombie and the rest of the board rose another notch.
Ahead of a shareholder vote on the deal next month, the majority of Humm’s directors on Monday released a statement reiterating their support for the deal, and saying preliminary financial results showed the consumer arm Humm plans to sell had been unprofitable in the four months to April.
This prompted a spray from Abercrombie, who released a statement saying the proposed deal “seriously undervalues the business,” as he argued the board was attempting to portray the performance of the consumer finance business in a negative light.
“We have been asked to sell one of only two profitable buy now, pay later businesses in Australia at a multiple well below market averages and for next to no premium - it’s nothing short of highway robbery,” said Abercrombie, who is also a former chairman of Humm and a founding director of the original FlexRent business.
‘The fact remains that this is a dud deal for shareholders, as it stands, and should be rejected outright.’Andrew Abercrombie
Shareholders in Humm must decide on whether to sell the company’s consumer finance arm to Latitude at a shareholder meeting on June 23. The proposed deal requires the support of more than 50 per cent of shareholders for it to go ahead.
Humm chair Christine Christian on Monday night reiterated her support for the deal and pointed to an earlier independent expert report that found it was fair and reasonable.“We strongly believe the sale of HCF offers a highly compelling value proposition for all Humm shareholders. If anything, Latitude’s proposal has become more compelling as we have seen a substantial shift in the macro environment,” Christian said.
The majority of Humm directors on Monday expressed their rationale for the deal with Latitude, which will mainly be paid in Latitude shares, by saying it was a “highly compelling value proposition” for the company to expand in the buy now, pay later as it battles an industry-wide decline in margins.
Abercrombie responded it was “ironic” to cite the competitive environment as a reason to sell, arguing all players including Latitude were exposed to the same economic forces. “The fact remains that this is a dud deal for shareholders, as it stands, and should be rejected outright,” he said.
Humm’s ASX announcement on Monday said Humm Consumer Finance was a “high quality business,” but unaudited accounts showed it had been unprofitable for the four months to April, after adjusting for the reversal of a “non-cash macro overlay provision.” Humm said the division was being affected by the woes of the buy now, pay later sector, with margins being crunched across the industry.
Abercrombie responded: “The announcement from humm today attempts to paint a negative picture of humm’s consumer business to drive support for a deal with Latitude. The underlying performance of the business is solid.”
Humm rose 4.1 per cent on Monday to 76¢.
The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each weekday afternoon.


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Apple Looking for their lost iPhone 5 Prototypes [Conan Video]
Earlier we came to know that Apple lost a prototype iPhone and then after a few days there’s another prototype lost again somewhere in the wild, possibly of the next-gen iPhone 5. Following this whole drama, Canon O’Brien has posted an Apple ad on the lost iPhones.
“Apple has misplaced another iPhone prototype, and REALLY. WANTS. IT. BACK.”
Take a look below…


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Shares of Fossil Group Inc. cratered in Tuesday's extended session after the fashion accessory company posted a sizeable loss on the back of a steep drop in stock price. It also announced the departure of its finance chief. Fossil reported it swung to a second-quarter loss of $344.7 million, or $7.11 a share, from a profit of $6 million, or 12 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding intangible asset impairment charges of $6.50, Fossil would have lost 61 cents a share. The charge was a result of "sustained compression of the company's market capitalization that occurred throughout most of the latter part of the second quarter of fiscal 2017," according to the company. Fossil shares have plummeted 54% year to date. Revenue fell to $596.8 million from $685.4 million. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had projected a loss of 33 cents a share on revenue of $618 million. The company projected sales to drop 8.5% to 4.5% and loss per share of $7.42 to $6.62 in the third quarter. Separately, Fossil said Chief Financial Officer Dennis Secor has resigned and will be replaced by Jeffrey Boyer. Shares skidded 23% after hours.
Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.
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LiveRamp’s new Upfront Playbook urges advertisers and media sellers to collaborate on new cross-screen strategies.
- Popeyes hires Little Caesars’ Jeff Klein as new CMO
- After Texas school shooting, the ad industry must move people to act, Pedro Lerma says
- Unilever, Mondelēz, PepsiCo sign up for Instacart’s new shoppable ad units
- AutoNation’s new ads highlight employees ahead of Indy 500
- How advertisers can change outdated motherhood narratives


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Women in China shop online more frequently
38% of women in China shop online at least three times a week – as opposed to only 29% of men
The Chinese eCommerce market is in many respects unique. It is not only the biggest eCommerce market in the world by a huge margin – with a total revenue of more than US$1.3 trillion in 2020 according to the Statista Digital Market Outlook, it is almost 2.5 times as big as the U.S. eCommerce market – Chinese eCommerce also has a rather distinctive clientele. Compared to U.S. online shoppers, for example, Chinese eCommerce clients are fairly young – 73% are 44 years or younger (62% in the U.S.) When it comes to the adoption of online payment services, for example, hardly a country in the world beats China, according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey – with an incredible 82% of the Chinese online population having used online payment services at least once in 2020. An even closer look at the profiles of online shoppers in China reveals more interesting characteristics. The majority of eCommerce clients in China are male. According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, 53% of online shoppers in China in 2020 were men. When it comes to the online shopping frequency, however, a gender comparison of Chinese online shoppers opens up a different picture:
Women in China tend to shop online more frequently than men. In a survey carried out by Rakuten Insights in May 2020, 8% of female respondents stated that they made online purchases on a daily basis. 30% shop online three to six times a week and another 32% make purchases from online stores once or twice every week. This makes a total of 70% of Chinese women who shop online at least on a weekly basis. Although the percentage among men is lower, a great deal of men are still very frequent online shoppers – with a percentage of 66%, two in three men in China also shop online at least once a week. Once or twice a week is in fact the online shopping frequency that the greatest share of men indicated. A total of 37% of male respondents chose the answer. 34% of men in China make online purchases several times a month or less, compared to only 30% of women. When it comes to the reasons why Chinese consumers shop online, the differences between men and women are less pronounced. Both men and women in China value cheaper prices or the possibility to have products directly delivered home when they were bought online. For 60% of women and 51% of men in China, eCommerce is in general a more convenient way of shopping.
Visit our news area for additional content around the topic of eCommerce.


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Keep out of reach of children, harmful if swallowed, avoid contact with eyes or prolonged contact with skin. Remove clothing if contaminated. Avoid direct applications to any body of water. ( Monsanto Chemical )
That’s just a small excerpt from the warning label on Monsanto’s Roundup pesticide.
There’s no if, ands or buts about it; the glyphosate-based product is dangerous. Thank goodness we only use it for… oops. That’s right, Roundup goes on just about all of our crops.
According to an Organic Consumers Association and Freed The World study, 93% of all Americans tested had traces of glyphosate. The craziest part? Researchers believe that most of the people who participated in the test eat organic.
That means that Roundup is contaminating even organic produce.
“If consumers had any doubt about the extent to which they are being poisoned by Monsanto’s Roundup, these test results should put those doubts to rest,” said Ronnie Cummins, international director of the Organic Consumers Association.
The Dangers of Glyphosate – ( Monsanto Chemical )
Glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor, meaning it interferes with the body’s hormonal balance and leads to developmental, reproductive, neurological and immune disorders.
This has led the World Health Organization to declare the chemical as a probable human carcinogen.
It also causes a number of other diseases, like obesity, colitis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, depression, infertility, Alzheimer’s, ALS, multiple sclerosis… the list goes on.
To make matters worse, the FDA does not even test for glyphosate in human food. Monsanto is basically allowed to leave as much residue on products as they want.
But Wait, There’s More!
It’s not just the glyphosate we’ve got to worry about.
A recent study found that chemicals Monsanto labels as ‘inert ingredients’ also pose significant risks to human health.
Unsurprisingly, farmers who work with Roundup often develop Hodgkin lymphoma – blood cancer – as a result of these chemicals that include solvents and preservatives.
Additionally, the study found that even in more diluted concentrations than those found on farms and lawns, these ‘inert ingredients’ amplify Roundup’s toxic effect on human cells.
As reported by Scientific American:
“The proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause cell damage and even death [at the] residual levels found on Roundup-treated crops, such as soybeans, alfalfa and corn, or lawns and gardens.”
And that’s incredibly concerning, especially when we consider that Roundup is the most widely used pesticide in history.
First of all, keep buying organic. Remember, there still is a 7% chance that you won’t wind up with Roundup traces in your system.
Those are much better odds than the essentially 100% guarantee that you will ingest Roundup chemicals like glyphosate if you eat non-organic.
Follow this guide to learn about how you can wash pesticides off your produce.
You’ll also want to make sure you detox regularly. Make sure you eat lots of Indian gooseberry, chlorella, pomegranate bark and cilantro; these have all been scientifically proven to free your body of harmful industrial chemicals.
You may also wish to consider embarking on a detox program.( Monsanto Chemical )


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Since America's love affair with cars really got rolling after World War II, nothing but a gasoline-burning internal combustion engine would do. Until now.
The gearheads at Motor Trend have named the Tesla Model S the car of the year for 2013—the first time an all-electric vehicle has ever won the honor. "The turning point will be when electric cars become the best product, and that's the key for mass adoption," argued Tesla founder Elon Musk at an event to announce the award November 12. The Model S "is just the best car."
That's quite an achievement given that Tesla had to learn how to make a car from scratch, starting as a company in 2003 and then, in 2008, offering its first all-electric sports car known as the Roadster. The Model S is the current bid for more affordability, with a price of at least $49,900 (after a federal tax credit, which Musk, for one, would like to see extended). "It's difficult to create a car company of any kind," Musk mused. "An electric car adds additional difficulty and the economy didn't make it any easier." In fact, in 2008, Tesla nearly ran out of money until Musk stepped in with his personal fortune.
The key to all electric cars, and the Model S is no exception, is the battery. For Tesla, the battery consists of a 40, 60 or 85 kilowatt-hour pack of lithium ion cells, from an unspecified supplier. Layering those heavy cells into Tesla's patented pack along the bottom of the Model S helped give the car a low-center of gravity and, thus, exceptional stability, as well as the ability to go 265 miles between charges, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. And, thanks to the Tesla's high purchase price, Tesla recharging stations that can recharge 3-hours worth of driving in 30 minutes will "always" be free, Musk noted.
But the Model S won the award because of its aerodynamic yet appealing "aluminum-intensive" body, drag-race ready pickup and speed of 0 to 60 in as little as 4.4 seconds, its spacious interior that can seat seven (including a kid-pleasing set of fold-out rear-facing seats), and the 17-inch touchscreen that controls the internal systems, among other features.
A bumpy road, riddled with glitches in the cars themselves, led to this modest success. "We've made a lot of mistakes with the cars" Musk admitted. But, as Tesla's vice president for sales George Blankenship put it: "Here's the reason why everything we do is so hard: because everything we do is impossible." After all, Tesla's goal is apparently not to sell cars per se, but to diminish the air pollution impact of transportation by automobile and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saving the world (and driving excitement) for future generations. Already, Tesla advertises its cars as emitting zero carbon dioxide, at least from the tailpipe, though that's a bit of a stretch when you consider all the CO2 that went into making the car and its components as well as the likely sources of the electricity used to charge it.
Tesla, of course, came in for criticism during the recent Presidential campaign, with losing candidate Mitt Romney calling the car company another clean energy "loser" like Solyndra. "He was right about the object of that statement," Musk said, "but not the subject." It remains to be seen whether the company can ramp up production of its cars and remain in business, though sales will likely be helped by the award.
The next "impossible" challenge, as Musk admits, will be making such an electric car more affordable, a challenge that the company executive hopes will also be tackled by other automakers. "I hope other car companies will copy us and pursue electric car programs with greater vigor," said Musk, who last weekend drove his whole family from Los Angeles to San Francisco in a Model S. "I'm a big believer that you've got to use it yourself first and make sure it's good."
In the end, Tesla's best bet may not be the Roadster, Model S or any successors, like the Model X for the SUV market, but rather selling power trains and battery packs to other auto manufacturers. The electric car as more than an expensive toy may fail, but it has already triumphed by seeing its core technologies—better batteries or regenerative braking, among others—incorporated into the next generation of cars.
Image: © David Biello


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Sacramento shop proprietors might not know a Pikachu from a house cat, but some have figured out “Pokémon Go” is good for business.
“Not knowing what the hell it is, I’m a Pokémon fan,” said Bert Williamson, owner of O’Mally’s Irish Pub in Old Sacramento.
On Tuesday afternoon, a steady stream of customers played the augmented-reality phone game in between slurps of beer at O’Mally’s. Williamson said he’s seen a nice boost in business during a normally dull time of year, when people flock to the California State Fair instead of the riverfront historic district.
“Pokémon Go,” the smartphone iteration of the classic hand-held video game, was released July 6 in the United States and became an instant sensation. The game layers a digital world onto the real one, requiring players to collect Pokémon creatures and other game pieces as they walk around, staring into their screens.
The flood of players could be seen as a nuisance or boon.
The game has rankled some including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., where officials said playing the cartoonish game at the memorial to war victims was inappropriate.
Late last week, a Wyoming woman discovered a dead body while searching for Pokémon. Closer to home, two Sacramento men told media outlets they were robbed and carjacked Sunday night while playing “Pokémon Go.”
The game should bring more good news than bad, said Peter Tateishi, president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber. He said the game is forcing players to explore their cities, and that’s good for business.
“It’s getting people out walking and moving around,” Tateishi said. “They are not sitting on their couch. They are getting out in the community.”
“Sure, they are searching for Pokémon,” but they’re also patronizing shops and restaurants, he said.
Mother and daughter Kelly and Meghan Conklin, of Roseville, were in Sacramento for a business meeting but stayed to hunt for Pokémon.
“There was a Pokéstop nearby, so we decided to stop and get some stuff,” said Meghan, 19. The app has enlightened them to new business establishments, she said.
“It’s taken me a little more walking around downtown Roseville, and we came across a cool vegan doughnut shop and extra places around town I didn’t know existed,” Meghan said.
Kelly Conklin, who sells Mary Kay cosmetics, said the game has encouraged her and her daughter to revisit areas they haven’t been to lately, including old town Roseville.
To make “Pokémon Go,” game-maker Niantic placed digital hot spots at landmarks, public spaces and some businesses. It’s unclear whether any businesses were told in advance.
Being part of a popular augmented-reality game can boost business to such an extent that some businesses are willing to pay to take part. Businesses paid to be featured locations in Niantic’s first augmented-reality game, Ingress. The same could happen with Pokémon, company officials have said.
The Pokémon effect is on display at the Safeway on 19th Street in midtown Sacramento. Linger by the chrome horse statue near the store’s entrance, and you’ll see person after person staring at their phone screens engaged in single-finger combat.
Within the span of several minutes Tuesday, Andrew Brito, Casey Perkins and Joel Douglas all opened Pokémon outside the grocery store to do digital battle. Two had just finished shopping; the other had dropped off his girlfriend at work.
At the John Ellis & Son auto shop in midtown, employee Lee Hien was taken by surprise when a group of twenty-somethings greeted him outside the garage.
“I said, ‘What in the world is going on?’ and (one guy) said, ‘We’re playing a game.’ ” Hien said. “I’ve seen people all day long sitting on the sidewalk.”
Manager Miguel Frias said he and his employees were still trying to understand the game but weren’t bothered by the younger crowds.
“You’re gonna have traffic no matter what,” he said, nodding to the busy street.
Local coffee shop Temple Coffee Roasters is looking to make its cafe a sponsored location, said marketing director Cole Cuchna.
“It’ll show that we’re relevant and know what’s going on,” Cuchna said. “People seem to be having a lot of fun and we’d like to create that atmosphere here.”
At least one Sacramento group is planning a “Pokécrawl,” a pub crawl with Pokémon. About 1,000 people have indicated on Facebook they plan to attend a July 23 Pokécrawl through midtown Sacramento.
Williamson said O’Mally’s is planning on removing its arcade-style Big Game Hunter video game and installing a Pokémon-themed charging station to encourage more people to enjoy food and drink in between bouts of “Pokémon Go.”
He said Monday was more like a Saturday, thanks to all the Pokémon players. His bartender said as many as 30 people came in while playing the game.
“To bring 30 people to a small place like this is big,” Williamson said. “I asked my bartender, ‘What the hell is going on?’ ”


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As part of its enterprise-focused product expansions, Microsoft has started integrating Microsoft Bookings into Microsoft Teams. The implementation is already in process and Microsoft is likely to roll out final changes to general users in the coming months.
Microsoft Bookings is a standalone app to schedule and manage online appointments. We can safely assume that Microsoft’s plan to integrate Bookings into Teams will benefit its enterprise consumers, and for a reason.
Microsoft Teams plays an important role in Microsoft 365, which simplifies teamwork with the help of different in a single place.
Microsoft has outlined the kind of changes coming to Microsoft Teams in the coming months. The company says Microsoft Bookings app will soon start to show up in Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Bookings in Teams: What to expect?
Microsoft Bookings-Teams integration will make it easier for people working together using Teams to schedule and set up virtual appointments.
It allows users to create booking pages, add appointment categories, assign staff, and both schedule new and manage existing appointments within the Teams calendar. It will eliminate the need for switching between apps.
You will get closer to additional Bookings functionality, courtesy of a one-click “Open in Bookings” option inside Teams. It will redirect you to the Bookings app instantly.
Once the integration is complete, you can start using the Bookings app directly inside Teams. Plus, the Bookings tab will also be available on the Teams calendar.
This is what Microsoft had to say in its recent blog post:
“Enterprises offer a variety of different services to a variety of different people; therefore, they need a solution that is both versatile and customizable. That’s where Bookings comes in.”
“With Bookings, a large enterprise can create booking pages with relevant services and schedules for their many appointment needs.”


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Check out the full range of Prime Day baby deals on Amazon for more live deals.
It turns out that Amazon's technical glitch Monday that prevented Prime Day shoppers in the USA from accessing the online store for a few hours didn't hamper the e-commerce giant's biggest sales promotion of the year. Apart from saying there were 100 million products sold, the company focused on factoids while giving few actual sales numbers in the announcement, and provided none that would allow for meaningful comparisons to years past.
Amazon said small and medium-sized businesses had sold more than $1 billion in since Monday, when the event started.
In April of 2018 Amazon revealed that there are now over 100 million Prime members.
Sales in US have exceeded sales from a year ago for same timeframe despite a glitch on the website that periodically kept shoppers from making purchases.
Customers purchased millions of Fire TV devices on Amazon globally during Prime Day.
The problems of the world's second largest e-commerce provider during its much-hyped sale are a reminder that despite more than 20 years of growth in online sales, the shift to the Internet is not trouble-free. The company didn't provide a number, but continued Prime membership growth is key to the company's long-term growth due to their spending patterns, buying about two times as much as non-Prime members, Moody's said. Some of these aren't specific to Prime Day and thus don't require a membership, but the price cuts are also fairly modest in some cases-you can get $5 off MSRP on some of Nintendo's best games, like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.
Full Hardware Specifications Of Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Confirmed In Leak
Samsung is planning its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 9, where it will likely unveil the new Galaxy Note 9. In terms of cameras, the Galaxy Tab S4 will feature a 13MP main camera and a 8MP front-facing camera.
The sale is only available to Amazon Prime members however, which costs £79 a year, and customers are advised to download the Amazon Prime app to make browsing the sale easier. As the number of Prime subscribers continues to grow, so to does that size and scale of Amazon's Prime Day sale.
In the United States, Prime Day had a brick-and-mortar component in 2018 with a week of savings offers at Whole Foods Market stores.
What else is on sale for Prime Day this year?
Additionally, the firm said July 17 was the biggest sales day for smart home devices in the USA in its history.
This week's labor protests underscore a growing challenge for Amazon: It is facing increased scrutiny over its hiring and labor practices at a time when it is looking to add thousands of new warehouse workers and growing at breakneck speed.


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LG Electronics announced that U.S. owners of the LG G Flex curved smartphone will be among the first to receive LG’s newest security feature known as Knock Code.
Knock Code, previewed earlier this year at the 2014 Mobile World Congress, is a more secure, private way for users to unlock their smartphones by using a customized pattern of knocks or taps on the screen.
As part of an upgrade that includes the latest Android 4.4 KitKat OS, LG G Flex owners on AT&T began receiving the Knock Code update earlier this month; Sprint will begin rolling out the update starting this week, and T-Mobile will begin its update over the next couple of weeks.
Knock Code helps users secure their confidential data in their smartphone. LG has designed Knock Code to include more than 80,000 possible combinations for personalized patterns, or “knock codes,” so LG G Flex owners can feel comfortable and confident limiting access to their devices.
Biometric locking technology is in the nascent stage. Their success rate has not been consistent due to a variety of reasons including environmental factors. Knock Code is an exception to this, LG said. It is convenient to access and is more secure.
The smartphone display is divided into four invisible quadrants. The user taps or “knocks” anywhere from two to eight times in the quadrants in a specific sequence. These personalized “knock codes” leave no visible outline for the pattern used.
With the latest Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade, LG G Flex receives a significant speed boost, allowing the device to run applications faster and, with the Chromium engine, web browsing is also quicker (based on internal testing).
LG G Flex marked its entry to the world with the title as the world’s first curved, flexible smartphone. It has also been recognized as GSMA’s “Most Innovative Device Manufacturer,” iF “Design Gold Award,” and Red Dot “Best of the Best Award.”


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Lightning Network Wallet Eclair Now Available on MobileThe highly anticipated Lightning Network upgrade is finally out. The Lightning Network has just been deployed on the Bitcoin and Litecoin mainnet.
Lightning Network (LN) is one of the. for the scalability problems that the Bitcoin network.The California-based Lightning Labs has announced the release of the first mainnet Lightning.
Back in March 2017, Bitcoin technology company ACINQ released the alpha version of its Bitcoin Lightning Network eclair wallet.
'Poketoshi' Game Brings Nintendo's Pokemon Onto BitcoinOn March 15th, 2018, lightning open protocol developer Lightning Lab released its developer-friendly software client Lightning Network Daemon (LND).The Lightning Network will attempt to make Bitcoin transactions faster and cheaper.
For their tests, the Lightning Network developers used the ACINQ, C-lightning, and Lnd implementations of the Lightning Network.The Lightning Network mainnet has expanded beyond 500 nodes while its testnet implementation now hosts more nodes than Bitcoin Cash.Coingate announced on June the 25 th that it is going live on their Lightning Network (LN) mainnet.
Lightning Labs has released a beta version of the Lightning Network on the bitcoin mainnet.It was widely believed that once the network went live, the.Lightning Labs released the Lightning Network (LN) version of the application on its main network yesterday, and described it as a milestone.
Bitcoin Lightning Network masternode setup and live-upLightning Network Reaches 1000 Mainnet Channels Transaction in the bitcoin network is currently extremely slow and faster transaction are extremely expensive in terms.With the ongoing speed of the development of Lightning Network, analysts believe that the official release of the first version of the mainnet can occur anytime soon.Lightning Labs is the furthest along in the Lightning Network development.
Lightning Network RC1 Release ‘Completes Bitcoin Mainnet
Bitcoin Lightning Network: Now Live For Beta TestingThe development of the Lightning Network is making substantial progress.TorGuard, an anonymous VPN and proxy service provider, publicized its acceptance of mainnet Lightning Network bitcoin payments.
Bitcoin Price Prediction: A Push from Lightning Network
‘Unfairly Cheap’ Lightning Network Mainnet Hits 40 NodesThe activities on the Mainnet bitcoin Lightning-Network-implementation have been developed in last time faster than ever before.
Bitcoin Lightning Network Mainnet Passes 500 Nodes
I have found lightning-app which seems to work only on. that officially supports mainnet usage.According to a post from three Lightning Network development teams on Medium, a release candidate for version 1.0 of the Lightning Network protocol has been.


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Market impacted by factors such as rise in need for improved customer experience & customer response time along with the enhanced data analytical capabilities.
According to the report published by Allied Market Research, The global call center AI market was valued at $959.80 million in 2020, and is projected to reach $9,949.61 million by 2030, registering a CAGR of 26.3%. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and varying market trends.
Improved customer experience and customer response time along with increased data analytical capabilities drive the growth of the global call center AI market. However, high installation and training costs along with privacy and security concerns restrain the market growth. On the other hand, increase in interest of call center companies in advanced technologies and surge in penetration of social media platforms present new opportunities in the coming years.
Based on component, the solution segment held the highest share in 2020, accounting for more than three-fifths of the total share, and is expected to continue its leadership status during the forecast period. However, the service segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 29.3% from 2021 to 2030.
Based on industry vertical, the telecom segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to around two-fifths of the total share of the global call center AI market, and is expected to maintain its dominant share during the forecast period. However, the healthcare segment is estimated to witness the largest CAGR of 32.4% from 2021 to 2030.
Based on region, North America contributed to the highest share in 2020, accounting for more than two-fifths of the total share, and is expected to maintain its lead position in terms of revenue by 2030. However, Asia-Pacific is estimated to portray the fastest CAGR of 29.2% during the forecast period.
Some of the key Call Center AI industry players profiled in the report include Artificial Solutions International AB, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Amazon Web Services, SAP, Google, Avaya, NICE inContact, and Nuance Communications, Inc.
• The adoption of advanced call center software solutions increased during the Covid-19 pandemic due to rise in need for enterprises to upgrade legacy infrastructure and develop a more agile approach for customer engagement.
• The success of customer engagement has always been dependent on the accuracy and speed of request addressing. With implementation of call center AI, organizations were able to strengthen their customer relations during such challenging times.


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In what industry, other than health care, are consumers expected to make life-altering decisions about who to hire (for the most important job — their health) without the slightest idea what their services will cost?
A new website clears some of the fog surrounding health care value in California. A tool on the site allows consumers to compare California hospitals and health care providers on both cost and quality. But health insurers may be making a play to render it useless.
The $3.9 million web tool was created through a partnership between the California Department of Insurance, UC San Francisco, Consumers Union (the publisher of Consumer Reports) and others. It allows comparison of quality scores of health care providers with the amount they charge for their services.
Visit the website by clicking the pic above, or going to www.cahealthcarecompare.org.
This information, particularly the quality scores, is sorely needed by California consumers and is an excellent step forward. Where the project falls flat for many consumers, however, is that it does not allow consumers to compare the net cost charged to them between different health insurance plans. Due in part to the Affordable Care Act, a lot of us are insured, and that number is growing. According to the LA Times, health insurance companies have worked to block the inclusion of their rates in a comparable tool. Instead, we are left with statewide averages, which can mask wide variations between insurance plans.
So, for many of us, the comparison is incomplete. We can discover the rated quality of a provider, and the average price of the service… but not actual cost to ourselves or our insurer, or what it would be under a different plan. (Our insurer’s cost becomes very important in liability claims, because they demand their portion back!). Detailed cost estimates from insurers can be found by clicking a button on the new website. But only health plan members with an active policy can access that information — ensuring that no cost comparison can be made before buying a policy.
We applaud the new “CA Health Care Compare” website as an important first step in health care value transparency. And we urge the Department of Insurance, Consumers Union and California consumers to keep the heat on insurers to pull back their curtain on pricing, so that the site might reach its full potential.


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While thousands of people continue to tap away at Curiosity: What’s in the Cube in the hopes of finding something that’s going to change their lives forever and/or making gigantic penises, Peter Molyneux and his new studio 22cans have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their next
game experiment, Project GODUS.
Headlined as a “delightful reinvention of the god game”, Project GODUS’s promo blurb reads like an Xmas wishlist for Bullfrog fans:
“It’s an innovative reinvention of Populous, the original god game and delivers exciting global co-operation, competition, creation and destruction to a whole new generation.
Populous was created over 22 years ago, and we believe that to date, nothing has come close to emulating its powerfully godlike experience. It’s this experience we aim to reimagine. GODUS blends the power, growth and scope of Populous with the detailed construction and multiplayer excitement of Dungeon Keeper and the intuitive interface and technical innovation of Black & White.”
The ‘Neux and his team of dreamweavers are looking for £450,000 to make this happen, and almost £40,000 is already in the pledge-bank. I’m assuming they won’t accept the charred bodies of apostates left over from my Black & White sessions, so I might just have to donate some of my real money instead. Which does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity – I mean, nothing says “I believe in your god game” like a burnt offering of polygons, but I suppose cash works too.


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China’s Jan-Nov heavy-duty truck sale up 1% on year
Dec 05, 2019 08:40
See Full-size Table Here
China’s sales of 14-100 tonne heavy-duty trucks totalled 1.07 million units over January-November, up 1% on year, and the monthly sales have been inclining on month since July, up another 3% on month or 5.3% on year to 94,000 units for November alone, according to the data from the Beijing-headquartered Commercial Vehicle World (CVWorld).
The sales of such trucks across China posted a stronger result even than the traditional peak consumption season over September-October, which CVWorld attributed to the robust demand especially to trade in for new models that meet higher emission standards, Mysteel Global learned from the release.
“Local governments at some Chinese regions,


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The color green might have killed Napoleon.
So says the New York Times in The Toxic Side of Being, Literally, Green.
Kermit was correct, being green really is tough, so tough that the color itself fails dismally. The cruel truth is that most forms of the color green, the most powerful symbol of sustainable design, aren’t ecologically responsible, and can be damaging to the environment.
“The color green can never be green, because of the way it is made. It’s impossible to dye plastic green or to print green ink on paper without contaminating them.”
What the article doesn’t say is whether another color that would would have been less toxic and a better fit for what is now the “green” movement. It’s unlikely that red with all it’s sociao-political connotations would have been the chosen, but would that be less toxic, historically and in modern times?
“Natural” would be the most green since it would mean no artificial colors — though there are natural dyes out there that can produce beautiful colors. But let’s face it, the Natural Movement or Natural Party probably would likely not have caught on.
So I guess the lesson learned is that GREEN-colored products may not be green at all. So opt for the plainest, least colorful product (I know, so boring sometimes), or go with the color you like best and are most likely to use often. (That is, until it’s a color that we learn later is more toxic than green.)


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Our high streets (apparently) attracted 1.4% more shoppers in June this year compared with June 2012. And (drum roll) this trend is growing.Mary Portas has just headed off on her summer hols. She told us via Twitter: “I’m heading offline for family holiday and some R&R. Back in a few weeks (if I can keep my trap shut that long) love & happy holidays.“
@MaryPortas’ Twitter break coincides with the latest figures being published by the British Retail Consortium showing that the warm weather is sending shoppers back to ‘traditional shopping venues’. Our high streets (apparently) attracted 1.4% more shoppers in June this year compared with June 2012. And (drum roll) this trend is growing.
Helen Dickinson, GM of the BRC, cites the warm weather as a major factor – and that fashion and footwear were the good guys. Add in the feel good factor of Andy Murray’s win at Wimbledon, England’s first win in the Ashes series, Chris Frome cycling well in France, reports that the economy is (even if ever-so-slightly) creeping back from the abyss … maybe all Mary needed were some lucky cards in her pack?
When she returns from her break, Mary will face questions from the select committee for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The committee will also discuss former Focus boss, Bill Grimsey’s, alternative review. The select committee’s Q&A session is separate from the select committee for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills’ inquiry which is looking into different aspects of the UK retail sector. And then you have the Government’s new High Street Forum. So four reviews and prayers for global warming. We’ll be OK then.
The progress of Mary’s pilots has been criticised for being too slow – and she has been slammed for being too ‘showbiz’ by making a TV programme out of the project. And now she will be even more in the public spotlight as the DCLG committee is calling on us all to submit questions to Mary over her Government-backed pilots. Perhaps some questions for the Government too wouldn’t go amiss?
I’m reminded of the 1980s band, Talk Talk. Today, there is far too much talk. For more than 20 years, I have worked in and around retail, working with shopping destinations across the UK to help them improve their communication with shoppers. It’s (pretty much) my life’s work. What happened in the 1990s is unrecognisable from today – and yet we keep getting dealt the same cards: how can we improve the high street?
We could all send in our questions to the select committee with their requested #AskPortas hash tag for their quizzing of the High Street Queen on September 2. I’d encourage everyone to do so (July 30th is the deadline). But I’d also ask everyone to ask ‘to what end’? If you have a question that will move the debate forward to a positive conclusion, great. If you have a question that’s a joker, one that simply rakes over old ground, then perhaps channel your energies into helping your own local High Street. Mary-bashing is an easy card to play, but it is such a shame that bashing Mary now seems to be taking and making the headlines.
Mary is no ‘Dum Dum Girl’ (that is the last Talk Talk reference, almost) but she is guilty of not involving more in her industry to help, to mentor, to advise … and to share the task. It is a massive challenge – and no one person can meet it. No one Government will meet it. It will take a collective and community effort. Crucially, it will involve the shopper. Those with money to spend … come rain or shine.
Communication opportunities for shoppers, retailers and high streets have changed beyond all recognition in an incredibly short period. In less than five years, we are living in another world – but all we get is more talk from those who should be ready, willing and able to affect change.
There have been 27 Portas Pilots, each awarded ??100,000. Hopefully High Streets up and down the country will soon realise that life’s what you make it – and you don’t need Government hand outs. It would be good if the Government realised that too.
Mary will be asked to show all her cards when she faces the politicians in September. Town and city centres don’t need select committee reviews. They don’t need the Queen of High Streets. They don’t need TV shows or window dressing. They do need to communicate with their customers via the channels their customers choose, seven days-a-week … listening, sharing and promoting their full offering 365 days-of-the-year.
When they do, it won’t just be ‘happy holidays’ but happy days – year round. That’s the ace to play.
This is an edited version of a Blog first published on Huffington Post in 2013


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The latest West Coast outfit to open up an outpost here in the chaotic environs of New York City: social commerce platform Polyvore. Their new neighborhood? Naturally it’s Soho, that downtown anthill swarming with fashionistas. While the company has had employees stationed here for years, the new office finally gives them a proper home.
Polyvore, which makes it easy for members to create those inspiration board-like collages so beloved by fashion bloggers and also to purchase whatever happens to be featured in those collages, just topped 17 million uniques per month. Over the last year the company has been working more closely with brands, including hosting its first fashion show in February, featuring FIT alums.
Cofounder Pasha Sadri told Betabeat via email that, “Being in close proximity to the fashion powerhouses of New York was a natural next step” for the company.
However, don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re uprooting their technical team just yet. “Being in New York will hopefully allow us to lay down our roots and further increase our participation in the fashion industry,” Mr. Sadri told us, adding that the office will be a “hub for advertising sales and partnerships with the fashion industry.” He expects to hire a Vice President of Sales, who will be based here.
“Many of the world’s greatest brands are based in New York, but a lot of the innovation in advertising and marketing is happening in Silicon Valley,” Mr. Sadri said. “Polyvore’s approach of combining social commerce and advertising is unique and we’re excited to share it with New York.”
At the moment the company has eight New York employees, but the company is growing fast enough that number is likely to increase.
The company even got an official hello from one-man tech welcome-wagon, Mayor Bloomberg. Tucked into Polyvore’s announcement was this bit from Hizzoner:
“By opening an office here, Polyvore is joining the growing group of tech companies who recognize that the benefits of being in New York City are irresistible, regardless of where a startup began.”
Hear that, everyone on the West Coast? New York will have even those companies that aren’t locally grown.
Polyvore’s investors include Benchmark Capital, Matrix Partners, DAG Ventures, Goldman Sachs, and Vivi Nevo.


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U.S.: Will Booming Capital Spending Keep Inflation At Bay?
Amid all the attention this year given to Wall Street, the Federal Reserve, U.S. consumers, and other key areas of the economy, one sector has received short shrift: capital spending. The fact is, after a slowdown in the second half of last year and early this year, business investment in new equipment and buildings is rebounding strongly, and that resurgence should continue into early 1998. The bonus, at least in the long run, is that more investment will help the economy become less inflation-prone, though the short-run impact is more iffy.
This year's upsurge is not just high tech, where outlays continue to soar. Businesses are shelling out billions for more traditional machinery, as well as new industrial plants, warehouses, and office buildings. After slowing to a single-digit growth rate in the fourth quarter of 1996 and the first quarter of 1997, capital spending jumped at a 14.6% annual rate in the second quarter. And when the Commerce Dept. reports on second-quarter gross domestic product on Oct. 31, look for another sizable advance (chart).
Strong corporate outlays, coming on top of a powerful rebound in consumer spending, are a key reason why the GDP data will show robust growth in overall demand. September retail sales rose 0.3%, a bit stronger than expected, and sales for both July and August were revised upward. Real consumer spending in the GDP numbers appears to have surged at an annual rate of between 5% and 6%, possibly the strongest showing in 5 1/2 years. Brawny demand is fueling renewed fears of Federal Reserve rate hikes, amid increased concern about the possibility of rising inflation in 1998.
THE PRODUCER PRICE INDEX for September brought those fears into focus, as the overall index jumped 0.5%, and the core index excluding energy and food rose 0.4%, the most in nearly two years. However, some temporary forces appear to have lifted prices, including hikes in tobacco prices and car and truck prices, which should reverse course in October.
Booming capital spending should allay some of those inflation worries, because over the long haul it adds to production capacity and lifts productivity, helping to relieve some of the constraints that expanding demand is placing on existing production facilities. But in the here and now, as Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan pointed out in his market-rattling congressional testimony on Oct. 8, current labor market imbalances may be tough to alleviate simply through increases in capacity.
In particular, Greenspan cautioned against expecting too much from the economy's new high-tech slant. That is especially true with regard to the growing strain that demand is placing on the labor markets, as labor demand outstrips the growth rate of the working-age population. These pressures, Greenspan said, "reflect biology, not technology."
He said that reducing the recent two-million-plus annual rate of job growth to the one-million rate consistent with the trend in population growth would require a full percentage-point increase in the trend pace of productivity, but such a shift is rare in the annals of business history, he said.
RARE, YES, BUT BUSINESSES are making a spirited effort in that direction. The surprising feature of this year's pickup in capital spending is the contribution of non-high-tech outlays (chart). In the second quarter, purchases of transportation equipment, led by a surge in aircraft, rose at the fastest quarterly rate in 3 1/2 years, while sales of industrial machinery posted the largest gain since 1984. Other equipment used in construction, mining, and agriculture is also growing faster. Low-tech outlays, some 54% of all equipment spending, are up nearly 7% from a year ago, after the growth rate had fallen below zero early last year.
Moreover, outlays for new buildings are also gaining momentum. After declining in the second quarter, inflation-adjusted construction spending through August is rising at a 15% annual rate from the second-quarter level. This reflects strength in both industrial and office buildings, which should continue. In particular, office vacancy rates are still trending downward from their very high levels of earlier in the expansion. Vacancy rates in suburban areas are down to about 10% from more than 20% in 1991. The drop in downtown areas, though, has been less pronounced. Also, commercial rental rates have been rising.
To be sure, high-tech equipment continues to grow at a rapid clip, although the pace has eased a bit in recent quarters. Through the third quarter, outlays for computers and other information-processing equipment likely grew about 19% from a year ago, but in early 1996, the pace was 26%. High tech's share of equipment outlays has surged from just over 30% in early 1991, to 46% in the second quarter.
WHAT'S BEHIND THE BOOM? Companies are responding to a host of positive influences on capital spending. One of the most important is the economy's faster pace that began late last year. Economists call it the "accelerator" effect, which links business investment to current and past growth in overall output. That factor alone suggests that the speedup in business outlays has further to run, especially with consumer spending so strong (chart). Indeed, third-quarter orders for nondefense capital goods through August are rising at a 24% annual rate. If that pace holds up, it would be the fastest in two years.
Also, production capacity is very tight, increasing the incentive of companies to add new machines and buildings. In August, manufacturers, utilities, and mines were using 83.9% of their output capacity, the most in two years. As for service producers, the unemployment rate in services averaged 4.9% in the second and third quarters, the lowest since early 1990.
At the same time, financing is especially attractive. In fact, with profits so strong, companies have more leeway to finance their projects internally, without going to the credit markets. BUSINESS WEEK's early-bird tally of profits for the third quarter show earnings up a surprisingly strong 18% from a year ago.
Through the second quarter, the ratio of cash flow at nonfinancial corporations to outlays for fixed investment remained close to 1, a favorable level and about the average for the past three years. Also, equity financing is attractive right now relative to debt, given such high ratios of stock prices to earnings. A high price/earnings ratio lowers the cost of equity financing.
No one would argue that expanding business investment doesn't bode well for future trends in productivity growth and inflation. However, as Fed Chairman Greenspan suggested, the near-term impact is a continuing topic for debate. And in the mean time, the Fed may well decide that bumping up interest rates a notch is a policy that is better safe than sorry.


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Latest in Lifestyle
Right now in lifestyle
On nearly every bikini selfie she shares with her 1 million Instagram followers, Brooke Shields is almost always asked about her “secret”.
Border school students living in NSW but attending Victorian schools have had their 5km commute increased by an hour after sudden bridge closures.
Ordering takeout might be easy and tempting but more Australians now cook at home. While time poor, they are finding a way to make dinner in 30 minutes or less.
Sweet tooths — these three mouth-watering dessert recipes using Lemon Crisp biscuits, Flake bars and Bailey’s liqueur are a must-see.
While her friends were getting proposed to or pregnant, Jana Hocking has revealed a very different “P” that she got into while in isolation.
Hordes of fashion fans have been sharing snaps of this Kmart find after it an influencer wore it and was inundated with “lots of questions”.
Rodrigo Alves, who recently started living as a transgender woman, has added a bum lift to her already hefty $1 million in cosmetic procedures.
Find out how this dated two-storey brick home with limited water views on the Central Coast was transformed into a canal facing Hamptons-style haven.


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Harris Interactive confirmed data on Monday showing that piracy levels are remaining level, a survey-based result.
“Overall levels of piracy are steady over the past 15 months,” shared Mike Saxon, EVP of Harris Interactive, during a detailed presentation in New York. The findings were first leaked to Digital Music News last week, and officially discussed at the P2P & Cloud Market Conference in New York during a luncheon presentation. The event was hosted at the Cornell Club by the Distributed Computing Industry Association (DCIA).
The presentation included one of the leaked slides, essentially showing consistent levels of file-sharing (via LimeWire, BitTorrent, others). But Harris also discovered increased levels of hard-drive swapping, and elevated downloading from virtual hosting sites like Megaupload. Harris also showed increased sharing of television shows, games, and movies. Some of that corresponds to information presented last month by NPD Group, though the data on file-sharing activity is inconsistent.
Saxon also compared media patterns between the UK and US, and found remarkable similarities across device ownership, online entertainment access, gaming, and streaming music from social networks. Still, a number of differences emerged, including a far broader appetite among British consumers for file-sharing across every platform and media type.
The data was actually part of a broader discussion on cloud computing, and its application towards music and entertainment assets. That discussion is incomplete without devices, and Harris measured everything from a connected Wii to an Android.
Overall, Harris showed that consumers have mixed sentiments towards cloud-based access. The access component sounds great, though serious concerns surround connectivity (can it be accessed all the time, every time), security of files, and security of personal information.
But the cloud is well-entrenched in areas like email, an argument that has bolstered models like Lala. Saxon noted that in many cases, users are hardly aware that the cloud exists; instead, they skip the details and just grab their data – from anywhere. And, on mobile devices, cloud-based access is increasingly happening on multimedia and entertainment assets. The percentages are still relatively low, though mobile-based access of videos (YouTube), photo sharing (via email, MMS, or web), and music streaming (Pandora, AOL Radio, others) are just taking root.
Report by publisher Paul Resnikoff.


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Peter's passion is for fine ale
PETER Burton started brewing his own beers 25 years ago and hasn't stopped since.
Mr Burton's passion for brewing soon led to him buying Toowoomba Home Brewers, where he has witnessed a surge in popularity of the pastime.
Mr Burton said the cheaper cost of home brewing was usually what brought customers through the door, but not why they keep coming back.
"If it cost as much to buy your own beer as make it then most people would still keep making it, hands down," he said.
"When I first started, it was mostly guys coming in looking to make whatever beer they could for about $8.
"Now people are not so concerned about money, they want to make good-quality beer."
Mr Burton said he knew many people who started home brewing as a way of saving money but have ended up spending thousands in pursuit of the perfect drop.
"I know a guy in Toowoomba who has spent about $20,000 on his home system," he said.
"It's not just beer though. It's wines and spirits. Ciders are also very popular at the moment.
"It's easy to do. If you can breathe you can make your own beer."


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Traba is a marketplace connecting light industrial workers with businesses that want to fill open shifts, primarily in warehousing, distribution, and event staffing. Traba is backed by best in class investors like Founders Fund, General Catalyst, and Khosla Ventures.
Traba is going after large pools of existing spend. Businesses spent >$30B on industrial staffing services in the U.S. in 2020. Top investors have backed companies building labor marketplaces before like Instawork (Benchmark, Greylock) and Workrise (formerly RigUp; Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz) but none have broken out to the same degree of success as some of their gig economy counterparts (like Uber and DoorDash).
There were many search engines before Google and social networks before Facebook. Traba is betting that they can crack the code for labor marketplaces and become the category-defining company.
With just 100 employees, Traba is at a potential inflection point as the company grows from new entrant to market leader.
Oct 26 2023
Facebook, SpaceX, Affirm
Airbnb, Snap, Gusto
OpenAI, Square, Oscar


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Volkswagen warned Porsche on Monday that it would have to do a better job of explaining its finances before merger discussions could proceed, the latest indication that the talks were in trouble.
In a reference to Porsche’s troubled finances, Martin Winterkorn, the Volkswagen chief executive, said in a letter to employees that “absolute transparency” was required.
“We must systematically analyze the starting point to combine Volkswagen and Porsche, and we must get a clear idea of the true state of affairs at Porsche,” Mr. Winterkorn said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The International Herald Tribune. “It is in the interests of all concerned, he said, “to ensure there is no threat to Volkswagen’s financial stability and autonomy.”
On Sunday, Volkswagen canceled a meeting of the working group responsible for details of the merger, saying “the atmosphere was not constructive” for progress.
On Monday, the Volkswagen chairman, Ferdinand K. Piëch, unexpectedly skipped a meeting of the Porsche supervisory board, on which he holds a seat. A spokesman played down the significance, saying Mr. Piëch remains in contact with members of the Porsche family. Mr. Piëch’s cousin, Wolfgang Porsche, heads the Porsche board.Continue reading the main story
The two sides had said on May 6 that they hoped to have the deal wrapped up by June 3, but that deadline is looking less realistic.
“It’s still up in the air when talks will resume,” a VW spokesman, Michael Brendel, said. Asked if the merger was in trouble, a Porsche spokesman, Michael Baumann, declined to comment.
Porsche is facing more urgency than VW to lock up a deal. The sports car maker, which has a market value of about 7.2 billion euros, or $9.7 billion, ended up with debt of 9 billion euros on its way to acquiring 51 percent of Volkswagen Last year, it used so-called cash-settled options contracts to gain voting rights to an additional 20 percent or more.
“The main thing right now is that no one outside of Porsche has the details to make a clean calculation about what’s going on with those options,” Frank Biller, an analyst at Landesbank Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, said. Additionally, there are rumors in the market that Porsche is sitting on risk positions that could leave it vulnerable to a decline in VW’s share price, he said.
Porsche is being investigated by the German securities watchdog BaFin in connection with its trades.
Mr. Winterkorn said in his letter that Volkswagen would not be pressured. “We are not in any hurry,” he said. “All the information and options must be thoroughly examined and a decision subsequently taken on the basis of the facts.”
Shares of Volkswagen were unchanged in Frankfurt afternoon trading, while Porsche fell about 0.9 percent.
On May 6, the companies agreed to create “an integrated automotive group in which each of the 10 brands would retain its independence.”
The working group charged with drawing up the actual merger includes representatives of both companies, workers and the state government of Lower Saxony, the holder of 20 percent of VW shares.
Thousands of Porsche workers demonstrated Monday to express concern that a deal would lead to job cuts. Uwe Hück, a labor leader, said in a statement that he had received assurances that “the owner families are strong enough to guarantee” Porsche’s independence.Continue reading the main story


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The German enterprise software titan offers investors little hope for a quick turnaround in IT spending, noting that the climate remains murky.
SAP reported its third-quarter results Tuesday, posting a 5 percent decline in earnings and nixing its revenue forecast for the year, given the uncertainty of the economic climate.
The German enterprise software maker, which reported its results prior to the market opening, saw its shares head slightly south as the morning progressed, falling to $30.02 a share, down less than 1 percent in intraday trading.
The company reported revenues of 2.76 billion euros, up 14 percent over the same time last year. Prior to issuing its third-quarter warning earlier this month, Wall Street had expected SAP to post revenues of 2.86 billion euros.
Sales of SAP's software and software-related services rose to 1.99 billion euros in the third quarter, up 15 percent over last year. And revenues of software not tied to SAP services climbed to 763 euros, a 7 percent increase. But the company's net income fell to 388 million euros, or 35 cents a share, in the third quarter, down from 408 million euros a year ago.
The company, which dealt investors a blow a couple weeks ago, when it issued its third-quarter warning and reduced its revenue forecast for the quarter, offered no reassurances to shareholders in this latest report.
In fact, SAP nixed its revenue forecast for the year--in essence yanking away investors' security blanket. Shareholders often find great comfort in the revenues and earnings forecasts that companies provide for the current and upcoming quarters.
In a statement, SAP said:
In light of the uncertainties surrounding the current economic and business environment, the company decided to no longer provide a specific outlook for non-GAAP software and software-related service revenues for the full year 2008.
However, with recent cost savings initiatives in place, the company expects the full-year 2008 non-GAAP operating margin, which excludes a nonrecurring deferred support revenue write-down of 180 million euros from the acquisition of Business Objects and acquisition-related charges, to be around 28 percent, at constant currencies, if the company can increase non-GAAP software and software-related service revenues, excluding a nonrecurring deferred support revenue write-down from the acquisition of Business Objects, in a range between 20 percent and 22 percent, at constant currencies for the full year 2008.
The current woes for SAP began in the second half of September, taking the technology titan by surprise, given the speed and depth of the cutback in customer orders.
Meanwhile, SAP's archrival, Oracle, edged up in morning trading to $15.88 a share, gaining less than 1 percent during intraday trading.


text: The Audi A8 L is already a large vehicle. The Audi A8 L Extended is much larger. In development for nearly a year, it's 20.9 feet long with a wheelbase that's 3.6 feet longer than the L, and uses its extra room to make space for two more doors and two more seats. The result is a car that comfortably seats six adults while offering all the luxury and tech touches you'd expect. It's powered by a 3.0 TFSI engine putting out 310 hp, moves from 0-60 in seven seconds, and has Quattro all-wheel drive. All that car takes some serious stopping power, so it borrows the brakes from the sporty S8, and it also has extra tubes and cross braces to help maintain its rigidity. Supposedly a one-off build, the company is already received inquiries into building more — but no word on whether it actually will.


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YouTube is leaking hints of plans to localize around the world. Despite global popularity, the video site is currently only available in English. But the beginnings of a master international plan are coming out, with recent indications of designs to launch both Chinese and French versions of YouTube.
This weekend, speaking at a public forum in his home country of Taiwan, YouTube co-founder Steve Chen said the company was considering adding additional languages, and today Les Echos in France published details of YouTube’s plans to launch in Europe.
From the Taipei Times:
With half of its users living outside the US, YouTube may develop different language versions for the site, including a Mandarin version for Taiwan, to boost its appeal to global users, he said.
The Les Echos report says Google CEO Eric Schmidt will announce the site’s first European rollout, a French version in Paris on June 19, along with assurances about implementation of copyright protection methods. Google has reportedly cut deals with French media (with whom it has had notorious disagreements), signing France Télévisions to an agreement similar to what it has with the BBC in the U.K.
Localization seems like a smart move for YouTube, which has had many tussles with foreign governments — India, Turkey, and Brazil among them — over various videos they found offensive, often leading to them blocking the site entirely. In multiple cases, such as in Thailand, Google has offered to censor its site to appease the offended leaders and judges and allow other parts of its site to come through.


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A novel compound called 3Q conducts electricity and retains energy better than other organic materials currently used in batteries, researchers report.
“Our study provides evidence that 3Q, and organic molecules of similar structures, in combination with graphene, are promising candidates for the development of eco-friendly, high capacity rechargeable batteries with long life cycles,” says Loh Kian Ping, professor in the chemistry department at NUS Faculty of Science.
Rechargeable batteries are the key energy storage component in many large-scale battery systems like electric vehicles and smart renewable energy grids. With the growing demand of these battery systems, researchers are turning to more sustainable, environmentally friendly methods of producing them. One option is to use organic materials as an electrode in the rechargeable battery.
Organic electrodes leave lower environment footprints during production and disposal which offers a more eco-friendly alternative to inorganic metal oxide electrodes commonly used in rechargeable batteries.
The structures of organic electrodes can also be engineered to support high energy storage capabilities. The challenge, however, is the poor electrical conductivity and stability of organic compounds when used in batteries. Organic materials currently used as electrodes in rechargeable batteries—such as conductive polymers and organosulfer compounds—also face rapid loss in energy after multiple charges.
To overcome these limitations, Loh and his research team synthesized a novel organic compound 3Q (π-conjugated quinoxaline-based heteroaromatic molecule) that has up to six charge storage sites per molecule in an effort to enhance its conductivity and energy retention.
When hybridized with graphene and used in an ether-based electrolyte, the team observed that the 3Q-based electrode displayed a high electrical conductivity of 395 milliampere hour per gram. It also exhibited a strong energy retention capability after multiple cycles of charge and discharge.
This article appeared on Futurity. Read the original article.
Source: National University of Singapore


text: Everything consumers purchase has an environmental footprint from sourced materials to the end user, or consumer. The main focus lately of the zero waste movement has been the end-of-life of a package. So we asked the experts, is the zero waste movement the solution to climate change? The zero waste movement is a global movement that has been around for about three decades. It started in Sweden when some people noticed that taking plastic out of the waste stream led to a large reduction in waste. The belief was that if all products were made from materials the earth could regenerate, there would be no need for landfills and no greenhouse gas emissions, or so it seems. The movement has gained popularity recently with sustainability minded consumers, influencers, and brands mining for ideas on the internet. The idea is to minimize and ultimately eliminate the trash we produce, usually focused on the consumer. Thus, the zero waste movement is mostly a consumer-side solution.


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CEOs are beginning to question the analytics marketers use to target campaigns and instead want what they think are clearer links to business goals.
A study of behavioral targeting platform Bango, which surveyed more than 200 business executives, found that 55% believe digital marketing metrics are “meaningless” if they are not directly linked to sales. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of CEOs also believe too much marketing budget is wasted on activities that don’t produce meaningful results, while 77% expect marketing to have a measurable impact on the bottom line of their business.
The Bango report argues that digital marketing has lost its way, with many marketers trying to mask poor results behind a haze of “meaningless metrics” that don’t matter to the board.
According to Bango, CEOs are tired of hearing about tactical analytics metrics like retweets (76%), likes (65%), followers (64%) and impressions (66%), and instead want marketers to present results that directly link digital marketing to the bottom line.
To solve this problem, Bango’s Board to Death report suggests that marketers focus less on using social media to get likes and followers and instead use it to gather information about what customers are actually buying.
Anil Malhotra, CEO of Bango, said: “When working on digital marketing campaigns, it’s very easy to get bogged down in creating as many engagements as possible – but if those engagements aren’t related to sales, they quickly become a huge drain on company resources. CEOs are aware of this fact and want to know that their growing digital marketing budgets are being spent effectively.
“The best way to solve this problem is to target more precisely. Instead of running campaigns based on what people like or share on social media, brands should target potential customers based on their previous buying behavior. Many marketers don’t realize you can use this type of targeting on social media, but it’s certainly the best way to attract paying customers and connect your social media efforts with the bottom line of your business.”
To achieve this goal, the Bango report suggests using “Buying Behavior Targeting,” a niche targeting feature introduced by platforms such as Facebook that can be augmented with past online purchase data.


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Celebrity Happy Meals Key to McDonald's New StrategyBy Andrea Villar | Thu, 10/15/2020 - 08:45
Happy meals are no longer enough to lure children and young people to McDonald’s. The company's strategy has changed and now popular figures from the music industry are the hook to attract more people. The last one on the list is the reggaeton singer J Balvin, who closed an alliance with McDonald’s that will put his name and image to the combo 'J Balvin Meal', with which it hopes to increase sales after the success of its campaign with rapper Travis Scott.
Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack’s combo, which included a quarter pounder with cheese, fries with barbecue dipping sauce and a Sprite, became so wildly popular in some restaurants that they ran out of some of the ingredients. Now, McDonald's is expecting to emulate the idea, with the Colombian singer. The new combo brings together some of the restaurant's classics: Big Mac, fries and an Oreo McFlurry. The ‘Travis Scott Meal’ marks the first time in 30 years that McDonald's has named a menu item after a celebrity, with the first being Michael Jordan in 1992. At the moment, the collaboration is only available in the US, but it is expected to be available in other countries.
According to AFP, fast food chains operate with very low-profit margins, so promotions and new items help them stand out from the competition and attract consumers. These restaurants also try to capture consumers with discounts on their apps, which increases loyalty and sales. The pandemic has led fast-food chains to change their marketing plans completely to attract both new and old consumers. McDonald's, for example, cut its marketing spend by 70 percent in 1Q20. Just two weeks after the launch of Travis Scott's campaign, the company introduced Spicy Chicken McNugget, the first change in taste for its traditional and beloved nuggets since the product debuted in 1983.
“If we dig below the surface as to why all of this is worth watching, consider the power of celebrity influencers with that coveted younger demographic, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote Forbes contributor Alicia Kelso. According to data from Kantar, she quoted, social media engagement has jumped by 61 percent since the pandemic hit. “Celebrities are pushing out content that seems to be relatable to those of us craving any semblance of normalcy. This is where consumers are, who they are watching, who is entertaining them during this unprecedented time. McDonald’s thinks that means you will also want to eat like them,” Kelso pointed out.
In 3Q20, McDonald's sales in the US grew by 4.6 percent over the same period last year, driven by the marketing campaign featuring Travis Scott. This means a recovery in sales, as in 2Q20 the company suffered a 24 percent drop in revenue due to the impact of the pandemic. However, its sales abroad did not experience the same fate, as globally its revenue fell 2.2 percent, according to the company’s financial report.


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Google Inc (NASDAQ GOOGL) just updated Hangouts by integrating Google Voice. This means users will be able to send messages, video chat, and call others all from one central app which is available on iOS, Android, and desktop.
Google updates Hangouts with Google Voice feature that enables users to make VoIP phone calls. The best thing about this means users can call their friends and family members in the United States and Canada for free. International rates still cost but it’s still cheap. For instance, calls to Mexico will only cost $0.05 which is far cheaper than $0.28 for a regular phone call. Calls to France start at just $0.03 a minute and calls to India start at just $0.01 a minute, calls from leading competitors start a $0.20 a minute and $0.03 a minute respectively.
The updated version of Hangouts will roll out to users within the next few days. Android users will have to install an additional dialler to turn on the voice calls. Before this update, Google Hangouts was primarily about video chats but this update ads another option for users to communicate with one another.
Google Inc (NASDAQ GOOG) News: Google Hangout
Google Hangouts and Google+ are essentially the search giant’s version of social media. The internet has become the primary medium people use to communicate.
Although social giants Facebook and Twitter clearly dominate the scene with perennially popular websites everyone uses. But it is still a good idea to offer a viable alternative people can use, something that is also different enough to keep the interest of users.
[grabpress_video guid=88c06dc131cc17af2d44380f021dfcbd8247351c embed_id=2151919]
Google Inc Financial News (NASDAQ GOOG)
Google Hangouts is essentially Google’s version of an instant messaging service. It brings conversations and chat sessions to life with a variety of features including photo sharing and emojis. This latest update will provide an excellent alternative to expensive phone calls and it will certainly appeal to those who like to make frequent phone calls.
Thanks for visiting the TechNews.org website. Be sure to catch all Google Inc (NASDAQ GOOG) financial news, bookmark us and check all the videos and news articles regarding the Google stock.


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The luxe brand founded by former Lady Gaga creative director and Kanye West collaborator Matthew Williams is launching an IOTA-based pilot for supply chain transparency.
IOTA has partnered with digital food safety firm Primority to develop a tool to minimize the threat of potentially fatal food allergens.
Luxury fashion brand Alyx intends to use Iota’s distributed ledger technology for supply chain tracking.
The incentive scheme for data collection will reward participants in Iota tokens, the companies confirm.
Netherlands-based tech company ElaadNL has devised a PoC for a smart grid using IOTA Tangle technology.
With the help of information collected on Primority’s 3iVerify cloud software, the data from food manufacturers is automatically transmitted on IOTA’s Tangle, notes the announcement.
Even after the recovery from the lows, major cryptocurrencies continue to surge. Can the top five performers extend their upwards move?
As markets stabilize following a surge earlier this week, we take a look at the five coins that fared the best over the past seven days.
At press time, MIOTA is trading at $0,31 and soared over 16 percents (+16.73%).
The two entities are integrating their solutions to provide greater transparency for supply chains in the consumer goods sector.
The IOTA Foundation has announced a smart city hackathon contest, which is sponsored by French automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault.
Almost all of roughly $11 million-worth of iota tokens alleged to have been stolen by a British man have been found.
The network’s “Coordicide” solution replaces the temporary Coordinator function in place since launch.
The blockchain solution will be tested by luxury brand called ALYX in order to allow its customers full insights into the supply chain.
Austin Transportation partnered with nonprofit Iota Foundation to develop a more interoperable transportation ecosystem.
Jaguar Land Rover is trialing tech that may soon let drivers earn rewards in the IOTA cryptocurrency for sharing data on road conditions.
As cryptos are currently rising from the bottom, the community has started hearing some bullish voices again.
The Iota Foundation announced its partnership with startup cofoundery Nova to fund startups employing Iota technology.
Welcome William Sanders to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-willia… #IOTA
The blockchain revolution-an opportunity for businesses? Gilbert Fridgen @fridgen @FraunhoferLab, Ralph Hamers… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Welcome Andreas Penzkofer to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-andrea… #IOTA
Welcome Pierre Hoffmann to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-pierre… #IOTA
Our newest blog post on Confirmation and ɑ from Olivia Saa: blog.iota.org/confirmation-a… #IOTACoordinator #IOTATangle
Welcome Anne Smith to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-anne-s… #IOTA
Welcome Sadjy Sadjan to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-sadjy-… #IOTA
Welcome Andrew Brough to IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-andrew… #IOTA
Welcome Luca Moser to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-luca-m… #IOTA
Welcome Lukas Tassanyi to the IOTA Foundation blog.iota.org/welcome-lukas-… #IOTA
Our Qubic Status Update is out for Nov: blog.iota.org/qubic-status-u… #Qubic #IOTA
We have also provided a guide for setting your Ledger up with Trinity. If you are unsure what certain things mean,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
IOTA meets Ledger: blog.iota.org/iota-ledger-in… #IOTA @LedgerHQ
Help IOTA build a great new documentation portal!: blog.iota.org/help-us-build-… #IOTA #IOTAecosystem
We will be having a Reddit AMA for the Trinity Development team on the 5th of November at 4pm CET. A Reddit post wi… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
2 days ago
IOTA News & Price Predictions (Part 2)
Due to major errors I made with my initial predictions (originally in Part 1), this video focuses on what I removed from that first one. A link to Part 1 is available ...
1 week ago
$0.43 IOTA Price Prediction (18 June 2019)
IOTA has punched back below the Skinny pink line against BTC. Full list of IOTA technical analysis: http://bit.ly/IOTA-Playlist Use these 3 ========== Short ...
Silent but constant progress of IOTA / Tangle standardization : Summary of OMG Technical meeting Amsterdam JUNE 17-21, 2019


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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has secured a committment from a number of high street banks to “retry payments” in a move that could save UK banking customers millions.
Typically banks process payments such as direct debits and standing orders early in the morning and if the customer has not yet topped up their account at this point, or they have but the payment has not had time to clear, they could potentially face a penalty charge.
Failing to have sufficient funds to meet the cost of payments such as direct debits and standing orders is estimated to cost UK banking customers in the region of £200 million per year in penalty fees.
Under the new measures if funds were not in place at the first attempt, banks who have committed to the retry process will retry the payment later in the day before imposing a unpaid item fee.
The banks who have adopted the new approach are The Co-operative, HSBC, Nationwide, Barclays, RBS Group, National Australia Group and Santander.
Lloyds Banking Group has also agreed to implement the new approach, but while it already has a retry process on many transactions, needs to update its system to include other payments. The statement from the FCA said: "Until this occurs customers will be able to claim a refund for related late payment charges."
Clive Adamson, the FCA’s director of supervision, commented:
“It is little things like this that have a big impact on customers’ everyday banking experience, even though many people won’t be familiar with the process. This is a small adjustment, but one that will make a big difference.
“We are committed to putting customer interests at the heart of everything the FCA does, and it's encouraging that the banks are also beginning to take this approach. There are no new rules here – this is an agreement with the industry; working together for the benefit of consumers can often be more effective than writing new rules, and it certainly delivers results more quickly.
Adam Phillips, Consumer Panel Chair at the FCA said:
"We wholeheartedly welcome this initiative by the FCA. In these difficult economic times this measure will particularly benefit those that most need it.
We hope that the banking industry will continue to work with the FCA on initiatives that put treating consumers fairly at the heart of their business models."


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Sahara Centre, Sharjah’s leading retail, leisure and dining destination, has partnered with Emirates Red Crescent to warmly welcome 30 orphans at the mall on World Orphans Day, which was launched in 2009 to draw attention to the plight of the world’s orphans and fell on 13th November this year. The initiative reflects Sahara Centre’s ongoing efforts to care for its community and support and nurture children in every way possible.
To mark the occasion and actively participate in helping raise awareness for motherless and fatherless children worldwide, Sahara Centre invited 30 orphans for a fun-filled day of activities at the mall, including free access to Adventureland, a special lunch, and an exciting array of giveaways and goodies. Adventureland was a highlight of the day, as it offered the children an opportunity to enjoy 17 rides and attractions, as well over 70 video games, with their friends and carers.
Sahara Centre is committed to support the community by organising events that promotes happiness and unity among all segments of society. By recognising orphans on World Orphans Day through a range of fun activities organized for them, Sahara Centre dedicated a day to remember them while also furthering the noble objectives of the UAE’s Year of Giving 2017 and spreading goodwill across Sharjah and the UAE.
In an exceptional display of unwavering commitment and innovation, Sahara Centre announced its second consecutive victory at the 2023 MENA Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards. The prestigious awards ceremony witnessed Sahara Centre clinching two accolades for its outstanding "Take Off In Style" campaign. In both the Digital and Social Media, as well as the Advertising categories, Sahara Centre's strategy has once more etched an deep-rooted imprint on the retail communications landscape. This accomplishment serves as a testament to the Centre's remarkable resilience and the strategic prowess of its marketing team, as the campaign adeptly melded digital native PR with vibrant social media engagement. Akram Ammar, Managing Director at Sahara Centre, expressed his delight, stating, "Winning these awards for the second year in a row is a testament to the unwavering efforts of our resilient and strategic marketing team. It reflects our commitment to creating innovative and compelling marketing campaigns that continue to captivate our community." Sahara Centre remains steadfast in its mission to set new standards for excellence and innovation, and these two consecutive awards reaffirm its position as a leader in the region.
Visit the store today to discover an exceptional designs that represents a premium lifestyle!
Bowl N'Roll is now open on the second floor of Sahara Centre's East Atrium. Come experience the thrill of bowling like never before!


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COMPANY NEWS; TACO CABANA, RESTAURANT CHAIN, BEING SOLD TO CARROLS
Published: October 7, 2000
The Taco Cabana Inc. chain of Mexican restaurants is being sold to the Carrols Corporation, a restaurant franchisee, for $105 million in cash. The privately held Carrols, which already operates 400 Burger King and Pollo Tropical restaurants in the United States, is adding a chain of 126 owned or franchised restaurants, mostly in Texas, in the deal announced yesterday. Carrols said that it would pay $9.04 a share for 11.6 million shares of Taco Cabana, which is based in San Antonio. That is more than twice the closing price of $4.16 a share Thursday on Nasdaq. The shares of Taco Cabana were up $3.72, to $7.88, yesterday. Carrols, based in Syracuse, will also assume Taco Cabana's debt of about $42 million and buy out its employee stock options, raising the total value of the deal to about $152 million. The deal requires approval of Taco Cabana shareholders and financing from Carrols' senior lender.


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After more than 30 years in the antiques business, Eron Johnson of Denver is cleaning house. He has commissioned Leslie Hindman Auctioneers to hold an auction and tag sale June 23-24 of more than 1,000 pieces of furniture and decorative arts from his Broadway store and west Denver warehouse.
Maron Hindman, managing director of the west and southwest office for the Chicago-based auction house, says the sale will feature something for everyone interested in art and antiques, and that she expects prices to go from $100 to $5,000 and up.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity; we’ve known Eron for a long time,” she said. “It’s a good way for him to revamp his inventory.”


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A historic hearing before the USA’s House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services concerning hemp and CBD occurred last Thursday.
The hemp sector is being urged to ramp up its focus on data and evidence around hemp production if the fibre is to be adopted as a serious sustainable alternative to cotton.
In today’s rolling industry, where eco-consciousness is gaining momentum, organic hemp rolling papers have emerged as a popular choice among smokers.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signalled his strong support for legalizing medical cannabis in his country – and sooner rather than later.
In the next five years, the Thai government wants to make Thailand a regional hub for producing hemp-related products.
In all the debates on how to curb climate change, hemp is hardly mentioned.
Weary of his life as a computer engineer, in 2010 Elad Kaspin packed his bags and travelled the world.
Hemp is a medicinal plant and it is being used since time immemorial.
Hemp is an amazing plant. It uses a fraction of the water needed to grow cotton, every part is useful and it absorbs more carbon dioxide per hectare than other crops and most trees.
Historically, cannabis—the name of the plant from which hemp is derived—was used to produce rope, cloth, lighting oil and medicine from around the year 1000 until the late 1800s.