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Internet service providers are chasing illegal music downloaders; the government may set up an independent organisation to protect web users from abusive bloggers; and the things people do online are being held up to greater scrutiny than ever before. The web is under siege from all sides, but is it out of control, and does it now need policing?
Matt Warman says yes
It may be too easy to say that violent online games, music piracy, bullying and security threats mean that the internet is "out of control". Businesses, however, are also feeling the sharp end of the freedom the web provides, and are calling for better regulation.
Online auction site eBay was recently sued by a luxury brands company for failing to remove counterfeit goods from its pages. And the music and film industries will be horrified to learn that, according to a Microsoft survey, almost two-thirds of children aged 11 to 16 have downloaded illegal material - 40 per cent of the 16-year-olds said they would continue to do so.
The internet has created a mindset in which people believe everything is free and freely available. It's a struggle to maintain a balance between the power of the web, and the sense of responsibility that should self-regulate it.
Those problems exist in the physical world and in the virtual, and it's unreasonable to expect the web to be a utopia compared to normal life. It was always freedom that made the internet so vibrant and so innovative.
The problem, however, is that our online experience is actually increasingly controlled by self-appointed arbiters of taste. Facebook, for instance pulled the plug on a utility that let users hug, kiss and throw sheep at each other, because it also introduced the opportunity for people to "shank" or stab each other. There was no physical representation of this "shanking", but Facebook decided it was in bad taste, and that it could be perceived as threatening. They were right, but they haven't banned countless other games - apparently it's okay to be gnawed by a virtual Facebook zombie, yet a stabbing with a virtual knife is more painful. Surely bans should apply to both or neither?
It's that failure of self-appointed regulators to regulate themselves that most threatens the web's development. Where in the real world there are established rules and conventions on decent behaviour, the web reacts constantly to commercial and perceived threats, without ever having the time to work out what's truly important.
If the internet is ever to achieve its full potential - that's a world in which everything is online - then its powerbrokers must behave as responsibly as they wish their users to. That means regulating illegal file-sharing and bullying, but also accepting that users must be able to express themselves within the law. It's an unregulated, self-interested "control" system that actually puts the web in peril.
Shane Richmond says no
Should we laugh or despair at the news that a "watchdog" is coming along to "clean up" the internet? The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee is considering setting up a new body to monitor what happens on the web, and could order bloggers and social-networking sites to take down offensive material and photographs.
Good luck with that. Controlling the internet, and the movement of information across it, is a near impossible task. It is true that the internet can be a rough place - cyber-bullying is a problem for youngsters - but a watchdog will do little more than harass a few minor offenders and find the major ones hard to catch. As such, its limitations are obvious, before we even get on to questions about its jurisdiction over a global medium, the standard of proof required before a website can be ordered to take down offensive material, and the right to appeal.
Meanwhile, internet service providers are sending warnings to people who are illegally downloading music. According to the music industry, your ISP could threaten to kick you off the web.
We already have systems in place to deal with these problems; what's illegal offline is illegal online too. Online fraud and child pornography are hard to police, but such offences should still be pursued with the full force of the law. But clamping down on file-sharing? Differences of opinion that some arbitrary body decides is "rude"? You can stick those plans in your parallel port, thanks.
Those who want to share music will find a way, no matter what. Still, most of us will pay for our song collections if the price is right and the access is easy. As for rudeness, it abounds in our daily lives, from queue-jumping at bus stops to drivers flicking V-signs. It won't go away online until it goes away offline - and that will never happen, so let's not waste time spying on the web.
Most online communities handle abuse responsibly. If you've been libelled, existing laws can help - earlier this week, for instance, a businessman who had his personal life laid bare in a fake Facebook profile set up by a "friend" won £22,000 in a libel case. If you're the victim of rudeness, then a complaint often gets the content removed. If that doesn't work, you can take your business elsewhere.
I've been abused online and usually take it on the chin; I'm a grown-up and criticism goes with the job. When it goes too far, it's removed. If it's on another site, I politely tell the person concerned that I think they've gone too far. Usually, they apologise.
We're still human beings, even online. Sometimes all we need is a gentle reminder; but that should remain an act of self-regulation, not the remit of a watchdog.


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Elon Musk Now Suggesting Tesla Roadster Will Fly With SpaceX Package
When Elon Musk announced Tesla was developing a new Roadster, he promised us the moon. When released, the car is supposed to yield a 0-to-60 time of just 1.9 seconds and possess an all-electric range over 620 miles, thanks to its sizable, 200-kWh battery pack. As if that wasn’t ambitious enough, he spent last week outlining an optional SpaceX package that includes “cold-air thrusters” that might allow the vehicle to fly.
Then he said he was serious.
As you know, flying cars are bullshit. The closest we’ve come after decades of work are road-going airplanes. But Musk asserted over Twitter that some variants of the Roaster would fly or, at the very least, be able to hover. This has to be a joke, right?
Apparently not. When questioned the prospect of a flying Tesla, Elon was careful not to overtly double down on flying claims. But he did suggest that the car would have some ability to leave the ground using its cold-air propulsion system. “The new Roadster will actually do something like this,” Musk said in response to a gif of the hovering DeLorean from Back to the Future.
Tech-reviewer Marques Brownlee posited that the man might not be joking, to which Elon responded “I’m not. Will use SpaceX cold gas thruster system with ultra high pressure air in a composite over-wrapped pressure vessel in place of the 2 rear seats,” adding that the car should do the quarter mile in under 8 seconds. Followed by him asking, “Vertically or horizontally?”
While there’s obviously some intentional humor in this, these are still pretty bold claims for a car that that was originally supposed to come out next year and has since been placed on Tesla’s back burner. Elon called it “dessert” a few weeks ago, suggesting that prioritizing the Roadster wouldn’t be fair to the other cars. However he also recently confirmed that Tesla wouldn’t be updating the Model S or X anytime soon, so we’re not sure which cars he’s talking about. Presumably the new crossover and current Model 3… maybe that semi?
Let’s, for a moment, entertain the premise that the Roadster is still in development and the SpaceX package does indeed allow it to leave the pavement. First, that system would require some heavy hardware and expend immense amounts of energy to get aloft. Using the Model 3 as a template, Wired claimed 2.64 minutes of “flight” would be the outside limit. CleanTechnica claimed it was theoretically possible for the vehicle to hover for roughly 7 minutes by extrapolating the Roadster’s larger battery capacity (which neglects to account for the added weight). Both also presumed that the car would use rotors for lift and don’t mesh with our estimated flight time of zero minutes and zero seconds using vented gas.
Musk previously suggested an electric pump would replenish compressed air inside a pressure vessel that would vent through nozzles in the back of the car. But it’s difficult to imagine cold-air thrusters providing sufficient power alone. While SpaceX has more than enough engineering know-how to construct a flying machine and has developed a cold-air system for spaceflight, it’s intended for use in a vacuum — not in the dense atmosphere of Earth.
Adapting that setup for a car would also require some kind of compressed inert gas, which has to be stored somewhere (weight), and an advanced guidance system to ensure the car was controllable — even if it’s just hovering. Multiple articulated thrusters (Musk originally claimed 10) would also be required and, unless Tesla is fine using compressed air, its fuel would have to be replenished somehow. Ultimately, the setup sounds as though it would be terribly energy inefficient, seriously complicated, and insanely expensive while still being too heavy to actually fly.
Instead, we imagine that the SpaceX package would focus on improving the Roadster’s on-road performance — which Musk also mentioned and was supposed to be Tesla’s original goal. But utilizing the system to influence handling, braking, and acceleration by quantifiable degrees still involves venting super-dense (and dangerously cold) gas from all angles. Pedestrians might not appreciate that and what happens if this car gets rear ended? Even though the fuel won’t burn, that doesn’t mean rupturing one of the pressurized storage tanks won’t have catastrophic effects for the occupants. Tesla would have to reinforce the tanks to make them safe for passengers, again increasing weight.
The more we take into account, the more this whole thing sounds untenable. The only remotely plausible application I could think of is using vented gas to create some additional downforce. But I’m inclined to believe that the Tesla Roadster SpaceX variant won’t be a flying car, much like The Boring Company’s “Not A Flamethrower” wasn’t a flamethrower. And that’s being generous. More realistically, this was just Elon Musk seeing an opportunity to procure some media attention for his automotive brand. The dude wasn’t even fond of flying cars as a concept a few years ago and said they’d be too noisy, maintenance heavy, potentially dangerous, and “not a scalable solution.”
Assuming the Roadster actually ends up being built, I’m sure the SpaceX package will be a neat little gimmick for billionaires. But that is all it will be. Shame on anyone that tells you differently.
The new Roadster will actually do something like this https://t.co/fIsTAYa4x8
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2019
[Images: Tesla Motors]
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- CoastieLenn They absolutely should.
- SCE to AUX "Toyota has dropped a pic of the next Tacoma on Instagram."This is why the splashy auto show reveals are dead.
- Sckid213 I feel like the Camry in Japan is what oddballs like the Kia K9 and Hyundai Eqqus felt here. Obviously those were higher-end vehicles than Camry, but they felt like they were in the wrong dimension here in the U.S.
- FreedMike The Falcon was fast and temperamental. Is Ford sure this is what it wants to advertise?
- Jalop1991 I'm sure they knew exactly who the modern Cherokee buyers were, and responded with the Hornet.
Yes, and I'm sure Mexico will pay for it too.
If it has a 200 kWhr battery, it will weigh DOUBLE what a sporty GT should weigh (not much over 2000#)

domain: news


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Neptune announces appointments after review
Neptune, the fund management company, has announced several new appointments after a review of its UK retail sales team. Adam Hughes has been appointed as head of UK wholesale, where he will oversee all UK advisory and discretionary sales. Adam Larkin has been appointed as head of strategic partners where he will manage a five-person three-party team. He previously worked at M&G.Nick Pogmore, previously of Ignis, joins as the intermediary sales manager for the south east, and Harry Reeves, formerly of Artemis, will look after accounts in the South West.


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Ten local companies are ready to take on global expansion. Selected as Mana Up's first cohort, these 10 businesses are already selling market-tested, value-added products and can state unequivocally that they are authentic representatives of the Hawaii brand. All are entwined with Hawaii's agricultural sector by either growing their own crops or sourcing raw ingredients from local farms. Each company makes a premium product geared towards enticing a global audience, in part because of their roots in Hawaii.
"The ten companies we selected for our first cohort represent the future of our economy by showing how a product from Hawaii can be a competitive advantage rather than a prohibitive cost. This cohort has already achieved remarkable success by taking advantage of Hawaii's strengths and authentically integrating Hawaii's brand into their own. Yet, the deciding factor was that we see tremendous potential for each company to grow internationally because of the caliber of the product and entrepreneurs," remarked Meli James, one of three Mana Up co-founders.
The 10 were selected from 85 applicants who had enough traction in the market to earn annual revenue far surpassing Mana Up's requirement of $100,000. The 12-week Mana Up program, beginning January 17, is designed to help these companies scale for broader market expansion.
"Hawaii's agriculture is at a turning point. Over the past thirty years or so the big monocrop producers have been shutting down operations. When this trend started it was tough to find farmers to farm these large acreages of fields. Today, we have a mix of farmers, but we've seen small to mid-size farmers struggle to create economically profitable businesses," says Dana Sato, Director of Asset Management (Oahu) at Kamehameha Schools, "we're thrilled to see innovative companies finding a product mix that can keep food production local, maximize use of the land, and allow farmers stable and profitable sources of income."
If Mana Up is right about these products, this is only the beginning of their trajectories. The public will have the opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs and learn more about the products at Mana Up's cohort 1 showcase on April 27 in Honolulu. Registration is now open at manauphawaii.com


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Nepal’s textile and clothing form a key export item, providing reliable sources of import-driven economy. The primacy of trade over the production, fuelled by neo-liberal policy since the early 1990s, largely halted the expansion of manufacturing sector considered the basis of economy. The ready-made garment industry had thrived in the country during the 1980s, with the funding of Indian exporters, who chose Nepal for its production after their country imposed quota limit on its products. But the booming mass-produced garments suffered a steep decline in the foreign market owing to several factors such as expiry of WTO’s Agreement on Textiles and Clothing and the Multifibre Agreement that had granted Nepali garment a duty-free access to the US market, among others. The matters pertaining to the unethical practice and quality of Nepali garments also hurt its prospect in the global market.
Despite the state’s policy to keep its hands off the industrial activities, textile manufacturers have been able to sustain their industries against all odds, especially the illegal imports of raw materials and finished products via unregulated Nepal-India border. Of late, focus has been given to quality instead of quantity. Quality garments find niche market on the global scale. Buyers are inclined to pay for expensive items if they are of higher quality. There are lesser preferences for fast fashion chain in which cheap clothes are manufactured quickly and sold in large quantities to catch fashion trends. Still, there is a sense of quandary – the country has earned revenues from both the export and imports of the cloth and garments. Nepal exported cloth and garments worth Rs. 12.6 billion in the fiscal year 2021/22 and Rs. 10.5 billion in the current fiscal year.
On the other hand, the country imported textile and clothing worth Rs. 35.8 billion in nine months of this fiscal. Last year, it was Rs. 56.02 billion. Around Rs. 18 billion came in revenue from the imports of textiles and clothing (T&C) goods. Around 250 textile industries are running across the country, with over 50,000 people getting employed in the sector. Although Nepal government has prioritised the T&C industries, textile manufacturers are not happy the way the state treats the manufacturing industries. They have been demanding that the government control the illegal import of T&C goods. There is around 80 per cent illegal trade of T&C inside the country. The total consumption of cloth and cloth-related products stand at Rs 600 million but the legal imports and domestic production is only Rs. 100 billion. An average Nepali needs 30 metres of cloth annually.
In order to promote the domestic T&C industries, it is essential to minimise imports of T&C items through the strict regulation of the open border. In the past, the country had imposed 15 per cent customs on the imports of cloth but the rate was brought down to 5 per cent with the enforcement of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), leading to the closure of many textile industries. Nepal Textile Industries Association (NTIA) has demanded that the government should impose 10 per cent excise duty on cloth and garments and waive of the duty for the domestic products to enhance their competitive edge. Like in other South Asian countries, Nepal should also provide discounts on the interest of bank loan and electricity tariff, subsidy on the technology transfer and cash incentives on cloth and garment exports to promote their productions and exports.


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Returning to the Rotana brand, Bahaa Malaeb has joined Al Manshar Rotana Hotel Kuwait as the new director of sales.
With extensive sales experience within the luxury hotel industry, Malaeb previously worked with the Jumeirah Group Kuwait as head of government sales, where he dealt with big oil and gas accounts as well as government sector and group accommodation and event requirements.
He also previously worked as a night manager in 2008 with Rotana and was promoted to sales manager in 2010.
In his new position, Malaeb will be responsible for implementing all sales plans activities and maximising property’s business opportunities.
Adding to this, he is to lead Al Manshar Rotana’s MICE business and support in the implementation of the segment sales strategy, while also achieving segment revenue goals, overall property goals and guests satisfaction.


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By Lucy Craymer
WELLINGTON, New Zealand--Port of Tauranga Ltd. has sold its 50% stake in warehousing company C3 Ltd. for 70 million New Zealand dollars ($58 million) to Asciano Ltd. (AANOF , AIO.AU), the company said in a statement.
Port of Tauranga added that it had initially offered to buy Asciano out of C3 but under the "shootout clause" of its agreement with the co-parent, Asciano has announced it will exercise its right to acquire the shares for NZ$70 million.
Write to Lucy Craymer at firstname.lastname@example.org
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


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On March 23 local time, the AMUG2023 Additive Manufacturing User Group Conference successfully concluded. The five-day conference attracted many leading suppliers and users in various fields to participate in the additive manufacturing industry, injecting new impetus to the development of the additive manufacturing industry.
TPM3D brought large size SLS 3D printing solutions to show up for the first time , the display of large size integrated printing samples are excellent both in appearance and performance , attracted many audience stopped by and experienced the quality of TPM3D SLS printing products.
The conference has been concluded, we have learned a lot of advanced technologies and know more about the users' needs and suggestions. this will encourage us to keep on innovation, to bring new technologies and equipments to solve users' pain points.
See you next year!


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'Glee' actress Amber Riley launches plus size clothing boutique
Singer and actress Amber Riley, best known for her role as the feisty Mercedes Jones on hit U.S. series 'Glee', has joined forces with her sister to launch a clothing boutique that will cater to fuller figured women.
She has teamed up with sibling Ashley and together they have created a website called Rileyland Fashions, which will stock one-off pieces to flatter curvy figures. Writing about the exciting project on her Facebook page, Riley explained:
"My sister and I are clothes fanatics and since so many of my curvier fans always express that they like my clothes I thought why not clean out my closet and fill up all of yours. The clothes are affordable and most are never worn! There will be an official website coming soon with more than one of [a] kind clothing and more sizes for you plus size cuties!"
Following the launch of the boutique, many items sold out so Riley shared an update via her Instagram page, which read: "We are sold out! We are overjoyed!!!! Thank you ladies for showing us love! We are working hard to restock RileyLand Fashions with new stuff! We will keep you updated. Again thank you all. For those who have ordered, we are shipping your items before the week is over. Have a good evening!"
Watch Riley perform a samba routine on 'Dancing With The Stars' below:
Latest 10 Glee News Stories


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- Filed Under
In a major rebranding, Remke bigg's will retire the bigg's part of its name - officially becoming just Remke Markets.
The Erlanger-based grocer with 13 Greater Cincinnati stores is not making the change lightly. The switch starting next week is part of an effort to stress its local roots that national market research shows carries weight with consumers.
"Bigg's had and has a great brand name, but we found our customers were somewhat confused by who we were with two names: Were we Remke or bigg's?" company President Matthew Remke said. ...


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Latest News on Link-Assistant.com
March 11, 2014New features are being rolled out, but the alarming reports from our support say so many of you are still missing the huge powers of already-present SEO PowerSuite features! That's why before going on with new feature add-ons, we've made up a check-list:
Here are the 7 SEO features you've been missing in SEO PowerSuite before today!
March 04, 2014To get even more out of SEO PowerSuite's "Not provided" solution, check out our in-house methodology on using this priceless traffic data to measure progress and make winning SEO decisions.
February 25, 2014Google's recent cutback on keyword data available in Google Analytics makes the whole SEO world go mad. A crucial "keyword traffic" metric has gone dead, hidden under the (not provided) label in your traffic reports.
Is there a way to fill this gaping hole in your SEO analytics? Finally, there is a working solution for Google's "not provided" in SEO PowerSuite!
February 11, 2014Urgent: last week Google started issuing a new type of manual penalty — targeting rich snippets considered fake and spam-like.
The update is aimed to target websites that use rich snippets in a black-hat, spammy manner. But the exact factors triggering the new penalty are not yet known.
February 05, 2014
Have you noticed that Rank Tracker's PPC research data is now turned on for keywords in all languages and for all local markets? That's a great feature add-on we couldn't help telling you about!
January 29, 2014Check out the new SEO PowerSuite tips we’ve prepared for you today:
Track rankings of many pages optimized for the same keywords
Manually add new pages to your site optimization project
Group your links– manage loads of data the most convenient way
Move your link-research data from SEO SpyGlass to LinkAssistant
January 22, 2014A quick "cheat sheet" to make sure your SEO stays on the right track (effective and absolutely safe) in the new 2014 Google.
January 15, 2014How about pressing some extra juice out of your SEO software today?
To make sure you take a full grip on the vast powers of your SEO software, we've decided to create an actionable list of SEO PowerSuite's most helpful features that you might be missing out on.
December 10, 2013The new, fully revamped SEO SpyGlass is here!
The long-awaited update of SEO PowerSuite's backlink checker has just gone public, making your SEO SpyGlass:
- FINDING 10x MORE LINKS
December 03, 2013We've long planned and looked forward… and here it comes! This winter we're starting the deepest SEO PowerSuite update ever. You'll get all of your SEO PowerSuite tools updated one by one, and the first of them is just around the corner!
The fully revamped SEO SpyGlass backlink checker comes live on December 10 already!


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Our theme of EV Supplier stocks has fared relatively well this year, rising by about 8% year-to-date, compared to the S&P 500 which has declined by about 2% over the same time frame. This comes after a relatively difficult 2022, which saw the theme drop about 21%. So what’s driving the recent gains for the theme? Firstly, the macro-environment has been somewhat favorable for tech and futuristic stocks, with inflation cooling, and the Federal Reserve scaling back on the pace of its interest rate hikes. The most recent hike stood at 0.25%, down from multiple rate hikes of 0.75% last year.
Moreover, EV sales in the United States are being stimulated by the $7,500 tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act for new electric vehicle sales to qualifying buyers. Price reductions to Tesla’s popular Model 3 and Y vehicles have also contributed to growth to an extent. China, the world’s largest EV market, also ended its zero Covid policy. This is likely to help the broader EV ecosystem - easing supply chain-related constraints and potentially helping with demand.
EV sales for 2022 stood at over 10.2 million units marking a 65% increase versus the previous year. The forecast for the market remains strong, with Counterpoint research projecting that EV sales will stand at 17 million units in 2023. The longer-term picture also looks promising. The total light vehicle market stood at about 90 million units in 2019, before Covid-19 and supply chain-related disruptions hit the automotive market. It’s quite likely that the passenger vehicle market will transition almost entirely to EVs in the coming decades, providing meaningful room for expansion for EV suppliers.
Within our theme, Aptiv stock has been the strongest performer, rising by about 15% year-to-date. The company provides a range of solutions for the auto industry, including autonomous driving technologies, safety technologies, components and wiring. On the other side, Albemarle stock, a specialty chemicals manufacturing company, which is also one of the leading lithium producers, has been the weakest performer with its stock down by 3% year-to-date.
What if you’re looking for a more balanced portfolio instead? Our high-quality portfolio and multi-strategy portfolio have beaten the market consistently since the end of 2016.
Invest with Trefis Market Beating Portfolios
See all Trefis Price Estimates


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BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — What are cookies made of? When Bud Cason was a young boy, he discovered the magic of it all working in his aunt’s bakery, Greg’s Cookie Co., and he was hooked.
“My dad thought it was the neatest thing that flour, sugar and shortening could come into a bakery in bags and boxes and go out as cookies in a cookie jar,” said Al Cason, Bud’s son and president and chief operating officer of Bud’s Best Cookies in Birmingham, Ala., which his father, now chairman, founded in 1991.
Those were simpler times, and today, the magic happens in a different way and on a much larger scale than by hand like they were at Greg’s (which he eventually purchased from his aunt) all those years ago. In today’s cookie production, automation is the status quo … then again, Bud’s Best is a testament that people are still vital to the process.
Over the past two years, this bakery has invested not only in new technology to increase throughput and expand its production capabilities but also in a leadership team that is poised to take the business into the future.
While it produces several cookie varieties, Bud’s Best is most known for its bite-size cookies, which the company developed nearly 30 years ago when the mini craze began.
“My father was the first to have a full line of bite-sized cookies and build a business around it,” Mr. Cason recalled.
What started out as a trend reached ubiquity in the late-1990s, when minis proliferated everywhere from c-stores to big-box retailers.
Today, the bakery serves retail outlets in 40 states.
“We also have a handful of customers who sell outside the U.S.,” Mr. Cason said.
The portion-control trend has worked in Bud’s Best’s favor, especially when snack sizes flourished in dollar stores and vending machines, where the company has found great success thanks to the product quality.
“It’s all about getting good cookies in smaller packs,” Mr. Cason said. “People can still have something that takes care of that craving, something that tastes good, but they just eat less of it.”
While the company’s best-known products are its mini vanilla wafers — the operation can crank out at as many as 1.3 million an hour in the height of production — it also creates a variety of other cookies, including sandwich cookies and a large variety of wire-cut and -rotary cookies.
“With this team, our quality has improved, our productivity has gotten better and the scrap has come down. All those good metrics are starting to happen because of this team.”
Al Cason, Bud's Best Cookies
That versatility is something that has set Bud’s Best apart from some of its bigger competitors.
“We can do a lot of different things for different customers,” Mr. Cason said, noting that some retail chains request cases with packaging as small as 6-packs up to 24-pack cases, thanks to grab-and-go trends.
“We’ve seen a lot of requests for portion-control packs, pantry packs and smaller case packs over the past few years,” he said. “You need to have a lot of packing stations to accommodate those.”
This need was just one that prompted some big changes inside this 125,000-square-foot facility. After investing more than $7 million in equipment upgrades and a line expansion, the bakery embarked on a two-year evolution that ultimately triggered the restructuring of Bud’s Best leadership.
Tools for growth
Despite his love for cookies, when Bud Cason founded the company in 1991, he was on the rebound from selling Greg’s Cookie Co. five years before, and he toyed with the idea of going in a different direction and starting a sugar wafer business instead. Although he decided to stay with cookies, his first love, he never let go of those sugar wafers.
A natural salesman, he got into the sugar wafer business through a Canadian co-manufacturer. Eventually Bud’s Best wanted more control over the production schedule during the summer — sugar wafers’ busy season — and invested in its own line from Franz Haas, a division of Bühler.
After successfully installing the line, though, the bakery realized that making sugar wafers was very different from making cookies, and it needed a baker with expertise in the art of sugar wafer production. Bud’s sent the business back to Canada temporarily and shifted its focus back to its cookie production.
To compete in high-volume cookie business, a bakery needs two things: speed and versatility. To achieve both, Bud’s invested in an Advantech wirecut line and dual-zone tunnel oven on a fourth production line dedicated to vanilla wafers, as well as four Ishida scales that feed as many Rovema high-speed baggers that support all cookie lines.
The bakery also upgraded its ingredient handling systems, which consists of two sifters, one for flour and one for sugar (along with a sugar mill to grind powdered sugar for crème), from the Fred D. Pfening Co., in addition to the two existing flour silos and a sugar silo located outside. After sifting, the flour is transported directly to the mixers, while 10,000 lbs of sugar can be held in the use bin.
After mixing, wirecutting Bud’s Best vanilla wafers is a tricky proposition because the cookie starts out more like pancake batter than cookie dough. The batter is transported from the mixer through a pipe and is pumped through a series of cups on a die roller. As it is squeezed from the cups, the wire cuts it.
The roller on the Line 4 wirecutter is larger than the other lines — 10 inch as opposed to 7 inch — and is servo-controlled, another upgrade from the older lines.
The speed of the roller and the size of the cups determines the size of the cookies, which were minis at the time of Baking & Snack’s visit.
“We can run large wafers and bite-size,” Mr. Cason said.
While some cookie manufacturers determine their product viability on a minimum of $10 million in sales per year, Bud’s has the flexibility to pick up those smaller accounts, especially now with the new baggers.
“That’s our wheelhouse,” Mr. Cason said. “We can get in there and be competitive in national accounts because with these baggers, we have the flexibility to do different case packs, multiple units or pantry packs.”
The goal of purchasing and installing a new oven and baggers was to increase output and flexibility. Bud’s Best is now able to run a mix of flavors, package sizes and case configurations simultaneously.
“What we tried to accomplish when we did this installation was to eliminate, ‘We can’t do this because of that,’” Mr. Cason explained. “We asked ourselves, ‘If we put in another oven and the baggers, can we more easily schedule whatever we need to?’ The answer was, ‘Yes.’ This will really free us to do a lot of different combinations that we weren’t able to do in the past.”
That said, the bakery learned a valuable lesson during the cookie and sugar wafer equipment installations: Automation can make life easier, but it’s only a piece of the puzzle. There are two sides to every coin, and — like in the sugar wafer room — installing state-of-the-art equipment can only take an operation so far without the right people to develop the products and run the lines.
The need for expertise
Throughout his career, Mr. Cason heard a resounding piece of advice from his father: “You’ve got to have fire in your belly.”
And over the past few years, he has learned that a bakery can invest all the money in the world into the most advanced equipment, but if the workers don’t have that fire, success remains only a desire.
Remember that sugar wafer line? It sat dormant for a few months, leaving Bud Cason to question his decision to follow that dream. But the bakery contracted Bruce Linkletter, an industry veteran with years of sugar wafer experience to help restart the line, and Mr. Linkletter introduced Rob Myers, a former colleague and up-and-comer in sugar wafer production, to the company.
“We had to shut the line down, but we had all this money tied up in it, and we wanted to see it work,” Mr. Cason said. “But you have to have somebody who knows how to run it.”
Mr. Myers was a match. And today, he is the sugar wafer director for Bud’s Best.
The thing about sugar wafers is that there are less than a handful of lines actively dedicated to their production in the United States. It’s not a complicated process, but it’s a delicate one.
“Sugar wafers are a lot less forgiving than just about every other product you can run,” Mr. Myers said. “There’s not a lot to the shells, so if you don’t get the structure just right, it won’t work the rest of the way through the line.”
They’re created with a little batter and a lot of crème, so the batter’s viscosity and temperature are critical.
“As long as the shells are good, as long as you’ve got the right viscosity in the batter, the temperature is good and you’re not over-baking, the process runs smoothly,” Mr. Myers explained. “But if you have any of those things not in line, the shells will be too fragile and really flaky, and when they go through the spreader for crème application, they’ll want to break.”
From the depositing of the batter onto the griddle plates, through the baking and then spreading the crème, Mr. Myers oversees the line on a strict process.
“There’s not a lot to it, but you have to follow the process,” he said.
A key component is in making sure the crème holds the wafers together without weighing them down, and that’s done through cooling, which runs the sheets through the cooler for about 11 minutes, which gives the crème time to set up.
“When you make the crème, you melt the shortening, so you’ve got to get those fats to recrystallize in the right form so you have hard crème when it comes out the other side,” Mr. Myers explained.
He also understands the importance of the equipment properly aligning the stacked wafer sheets as they go through the wirecutter, and it all starts at the beginning.
“If the shells aren’t square because the batter didn’t spread far enough, or if you lose some of the corners on the shells or if the middle gets chewed away, they won’t line up back-to-back, and when the pusher pushes the front row, it will grab the row behind it,” he said.
This level of expertise was a game-changer, Mr. Cason said. Before Mr. Myers, these types of issues and problems with overweights and bowed product were not uncommon, which led to putting the line on hold.
“The product wasn’t right,” Mr. Cason said. “The quality wasn’t right.”
Now, the sugar wafers are running smooth as the crème in their layers. Mr. Cason credits Mr. Myers, not only for his attention to the line but also for the ways in which he elevated morale in this area of production.
“Dad was fortunate enough to have a lot of good people in the past,” Mr. Cason said. “But that was the past. This is a new workforce, a new environment. You have to have different skillsets than the old management philosophy.”
After Mr. Myers joined Bud’s Best, the company recruited his brother, Scott Myers, to manage the first shift for the cookie business and Terry Helms as vice-president of manufacturing in addition to Joe Tampio, who has served as general manager for several years.
“Terry’s got a ton of experience with equipment and baking; that’s one of the reasons we hired him,” Mr. Cason said. “We needed somebody who could be a steady hand that we could trust, someone who knew equipment and knew manufacturing and who could bring the culture back.”
The hire was no coincidence; the Myers brothers and Mr. Helms previously worked together for Lance at the Charlotte, N.C., plant, and they brought a culture of camaraderie to Birmingham.
“The big focus has been on trying to build a team and get morale back,” Mr. Cason said.
“The equipment is great, but it takes a certain kind of person to make sure the doughs are right, to make sure the productivity is right, scrap is down and the labor is where it should be,” he added. “Now, my father and I can go out and sell — and deliver — a quality product on time, every day. You need a certain level of expertise to do that, and we have that now.”
Looking toward the future
It’s true that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Projects rarely have the ending they were expected to, but in many cases, serendipity prevails.
Through pauses, setbacks and a number of changes, Bud’s Best Cookies’ installations set the bakery on a course toward future growth, thanks to the team it was able to build along the way.
“Al will lead this company into the next phase,” Ms. Helton said. “And I plan to be there behind him, helping with that charge. We learned a lot through these installations — not so much the mechanical knowledge or how to work the equipment — but in how to be involved. It helped prepare us for the future.”
Putting new leadership in place now will also help the company navigate the workforce gap currently happening in the baking industry.
“It’s hard to find younger people who are in — or even interested in — the baking business,” Mr. Cason said. “There are a lot of people out there, but they don’t have a lot of experience. To find people who are real bakers and know this industry is tough.”
He sees the team as truly a gift for present production and the long-term future.
“It’s been a real win,” he said. “With this team, our quality has improved, our productivity has gotten better and the scrap has come down. All those good metrics are starting to happen because of this team.”
Bud Cason spoke of having the fire in the belly, that passion. And though the past couple years brought its ups and downs, Bud’s Best is on a path to success.
“We’ve got the horsepower with the extra equipment — the new baggers, scales, oven, wirecutter and the sugar wafer line — and a staff who can take care of what Dad and I are out there selling,” Mr. Cason said.
The fire is ablaze for the whole team.
“Whether it’s people, equipment or the changing market, we are now on different footing,” Mr. Cason said. “We’ve got the equipment in and the best staff we’ve ever had. We’ve weathered some storms, and we got through them. We now have a group of people who will propel Bud’s Best like never before. I believe that.”
And that’s what cookies are made of.
This article is an excerpt from the July 2019 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Bud's Best Cookies, click here.


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In case you haven’t seen this video that’s been floating around the Internet, it’s a stark reminder that a fast lube facility can be hazardous. This video is a reminder why it’s important NOT to stand in front of a vehicle that is being driven into the shop.
- Women In Auto Care Announces 2017 Women Of The Year Award Winners ow.ly/hvXb30g45yC https://t.co/QI1tJhl0rx 14 hours ago
- Tech Spec: 2017 Cadillac Escalade — new features include rear camera mirror, auto park assist and aesthetic updates… twitter.com/i/web/status/9… 17 hours ago
- Federated Auto Parts is on track to collect the most donations and toys ever for Toys for Tots.… twitter.com/i/web/status/9… 2 days ago


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Uber Uses Secret ‘Greyball’ Tool to Deceive Authorities Worldwide
According to a new report from the New York Times, Uber has been using a secret tool called ‘Greyball’ to deceive authorities worldwide.
The report notes that the tool is used in markets where the ride-sharing service is rendered illegal by law enforcement. The tool takes advantage of data from the Uber app itself, among other techniques, to identify and circumvent local officials.
The tool was used in multiple U.S. cities, including Boston and Las Vegas, as well as major cities around the world. The report notes that the Greyball program was approved by the companies legal team. Usage continues today, seen by Uber as a way to stop consumers from using its service improperly.
Such an operation is called a violation of terms of service, where the purpose of this ranges from addressing competitors planning to throw a curve along Uber’s business or law enforcement looking to catch those violating taxi regulations.
The company began using the tool as early as 2014 and it is being used primarily in countries outside the United States. It began as a way to resume or commence operations in locations where services such as Uber’s aren’t allowed.
The tool would appoint a manager in charge of Greyball who could gird a geofence around the locations of regulators. The manager would be on the lookout for users who open and close the app repeatedly.
The news comes at a time where Uber is being covered heavily by the media for its workplace culture. The most prominent is a sexual harassment claim that was made public by former Uber engineer Susan J. Fowler, whose lengthy blog post revealed a dysfunctional HR department who ignored and downplayed repeated instances of sexual harassment.
The company is also dealing with legal troubles as it is being sued by Google over design theft allegations.


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Food and Staples Retailing
Company Overview of Sobeys Inc.
Sobeys Inc. engages in the food retailing business. It operates through five operating segments: Sobeys West, Sobeys Ontario, Sobeys Quebec, Sobeys Atlantic, and Lawtons. The company operates full service, fresh service, community services, price service, convenience service, and other format stores that provide groceries, fuel and convenience goods, healthcare and beauty products, health foods, and fresh foods. As of August 2, 2014, it owned or franchised approximately 1,500 stores in 10 provinces under the retail banners, such as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs; and approximately 350 retail fuel locations. The company was founded in 1...
115 King Street
Stellarton, NS B0K 1S0
Founded in 1907
Key Executives for Sobeys Inc.
Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Empire Company Limited
Chief Financial & Administrative Officer
President of Multi-Format Operations
President of IGA Operations Business Unit
President of Operations - Safeway
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2014.
Sobeys Inc. Key Developments
Sobeys Unveils New Canadian Chuck Burger
May 12 15
Sobeys Inc. has introduced the new Canadian Chuck Burger along with an assortment of other fresh burgers reportedly made for grilling. In addition to the Canadian Chuck Burger, Sobeys' new line of fresh burgers available exclusively for Sobeys banner stores includes: a Certified Humane Canadian Chuck Burger, made from beef raised humanely without added antibiotics or hormones; the Canadian Turkey Burger, made from 100% Canadian turkey and the Canadian Pork Burger, made from 100% Canadian pork. Sobeys' 100% AAA Canadian Burgers are also available in fresh new flavours such as jalepeno and cheddar cheese; bacon and cheddar cheese; poutine gravy and cheese curds; or rimmed with steak and onion spice.
Sobeys Inc. Reports Earnings Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended January 31, 2015
Apr 15 15
Sobeys Inc. reported earnings results for the third quarter and nine months ended January 31, 2015. For the quarter, the company reported net earnings attributable to owners of the parent were CAD 97.2 million, compared to CAD 6.0 million for the same quarter ended February 1, 2014.
For nine months, net earnings attributable to owners of the parent were CAD 313.5 million, compared to CAD 147.1 million for the same period ended February 1, 2014.
Sobeys Announces Unaudited Earnings Results for the 13 Weeks and 39 Weeks Ended January 31, 2015
Mar 12 15
Sobeys announced unaudited earnings results for the 13 weeks and 39 weeks ended January 31, 2015. For the 13 weeks, the company reported sales of CAD 5,940.5 million compared to CAD 6,004.4 million a year ago. EBITDA was CAD 284.3 million compared to CAD 182.3 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD 271.9 million compared to CAD 270.1 million a year ago. Operating income was CAD 165.8 million compared to CAD 58.8 million a year ago. Adjusted net earnings were CAD 92.2 million compared to CAD 80.7 million a year ago. Net earnings were CAD 95.5 million compared to CAD 3.9 million a year ago. The decline in sales, as expected, was primarily a result of retail store divestitures, store closures associated with the network rationalization and the decline in oil prices impacting fuel sales in the food retailing segment. The increase in EBITDA was primarily the result of reduced transaction costs associated with the Canada Safeway acquisition of CAD 0.8 million, the one-time inventory adjustment of CAD 17.1 million in the prior year and synergies realized of CAD 39.2 million related to the Canada Safeway acquisition. Cash flow from operating activities was CAD 343.7 million compared to CAD 167.4 million a year ago. Property, equipment and investment property purchases were CAD 171.3 million compared to CAD 165.3 million a year ago.
For the 39 weeks, the company reported sales of CAD 18,158.3 million compared to CAD 15,016.1 million a year ago. EBITDA was CAD 915.0 million compared to CAD 587.6 million a year ago. Adjusted EBITDA was CAD 912.5 million compared to CAD 702.3 million a year ago. Operating income was CAD 553.6 million compared to CAD 285.6 million a year ago. Adjusted net earnings were CAD 326.0 million compared to CAD 241.1 million a year ago. Net earnings were CAD 309.4 million compared to CAD 139.4 million a year ago.
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Oneplus 9R Software Update:
OnePlus has begun the incremental rollout of the OxygenOS 220.127.116.11 update for the Oneplus 9R along with the January 2022 Security Patch and improvements in the system stability, the device is currently running Android 11. But coming to Android 12, the device has not been enrolled into an open beta program yet & Its sibling Oneplus 9 & Oneplus 9 Pro is still getting Hotfixes related to Android 12.
OnePlus 9R was released on 14th April, 2021 with Android 11 out of the box .
The device was last seen running on OxygenOS 18.104.22.168 with November 2021 Security Patch and had skipped the December 2021 Security Patch & there are still no signs of [Android 12/OxygenOS 12] which is kind of disappointing for Semi-Flagship Device of brand like OnePlus which is known for Software Updates.
Previous update: Oneplus 9R: OxygenOS 22.214.171.124 with November 2021 Security Patch
- Device: OnePlus 9R
- UI: OxygenOS 11
- Build version: OxygenOS 126.96.36.199
- Android version: Android 11
- Build: 188.8.131.52.LE28DA
- Update type: Software update/Security update
- Android Security Patch: January 2022
Source: Oneplus Community
- Improved system stability
- Updated Android security patch to 2022-01
Release date ->> update rolled on 28th January 2022
How long did OnePlus take for updates?
The OnePlus 9R has been released with an Android 11 out-of-the-box. So, the upcoming Android 12 update will be its first major OS update.
|Android OS||Update||Release Date/Status|
|Android 11||Out-of-the-box||April 2021|
|Android 12||First OS update||Expected 2022|
|Android 13||Second OS update||Unconfirmed|
|Android 14||Third OS update||Unconfirmed|
Check here >>> OnePlus Android 12 update list
How long will it get updates?
It is also Eligible to be on the Android 12 update list as well. And it may probably be getting the Unified Operating System in 2022 which OnePlus had showcased with the likes of Oppo.
The OnePlus 9R will get three years of major Android upgrades and four years of security patches reportedly.
- Out-of-the-box: Android 11
- First Update: Android 12 [Next in line after OP9]
- Second Update: Android 13 [eligible]
- Third Update: Android 14 [eligible][last major update]
How to update OnePlus 9R with the latest update?
The OnePlus 9R Software Update is currently rolling out to Indian users. Your device should receive the update soon.
Hence, once it’s available on your device, you can head over to Settings >> About Phone >> Software Update section to update your OnePlus device with the update.
More on OnePlus
OnePlus 10R Software Update: OnePlus has started the incremental rollout of the June 2022 security…
OnePlus 9 Pro Software Update: OnePlus has begun the incremental rollout of the June 2022…
OnePlus 9 Software Update: OnePlus has begun the incremental rollout of the June 2022 Security…
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite Software Update: OnePlus has started the incremental update of the…
Oneplus 9RT Software Update: OnePlus has begun the incremental rollout of the OxygenOS 11 with an…
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Software Update: Breaking News: Oneplus has started rolling out the OxygenOS…
For more Oneplus Android updates please download our Android App – Available on the Play Store


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Some 32% of all chip card-present transactions conducted globally between January and December 2014 used the EMV chip card standard, EMVCo has revealed, with adoption of EMV payment cards increasing in every region worldwide to total 3.4bn by the end of last year.
EMVCo’s Europe Zone 1 region, broadly Western Europe, maintained the highest percentage of EMV chip transactions, which accounted for nearly 97% of card-present payments. Over 85% of card-present transactions were EMV chip-enabled in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean, while in Africa and the Middle East, the figure was 80%.
EMV chip technology continued to gain ground in Europe Zone 2 (broadly the CIS states) and Asia, where EMV chip transactions accounted for 58% and 27% of card-present payments respectively. In contrast, in the US just 0.12% of transactions were EMV chip-based, up from 0.03% in November.
“With an additional one billion EMV chip cards issued in 2014 and cumulative transaction volumes climbing in every region last year, it is clear from the data released today that the global rollout of EMV chip technology is progressing at a healthy pace,” says Tac Watanabe, executive committee chair at EMVCo.
In Europe Zone 1, the EMV chip card adoption rate reached 83.5%, up from 81.6% in 2013. In Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean the adoption rate hit 59.5%, up from 54.2% in 2013, and in Africa and the Middle East adoption hit 50.5%, up from 38.9% in 2013.
“From a regional perspective, the highest volumes of EMV transactions are occurring in regions with a significant base of deployed EMV cards and established acceptance infrastructures,” adds Sean Conroy, chair of the EMVCo board of managers.
“We are, however, pleased to note a significant acceleration of card issuance in the US throughout the course of last year. We are aware that the US merchant and acquiring communities are actively enabling their acceptance environments and platforms to support EMV transactions and anticipate further advances will be made in this market throughout 2015.”
The data includes both contact and contactless transactions and represents the latest statistics from American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay, and Visa.


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SEOUL — South Korea said on Friday it has proposed more talks with Japan on Japanese restrictions on exports of certain high-tech materials by July 24.
The proposal was made at the first working-level talks between the two countries after Japan last week announced tighter controls on exports to South Korea of the materials used to make smartphone displays and chips.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Japan did not say whether it would accept the request for more talks, made at a meeting in Tokyo, Lee Ho-hyeon, a director at South Korea’s trade ministry, told a briefing in Seoul. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin and Jane Chung Editing by Robert Birsel)


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TJX Hacker Paid $75K As Secret Service Informant
Gonzalez, 28, was convicted last year of stealing more than 170 million credit and debit card numbers in a spate of high-profile cyber attacks, including retail giant TJX, credit card processor Heartland Payment Systems, Hannaford Brothers grocery chain, Office Max, and 7-11 after he pleaded guilty to numerous counts of identity theft, wire fraud, computer fraud and conspiracy.
Convicted hacker and Gonzalez's friend Stephen Watt told news sources that Gonzalez reported the actions of other cyber thieves in exchange for cash payments from the Secret Service, according to CNN. Watt pleaded guilty in 2009 for working as an accomplice to Gonzalez's multi-million card-hacking business by creating a sniffer program used to access at least 45 million credit and debit card numbers from TJX's corporate network in what has been known as one of the largest hacking schemes in history.
According to a plea agreement, Gonzalez is slated to be sentenced Thursday and Friday in U.S. District Court on three separate indictments in Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, and is expected to receive between 17 and 25 years in prison.
CNN reports that the Miami hacker's annual $75,000 pay-out for working as an undercover informant was high, but not outrageous if he was working full time and delivering expected results. Mark Rasch, former federal prosecutor, said, "It's a significant amount of money to pay an informant but it's not an outrageous amount to pay if the guy was working full time and delivering good results. It's probably the only thing he was doing " other than hacking into TJX and making millions of dollars."
According to court documents, prosecutors pushed for the longest possible sentence of 25 years, arguing that it was Gonzalez who masterminded the TJX breach that cost credit card companies, retailers and customers more than $200 million, and exposed 45 million customer credit and debit card accounts.
Until his arrest in September, Gonzalez had reportedly lived a lavish lifestyle, throwing himself a $75,000 birthday party and loudly complaining that he once had to count $340,000 in $20 bills by hand, according a New York Times report. The prosecution argued in court documents that Gonzalez' crimes were a calculated attempt to steal tens of millions of dollars, pointing out that an investigation turned up $1.1 million buried in his parents backyard and while Gonzalez was also considering buying a yacht in Internet chats.
"Gonzalez was at the center of the largest and most costly series of identity thefts in the nation's history," the prosecution wrote. "He knowingly victimized a group of people whose population exceeded that of many major cities and some states—certainly millions upon millions, perhaps tens of millions."
Gonzalez' attorney, Mark Weinberg, thought his client should receive the minimum sentence of 15 to 17 years, arguing that a psychological report indicated that Gonzalez demonstrated behavior linked to Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.
According to court documents, Weinberg also said that Gonzalez was also a negligible figure in the Heartland breach, and limited his crimes to data theft, as opposed to impersonating a real person to ruin someone's credit, or invading networks to crash systems.


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We spoke to Christopher Davies, International Director of Corporate Responsibility and Campaigns at The Body Shop International and Chris Gale, European Social Mission Strategy and Policy Manager, Ben & Jerry’s, two companies with a long history of social activism, to learn how business can leverage their capabilities and influence to mobilise supporters towards action in support of social change.
Companies have a long history of putting their weight behind contentious social issues. Quakers from the business community played an important part in the campaign to abolish the slave trade and slavery in Britain. This is considered the first social change movement where business was a primary actor, challenging social norms and the way that business was done.
Over the last couple of years we have seen a number of companies voicing support for same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination legislation and refugees. In the UK the clothing company Jigsaw launched a high profile ad campaign that celebrates immigration and challenges the negative and divisive anti-migrant narrative that has prevailed in the UK.
Companies are responding to the polarisation of society, particularly in the US and Europe, but increasing business involvement in social change also reflects the changing nature of corporate leadership. That is a growing awareness, by companies, of the need to positively shape and influence the world that they operate in, not just through products and services, but by leveraging unique competencies to help support progressive policy, influence decision-making, shape social norms and challenge the most unjust aspects of society. The latest Weber Shandwick research on CEO Activism finds that more than half of millenials say business leaders have a greater responsibility today to take a stance on thorny issues then they used to.


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SINGAPORE (Reuters) — Tokopedia, Indonesia’s largest e-commerce platform, said it was investigating an attempted hack and claims that the details of millions of its users had been leaked online.
“We found that there had been an attempt to steal data from Tokopedia users,” a spokesman for the company said in a statement late Saturday.
“However, Tokopedia ensures that crucial information such as passwords remains successfully protected behind encryption.”
“At this moment, we continue to investigate further into this matter and there is no additional information that we can share,” the statement added.
Data breach monitoring firm Under the Breach published


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Dunkin' Donuts, the world¹s largest coffee and baked goods chain, has announced plans to become the first national brand to sell espresso
beverages made exclusively with Fair Trade coffee. Beans for all Dunkin Donuts espresso beverages, including cappuccino and latte, will be
certified through TransFair USA, which is the only independent certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. The Fair Trade model guarantees
farmers a price of .26 per pound for coffee, enabling them to make a sustainable living. Dunkin' Donuts espresso line of beverages will be introduced in stores beginning in September. Fair Trade espresso coffee is expected to represent approximately two percent of total Dunkin' Donuts coffee bean purchases. The release of this news comes shortly before World Fair Trade Day, an international day of education and rallies to promote fair trade for farmers everywhere. Unfortunately Dunkin¹ Donuts, like Starbucks is still serving up coffee beverages tainted with Monsanto's recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, banned in every industrialized country except for the US.
GET INVOLVED: http://www.organicconsumers.org/starbucks/


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It won’t be long now until fans are familiarized with every character, stage, mode and collectible featured within the new Super Smash Bros. games for the Wii U and 3DS. Despite the handheld iteration arriving in just a few short months, there’s still an ample amount of content that hasn’t been revealed.
Case-in-point: Today a new stage based on Star Fox was revealed for the Wii U version of the highly anticipated fighting game.
Taking inspiration from past installments, Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai hinted via MiiVerse that the beloved Great Fox battleground that’s been featured or revamped in every entry of the series so far will once again be returning. While Sakurai didn’t showcase any fighters doing battle atop of the ship, he did allude to the fact that players will be doing just that when the game launches later this year.
As the post suggests, this will be a new take on the Sector Z and Corneria stages that many longtime players hold dear to their hearts. The overall look of the battlefield, however, is significantly different and sleeker than either of the aforementioned maps. This is because the new stage is based on Star Fox: Assault which originally debuted on the Nintendo GameCube in 2005.
Since this was the last console Star Fox title released up to this point in time, it makes sense that Sakurai would want to make reference to the game. An even funnier coincidence is that, like Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, Namco (now Bandai Namco) actually helped Nintendo by developing Assault for the company, so a reference to the game via an official stage is all too fitting.
It’s also possible that the new stage could hint at a new Star Fox character joining the fray alongside Fox McCloud — although we fully expect Falco and Wolf to make a return. The fact that the series is ramping up to debut on the Wii U certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of a newcomer either, but only time will tell what Nintendo has in store for Smash fans.
Are you excited to scrap aboard the Great Fox once more?
Follow Riley on Twitter @TheRileyLittle.
Source: Masahiro Sakurai — MiiVerse


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PREVIOUS ARTICLENEXT ARTICLE NEWS
Enjoying 3D content safely on your 3D TVBy Hanleigh Daniels 31 January 2011 | Categories: news
According to Samsung three-dimensional television (3D TV) unit sales are expected to reach eight million around the globe during 2011. Going along with the growing excitement over 3D, has been the concern surrounding the potential health risks of using the 3D functionality, especially when it comes to the development of children’s eyes.
“An age old saying states; too much of a good thing could be a bad thing! Prolonged periods of 3D TV viewing is much the same as that of traditional TV, in that strain and deterioration on children’s eye-sight during prolonged periods of TV viewership is a well debated and understood scenario globally,” said Corrie Labuschagne, product and marketing manager for TVs at Samsung Electronics South Africa.
According to Labuschagne parents must continuously check that sufficient rest periods are taken.
Samsung Electronics has deemed it crucial for consumers to be well informed on the potential issues as well as to provide practical guidelines for them. These guidelines are available in the way of the Samsung 3D TV Owner’s Manual, which has been designed to educate consumers around these potential concerns.
“While the content or ‘warnings’ issued in the Owner’s Manual are not intended to incite fear or panic in consumers or to shy them away from enjoying the undeniably realistic and immersive experience of 3D technology, we want to empower consumers to have their health and that of their family’s top of mind when adopting 3D into their lifestyle,” Labuschagne stated.
“Additionally, Samsung is in the process of developing prescription 3D glasses that will make the 3D viewing experience available to those with impaired eye-sight, thereby enabling more people to enjoy the viewing experience with no risk of further deterioration of their eye-sight. We are certainly committed to keeping consumers updated on all facets and new developments to 3D TV and 2011 is just the beginning.”
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Have Your Say
What new tech or developments are you most anticipating this year?
New smartphone announcements (20 votes)Technological breakthroughs (17 votes)Launch of new consoles, or notebooks (10 votes)Innovative Artificial Intelligence solutions (12 votes)Biotechnology or medical advancements (18 votes)Better business applications (86 votes)


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National Caravan Council (NCC) Director General, John Lally, previews the Motorhome & Caravan Show, which returns to Birmingham’s NEC this week, at a time when the use of leisure vehicles in the UK is on the up. There will even be a world record attempt on opening day…
Excitement is building as the finishing touches are put to the Motorhome & Caravan Show, filling 11 huge halls at the NEC in Birmingham – all the signs are that we will have another highly successful event.
The show is the place where new 2016 models from leading UK and European manufacturers are unveiled to the public to browse – and buy. It’s the national showcase for our industry and is the third largest consumer show at the NEC in terms of footfall – nearly 100,000 visitors came in 2014. It provides not just a valuable sales platform but also a showcase for all that’s new for the year ahead.
The event at the NEC this week is the centre-piece exhibition for the industry. Supported by The Caravan Club and The Camping and Caravanning Club, it features every type of leisure vehicle, including caravans, motorhomes, campervans, trailer tents and folding caravans, luxury lodges and caravan holiday homes. On opening day, we will reveal a world first – a life-size model caravan made from LEGO® bricks, hopefully setting a new Guinness World Record.
People I speak to outside our sector are often surprised about the size and scale of the caravan industry in the UK. It contributes more than £6bn per annum and employs around 130,000 people. It also remains a British manufacturing success story; over 95% of touring and holiday caravans in the UK are made here and around 60% of motorhomes.
Some 50 million nights are spent in caravans annually and, due to advances in technology and the way modern caravans are constructed, year round caravan use is now possible, providing valuable support for the domestic tourism industry in the low season.
The economic recession hit our industry hard but I am proud of the way in which our members have responded and the mood now is one of optimism. Businesses are growing, order books are looking extremely healthy and through this we are seeing a new, and younger, demographic staycationing.
I am delighted that the Government is committed to growing tourism and to spreading the benefits right across the UK. The caravan industry has a crucial part to play in that and the industry has come together to promote the leisure vehicle lifestyle through its www.freedomtogo.co.uk campaign.
This encourages people to ‘get out there’ and explore our amazing country in a leisure vehicle. For my mind, this is one of the best ways to get into the great outdoors and experience what our great nation has to offer.
John Lally is Director General of the NCC.
The NCC is the trade body for the UK caravan industry, encompassing touring caravans, motorhomes, caravan holiday homes and park homes. www.thencc.org.uk


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A second-hand deader in France is facing a lawsuit for allegedly deceiving a couple by selling an African mask at almost a 2,800,000 per cent markup.
An unnamed pensioner couple, who live in Eure-et-Loir, southwest of Paris, sold the rare mask to the dealer at €150 (£130) who further sold it at €4.2m (£3.7m).
As the case brought by the French couple opened on Tuesday, the dealer appeared in court.
But the Gabon government and campaigners have said that the rare artefact should instead be returned to its country of origin.
The rare 19th-Century “Ngi” mask which was made by the Fang people of Gabon was lying in dust in the attic of the couple’s holiday home in Gard, southern France. The couple had called the dealer as they had decided to sell their home.
The wooden mask was found in a cupboard in the house that belonged to the man’s grandfather, René-Victor Fournier, who had been a colonial administrator in Africa in the early 20th Century.
The dealer bought several items from the couple, including the wooden mask.
It was six months later that the couple while reading a newspaper found out that the mask had been in action in Montpellier and that it was an artefact even rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting.
The couple said they had “almost fallen off their chairs” when they recognised the photo and the auction catalogue said it was collected around 1917, in unknown circumstances by Fournier.
The discovery prompted excitement among art dealers and media, with one expert telling a French TV that only 10 such items were made by Fang masters.
“This type of mask is even rarer than a Leonardo da Vinci painting – we know of 22 paintings by the great master, but we only know of 10 to 12 masks created by the different Fang masters in Gabon,” the expert said.
At an auction in March 2022, the mask was bought for £3.7m by an unnamed person bidding by phone after being initially valued at £2.6m.
The couple later filed a civil suit against the dealer for giving them an unfair price and demanded the sale be annulled.
During the hearing in an Ales court, the lawyers for the couple contended that the couple should receive the profits from action fairly after they unknowingly sold it at £130.
“One has to be in good faith and honest; my clients would never have given up this mask at that price if they knew it was an extremely rare object,” their lawyer, Frédéric Mansat Jaffré, said this month to French outlets.
Representatives of the Gabon government however said that the mask was stolen in the first place and should be returned.
Solange Bizeau of the Collectif Gabon Occitanie said: “That mask was stolen at the time of colonisation … All these works of art – and so many that we see in museums – were taken, and the people who made them were told they were the devil’s work and they should instead believe in the Bible. And from that point on, these artefacts have appeared in Europe, enriching people who have made money from them for decades.”
“This mask has a soul, it was used to establish justice in our villages. The discussion in court has been about morality, but what about the morality of the spoliation of works of art and our dignity? Where is the morality in that?”
A decision by the court is expected in December.


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The latest scam could cost thousands of UK mobile phone owners a small fortune
Smartphone users need to be on the lookout for a new scam that charges them for unsolicited text messages advertising video games, glamour videos and pornography.
The premium-rate texts cost a staggering £4.50 to receive.
Thousands of users were unaware of the charges when they received the texts, and were unaware how to stop the messages being sent to their phones.
Regulator PhonePayPlus has received over 7,400 complaints from firms sending unsolicited texts, according to MailOnline.
A spokesperson for PhonePayPlus then told Express.co.uk, “PhonePayPlus’ Code of Practice states consumers must not be contacted or charged for premium rate services without their consent and that providers of services must be able to provide evidence which establishes consent.
“When breaches of our rules are found, either through consumers’ information or the work of our research and monitoring team we take action – in 2015/16 we fined 17 companies and since April 2014 have collected over £2million in fines.
Customers who receive the spam message should text back the word STOP
"Where sanctions are not complied with, we have a variety of other powers including banning individuals and companies from operating in the market.
“In this period we have banned over 25 individuals and companies from operating in the premium rate industry.”
“Consumers who feel they wish to complain about a premium rate service should first contact the service provider,” the spokesperson for PhonePayPlus added.
“If this does not resolve the matter, they can contact PhonePayPlus via our website: www.phonepayplus.org.uk or on 0300 30 300 20 and we will look into the matter.”
Whatsapp scam sinks its claws in
UK mobile carriers – including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three – have now urged customers to check their monthly bills on a regular basis and immediately report any unknown charges.
A spokesperson for Which? said: "Customers should reply to the message with ‘stop’, then complain to the company and then to their mobile provider as they may be eligible for a refund.
"Keep the message for evidence."
Always keep a copy of the scam text message, so that you can use it as evidence
This latest scam comes as smartphone users have been left with massive bills to pay after receiving a short call from an 0845 or 0843 number which they don't answer.
However, when their bill arrives it shows an expensive call to the number has been made by the customer's phone.
The fraudsters appear to have mainly hit Vodafone customers with the average fake calls lasting between three and 12 hours.


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About 348,000 results
www.findata.co.nz/Markets/StockQuote/NYSE/WH.htmDetailed Share Price, Charts and News for WSP HOLDINGS LIMITED [NYSE,WH
]. Share Market Tools for Successful Investing. Global Share Market database
including US, Canada, London, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and New
https://www.crunchbase.com/ipo/wsp-holdings-limited-ipo--93ecfebcDetails. Stock Performance. NYSE:WH. Stock Symbol. WH. Stock Exchange.
NYSE. IPO Date. Dec 6, 2007. Amount Raised. $212M. Share Price at IPO. $8.50.
Shares Sold at IPO. 25,000,000. Shares Outstanding at IPO. 49,000,000 ...
https://seekingalpha.com/.../778771-wsp-holdings-limited-bursting-at-the- seams-and-set-to-explodeAug 3, 2012 ... The $3.00 tender offer made by HDS Investments LLC on November 11, 2011 to
take WSP Holdings (NYSE:WH) private has been largely forgotten. Minimal
trading volume over the past year suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of
the company, its shift in international focus, and the current arbitrage ...
https://www.lawinsider.com/company/1418225/wsp-holdingsView 48 Wsp Holdings (NYSE:WH) contracts and agreements from SEC filings.
Including company executives, business partners, clauses and more.
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/aaAlcoa's stock jumps 4.9% after reports WH recommends quotas and tariffs on
aluminum imports. Alcoa's stock jumps 4.9% after reports WH recommends
quotas and tariffs on aluminum imports. Feb. 16, 2018 at 12:05 p.m. ET; by Tomi
Kilgore. undefined. Sponsored ...
shacmotors.blogspot.com/2013/10/wsp-holdings-ltd-wh.html2013年10月7日 ... Mr. Yi Zhang is Vice General Manager - Technology of WSP Holdings Limited.
He is responsible for technology development and quality control. Mr. Zhang
served as a director until June 30, 2007 and is currently a director of WSP China.
Prior to joining the Company in January 2004, Mr. Zhang served as ...
finance.google.com/finance/company_news?q=OTCMKTS...ei...Companies whose trading is suspended by securities exchanges, for example
Keyuan Petrochemicals, Inc. (NasdaqGS: KEYP), Duoyuan Global Water Inc. (
NYSE: DGW), Universal Travel Group (NYSE:UTA), WSP Holdings Ltd (NYSE:
WH) and FirstEnergy Corp. NJ Accounting Firm Hit With Suit Over Keyuan Stock
https://www.law360.com/companies/wsp-holdings-ltdThe latest litigation news, cases and dockets involving the company WSP
Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:WH)
https://www.benzinga.com/news/13/09/3937721/morning-market-losersSep 24, 2013 ... Gordmans Stores (NASDAQ: GMAN) dropped 22.75% to $10.83. Gordmans
shares have dropped 21.15% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index
has gained 18.05% in the same period. WSP Holdings (NYSE: WH) plummeted
12.21% to $2.30. WSP Holdings' trailing-twelve-month ROE is ...


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UK owners of Windows Phone 7 devices may not receive the much-anticipated NoDo update, which contains the ability to copy and paste text, until some time during April or even May, after Microsoft published a timetable outlining the release schedule.
The timetable shows that UK customers on any of the major networks are unlikely to receive the update in March owing to vital testing and scheduling by Microsoft and the operators.
Vodafone, Orange, O2 and Three are all listed as "scheduling for the update", which means that, while they have tested the upgrade, Microsoft still has to prepare it for delivery, a process that "typically lasts 10 days or fewer".
The wait could be even longer for T-Mobile customers, as the new update and the first update issued in February to prepare devices for the NoDo release are still in testing mode.
However, even when the update has undergone testing and scheduling, it could take "several weeks" before customers receive notice that the update is available, as Microsoft's practice is to deliver in batches.
Eric Hautala, general manager for customer experience engineering at Microsoft, explained in a blog post that rolling out in batches reduces the risk of update problems, and that unlocked devices should start receiving the update this week.
"We intentionally deliver updates in batches, ramping up gradually to help ensure the process is as problem-free as possible. And so far, the copy and paste update is proceeding smoothly," he said.
"This week we're sending out the new update only to 'open market' Windows phones around the world. If you own one of these phones, you probably already know it: these are unbranded devices that aren't customised for a specific mobile operator."
Molybdenum ditelluride is a two-dimensional material that can be easily stacked into multiple layers to create a memory cell
New light-guiding nanoscale device can control and monitor a nanoparticle trapped in a laser beam with high sensitivity
Optical traps are scientific instruments in which a focused laser beam is used to exert an attractive or repulsive force on a microscopic object to hold it in place
Scientists estimate that the exoplanet has already lost up to 35 per cent of its mass over its lifetime
The observations were made using the Atacama Array in the Chilean desert


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The scorching UK summer has enabled Pitchup.com to claim to have overtaken its nearest rival Hoseasons as the most-used outdoor accommodation website.
Figures from independent analysis site Similarweb.com reveal that Pitchup attracted more than two million monthly visits and 1.1 million unique visitors for the first time, beating Hoseasons by 4.7% in unique visitors.
A combination of the summer heatwave, uncertainty over Brexit and the fluctuating pound has led British holidaymakers to take domestic breaks in record numbers this year.
The site recorded a 39% increase year-on-year in bookings between May and July, primarily driven by mobile-generated business.
The summer performance comes on the back of it being named one of the Financial Times’ 1,000 fastest growing companies in Europe in April 2018.
Founder Dan Yates said: “When we launched back in 2009, the holiday park market was long dominated by the likes of Hoseasons.
“We had the aim to be the go-to site for outdoor accommodation and I’m delighted the trust we’ve built with consumers and site owners over the years has now seen us reach number one during the ever-important summer months.”
He added: “On-the-go bookings have been increasing consistently the last few years, but with this year’s warm weather, we’ve seen them rapidly rise.
“Smartphones accounted for 44% of our bookings during the key summer period of May through July, up 71% on the same time last year. Nothing helps promote an outdoor adventure quite like a lovely, sunny day.
“Summer is always our busy season. But this year has seen the ‘perfect storm’: great weather, excellent work by our team in attracting new easy-to-reach and eye-catching accommodation options, and improvements by our developers to make it even easier for users to find what they’re looking for, whether campsites welcoming dogs or remote cabins where you can get away from it all.
“New tools for the mobile site, such as an enhanced map-based search, are generating positive feedback from users and – more importantly for our partner campsites and holiday parks – improved conversion rates, particularly for last-minute availability as holidaymakers become more spontaneous during the sustained good weather.”


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Photography has morphed, evolved, and unlocked a new potential for future generations since digital technology has transformed the market. Now everyone has the ability to express themselves in ways that used to be only limited to professional photographers who had both the time and resources to develop their images. The break-neck speed of digital photography innovation is not going to let up anytime soon, here are some of the big waves that we’ll be watching in 2017.
Camera Encryption Tech
The digital information age has boomed and plateaued to the point where technology has far exceeded the expectations of just how much data can be gathered, stored, and retrieved. Journalists, activists, and reporters that use digital photography to tell their stories are demanding more security and privacy from their devices and apps, so the industry will be working to answer the call in 2017. The best way to protect one’s data is to have it built into the very devices that they use, i.e. digital cameras.
Next-gen DSLR and Sensors
The time has arrived, where technology is beginning to surpass our own human capabilities. The human eye is the most complex organ in the body, after the brain, of course. The next generation of imaging sensors, however, look to surpass the sensitivity levels of human eyesight. This is working within the visible light spectrum, as we already have surpassed our eye’s other shortcomings in other spectrum.
When the research into this new ultra-sensitive image sensor proves a success on an industrial scale, you can safely bet that it will quickly make its way into practical camera solutions.
While artificial intelligence is usually only associated with robots and video games, AI tech is very useful for digital photography. Apps will become more powerful in 2017, thanks to advances in efficient and effective artificial intelligence. You can expect more emphasis on accurate facial recognition across all platforms, from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and cloud photo album services.
This is one category of digital technology that will never go cold in the upcoming years. Every camera and phone manufacturer is racing to implement more consumer accessible VR tech. This includes bringing 360 degree capturing to more smartphones, allowing consumers to make their own VR pictures and videos. Virtual reality snapshots will allow amateurs to tell bigger, better, and more personalized stories. This demand for more virtual reality content will rise sharply over the upcoming years.
On a similar note of the proliferation of 360 degree cameras, there will also be a push to make “macro lens” capabilities more accessible by virtue of a new lens that Canon Japan has developed. What this essentially means is that users will be able to take wide-angle shots without the use of special equipment, while maintaining the same level of control and convenience that a normal lens provides.
We can’t wait to see what else is in store for digital photography in 2017. Electronics have come a long way over the years, but as you can see, the R&D doesn’t appear to be slowing down.


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There’s been a lot of speculation about which grocery store will come to Overton Square. One of the concerns last time when the project tanked was that the grocery store was going to be low-end.
While Bob Loeb couldn’t reveal the name at Tuesday’s forum, he did insinuate that it was upscale.
“I don’t think there’s been a grocery sale at a higher land cost than this one would be at in order to make the numbers work,” he said. “You can’t build a mid-grade grocery store on premium-grade land, the economics don’t work.”
Since the project’s overall idea is to keep the area pedestrian and neighborhood friendly, a proposed traffic light at Madison and Florence Street will help slow down traffic. And the current street curve at Madison and Cooper Street will be taken out and made into a more symmetrical, four-way intersection, connecting as much streetscape as possible.
There’s even talk about creating bicycle racks and other gathering spots.
That being said, let’s take a look at some websites of potential high-end grocers.
On the “Neighborhood Involvement” section of Trader Joe’s website, the company spells out its commitment to the community.
“We think getting to know the organizations that are important to our communities makes us better neighbors. That’s why we handle all requests for donations and involvement in community events in our stores. Whether it’s a silent auction to benefit a local elementary school or a health fair sponsored by a community hospital, your neighborhood Trader Joe’s is the place to go.”
And then there’s Earth Fare, which has its own “Family Dinner Night” page, where it promotes how kids eat free on Thursdays in efforts to provide families, “with affordable healthy alternatives to their conventional staples.”
Whole Foods Market also has literature on its site, saying it gives a minimum of 5 percent of its annual profits to community and non-profit organizations.
Only time will tell which tenant it will be, but one thing’s for sure, Midtown’s ready to get its square back.