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The big word in 2020 appears to be “environmentally-friendly” at least in San Francisco’s popular cafe neighborhoods.
The famous disposable coffee cup is being ushered right out of the door and kicked to the curb so to speak.
It’s no secret that a number of cities in California have been leading the charge for a cleaner world for years now and hoping that recycling efforts and other effective programs would encourage more communities to follow the “green” suit.
For those San Franciscans and visitors there who enjoy a steaming cup of joe filled to the brim in the familiar paper to-go cups, they may now be holding a new kind of cup made from something else.
According to initiatives from some San Francisco coffeehouses, customers have been encouraged to bring their own reusable cups to these establishments when they purchase their joe or receive the beverage in a glass jar or even a rental mug.
So what’s the big deal about using disposable coffee cups?
Environmentalists explain that during the manufacturing process, the standard paper/carton cup is made with a plastic lining called polyethylene. The lining was designed to maintain your coffee’s hotness and to prevent leakage. Unfortunately, having the plastic added to the cup makes it impossible to recycle.
This is a huge global problem with more than 16 billion paper cups being used per year. By switching over to reusable cups or mugs or using glass jars or rental mugs for coffee, we would be saving more tress from being cut down, more gallons of water and more energy in the process.
The Blue Bottle coffee chain got the ball rolling for 2020 by giving its customers a choice at two of its San Francisco area branches. Either bring your own cup, or pay a deposit fee of $3 to $5 for a reusable mug.
Blue Bottle’s CEO, Bryan Meehan, knows that the concept will anger some folks and that the national chain with 70 locations could lose some loyal customers, but so be it. The company is prepared for the shock and awe that could follow.
After the pilot program picks up speed in San Francisco, Blue Bottle hopes to introduce it to its other coffeehouses across the country.
Chef Dominique Crenn plans to open a San Francisco cafe this year and also promises to avoid the disposable coffee cup routine. Crenn, who is famous for his Atelier restaurant, a three-star Michelin establishment, emphasizes that he will not only ban the disposable coffee cup but also say no to plastic and to-go bags. He will request that customers buying a cup of coffee to-go will have to BYO or bring-your-own mug.
Giant fast-food companies and chains are also feeling the pressure to do more for the environment in 2020, but banning disposable coffee cups would be impossible for these major brands to enact.
Instead, for example, both McDonald’s and Starbucks are collaborating with well-known recycling investment firm, Closed Loop, to manufacture a modern single-use cup that could be recycled and composted.
Meanwhile, most San Franciscans are taking the ban on disposable coffee cups at cafes in stride. Smaller area coffee cafes like Kedar Korde have switched to glass jars filled with coffee for their patrons and also ditched lids and straws.
Even San Francisco National Airport is picking up on the environmentally-friendly theme. The airport now sells water in glass bottles and aluminum cans and has said good-bye to the sale of water in plastic bottles.
Maybe the city of San Francisco cannot save the planet, but every green step has significant value down the road.
Visit https://tidewaternews.com for more breaking news.


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Although one study out of Stanford University found two years ago that organic produce isn't actually much more nutritious than the GMO or pesticide-laced foods, a new study claims that organically-grown produce might actually contain more antioxidants, which have been found to protect cells from aging effects, cancer, and heart disease.
Though the new study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that vitamin and mineral levels were about the same for all produce, there were more antioxidants in the organic fruits and vegetables.
According to NPR, the new study analyzed 343 studies conducted over the past several decades to reach this conclusion, while the Stanford University study used a pool of 200 studies for its findings.
However, NPR quoted Jeffrey Blumberg, a Tufts University nutrition expert, saying that the methodology used in either study might not actually lead to conclusive findings. Blumberg says this is because there is so much variation, from fertilizer and natural pesticide use, in organic farming and similar differences found in conventional farming. This makes it difficult to know if comparable farming practices are being analyzed and, if they were, those might not be like the ones utilized in farming the produce you buy at the market.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.

domain: news


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Of the figure, locally assembled cars totalled 3,439 units (down 61 percent) while imported vehicles numbered 841 (down 50 percent), according to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA).
VAMA members alone sold 3,679 vehicles last month, just half of January's figure.
The association attributed the fall to the high demand for vehicles in January ahead of the lunar New Year holiday and the low demand immediately afterwards. They added that February is a very short month, which also negatively affected the sales.
VAMA Chairman Laurent Charpentier acknowledged that two-month sales were down 1 percent from the previous year, but warned against undue pessimism.
Revenue in the first month of this year was extremely low due to an increase in registration fees introduced on January 1, he said.
Japanese Toyota retained its top position in sales last month, with 1,337 units sold, followed by Vietnamese carmaker Truong Hai.
Ford Vietnam ranked third, but retail sales rose more than 63 percent year-on-year to 351 vehicles, the highest increase recorded by any carmaker.
Its strong February performance allowed Ford to capture 8.3 percent of the overall vehicle market for the month.
VAMA has projected that overall car sales this year will rise 8 percent from 2012 to about 100,000 units.


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Shareholders in London-listed Just-Eat will receive 0.09744 Takeaway.com shares for each of share, implying a value of 731 pence per Just-Eat share, a 15% premium to the closing price on Friday.
Just Eat works by providing a single website which can be used to order takeaway and deliveries from many different restaurants and fast food houses.
Just Eat has confirmed it has reached "agreement in principle" with Dutch rival Takeaway.com over a £9bn combination that would create one of the world's largest online food delivery companies.
Shares in Just Eat jumped almost 23% to 780.2p on the news.
It later added that there was "no certainty" that a transaction would take place and "a further announcement will be made if and when appropriate". If the merger is approved, Jitse Groen, the current CEO of Takeaway.com, would become CEO of the new company, and Paul Harrison, the current CFO of Just Eat, would become the CFO of the new company.
Just Eat has dominated in a number of English-language markets, including the UK, Australia and Canada, as well as in South America and Europe.
"Takeaway.com has previously signalled that it wanted to consolidate the market and that it considered the United Kingdom to be one of the most attractive markets in Europe", Mould said. In December, the Dutch food delivery service giant bought German home delivery companies Lieferheld, pizza.de and Foodora from its German competitor Delivery Hero for €930m in a cash share deal.
Lukaku drops Manchester United exit hint with agent selfie
With that in mind, here are a couple of ideas regarding how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might use Dybala should the Argentine sign. Manchester United will start the new season with a clash against Chelsea FC on Sunday 11 August at Old Trafford.
Father: Canadian manhunt will end in son’s death
RCMP say there have been additional sightings of two young men wanted in the deaths of three people in northern B.C. The couple, who met in Croatia two years ago, had been travelling through B.C.in a van that belonged to Fowler.
Australian swimmer tests positive for banned substance
Jack said she did not know how she consumed Ligandrol - a substance she said can be found in contaminated supplements. I absolutely support Mack, he's entitled to say and do that on an issue that he is passionate about and we are too.


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• Charges are not evidence of guilt. Under law, individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
• Thieves stole a bar code scanner between 4:25 and 5:40 p.m. May 1 at Jewel, 1860 S. Arlington Heights Road. Value was estimated at $250.
• Thieves stole a package containing clothing and shoes between April 9 and May 1 delivered to a common delivery area in an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Rand Road. Value was estimated at $360.
• Alexander P. Campbell, 18, of the 200 block of Corrington Court, Streamwood, and Zachary J. Payne, 19, of the 0-100 block of Franklin Court, Streamwood, were arrested around 4:45 a.m. May 5 on the 100 block of First Avenue. Campbell was charged with theft and possession of marijuana. Payne was charged with theft and consumption of alcohol by a minor. A court date is June 11.
• Jessi L. Smith, 28, of the 34w900 block of South James Drive, St. Charles, was arrested around 4 p.m. May 2 on the 800 block of Carillon Drive and charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and theft under $300.
• Thieves stole a mailbox and post overnight May 3-4 at a home on the 200 block of Shawnee Circle. Value was estimated at $150. Vandals damaged a mailbox on the 800 block of Castlewood Lane. Damage was estimated at $100.
• A male passenger left a cab around 3:47 a.m. May 4 on the 1500 block of Trenton Lane without paying the $52 fare.
• Thieves stole a bicycle valued at $100 around 6 p.m. May 2 locked to the fence in front of the Depot museum, 1 Railroad Ave.
• Courtney M. Palutsis, 21, of the 1000 block of Churchill, Bolingbrook, was arrested around 3:52 a.m. May 7 at Lake and Ontarioville and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and DUI.
• Burglars stole a laptop computer valued at $800 between 4 and 9 p.m. May 2 out of an unlocked 1998 Volvo in a driveway on the 1500 block of Falcon Lane.
• Thieves stole a girls' unlocked purple mountain bike between 8:30 p.m. May 3 and 3 p.m. May 4 parked outside the front door at a home on the 1800 block of Jamestown Circle. Value was estimated at $129.
• Burglars stole a wheeled suitcase containing hair cutting tools between 11:40 p.m. May 6 and 12:01 a.m. May 7 out of a 2011 Toyota Camry in an apartment lot on the 900 block of Atlantic Avenue. Value was estimated at $100.
• Thieves stole a cellphone valued at $300 between April 22 and May 7 out of a box ordered from Walmart and delivered to a home on the 700 block of Hill Drive. The box arrived by FedEx but the cellphone was missing. According to the victim, when she called to complain, a Walmart employee told her that the phone may have been taken when the box was packed at the warehouse.
• Two men were seen on a security video taking four hard drives from a secured display shelf between 12:30 and 1 p.m. May 3 at Target, 2800 N. Sutton Road, Value was estimated at $660.
• Thieves stole a black and white bicycle between noon and 4:30 p.m. May 4 from the rear patio at a home on the 1900 block of Hancock. A witness saw a boy riding the bike at John Muir School, 1973 Kensington Lane.
• Two men made two trips into Jewel, 1485 Palatine Road, between 11:38 and 11:45 a.m. May 4 and stole 17 bottles of liquor including wine, champagne and whiskey. Value was estimated at $638.
• Burglars stole a radar detector and vehicle title between noon April 28 and 9 a.m. April 29 out of a 2000 Audi S4 in an apartment lot on the 1700 block of West Algonquin Road. Value was estimated at $430
• Thieves stole a wallet and cellphone between 8:10 and 8:25 p.m. April 26 out of a shopping basket at Fiesta Market, 1902 S. Elmhurst Road. Value was estimated at $660.
• Vandals smashed windows between 11 p.m. April 24 and 7:50 a.m. April 25 on a 2006 Honda CR-V on the 200 block of Andover Drive, a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze on the 0-100 block of Oakwood Drive, a 2004 GMC Envoy on the 0-100 block of Stonegate Drive East, and a 2006 Jeep Commander on the 1000 block of Wildwood Drive East. Damage was estimated at $1,200.
• Thieves stole a red 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier between 8 p.m. April 29 and 9:15 a.m. April 30 out of an apartment lot on the 500 block of Wimbledon Circle.
• Burglars broke into a 2008 Dodge Caravan between 11 p.m. April 24 and 5:45 a.m. April 25 and stole $20 and five CDs.
• Thieves stole the driver's-side mirror between 2 and 10 p.m. April 26 from a 2005 Chevrolet parked in a hotel lot at 2855 N. Milwaukee Ave. The mirror was carefully disconnected. Value was estimated at $100.


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The long-awaited unveiling of GoPro’s first drone, Karma, will occur in less than three weeks according to the company’s Twitter feed which included a short video today announcing the first time the world will see this new product (first new product since the Hero 4 camera in nearly two years) from the action camera maker. GoPro has for all intents and purposes said nothing about the Karma except that they were building it.
GoPro has had quite the ride since announcing the Karma drone
GoPro Inc (NASDAQ:GPRO) by definition has had quite a few wild rides on the helmets of skydivers, the handlebars of mountain bikers and countless more examples but I was actually speaking to the company’s stock price. The confirmation that GoPro would be producing its own drone rather than simply seeing its cameras mounted on a number of drone offerings from companies like DJI and Parrot (yes, I know they have their own internal cameras as well) came in May of 2015 at the Code Conference.
It was there that consummate “wouldn’t you be better off with a backpack and surfboard?” CEO Nick Woodman told the world that the company was working on “the ultimate GoPro accessory.” It was then and there that we also learned that the Karma drone would be released in the first half of 2016. Well, that clearly didn’t happen but you can hardly blame the company’s beach bum CEO for suggesting it as GoPro was trading at about $53 when the announcement was made. If you’re still holding GoPro stock from May of 2015 at $53 you’re likely kicking yourself right now. Let’s not forget that GoPro went public at around $35 in June of 2014 before quickly beginning its ascent to its historic high of $89.67 by September of the same year.
So in May 2015, when the Karma was announced, $53 wasn’t instilling customer confidence but a new product announcement did see it heading upwards like a drone. And that was about the last time the company’s stock would trend up, today GoPro closed its day at $14.53.
Again, it’s been a wild ride, but the company is finally, and seemingly, ready to show us what it’s been working on and what the wait has been about. Last week, when GoPro announced that it would begin to produce its own shows and following an interview with Woodman, Variety announded that “GoPro is expected to officially unveil its next-generation consumer camera, dubbed the Hero 5, in the coming weeks.”
I think it’s a reasonably safe assumption that we will see the flagship Hero 5 unveiled on September 19 alongside the Karma Drone.
— GoPro (@GoPro) September 1, 2016
So what do we know about the GoPro’s Karma?
Absoulutely nothing. It’s as if Woodman and GoPro have stolen a page from Steve Jobs/Tim Cook and Apple. The occasional rumor? Sure. Anything concrete? Anything at all? Absolutely not, squat, bupkis. Nothing from the supply chain, no photos, not even drunken bragadoccio from an engineer working on the project trying to impress someone.
But we do know what it needs to do if it’s to compete with DJI and Parrot. It’s going to need to turn heads and at a comparable price point or the company shouldn’t expect to chop into either companies’ (along with others) market share.
Drones, including those by DJI and Parrot, are not particularly compact. In fact, they are bulky and frankly a bit of a pain in the ass if you were traveling or walking. In February, Patent Yogi showed designs for a drone that was compact and folded up quite nice. The engineer responsible is presently working at GoPro in what we can only imagine the Karma division. If he was able to apply this to GoPro’s first drone, well, the company might just have something.
I’m not drone expert, but I know enough to know that the Karma will need to be able to fly a preset flight path programmed either via tablet or smartphone. It’s a standard feature and GoPro will be laughed at if it can’t provide. Additionally, it’s going to need a handy app to work that out or its dead in the water.
Obstacle avoidance is also a must as is the ability to track an object through the aforementioned app or with a tracking device worn by the user is key. Anything else would spell failure as well.
But what about a game changer?
That’s easy, the best integrated camera in the drone market would certainly stand out on its own.
But, GoPro can even do better. Assuming that the Karma will comfortably carry the Hero 5 is a start but a badass Hero 5 would really go a long way towards helping sales of both products.
But even better yet? The ability to get the Omni into the skies. The Omni is GoPro’s 360-degree rig and that would be a true game changer for the Karma as VR becomes more and more common place and demanded by viewers around the world.
We shall see on September 19.


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Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak recently made some comments concerning Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s upcoming IPO. In an interview with Bloomberg, Woz said that Zuckerberg was a combination of himself and Apple’s other co-founder, Steve Jobs. Woz cited Zuckerberg’s shrewd business sense combined with his passion for engineering and tinkering, with the latter set of qualities embodying Woz’s expertise.
Not only did Woz praise Facebook for its upcoming IPO valued at $96 billion, but he also said that he would invest in Facebook regardless of the opening price.
Woz called Zuckerberg an “acute businessman” with the ability to understand “markets and what people want.” The relationship between Steve Jobs and Woz in the early days of Apple is common knowledge; Woz was the engineer and scientist while Jobs was the master marketer. “I see Mark Zuckerberg as closer to the combination of us,” said Woz in the Bloomberg interview.
Under the close direction of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook recently acquired Instagram for a record-setting $1 billion. Unfortunately, Woz didn’t share this thoughts on the deal.


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Investors around the world will be closely following China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), which kicks off this weekend, for signals about which sectors are likely to benefit from President Xi’s latest political and economic developments.
The NPC is one of the most important political events in the world’s second-largest economy. It is the annual meeting of the highest organ of state power and the country’s top legislative body.
Nigel Green, CEO and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory, asset management and fintech organisations, says: “Investors always closely watch the NPC for any indicators about changes in economic policies that could impact financial markets and business in China – but this year’s event is more critical.
“This is the first NPC since China has moved away from its zero-Covid policy to combat the pandemic. It also comes as Xi tightens his grip on power.”
“Global investors will be looking for signals on China’s policy priorities and goals, and potential opportunities and risks.”
He believes that there are likely to be five sectors that could benefit from the latest policy agenda to be set out this weekend.
First, tech. “China’s focus on innovation and tech has been a major theme in previous NPC events. Beijing has committed to increasing investment in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and 5G.
“Domestic and foreign companies involved in these sectors could receive increased government support,” affirms Nigel Green.
Second, infrastructure. “The NPC typically includes rhetoric about infrastructure investment, including plans for new roads, railways, amongst other public works projects.”
Third, healthcare. The deVere Group CEO notes that “China’s ageing population has led to increased demand for healthcare services, and the government has made improving healthcare a priority, including further investment in areas such as medical research, new hospitals and pharmaceuticals.”
Fourth, renewable energy. “Beijing has set ambitious targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions, and the NPC often includes highlights on how it aims to achieve these targets.”
Fifth, consumer goods. Nigel Green says: “As China’s middle class continues to grow, there’s increasing demand for quality consumer goods. Entities involved in areas such as retail, luxury goods, and e-commerce will benefit from increased consumer spending.”
Last week, President Xi encouraged bankers in China to ‘clean up’ their western lifestyles and be less ‘hedonistic.’
“This reflects his wider aim to promote traditional Chinese values, tackle corruption, and maintain social stability and a more modest way of life,” says the deVere CEO.
“The importance of this event for global investors, which will shape the world’s second-largest economy, cannot be overestimated,” he concludes.


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The promise of 100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is massive scalability to help meet the growing demand for Internet bandwidth. It’s a promise that networking vendor Brocade (NASDAQ:BRCD) is aiming to deliver on with its new MLXe Core router, which can deliver up to 15.36 Terabits per second.
The MLXe core router promises increased density over Brocade’s previous generation MLX core router and can scale to 32 x 100 GbE ports. With the MLXe, Brocade is positioning against the Juniper T1600 and Cisco’s CRS-3 for a greater share of the core routing market.
“This is a native 100 GbE port and on top of this we can also get to terabit rates by combining up to 16 ports into a single trunk,” Ananda Rajagopal, senior director of service provider products at Brocade, told InternetNews.com.
The 100 GbE standard was ratified in June by the IEEE. The IEEE 802.3ba 100 GbE standard had been in development since at least July of 2007. Multiple vendors including Juniper, Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent have already announced their own respective 100 GbE offerings.
Rajagopal noted that Brocade has been working with its partners, including testing vendor Ixia, to ensure that 100 GbE modules are compliant with the new standards. He added that Brocade has been involved in interoperability plug fests to ensure compatibility.
From a technology perspective, Rajagopal said the ability to deliver the high-density MLXe platform involves some “secret sauce” from Brocade.
“The secret sauce of the 100 GbE module is Brocade’s own technology and the reason why we can scale so well is due to the highly distributed nature of the MLXe platform,” Rajagopal said. “We’ve taken the packet processing from what used to be a 40 gigabit per second full duplex pipeline, to a 100 gigabit per second full duplex pipeline using Brocade’s intellectual property. It’s not much in silicon, it’s something that has been developed in-house by Brocade.”
While the MLXe router is the new flagship core router for Brocade, the company said it isn’t leaving owners of the earlier MLX router behind in the race to 100 GbE; a new 100 GbE module will also be available for the MLX router as well. Brocade has been shipping the MLX platform since 2006. There is at least one key difference between the MLX and MLXe, namely scale.
“On the existing MLX platform you can scale up to a peak scalability of 16 ports of 100 GbE,” Rajagopal said. “As we looked at our technology assets and the needs of the market and growth in terms of video, we thought it was imperative to have a very high scale of 100 GbE. In a nutshell the MLXe can provide up to 32 ports of 100 GbE in a single platform.”
For those companies not ready to make the jump to 100 GbE yet, the MLXe also offers improved density for 10 GbE port as well. The MLXe can scale up to 256 ports of 10 GbE and 1,536 x 1 GbE ports per system.
Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at InternetNews.com, the news service of Internet.com, the network for technology professionals.


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Producer Jean-Francois Boivin of AC: Brotherhood said recently the series would be passing on 2011. 'Not their decision' says CEO Guillemot.
"The decision is not theirs,” Guillemot said in response to Boivin's words about Assassin's Creed taking a year off, as it were, reports VG247. "It would not be right to comment right now." Brotherhood is the next entry but it's a spinoff of AC2's Ezio.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC November 16th in the US, 19th in Europe. The PC version uses Ubi's highly controversial DRM servers.


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The problems of the automobile sector when faced with the coronavirus crisis
When the general state of alarm was declared around the world, with lockdown measures and reduced mobility, suddenly one of the most common things that became most unnecessary was the car.
The majority of people stopped moving about, so plans to change the car or buy a new one were left in limbo for almost all consumers.
Car factories also had to close, as well as dealerships. All of the big brands had losses: Ford, Volkswagen, Renault, Daimler, etc.
Now that the measures are starting to relax a little more in China, Europe, and the United States — the main industry markets in terms of manufacturing and distribution —, it’s time to analyze if the sector will once again be like it was before.
No factories, no dealerships, no sales: A global drop
The PSA Group calculates a market reduction of 25% in Europe and Latin America, 10% in China, and 20% in Russia. Likewise, BCG’s Automotive and Center for Macroeconomics foresees general drops in sales of between 14% and 22% in China, Europe, and the United States for the rest of 2020.
The plants have reopened with strict safety measures and dealers are beginning to give appointments, although the social distancing measures make it more difficult to test drive cars with an employee. Many consumers continue to be reluctant to make a physical visit.
Before the coronavirus crisis, the automobile sector was facing changes in demand and consumption that could be accelerated – such as electric cars. These months have shown that the industry needs to face not only adaptations in what they have to offer but also in the way they sell and go about the supply chain.
Automobile brands that want to stand out during recovery will have to adapt to industrial cycles that are faster and planning periods that are shorter. Additionally, they’ll have to prioritize incentives that best align with whatever direction the sector goes in, such as operations with home deliveries and the digitalization of the car buying process.
Impact on the industry over the medium and long term
According to analyses by Deloitte and Google, the worries of car manufacturers and dealers are related with the need to change the production pace and the sales means:
- Cycles will be faster and there will be less time to plan them. The pandemic’s evolution is so unpredictable that manufacturers will no longer be able to work with the calendars they used to have.
- The global crisis and the reduction of consumption associated therewith will bring about a general reduction in profits in the sector.
- Funds that were once marked for technologically innovative initiatives could have to be sacrificed and reallocated towards maintaining operations.
- Production’s dependence on components from other countries and continents could bring about supply problems.
- Health measures have become vital for the safety of employees in plants and at dealerships.
- The sales model will face restructuring, forced forward by digitalization. Car manufacturers and dealers will have to adapt their protocols to share information and catalogs online, and make it easier to buy cars remotely. PIM (Product Information Management) technology is becoming quite demanded on all fronts to face this challenge of sales digitalization.
New trends in the automobile sector after COVID-19
Greater dependency on private cars
According to Cars.com, since the start of the crisis in March, more than 93% of consumers say they use their personal vehicle more now.
A fear of picking up the virus and a reduction of many means of public and commercial transport have brought with them a greater dependence on private cars for the majority of the population for basic trips, like going to the supermarket, or more necessary trips like going to work or health centers.
On the one hand, this is positive for the sector as suddenly competition with taxis, Uber, rental cars, and car sharing has been reduced as these services no longer have consumers’ trust. Nevertheless, we must take into account the financial evolution of each country to understand if the purchase of personal vehicles will really increase.
A report by BCG states that the population currently considers the car as the safest means of transport. Private cars will be preferred after the lockdowns and for vacation trips – trips which will no longer be in herds nor to exotic, far-off places.
China seems to be amongst the regions with the greatest intention to buy, as many of those surveyed said that they would like to buy a vehicle for reasons of safety and health. Also according to Cars.com, 20% of those surveyed in the United States who did not have a car were considering buying one.
Interest in discounts on cars
Consumers are acting cautiously, tightening their belts wherever they can. For the purchase of a new car, which is such an expense, lightening up the payment is going to be another of the most important measures for the sector’s survival.
For example, many automobile manufacturers have begun to offer financing with no interest, discounts on cash sales, and deferment of payments with no penalties. Hyundai has been one of the quickest brands to respond to the pandemic and readjustments in demand by promoting its Hyundai Assurance program, which covers payments for up to 6 months if the buyer loses his or her job during the coronavirus crisis.
Another effect of this inclination towards savings is that buyers have begun more than before to compare different types of models between different manufactures, as well as their prices and special offers. This makes access to catalog information and digital positioning very important.
Looking at a car over Zoom? Why not?
The majority of the cars that are most attractive to consumers are those that have been in a spectacular ad on TV. An increase in internet use as a result of the lockdown is something that favors the automobile showcase’s becoming increasingly virtual.
In not so much time, it will be possible to attend realistic car debuts with virtual reality glasses or projection-based augmented reality that will allow consumers to calculate if a certain model will fit in a small garage or in the yard. Meanwhile, videos are a great ally of the car industry after COVID.
This is true both in terms of private presentations and business presentations now that fairs and events have been canceled until further notice. Hyundai once again stayed a step ahead of the trend with a live presentation of its new Elantra model that reached 800,000 views.
Say goodbye to the dealership: Remote shopping is here
If a car can be looked over remotely, why not buy it from home too?
Although it may seem impossible to make such an investment without having test driven the car, in reality the buying process can be made digital in almost all of its phases. And it’s not only that it’s possible: it’s something that more and more consumers are demanding.
For example, an online purchase process that is acting as an alternative to the dealership could find support from all these resources:
- Live streaming presentations
- Review and test driving videos
- Digital and virtual showcases
- Virtual reality test drives
- Personal service via videoconferencing
- An online configurator to personalize your model
YouTube had already developed digital test drives, although there can always continue to be appointments for in-person test drives to reduce visits to dealerships and contact with staff to a minimum. What’s more, once a buyer has made his or her choice online, he or she can receive the car at home or pick it up at a dealership, like the classic ecommerce “click and collect” option.
According to a Google Surveys study amongst people who are thinking about buying a vehicle over the next 12 months, 92% of car buyers already do some searching online and 18% would buy a car sooner if they could do so online.
The adaptation of the automobile sector to the “new normal” brought on by COVID-19 is irreversible.
Applying streamlined reaction strategies throughout the supply chain, digitalizing the sales process, and taking care of consumers’ concerns are the three areas of action that guarantee success for car manufacturers and dealers.
Buyers will begin to realize how important it is to see and compare car catalogs online with complete, personalized, and up-to-date information.
A Product Information Management solution helps to speed up the work of adapting to digital sales, and it makes it easier to control contents and prices by country. Try the Sales Layer PIM solution for 30 days free of charge and be sure you have this key piece for the new sales race.


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New York, September 2020– Bankai Group will be attending the East Africa Com, a virtual event organized for telecoms, fintech, and technology leaders. The event will be showcasing the positive impact of tech to drive East Africa’s digital economy and explore the most important topics of connectivity, digital inclusion, disruptive technologies, and the future of technology ecosystem. In the wake of COVID-19, the event will be held virtually this year from 14 – 15 September 2020.
Bankai Group helps telecom operators and carriers in providing global coverage to their customers. The company has exclusive traffic arrangements with MNOs, MVNOs, enterprise customers and more to provide multi-service level offerings. Bankai Group’s A-Z voice termination services are available across the world.
Further on, with a focus on financial inclusion, Panamax is looking forward to connecting with banks and financial institutions to discuss how Digital Financial Solutions such as MobiFin Elite can help their businesses increase profit margins. Fintech Solutions by Bankai Group’s technology arm – Panamax, have helped enterprises, FIs, operators, aggregators and merchants to provide innovative and customer-oriented solutions and services.
ABOUT EAST AFRICA COM VIRTUAL
East Africa Com Virtual, the region’s leading digital transformation event, brings together experts and industry stakeholders from across telecommunications, technology and digital media in a premium two-day ICT event; it connects and informs the entire East African digital ecosystem.
This year’s East Africa Com has gone virtual. The two-day event will continue to explore the most important topics across the themes of connectivity, digital inclusion, and disruptive technologies, whilst also uncovering the future of the region’s tech ecosystem.
In many ways, the virtual events work much the same as face-to-face events, with the best existing features from the live event transferring across to the digital experience. East Africa Com Virtual will also be adding an abundance of new features designed to help businesses stay ahead of the curve, explore industry trends and tech innovators plans, while networking with executives across the regions ecosystem – all from their own home.
About Bankai Group
Bankai Group is a globally recognized leader in the ICT and services sector, with interests in the wholesale & retail voice and telecom technology business. For the last 30 years, it has been instrumental in providing the ultimate Voice & SMS Carrier Solutions worldwide with exceptional competence in IP interconnects. Bankai Group helps automate the businesses of telecom operators, carriers and service providers through an automated carrier platform and also offers indigenously developed Digital Financial Solutions, Revenue Management and Network Switching Solutions for Fintech and Telecom industries through Panamax.


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Our tax dollars may be making us fat.
A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that people whose diets include heavy doses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and other heavily subsidized commodity crops are more likely to suffer from obesity and metabolic diseases than those who avoid these ingredients.
Comparing the typical eating habits of more than 10,308 adults between the ages 18 and 64, CDC researchers found that those who consumed the foods with the most government-subsidized ingredients had a 37 percent greater risk of obesity. They were also significantly more likely to have high blood-cholesterol and blood-sugar levels, and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker for biological aging and a variety of chronic conditions.
The study results, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, do not prove that subsidized food causes obesity and other health issues. But the researchers note the correlation in the data and state that this is consistent with other medical research showing that diets high in subsidized foods tend to be more harmful to participants’ health.
More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and it comes as no surprise to many experts that junk foods provide our largest calorie sources. According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee — a panel of 13 nutrition experts charged with helping develop federal nutrition standards — the top-10 sources of calories are led by grain-based desserts, including cookies, cakes, pies, and doughnuts, followed by soda, energy drinks, pizza, and pasta.
What these foods have in common are their main ingredients: wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, sorghum, dairy, and meat. And these foodstuffs are all heavily subsidized by the U.S. government.
In its 2012 study Apples to Twinkies: Comparing Taxpayer Subsidies for Fresh Produce and Junk Food, the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) put it this way: “The subsidies damage our country’s health and increase the medical costs that will ultimately need to be paid to treat the effects of the obesity epidemic. Taxpayers are paying for the privilege of making our country sick.”
The U.S. PIRG study goes on to state that, “If these agricultural subsidies went directly to taxpayers to allow them to purchase food, each of America’s 141 million taxpayers would be given $7.58 to spend on junk food and 27 cents to spend on apples each year—enough to buy 21 Twinkies but just over half of one Red Delicious apple.”
Between 1995 and 2010, the U.S. government paid out $170 billion in agricultural subsidies to finance the production of these seven major subsidized commodities, according to a July 19, 2016, New York Times report entitled “How the Government Supports Your Junk Food Habit” by Anahad O’Connor.
“While many of these foods are not inherently unhealthy, only a small percentage of them are eaten as is,” the Times notes. “Most are used as feed for livestock, turned into biofuels, or converted to cheap products and additives like corn sweeteners, industrial oils, processed meats, and refined carbohydrates.”
Stocking your kitchen with whole foods can help you avoid many of these products and shift you toward healthier eating habits. For shopping tips and simple recipes, read “The Clean-Eats Pantry” from our May 2008 issue.
Top-10 Sources of Calories in the Standard American Diet
Americans get the most calories from these foods, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
- Grain-based desserts, including cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars
- Yeast-risen breads
- Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes
- Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks
- Alcoholic beverages
- Pasta and pasta dishes
- Mexican mixed dishes
- Beef and beef-mixed dishes
- Dairy desserts, including ice cream


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Amazon, Apple, Google and Facebook are too powerful and will likely emerge from the coronavirus pandemic even stronger, the head of a US congressional antitrust committee said Wednesday at a high-stakes hearing featuring the CEOs of the four US tech giants.
“Simply put, they have too much power,” Representative David Cicilline said in his opening remarks at the hearing expected to feature a grilling of the leaders of the technology companies.
US tech giants may grow stronger than ever post-COVID
“Whether it’s through self-preferencing, predatory pricing, or requiring users to buy additional products, the dominant platforms have wielded their power in destructive, harmful ways in order to expand,” the Democrat from Rhode Island said.
“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these corporations already stood out as titans in our economy,” Cicilline said. “In the wake of COVID-19, however, they are likely to emerge stronger and more powerful than ever before.”
Republican Representative Jim Sensenbrenner struck a more moderate tone, saying “being big is not inherently bad.”
“Quite the opposite, in America you should be rewarded for success,” Sensenbrenner said.
The unprecedented joint appearance before the House Judiciary Committee features Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sundar Pichai of Google and its parent firm Alphabet https://t.co/wVnV5cjLK2
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) July 29, 2020
The unprecedented joint appearance — remotely by video — before the House Judiciary subcommittee features Tim Cook of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Sundar Pichai of Google and its parent firm Alphabet.
The hearing is part of a probe into the competitive market landscape and antitrust law, but questioning is likely to veer into other areas such as hate speech and content moderation, economic inequality, privacy and data protection and even claims of political “bias” from President Donald Trump and his allies.
Ahead of the hearing, the top executives of the US tech giants sought to offer an upbeat assessment of the tech landscape, highlighting their roots and values and how the companies have benefitted average Americans.
“An important way we contribute is by building products that are helpful to American users in moments big and small, whether they are looking for a faster route home, learning how to cook a new dish on YouTube, or growing a small business,” Pichai said in his remarks.
The American dream for US tech giants
Cook said Apple is “a uniquely American company whose success is only possible in this country,” and that the California giant is “motivated by the mission to put things into the world that enrich people’s lives.”
Bezos, in his first appearance before a congressional committee, spoke of his modest upbringing and initial backing from his parents to start Amazon and its early losses of billions of dollars.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg are testifying before a House subcommittee to address concerns that their businesses may be harming competition. https://t.co/9jN367Qygl
— CNN (@CNN) July 29, 2020
“I walked away from a steady job into a Seattle garage to found my startup, fully understanding that it might not work,” said Bezos, who is the world’s richest person based on his Amazon stake.
Zuckerberg called social media colossus Facebook a “proudly American company” and added that “our story would not have been possible without US laws that encourage competition and innovation.”
But hours ahead of the hearing, fast-growing video app TikTok accused Facebook of “maligning attacks” that are part of a movement “disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US.”
TikTok welcomes “fair competition” chief executive Kevin Mayer said in a blog post, while adding that “without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices.”
Political drama may distract from the real issues
The hearing is part of a congressional probe into “online platforms and market power” and takes place against a backdrop of antitrust investigations in the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
Current US antitrust laws make it difficult for enforcers to target companies simply for being large or dominant without also showing harm to consumers or abuse of market power.
The committee, however, could lay a blueprint for antitrust in the digital era that would require a fundamental rewrite of the century-old competition rules.
Some analysts say the hearing could offer fresh insights into how Big Tech “platforms” squelch competition by buying rivals or copying products from rivals.
Apple’s hefty commissions for its App Store and Amazon’s dealings with third-party sellers are expected to come under scrutiny.
Google, which has faced antitrust investigations in Europe, will face questions on whether it favors its own services to the detriment of rivals and Facebook for its dominance of the social media landscape including its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
Robert Atkinson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank often aligned with the sector, said the political theater may distract from the issue of competition and focus on issues “from privacy to political speech.”
“These companies create enormous value for hundreds of millions of users and small businesses,” Atkinson said. “Congress shouldn’t twist antitrust law to launch an ill-defined broadside on internet platforms as a class.”
AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk


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Economists with real-estate brokerage CBRE Group Inc. say in a report released Wednesday that new warehouse space is getting gobbled up as soon as it’s completed. In the second quarter, demand for industrial space went beyond the 49 million square feet that came online, but supply and demand are edging closer to equilibrium..
As consumers increasingly do their shopping on the internet — even buying big, bulky items like furniture off the internet — the availability of warehouse space to store those goods and fulfill orders continues to decline across the U.S. In the second quarter, industrial real estate availability fell to 7.2 percent, the lowest measure since 2000, CBRE economists said.
The industrial availability rate — which includes properties that are vacant or will soon be vacant — has now fallen for a record 32 consecutive quarters, according to CBRE, the longest stretch of declines since the firm began tracking the data in 1988.
Overall the market is “remarkably balanced,” said Tim Savage, senior managing economist for CBRE. He said industrial developers have been able to respond quickly to most of the demand in many markets because the structures are relatively simple to build: “Just four walls and a roof.”
Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.


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Google to host first DevFest in Hyderabad, Pune
Google India is organizing DevFest 2010, a developer conference, in Hyderabad on February 27, 2010 and in Pune on March 3, 2010. Google DevFest will be a one day developer gathering of in-depth, technical sessions on how to build the next generation applications with open web technologies, including Google products and services. It will also include presentations by partners such as Lepton Software, Impetus Technologies and OrangeScape that have built solutions on Google APIs.
Rajdeep Dua, Head - Developer Relations, Google India, said, "Google believes in Open Web and supports new web standards like HTML 5 for a faster and a more open web. Our APIs and developer platforms leverage these standards to help developers build better solutions for the web."
"Google has released over 60 developer APIs for its products and this conference is one in a series of initiatives which will help in fostering economic opportunity through the development and growth of India’s web development Industry," he added.
Google DevFest will focus on sharing latest offerings for Google developers that include: App Engine, Maps APIs, Chrome Extensions, Orkut APIs and the new HTML standard which has already been adopted by a wide variety of browsers. The format is a mix of in-depth, technical breakout sessions and informal Q&A. Attendees can also engage with senior Google engineers during the event.
- Google’s new campaign to unleash the power of Indian women
- Content analytics remains a weak spot for marketers
- Amazon to recruit 13,500 more in Hyderabad by 2016
- IT sector in AP still under ambiguity
- Wipro’s new center to drive multi-channel apps for enterprises
- Google search expands to 7 times more locations
- What makes tech companies great places to work?
- Yahoo gets more clicks, but Google makes more money
- Yahoo beats Google
- Do bad guys make great tech CEOs?


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by Michèle Shah
Northern Italy s Prosecco Consorzio di Tutela di Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the official body controlling the production of DOC Prosecco is up in arms over the imminent launch of an Austrian canned non-DOC Prosecco under the name Rich Prosecco. According to Giancarlo Vettorello, director of the Consorzio, this could be a case of fraud. Right now our lawyers are discussing the issues, said Vetorello. Our concern is the damage this may cause to the image of our authentic product which comes from the DOC area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, in the province of Treviso.
Rich Prosecco produced under the IGT appellation, in the province of Treviso, is sold in bulk by the Cantina Sociale Colli del Soligo to the Austrian company G.A. Workshop GmbH. Paris Hilton,well-known daughter of the proprietor of the Hilton Hotel chain, is the star of the publicity campaign which is rumoured to have cost an enormous fee. The only way the DOC will be able to protect its authenticity, is by limiting the use of the name Prosecco to the authentic area of production, which is the DOC area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, and its time the Region of Veneto did something about enforcing this law, concluded Vettorello.


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(Repeats story filed late on March 30 to additional subscribers)
NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Novell Inc NOVL.O said a U.S. jury had ruled that it is the owner of copyrights related to Unix computer technology, which SCO Group SCOXQ.PK had asserted as its own.
Novell said the decision by the jury in the District Court of Utah was good news for both the company and Linux, a related open-source computer operating system. Novell said it was committed to promoting Linux.
Earlier this month Novell rejected a $2 billion takeover offer from investment fund and shareholder Elliott Associates.
It had said the offer. which valued it at $5.75 a share, was inadequate. The company’s stock closed at $5.84 on Tuesday. (Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)


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Nordic Choice Hotels has now confirmed a cyber attack on its systems from the Conti ransomware group.
The incident primarily impacts the hotel’s guest reservation and room key card systems.
Although there is no indication of passwords or payment information being affected, information pertaining to guest bookings was potentially leaked.
The Scandinavian hotel chain, with its brands—Comfort, Quality, and Clarion, employs over 16,000 staff members and has 200 properties across Scandinavia, Finland, and the Baltics.
Key cards out of service
Earlier this week, Nordic Choice Hotels group announced its IT systems were hit by a “computer virus” on Thursday, December 2nd.
The incident left the hotel staff without access to the hotel’s reservation systems that manage check-in, check-out, payments, and bookings.
Although the staff switched to manual procedures to carry out business operations, the hotel advised guests that delays are to be expected.


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With Dell striking a new deal to acquire EMC for a staggering $67 billion, it's hard to see what Dell, EMC, and VMware will get from such an arrangement. Is it a meeting of multiple like minds or a huddling of the dinosaurs? Here are four of the major takeaways from this news, as it affects the three companies.
1. VMware isn't going anywhere -- for now
Despite Dell taking what amounts to a majority stake in VMware via tracking stock, the latter is still operating as a publicly traded company with its own board and (existing) CEO. Any changes in VMware's day-to-day operations won't likely show up for months.
When and if this happens, it'll likely be due to Dell pushing its hardware as part of a converged solution using VMware. Dell, VMware, and EMC already have experience in converged infrastructures, so for them to work together is more a matter of scale than logistics.
The bigger question; Will any of that matter?
2. For Dell and EMC, this is a holding action
Though strategically beneficial, this union isn't innovative. It's yet another instance of Dell and EMC (and VMware) struggling to distinguish themselves in the face of competition.
Dell's battles have been prominent. When the company's profits and revenues tanked with the contraction in the PC market, it responded by trying to reposition itself as a services-and-software company a la the post-PC IBM, but apparently got more of a lifeline out of going private. Its once-thriving server business has been hammered by the growth of commodity cloud offerings and the rise of cheap hardware from the likes of Lenovo. Its recent server-level products have been collaborations with folks like Cloudera and Microsoft -- the latter, ironically enough, allowing better hybrid integration with Azure. Dell has been looking for a trend, any trend, from which to snag some wind.
EMC has faced its own problems. The federated organization between itself, VMware, RSA, and Pivotal has drawn fire from investors and pundits, pressuring EMC to divest from them and focus on itself. And despite earning good money thanks to the federation, EMC missed its revenue target earlier this year and kicked off a restructuring spurred by word of weaker sales through 2015. The acquisition by Dell will quiet immediate criticisms about the federation, but it won't change how EMC is, despite its protestations, at risk of getting left behind by the economics of the public cloud.
3. VMware won't be a public cloud escape hatch
If Dell and EMC are looking to VMware to provide a public cloud they can ride back to relevance, they're looking in the wrong direction.
VMware's public cloud isn't of the same constitution as Amazon, Google, or even Microsoft Azure. It comes more from the Dell and EMC side of the business than the Google and Amazon side -- not only in terms of its technology, but its business approach. Its offerings still come from the older paradigm of virtualizing servers and desktops with proprietary software, rather than the newer models that involve lightweight containerization and open source software.
VMware has always wanted to be one of the big cloud vendors, but it had to settle for providing proprietary cloud infrastructure that remains rooted in the old world of PCs and servers. While it's ginned up attempts to pivot in new directions (such as OpenStack integration), they've been reactive gestures, not innovative ones.
4. Dell, EMC, and VMware are endangered species
If there's one common characteristic among all of these companies, it's that they're members of a previous generation being forced to evolve.
Worse, the main option open to them moving forward -- becoming a unified provider of solutions that encompass public and hybrid cloud -- means going toe-to-toe with outfits that already have an established presence. That might explain Michael Dell's emphasis on expanding the company's sales and marketing teams to wave its newly converged product lines under the noses of those sniffing at existing public or hybrid cloud solutions.
Most striking about the deal, it hearkens back to the tech mergers of the previous decade, like HP and Compaq. Those produced little, if any, actual new business models or technology, only a consolidation of existing customer bases. It's possible the sheer size of the new Dell can continue on its own momentum, in the same way Oracle is sustained both by its legacy contracts and the force of its marketing team. But there are no new ideas to be found here.
The union of legacy tech outfits has historically resulted in combinations of mass and weight, and it rarely produces agility or fresh thinking. This merger shows all the signs of history repeating itself.


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Home Tags Grocery Stores
Tag: Grocery Stores
We went to Trader Joe’s and found 7 main reasons why so many people are obsessed with the quirky grocer
Trader Joe's boasts healthy products, low prices, and eco-friendly policies. We visited a store and found seven reasons that people love the chain.
Amazon reportedly has an ambitious plan to change the way we grocery shop — here’s what we know about it so far
Amazon is exploring ideas for a new grocery store chain that would blend online and in-store shopping, says a new report.
I’m a die-hard Trader Joe’s fan who shopped at Aldi for the first time — and I know which store I’ll continue to visit
Trader Joe's and Aldi are two of the most popular affordable grocery chains in the US. I know which one I'll be going back to.
Beyond Meat fell more than 2% premarket following a report that there is confusion in grocery stores over where the product belongs.
Customers swear by Trader Joe's cheese, bananas, and tequila — though not everything at the grocery chain is a good buy.
Dozens of regional and national supermarket chains have gone under over the decades, including A&P and Alpha Beta.
Practically every store you interact with wouldn't function if truckers were to stop working.
Giant Food Stores will be introducing Marty to its 172 stores through the first half of 2019 as part of a broader plan to introduce robots to retail.
Trader Joe's products are affordable and high-quality. How are they able to keep prices so low without sacrificing the quality? From private-label products to word-of-mouth marketing, here are some of the reasons that Trader Joe's products are so cheap.
13 things you never knew about Aldi, the German grocery chain that’s coming straight for Walmart and Kroger
Aldi, known for its low prices and no-frills store design, has a surprisingly complicated past. It started as a corner store in Germany and was divided into two stores with the same name before becoming the grocery giant it is today. See what else you may not know about it.


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CENTEREACH, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Starbucks Coffee Co. is investigating a complaint that a supervisor at a Centereach store allegedly berated a gay employee during a management meeting, forcing him to resign.
The meeting was held last Sunday in a public area of the store on Middle County Road between members of management and the employee.READ MORE: NYPD Officers Jason Rivera, Wilbert Mora Shot In Deadly Confrontation With Suspect Lashawn McNeil In Harlem
Customer Missy Alison, who witnessed the alleged exchange — which she said transpired just feet from where she was sitting with her daughter, wrote a letter to Starbucks asking for immediate action.
WCBS 880’s Mike Xirinachs reports: Starbucks Is Taking Immediate Measures
In the letter, which she posted on her blog, Alison said she saw “one of the most brazen and unapologetic displays of homophobia I have ever witnessed in my entire life.”
Alison said a woman, who appeared to be in charge of the meeting, scolded and humiliated the employee who she said was “visibly shaken.”
Alison claims after the employee stepped away the women at the table went on a five minute ” homophobic rant.”READ MORE: Harden's Triple-Double Helps Nets Top Murray, Spurs
The unnamed employee, who Alison said was forced to resign, has obtained legal counsel.
A spokesman for the company said it was a mistake for the meeting to be held in the middle of the store.
On its website, Starbucks said it has “a zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind” and that “the actions reported do not correspond with our values, who we are as a company or the beliefs we try to instill in our partners.”
The company said it is “taking immediate measures to investigate and take any steps necessary to make this right.”
The company said the issue is a personal matter and that it will not disclose the results of any disciplinary action it might take.MORE NEWS: Sorokin, Nelson Lead Islanders To Win Over Coyotes
What kind of action do you think Starbucks should take? Sound off below…


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Stunning new iPhone 12 leaks video shows off smaller notch concept
What you need to know
- Yesterday, Jon Prosser revealed designs for the new notch in the iPhone 12.
- Now, we have a video from EverythingApplePro to bring it to life.
- He has also shared more information on the Smart Connector, and HomePod 2!
Yesterday, Jon Prosser shared leaked images purportedly depicting the iPhone 12's redesigned notch, sporting a smaller design. From that report:
Here you go, internet. 😏 pic.twitter.com/REfSw28KSXHere you go, internet. 😏 pic.twitter.com/REfSw28KSX— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) April 20, 2020April 20, 2020
Now, in his latest, video, EverythingApplePro has brought the redesigned schematics to life in a stunning new concept:
Last week, EAP leaked the iPhone 12 Pro's design. It features stunning new flat edges, thinner bezels and more. This latest concept shows what the iPhone 12 could look like if it debuts the smaller, condensed notch reported by Jon Prosser.
The video also contains some more information about the rest of the iPhone, noting that Apple is still testing configurations for the four camera setup, including the placement of the rumored LiDAR scanner, the color of the surrounding glass is also still up for grabs.
EAP also noted recent reports regarding Apple Tags, and confirmed reports that the largest iPhone 12, the 6.7-inch Pro Max, is reportedly delayed until October.
If this video is anywhere close to the mark, it looks like the iPhone 12 is going to be a stunning design upgrade on the previous model. However, the flat edges rumored to be making a comeback are sure to divide opinion.
Get the best of iMore in your inbox, every day!
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.
Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9
Apple has removed the notch already. The results are awesome. https://www.imore.com/e?link=https2F2Fc2F4...
You know, I have to giggle. I think phone reviewers really need to get a life. The iphones and samsung phones etc etc have all basically looked the same for years. (If anything, I would credit Samsung with a little innovation for their screens)To describe the fact that a 5 mm by 10 mm notch has been removed as "awesome", "stunning", "fabulous", "gorgeous"....God almighty, really? Go outside and visit a botanical garden or something. Get to a white-sand beach. Look at the sky. These over-the-top comments about a phone, any phone, all of which look basically the same, is just sad.
I think they’re just running out of ideas. New phones aren’t that innovative anymore, just improved specs and camera. More looking forward to AR glasses
Agreed. Hence the reason I am making fun of them. The notch less phone has already been invented long ago. Ha ha.


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Proving she can pull off the rock-chick look to perfection Emma Watson has come a long way from her Harry Potter days as she poses in a new ad for clothing company People Tree.
She's collaborated with the fairtrade company for the past two seasons and the 20-year-old has also designed their latest spring/summer collection.
"I designed the collection last year after I’d started university in the US. We took care to design a really wearable collection that truly celebrates the traditional skills of People Tree’s Fairtrade groups around the world," she says.
The full range goes on sale on February 28, coinciding with the celebration of fairtrade fortnight.
Click on the photo for more designs by Emma


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Nowadays, one of the most common problem faced by the smartphone users is the battery life. Eventhough, the handset maker cramming their new devices with high-end processor and high resolution cameras, most of them forgets to work on the battery life of the device, which helps in using them for longer period.
In recent days, some handset makers addressing this issue to some extent by packing in bigger capacity batteries that is expected to last longer.
One such company is the China-based Oukitel, which was in news for its huge 10,000mAh battery smartphone codenamed K10000. Now, the same company has launched yet another battery focussed device, dubbed as K6000.
This device comes powered by a 6000mAh battery, which is said to offer up to 10 days of backup on battery-saving mode and is claimed to offer up to 46 hours of music playback.
According to the company, this device can deliver up to 40 days of standby time and expected to come with fast charging feature, which provides the users up to 2 hours with just 5 minutes of charging.
To make it more advanced, the company has added 'reverse charging feature, allowing the other handsets to charge. Anyhow, the company has not revealed anyother details about the K6000, we are expecting more information in future leaks and speculations.


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What is GDPR?
By now, you’ve likely heard of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but you may not understand all of its implications, especially if your company operates outside of the EU. The GDPR is often referred to as the biggest and most significant change in data privacy regulation in 20 years. Its goal is to transform how organizations in every sector handle consumer data, putting consumers in the driver’s seat. For the first time, people have a say over who collects their personal data, when it’s collected, and how it’s used.
With this regulation, companies can’t just clean up the mess and say sorry after a data breach. They can’t collect and use consumer data without oversight or plainly-worded disclosures. They have to prove they are following the GDPR’s requirements to protect that data on day one. Transparency is the name of the game, a new notion to many organizations that have traditionally put data privacy on the back burner, much less tell consumers how they handle their data.
While the GDPR changes may seem overwhelming right now, the long-term results are expected to be better customer experiences and greater trust between consumers and companies.
12 Facts about GDPR
Plenty is riding on compliance. At least one global survey found 85 percent of U.S. companies believe the GDPR compliance regulations put them at a disadvantage with their European competitors, yet the same survey discovered the U.S. is the least trusted country for respecting privacy rights. Even more, 67 percent of U.S. consumers agree the U.S. should do more to protect their data privacy. Compliance with the GDPR could do much to improve these negative perceptions.
To help you understand the rumors swirling about GDPR, we put together this list of important facts that you need to know.
1. The GDPR May Be An EU Mandate, But It Impacts Every Country
The EU Parliament approved the GDPR in 2016 to replace a data protection initiative from 1995, but the changes weren’t enforced until May 25, 2018. There’s a misconception across the pond that U.S. companies that don’t do business with European companies are exempt. Not so fast.
The GDPR changes apply as much to organizations in other countries as they do to those within the EU. If any organization, EU or otherwise, offers goods or services to or monitors the behavior of EU data subjects, they’re on the hook.
2. It Applies to Virtually All Kinds of Data
The GDPR governs almost every data point an organization would collect, across every conceivable online platform, especially if it’s used to uniquely identify a person. It also includes data routinely requested by websites, such as IP addresses, email addresses, and physical device information. Here’s a list of the types of data protected under the GDPR.
- Basic identity information (including name, address, email address, etc.)
- Web data such as location, IP address, cookie data, and RFID tags
- Health and genetic data
- Biometric data
- Racial or ethnic data
- Political opinions
- Sexual orientation
- Any information that relates to an identified or identifiable living individual
As you can imagine, “basic identity information” is a broad category. It includes user-generated data, such as social media posts, personal images uploaded to websites, medical records, and other uniquely personal information commonly transmitted online. Yes, that means organizations must protect your tweets and Facebook statuses.


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The sustainability movement is gaining momentum globally, with growing awareness and calls to act on environmental and social challenges. This has resulted in active steps being taken by various stakeholders to address these issues.
In line with this, we see an increasing demand by customers for more sustainable products and services. Some enterprises have also begun to take steps to incorporate sustainability in their businesses, choosing sustainably sourced raw materials or adopting the relevant sustainability related standards. Governments too have stepped up efforts to drive sustainability with many from key economies committing to ambitious carbon reduction targets to address urgent issues on climate change.
Singapore is similarly advancing our efforts in sustainable development, with the launch of the Singapore Green Plan 2030 last year. Decarbonisation is a major theme, and includes efforts such as increasing solar deployment, deploying electric vehicle infrastructure, improving energy efficiency of buildings, and piloting the use of lower-carbon alternative fuels in our aviation and maritime sectors. Several government initiatives have also been announced to drive environmental sustainability efforts among enterprises, including an increase in the carbon tax to accelerate decarbonisation efforts, and the implementation of a mandatory packaging reporting requirement as the first step to reduce packaging waste.
However, we are still at the beginning of our sustainability journey. Awareness of the concept of sustainability is low among enterprises and many are unsure of its relevance to their businesses, while others lack knowledge on how to start. Business owners are also understandably cautious and worried about the costs of pursuing sustainability.
Sustainability developments and opportunities
With increasing demand for sustainable practices, products and services, it is merely a matter of time before sustainability becomes more than a nice to have for enterprises to do business.
Key business stakeholders are already placing more emphasis on sustainability. Apart from having to adhere to new sustainability policies and regulations imposed by governments in Singapore and overseas, enterprises will need to step up on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) factors when seeking investments and loans as financiers and investors take steps to green their portfolios. More multinational corporations are also taking steps to improve sustainability in their supply chains and require suppliers to meet sustainability standards or achieve sustainability outcomes. We also see employees increasingly preferring to work with businesses that have embedded sustainability values, requiring enterprises to do more to attract talent.
So what benefits does sustainability bring to enterprises?
For a start, sustainability can help enterprises to achieve cost savings and greater resilience. Efforts to review resource use, reduce waste and improve efficiency contribute not only to environmental sustainability, but also to enterprises’ bottom line. With rising energy and material prices, as well as supply chain shortages, enterprises that act early to improve resource efficiency will be able to realise sizeable savings and reduce their exposure to price fluctuations. An example is Containers Printers, a leading local packaging solutions company supplying to major brands across nutrition, food and medical industries. An early mover in sustainability, the company begun setting targets for energy and carbon emissions reductions in 2018. An Energy Management team was set up to track energy performance and work on energy efficiency projects, which included the deployment of solar panels on the company’s rooftops, retrofitting factory lighting, and replacing equipment to energy efficient models. These projects helped Containers Printers to achieve significant energy savings and carbon emission reductions, with the deployment of solar panels alone providing annual clean energy potential of 1,800MWh and annual carbon emissions reduction of 800 metric tonnes.
The rising demand for sustainable products and services also presents new growth opportunities for enterprises. A survey commissioned by UOB in 2021 found that about one in three respondents in Singapore are willing to pay more for sustainably-sourced goods and services, while 36 per cent replaced their current purchases with more sustainable alternatives. These findings mirror other overseas studies. There are already examples of enterprises that have benefited from stronger engagement with their consumers from building a sustainable brand. Pure Senses, is a leading retailer of fragrance and beauty products such as Yankee Candle. In 2021, Pure Senses rolled out Purely – a new retail concept incorporating circularity, which include collecting and turning used containers and jars into new products such as terrariums. These efforts have helped Pure Senses to improve its brand proposition and strengthen its connection with customers around the theme of sustainability.
Investments by the Government and industry to green the environment also present opportunities to enterprises. These include the supply of green solutions for the built environment or alternative fuels for various industries. Barghest Building Performance (BBP), an energy efficiency technology company that uses sensors, control systems, and patented software algorithms to significantly reduce energy consumption for commercial and industrial buildings and Equatorial Marine Fuel (EMF), a Singapore oil trading and marine logistics company that is taking steps to supply biofuels and has adopted relevant standards such as the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) to comply with requirements to do so, are but some companies that have benefited from opportunities that have arisen in this space.
Other companies are intensifying their corporate R&D activities and making significant investments in sustainability-focused innovations to capture new opportunities. Penguin International Limited, a Singapore designer-builder-owner-operator of aluminium high-speed craft, is strengthening its portfolio of sustainable, green vessels, including retrofitting their ferries with solar installations and developing Singapore’s first hybrid-electric seagoing vessel. This has allowed Penguin to capture demand for more sustainable vessels, with contracts to construct hybrid-electric vessels, as well as a contract with Shell to develop Singapore’s first fully electric passenger ferries.
So rather than just being an additional cost or compliance factor, we see sustainability as a new capability that can help enterprises achieve business outcomes in the long run. And it is very encouraging to see many businesses beginning to recognise that their long-term success is inextricably tied to sustainability.
Understanding key sustainability concepts
To get started on this journey, enterprises can begin by understanding key sustainability concepts, identifying the relevant sustainability areas that are material and key to their business, and focusing on improvements in these areas. The next stage would be to develop more comprehensive plans to integrate sustainability into their business strategies and operations.
Enterprises should also look at identifying sustainability trends that are relevant for their industries, and look for ways to differentiate their offerings or develop new products and services to tap on the emerging demands for sustainable solutions.
To enable these efforts, it is important for businesses to strengthen the understanding and knowledge of sustainability among management and staff, and set aside time and resources to examine the sustainability issues facing the company.
Government agencies are doing their part to guide and support enterprises in making this transition.
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) has introduced a $180 million Enterprise Sustainability Programme. The programme supports companies that want to take their first steps towards sustainability through specially curated courses for business owners that cover key sustainability trends and concepts such as decarbonisation, circular economy and sustainability reporting. The programme also provides support for businesses embarking on projects and building capabilities in areas such as sustainability strategy development, resource optimisation, standards adoption and innovative product development. EnterpriseSG has also spearheaded new platforms such as the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge to help companies source, develop and adopt innovative sustainability solutions.
The industry too is doing its part. Trade associations and chambers and other industry players are driving industry-specific sustainability plans, and various programmes have been launched in partnership with EnterpriseSG to help enterprises build specific sustainability capabilities, such as reducing carbon emissions or adopting sustainability standards.
With so much at stake, we urge enterprises to adapt and leverage the opportunities offered in this new area, so that they can stay ahead of the competition.
The writer is the Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Urban Solutions, Sustainability & Enterprise Finance) of Enterprise Singapore
Source: The Business Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.


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By Manolis Kostidis – Istanbul
It seems like Turkish night club owners have had to change the way they run their businesses due to strict laws prohibiting alcohol consumption imposed by the Erdogan government and the conservative turn the country has taken.
Western-type bars and nightclubs in the neighboring country have given way to clubs that don’t sell alcohol and high class shisha cafes frequented by Islamists.
Nightclub Huqqa is one of those. Even though Huqqa is a nightclub, no alcohol is sold. They sell even alcohol-free mojitos!
Huqqa is packed with upstart Islamists who partied just like other Turks up until now but never thought it right to go to the most famous clubs and bars in Turkey where they would be seen refraining from drinking alcohol. Pro-islamist conservative pressure from society is evident in Turkey.
This particular club is located in Bosporus, in the Curucesme area where the most prominent Turkish businessmen go, together with TV stars, and alcohol flows abundantly.
Huqqa matches these clubs in décor and quality as well as the expensive cars parked outside. The only difference is there is no alcohol. Many women wearing headscarves and others without are also seen there; however dress is more conservative in general. The scarves worn by women and the cars they drive are expensive. A passerby will not be able to tell that Huqqa is not an ordinary club.
Its owner, Jihan Kamer, did afterall invest 12 million lira (nearly EUR 4.5 million) to open the club. It even stays open round the clock! In the morning breakfast is served and the rest of the day coffee and food before it turns into a nightclub.
The menu comes on an iPad and includes 140 different dishes and 160 non-alcoholic drinks! There are expert-waiters on shishas. There is also a special room for praying, for Muslims that don’t want to miss a day’s prayer.
“Many think our club is a conservative joint, but Huqqa isn’t. It is a place anyone can come who says “I want to enjoy myself tonight but I don’t want to drink”. Conservatives and more modern young people will come closer here. You don’t get that at other clubs” Kamer says.
All nighter with tea and shisha
Similar clubs are opening in Istanbul. Again in Bosporus, in the area of Bebek, a luxury shisha café has opened. It is called Al Fakheer and it has 26 special VIP suites. Rich patrons can enjoy their shisha watching movies on television or ask for an iPad to surf the internet.
A similar place opened in the eastern bank of Istanbul called Mest, where wealthy Islamists stay up all night drinking soft drinks, tea and smoking shisha.
Since last June, a new law prohibiting alcohol consumption in public kicked in in Turkey. Alcohol is not sold at kiosks after 10 pm and consumption is not allowed in parks, streets or near mosques and schools.
The great change Erdogan has brought about in societ is clear for many. Conservatives, women wearing headscarves, people that don’t drink alcohol, all avoided frequenting places where alcohol was consumed. They never went to any of the shops where westernized Turks went.
Now there is a new middle class that is conservative, pro-Islamic and wants to live like “modern western-friendly” Turks; however, they are creating their own luxury “Muslim places” that are second to nothing in luxury compared with other clubs, except alcohol.


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The Goldenrod, a historic ice cream shop and restaurant in York Beach, will not open for breakfast early in the morning this summer.
The restaurant, which opened in 1896, cited a lack of staffing for the decision. When The Goldenrod opened at 8 a.m. over the Fourth of July weekend, it proved to be too much for the staff.
“We made the difficult decision today NOT to open for breakfast going forward,” the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post Thursday morning. “It quickly became clear that we do not have sufficient staff to be open for 14-hour days.”
Known for its classic traditions and proximity to the beach, The Goldenrod offers homemade ice cream, fudge, caramel corn, salt water taffy and a variety of candy.
Breakfast food will still be served all day during the new hours, which are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m, along with lunch and dinner.
The staffing shortage at the eatery underscores a statewide worker shortage that has forced hospitality businesses to raise wages and rely on younger workers.


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Asda's distribution director David Gibbons said a one million sq ft national distribution centre in Lutterworth, due to open in summer, would be the hub of the network.
The depot is on three levels and holds 17,000 lines. New technologies such as "light-picking", where pickers are directed by hand-held computers and flashing lights, will be used. Pallets will be picked by cranes.
Each store's order will be marked with a single barcode that, when scanned at store, downloads the entire order within seconds.
Gibbons said a network of distribution spokes would be built around Lutterworth as Asda expanded.
So far, spokes include a 300,000 sq ft depot, which opened in Falkirk last week, and a newly converted ambient depot in Grangemouth, which opens in June.
A new 350,000 sq ft chilled distribution centre in Skelmersdale is due to open in October, with 500 jobs transferred from the Asda depot in Wigan. The new network and Wal-Mart technologies it uses allowed ranges to be delivered to stores more frequently, and the shelf life of products would be improved, said Gibbons.
Asda would also take cardboard and shrink-wrap waste processing out of all stores in the next 18 months to two years to minimise the impact of increases in landfill tax, said Gibbons.
Compact bales of waste will be processed at new Asda Service Centres dedicated recycling sites in Wigan and Wakefield.
Asda is cutting down on cardboard across its estate, and will wash reusable plastic product containers which it uses as an alternative at the centres.
"This year we will revolutionise our distribution network," Gibbons said.


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The Psychology of Online Shopping: Why Online Shopping Is Growing, Why It Is So Popular and How Much It Makes
How Much Made Is Made in Online Shopping?
According to Statistia.com, by the end of 2015, business to consumer ecommerce sales worldwide were 1,471 billion dollars, or just under a trillion and a half dollars. Business to consumer sales in the US were $703 billion of that amount, but China and the Asian market in general are rapidly growing.
How Many People Shop Online in a Year?
The first item sold online was a Sting album in 1994. According to an August 12, 2014 article by the Daily Mail, one in four Brits shopped online at least once a week. And that percentage is slated to grow. Over half of all website visits are now via mobile devices, and the younger generation is more accustomed to surfing the web as they commute and shop. As of 2014, the Daily Mail said one in twenty Brits said their morning commute included some virtual window shopping.
Business Insider reported that 198 million Americans had bought something online by the first quarter of 2014. That was approximately 80% of all Americans over the age of 15. And Comscore’s first quarter 2015 said that total digital ecommerce was up 14% over first quarter 2015. Those figures will only grow as the percentage of the population that grew up with the internet become a larger percentage of the consumer market.
Why Is Online Shopping So Popular?
The first reason is convenience. You can order something from a site and have it delivered to your home. While online delivery initially took up to a week to deliver something to your home, Amazon Prime offered two day delivery for subscribers and now in one hour delivery for those in a number of major metropolitan areas. There’s no need to fight traffic, wait in line or worry about whether the store has it in stock. Deliveries to your home also reduce the risk of being accosted, though packages may still be stolen off a doorstep instead of swiped from an unlocked car.
According to CPCstrategy.com, in 2013, three quarters of customers surveyed said they shopped online to save time, while three fifths said they did it because of how easy it was to compare prices. Two thirds stated that online shopping gave the more options, while just over half said they could find lower prices online. A third found that they paid lower taxes online, though many states are closing the sales tax revenue gap with online retailers like Amazon.com.
Apps make on the go shopping even more convenient, improving the odds of online shopping likely. Think of Starbuck’s order ahead app, and the odds that Starbucks’ most loyal customers will buy even more of the product now that the wait time is reduced.
How Do Ecommerce Sites Entice People to Buy?
A 2013 survey by UPS reported by the Wall Street Journal stated that over half of smart phone users and 60% of tablet users wanted to receive deals and promotions on their devices based on their location or transaction history.
Ecommerce sites and small businesses have dramatically increased location based marketing and promotions since then. Ecommerce sites have far more data mining resources at their disposal to find correlations and send personalized deals to customers who haven’t placed orders for a while, as well as offering related products at competitive prices that increase the odds of follow up orders.
Location based marketing has exploded, allowing businesses to offer short term discounts for regular customers in the immediate area to fill a restaurant after the party room is unexpectedly cancelled. Businesses are using apps on their user’s devices to build brand loyalty. These apps let retailers offer smartphone based coupons that cost nothing to produce and distribute, send loyal customers coupons as rewards for repeat business, generate tailored digital coupons for those who haven’t shopped with the retailer for a while, directly reward those who engage in digital word of mouth marketing with deals and track user activity with both the app and website in incredible detail.
How Competitive Is Ecommerce?
Ecommerce is highly competitive, but that doesn’t mean it is lost to small retailers. For example, small retailers and individuals can sell items on Amazon.com and eBay far more easily than trying to get Walmart to put their product on the shelves.
Ecommerce is more competitive than capturing a share of drive-by traffic because you are competing with online rivals around the world who can send their products via mail to the same consumers.
What Are The Most Successful Ecommerce Sites?
As of the second quarter of 2015, Amazon.com was the top ecommerce site in terms of sales, with $79.48 billion according to Statista. Its total web sales was around 60 billion in 2013, with the next 49 competitors total bringing in twice as much. Ebay had revenue of around 18 billion in 2014. Alibaba, the Chinese e-retailer, had more sales than eBay and Amazon together. It had $240 billion in reported sales in 2014.
“The Surprising Demographics of Who Shops Online and On Mobile”, Business Insider, 02/23/2015
“More Consumers Prefer Online Shopping”, Wall Street Journal, 06/03/2013
How to Compete with Amazon, Fortune Magazine, 10/24/2013
“How Many People Shop Online?” CPC Strategy, 08/09/2013
“State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy in Q1 2015” by Comscore


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If you have even a passing interest in ad tech or developments in the digital world, it is highly likely that at some point, you will have come across Allison Schiff’s work. As a senior editor for AdExchanger, Schiff covers mobile, Facebook, privacy, measurement, cross-device, and the app economy - all huge topics that have a profound impact on our daily lives. Many in our industry look to Schiff for her clear-eyed assessments of the latest news and trends, so it was truly a pleasure to sit down with her on the latest episode of Hidden Layers for a wide-ranging, thought-provoking discussion on all things marketing.
We of course had to talk about the biggest development in digital advertising currently: the impending elimination of third-party cookies from web browsers, and whether advertisers will be able to successfully replace them with an alternative ID system or adopt a contextual model instead. As Schiff notes, “the cookie is definitely crumbling” as advertisers scramble to find alternatives and vendors selling so-called “cookieless solutions” jockey for attention.
We also debate what effect the growing drive by publishers to take control over their first-party data will have for the way that digital advertising is conducted in the future, and whether this will reduce advertisers’ reliance on Google, Facebook, and the other big walled gardens. Of course, no episode of Hidden Layers would be complete without a mention of deep learning - and this one is no different, as Schiff and I discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming the industry.


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The Pomona Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., offers a variety of farm fresh, organic items, prepared foods and crafts, many at surprisingly low prices.
Located in a parking lot on Pearl Street off of Garey Avenue in downtown Pomona, roughly 25 vendors welcomed many community shoppers to their small tents.
For those interested in hanging out, tamales, aguas frescas and a few choices for tacos such as al pastor, asada and chorizo were on hand, along with outdoor tables to eat and socialize.
Additional booths featured a free lending library, story time for kids, free seeds for families to plan their own veggie gardens and free coffee.
The market, which also accepts federal nutrition assistance benefits like CalFresh and WIC, is staffed largely by volunteers, including Cal Poly Pomona students, keeping prices low.
Francisco Benavides, a Cal Poly Pomona student, said his stand, The Seed Exchange, was there to help the community. His free seeds Saturday included basil, cilantro, tomatoes, carrots and more.
“I hand out free seeds so that the community can share that with other people,” Benavides said. “I’m a plant science major at Cal Poly Pomona and this has introduced me to new ways of growing and I can share that with the community to help them.”
One vendor, Cyndy Smith, sold hand-made jewelry with a twist through her stand, The Crafters Market, which is also on Instagram. Her items included necklaces, earrings and bracelets made out of soda cans, straws, and beads.
She said selling her items at the market makes her happy because she can see others and wear them.
“Everything is hand-made and hand grown,” Smith said. “I like selling my jewelry here because it gives people a chance to see the unique items I make like this soda can necklace.”
Conny Valenzuela of Pomona said she comes to the market every Saturday to buy bread because it is affordable and helps feed her many children at home.
“I am going through a tough economic time,” Valenzuela said. “This dollar bread has helped me and my children a lot and I appreciate it so much.”
Another fan of the market shopping Saturday was Elias Rodriguez of Pomona.
“I love the food here,” Rodriguez said. “They are fresh, and not at all expensive. I especially like the honey here because it is natural and it always tastes delicious. The eggs here are also really good.”
For more information visit pomonacfa.org.
Isabel Amezquita can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Hotels report a quiet Ramadan
Erbil hotels eye Eid Al-Fitr after a subdued Newroz
ERBIL — Erbil’s hospitality sector is reporting subdued occupancy rates during this year’s Newroz celebrations, with many hotels prioritizing renovations in anticipation of the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr holiday.
The holy month of Ramadan, marked by fasting for Muslims, traditionally leads to a decline in travel within the Kurdistan Region and across Iraq.
Shkar Yasin, from the region’s Hotel and Inns Association, told 964media that fasting and religious observance among the country’s population results in significantly reduced travel and leisure activities during Ramadan.
Yasin noted that many hotels and other accommodations are currently undergoing renovations and preparations for the Eid Al-Fitr festivities, which mark the end of Ramadan. The overall trend of low occupancy reflects a seasonal shift in tourism patterns, with businesses strategically preparing for an anticipated surge in visitors during Eid.
Van Royal Hotel communications team member Ismail Ahmed confirmed the hospitality industry is primarily focused on Eid because of a quiet Ramadan. “The number of leisure travelers, especially for Newroz, has been very low.” He added that many hotels typically report minimal occupancy rates throughout Ramadan.
Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, boasts over 480 hotels, motels, and tourist villages. These establishments typically experience a surge in visitors during holidays and special occasions. However, Ramadan’s influence appears to have shifted the focus for both travelers and the hospitality sector away from Newroz and towards the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr celebrations.


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According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is expected to release three new devices -- iPhone 8 along with the updated versions of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus -- that will be called iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus.
Following several leaks about Apple's controversial yet virtually bezel-less redesign, a detailed iPhone 8 dummy model confirmed that the devices would have an elongated 18.5:9 aspect ratio like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, Forbes reported.
It would also reduce bezel sizes to just 4 mm on all sides and feature a vertically aligned rear camera, the report added.
The rear dual-camera system on the iPhone 8 would protrude more than ever before.
Earlier leaks have suggested design changes in detail. They also pointed out that the 2017 device would have an all-display front with the fingerprint scanner moved to the back.
The handful of images also showed the upcoming iPhone 8 with rear-placed Touch ID placed directly below the Apple logo.
As far as the refresh of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are concerned, photos of a couple of iPhone dummy models show Apple devices with a glass backing, meaning the models shown in the pictures could have wireless charging as a feature.
Analysts have predicted that riding on the "better-than-expected iPad and iPhone sales", the upcoming flagship device iPhone 8 could make the Cupertino-based giant the first company to reach and sustain a $1 trillion market cap.
According to a report in MarketWatch, the stock momentum has added $56 billion to the company's market cap since the announcement of its third quarter results.