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15 500 000
The price in rands of the most expensive car listed on AutoTrader — the 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase.
1 300 000 000
The amount in dollars that was earned each day in 2021 by the world’s 10 richest men, who doubled their wealth during the pandemic. If these 10 men lost 99.999% of their wealth they would still be wealthier than 99% of the people on the planet.
The value in euros of the world’s most lucrative and prestigious craft award, the Loewe Foundation Craft Prize. South African ceramicist Andile Dyalvane is one of 30 finalists this year.
The value in rands of the “most perfect string of pearls” in the Global South, according to Charles Greig.
25 300 000
The total worth in dollars of 200 pairs of Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1s by Virgil Abloh auctioned at Sotheby’s last month. The proceeds went to the Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund.
The year the World Bank estimates that poverty levels will return to their pre-Covid levels without efforts addressing inequality.
4 000 000 000
The value of 94 000 stolen bitcoins seized by the US department of justice in February from a hacker who promoted a crypto-currency platform in 2016.
2 070 000
The price in dollars of the most expensive champagne — the 2013 Taste of Diamonds, a blend of grand cru chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. The bottle’s logo is handcrafted from 18kt gold and accentuated by a 19ct white diamond.
200 000 000
The amount in dollars that crypto exchange firm Binance paid for a stake in Forbes, signalling either tech innovation or a conflict of interest for the 105-year-old media brand.
4 300 000
The value in dollars of the 55-sided, pear-shaped black diamond Enigma, estimated to be a billion years old. The gem may have been forged in outer space, with scientists unable to agree on the origin of carbonado diamonds.
The difference in percentage between former couple MacKenzie Scott and Jeff Bezos’s philanthropy, with Scott having given away 18% of her $46.7-billion and Bezos having given away 1% of his 164.8-billion, according to Forbes.


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Jimmy Choo pulls its socks up in Asia reporting revenues up 12% to £300m last year
Jimmy Choo has defied fears of a slowdown in China and reported a 12 per cent jump in sales – boosted by demand from Asia.
The luxury footwear brand, pictured, a favourite with celebrities, said shoes and handbag sales had grown in Asia, pushing revenues up 12 per cent to nearly £300million for 2014.
However, currency fluctuations did impact the London-listed business and at reported currency rates sales grew just 6. 2 per cent.
Defying slowdown fears: Jimmy Choo said shoes and handbag sales had grown in Asia, pushing revenues up 12 per cent to nearly £300million for 2014
Chief executive Pierre Denis said its ‘focus on shoes and dedication to product quality’ had helped Jimmy Choo’s brand awareness globally and Asia is its ‘strongest growth region’.
Its shops reported the fastest growth with sales up 8.7 per cent – after taking into account foreign currency fluctuations – while wholesale sales grew 1.9 per cent over the year.
Highlights of the year included the opening of a newly refurbished three-storey shop on London’s New Bond Street, leaving Jimmy Choo, which reveals its full-year results in March, with 125 stores globally with another 15 planned for this year.
The designer brand, founded in 1996 by Tamara Mellon and Malaysian bespoke cobbler Jimmy Choo, floated in October at 140p a share and yesterday shares strutted up 10p to 178p.
Mellon and Choo are no longer with the business.
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domain: news


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Baldur’s Gate III was finally announced during this morning’s Google Stadia event, after their website was thoroughly sleuthed by folks diving into the source code. The fact that the game was announced during this stream has caused some gamers to question if it might be a title that’s exclusive to Stadia. Well, good news! RPG fans need not worry about the game being exclusive to the streaming platform. In fact, you might not need to worry about it having any form of exclusivity at all.
In an interview with IGN following the event, Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke shared that they hold “no exclusive attachment to Stadia.” Vincke further explains that the company is choosing to opt out of the conflict of game exclusivity. Baldur’s Gate III is planned to come to Steam, GOG, and Stadia at launch, with a release on the Epic Games Store looking like it will happen sometime after.
“It was important to us to tell our players ‘we’re not going to participate in the exclusivity game.'” Vincke tells IGN. He then later describes that he believes “that the game should adapt to the device, but that the device shouldn’t matter when you play it.”
Vincke also spoke to USGamer following Baldur’s Gate III‘s reveal. Adding some more of his thoughts on exclusivity, he explained, “Everything we’ve done in the past has been about adapting to the divide that you’re playing on, because the device shouldn’t matter when it comes to playing our games.” The initial plan by Larian Studios is to have the game available “everywhere,” so maybe we’ll even see it finding a home on consoles, though it seems like the plan (at least as of right now) is to focus on the game’s PC release.
No release date has been given for Baldur’s Gate III yet, but the game is expected to come out sometime in 2020.


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Christmas is on a Tuesday this year, meaning procrastinators get an extra day at the beginning of next week to finish up their shopping. And because Thanksgiving was as early as it could be this year, it's an extra-long holiday season for retailers.
The Swedish furniture maker Ikea increasingly relies on CGI -- computer-generated imagery -- to "make" the items in its catalog. It's enough to raise the question of whether computer graphics could ever replace people in the fashion photography business.
Utilities spent billions a year ago repairing lines and equipment damaged by storms Irene and Alfred -- and were roundly criticizing for leaving many people without power for days. They're intent on being prepared for Sandy.


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Panasonic has announced that it will extend company benefits to same-sex couples beginning this April.
The electronics giant is one of the first corporations to establish such a policy in Japan, where same-sex marriage is not legal and only a small number of municipalities recognize civil partnerships.
The only other major corporation to grant benefits to partners of gay and lesbian employees’ is the Japanese arm of IBM, which pays a customary marriage bonus and relocation expenses.
Panasonic is a major legacy company with deep respect in Japan’s business community—this move could push other large firms to follow suit, putting pressure on the national government to create some form of recognition for same-sex couples.
The move likely isn’t entirely altruistic, though: The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo and, as a sponsor, Panasonic is looking to avoid the kind of public shaming that haunted McDonald’s and Sony when the Winter Games were held in Russia in 2014.


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There was speculation that Samsung could use smartphone-to-satellite technology in its Galaxy S23 much like Apple has for the iPhone 14, but that didn't happen in the end. Now, the company has unveiled a new standardized 5G NTN (non-terrestrial network) modem that will enable two-way communication between smartphones and satellites. The technology will allow users to send and receive calls, text messages and data without the need for a cellular network, and will be integrated into Samsung's future Exynos chips.
The aim is to allow people in mountains, deserts or other remote areas to communication with others in critical situations. 5G NTN conforms to 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP Release 17) standards, meaning it works with traditional communication services from chip manufacturers, smartphone makers and telecoms.
However, Samsung indicated that the tech could eventually be used to transmit high-definition photos and even video, on top of texts and calls. It simulated the tech using its Exynos Modem 5300 platform "to accurately predict satellite locations and minimize frequency offsets caused by Doppler shift," the company said. That will help pave the way for hybrid terrestrial-NTN networks "in preparation for the arrival of 6G," said Samsung VP Min Goo Kim.
At CES 2023, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon Satellite, technology that would allow smartphones to send messages when no cellular signal is available. It'll work in smartphones that have both the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and X70 modem system, plus some additional radios. Since Samsung's Galaxy S23 has both chips, it was thought the device may offer satellite communication technology to match Apple's iPhone 14.
However, Samsung mobile experience VP TM Roh said it wasn't the best moment, as satellite functionality is still fairly limited. "When there is the right timing, infrastructure and the technology is ready, then of course for Samsung Galaxy, for our mobile division, we would also actively consider adopting this feature as well," he told CNET in an interview.


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The safety of children is behind a new law which looks to reducethe amount of lead allowed in kids' clothing and toys. But thechanges put a heavy burden on stores that sell or resell thoseproducts.
Starting February 10th you can't sell any children's clothes ortoys that contain more than 600 parts per million total lead. It'sthe consignment shops that specialize in kids' things that are mostconcerned. Consignment store owners say with all the stuff they'vegot in stock it's almost impossible to tell what's legal and what'snot.
The "Good as New" consignment shop in Hamden does a steadybusiness in second-hand kid's stuff. For parents like KristenBrandt the store is a good place to pick things up and save somemoney.
"As a parent, and especially in this economy, people need tohave their money go farther and places like this allow people to dothat," she said.
But the store's owner, Susan Fasulo-McPherson, is afraid newlaws will severely limit what she's able to sell. The ConsumerProduct Safety Improvement Act aims to reduce the amount of lead inproducts intended for children. Fasulo-McPherson said theintention's good but the law goes too far.
"There's no way for me to test to find out how much lead is inthat," she said, gesturing towards a toy. "The toys do not come inwith paperwork."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a clarificationabout the new laws Thursday, saying resellers won't be required totest their entire inventory, but can't sell children's productsthat exceed the lead limit. Does that help?
"No there's no clarification," Fasulo-McPherson said. "Basciallyhow we look at it is it's a double-edged sword."
That's why Fasulo-McPherson is trying to get rid of as much ofher current inventory as possible, especially the toys. She isoffering them at 50-percent off.
What she and other consigment shop owners around the country arepushing for is a either a grandfather clause for existing inventoryor some type of provision allowing them to sell off what they'vegot in stock.
What shoppers like Kristen Brandt want is for stores like thisto stick around. "I've been shopping here for years, I've beenconsigning here for years," the North Haven woman said. "I've doneit before the economy tanked and hopefully I'll do it once theeconomy comes back."
Stores that sell products that are over the lead limit facefines or criminal penalties.
So why not test things? Fasulo-McPherson said she doesn't trustthe lead testing devices you can buy at the store, and hiringsomeone to test everything would be too expensive.
A lone note, hand written, faded on the scarred tree is all that is left of the accident site where Jane Modlesky died after crashing her car in Glastonbury.
When it comes to drinking and driving, the two just don't mix. Nationwide, drunk driving continues to be a problem.
A Connecticut man's portrait of Nelson Mandela hangs at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Disturbing images from two middle school students on social media has sparked an investigation by police in Redding.
As the anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy approaches, the Sandy Ground project is nearing its goal of building one new playground for each of the 26 victims.
The brand new head of the FBI was in Connecticut on Friday. James Comey visited the FBI branch in New Haven to discuss some of his biggest concerns.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — The Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport has sold a massive bronze statue for $300,000 to finance a major upgrade to its science education program for schoolchildren.
The Federal Railroad Administration has mandated that all Metro-North lines use new safeguards to control train speed, in order to alert engineers that a train is entering a dangerous section of track.
Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London has taken away the medical benefits of anyone on strike, News 8 has learned.
Gov. Dannel Malloy says the recent release of the 911 recordings from the Newtown school shooting has likely made things more difficult for the families, but he also says he expected they'd be released all along. He just wishes it had …


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For 30 years, Richfield has made tertiary education more accessible. This quest of ours has stood us in good stead for confronting the coronavirus pandemic and adjusting our learning practices accordingly. All Richfield students receive a pre-configured tablet or laptop upon registration, complete with a Vodacom SIM card. This arrangement means that all Richfield students have access to our engaging online learning resources, with zero data costs, making a quality online education through the lockdown possible for thousands of South Africans.
The introduction of Richfield R199 short courses has furthered this mission. As the pandemic and necessary lockdown further poverty, worsen the South African economy, and flood the job market, South Africans face a daunting future. Richfield has introduced 70 curated and skills-focussed online short courses, which are available for only R199 each. Making upskilling in this time of hardship even easier allows South Africans the chance for a better future, without unattainable costs.
Over and above our measures to make a life-changing education more accessible in this time of lockdown, Richfield strives to give our students the best education experience. In this light and in the light of the impending examination season, we have made 250 digital textbooks available for our students until the end of August.
Richfield has, by design, been able to work around this pandemic. Few changes had to be made in regards to the way Richfield runs as all of our students are equipped with the means for effective and affordable online learning. The new additions of our R199 courses and 250 online textbooks are simply new ways for Richfield students, and South Africans, to take charge of their own futures, even under the trying circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions.


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Payments for cryptocurrencies in India have been halted
Since last year, trade volumes on Indian crypto exchanges have decreased by 88 percent to 96 percent.
When Surojit Chatterjee took the stage at a Coinbase Global Inc. conference in Bengaluru, India, on April 7, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. Crypto investors will now be able to use the country’s online retail payments system to transfer cash to the country’s local market.
United Payments Interface, the central bank-backed company that runs the system, said it was “not aware” of any crypto trades utilizing the network hours after Chatterjee’s statement. Coinbase suspended rupee transactions to its trading app over UPI within three days of the incident.
As a result of the abrupt reversal, Coinbase customers were unable to deposit rupees into their accounts, jeopardizing the company’s plans to develop in India. Coinbase wasn’t the only company to face difficulties. Since the announcement, at least four other organizations that provide crypto-related trading services have suspended rupee deposits. According to officials at the firms and local media sources, payment gateways discontinue support for money transfers into their platforms.
• Coinbase halted UPI 3 days after its India launch.
• 70% of WazirX’s business has eroded since Mobikwik cut services to crypto exchanges
• Banks are at will to cut off services to crypto companies.
India’s rank may’ve improved in ease of doing biz, but struggles continue!
— Vargab Bakshi (@vargabbakshi) April 13, 2022
Stagnation in the Industry
According to exchange executives, these actions added to the strain on already dwindling trade volumes. The company is also preparing for a new tax on all cryptocurrency transactions above a certain level, which will take effect on July 1. Earlier this month, the government slapped a 30% tax on proceeds from digital asset investments.
Trade volumes on Indian crypto exchanges have declined by 88 percent to 96 percent since peaking last year. WazirX, India’s largest crypto exchange, saw volumes drop 93 percent from a high in October, according to the data. Investors can keep their fiat money if they sell their crypto assets on an exchange. Customers in India may already trade crypto pairs without having to deposit rupees into their Coinbase accounts.
In an April 12 interview, Vikram Subburaj, chief executive officer of crypto exchange Giottus, said, “Whoever was providing support to the industry has withdrawn support after the Coinbase remark.” Because Giottus’ payment gateway had stopped interacting with it, he declined to name the company. According to Subburaj, the site’s trade volume plummeted by roughly 70% as a result. As a result of the NPCI notification, local rival BuyUcoin has also stopped accepting UPI payments, according to co-founder Atulya Bhatt.
Relationship with an Uncomfortable Feeling
The National Payments and Settlements Institute (NPCI) is an umbrella group for retail payments and settlements in the 1.4 billion-person country, formed by the central bank and the Indian Banks’ Association. CoinSwitch Kuber, a Bengaluru-based cryptocurrency exchange, had temporarily ceased accepting rupee deposits via UPI and other banking channels, according to the Economic Times on April 12. CoinSwitch did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Crypto-trading firms in India have had a contentious relationship with banks and payment service providers since the central bank issued a regulation barring lenders from collaborating with digital asset companies in 2018. While the Supreme Court overturned that decision in 2020, several banks have remained leery of cooperating with the crypto sector, in part because top Reserve Bank of India officials have frequently called for the ban of cryptocurrency.
As a result of the traditional banking sector’s distrust, payment gateways like MobiKwik have become a critical link between crypto exchanges and clients looking to deposit fiat currency. If the deals refuse to participate, investors are limited to options such as manually transferring funds to the exchanges’ current accounts, which is a time-consuming and error-prone operation. Coinbase does not offer this service in India.
Peer-to-peer trading, in which currency transfers are made directly between counterparties, is also available to investors. According to its CEO, who requested anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the subject, one payment service provider stopped interacting with crypto exchanges last year after being encouraged to do so by banks.
MobiKwik stopped working with Indian crypto exchanges on April 1, according to a report by Moneycontrol. Rupee deposits via MobiKwik have been temporarily blocked, according to WazirX and CoinDCX, an Indian crypto exchange. A request for comment from MobiKwik was not returned.
Also, read – Understand blockchain bridges for crypto benefits
According to Jaideep Reddy, a technology lawyer at Nishith Desai Associates, restricting payment access without legal grounds amounts to unfairly singling out the digital asset market.
“If a bank refuses service to a crypto business, there needs to be a valid reason other than the fact that it’s a crypto business,” Reddy noted. “Because account holders have a charter of rights that includes the service provider’s transparency, banks must be transparent.”
According to Edul Patel, co-founder, and CEO of algorithmic crypto trading firm Mudrex, payment gateways in India began removing support after the Coinbase event. According to Patel, who declined to name Mudrex’s partner in an April 12 interview, this happened to them as well.
He said that the changes affect more than only trading: Inflows into Coin Sets, a mutual fund-like crypto product offered by the Y Combinator-backed company, have dropped by nearly half in the last two to three days. “While the rest of the world is working on Web 3.0, Indian exchanges are on the hunt for the next payment provider,” Giottus’ Subburaj said.


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John Gidding, architect and designer from TLC’s ‘Trading Spaces,’ takes questions from the audience at a previous event. He will appear at the 2018 Spring Atlanta Home Show.
SEMCO Productions, a Roswell-based producer of consumer and trade shows, will host the 40th annual Spring Atlanta Home Show, Georgia’s largest home show, March 23 through 25 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in southeast Cobb County.
The popular annual event will mark four decades of bringing the latest products and services for the home and landscape to Atlanta, sparking countless home improvement projects throughout the metro area and beyond. It will feature John Gidding, architect and designer from TLC’s “Trading Spaces” and HGTV’s “Curb Appeal”, speaking March 25 at 1 and 3 p.m. on “Creating Great Spaces.” In addition to Gidding, Realtor Egypt Sherrod, host of HGTV’s “Flipping Virgins,” “Property Virgins” and “Urban Oasis,” will speak March 24 at 1 and 3 p.m. on “Real Estate Investing and Smart Upgrades for Your Home Improvement.”
Over 350 exhibitors in the home remodeling and outdoor living industries will offer expertise, services and products designed to remodel, repair and refresh homes of all sizes and styles. The show provides attendees with one-stop shopping for everything from the roof to the basement, and from interiors to landscapes, as well as live radio broadcasts and presentations on a variety of subjects.
One lucky attendee will win this year’s grand prize package including a seven-LED fixture outdoor lighting package provided by Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Atlanta, and a Weston stone fire pit kit provided by Belgard.
“The Spring Atlanta Home Show has experienced amazing growth during its 40 years in Atlanta,” SEMCO President Michael Schoppenhorst said in a news release. “It has earned a well-deserved reputation for offering attendees a fun, festive atmosphere where they can see new products demonstrated, ask questions, talk to the experts, comparison shop and enjoy interactive presentations by popular home and landscape professionals.
“This is Georgia’s largest home show and it features hundreds of exhibitors who can bring new life to a home by building a new addition, replacing or repairing systems and structures, creating outdoor living spaces and refreshing both interiors and exteriors including decks, kitchens and baths. Show attendees can pick up product samples, schedule appointments and take advantage of show specials.”
The event, voted Best Home Show three years in a row by readers of My Home Improvement magazine, includes three days of expert speakers on a variety of home remodeling subjects. Walter Reeves, the Georgia Gardener, will kick off the speaker roster March 23 at noon, and will return March 24 morning to broadcast “The Lawn & Garden Show” live from the Reliable Heating & Air Home Show Stage on News 95.5 FM and AM750, followed by a live broadcast of WSB’s “Home Fix-It Show” hosted by Dave Baker.
A popular gathering spot will be the Red Hare Backyard Beer Garden, where a team of outdoor living experts headed by Georgia Landscape will be on hand to discuss services and products ranging from grass to fire pits, flowers to water features, patios, walkways and much more. Live radio shows, including Belinda Skelton’s “Atlanta Living” on News 95.5 FM and AM750, will broadcast from the garden. Red Hare Brewing Co. of Marietta will offer beer tastings for attendees 21 and older, and the $5 tasting donation will benefit HOPE Atlanta, the programs of Travelers Aid.
Show hours are March 23 and 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and March 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the show’s entrance and online. Children 12 and under and adults 65 and older (with ID) are admitted for free. Military personnel and first responders receive a free ticket with the purchase of one general admission ticket (with ID). Members of Atlanta’s housing industry (Realtors, contractors, interior designers, landscapers, etc.) will be admitted for free (with business card at the show entrance) March 23, compliments of PMCPros.
On-site parking is available. The Cobb Galleria Centre is located at Two Galleria Pkwy. In Atlanta, across from Cumberland Mall.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.atlantahomeshow.com.
+2 Riverside West Garden Club marks 50th anniversary


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NEW businesses are emerging in Trinidad and Tobago, despite the economic fallout caused by Covid-19 and one such business is the Mansion restaurant located at the corner of Maraval Road and Rust Street in St Clair.
The Mansion restaurant is a subsidiary of NCG Enterprises and opened its doors to the public last week.
The brainchild behind this project is 37-year-old Nicole Crystal George, a real estate agent and entrepreneur.
George, a Woodbrook resident, told the Express Business, that many people first ask what NCG Enterprises stands for and she explained the initials are her name. George said she has no investors or board of directors and is the sole operator and chief executive officer of the group of companies.
The multi-industry company owns and operates businesses dealing with:
—Construction, building, and design;
—Entertainment and events;
—Imports and exports
Giving an account of how the restaurant venture started, George said she purchased the two-storey building with a 500-person capacity per floor through NCG Enterprises.
George said she turned the building into Mansion nightclub on one floor and on the second floor it was transformed into a cigar lounge along with an outside bar, which was launched in March just before the March 23 lockdown imposed by the Government to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“I know I had to keep changing my strategy as to how my business survives during the pandemic. So when the lockdown came into effect, I shifted my staff to the other businesses under NCG Enterprises, which has been operational for four years.
“Then when it was announced that nightclubs would not be open anytime soon and that bars will only be on a grab and go basis, I decided to open a restaurant at the side of the building.”
The entrepreneur said now is not the time to sit down and expect handouts, as business people have to be a step ahead of the pandemic and try to diversify. That, she said is the only way someone’s business will stay afloat.
Asked whether she thought the corner of Maraval Road and Rust Street was an ideal location to open up a new business, George replied: “Why not? Maraval Road is commercialised with several businesses in and around the St Clair district, so we decided that adding another eating place would then give customers another option, apart from the other food outlets in the area.”
As to the cost of the property, George said she preferred not to divulge that information.
In terms of the menu options, George said Mansion offers a wide range for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Local food can also be purchased.
“The pricing was also done carefully as we know the economic constraints some people are going through. This means you need to have different prices to suit everyone’s pocket and weekly specials will also be launched soon.
“We only opened last week and Mansion restaurant already has a steady flow of customers. We are also doing free deliveries which is a plus in these times as many people want to limit the amount of places they go to during the pandemic.”
George quickly stated that the company follows strict compliance with Covid-19 regulations in order to guarantee the safety of staff and customers.
“We allow for sanitisation station, the washing of hands, hand sanitiser dispensers as well as social distancing demarcations.”
She highlighted that eight workers are currently employed at the establishment and some of them came from restaurants that closed their doors during the pandemic.
George added that the workers were trained especially with Covid-19 protocols and proper customer service etiquette.
Several popular restaurants, including Jaffa’s and J Malone, closed their doors as a result of the pandemic as many said the three-month-long lockdown placed a serious economic constraint on their businesses. Therefore they were unable to meet their monthly overhead expenses along with paying staff.


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One of every five beauty purchases online is made via the Amazon marketplace, according to a new report.
Within the near future, RSS and broadband Internet will have a substantial impact on web retailers and their operations, market researchers and analysts predicted Wednesday at Shop.org.
With the constant e-commerce hardware and software updates vendors and others throw at Internet retailers, web merchants tend to be skeptical when they are told to keep their eye “on the next big thing.”
But there are some upcoming technology trends, particularly broadband Internet connectivity and Really Simple Syndication (RSS), that bear close scrutiny, a panel of research analysts told attendees Wednesday at the Shop.org 2005 Annual Summit in Las Vegas.
RSS, a family of XML file formats for Internet syndication used primarily by news sites and blogs, is only actively used by about 2% of the U.S. adult population, says Carrie Johnson, a research analyst with Forrester Research. But the segment of the population using RSS, younger men with higher household incomes and college education, may be a harbinger of more younger Internet shoppers who see RSS as a better way to communicate with merchants, receive product updates and promotions from retailers and shop online. “The 2% of the population we are talking about here are active online shoppers and wealthy,” Johnson says.
As web retailers look for alternative forms of marketing to the rising costs of paid search, Johnson says that over time RSS may supplement or even surpass e-mail as a cost-effective way for merchants to reach affulent interactive buyers. “RSS is a simpler technology and easier to manage than e-mail,” Johnson says. “This gives RSS priority over blogs and social networking sites. Retailers can provide feeds for product availabilty, promotions, price changes and loyalty program updates.”
Online retailers also need to build more of their merchandising initiatives with broadband in mind, says eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey. Within the next several years almost two-thirds of all U.S. households will connect to the Internet using a broadband connection. “Broadband users spend 40% to 50% more in a given quarter online than do their dial-up counterparts,” Ramsey says.
Among other things broadband over time will enable web retailers to improve their merchandising operations using more virtual reality applications, Ramsey says.


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CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — A West Michigan company has shifted its normal production to make Personal Protection Equipment.
Display Pack in Cedar Springs usually makes food packaging, but now they're making face shields for our health care workers on the front line.
The company already had a lot of the products they needed so it was an easy change.
Work started Thursday and by the end of Friday company officials say they should have about 10,00 face shields made.
Starting next week, the company hopes to make up to 30,000 face shields a day.
"We're actually busier than normal, right now, with everything going on, the shelves are getting cleared," said Ken Schauss, Director of Sales and Marketing at Display Pack. "We're very busy but we saw this as an opportunity, my wife works in healthcare, we have a lot of folks whose spouses work in healthcare, so we knew there was a need out there and we knew we were in a position to help," he said.
Display Pack is working with a distribution company to get these in the hands of those who need them. We're told they'll be going to places like Metro Health and local nursing homes.


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The deal comes at a time when Zomato's duking it out with Swiggy which delivers through its own fleet despite the model not being cost effective
Swiggy plans to utilize the capital for hiring engineering talent and develop deeper technology for better prediction of demand, consumer preferences and improving delivery efficiencies
The sensors in the Smart Carts will monitor the quality of food by recording the pH levels, the temperatures of raw and cooked food kept in refrigerators and warmers, and the duration of storage.
Box8 will use the fresh capital to expand itself geographically, both into newer cities as also penetrate deeper within its existing markets
This will enable Facebook users to order food from their favorite restaurants directly from within the Facebook app, without having to navigate to the restaurant's app or website
Zomato will be introducing a bug bounty program on Hackerone. The marketplace link which was being used to sell the data on the dark web is also reportedly no longer available
The Zomato data theft incident has exposed the dark side of cyberspace running the risk of personal data heists in the event of a security breach.
Stolen information include user email addresses and hashed passwords. Zomato said it has reset the passwords for all affected users and have logged them out of the app and website
This partnership will enable users to book tables in Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group's portfolio of hotels across India through the Dineout platform
UberEATS and Zomato have given a term sheet to Runnr, where the offer from US-based cab-hailing application is pegged to be higher, said one source.
Restaurant chains are making it easier to order food with a few taps of the screen - so much so that you may lose sight of how much you're spending.
UberEATS’ India entry comes a year after Indian rival Ola hung up its boots on Ola Café – its food delivery service.
The UberEATS service is currently available in Mumbai with plans to launch in six cities by the end of this year.
Amazon had sought approval to invest Rs 3,500 crore in India over five years to sell third-party and its own private-label food articles, sourced and packaged locally.
Faasos, which runs on a cloud-kitchen model offering four in-house brands on its platform, pivoted from a multi-brand marketplace model in 2015
The management of UberEATS team will be different from the ridesharing app at national and city levels and is being headed by Manan Javeri, former McKinsey executive who joined Uber in 2015
Naspers, which has backed companies like Flipkart and owns about a third of travel portal MakeMyTrip, is expected to invest $50-60 million as a part of the funding round.


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Women are said to be boosting the consumption market in China thanks to a rise in the ‘sheconomy’ – an influx of female consumers.
The country was geared up for more sales last Wednesday on International Women’s Day as women continue to drive the economy.
Indeed, it seems that cosmetic brands are getting in on the act, with Amazon.cn stating that the number of new cosmetic brands getting involved in promotions for International Women’s day doubled year on year, with international beauty providers also nearly doubling.
A report released by the company said, “With the upgrade of women’s spending power and consumption demand, women consumers are paying more attention to product quality and brands. The international brands hope to seize business opportunities in the sheconomy in China by offering products with good quality and reasonable price as well as excellent shopping and service experience.”
And with data released by Lvmama.com stating that the number of outbound Chinese tourists rose by 75 percent during 2016 festive period, with 70 percent of those being women, it seems that female consumers are indeed driving the market.


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NEW DELHI: Reliance Communications has rolled out a new offer for its postpaid customers, the Jalsa Unlimited
pack of Rs 333 that offers free voice calling minutes along with data benefits, according to a report by Telecomtalk.
The Jalsa Unlimited pack offers 30 GB of 4G data, 1000 free minutes of Local and STD calling to any network and 100 free SMS for 30 days.
Another feature of the Jalsa pack is that the offer will be extended to one year for customers who choose to subscribe to this offer now.
had offered 28% discount on postpaid plans- 699, 499 and 299 which were made available for Rs. 499, Rs. 399, and Rs. 249 respectively.
The latest offer can be seen as a move to retain its post-paid customers, a large chunk of whom have started to convert to pre-paid plans, according to media reports.


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Global personal care brand Palmolive has appointed DEC PR as its communications agency in Australia and New Zealand.
Boutique Australian firm DEC won the account following a competitive pitch.
The agency will focus on digital and print communications for a new premium line of Palmolive products, to be launched in Australia and New Zealand later this year.
"We’re incredibly excited to be working with Palmolive to unveil this innovative new range through a high-impact creative campaign that challenges the established conventions in beauty PR," said Agata Kenna, managing director of DEC PR.
Ashleigh Wright, brand manager at Colgate-Palmolive, said: "We're delighted to partner with DEC PR and pursue a fully integrated, omni-channel campaign that heralds the Palmolive brand's debut into an exciting new category with the launch of a new premium product range."


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Thanks to ‘Smartdrop’, an intelligent last-mile calculation tool to determine the impact of online parcel deliveries, consumers can choose the most sustainable delivery option. It was developed by the Belgian trade federation Comeos and the Brussels University’s research group VUB Mobilise.
The tool considers several factors associated with online purchases: CO2 emissions, traffic congestion, air quality, noise pollution, accidents, and infrastructure. According to VUB Mobilise’s calculations, approximately one million parcels ordered online are delivered daily in Belgium alone. They account for an estimated annual cost to society of 188 million euros.
The most sustainable delivery option
However, the environmental impact can be reduced by choosing the most sustainable delivery option. This could, for example, be a collection point, the store itself, work, or at home. “Choosing the most sustainable option can reduce the impact on society by 21%,” says Koen Mommens of VUB Mobilise.
Smartdrop tells traders which delivery option between the distribution center and the consumer is the most sustainable, but the final decision lies with the consumer. Comeos expects that the first applications will be available on Belgian webshops at the end of this year. Minister of Post Petra De Sutter allocated money to develop the tool.


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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised against travel to Canada because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
The CDC elevated its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High” for Canada, telling Americans they should avoid travel to its northern neighbor. The CDC currently lists about 80 destinations worldwide at Level Four. It also raised Curaçao to Level Four on Monday. (Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
tap here to see other videos from our team.


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As a dual-core Tegra 2-powered speedster, it's no surprise that LG's Optimus 2X supports recording 1080p video. Despite having seemingly capable hardware, reports from people who have gotten some hand-on time with pre-release versions of the phone noted a less-than-impressive 1080p experience, with an inconsistent framerate and under-impressive clarity. LG has come up with a software update that address some of these issues, but there's still room for improvement.
When looking at an Optimus 2X running software V09C, GSM Arena noted several issue with 1080p performance. In their tests, the videos didn't quite make it to 24 fps, below which videos can start to look like a sped-up slide-show. They also found that excessive compression ended up resulting in videos that didn't look that much clearer than 720p, and found the phone duplicating frames just so it could keep up.
In the V10A software the retail release of the phone uses, there's some progress towards addressing these issues. LG has raised the data rate on 1080p recording, which should contribute to less noticeable compression artifacts, but it still doesn't appear as superior to 720p as it should be able to. The company also tackled the duped-frame issue, but the phone still isn't quite hitting that 24 fps mark like it should.
The Optimus 2X may not be able to compete with stand-alone HD camcorders, but the V10A software is a noticeable step towards making 1080p recording useful. Considering the progress already made, LG may be able to bump up performance even further with a future update.
Click here to view our selling price of LG Optimus 2X


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November 12, 2021
The company has confirmed its aftermarket chips for use with Sharp MX61 series copiers are not affected by firmware update.
Zhono explained that on 20 October 2021, Sharp released the latest firmware 05.00.Z2.00, which upgrades the Sharp MX61 series copiers. Zhono has confirmed that its aftermarket chips for the Sharp MX61 series are compatible with both the latest and previous copier firmware (see Figure 1).
The company said it will continue to monitor firmware updates and provide its customers with sound solutions.
For more information on the above-mentioned and other chips within Zhono’s product range, please visit www.zhono.com.
Categories : Products and Technology


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Youngsters in Britain would like to cycle more with their families, according to a survey commissioned by national retailer Halfords. Three quarters would like to cycle more despite 84 per cent spending most family time watching the television.
The survey also showed that one in 10 six to nine year olds could not ride a bike, while 14 per cent of eight-11 year olds felt they couldn’t ride a bike well enough to go for family rides.
The TNS-conducted survey comes after the national retailer has announced a 22 per cent increase in the sales of children’s bikes over Christmas, compared year-on-year with 2007.
The report found that 95 per cent of the children surveyed would rather be more fit and healthy, but do not exercise with their family as much as they would like.
Cycling was the preferred means of keeping fit amongst the children, with 74 per cent preferring cycling over walking, running or playing team games. The retail chain plans to work closely with the Government initiative Bike4Life and British Cycling, and it has also launched a new website called kidscycling.co.uk that has information for families wanting to cycle more.
Youngsters on bikes has been in the news of late - last week accident and emergency doctors demanded that the government make it illegal for under 16s to cycle without a helmet to help reduce the number of children who suffer serious brain injuries.


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As if to silence the cries of dozens of critics prior to its official release date, the iPhone 5 is still selling in such vast quantities that even the leviathan that is Foxconn cannot keep up with the demand. And while this may appear to be nothing other than positive news in terms of iPhone 5 reverence and general appear to the world’s key markets, analysts are expressing growing concern as to Apple’s future earnings.
“We can’t really fulfil Apple’s requests. Our shipments are insufficient… given the huge market demand,” saidTerry Gou, chairman of Foxconn speaking this Wednesday.
He also went on to state that the intricate design of the recently released iPhone 5 was making it difficult to produce in the vast quantities required, though stopped short of clarifying why this was the case.
He also failed to answer questions as to whether or not Foxconn was currently outsourcing iPhone 5 assembly duties to other plants across the region.
Apple’s iPhone has been the company’s primary driver of revenues ever since the first model was released several years ago. Along with the iPad which is also assembled primarily at Foxconn, Apple has been able to maintain a decisive lead over the market in terms of overall device sales and general reputation with the consumer.
Executives at Apple had already admitted that demand was putting a strain on available iPhone 5 supplies, but that all efforts were being made to keep up and catch up. Q3 profits for Apple were anything but shabby, with net profits hitting $8.2 billion following extensive jumps in both tablet and Smartphone sales.
However, recent weeks have seen share values in Apple fall considerably. Along with increased competition for key rivals such as Samsung, investors are becoming concerned that Apple will not be able to meet iPhone 5 demand for some time to come.
Some had suggested that the iPhone 5’s similarity to the iPhone 4S would prove to be its Achilles heel, though it now appears that its very reputation and prowess could prove to be its downfall – at least in the immediate future.


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LAHORE: Chicken meat price recorded a drop of Rs33 per kilogram on Monday bringing it down to Rs270 per kilogram as compared to Sunday’s rate of Rs303 per kilograms.
The chicken meat prices are continuously falling since last nine days and had registered a total reduction of Rs95 per kilogram. Prices had gone to all time high of Rs365 per kilograms on March 07, 2021 and then started falling.
Today, rates of chicken meat were Rs 270 per kilograms while live chicken was sold at Rs186 per kilogram.
Nevertheless, rates of eggs remained same as these were being sold at Rs166 per dozen in the market since last four days.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021


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Interesting profile in NYT on the Joy Baking Group
Joy Baking Group has cornered much of the market with one guiding principle: When it comes to cones, people want what they know.
Joy now makes 41.3 percent of the cones sold in American stores, according to an April 2022 report from IRI, a data analytics company — and likely more, since it also manufactures private-label cones. Malcolm Stogo, a consultant for ice cream shops, estimated that 60 to 70 percent of the cones sold in food service are Joy’s.
“They have the capacity to control the business. They have the equipment to control the business,” Mr. Stogo said. “They aren’t depending on any one location, because they have factories all over the United States. So, frankly, I think they will be more dominant three to four years from now.”
Joy wasn’t always a juggernaut. Two Lebanese immigrants — Albert George, Mr. George’s grandfather, and a brother-in-law, Thomas J. Thomas — founded the company in 1918 in Brookfield, Ohio. It nearly went bankrupt in 1964 after a fire broke out in the factory. Mr. George’s father, Joe George, took over that year, and focused on building proprietary ovens and selling cones in stores. Within five years, the company was profitable.
Over time, smaller cone makers have struggled to keep up with the rising costs of operating. In the past few decades, many have closed or been acquired by Joy.
Joy is a private company, founded and still owned by the same family. Seems like an ideal company for Berkshire to own, if they ever want to sell out.


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Fast-moving consumer goods group Tiger Brands said yesterday chief financial officer Noel Doyle would be leaving the company at the end of May. Doyle - who has been with the group for a decade - said his decision had nothing to do with the recent bread price-fixing scandal. "It's just an opportunity I've been considering for quite a while."
In November, the Competition Tribunal upheld the R99m penalty Tiger Brands had agreed to pay for its role in bread and milling cartels.
The company was fined for its bread price-fixing activity, but qualified for immunity for its role in the milling cartel after agreeing to co-operate with the Competition Commission in its investigation.
Tiger Brands was fined 5,7% of revenue from its national bread operations. It also had to take remedial steps. CEO Nick Dennis resigned shortly after the hearing and Peter Matlare is set to take over on Tuesday.
Tiger Brands chairman Lex van Vught said Doyle was moving on to take up a position as CEO of an unlisted company.
Doyle said the company, in which he would be an investor, was in the motor industry but had a diverse range of offerings and, while "fairly substantial", it was smaller than Tiger Brands.
Van Vught said Doyle had been pondering the move for some time, but had deferred his announcement until the competition hearings had been dealt with and a new CEO appointed.
Michael Fleming, the financial executive responsible for the consumer brands division, will take over from Doyle and would also assume responsibility for investor relations.
Doyle would work with Fleming for two months to ensure a smooth transition, said Van Vught.
Source: Business DayPublished courtesy of


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Inflation in America is at a 40-year high, while household incomes, adjusted for rising prices, are falling at the fastest pace since the government began collecting data in 1959.
That’s largely because the cost of food, fuel and housing has been climbing so dramatically. The price of commodities shows no sign of going down much anytime soon, thanks to the war in Ukraine, while a tightly constrained housing market in the US may keep prices higher than normal for the next few years, even as interest rates rise.
But what about non-essential items? There one can see the beginning of a correction that may have surprising impacts for both business and markets. A recent report by Currency Research Associates, a US-based financial strategy firm, identified strong anecdotal evidence that a “global ‘buying strike’ is emerging”, as consumers around the world begin to cut back their spending on anything they don’t absolutely need.
The evidence for this is strongest in developing countries, where the spike in the price of basics (which are even more expensive when priced in depreciating currencies) has led to rolling blackouts, food insecurity and what amounts to a “removal” of hundreds of millions of people from the global consumer economy.
Now rich countries may be in for some of the same. Residents of New York and New Jersey, for example, owe more than $US2.4 billion ($3.4 billion) to utility companies (nationally, the number is $US22 billion) and some cities are warning about electricity shut-offs if bills aren’t paid.
Businesses are beginning to adjust their own expectations for spending. Used cars have been outselling new ones in the US for some time. In late March, Apple announced plans to scale back output of its iPhone SE by 20 per cent, because the war in Ukraine and rising inflation were cutting into consumer spending around the world. It also slashed orders for AirPods earphones.
Netflix recently announced that it lost more streaming customers than it signed up in the first quarter, the company’s first reverse in a decade. The streaming service’s 35 per cent share price dive following the announcement led the entire S&P down.
The worry now is that anything people can cut back on – from eating out to summer holidays to new clothes, white goods, cars or gadgets – may take a hit if food, fuel and (in places like the US) housing costs remain high. While that’s already happened for the 60 per cent of Americans who live pay cheque to pay cheque, there are indications that richer people are becoming wary about excess spending, too. One recent poll found that more than half of those making $US100,000 or more were dining out less, and roughly a third were cutting back on driving, travel and monthly subscriptions.
What might the domino effects be if lower consumer spending, rising costs for raw inputs and falling share prices collide with higher interest rates and corporations holding more debt than ever? Ulf Lindahl, the chief executive of Currency Research Associates, says investors would be wise to look at what happened in another period of declining income and production growth, between September 1937 and June 1938.
Back then, after hitting a couple of peaks, equity prices plunged by 40 per cent in three months. It’s a period that economist Kenneth D Roose examined in detail in his 1954 book, The Economics of Recession and Revival. While the exact causes of the crash are difficult to tease out, wholesale prices had surged at a time when people were still very conscious of the Depression and increasingly nervous about geopolitics.
All that collided with a reduction in the federal aid that had been doled out as part of the New Deal, just as central bankers had begun raising rates. The cost of capital for business rose, even as spending declined, and share prices collapsed.
There are obviously disturbing similarities with today’s global economic and geopolitical picture. We also have wary consumers, higher wages in many places, soaring inflation in commodities globally, a war in Ukraine, and central bankers trying to stay ahead of it all. Real 10-year US Treasury yields are about to turn positive for the first time since the pandemic, giving consumers yet another reason to save more, and spend less. It will also make corporate debt more expensive, and companies more vulnerable.
Does all this mean that we are heading for a 40 per cent market correction? I’m betting not, if only because a China still pursuing a zero-Covid policy and a Europe in crisis means that US equities will benefit, at least for the time being, from being the cleanest dirty shirt in the closet. In our deglobalising era, it is, like it or not, safer to invest in a region that has its own food, fuel and consumer demand.
That said, it does feel as if we are approaching a major turning point in the markets. Supply chains are shifting, conflict is growing and currency systems are changing. All of this is happening at a time when monetary policy is about to cross a Rubicon with rate hikes and quantitative tightening. History rhymes. Let’s hope it doesn’t repeat.
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Independent creative network ZOO Group has hired a new executive creative director, Paul Bruce, previously at The Monkeys and a new head of client service, Will Reynolds, previously at M&C Saatchi, for its Sydney agency.
Founder of ZOO Group, Pawl Cubbin, said, “Bringing on these two highly experienced industry heavy weights is part of ZOO Group’s continuing strategy to attract the best talent.
“They both have an impressive track record and considerable experience which will greatly benefit our clients across the entire ZOO Group network.”
“What sets ZOO Group apart is our unique business model that helps to not just attract amazing talent, but also to increasingly produce high quality work. The heads of our agencies and our executive creative directors are all equity partners of ZOO Group; they all have skin in the game so to speak.
“As a result, the company has an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit that is focused on challenging each other to find the new better in everything they do.”
As a marketing and advertising specialist with over 12 years of experience, Will Reynolds was attracted to ZOO Group to help influence the agency’s growth strategy and break from the hierarchical world of the corporate media industry.
“ZOO Group has an amazing vision and purpose that I had to get on board with. I’m looking forward to partnering with new clients and helping them to achieve their goals. I want to make a real difference and help shape this agency’s future,” said Reynolds.
Reynolds previously worked as a group account director at M&C Saatchi where he worked with CommBank on its award winning CAN brand platform and also with Steggles.
Also joining ZOO Group Sydney is Paul Bruce who takes on the role of ECD and will be responsible for building a young and successful creative department.
“I look forward to producing the strongest creative and most effective work at ZOO Group Sydney and creating a fun and passionate place for people to come to work,” said Bruce.
Prior to ZOO Group, Bruce worked his way up the advertising industry from Mother in London to PublicisMojo, The Glue Society, then BMF to The Monkeys, showcasing his creative talent and directorial skills.
Culture-leading publisher Highsnobiety continues to evolve its local operations with the appointment of Citizens of Culture as its strategic partner across media operations within Australia. Highsnobiety is a premium global brand dedicated to cultural pioneers, with work spanning across digital platforms, print media, documentaries, cutting edge events, a shopping platform and a full service creative […]
An investigation by British broadcaster ITV has found that Amazon is destroying millions of items in unsold or returned stock. The report specifically focuses on one of the 24 warehouses the company has in the UK. According to ITV News, the destroyed items are largely unused and new, either returned items or those which never […]
Australian fashion brand Witchery has partnered with B Corp GlamCorner as part of GlamCorner’s subscription box offering as the demand for everyday essentials soars. This partnership marks another milestone for the Australian fashion industry towards becoming more circular and introducing more paths to reduce textile waste. Customers nationally will be able to rent more of […]
The media, marketing and creative industries are being encouraged to host their own ‘Curry Club for COVID’ before 30th June to help meet the ambitious $100k target set by its organisers. Curry Club for COVID, which was conceived by long-time adtech executive Peter Bray, sales director at Impact, and is powered by industry social purpose organisation […]
The UnLtd Cup is returning for its tenth consecutive year, marking a decade of soccer shenanigans that’s raised nearly $500,000 for children’s mental health charity, KidsXpress. On July 22-23rd, 28 teams from across the industry will battle it out on the soccer field in the two-day tournament at Sydney University Sports and Fitness Centre, Darlington. […]
Australian-bred company Ultra Commerce has acquired New Zealand-based company Vesta eCommerce, a global software business providing leading product data management solutions. The recent acquisition is a significant move for the business, which is Australian born, owned, and headquartered, but has built out a global presence as it pursues rapid growth in the eCommerce market. Connecting […]
Canteen’s latest campaign features the combined talents of Director Luna Laure and creative agency Crater. The campaign strives to raise awareness for young people affected by cancer. The awareness campaign centres around Harry Barentson, who at 12 years of age found out his pregnant mum had cancer. The campaign aims to bring awareness to Canteen’s […]


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Really interested in this article from The Verge. Someone has come up with some clever thinking on how to minimise device hunch!
If you’ve felt overwhelmed by the constant flow of information and the expectation to be online every day all the time, you are not alone. A growing number of people are pushing back and dropping out of social media and other technological forms of communication. At the University of Washington Information School, we examined this trend. We even gave it a name: “pushback.” As researchers, we believe this phenomenon is here to stay.
Thought this article was really interesting. It seems like more and more people are pushing back against technology in order to have a fare more balanced life.
Researchers are developing a method for quadriplegics to control wheelchairs and mouse cursors using only the movement of their tongue, and it’s turning out to be far more effective than one of the most popular current control schemes. Researchers from Georgia Tech have been working on a tongue-based control system since 2005, and in their latest trial runs, they’re finding that it’s a significantly more accurate way to issue commands than one existing and popular method. (via Tongue-controlled wheelchair could offer a faster way for quadriplegics to get around | The Verge)
I’m glad that researchers have found a way to improve the old sip/puff control method.
The article has a good video with it, so to view it, click through here.
Really think this is great!
The Digital Life of American Teens!
D’Espresso, a tiny coffee shop on Madison Avenue, New York. Designers and architects from Nema Workshop in Manhattan collaborated to form this library-like coffee shop which has gathered attention from every book savvy nearby. (Photo via The Cool Hunter)


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exchange4media has learnt that HTA, Delhi has added another feather to its cap by bagging the Dr. Morepen, the upcoming healthcare brand from Bates, Delhi. Though exchange4media has not been able to confirm this from HTA Delhi head Kamal Oberoi sources added that the size of the business of Dr. Morepen that comes to HTA is estimated to be close to Rs. 5 crores.
Dr Morepen is a brand, which is promoted by Morepen Laboratories who entered the Rs. 4500 crores Over the Counter (OTC) segment with the launch of its umbrella brand Dr. Morepen in July this year.
Initially this year Dr. Morepen had launched six products namely antacid (Dab Fizz), laxative (Sat Isabgol), Digestive (Gol Goli), throat lozenge (2 Kool), energy supplement(C Sip) and Low calorie sugar (Sugar Ex). In the long-term Dr. Morepen plans to have a presence in lifestyle or what it calls Fast Moving Health Good (FMHG).
Dr. Morepen is expected to launch more products and services in the coming months. Morepen Laboratories this year had a turnover of Rs. 438 crores and a profit of Rs. 73.25 crores. In the past few months Dr. Morepen has been present in electronic medium including TV and radio.
It has also sponsored events that had relevance to Dr. Morepen brand. Infact it has established a very popular radio show called Non Stop Zindagi on FM every evening from 7 to 8 PM which has music, tips on health and lifestyle.


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Charlotte, North Carolina
The College of Wooster
Bitcoin, NFTs, Cryptocurrency, Personal Finance, Consumer Credit
- 10 years researching, writing, and editing personal finance content, focused on digital payment technologies, digital tokens, cryptocurrency exchanges, and credit cards
- Former journalist with Coindesk, CBS News, CNN affiliates, TheStreet, and CheapFlights.com
After beginning his career in electronic journalism with CBS News and CNN affiliates in California and Ohio, he transitioned into consumer finance in 2012 with USI Insurance Services.
With USI, Joe used content and social media to help his audiences understand the value of auto, home, and travel insurance through blogs, appearances on podcasts, and appearances in media. Joe was featured as a personal finance and insurance expert by such influential sites as TheStreet and CheapFlights.com.
Since 2014, Joe has focused heavily on independent reporting in cryptocurrency and personal finance. He has contributed to a number of major online publications, such as Coindesk, where the focus is on collecting and using digital tokens to gain value. He has tracked the rise of cryptocurrency since the release of the Bitcoin White Paper in 2008, and is currently mining Bitcoin while staying invested in Ethereum, Amp, Stellar Lumens, and Loopring.
Joe has written for Investopedia since March 2022.
Joe attended The College of Wooster, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies in 2006. He has continued his education through Coursera, continually learning about updates in the financial and cryptocurrency world.


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UK engine production in March increased by 31.7% in 2021 compared to the Covid hit month a year ago.
Mike Hawes, CEO of SMMT, said:
Production in March 2020 was severely impacted by the start of a coronavirus pandemic that closed the factory, so these numbers need to be set accordingly. UK engine production is declining in the first quarter and the outlook remains bleak for the foreseeable future. Companies are working tirelessly to maintain cross-border trade, address Covids, and manage global component shortages, especially semiconductor shortages. Therefore, it is important to take steps to support the competitiveness of UK car manufacturing in the coming months.
https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/smmt-uk-engine-production-rises-31-7-in-march/ SMMT: UK engine production increased 31.7% in March


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EPA Names Safer Choice Partner Of The Year
Earth Friendly Products, the maker of ECOS environmentally friendly cleaning products, has been named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2019 Safer Choice Partner of the Year.
The manufacturer of plant-powered laundry detergents and cleaners for over 50 years, Earth Friendly Products earned the recognition for its achievement in the design and manufacturing of innovative products that are safer for consumers and the environment.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our ingredients,” says ECOS president and CEO Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks. “The Safer Choice seal gives consumers the peace of mind that our products are safer for their families, pets and the planet while meeting high performance standards. We’re honored that the EPA is recognizing ECOS as the innovative green leader of this great community.”
ECOS offers over 140 products that are certified Safer Choice. To qualify for the Safer Choice label, a product must meet the EPA’s Safer Choice standard, which includes stringent human and environmental health criteria. In fact, ECOS offers more Safer Choice-certified products than any other manufacturer.
A leader in safer consumer products and sustainable manufacturing, ECOS is the first company in the world to have achieved the “trifecta” of carbon neutrality, water neutrality, and TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification. The company uses 100 percent renewable energy to make its green cleaning products at its facilities located in California, Washington, Illinois, and New Jersey. Each facility partners with local vendors for sourcing ingredients and packaging, contributing to the state economy and the company’s carbon neutrality.
“Earth Friendly Products is recognized as an outstanding 2019 Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer and has been a Safer Choice partner since 2008,” says the EPA in its announcement of the award. “Safer Choice values its dedication to formulating products with safer ingredients.”
The award marks the third time that Earth Friendly Products has earned the prestigious Safer Choice Partner of the Year designation since the program began in 2015. Earth Friendly Products was also the first manufacturer to feature the Safer Choice logo on its packaging and has been an active participant in the EPA’s safer ingredients programs since 2008.
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SAN FRANCISCO - Diamond Foods fired Chief Executive Michael Mendes and Chief Financial Officer Steven Neil after an internal investigation revealed that crop payments to walnut growers were not properly accounted for.
The company is restating 2010 and 2011 financial statements to properly account for payments and has named Rick Wolford, previously CEO, president and chairman of Del Monte Foods, acting president and CEO. Michael Murphy, a managing director at Alix Partners will serve as acting chief financial officer.
"The Audit Committee has concluded that a 'continuity' payment made to growers in August, 2010 of approximately $20 million and a 'momentum' payment made to growers in September 2011 of approximately $60 million were not accounted for in the correct periods, and the Audit Committee identified material weaknesses in the Company's internal control over financial reporting,” said the company in a statement.
The mistakes put Diamond’s deal to acquire Pringles in jeopardy. Procter & Gamble agreed to sell Pringles to Diamond for about $1.5 billion, but had previously said the sale depended on a favorable resolution of the probe, according to reports.


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The Verizon Galaxy S III Developer Edition, that will come with an unlockable bootloader, will be arriving soon through Samsung’s website.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S III variant has shown up on Samsung’s website today with a tag line that confirms that the device will be made available to customers soon. How soon remains to be seen.
The device Galaxy S III Developer Edition will be the exact same device as the model that is currently found in the United States with the exception of one feature which is the device’s unlockable bootloader.
An unlockable bootloader will allow users to customize the device to their hearts content. The Galaxy S III that is currently found on Verizon does not have an unlockable bootloader nor will it ever have one. Verizon confirmed the bad news today saying that it won’t unlock the Galaxy S III bootloader with a software update.
This means that those who wish to own a Galaxy S III on Verizon with an unlockable bootloader must purchase the Galaxy S III Developer Edition which will come with a $599 price tag attached to it.
Besides the price tag, Samsung and Verizon won’t be offering any sort of warranty with the phone. This means that if something happens when flashing a ROM, owners will be on their own.
So, those who wish to customize their device completely, will have to pay a $600 premium for the privilege to do so, something that seems ridiculous considering the Galaxy S III devices on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular all have unlocked bootloaders out of the box.
Verizon has said that the reason they are locking the bootloader on the Galaxy S III is because an unlocked bootloader would allow users to modify their phone, something that might adversely affect its cellular network or not allow the carrier to provide good customer service.
We’ll let you know when the Galaxy S III Developer Edition goes on sale.


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Fans are buzzing about Kylie Jenner’s post-pregnancy picture on Instagram, in the black and white photo Jenner is seen squatting and showing off her post-baby body, but it’s the caption that’s got everyone in a frenzy.
“extraño a mi esposo,” Kylie captioned the photo which is Spanish for “I miss my husband,” this lead fans to think that Kylie and Travis Scott are married.
Jenner has called Scott her “hubby” before on social media, however, no one is sure if she means it or if it’s just a pet name. Kanye tweeted about Scott being his brother-in-law, but he deleted the tweet soon after posting it.
Did Kylie Jenner Just Confirm Her Marriage to Travis Scott? was originally published on boomphilly.com


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NOTHING is quite what it seems in Blackpool this week as a “tsunami of magic” crashes into the resort.
Top magicians from around the world have flooded into town as the 25th International Federation of Magic Societies (FISM) World Championships got under way.
The dazzling event, which is held every three years, has never been to the UK before but has finally arrived at Winter Gardens, thanks to a successful bid by Blackpool Magician’s Club.
And as a spine-tingling opening ceremony packed the Opera House yesterday, the six-day competition got off to a thrilling start.
From light sabres, levitation and mind bending illusion to traditional card tricks and mind-boggling sleight of hand.
And the sight of so many international magicians in the resort is a welcome one to Arthur Casson from Blackpool Magician’s Club.
He said: “This really is the Olympics of magic, the performers on stage this week are the best in the world.
“Whoever wins will instantly become a star.
“Anne and Derek Lever from the magician’s club started work on Blackpool’s bid four years ago so it’s wonderful to see it finally arrive.”
There are two elements to the competition, illusion and close-up magic and hundreds of performers will amaze.
As well as the action on stage, the Empress Ballroom has become an Aladdin’s cave of the weird and wonderful as traders peddle their unusual wares.
From vibrant silk flowers, intricate swords, magic hats and even a wand or two, a magical treasure trove waits in store for visitors.
Addressing the competition, international president of FISM Eric Eswin said: “Expect an overwhelming magical explosion, a magical tsunami and memories which will last a lifetime.”


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TL;DR: As of Jan. 31, The Mini Weighted Blanket(opens in a new tab) is on sale for $126 instead of $149 — that's savings of 15%.
A weighted blanket is a great gift for any time of the year. But for a day all about love, thrown in the middle of winter, it makes for an even better one. If you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for your partner, parent, galentine, or even yourself (self-love, y’all), the Baloo Mini Weighted Blanket(opens in a new tab) is on sale for 15% off.
The Mini Weighted Blanket from Baloo (Mashable’s Best Gift Pick for a weighted blanket) is made from premium, chemical-free materials — like breathable 100 percent cotton and lead-free glass microbeads — that keep it soft, breathable, and durable. While it weighs in at nine pounds, it doesn’t feel particularly heavy when you’re underneath it. Instead, it feels like being embraced by a warm, cozy hug. That’s why so many people have invested in these blankets over the past few years.
While people swear by them as a means of calming stress and anxiety, research is still scarce. But there’s no harm in trying.
Smooth and fluffy, the blanket is perfect to snuggle up under for a binge-watching session, after a long day at work, or even at night when it’s time for bed. And at just 60 inches by 40 inches (hence the “mini” size), it’s particularly good for cozying up on the couch.
The Baloo Mini Weighted Blanket comes in aesthetically-pleasing color options like petal pink, aqua, and indigo — and it’s on sale for just $126(opens in a new tab) (regularly $149) for a limited time. If you order by February 3rd, it’ll arrive just in time for the big day.
Additionally, when you spend over $25 for Valentine’s Day, you’ll also get five automatic entries in the Love Blossoms Giveaway(opens in a new tab). That means you’ll have five chances to win $1K worth of long-lasting roses from Rose Box NYC.
Prices subject to change.


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The National Retail Federation has released its annual survey on consumer spending plans for Halloween.
Search / 6 results found Showing: 6 of 6
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 20 percent of pet owners plan to dress up their companions for Halloween.
The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) has developed a number of handmade pet couture and accessory ideas to help pet owners celebrate National Dress Up Your Pet Day on Jan. 15. Pet owners are invited to enter their handmade designs in the CHA Pet Costume Contest.
A pet is most likely to be dressed as pumpkin this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation's 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch.


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“It’s hard to breathe and I want to remove it as soon as possible.”
“I want to wait and see how it goes”
Mask wearing will be a personal decision from March 13th. On the other hand, I think there are many people who are thinking about what to do when the 13th arrives.
The country and experts say that there are situations where it is better to wear it after the 13th.
When should you wear a mask?
What will happen to the number of infected people in the future with mask relaxation?
It is summarized in Q&A format.
Regarding the wearing of masks as a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, the government has stated that from March 13, “whether or not to wear a mask will be the basic decision of the individual,” regardless of whether it is indoors or outdoors.
If the number of people wearing masks decreases due to the relaxation of masks, what will happen to the number of infected people in the future?
A group led by Professor Akimasa Hirata of Nagoya Institute of Technology used AI (artificial intelligence) to calculate “if half the people continue to wear masks on a daily basis” and “if 80% stop wearing masks”.
In a trial calculation, we used AI to calculate the average number of infected people per day in Tokyo for a week, assuming that a highly contagious mutant virus will not appear and the population will gradually return to the pre-corona level. .


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As governments in Holyrood and Westminster crawl along in first-gear to de-carbonise private and/or commercial motor transport, the private-sector energy and automotive industries are already racing ahead.
There is a clear view of the possible de-carbonised private motoring future which looks like this:
You leave your home in the morning to drive to work in your BPV (battery powered vehicle), or you drive to the shops for the groceries at the weekend and visit friends and family as well.
You then return to your home, plug your BPV into the nearest power-charger (either in your garage or parking space) where the car is charged-up overnight with free renewable energy power by solar and/or wind farms.
Repeat the next day, etc – and hey presto – mass market motor vehicles have been de-carbonised with BPVs.
But it will only happen gradually and not in the near future and will have little to with ‘worthy-but-sluggish’ government policy.
In the real world, the market-driven private sector will have come up a solution to de-carbonising transport.
(The real problem the snail-pace civil servants will be left grappling with is how to replace all those petrol taxes… but that’s a story for another day.)
Meanwhile, the East Lothian-based private-sector battery-power storage provider Sunamp – recently described by a Scottish energy minister as ‘the Scottish Tesla’ – has teamed up with the automotive and truck haulage industry – to increase the range (and hence lower the costs) of BPVs (battery powered vehicles).
Sunamp – the lead partner in a BPV project involving retailer Iceland Foods – has effectively inverted its leading-edge Heat Batteries to create a new cold storage technology that can maintain the required ambient temperature in the refrigerated cargo bay of the grocer’s local delivery vans.
The Sunamp system has a better power to weight ration and is more efficient than using Li-Ion batteries, helping to increase the vehicle’s payload capabilities by reducing the size of the traction battery pack.
This trial builds on Sunamp’s breakthrough research and development, under previous Innovate UK funding of Heat Batteries, for heating and air conditioning in electric cars and buses, with huge benefits in extending the useful range of these BPVs at low cost.
By separately providing battery power for cargo-load refrigeration, this reduces the demand on the drive-traction batteries used to make the BPV move – thereby increasing their operating range.
Home shopping delivery has witnessed explosive growth in the past few years, and EVs are increasingly playing their part in e-shopping fulfilment.
However, electric vans and trucks have so far been unable to make a significant impact in chilled goods delivery fleets due to insufficient range and payload capabilities – powering both the vehicle and the fridge unit either reduces payload due to a bigger battery pack, or reduces range.
A new combination of award-winning technologies and expertise aims to decouple the power requirements of the fridge unit and the drive train. It is targeting a significant improvement in the range, payload and performance of BPVs used for chilled goods logistics.
Iceland Foods, which pioneered home shopping delivery, is now deploying a unique new BPV delivery vehicle in its commercial fleet for trials.
Truck manufacturer Paneltex has modified one of its all-electric BPV trucks on a 5.5t Isuzu chassis for the project. The vehicle will be fitted with Sunamp’s innovative cold storage technology, while Livingston-based Route Monkey is providing its unique BPV fleet-operation optimisation algorithms.
Route Monkey’s unique BPV operating software optimises vehicle range by calculating factors such as route topography and scheduling deliveries of heavier loads at the beginning of the day. It will also plan the demo-vehicle’s deliveries in accordance with Iceland’s two-hour customer time windows.
The fourth consortium member, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP), is involved in dissemination of project results.
Andrew Bissell, Chief Executive of Sunamp – who has recently set up a dedicated automotive business unit in the company – said: “The partnership’s combined technology has the potential to be a genuine game-changer. If it proves as successful as we expect, it will have far-reaching applications in refrigerated vehicles and beyond.”
The project is part of a £38 million initiative funded by the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Innovate UK – the national innovation agency.
Colin Ferguson, Chief Executive, Route Monkey, said: “Fundamentally, our goal is to make BPV vans and trucks a far more attractive option for chilled goods home delivery fleets.”
Meanwhile, global oil goliath Shell is taking an “all-inclusive approach” to powering vehicles.
Matthew Tipper, Shell’s vice-president for new fuels and new energies said the $200 billion oil giant is investing in synthetic fuels and hydrogen, and is “interested” in battery-technology for BPVs.


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President Obama and SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet joined together over the weekend to launch the SupplierPay project. This project is the proposed solution to providing access to affordable and consistent working capital for entrepreneurs. SupplierPay also pledges to shorten payments or provide other creative financing solutions. For small business suppliers this will improve on-time payments, keep interest rates low, and increase supplier confidence to hire more workers and expand their operations through investments in new equipment, products, and people. So far 26 major corporations have signed up. The SBA is continuing to recruit more corporations in this effort to drive job and economic growth.President Obama is also renewing the QuickPay Initiative which was launched in 2011 for federal small business subcontractors.
Click the link below to learn more about these initiatives:


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Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are increasingly using renewable energy sources to power their own operations, new research has found.
Having solar panels installed onto roofs and utilising anaerobic digestion technologies are becoming more popular, according to a study conducted by Opus Energy, reports Edie Waste.
A third of those surveyed said they intended to introduce environmentally friendly methods of producing energy into their businesses.
Charlie Crossley Cooke, managing director for Opus Energy, told the news provider: “There’s real dynamism in the SME sector from people who are genuine entrepreneurs and we expect to see more examples of SMEs powering other businesses as well as their own.”
A further 38 per cent foretold their firms generating their own power from such methods by five years time.
The price of energy is of growing concern for many businesses, especially SMEs, as it can be one of the biggest costs after wages.
42 per cent of those thinking about investing in renewable energy generation said that it was due to the prospect of making extra revenue out of it.
More businesses are likely to be tempted to make the move if evidence is supplied that it will save them money in the future and could provide extra income for companies.
The research also found that 59 per cent of SMEs said they would be interested in generating their own energy if the government subsidised schemes to facilitate changes.
Mr Crossley Cooke said: “With so much talk around the consumer energy sector, we need to be championing the cause for business. We need more carrot than stick when it comes to the government’s intervention in renewable energy generation.”
British Gas has recently launched an initiative entitled Business Energy Insight which aims to help UK companies save energy.
Part of this process involves supplying them with smart meters in order to prove exactly how much energy is being consumed.


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Google removed the headphone jacks from Google Pixel 2 phones this year even though it mocked Apple iPhone last year for not having a headphone jack.
Google explained the reason behind why it removed the jack. Google wants to make the future Pixel phones as bezel-less as possible and removing the headphone jack was necessary to open the new design path. The headphone jack is a single purpose port and it takes a lot of space on a smartphone.
Google thinks that last year was “too early” to make a phone without a headphone jack. But now there are a lot of phones without a jack on the market so it is the right time to make the shift.
Here’s what the Google product chief Mario Queiroz told TechCrunch:
“The primary reason [for dropping the jack] is establishing a mechanical design path for the future. We want the display to go closer and closer to the edge. Our team said, ‘if we’re going to make the shift, let’s make it sooner, rather than later.’ Last year may have been too early. Now there are more phones on the market.”
But the question is, why Google removed the headphones jack and also did not completely remove the bezels which it aims to? That might be because Google wanted to place front facing speakers on Pixel 2 phones. Moreover, removing the headphone jack allowed Google to work on Pixel Buds, the Google’s own wireless earbuds.


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The Talbots Inc. on Wednesday reported narrower second-quarter losses than a year ago and positive customer response to fall merchandise, but said it expects a challenging second half.
The loss for the three months ended Aug. 1 was $24.5 million, or 45 cents a diluted share, versus a $25 million loss, or 47 cents, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding restructuring and impairment charges, the loss from continuing operations was $17.6 million, or 33 cents a share, better than the 52-cent loss expected by analysts, and higher than the adjusted loss of $9.4 million, or 17 cents, in last year’s quarter.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


text: After more than a year of negotiations, BMW/MINI has settled a class action lawsuit over the engine timing chain tensioner in some second-generation MINI models. The class action suit was initiated in March 2013 by plaintiffs Joshua Skeen and Laurie Freeman, both owners of a 2007 MINI Cooper S. The lawsuit covered R56 MINI Cooper S Hardtops, R57 Convertibles, and R55 Clubman from model year 2007 to 2010. The plaintiffs claimed the timing chain tensioner is faulty and over time can cause damage to engine valves due to improper valve timing. In extreme cases, the faulty tensioner caused the engine to quit when accelerating, sometimes in the middle of traffic. MINI issued a technical service bulletin for the issue but did not issue a recall or reimburse affected MINI owners, according to the complaint. According to Law360, BMW/MINI reached a â€œmultimillion-dollar settlementâ€ that would settle all claims. Class action participants will receive free extended warranties to 100,000 miles or seven years and will be reimbursed for engine repairs (typically costing $1,300 to $1,500).


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ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: ZI), a global leader in modern go-to-market software, data, and intelligence, today announced that it will host an analyst day on Thursday, June 2, at 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET, with presentations from Henry Schuck, Founder and CEO of ZoomInfo; Chris Hays, President and COO; Cameron Hyzer, CFO; and other members of its executive team. The live webcast will be available at https://ir.zoominfo.com/. Shortly after the event concludes, a replay will be available for a limited time.
ZoomInfo executives expect to participate in the upcoming investor events:
- J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference, May 23, 2022
- ZoomInfo Analyst Day, June 2, 2022
- Bank of America Global Technology Conference, June 7, 2022
- Stifel Cross-Sector Insight Conference, June 8, 2022
- Nasdaq Investor Conference, June 14, 2022
Conferences that have presentations that are publicly webcast, will be webcast live, and the replay will be available for a limited time through the company’s investor relations website. For more information on specific events, presentation times, and webcast details (if available), visit the “News & Events” section of the company’s investor relations website at https://ir.zoominfo.com.
ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: ZI) is a leader in modern go-to-market software, data, and intelligence for more than 25,000 companies worldwide. ZoomInfo’s revenue operating system, RevOS, empowers business-to-business sales, marketing, operations, and recruiting professionals to hit their number by pairing best-in-class technology with unrivaled data coverage, accuracy, and depth of company and contact information. With integrations embedded into workflows and technology stacks, including the leading CRM, Sales Engagement, Marketing Automation, and Talent Management applications, ZoomInfo drives more predictable, accelerated, and sustainable growth for its customers. ZoomInfo emphasizes GDPR and CCPA compliance. In addition to creating the industry’s first proactive notice program, the company is a registered data broker with the states of California and Vermont. Read about ZoomInfo’s commitment to compliance, privacy, and security. For more information about ZoomInfo’s leading go-to-market software, data, and intelligence, and how they help sales, marketing, operations, and recruiting professionals, please visit www.zoominfo.com.


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A rep for Electronic Arts announced a week ago that The Sims FreePlay will no longer be available in seven regions even while the company has been going gung-ho in pushing its diversity agenda within its games.
A community manager wrote on the EA Answers page…
“We’ve always been proud that our in-game experiences embrace values as broad and diverse as our incredible Sims community. This has been important to us, as we know it is to you.
“In light of regional standards, starting 5th July, 2018”
The seven regions include:
- Saudi Arabia
If the reports by most other outlets are to be believed, based on the wording from the community manager from EA, it was the whole diversity agenda that caused The Sims FreePlay to get hit with the regional axe in the aforementioned territories. If you already own a copy of the game in those territories you can still access The Sims FreePlay, but after July 5th, the game will no longer be available in the aforementioned regions.
According to Sims Community, they believe that it’s due to each of those regions have laws prohibiting the public promotion of LGBTQ content. They also rally around the belief that other Sims games could also get banned given that EA has been forcibly pushing more and more content into the games that appeal to Leftists.
The outlet writes…
“We’ve already seen examples of The Sims Team showing support towards the LGBT community through their promotional material. One of the biggest things they’ve done to allow more inclusion and diversity in the game was the CAS Gender Update, letting your Sims wear masculine or feminine clothing, change their physical frames between masculine and feminine, change their voice types and even allow them to get pregnant regardless of their gender.”
According to Newsweek, these features were added after Electronic Arts teamed up with GLAAD in order to make the game more “gender fluid”…
“In 2016, The Sims team showed its commitment to inclusivity with a Create-A-Sim update in collaboration with LGBTQ rights organization GLAAD, providing more gender fluidity — gender neutral clothing, unrestricted body types and pregnancy for all adult Sims. The update strengthened the foundation of the Sims, which has always embraced falling in love with anyone you want.”
It’s true, you can mix and match parts to make disconcerting characters, as evidenced with CaptainSauce‘s video.
According to the Sims Community website, they believe that EA’s agenda to further expand the spectrum of LGBTQIA content in The Sims franchise will eventually result in the other console and PC versions of the game getting banned as well…
“Considering the fact that EA and The Sims Team would rather show support and provide diverse gameplay to millions of players worldwide than to comply to homophobic regional standards, it’s only a matter of time before The Sims 4 and other Sims PC games also get banned in China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.”
Funnily enough, had EA simply added the features into the game without parading around content deemed illegal or unacceptable in other regions, the game may have still been available in those regions. However, instead of simply adding the options and letting discoverability takes it course, the company figured that they had to virtue signal these qualities and now they’re paying for it by seemingly having their content banned in those regions.
EA is also current going all-in on the feminist agenda, heavily promoting Battlefield V as a game women, featuring a disabled British woman as the main character leading the charge on the frontlines with a bionic prosthetic. This has caught the ire of a lot of the core fans, but EA told Battlefield fans that they were uneducated and that they shouldn’t buy the game if they don’t agree with their sociopolitical agenda.
At this rate the company may end up hurting its bottom line across multiple brands more than anything by putting politics ahead of profits.
(Thanks for the news tip Censored Gaming)


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Cointelegraph journalists at South by Southwest, or SXSW, in Austin, Texas reported that NFTs were everywhere this year, marking a new phenomenon for what began as a music festival in 1987. Since evolving into a film, tech and general culture gathering, and after a two-year hiatus, SXSW added blockchain programming to the mix with crypto-related panels, blockchain company sponsors and NFT community interactive experiences.
Two NFT communities with the largest physical presences at SXSW were Doodles and FLUF World who ran immersive, multi-day and multi-sensory experiences. They built physical installations at which attendees would wait in long lines to enter and interact with these virtual communities in real life. Cointelegraph got to the bottom of how these digital collections came to life at SXSW.
Doodles is a collection of generative hand-drawn NFTs of skeletons, cats, aliens, apes and mascots. Doodle holders and curious passersby could enter a Doodle-themed structure to buy a drink at the bar, get Doodles painted on their nails, eat some noodles and display owned Doodle NFTs throughout the exhibit. If a t-shirt or sticker purchase was made at the Shopify-powered gift shop, customers entered a raffle to win a Doodle.
gm austin. see u soon!https://t.co/VMd0BkbiX1#DoodlesSXSW #SXSW @BehrPaint @Shopify pic.twitter.com/05HCo5Vl7c
— doodles (@doodles) March 12, 2022
Cointelegraph spoke with the Doodles founding team about their mission at SXSW and the collection’s roadmap. According to co-founder Jordan Castro, AKA Poopie, Doodles hopes to leverage its brand strength, reach and resources to help NFT owners with their own entrepreneurial efforts by monetizing their Doodles.
“We are showing the world by example what we believe the future of brands to be; communities becoming stakeholders. It is our philosophy that communities will be the future flywheel of brand growth, and our approach is to foster successful, creative, technical and entrepreneurial talent from within our community.”
Doodles launched in October…


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Public vote opens for favourite sausage flavour as Essex farm celebrates 50 years of business
- Credit: Archant
A public vote has opened to choose a brand new sausage flavour in celebration of an Essex farm marking 50 years of business.
Wicks Manor, in Tolleshunt Major, started the competition – the Great Sausage Mash Up – to celebrate half a century of pig farming.
It launched in early July, with food fans encouraged to invent their own pork sausage flavour no matter how wild, wacky or traditional.
Now, the three generations of the Howie family – owners of the farm – have short-listed three recipes which will be put to a public vote.
The most popular will then be turned into a real, limited-edition sausage and stocked in a selection of East of England Co-op stores.
The choices are pork with honey, pork with chorizo and pork with sundried tomato.
The vote is open until September 14, with the winner announced the following day.
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- 2 Norwood set to stay... despite seven clubs showing interest
- 3 'He's made massive strides here' - Town recall striker Simpson from Swindon
- 4 The Secrets of Dunwich: East Anglia's lost capital
- 5 Villages shock as seven Suffolk postboxes stolen in 10 days
- 6 5 places to spot celebrities in Suffolk
- 7 Serious fire breaks out at home in Woodbridge
- 8 Cash machines stolen in ram raid at Tesco in Brandon
- 9 'Ludicrous' - Stanley boss on 'big turning point' in Town loss
- 10 6 roadworks to avoid in Suffolk this week
To vote, visit wicksmanorcompetition.com.