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The Kelowna City Council is today announcing it will be delivering weed by mail. The city is using a new email-based delivery service Kelowna same-day weed delivery, which will allow individuals to order their weed from their homes or office without leaving the comfort of their own residences. The service will be rolled out in August of 2016, with a trial period that has included the delivery of approximately 30 kilograms of medical cannabis. Kelowna is Canada’s premiere center for cannabis production and retailing, as well as a hub for the medical cannabis industry.
As such, we know that cannabis needs to be delivered on demand. In Kelowna same-day weed delivery is in passing all-time high demand. “While we continue to promote patient-focused delivery, we recognize that cannabis is still illegal in Canada and must be delivered in the proper legal jurisdiction. We are pleased to join Weedmail as a leading peer on this front,” said Sebastien St-Louis, CEO and co-founder of Weedmail. “We’re excited about our new partnership with Kelowna City Council, who understands the importance of providing legal cannabis access to patients”. What’s great is that when you receive your weed directly from an authorized producer, it’s safe and secure in our collective minds. We’re proud that Weedmail


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2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Spied In Southern California Doing Road Tests
The current GMC Sierra 1500 is considered to be a very strong contender in the pickup truck segment and the automaker appears to be already preparing for the future. Apparently, the 2019 model of the GMC Sierra 1500 has been seen in Southern California doing some road tests and spy shots suggest another promising truck from GMC.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500: How It Appears
According to a report, this is the first time that the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 has been seen. Despite being heavily camouflaged, its unique lighting style confirms that the truck is really a GMC. In addition to its lighting, the rectangular dual exhaust tips along with its corner bumper steps and six-lug wheels have also been mentioned to be among the features that confirmed that the identity of the camouflaged truck.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500: Possible Powertrain
There are no details revealed yet regarding the powertrain of the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 as reported. However, it was mentioned that there is a possibility for a mild hybrid powertrain that was previously sold in limited eAssist models back in 2016. The same report also stated that a V6 diesel engine might become available.
Accordingly, the small-block V8 engine is expected to be fitted in the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 along with the traditional 5.3-liter engine. It was also mentioned that a 6.2-liter V8 DOHC version is expected to be slated for the GMC Sierra along with the automaker's other models such as the Corvette, Camaro, Caddilac Escalade and Yukon Denali.
2019 GMC Sierra 1500: The Wait Begins
Given the fact that the 2019 GMC Sierra is still a prototype, pickup truck enthusiasts will have to wait for sometime before they get to see the production version. And since it is a 2019 model, people can expect that this GMC Sierra 1500 will either be introduced in late 2018 or early in 2019. Either way, people will certainly have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming 2019 GMC Sierra 1500.
2018 Toyota Camry: Simply Better Than Any Of Its Previous Versions
The 2018 Toyota Camry promises to be even better than any of the previous versions.
2018 Audi A5 Sportback Gives Us More Power For Less Money
If you are looking for excitement, the 2018 Audi A5 Sportback offers it without requiring you to shell out more money.
2018 Buick Enclave Set To Receive A Big Facelift
The 2018 Buick Enclave is scheduled to make a 2017 New York Auto Show debut with a major change in appearance.
2018 GMC Yukon Denali Upgrades: Redesigned Grille And 10-Speed Automatic Transmission
The all new 2018 GMC Yukon Denali gets a new 10-speed automatic transmission upgrade as part of a refresh.
2018 GMC Terrain: A Diesel-Powered Engine Is Coming Our Way Soon
It has already been confirmed that a diesel-powered 2018 GMC Terrain will come for us soon.
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domain: news


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The United States Postal Service (USPS) has released the fourth set of its Flags of Our Nation stamp series honoring the country's state and territorial flags.
According to USPS, the latest stamps feature the emblems of Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota.
Mary Anne Gibbons, the senior vice president for the postal service, explained that the commemorative stamps represent the contribution that the states had made to the development of the country.
"Many principles these states exemplify also can be recognized within the postal service," she added.
"I want to assure you, just as these flags wave and this nation holds strong, the postal service will continue to deliver for you."
The Flags of Our Nation range will be available for a period of 60 days and in order to receive the stamps consumers should send off to their local post office ensuring that they put their address data on a stamped envelope.
Earlier this year the postal service released a set of promotional stamps to draw attention to the plight of shelter pets.
Posted by Richard Jones


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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by about 10% a year from the start of market reforms in 1978 to the 2008 financial crisis. The headline figure has now, fallen to just over 7% as the government rebalances the economy to make growth less reliant on investment. The World Bank predicts the growth to continue to slow. Slowing growth has resulted in significant changes to China’s growth strategy. Predictably the media focused on the fact that growth was the slowest for 24 years. This is true but misses the point. Incremental GDP growth last year (2015) was nearly USD $1 trillion, around 5.77 times the size of the entire New Zealand economy.
Consumption contributed more to 2015 growth than investment. The services sector is growing faster than manufacturing, keeping the labour market tight. Income growth remains high, supporting household consumption. These changes are driven primarily by powerful structural forces, including demography.
Richer provinces are rapidly converging with advanced economies in terms of income levels and economic structure. Poorer provinces remain highly dependent on investment-driven growth. The north-eastern provinces face especially daunting challenges: maintaining steady growth and pivoting away from heavy industry, their traditional comparative advantage but also major source of Northeast China’s chronic air pollution; and reform. Central provinces will benefit as migrant workers return home and manufacturers move inland to benefit from the lower labour and operational costs.
Rebalancing, regionalisation and reform will continue. The pace of reform is the most interesting variable. A mild acceleration in reform is likely, on the back of a better external environment, with stronger US growth and lower oil prices; and tighter budget constraints at the local level, focusing on improving efficiency, selling assets and identifying more sustainable new sources of revenue.
Provinces of opportunity
The Chinese economy is very diverse. Shanghai, is five times wealthier than China's poorest province, Gansu, which has a similar-sized population (see map). The diversity in the provinces should be considered by New Zealand organisations wanting to engage with China. While the central and western provinces are not as wealthy there tends to be less competition from international businesses and local businesses and government have a tendency to be more willing to deal with smaller businesses, such as those which make up more of New Zealand's economy. Use the interactive map below to explore the economies of China.
The Central Government has used a range of stratagies to support the central and western provinces to catch up with the eastern ones including the “Go West” plan involving the building of roads, railways, pipelines and other investment inland; Mr Xi’s signature “Belt and Road” policy aimed partly at boosting economic ties with Central Asia and South-East Asia and thereby stimulating the economies of provinces adjoining those areas; a twinning arrangement whereby provinces and cities in rich coastal areas dole out aid and advice to inland counterparts; and a project to beef up China’s rustbelt provinces in the north-east bordering Russia and North Korea. The central government also gives extra money to poorer provinces. Ten out of China’s 33 provinces get more than half their budgets from the centre’s coffers. Prosperous Guangdong on the coast gets only 10%.
According to an IMF report which can be viewed HERE, China is transitioning to a greener, more inclusive, more consumer and service based, and less credit-driven economy. External rebalancing has advanced well, while progress on internal rebalancing has been mixed, with substantial progress on the supply side, moderate progress on the demand side, and limited progress on the credit side. Rebalancing on income equality and environment has also been mixed, with the energy intensity of growth falling and labor’s share of income rising, but income inequality and local air pollution remaining very high. Going forward, the high national saving is expected to fall owing to demographic change and a stronger social safety net, while the investment ratio is expected to fall similarly, with increasing competition and profit normalization as growth slows. The service sector will continue to gain importance, helping reduce the carbon intensity of output and increase labor’s share of national income and household consumption. Reducing the credit intensity of growth is likely to progress slowly unless decisive corporate restructuring and SOE reforms are implemented
DRIVING THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Traditionally, China provided low-cost manufacturing solutions for the global market, but exports declined sharply after the global downturn in 2008 and China’s manufacturing industry responded by quickly moving up the value chain. The Chinese economy has grown at just under 10% a year for 32 years, overtaking Japan in 2010 to become the world’s 2nd largest economy. According to the OECD’s International Comparison Programme (ICP), China is projected to overtake the US in 2016 in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms.
While many of the world’s major economies are still struggling to recover from economic contraction, China’s economy grew by 9.2% in 2011 (down from 10.3% in 2010), and this economic slowdown continued in 2012 to around 8.2%, partly due to suppressed demand in China’s largest export markets (Europe, USA) but also to tightening of monetary policy in late 2011. The Chinese government has subsequently since been loosening monetary policy and has launched a major investment programme.
The Chinese Government is now pressing hard to improve infrastructure and social welfare as well as targeting resources to develop China’s vast rural and interior regions, unleashing domestic consumption among the wider population. Industrial structures are shifting inland with dozens of new cities emerging and coastal areas developing into sophisticated urban clusters.
CHINA'S MIDDLE CLASS
China’s middle income consumers and their changing lifestyles and behaviours will play a significant part in China’s shifting emphasis from investment and export-led growth towards consumption-led growth. There are around 725 million people living in Chinese cities and this number is increasing every year. Average incomes are rising but so is the cost of living. An average urban employee earns around RMB 50,000 a year and average urban households disposable income is RMB 27,000 a year – a five-fold increase compared to 2000.
With growing purchasing power and more Western brand preferences, China’s middle income consumers are an obvious target market for New Zealand businesses. They have a stronger demand for imported household goods, clothing and food produce; they are increasingly pursuing car ownership; and are investing in overseas travel, international education and private healthcare. They are spending more money on leisure, entertainment and overseas travel; and they are gradually shifting from luxury brand-led purchases to choices based on product quality, unique designs, individualism, leisure experience and personal benefits.
New Zealand has a free trade agreement with China. To benefit from the subsequent duty reductions, a specific FTA Certificate of Origin is required in China. To find out more go to: www.chiafta.govt.nz.
Because of the numerous ever-changing laws and regulations for imported food and beverage products, anything regarding regulatory, labelling and licensing processes should go through an in-market agent. Find out more about labelling of pre-packaged foods on the AQSIQ website.
China's new Food Safety Law became effective in 2009, and all imported food products are subject to these. See the USDA website for an overview.
China loses some US$9.25 billion of food products in transportation every year, because only 15 per cent of all perishable products are transported by refrigerated vehicles compared to 90 per cent in developed countries. There are no national laws of regulations governing food safety in storage, transportation, distribution and retail.


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Smartphones, Smartphones Everywhere
Since it’s likely to be the talk of the day in the handset world, we might as well get it out of the way early. Both Nokia and RIM have announced new smartphones that are likely to get plenty of attention. RIM should be pleased, though, as both will use their software. Nokia announced the 9300 communicator phone, which looks like a biggish phone, but then flips open to reveal a relatively large (for a phone) keyboard and what appears to be a fairly impressive screen. And, as noted, it will make use of the BlackBerry Connect offering for email (among other options). RIM’s offering, the 7100T finally creates a RIM device that looks something sort of like a phone, rather than a data device first. Still, it will be interesting to see if RIM can continue to take this combination approach offering both hardware and software for other handset makers. Either way, the smartphone market is starting to heat up.


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The strong Euro has prompted thousands of Brits to look further afield for their holiday destination, and Turkey has emerged as the new hotspot this year, figures from M&S Money reveal.M&S Money
has found a 53 per cent year-on-year sales increase of Turkish Lira, and the number of Brits holidaying in the country is only topped by Germans and Russians.
In 2007, nearly two million British tourists visited Turkey and, according to ABTA (The Travel Association), bookings for this year have seen an increase of 20 per cent.
Fraser Millar head of travel services at M&S, said: "The huge increase in sales of Turkish currency is not surprising, with the relative power of the euro against the pound meaning Brits are getting more for their money by opting for destinations like Turkey.
"This trend is confirmed by the fact that there has also been a large increase in sales of Egyptian currency this year," Mr Millar added.
As Brits increasingly skip traditional destinations in Europe for more 'exotic' and unknown countries, taking out adequate travel insurance
becomes all the more important.
According to figures from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Turkey is one of the top 15 countries in which the British were forced to seek consular assistance most often between 1st April 2006 and 31st March 2007. Within this period, 157 British passports were lost or stolen in Turkey and 137 British citizens were hospitalised.
If travel insurance does not come automatically with a current account or a credit card booking, travellers to destinations such as Turkey should ensure they are adequately covered for such eventualities.
© Fair Investment


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A visitor tries 3D facial recognition tech on Tuesday at the Light of Internet Expo of the sixth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]
Multi-stakeholder approach vital for sustained progress of cyberspace
More global efforts are needed to build a cyberspace community with shared benefits and collective governance amid global economic uncertainties, according to top officials and industry leaders on Tuesday.
"Amid rising complexities and uncertainties of the global environment, it is of significance that economies around the world strengthen dialogue and communication so as to promote global cyberspace development," said Liu Liehong, vice-minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China.
He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the sixth World Internet Conference, which ended on Tuesday in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province.
"As President Xi Jinping said in a congratulatory letter to the conference, it is the joint responsibility of the international community to 'develop, use and govern' the internet well, so that it can better benefit mankind," Liu noted.
According to him, more than 20 minister-level foreign representatives, over 40 top executives of world associations and over 10 internet tycoons globally have participated in this year's conference.
John Hoffman, CEO of the GSMA, an organization representing over 750 operators in the mobile ecosystem, said that they welcome China's continued effort to promote openness to build a "shared future" through collaboration and cooperation.
"It is vital that the global development of the industry is based on a multi-stakeholder approach and through comprehensive dialogue at international platforms to resolve differences and work toward win-win solutions," he said.
Gao Xingfu, vice-governor of Zhejiang province, added on Tuesday that 601 companies and organizations across 38 countries and regions have showcased their cutting-edge technologies and products at the Light of Internet Expo, an expo focused on forefront tech, this year.
"The expo has also become more globalized, with 107 foreign firms including Kaspersky, SAP and BMW joining the event," he said, adding that total visits to the exhibition center exceeded a record high of 100,000 this year.
The superfast 5G technology has also become a spotlight this year with a group of 5G applications being displayed during the conference, Gao said.
Zhao Ming, president of Honor, a key smartphone brand of tech giant Huawei Technologies Co, said that Honor will launch its V30 smartphones, which support 5G, in November.
Its rival Xiaomi Corp founder and CEO Lei Jun also disclosed that Xiaomi plans to launch over 10 types of 5G smartphones next year, which are expected to cover all mid and high-end types.
China officially granted licenses for commercial use of 5G on June 6. From conducting the world's first 5G-enabled brain surgery on a human, transmitting 8K ultrahigh-definition TV content through 5G networks and piloting self-driving buses and cars, China is pioneering cutting-edge technologies for commercial use.
"From the perspective of the formulation of 5G standards and the development of 5G networks and applications, the flourishing of the mobile communication industry is impossible without the open mind and win-win attitude of industry players worldwide," said Ericsson China President Zhao Juntao.
"As a world leader in 5G, we believe that, only by deepening understanding across all industries and working together with each other, we can make significant progress in China's digital transformation and industry upgrading," he said.
Trailer of World Internet Conference
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Copyright © World Internet Conference. All rights Reserved Presented by China Daily. 京ICP备13028878号-23


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Even before the pandemic, Zoom made it ubiquitous, researchers from Washington State University used the video conferencing app to study a type of cannabis that is underestimated: the kind of people actually use it.
For the study, published in Scientific reports, researchers observed cannabis users over Zoom as they smoked high-strength cannabis flower or vapor concentrates that they themselves purchased from cannabis dispensers in the state of Washington, where cannabis use for leisure is legal. They then gave the subjects a series of cognitive tests.
The researchers found no impact on user performance on decision tests compared to a sober control group, but found some memory impairments related to free recall, source memory, and false memories.
While the results are in line with previous studies of low-strength cannabis, this study is one of the few that studies cannabis that contains much more than 1
“Due to federal restrictions on researchers, it was simply not possible to study the acute effects of these high-strength products,” said Carrie Cuttler, WSU psychologist and lead researcher on the study. “The general population in states where cannabis is legal has very easy access to a wide range of high-strength cannabis products, including extremely high-strength cannabis concentrates that can exceed 90% THC, and we have been limited to studying the whole the plant with less than 10% THC. “
While 19 states and Washington DC have legalized cannabis for recreational use, the U.S. federal government still classifies it as a Schedule 1 drug, suggesting that it has great potential for abuse and no medical benefits. Until recently, researchers interested in studying cannabis were limited to using plants with a low potency of about 6% THC supplied by the National Institute of Drug Abuse. In June, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stated that it may allow some companies to start growing cannabis for research purposes.
For this study, which began in 2018, Cuttler and her colleagues found a way to study the effects of high-strength cannabis while still complying with federal guidelines. The study participants bought their own products and used them in their own home. They were never in a federal property laboratory, and the researchers never handled cannabis themselves. Participants were not reimbursed for their purchases. Instead, they were compensated for their time with Amazon gift cards. All participants were over 21 and experienced cannabis users who did not report any previous adverse reactions to cannabis such as panic attacks. The study method was cleared by the WSU Division for the Attorney General Office and the university’s research ethics board.
The 80 participants were divided into four groups: two groups used cannabis flower with more than 20% THC but one containing cannabidiol (CBD), one non-psychoactive component of cannabis and the other without CBD. Another group vapor cannabis concentrates with more than 60% THC that included CBD. A fourth group remained sober.
For all cannabis groups that applied, the researchers found no effect on a range of decision tests, including risk perception and confidence in knowledge. On a few memory tests, there were also no significant differences between the cannabis users and sober groups, including potential memory, the ability to remember to do things at a later date, such as attending an appointment. The cannabis-using participants also performed well in temporal order memory, the ability to remember the order of past events.
However, the groups that smoked cannabis flower with CBD did worse on verbal free recall attempts – they were not able to remember as many words or pictures that were shown to them compared to the sober group. This finding contradicted a small number of previous studies suggesting that CBD may have a protective effect on memory. The groups that used cannabis without CBD and the group that used concentrates performed worse on a measure of source memory, which means being able to distinguish between the way in which previously learned information was presented.
Finally, all three cannabis-using groups performed poorly on a fake memory test – when they were given a new word and asked if it had been presented before, they were more likely to say it had when it had not.
There was also an unexpected finding: People who evaporated the high-strength concentrates with more than 60% THC performed comparable to those who smoked cannabis flower. This may have been because they tended to titrate themselves – by using less of the drug to achieve a similar level of poisoning and weakening as the people who smoked the less potent cannabis flower.
Cuttler said this was cause for cautious optimism about the little-studied but widely available concentrates.
“There has been a lot of speculation that these really strong cannabis concentrates can magnify harmful consequences, but there has been almost zero research into cannabis concentrates that are freely available for people to use,” Cuttler said. “I want to see more research before we come to a general conclusion, but it’s encouraging to see that the concentrates did not increase harm.”
New study on how US cannabis legalization can change illegal drug markets
Carrie Cuttler et al., Acute effects of high-strength cannabis flower and cannabis concentrates on everyday memory and decision making, Scientific reports (2021). DOI: 10.1038 / s41598-021-93198-5
Provided by Washington State University
Citation: New study of high-strength cannabis shows some memory effects (2021, July 8) retrieved July 8, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-07-high-potency-cannabis-memory-effects.html
This document is subject to copyright. Except for any fair trade for the purpose of private investigation or research, no parts may be reproduced without written permission. The content is provided for informational purposes only.


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The hi-tech bra that helps you beat breast cancer - and other clothes that can treat or prevent illness
- 2015 looks set to be the year of 'wearable technology', experts say
- Latest innovations include a bra that could deliver life-saving breast cancer medication and socks that warn if you’re at risk of injury
- Big brands such as designer Ralph Lauren are moving into the market
This was the year we’d be wearing shoes that tied their own laces — or so the Back To The Future films predicted in the Eighties.
While this may seem as fanciful now as it did then, 2015 does looks set to be the year of so-called ‘wearable technology’, clothing and accessories that could transform not only our wardrobes, but our health, too.
Until now, wearable technology has largely taken the form of wristband trackers — such as the Fitbit (launched in 2008), 2011’s Jawbone and the much-hyped Apple Watch, due to go on sale on April 24.
But now, manufacturers are developing everyday items of clothing and shoes that can monitor our vital signs, and even treat serious conditions.
The latest innovations include a bra that could deliver life-saving breast cancer medication and socks that warn if you’re at risk of injury.
Hi-tech: A bra contains technology which allows tiny ‘nano’ particles of a substance - for instance, a drug - to be embedded into a material
Even big brands are moving into the market — this year, the U.S. designer Ralph Lauren will launch a sports top that monitors heart rate, muscle movement and calories burnt.
‘So far, wearable technology in the context of well-being has been mainly about monitoring personal data,’ says Caroline Till, course leader in Material Futures at Central St Martins, University of the Arts London. ‘The question now is what do you do with the data once you have it? Is the information of value?’
This is where the latest technology comes in, with the focus on giving you feedback from the information collated.
So in theory, ‘wearables’, as they’re known, will not only take your blood pressure reading, they’ll tell you if it’s dangerously high.
‘The holy grail of wearable technology is something that’s integrated seamlessly into something you wear or use already, so you don’t notice it’s there,’ says Caroline Till.
This is now closer to being a reality because circuitry can be made small and light enough to be embedded in clothing.
Another material technology, known as micro-encapsulation, allows tiny ‘nano’ particles of a substance — for instance, a drug — to be embedded into a material so it is gradually absorbed through the skin when worn.
Here, we look at the latest ‘wearables’— some of which are already available, with others still being developed — that could transform our health . . .
The Omsignal top has sensors woven into the fabric in the chest to monitor heart rate and breathing
BRA THAT DELIVERS CANCER DRUGS
The Foxleaf bra contains micro-encapsulated ‘bubbles’ of the drug Tamoxifen in soft, plastic inserts in the cups.
The idea is that the body’s heat and moisture rub off the bubbles’ coating and the Tamoxifen, which blocks oestrogen to slow the growth of cancer cells, can be gradually absorbed through the skin throughout the day.
The bra was developed by Sarah Da Costa, a Masters student at Central St Martins, London.
It aims to provide a possible solution for thousands of women who find the side-effects of Tamoxifen intolerable.
Delivering the drug locally means less has to be processed by the liver, potentially reducing side-effects such as hot flushes, cramps and nausea.
There are now plans to run clinical trials to work out at what rate the drug would be absorbed.
Da Costa’s next project is to see whether similar technology could be used to deliver dementia drug galantamine via bedding or nightwear.
VEST TO HELP YOU BURN OFF CALORIES
NASA scientist Dr Wayne B Hayes has invented the Cold Shoulder vest, which he says boosts your body’s ability to burn calories.
The vest, which can be kept in the freezer, has pockets for ice packs around the back and shoulders. The idea is that by wearing the vest your body has to burn more calories to stay warm — as much as an extra 500 calories a day, says Dr Hayes.
From around £90 ($139.99) from cold-shoulder.com
Sun savvy: The Netatmo June bracelet has a sensor that measures UV light
T-SHIRT TO MONITOR YOUR HEART
Omsignal, the company working with Ralph Lauren to create a tech sports shirt, has a top already on sale that has sensors woven into the fabric in the chest to monitor heart rate and breathing. The sensors can also monitor the electrical activity of the heart.
Fibres feed this information to a ‘black box’ — about the size of a credit card — attached to the shirt. The box sends the information to your mobile, with alerts from your phone telling you to breathe more, slow down or speed up.
The heart and breathing rate data is also used to estimate how many calories you’re burning — thought to be much more accurate than standard fitness tracking wristbands which make calculations based on how much you’re moving. At the moment the garment has only been designed for men. A version for women is in development.
Around £160 from omsignal.com
DRESS THAT GETS MUMS-TO-BE MOVING
It’s a wrap-dress, but not as you know it — maternity dresses designed by Blake Uretsky, a fashion student at Cornell University in the U.S., contain conductive silver fibres under the bust to monitor a pregnant woman’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and temperature, along with a device worn on the belt that can then communicate with a smartphone.
The dress can then alert a mother-to-be if her readings suggest she might be over doing it — or not being active enough.
Some research has suggested that women who are more active during pregnancy have fewer complications during both gestation and labour.
The Lumo Lift brooch aims to improve your posture
BRACELET TO TELL YOU TO TOP UP SUN CREAM
Unlike conventional wristband trackers, the Netatmo June is designed to look like a piece of jewellery, with a multifaceted gem on a leather double-wrap strap. But the ‘gem’ is a sensor that measures UV light — the harmful invisible rays that cause sunburn and skin damage.
The sensor transmits information on your sun exposure to an iPhone and, if it detects you’re reaching a harmful level, it will send you an alert.
You can also tell it what factor sun cream — if any — you’re wearing, and it will remind you to re-apply it or recommend that you use a higher factor.
BROOCH TO BANISH BACK PAIN
The Lumo Lift posture coach is a sensor about the size of two 50p pieces that aims to improve your posture. It’s worn just under your collar bone. There are decorative versions that can be pinned on your clothes like a brooch or tie pin or others that can be clipped out of sight around a bra strap or vest.
You set the sensor when you start wearing it so it knows what your ‘good’ posture should be.
To do this, you press a button on the device while you’re standing tall, with your shoulders back and relaxed, feet hip distance apart and weight evenly distributed, bottom and stomach pulled in.
You can then programme it to vibrate every time it detects you’re slouching.
Maintaining good posture can be a key step in preventing back pain, according to the British Chiropractic Association. Correct posture keeps your joints aligned, helping to avoid straining your muscles.
Lumo Lift, £79.95 from store.apple.com/uk
Lechal trainers have touch technology in the insole that give you directions
RUNNING SOCKS THAT CAN PREVENT INJURY
Sensoria’s smart running socks monitor the way your feet strike the ground, warning you if you are at risk of injury and also how to correct your stride. ‘Flaws in your gait are a common cause of injury,’ says physiotherapist Sammy Margo.
The Sensoria socks detect how your foot lands, and conductive fibres then relay this information to a small clip-on device on the ankle. This sends information to your phone, which can issue real-time audio warnings and advice if needs be.
From around £130 ($199), sensoriafitness.com
SHOES THAT STOP YOU GETTING LOST
Lechal trainers have touch technology in the insole that not only counts your steps and estimates calories burnt, it also gives you directions so you can stick to a route. The shoes are based on ‘haptics’ — touch technology that gives you physical feedback from an electronic device, like a games console controller that vibrates if you crash a car in the game you’re playing.
Once you’ve programmed your route into a mobile phone app, the shoes vibrate on either the left or the right to tell you how to reach your destination.
Available to pre-order from around £100, lechal.com
AND FINALLY, THE BLOUSE THAT HUGS YOU
As seen on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week last autumn, the Hug Shirt, invented by London CuteCircuit, uses haptic technology to mimic the sensation of a cuddle.
The shirt contains sensors and tiny motors to generate warmth and pressure that feel like a hug. The idea, the inventors say, is to allow friends to ‘send’ each other hugs even when they’re miles apart.
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CANADA: Gildan Posts 21.6% Q1 Earnings Slump
The Montreal-based firm, founded by brothers Greg and Glenn Chamandy, reported net earnings of US$2.9 million for the period, a 21.6 per cent year-on-year slump.
The company cited the accounting impact of its switch to using the US dollar as its reporting currency for the fall in earnings.
However, first quarter sales rose 20 per cent to US$78m, compared to $65m in the same period a year earlier.
The sales increase was attributed to a 21.9 per cent increase in unit shipments and a higher-valued product mix, partially offset by lower selling prices.
To coincide with the first quarter results announcement, the Chamandy brothers said they wanted to convert their class B multiple voting shares into class A subordinate voting shares, reducing their stake in the company from 61 per cent to 24 per cent.
The decision, still to be approved by Gildan's board, means that the brothers would not be able to block any takeover bid that other shareholders approve.
"We believe that this is a logical and appropriate initiative for the company at this point in its corporate development," Greg Chamandy said, adding that neither brother would receive any compensation for the share conversion.
"We believe that this initiative is consistent with our commitment to strong corporate governance."
Companies: Gildan Activewear Inc
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T-shirt maker Gildan Activewear has reported an increased fourth-quarter profit on higher sales and a drop in raw material costs....
T-shirt maker Gildan Activewear is to launch its own branded clothing line next year, the Montreal company's president said yesterday....
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Recently by Frank Shostak: A Visible Fall in US Money M3 Worries SomeAnalysts
In his speech at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 26, 2011, the Fed chairman disappointed most pundits. He did not promise another massive infusion of fake money, i.e., QE3. I suspect that a strengthening in bank lending is an important factor behind the Fed’s decision to postpone the pushing of more money into the economy.
The yearly rate of growth of our measure for banks’ inflationary credit jumped to 8.2 percent so far in August from 4.3 percent in July. A visible strengthening in commercial bank inflationary credit, i.e., credit "out of thin air," will provide the "necessary" monetary stimulus. This means that the massive amount of money pumped by the Fed since 2008 (over $2 trillion) is starting to be funneled into to the economy by the banks.
This has long been the hope of the Fed, and the goal of the huge increases in bank reserves that have been created during the downturn. Until recently, these reserves have been stuck in the system unable to find lenders and borrowers willing to make a deal. This has been a good thing because prices have been held somewhat in check.
That is now changing. As the pace of lending picks up, and the fractional-reserve system of loan pyramids kicks in, we could see new floods of money pouring through our economic life and causing untold damage.
For the time being, the pace of pumping by the Fed remains buoyant. The yearly rate of growth of the central bank’s balance sheet stood at 23.6 percent so far in August against 23.1 percent in July. The growth momentum of our monetary measure for the United States (AMS) jumped to 13.1 percent this month from 11.8 percent in July.
Now, according to most experts, massive monetary pumping is going to ignite inflationary expectations, which in turn will give the necessary push to consumer outlays.
Once consumers start spending more, via the famous Keynesian multiplier, this will reinvigorate general economic activity and will put the economy onto a path of self-sustaining economic growth. The key in this way of thinking is that currently there is a problem with consumer outlays that, for various reasons, are not strong enough to revive the economy.
For instance, rising unemployment causes people to be cautious in their spending, which, according to popular thinking, is bad news. Hence policies aimed at lifting employment must be introduced in order to get the economy going. Digging ditches or introducing various public projects, such as building roads, is strongly recommended.
According to this way of thinking, if the private sector is reluctant to boost spending then it is the duty of the government and the central bank to do so in order to bring the economy onto a self-sustaining economic-growth path.
This means that government and central-bank policies must err on the loose side, implying that the Fed should aggressively push money, which together with very low interest rates and loose fiscal policies, is expected to revive consumer confidence and push economic activity forward.
This is a good summary of the views of Bernanke, who believes that the key cause behind the Great Depression of the 1930s was inadequate pumping by the then-Fed. This time around Bernanke is determined not to repeat the same error.
Note again that, according to popular thinking, boosting the overall demand for goods and services is the key for the strengthening of US economic growth.
It’s true that a strengthening in the demand for goods and services is required for an economic revival. However, any increase in demand must be fully backed up by an increase in the prior production of final goods and services. This increase in demand must be supported by the prior increase in saving and not by loose fiscal and monetary policies.
Neither monetary pumping nor any form of stimulatory policy can generate more real funding; rather they lead to the diversion of funding from wealth-generating activities to non-wealth-generating activities. These types of policies reduce the amount of available real funding to wealth generators and thus undermine the process of real wealth generation economic growth comes under pressure on account of these policies. (It leads to capital consumption. Instead of planting the seeds in order to reap a crop in the future these policies cause people to consume the seeds. Obviously one shouldn’t be surprised that no future crop could emerge as a result. Yet policy makers are trying to convince us that one can eat the seeds and also have a crop.)
Contrary to most experts including Bernanke the more aggressive the Fed’s policies are, the worse the economy is going to be. If all that is required to revive the economy is pushing more money, then all third-world economies would be very wealthy by now.
The latest trends in banking foretell the possibility of very dangerous times ahead where developed economies go the way of such undeveloped economies and destroy wealth through inflation in the name of stimulating production. As we may soon discover yet again, printing money is no substitute for real wealth creation.
Reprinted from Mises.org.


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The shipping zone is an important factor in how quickly and seamlessly a package makes its way to a customer’s doorstep.
In this week’s e-commerce technology news, Black Friday predictions, a shift in package delivery, and the decline of crypto.
How can your business implement a free shipping threshold that maximizes profits and entices prospective customers?
Where brands are vulnerable to e-commerce fulfillment cost increases during the holidays and how they can be managed.
In this week’s e-commerce news, the holiday season shopping forecast, UPS logistics, and Elon Musk’s plan for Twitter payments.
In this week’s e-commerce news, Stitch Fix discontinues its size-inclusive label and Upkeep’s med-spa receives support.
Holiday shipping deadlines for USPS, FedEx, and UPS, along with pearls of wisdom for managing holiday shipping.
Artificial Intelligence in supply chain management, a warehouse shortage and Nike’s inventory in this week’s e-commerce news.
Merchants need to make free holiday shipping work for their business and to keep their customers satisfied.
This week’s e-commerce news including Macy’s third-party selling, general rate increases, and an early holiday season.
In a world where instant gratification has become the norm, customers everywhere expect brands to ship fast.
Frontdoor Collective’s last-mile delivery, the trucking market, and JC Penney’s new beauty concept in this week’s e-commerce news.
A big consideration during peak holiday season is understanding how surcharges will affect the cost of shipping.
We help emerging and established brands deliver their brand experience.
288 Mayo Ave., City of Industry, CA 91789


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The 2021 International Display Technology Conference (ICDT 2021) was held in Beijing. During the conference, BOE officially announced that a new generation of glass-based Mini LEDs will be fully mass-produced.
BOE said that the latest P0.9 glass-based Mini LED display products are based on glass-based display technology and micron-level packaging technology, using active driving methods to achieve 1000 nits high brightness.
It will have a million-level ultra-high contrast, and 115% NTSC Ultra-high color gamut, with no screen flicker, low power consumption, etc., it can also realize seamless splicing of pure black.
In addition, BOE also brought 75-inch Mini LED backlight display products, which can be applied to consumer-level high-end display fields such as professional displays, medical displays, and automotive displays.


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Since no announcement had been made regarding the temporary closure of the store located at 9324 Georgia Ave. in the Montgomery Hills neighborhood, many believed that the outlet had permanently closed. A sign was placed in the shop’s window several days later, indicating that the shop was closed for refurbishment.
The store is currently offering a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on Jerk Chicken meals until Sunday, July 9. Those who enjoy the heat can get two scoops of ice cream for free if they consume an entire Jerk Chicken meal in one sitting at the shop.
Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk was originally opened as Islands Tropical Cafe by York Castle Ice Cream owner Cal Headley, who sold it to distant cousin Pierre Stone, according to MoCo360. After being rejected for a Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loan in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Stone’s niece Kayla launched a GoFundMe campaign to save the shop, which went viral on social media and triggered an outpour of local support, yielding nearly $33,000 in donations within 48 hours. Local businesses reached out to offer help, including Amber Chaney of Rockville-based Chaney Communications, who hosted a socially distanced ice cream social in 2020 with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-District 8).
Kayla assumed ownership of the shop in June 2020, according to Washington Business Journal. “I’m very grateful for the way that it was handed to me,” Ms. Stone told WBJ. “As a young person, I feel like I’m able to be creative and do what needs to be done.”
Stone rebranded the shop to Tropics Ice Cream & Jerk shortly thereafter, expanding the menu to offer Jamaican patties, smoothies, and jerk chicken.
Source file photo


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Households that rely on domestic heating oil have been advised to buy now and avoid rising winter prices.
Homeowners in Wiltshire that rely on heating fuel to power their property have been encouraged to join a new community scheme that could save them money.
Homeowners that are planning to bulk-buy heating oil from energy suppliers have been advised to ensure they store it safely.
The latest announcement from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) may be welcomed by heating insurance customers, as it brings good news for households that rely on heating oil.
Homeowners looking to switch energy suppliers to keep their bills down this winter may want to start thinking about having their boiler serviced.
The number of people unhappy with the service they get from their home emergency protection policies, which may include heat cover, has grown.
Individuals looking to get cheap energy by upgrading their central heating systems have been advised to think carefully about the solutions they opt for.
Individuals looking to compare energy tariffs and heat cover options may consider shopping around to ensure they are getting the best deals, after it was alleged one energy supplier is overcharging for parts.
People looking to ensure they can get cheap gas and avoid claiming on their heat cover policy need to have their boiler serviced regularly, it has been stated.


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Dray Alliance Inc., a digital marketplace for last-mile cargo transportation, raised $10.2 million in a Series A funding round led by Matrix Partners in San Francisco.
Total funds raised by the Long Beach-based company have now reached $15 million.
Dray said the funding will help “increase automation in its products and scale its hiring in sales, engineering and operations.”
Matrix Partner Jake Jolis, a member of Dray Alliance’s board, said in a statement that the company brings much-needed innovation to transportation’s last-mile. “In an age of hyper-competition and ever-rising expectations on delivery time and reliability, every inch of the logistics supply chain matters,” he said. “We have seen the rise of digitally enabled ocean freight forwarding and long-haul trucking, yet port logistics — a $50 billion market — has been stubbornly stuck.
“Drayage has remained the last bastion of extremely manual, paper-based and inefficient processes in logistics. Dray is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this seismic opportunity.”
Chief Executive Steven (Haobo) Wen, Product Manager Jason (Hao) Yu and Chief Technology Officer Hank Cui founded Dray Alliance in 2017.
“We saw an opportunity to transform the way the drayage market works while making life easier for shippers and truckers,” Wen said in a statement. “Instead of shippers guessing status, location and rate of their containers, Dray Alliance aggregates data from our partners to provide real-time visibility throughout the drayage process. We are helping both shippers and truckers improve efficiency, move containers faster and eliminate friction in the container shipping process.”
Dray Alliance raised $1.36 million in July 2018, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
In February 2019, the company picked up another $3.5 million in a seed funding round led by Craft Ventures in San Francisco.
Dray Alliance officials declined to disclose annual revenues, but said they grew 600% last year. Its customers include A.P. Møller - Maersk and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.
The company also promoted Sammi Liu to chief operating officer and hired Lauren Roberts as its new vice president of sales, it said.
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, CLICK HERE.


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Dana Green of Bluffton shopped in late November for Christmas presents for her three children and more toys for the two whose birthdays were also in December.
She made the arrangements with the layaway department in the Hardeeville Walmart on the very first day possible — Nov. 26.
“I put it on layaway and had good intentions of paying every week, but I couldn’t do that,” Green said Monday. “Times are a bit tight and things happened. And then I missed the deadline to pay it off and pick it up, which was Dec. 16.”
There was probably about $350 left to pay off. Knowing it was too late to get the gifts she’d set aside and thinking the store had already put the items back on the shelves, she was about to go to Walmart to see about getting back what money she had paid in the hopes she could do something with it.
“I got a phone call this morning from someone who works in the layaway department,” she said. “They said I had merchandise on layaway and I said I was sorry, I knew but I couldn’t pay for it in time.”
What the layaway clerk told her next blew her away.
“She said ‘A gentleman came in this morning and he wanted to do something for someone and be a Secret Santa, so he paid off all of your layaway and you can come in and pick up your merchandise before 5 p.m.,” Green said.
Not from the Lowcountry, Green was shocked.
“I have no idea how that happened. I’m new to the area, so I don’t really know anybody. There is nobody who I can say they must have done this and besides that, nobody knew I had that stuff on layaway,” Green said.
She told the store clerk it was a terrible joke to play on someone but was finally convinced that her purchases had indeed been paid off.
After shedding a few tears of happiness and surprise, Green decided to see how widespread such a deed was.
“I googled Secret Santas and there is quite a lot of that going on in Walmarts, Kmarts, Targets and other stores all over the country,” she said. “It’s out of the Christmas spirit and total kindness of their heart,” she said, still sounding a bit overwhelmed by the tidings. “At this point I feel more than compelled to pay it forward, so to speak.”
Green is correct in that the spirit of giving has taken root — apparently beginning in the Heartland — according to news reports all over the Internet. From Idaho, Michigan and Indiana the trend has spread all over, including the Lowcountry.
Teresa Beiriger, store manager at the Beaufort Kmart, said she has had some experiences with Secret Santas and generous spirts this year.
“We had a customer who said ‘I want to pay off something for someone.’ Just then someone was looking at a pool table for his kids but told the assistant manager he couldn’t afford to buy it. He heard that, went up to the assistant manager and bought the pool table for the father,” she said. “Then we had a woman who was on her way to California and she overheard someone say they couldn’t afford to pay off their layaway. She gave that person an American Express gift card and another gift card.”
It wasn’t the store’s first experience with such generosity.
“Our first real dealing with this was someone came in for someone else and bought 20 bikes to give away at the Beaufort Christmas parade,” Beiriger said. “He just gave them away. It’s been awesome.”


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The defendant rejects the charges and claims that he came up with a trademark before Pavel Durov.
Telegram Group Inc. filed a lawsuit against Florida-registered Lantah LLC, accusing her of violating the rights to the Gram trademark. Both companies plan to create a crypto currency with the same name. The first to pay attention to theprofile edition of The Recorder.
The company of Pavel Durova sued May 11 at the US District Court branch, which is located in San Francisco. Telegram claims that Lantah LLC acts “in bad faith” and seeks to use someone else’s brand for the sake of profit.
The unauthorized use of the Lantah trademark, to a degree of confusion similar to the name of the Telegram’s crypto currency, can cause confusion and error, as well as deceive consumers and potential customers. While there are no connections between Lantah and Telegram.
Lantah LLC registered the Gram trademark in February 2018. According to American journalists, this happened after Telegram unofficially presented the blocking platform Telegram Open Network (TON) and began raising funds.
The head of Lantah LLC, Daniel Jeffrey, in a CNN comment denied Telegram charges and stated that he had started using the Gram trademark before he learned about the same product of Durov. The American company connected lawyers to the complaint.
Durov did not officially confirm the plans to create TON and his own crypto currency, not counting the refutation of fraudulent sites trying to make money on the opacity of information. The platform became known from the published project documentation and media data. According to The Wall Street Journal, Telegram refused the public part of its ICO.


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You’ve probably seen—and totally related to—those memes satirizing the seemingly endless wellness benefits of coconut oil: It can transform your morning coffee into a metabolism turbo-booster, fight off bacteria and save your strands from split ends are just a few of the claims we can think of off the top of our heads. Well, a lot of dreams were crushed when USA Today reported that coconut oil might not exactly be the magical ingredient everyone thought it was. The article cites a recently released report from the American Heart Association which found that coconut oil was surprisingly high in saturated fats (even more so than pork lard and butter), and that it increased cholesterol levels in the majority of the controlled trials conducted.
Now before you launch into a full-blown panic and toss out the tubs you have in every room, this news might not be as scary as it sounds. Many respected wellness gurus have already jumped to coconut oil’s defense, saying that consuming saturated fat doesn’t necessarily lead to heart disease. Besides that, there is proof that fats like coconut oil can still help your body absorb nutrients, and fats high in medium-chain triglycerides can actually help some people lose weight. With respect to what we’re hearing from both sides, our takeaway is everything in moderation, so if you’re gonna slather the stuff on something, maybe focus on your hair and skin. And that occasional bulletproof coffee probably isn’t going to kill you.


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RealNetworks, Inc. has sued the Microsoft Corporation for violations of federal and state antitrust laws. The complaint was filed in federal court in San Jose, California and alleges that Microsoft has illegally used its monopoly power to restrict competition, limit consumer choice, and attempt to monopolize the growing field of digital media. The complaint alleges that Microsoft has pursued a broad course of predatory conduct over a period of years by abusing its monopoly power, resulting in substantial lost revenue and business for RealNetworks. For example, the complaint alleges that Microsoft has used its monopoly power to restrict how PC makers install competing media players while forcing every Windows user to take Microsoft's media player.
RealNetworks expects the cost of the litigation for 2004 to be approximately $12 million, in addition to approximately $1.5 million relating to the litigation this quarter. Typically, litigation of this type takes about three years through trial. Despite the added legal expenses for the fourth quarter of 2003, RealNetworks expects to meet the guidance provided in its October 28 earnings release and expects to provide quarterly disclosure of the cost of this litigation.
RealNetworks has retained the law firms of Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott, the Summit Law Group, and McManis Faulkner & Morgan to represent it in this lawsuit. RealNetworks' lawsuit is complementary to the European Commission's antitrust investigation of Microsoft and RealNetworks plans to continue to cooperate and support the European Commission's efforts.


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BOOK Book Lavender farmer Lillian Bye has one short-fused answer as to why people should visit the Riverina: “Why not!”
“Even if you don’t step out of the car you can have a better time than in Sydney or Melbourne,” she said.
“It’s so diverse; lavender, wheat, fruit, wine, canola, nice people – where else can you get that? We’ve lived here all our lives and we’re never leaving.”
It came as no surprise to Mrs Bye that Wagga had been ranked seven on Flight Centre’s top 10 Australian destinations for 2016 – a move that groups the city with the “big boys” of Australian tourism in Uluru and the Whitsundays.
“We’ve had visitors from everywhere,” she said. “Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Darwin. You name it.”
This is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people over seven years.Riverina Regional Tourism executive officer Sonia Casanova
But Riverina Regional Tourism (RRT) was surprised – if not, feeling validated that big-ticket tourism events seem to be finally having national impact.
The recognition comes just weeks after a leading demographer, Bernard Salt, named the Riverina as a trending destination because of its “authentic” experiences.
According to Flight Centre data, Wagga attracted a substantial increase in Victorian visitors in October last year – a 166 per cent rise on the year before.
Significantly, the upswing coincides with the Taste Riverina festival – a region-wide event designed to put “paddock to plate” food and agricultural tourism front and centre.
“This is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people over seven years,” RRT executive officer Sonia Casanova said. “As locals we tend to underestimate the value of tourism in the Riverina. We shouldn’t because now is our time.”
Veteran tourism operator Greg Lawrence, RRT’s chairman, said the ranking boded well for the entire Riverina, with Wagga seen as the “launch pad” to the food bowl.
“Let’s be blunt: we’re no longer a steak and veg kind of people,” he said.
“We’re a lot more attune to what we’re eating.
“If you can get visitor here, they can discover a whole pantry of food and agriculture from Gundagai to Cootamundra to Griffith.
“To have that recognition from Flight Centre, one of the leading travel agencies, is a big pat on the back for all the tourism operators in the Riverina.”
Wagga saw a number of new food-based events last year including Spring Street Festival, Cork and Fork and the revamped Gears and Beers festival.
Flight Centre’s top 10 travel destinations in 2016
- Hayman Island
- Port Macquarie
Where Wagga’s tourists came from, according to Flight Centre
Visitors in April from NSW - up 49 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in October from NSW - up 50 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in December from NSW - up 10 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in April from QLD - up 26 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in December from QLD - up 16 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in October* from VIC - up 166 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in December from VIC - up 50 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
Visitors in December from WA - up 30 per cent compared with same travel month in 2014
*October is the month of the Taste Riverina food festival


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By Jason Graziadei
I&M Staff Writer
Nantucket's Stop & Shop employees joined their mainland coworkers Sunday in approving a new labor contract with the supermarket giant.
The unanimous vote avoided a potential strike at Nantucket's largest grocery store.
Nearly two dozen of the island's 70 Stop & Shop employees, who are represented by UFCW Local 328, met at the Jared Coffin House Sunday for a conference call with other union workers across New England and voted in favor of the new three-year contract.


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Netflix has reportedly been faster since it started paying Comcast for direct access to its cable network in February, according to the streaming service's speed reports. But will the deal pass on additional costs to consumers?
According to Netflix's February report, Comcast customers streamed Netflix video at an average of 1.68 megabytes per second (Mbps), an improvement of 11 percent from last month, according to CNN Money.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
Netflix said in a statement on Feb. 23 that its deal "will provide Comcast
's U.S. broadband customers with a high-quality Netflix video experience for years to come.
"Working collaboratively over many months, the companies have established a more direct connection between Netflix and Comcast, similar to other networks, that's already delivering an even better user experience to consumers, while also allowing for future growth in Netflix traffic," the statement continued.
Prior to the deal, Netflix used third party providers like Cogent Communications to provide streaming services to Comcast customers.
ArsTechica.com reported that the average on Comcast
was above 2Mbps as recently as SeptemberNetflix's 1.68 Mbps, but it had gone down each month until Netflix decided to pay Comcast for a direct connection to its network.
Some industry experts say the deal was a result of a federal appeals court ruling in January, which did away with "net neutrality" rules that prevented internet companies from slowing and speeding up bandwidth for certain customers, according to USA Today.
"We now have an Internet service provider telling content providers that the only way its service can work is if you pay an extra fee," Michael Weinberg, vice president of digital advocacy group Public Knowledge, said. "The Internet service provider is injecting itself into the relationship between Netflix and its customers."
Comcast, along with other cable providers, have long claimed that Netflix unfairly eats up its bandwidth, especially in peak TV viewing hours. During prime time, Netflix can account for as much as a third of Internet traffic.
Comcast, with its 23 million subscribers, is the country's largest Internet service provider. Netflix has more than 44 million members in 41 countries.
Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll
© 2016 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Ad showcases a glimpse back in time for the brand, a younger Gary Lineker, and the evolving crisp packet design
Walkers, the nation’s favourite crisp brand , is extending its 70th anniversary celebrations with the launch of a multi-channel campaign, including two new TV adverts launching from 7th April for 7 weeks.
The brand is back on TV to thank the British public for their continued support over the past seven decades, ensuring that Walkers is front of mind with shoppers and helping retailers to drive sales.
The first of the two TV ads is a ‘Thank you’ ode to the British public for 70 years of inspiration, set to an epic, celebratory composed version of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, recorded by a live 60 person orchestra.
The ad will offer fans a glimpse back in time, showcasing fashion highs and lows, a younger Gary Lineker, and the evolving pack design for Walkers. The film looks back over the past 70 years and shows how Walkers has been inspired by the quirky and evolving tastes of the British public, whilst celebrating all the little moments in life where no matter what the decade or fashion of the time, Walkers has been an integral part of people’s lives.
Rachel Holms, Senior Marketing Director at PepsiCo, comments: “It has been a real pleasure to work on this campaign and TV creative, which thanks the British public for the support that they have shown us. We wanted the ad to be a tribute to them and showcase how far the brand has evolved over the years, with some fun and relatable moments along the way. From trying to enjoy a BBQ in the typical British weather, to a man and his grandson enjoying a packet of Walkers together at a football match – we are proud to have been part of households across the nation for so many years.”
Celebrations began last month when the core Walkers range underwent a new design that carries the message, “Celebrating 70 years of the nation’s favourite”. In addition to this, six limited edition flavours rolled out - Coronation Chicken (1950s), Roast Lamb & Mint (1960s), Cheese Fondue (1970s), Chicken Tikka Masala (1980s), BBQ Rib (1990s) and Sweet Chili (2000s) – which are inspired by the nation’s favourite tastes over the decades. The second ad, airing from 22nd April, will specifically support the roll out of the new flavours and feature the colourful packs to help raise awareness, alongside engaging digital content and in-store activation.


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First ship contest launches for 2020 shipping season
Feb 28, 2020 07:33AM
Watch the WDIO-TV Report here
From WDIO-TV - February 27, 2020
Another sign that spring is just around the corner. People can once again guess when they think the season’s first ocean-going vessel – or “saltie” – will pass under Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge this spring.
The grand prize winner of the contest will receive a Duluth getaway prize, that includes lodging, gift cards for dining and shopping, and passes to local attractions.
The First Ship contest has been held since 1984, the 25th anniversary of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Entries must be placed before midnight on March 24, by going visiting visitduluth.com/firstship. Include the exact date and time of when you think the first saltie will pass under the Aerial Lift Bridge.
“So it was a way to get people excited about the upcoming shipping season… and we’ve continued to do it since then,” said Maarja Anderson Hewitt, spokesperson for Visit Duluth. “And people love those ships. Obviously the port here in Duluth is so important for our regional economy and industry. It also is great really for tourism because seeing that port in action is really neat to see, whether you’re two or 82.”
First Ship Contest Statistics
- Last year: Maria G, the first ship to enter Duluth’s port, arrived at 6:48 a.m. on April 15, 2019.
- Earliest arrival: March 30, 2013 – Federal Hunter
- Latest arrival: May 7, 2014 -- Diana
So what is your best guess?
To see the original article and read related reporting, follow this link to the WCIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/duluth-minnesota-news/first-ship-contest-2020-shipping-season/5658654/?cat=1033...


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An SUVs.for front passenger seats fitted to certain vehicles, one of the , has ended with the company recalling affected crossover
Subaru filed documents to recall the vehicles with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Oct. 3, and in total, 366,282 Foresters are involved in the new recall. Affected models come from the 2015-2018 model years, while a NHTSA investigation originally focused on just the 2016-2018 model years. The total number of cars has dropped, however. The federal agency originally investigated some 500,000 models for the airbag sensor defect.
The Japanese automaker traced the airbag sensor defect back to models equipped with heated seats. According to the documents, an electrical connection within the seats could loosen over time and cause a decrease in contact pressure. If this happens, the occupant detection system may not function properly and could deactivate the passenger airbag. If the airbag doesn't deploy in the event of a crash, the potential for injury increases.
Subaru said it's not aware of any injuries related to the defect, however. Owners may see the airbag warning light illuminate if the problem occurs and the indicator reading "passenger airbag off" will also illuminate.
Notifications for owners will start on Nov. 29 -- the delay is due to a lack of parts to perform the fix. Those who receive a notice will need to take their Forester to the dealer. There, a technician will inspect the sensor mat harness. Should it exhibit the problem, Subaru will install a new one for free.


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Northwest Ports See Increase
by Kelly Kearsley, The News Tribune
The Port of Seattle was North America's fastest growing container port last year, according to information released by the port Monday. A record 2,088,000 containers moved through Seattle, an 18 percent increase from the previous year. The Port of Tacoma reported last week that 2,066,446 containers moved through its port in 2005, a 15 percent increase from 2004.
This is the second year in a row that Seattle's container business has grown faster - percentage-wise - than any other port in the country. The port commission's president credited the growth to increased trade with China and the addition of major distribution centers to the Puget Sound area.
The port's cruise business also grew, with passenger volume increasing 22 percent to 686,357 two-way passengers and the number of cruise ship calls increasing 14 percent to 169.
learn more on topics covered in the film
see the video
read the script
learn the songs


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Emma Stone and Olivia Wilde join Revlon
The US cosmetics brand Revlon has added Hollywood actresses Emma Stone and Olivia Wilde to its ambassador roster.
The actresses will appear in advertising campaigns for the cosmetics company across various media platforms, including online, print, TV, in-store and digital, from early 2012, reported Women's Wear Daily yesterday.
Emma Stone is known for her roles in Easy A (2010) and Superbad (2007) and appears as one of the leads in the much-anticipated adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel The Help, released on August 10 in the US and due for release in October in the UK.
After starring in the US teen-drama The O.C. in 2005, Olivia Wilde has since become a household name through her role as Thirteen in the American medical drama House and currently showing films The Change-Up (2011) and Cowboys and Aliens (2011).
The American actresses join the likes of Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Elle Macpherson and Jessica Biel, who are already affiliated to the Revlon brand. The duo’s campaign will tie in with a new line of colour cosmetics and nail enamel products to be launched by Revlon. A Revlon spokesperson also confirmed they are committed to take part in Revlon’s charity endeavours.


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The New York Times reports that Time Inc., the largest magazine publisher in the US, has reversed its previous position on Apple’s newsstand e-magazine store, and will make all of its magazines available through that platform. Historically, Time only sold single issues of its magazines as apps through the app store, or allowed print subscribers to read iPad editions at no additional cost. This will mark the first time the company has authorized digital-only subscriptions.
Although neither side was willing to discuss the terms, it seems that the deal represents a compromise, with Apple and Time both giving a little on their previous positions about the restrictions Apple wanted to impose. Apple is feeling the heat from Amazon and Google’s subscription programs, according to unnamed publishing executives.
Part of the reason for the change might have to do with Time’s new CEO, Laura Lang, who made cutting a deal with Apple a top priority after she took the position in January, “because this is where our consumers are.”


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UPS Logistics Group, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc., has named David Currence to be its chief information officer.
Currence will oversee the information technology portion of UPS Logistics Group’s business, ensuring the company’s global supply-chain solutions feature industry-leading technology, the company said. Currence’s staff includes software developers and programmers, IT engineers and experts in systems integration and supply chain management technology.
He comes to UPS Logistics Group from Brightpoint Inc., a distributor of wireless devices, where he served as CIO for three years. Prior to that, Currance spent five years as CIO for Wesco Distribution Inc. and worked for 15 years at Westinghouse.


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Mukesh Ambani announced Reliance Jio Happy New Year Offer
Good News For all Reliance Jio customers Reliance Jio’s Welcome Offer has Changed automatically for all customers to Happy new year offer on 31 December 2016. As Happy new year offer, Jio customers can enjoy free data up to March 2017.
Like Reliance Jio’s welcome offer, Happy new Year offer also gives free voice call, video call, SMS and data until March 2017. TRAI wants the promotion offer ended by 4th of December, Reliance announced it, customers, the offer continued until March, 2017 as Happy New Offer.
Source of Pic – http://www.chaprama.com/
According to the Speech of Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Jio grew faster than Facebook, Whatsapp, and Skype. Jio now has 52 million customers in Just 3 months. While Vodafone took 13 years, Airtel achieved it in 12 years.
Mukesh Ambani thanks to all customers saying – “thank you for reinforcing belief in digital India.”
Adding more to the speech Mukesh Ambani Says, on average a Jio customer uses 25 times more data then an average Indian broadband user. The call drop rate has now come down to 20 per cent, he says. Jio is Now fully support the Mobile number portability. So that all the customers can retain their existing mobile numbers.
Jio is also introduced Home Delivery service for the customers who is busy and cant go to Reliance store. Sim is activated then in just 5 minutes. Currently the service will available in Top 100 cities of India by December 31, 2016.
Ambani admits Jio suffered from congestion and speeds dropped for customers. He said 80 percent of users consumer less than one per cent of 1GB data on Jio. But 20 per cent of users are consuming disproportionate amount of data, which is causing congestion problem.
He added, “The benefits of Jio’s superior technology have been denied to customers due to an anti-competitive behaviour of incumbent operators. In the last 3 months, nearly 900 crore voice calls from Jio to the networks of our 3 largest competitors were blocked.”
Also read – how to use Jio in 3g phones.


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Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G globally on March 29. The device was basically a rebranded Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge, which was launched in India earlier this year. Alongside the Pro+ 5G, Xiaomi launched a new Note 11S 5G at the event. The Redmi Note 11S 5G is another rebranded smartphone. It is essentially the Poco M4 Pro 5G, which was launched earlier this month in India and other markets.
The 5G variant sits on top of the 4G model and is expected to arrive soon in India under the Redmi branding. Let’s take a look at the Redmi Note 11S 5G specifications, price, features and other details.
Redmi Note 11S 5G Price
Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 11S 5G globally. The device comes in three storage options – 4GB+64GB, 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB. The base model with 4GB of RAM is priced at $249 (roughly ). The 4GB + 128GB storage option is priced at $279 (roughly Rs ). Lastly, the higher storage option with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage is priced at $299 (roughly Rs ). It comes in three colours – Midnight Black, Twilight Blue, Star Blue.
Redmi Note 11S 5G: Specifications and Features
The Note 11S 5G sports a 6.6-inch IPS LCD with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. It has a hole-punch cutout at the top centre for the front camera. The screen supports a 90Hz refresh rate and comes with a 240Hz touch sampling rate.
Under the hood, there is a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC. It comes with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There is an option to expand the storage via a microSD card. The phone packs a 5000 mAh battery. It supports 33W Pro fast charging and the charger is included in the retail box.
In terms of camera, the Note 11S 5G has a triple-camera setup. It features a 50MP main camera sensor, an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP tele-macro camera. For selfies and video calls, there is a 13MP front camera sensor. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and support for AI Face Unlock. The phone features a 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with dual speakers. It runs Android 11-based MIUI 13 out of the box.
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Convicted former Enron CEO announces plans to make convicted former Tyco CEO his bitch.
Interest rates set to dip below zero.
Enormous new Krogers will feature produce area with actual farmland.
Anderson Township - Unveiling plansthis week for the largest Krogers store in America, Krogers officials discussed the mega-store's unique shopping experience involving 5,000 acres of rolling farmland called KrogerAcres. Shoppers will have the opportunity to grow all of their food and conduct all farming activities including soil preparation, planting, harvesting, etc. To begin the farming process, shoppers simply visit the KrogerAcres Kiosk and enter their credit card number to lease the required acreage and make equipment purchases such as crop dusting airplanes, grain storage silos, and irrigation infrastructure. To ensure a complete farming experience, KrogerAcres will also offer a bankruptcy law firm for shoppers who encounter financial disaster due to plummeting crop prices created by unfair and predatory market practices by national mega-grocery store chains.
- Bullet holes in J. Alexander's restaurant declared official tourist attraction.
- Delta uses baggage fees to expand lost luggage routes
- Mayan credit card debt soars as end of the world nears
- Dick in a Smaller Box available for undersized men
- Internet eliminates third shift to reduce costs
- Google store helps locate eBay store


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Image through Epic Games
Chances are you could have seen one thing known as Fortnite Token being marketed on Twitter. It’s mainly a brand new type of cryptocurrency or NFT related to Epic Games’ battle royale. Except it isn’t. It has nothing to do with Fortnite as Epic Games’ personal CEO Tim Sweeney has needed to clarify on Twitter.
While the Fortnite Tokens and related web site have been up for no less than every week or so, Sweeney seems to have solely lately found it and confronted it on Twitter, bluntly calling it a rip-off. The account responded to difficulty a protection, calling Fortnite Tokens “a fair-launch, community-driven, Fortnite game fans-created cryptocurrency project.”
As Sweeney factors out, the mission continues to be responsible of copyright infringement because it’s utilizing official Fortnite imagery and the identify to promote it. In a separate submit, Sweeney unfold consciousness of the mission and warranted everybody that it has no affiliation with Fortnite. He added that Epic Games’ legal professionals at the moment are concerned, so the Fortnite Tokens mission is operating on borrowed time.
“There isn’t a Fortnite cryptocurrency. The Twitter accounts promoting such a thing are a scam. Epic’s lawyers are on it. Also, shame on the cryptocurrency marketplaces that enable this kind of thing,” wrote Sweeney.
Despite Sweeney’s stance, this doesn’t essentially imply Epic Games received’t find yourself incorporating official cryptocurrency or NFTs into Fortnite sooner or later. After all, Sweeney’s solely grievance is that the tokens are being falsely marketed as official merchandise. Despite their widespread unpopularity, there may be nonetheless a marketplace for crypto and NFTS. Epic Games already permits NFT-related tasks onto its Epic Games Store, such because the Wild West-themed battle royale Grit.


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NX has recently announced its newest members for the second batch of the NIVEA acceleration program. NX is excited to welcome the second batch and the following five startups into their progam.
Beiersdorf announced the top five beauty startups for its second batch of the NIVEA Accelerator (NX). An international jury selected the startups based on their innovative business models and digital capabilities.
Korean beauty startups have found great success in Korea. They also are looking to bring a lot of innovation into their beauty products. Here are the top 10 Hottest Korean Beauty Startups to watch in 2020.
The beauty industry is always changing as it tries to keep up with the latest consumer trends. As a part of this movement, big corporates are partnering with beauty startups to work with new exciting and innovative companies.
The beauty industry became a vibrant environment for investments. Especially beauty startups are hot targets for investment or M&A activities. Also, the large beauty corporates have been very active in closing deals.
Within the consumer goods sector, beauty is considered the fastest-growing category. With the rise of the beauty space, investors have been paying close attention to identify new trends and investment opportunities.
We’re sure 2020 will bring us new Beauty Technology that we can’t even imagine yet. However, for now, let’s look at some of the hottest Beauty Tech trends that are sure to keep influencing the industry right through the year.
NIVEA Beauty Accelerator, built with the expertise of Beiersdorf, the German multinational personal-care company, is attractive to rising startups hoping to connect with an international network.
Beiersdorf has acquired a significant stake in Seoul-based LYCL Inc., which runs Unpa. With this investment, Beiersdorf became the second largest shareholder of the rapidly growing skin care and beauty tech start-up.
After carefully reviewing 200 beauty startups, NIVEA Acelerator was able to recruit the five startups for the first batch of the NX program.
NIVEA Accelerator held the official opening ceremony. The party was joined by the five selected startups and a host of guests.
NIVEA Accelerator selected the first five startups through a thorough evaluation of more than 200 K-beauty startups in South Korea.
"We believe NX will produce positive results as it values internal stability as a program that aims for equal partnerships."
"NX is a prime example of how beauty and beauty tech startups can be supported by a big corporate."


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Freeware application SpyBot Search & Destroy is the most popular anti-spyware tool used by Australian enterprises, according to a report on the domestic security market by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan.
Commenting on the Australian Information Security Satisfaction Monitor (AISSM) study, its author, Frost & Sullivan security analyst James Turner, said although the result was unusual, he was not surprised that a freeware application could take first spot in such an important area of security.
"This is so unusual because it is such an important area and yet it is so totally dominated with tools that nobody had paid for," said Turner. "The perceived wisdom is that people want to pay for their products because then they have got a throat to choke, and in some areas that is absolutely the case, but in an area like spyware it is a case of 'but they are such good products'."
In second place came Ad-Aware, an anti-spyware application that is available as both a free version for personal use as well as an enterprise version, which costs around US$28 per user per year.
Turner admitted that the survey did not ask which version of Ad-Aware was being used by enterprises but said he was surprised that Symantec's anti-spyware products could still compete sufficiently -- even though the basic Hosted Mail Security product costs around US$42 per user -- to be placed third.
"Symantec was the top vendor and the fact they were [after SpyBot] it impresses me that a vendor that charges can do so well. Symantec is doing incredibly well," said Turner.
Enterprises under attack
The AISSM report also revealed that Australian enterprises are under attack from both internal and external threats.
According to the report, 57 percent of respondents said they found spyware installed on multiple computers; 22 percent revealed that they have discovered at least one illegitimately installed keylogger on their system, which Turner describes as 'mindblowing'.
"The Sumitomo bank thing at the end of last year is an example of what could potentially go wrong. 220 million pounds nearly got transferred out through completely legitimate channels just because the hackers managed to get the relevant passwords," said Turner.
Turner was surprised that 37 percent of companies do not regularly monitor their security logs -- especially when 36 percent of respondents said they suspect a hacker had broken into their network and 22 percent said they had proof of a successful hack.
When 44 percent of organisations also say that they have lost key employees to a direct competitor, Turner said there is a huge potential reservoir of ill-will.
"Do you know what they have taken with them? Were you able to go back and look at your audit files and say with certainty what files they were accessing in the month or so before they left? Have they taken all your client records or pricing or sales figures," asked Turner.
The AISSM report was compiled with responses from 269 "decision makers", which means those at the CxO level or IT administrators. The survey predominantly covered organisations with at least 100 employees and a broad range of industries -- including government agencies.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Ulta Salon Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. ULTA, +0.11% slumped 14% on Friday after the company gave a disappointing first-quarter outlook and said this year's per-share profit growth will be at the low end of its long-term target range. Many analysts said they still like the stock. Credit Suisse, for example, raised its rating on Ulta to outperform from neutral. , "We see a number of areas of potential conservatism in 2013 guidance," analyst Gary Balter said.
Ulta slumps after giving disappointing outlook


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All Bentleys will soon have the option of being a plug-in hybrid. Continue Reading...
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From the President: BIO 2016 Recap
June 29, 2016
Dear BioAlberta Members,
From June 6-9, BioAlberta led the Alberta delegation to the BIO International Convention in San Francisco. The delegation included the Minister of Economic Development & Trade, the Honourable Deron Bilous, along with the Deputy Minister, Jason Krips, as well as departmental staff. Several Alberta life science companies were part of the delegation, presenting their companies and products while attending meetings with potential partners and investors. SolAeroMed Inc., Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc., KMT Hepatech Inc., and Aquila Diagnostics Inc. attended through the Access2BIO program. Additional attending companies were Impact Consulting, Resverlogix Corp., and SinoVeda Inc. The companies met with potential customers and investors at the Canada Pavilion, where BioAlberta staff had arranged for and manned the Alberta booth. BioAlberta thanks Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF) for its support of the Access2BIO program.
BioAlberta arranged a meeting of the Minister with several large pharmaceutical companies as well as Innovative Medicines Canada. The Minister gave an overview of the Alberta government’s economic development priorities, and was presented with an overview of the pharmaceutical industry and its economic footprint in Alberta. In addition, discussions were held on opportunities in economic diversification and health care.
BioAlberta’s activities at BIO were capped off by the popular Alberta Reception, which drew over 180 attendees on the evening of the 7th. The event provided an exceptional opportunity for attending companies and government officials to make new contacts, develop relationships with potential partners, and renew acquaintances. Major announcements that night included AbbVie’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Minister Economic Development & Trade, Aquila Diagnostics closing of a $1.75 million Series A financing round with Benslie International, and Janssen’s announcement of the winners of the Prostate Cancer Innovation Fund, a part of the J&J Health Innovation Partnership.
The event was a great success for all involved and BioAlberta looks forward to leading next year’s delegation to the 2017 BIO International Convention in San Diego.
President & CEO


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The business insurance costs of SMEs and corporates are increasingly being paid for through credit, new research from Premium Credit has found.
The premium finance firm’s nationwide “Insurance Index” study found that among SME owners and managers who use credit to pay for premiums, nearly one in four respondents said that they increased the amount they borrowed in the past year. The average additional credit they borrowed was nearly £1,300, the report revealed.
COVID-19 and its financial impact on business and the greater economy forced many SMEs to use credit to pay for insurance, the report found; 73% of respondents identified the coronavirus as their main reason to use credit. However, a notable 36% of respondents blamed premium increases for their increased borrowing.
Most of the additional borrowing involves credit cards, the report found. Some 60% of SME bosses have used their card to pay for insurance, while 40% are taking finance from insurers and/or are using premium finance. Another 24% have resorted to using personal or business loans to pay for their coverage.
Premium Credit’s report also uncovered that SMEs are financially strapped for cash. About one in three firms (33%) said their cash reserves have dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 7% said their firm has no cash reserves. Only 13% said they have experienced a rise in cash reserves.
“SMEs have demonstrated their resilience and adaptability through the COVID-19 crisis and that has included making good use of credit to ensure they can maintain business critical insurance,” said Premium Credit chief sales & marketing officer Owen Thomas.
“Now they are starting to see the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel it is important that they plan for the future, and it is worrying that so many are relying on credit cards, which can be an expensive way to pay for insurance if you only make the minimum monthly payment.”
Thomas advised that SMEs approach their insurance broker, who will be able to advise them on how to best fund the appropriate level of cover for their business.