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Small-scale farmers work to cultivate a productive, sustainable niche
On a gray October morning, Woody Wilson is multi-tasking. He’s in a shed on his hands and knees, trying to jump-start a rototiller; he’s contemplating how to water his crops until WestPenn Power restores electricity; and all the while he’s engaging in a conversation about the future of the family farm.
At noon, Wilson is waiting for a WestPenn rep to arrive. The tiller is still broken, the crops haven’t been watered and the discussion has petered out. He’s still busy, though.
In a field near the edge of the property, four college students are participating in a “work-share” program, devoting a couple hours of labor in exchange for a bag of fresh produce. They need guidance from Wilson.
In two hours, people from across Centre County will pick up their weekly share of produce. Before they arrive, Wilson has bags of onions, peppers and squash to count and separate.
A 2012 graduate of Penn State’s College of Agriculture, Wilson is passionate about traditional farming, where, he said, all you need is a “father, a son and three big tractors.” And Tait Farm just east of State College, where he is the head farmer, is a family farm in the classic sense. In the dilapidated barn, cloves of garlic hang from rafters 20 feet high. A John Deere tractor from the last century sits collecting dust in an old shed, but it’s not much older than the one Wilson will climb aboard a few minutes later.
Though only 22, Wilson, too, seems from a bygone era, one of scuffed leather boots and callused palms and weeds picked on hands and knees.
The truth is, Wilson is anything but traditional. He’s one of the small-scale farmers who are responding to the demand from discriminating consumers for food that is fresh, local and produced by organic methods. He’s part of a complex local economy, selling his harvest to restaurants, at weekly farmers’ markets and through community crop-shares.
Wilson says his focus on cultivating soil, growing a variety of crops and selling locally keeps his head above water economically. But he and farmers like him are fighting an uphill battle.
In Pennsylvania, there are 63,200 farms. Most are in the fertile south-central region of the state that stretches from Johnstown to Lancaster. The average farm is 124 acres, more than 10 times as large as Tait Farm. Since 2002, total farmland in Pennsylvania has decreased slightly, to about 7.9 million acres, a consequence of urban and suburban sprawl. But during the same period, farm production — measured in pounds of vegetables harvested, gallons of milk bottled, number of cattle raised — has doubled.
Those numbers reflect a shift toward large-scale farms using the newest technology and equipment. As farmland becomes scarcer, growing more food on the available land becomes the top priority. That means using pesticides rather than growing crops the organic way as Tait Farm does.
The trend toward larger farms using chemicals carries out the mandate—“Adapt or die”—that the late Earl Butz voiced when he was U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1971 to 1976. To mitigate the historical risks of agriculture, Butz urged farmers to consolidate, expand and use industrial pesticides. That large-scale approach is commonly called conventional farming.
Resisting the trend, Tait Farm and others prefer the organic method. Long a buzzword for sustainability, “organic” now is tightly regulated. For a farm to call itself organic, it must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s specifications, including pesticide levels, soil quality and proximity to other farms. Any farm that wants the organic label — Tait Farm already has it — must undergo a yearly inspection and spend at least three years repairing any soil that has been sprayed with chemicals.
Tait Farm’s business model is based on localizing distribution and selling a variety of crops. The farm’s steadiest stream of income is derived from its Community-Sourced Agriculture (CSA) model. It is a system that is taking hold across the country, and in Pennsylvania it is exploding in popularity. A national local-food database, Localharvest. org, lists 271 CSAs across the state.
In basic terms, a CSA is a shared risk-reward method of supporting a farm. Community members partner with a farm, paying a flat fee in the spring and taking home a box of produce every week during the growing season.
For consumers, CSAs can be a windfall. In an especially abundant year, CSA members may take home several pounds of food every week. Admittedly, that often can be pounds of a single crop, and members may have to freeze or can produce that spoils easily, such as green peppers. But Wilson said his CSA members appreciate seeing the fields where their food is grown, and feel a sense of shared ownership.
“If they get a bag full of zucchini, everyone starts talking about what they can do with it, different recipes they can try,” he said.
An individual share at the Tait Farm CSA cost $425 for the 2012 season. For Wilson and his farm, enough shares were purchased that the farm had a good sense of its revenue by April. That allowed Wilson to determine how much to plant, and when. Later in the season, Wilson said, he supplements the CSA income with sales at farmers markets and to local restaurants.
One farmer who has maintained a successful organic farm over the years is Jim Crawford, 69, of New Morning Farm in Hustontown, Fulton County.
In 1972, after abandoning work on a law degree and giving up an urban lifestyle, he bought a half-acre of land. Since then, his operation has expanded to 95 acres. When the USDA introduced organic regulations a decade ago, he adopted them quickly.
Crawford says organic farming requires more attention to the actual process of cultivation. On roughly half of his land, he grows more than 50 different types of vegetables, herbs and berries. The remaining acres are used for composting and revitalizing soil—demonstrating his commitment to soil quality, crop rotation and carefully managed land use.
Years ago, Crawford sold his harvest at a roadside stand, a mainstay of family farms and a common sight on Pennsylvania back roads. Profits from that business model were enough to keep his farm operating, but not in comfort, he said.
In 1998 he set up a cooperative with other local farmers near Lancaster, and he realized he could not merely get by, but actually prosper, as an organic farmer. Rather than selling to wholesalers, he began marketing the fresh crops from his co-op directly to consumers in the Washington, D.C., metro area. He soon had so many buyers that he had to expand.
Today, the cooperative, called Tuscarora Organic Growers, distributes to restaurants, groceries and farmers’ markets—and is still growing. In 2010, it pulled in $2 million in sales.
Based on his own successful business model, Crawford said that any farm could be organic, even though there are inefficiencies. He accepts that his yields would be larger if he used conventional methods.
“It’s a fact that if you use those pesticides,” he said, “you will grow more food.”
However, he said he is making a rational decision for the long term by not relying on pesticides. If they are banned, or if certain diseases become resistant to the currently used chemicals, he said, conventional farmers would be the ones with lower crop yields.
“A lot of farmers have lost the culture of how to farm the old way,” he said. “It’s not smart if the whole industry forgets how to farm without using chemicals.”
One farmer who has resisted going organic is Barry Moser, a retired employee of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, who has made farming his life’s work.
Moser farms six and a half acres of land in Centre Hall, about 30 minutes from State College. On his small tract, he grows enough food to fill one of the biggest stands at local farmer’s markets twice a week.
Moser runs what most people would call a sustainable farm. He pays close attention to the environmental impact he makes. He grows and sells more than 50 different vegetables, herbs and fruits. He only sells locally, and he reuses materials and does not waste land.
But in the eyes of many consumers, Moser said, he isn’t the ideal farmer. “I’m not organic. I want to be, but I’m not.”
In his experience, many customers value the organic certification obtained through a USDA farm inspection, a cachet his farm lacks.
His farm doesn’t look the way that the average consumer at a farmers’ market might expect. Many of his fields are covered in plastic sheeting. He uses shredded newspaper as mulch on his strawberry fields. These practices may look strange, he said, but they are sustainable. He thinks they ultimately work better than alternatives that might make for prettier photos and farm tours.
“They’ll ask me if I’m organic, and when I explain, they look around at other stands,” he said. “But they always come back because we have the crops they want.”
Moser said that tomatoes, a crop he has grown for more than 25 years, is particularly hard to grow in Centre County using organic methods. Late blight, the disease that caused the potato famine in 19th century Ireland, and another disease called downy mildew are his biggest concerns. They are capable of wiping out entire fields. Unless he uses herbicides that aren’t on the organically approved list, he thinks his crop yield would be in question every year.
“I run a small farm,” he said. “Ninety percent of my profits come from just one acre.”
And that single acre, he said, has to produce food reliably for his business to stay afloat. He doesn’t trust organic methods to ensure that his crops will stay healthy.
“I want to go organic,” he said. For certain crops, like blueberries, he is making the transition, since they are largely disease-free without adding pesticides. But for Moser, the bottom line is that he needs to show up at the farmers’ market every week with crops to sell.
“Until the latest technology in pest control improves, and comes down in price,” Moser said, “organic’s not going to be efficient enough for me.”
The case against organics
The Tuscarora Organic Growers is large enough that the risk of disease affecting the co-op’s entire yield is relatively small. But other organic growers in Central Pennsylvania acknowledge that Moser has a point.
At Tait Farm, Wilson was unable to save the majority of his tomatoes this year. Nearly all were wiped out by late blight, the disease that has scared Moser away from organic. Save for one hardy breed of tomatoes known as “Defiant,” Wilson had no tomatoes to offer to buyers.
In addition to farmers’ concerns about profits, there is growing evidence that some of the consumers’ health benefits from organics have been overstated.
A highly publicized study published by Stanford University in September concluded that organic crops on aver- age contain no more nutrients than conventional ones. The study also found that organic crops were no less likely to be contaminated by bacteria like E. coli, although organics did contain fewer traces of pesticides. Still, the study found that pesticide levels in conventional crops were within guide- lines set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The study is the latest piece of evidence that organic agricultural methods may not really be so different from conventional ones.
Under USDA standards, organic farms are permitted to use 20 varieties of naturally occurring pesticides and herbicides, most notably copper and sulfur. These herbicides, the same ones that Wilson found to be ineffective in saving Tait Farm’s crop of tomatoes, have been linked to a wide variety of diseases, including Parkinson’s disease.
Organic standards also prohibit farmers from growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which many experts consider the latest and best development in agricultural practices.
According to former Penn State plant geneticist Nina Fedoroff, GMOs are often more disease-resistant and nutritionally dense than organic crops. At the same time, she said, they have been proven to be no less healthy than organic crops.
To consumers, genetically modified crops and organic crops may seem diametrically opposed. GMOs are seen as technology interspersed with agriculture, while organic production harkens to a return to traditional methods of past centuries. This, Federoff said, is not the case.
Even seeds that aren’t modified genetically are bred to grow quickly and resist diseases, and both conventional and organic farmers use the seeds. Breeding seeds is akin to breeding animals; the best traits from one plant and the best traits from another are combined through forced pollination, and the result is a superior crop. GMOs are different because the process is taken one step further. They are essentially created in a laboratory by splicing and inserting genes to alter the genetic makeup of the seed. The new seeds are capable of boosting nutrient levels and developing immunities that breeding seeds cannot match.
For example, there are GMOs that boost antioxidants in tomatoes and calcium levels in carrots. In Kenya, sweet potatoes immune to a virus that usually decimates the crop have been developed through genetic research, according to Africa’s Center for Development Research.
Fedoroff said GMOs can dramatically increase yields, making them incredibly useful. They could ease famines and ultimately be the biggest factor in reducing the environ- mental cost of agriculture, she said.
But they are off-limits to organic farmers, many of whom wouldn’t touch them even if the Agriculture Department allowed them.
For all the good that GMOs are capable of, one of the most popular uses of genetic modification is to create pesticide-resistant plants. One GMO is known as “Round- up-Ready Alfalfa,” named for its resistance to glyphosate, better recognized by its brand name, Roundup, a traditionally effective weed killer that also is popular with homeowners.
But according to weed ecologist David Mortensen, some of the weeds that Roundup has historically decimated are now growing resistances to the herbicide. The result, according to a report Mortensen published, is that farmers are spraying more pesticides than ever on fields of crops where weeds refuse to die.
The hope for home farms
Wilson is not sure he’ll stay much longer at Tait, where he said the subpar soil requires extra care and the profits are shaky. He’s much more inspired by a side project he developed during his senior year at Penn State, which he calls Wilson’s Home Farms.
His goal is to start his own business, one that in some ways transcends the organic-versus-conventional debate. He already has five clients who pay to bring his small-farm experience directly to gardens in their backyards. His prices are based on square footage for each garden. He makes planting schedules for each crop and cultivates the soil. Homeowners wind up with gardens that are much better than they could have created on their own.
It’s a strategy that emphasizes local over organic – food that can be washed and eaten minutes, rather than days, after it is picked.
For now, Woody Wilson splits his time between Tait Farm and Wilson’s Home Farms, working 80 hours or more each week and sleeping in a small camper next to the greenhouses. It’s October, and the winter cover crops need to be planted soon. But first, he has to fix the old tiller, which is still sitting broken in the shed.


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The SPC Group announced on Dec. 28 that it has opened Paris Baguette’s 200th overseas shop in Shanghai, China.
Paris Baguette has become the nation’s first bakery chain to open its 200th overseas outlet. The accomplishment comes 11 years after it first tapped into the global market in 2004 and three years after it opened its 100th overseas outlet in Cao Tang, Vietnam, in 2012.
Paris Baguette’s Lingyun Square shop is the 23rd franchise store in China. With the opening of its 200th overseas outlet, the SPC Group has expressed a desire to accelerate its overseas franchise business.
Since opening the first overseas store, the SPC Group has been directly operating its overseas outlets in France, the U.S., Vietnam and Singapore to date, except for China. Based on Paris Baguette’s brand power and management experience in overseas markets, the group is planning to propel its overseas franchise business.
The SPC Group plans to open more than 100 overseas Paris Baguette stores, which are set to be opened next year, mainly under franchise. With the expansion of its franchise business, the group aims to open more than 2,000 shops in the G2 markets – China and the U.S. – by 2030.
At the event marking the 70th anniversary of the company in October, SPC Group Chairman Hur Young-in said, “As we will open 12,000 stores across the world and create more than 100,000 jobs by 2030, we will develop global markets into a workplace for young people.”

domain: news


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April export gain likely more than 10%
Thai exports are maintaining healthy growth momentum and likely increased by more than 10% in April, says Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit.
Mr Jurin revealed on Friday the country's exports have passed the low point, with outbound shipments increasing by more than 10% in April from US$18.9 billion (593 billion baht) fetched the same month last year.
The ministry is scheduled to announce April's export figures on Tuesday.
"Thailand's exports in the first four months are expected to rise by more than 4% year-on-year," said Mr Jurin. "Commercial ambassadors worldwide have been ordered to work harder to drive export growth to 8-11% this year."
He said the ministry will soon call a joint meeting with the private sector and commercial ambassadors to review the country's export target.
At the end of last year, the ministry set an export growth target of 4% in 2021.
"Exports are an important engine to drive the Thai economy in addition to domestic consumption, while the tourism sector remains trapped by the pandemic," said Mr Jurin.
Thai exports fetched more than $20 billion for a second consecutive month in March, rising by 8.47% to $24.2 billion after $20.2 billion year-on-year in February.
In the first quarter, Thai exports grew by 2.27% to $64.2 billion, while imports rose by 9.37% to $63.6 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $516 million.
Exports from the real sector (excluding gold, oil and weaponry) continued to soar, up 12% in March and 7.61% in the first quarter.
He said the ministry pledged to work together with the private sector, including the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to resolve export obstacles, especially container shortages.
The ministry also vowed to boost border trade to help increase overall exports.
In a related development, Poj Aramwatananon, chairman of ICC, met the commerce minister on Thursday and said Thai exports should grow by 5-6% this year.
"In fact, Thai exports could fare better than the results in the first few months, but shippers still face a container shortage," Mr Poj said, also a vice-chairman for the Thai Board of Trade. "Thailand could see a significant increase in exports, particularly for products based on local contents such as agricultural and processed agricultural products and food, if container shortages are settled."


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Apple announced today new versions of tvOS, watchOS, iOS and macOS (more…)
India tells Apple retail stores must sell local goods too.
1Password 6.3 for Mac adds support for three more web browsers.
Google has updated their Explore feature for Canadian users.
The company will soon stop allowing third parties to access the images in its feeds.
The company has made it faster than ever to save with the new extension.
Foxconn has reduced its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000.
Apple is in talks with charging stations for electric cars.
While we know Apple Pay is coming next month to TD, employees have now started to receive documentation on the mobile wallet.
Microsoft gives up on consumer smartphones and lays off 1,850 employees.
Apple Pay is now supported by Visa, MasterCard and five major banks in Singapore.
Apple job listing suggests the company’s health ambitions are bigger than expected.


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What's moving markets on Thursday? Jump in and you'll get the full market wrap!
Sales of cars in the US inch up 6.3% in March
In March, sales of cars in the United States rallied 6.3% in annual terms and surpassed 1.6 million vehicles, as Autodata uncovered. The given outcome can be explained by increased demand for pick-up trucks as well as SUVs.
The sales of pickups and SUVs jumped 16.3%, while passenger cars lost 9.2%. Approximately two thirds of cars sold in the United States in March, were represented by exactly pickups and SUVs.
In terms of the annual rate of sales of cars in the US, in March experts recorded 17.48 million compared to 16.8 million vehicles in 2017.
The ongoing leap in sales of large cars, which are the least energy efficient, definitely underscores the weakness of consumer demand for more environmentally friendly cars, as The Wall Street Journal informed.
Pickups and SUVs in general are less energy efficient than conventional cars, sales of which are falling in recent years, which experts attribute to low gasoline prices. So, sales of the updated off-road car Lincoln Navigator, produced by Ford, gained 91% in March.
Literally all of the largest car makers, with the exception of Japanese Nissan, ramped up sales in the USA the previous month.
Sales of General Motors, the US number one car maker, tacked on 16% getting to 296,341 cars.
In March, Ford stepped up sales by 3.5% to up to 243,021 cars, FiatChrysler increased its sales by 14%, to about 216,063 thousand cars.
The previous month sales of Japanese car makers Toyota as well as Honda Motor in the US market increased 3.5%, up to 222.782 cars.
As for Nissan, this car maker cut sales by 3.7%, to about 162.535 cars.
Aggregate sales of Volkswagen and Audi brand cars surged 14%, getting to 52,638 cars, while the sales of South Korean Hyundai and Kia cars slumped 5.5% to 112,185 cars.
US retail sales will be out on Thursday, April 15, at 15:30 MT. It is a significant release for traders as it will impact the US dollar.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand will hold a meeting on Wednesday, April 14, at 05:00 MT.
In this article, you'll find the list of the hottest stocks to trade on April 19-23, which will publish their earnings!
While Citigroup reports better-than-expected quarterly data, it is also aims at restructuring its global presence. What will be the impact?
What's moving markets on Friday? What is the hottest news? Let's find out!


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Spanish FMCG set to remain stable in 2016
The Spanish FMCG market has grown in value during the last year (+1,8%) due to increasing prices.
The Spanish FMCG sector will remain steady in terms of volume in 2016, following on from the trend of 2015, according to the report ‘Balance and Perspectives for FMCG in 2016’ from Kantar Worldpanel. The market, however, has grown in value during the last year (+1,8%). This is as a result of increasing prices for FMCG experienced during the last months of 2015.
“FMCG is a complex and sensitive market for several reasons. But, as long as no surprises are revealed during the coming months, we can expect a steady year for the sector. A fact majorly linked to the stagnation of the population and the shift, that is already evident, in Spaniards’ shopping habits”, says César Valencoso, Consumer Insights Director at Kantar Worldpanel.
The report summarises the main trends that both consumers and the industry have experienced in the last year and those which will determine its evolution in the mid-term. Among the trends is, a more optimistic and open-to-change consumer, the continuing war in Fresh Produce that is being waged by large retailers, and an Europeanization of the Spanish habits in the kitchen and at the table.
A shift in the consumer mindset
The Spanish consumer has started to assume that the economic crisis is over. Their perception, which is equally as important as the actual impact on their pocket for the evolution of the sector, has improved considerably in recent months. 37.5% of households report they are spending more money in the supermarket than they originally planned to (+ 3.3% over 2014), with a further 25.2% claiming that the crisis has not affected their lifestyle and their spending (+ 6.3% from 2014). In addition, Spanish households are reducing some of their anti-crisis measures when making FMCG purchases: 3.4% less households do not spend time considering whether to spend extra (67.4 % of households do this), and the proportion of them that avoid buying certain brands because of their price has also decreased (40.6% in 2015 from 42.5% in 2014).
These changes in attitude and behavior will encourage Spanish consumers to go out more and spend more away from home, to be more demanding on the products they buy and the establishments they visit, as well as relaxing their purchasing discipline.
Trends in the retailer landscape
2015 has been confirmed as a good year for large retailers in the country. Dia Group and Lidl have been the most dynamic, with both increasing market share by 0.4 points. For Dia Group, its market share has increased thanks to the acquisition of stores and as a result of opening of new ones for Lidl. Their market share is now 8.6% and 3.6% respectively in 2015. Mercadona has strengthened its market-leading position by 0.2 points (22.7%) and Carrefour has slightly increased its share of the market to 8.5%. In 2015, Auchan Group maintained a presence of 3.8% and Eroski declined two tenths, to 6.2%.
The development of ecommerce, the battle to win in the fresh section and the decision to support – or not – the retailer’s own brand will continue to be crucial during the coming months. Private Label has remained, for third year in a row, around 33.9% of the market share and this is where it will be moving during 2016.
Changes in the kitchen and at the table
Regardless of the economic situation, the report notes underlying trends that have been present in the Spanish society for some years and are now increasingly evident.
For example, Spaniards have increasingly been eating breakfast earlier, and that affects not only the type of products they eat, but also forces them to advance the other meals, therefore generating a new consumption occasion after dinner. Their interest in foreign food has also increased and healthier ways of cooking, such as grilling or boiling, are becoming more popular.


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iPhone and iPad users have long been able to laud the superior security of their devices over rivals. But it seems one crucial aspect has been forgotten: what if the hacker is ?
Responding to an eye opening talk from forensic scientist Jonathan Zdziarski at the Hackers On Planet Earth conference on Friday Apple has issued a formal read »
Despite being a far better operating system than widely appreciated, Windows 8 is a flop. The good news is looks to be well on the way to repairing the damage done by not paying enough attention to desktop and laptop users with Windows 9. Something we can now see for ourselves.
Two screenshots leaked on myce and verified by The Verge, read »
This is the big one. The handset everyone wanted. A phone which finally stands up to the specifications of the top Android phones and proclaims the arrival of Windows Phone 8.1 as a heavyweight operating system which can go toe-to-toe with anything from or .
But is it?
Design – Part One, Part Lumia, All read »


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Exactly one year after announcing the Super NT — a product that I called “the nicest 16-bit console I’ve ever held” — Analogue is back with the Mega SG, promising to do for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive what it’s already done for the Super Nintendo. The Mega SG is powered by the same hardware that makes the Super NT possible, and will ask the same $190 price (available to preorder on Analogue’s site ... as soon as it’s back up). But this isn’t simply more of the same; this time around, Analogue has a few new tricks up its sleeve.
Last year, Analogue’s Christopher Taber told us, “We want to do more systems, there’s no question. We’d like to go through video game history — especially a lot of the stuff that’s especially, or unlikely, to ever get any OEM treatment from the original company, like Nintendo is doing — and make systems that are made with respect and care and attention to detail and allow people to celebrate and explore those platforms.”
With Sega thus far failing to capitalize on the growing consumer interest in retro “classic” consoles — the less said about AtGames’ disappointing Sega Genesis Flashback HD attempt, the better — Sega’s consoles certainly seem like an obvious pick to succeed the Super Nintendo.
“Most people who follow us closely knew that this is going to be our next product,” Taber said. “I don’t think it’s too hard to put the pieces together.”
“We’re just following up [the Super NT] with what we have the duty to follow up with, it’s not even a choice. It’s our fucking duty to make the ultimate Sega system, especially because there’s just ... there’s just nothing available at all when it comes to the Genesis, the Mega Drive or Master System. There’s more of a void versus something like Nintendo.”
So Analogue is making the Mega SG to fill that void, and it will begin shipping in April 2019. If you want to skip all the details and instead just enjoy six minutes of Genesis classic Gunstar Heroes in pixel-perfect 1080p, then you can stop here. Put some headphones in and enjoy:
Still around? Let’s go over the details. The Mega SG is similar to the Super NT in that it uses a special chip called an FPGA to simulate the original hardware inside a Sega Genesis. While there are plenty of Sega Genesis emulators that provide an incredibly accurate experience, buying an actual clone console that can read your Sega Genesis cartridges has been an entire other matter. From my write-up of the Super NT last year:
The FPGA that Analogue has chosen is the Altera Cyclone V, which will simulate the original Super Nintendo hardware, as opposed to emulating it in software, so your cartridges won’t know they’re not being run on original hardware, but you enjoy benefits like 1080p HDMI output with no lag and 100 percent library compatibility, thanks to the programming work of Analogue’s Kevin Horton, aka Kevtris.
The Mega SG uses the same Altera Cyclone V chip as the Super NT; however, Horton has spent the better part of this year working on the software core that will power the Mega SG, turning that same piece of hardware into a Sega Genesis instead of a Super Nintendo.
Of course, a big part of an authentic Sega Genesis experience is the sound. While many of the clone consoles have come up (very) short, and even Sega’s own consoles have a surprising amount of variation in the audio quality, the Mega SG should be an ideal platform for anyone looking for the ideal Streets of Rage listening experience.
“Kevin implemented the [Yamaha YM2612] chip, totally in FPGA and it sounds fucking perfect. We’ve got the same audio circuitry and componentry that we designed with Super NT around it, so it sounds better than any Sega has ever sounded, bar none. Absolutely no question.”
Taber offered to send over some uncompressed FLAC audio samples to illustrate this point, which you can find here:
Like the Super NT, the Mega SG doesn’t come with any controllers. Of course, you may have existing three-button or six-button controllers and, just like with Analogue’s previous consoles, those will work just fine. If you prefer a wireless solution, Analogue will be releasing two controllers in partnership with 8BitDo; however, unlike the Super NT controllers, these are 2.4 GHz instead of Bluetooth.
“We made a slight change to this controller bundle versus the one that we sold last year,” Taber said. “The one that we sold last year for $39.99 [...] I think a lot of a lot of people weren’t or aren’t familiar with how powerful that little Retro Receiver is and how much it can actually do and kind of underused it.
“So what we did this time around is, instead of including a Bluetooth Retro Receiver, that’s the same as all the other Retro Receivers from 8BitDo, it’s a 2.4 GHz receiver that is only connectable and compatible with the controller that’s included alongside it in the pack. But because of that, it’s $24.99 versus $39.99, which is a huge price reduction and allows people to buy more controller which I think, just generally from the feedback that we’ve gotten, people would strongly prefer that.”
The M30 controller comes in black and white variants, with a blue power button on the black model recalling the Japanese Mega Drive’s schema.
If you’re ready to convert an existing Genesis controller to a wireless Bluetooth version, using the already available DIY kit from 8BitDo, Taber tells me that a Genesis-compatible Bluetooth receiver should be available before the release of the Mega SG.
The tower of power
If you’re hoping to recreate your tower of power — that would be a Model 1 Sega CD, a Genesis, a 32X, then a Power Base Converter for Sega Master System games, or a copy of Sonic & Knuckles with Sonic 3 in the top — then we’ve got good and bad news. While the Sega CD will work — either Model 1 or the side-mounted Model 2, thanks to an edge connector that matches the original console’s — the 32X will not.
“The thing about bringing 32X compatibility to the Mega SG that makes it complicated is Sega’s reliance on insane ass analog, multi-linking cables, you know what I mean? So the way that the Famicom Disk System works [with the NT mini], the way a Super Game Boy works [with a Super NT] or a Sega CD, they’re just there. They’re connecting directly to the cartridge slot or just to an expansion port. There’s no other connection between the systems. Everything is being processed through those connectors. When it comes to the 32X, it does not work the same way. So there’s no way for it to work the same way as these other systems do because it forces you to mix analog signals with HD signals.
While the 32X won’t work because of Sega’s weird wiring, there may be hope for it in the future.
“So what we want to do — and no promises on this; very critically, no promises on this — but ideally what I would love to do is just implement the fucking 32X in FPGA and then you don’t have to ever even use the 32X. You can use one of our simple cartridge adapters, you know, they don’t have any hardware and everything just runs in the Mega SG.
But it’s not that simple. “It takes a lot of time to do those systems from scratch,” Taber explains. “32X is a whole other level. So we’d have to sink a big chunk of time into just doing that one. And it would have to be a balance of how many people are really interested in it versus how much time it’s going to take.”
While the more complicated 32X is awaiting potential FPGA support, the Mega SG supports the entire Sega Master System library right out of the box, thanks to an included adapter. In addition to Sega Master System support, the Mega SG will support a bevy of Sega consoles — including Mark III, Game Gear, Sega Card, SG-1000, SC-3000 — with the purchase of individual cartridge adapters, sold separately.
“We’re bringing modularity to the Mega SG,” Taber said. “There’s a set of cartridge adapters that we’re going to be making available next year; one of them is already going to be included in the box, which is just a simple adapter for Sega Master System games. So out of the box you’ll be able to play Genesis games, Mega Drive games, Sega Master System games with this super small, tightly designed quality adapter, and Sega CD / Mega CD with the original hardware, obviously.
“And then beyond that, all of those systems — obviously besides Sega CD and Mega CD — they are all implemented and designed totally in FPGA by Kevin and what we’re going to do next year is release these cartridge adapters that allow you to play the rest of Sega’s past like Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000, Mark III — you know, the Japanese equivalent of the Master System — Sega Cards, Sega My Cards, we’re going to make them available for $10 each.
“All the hardware, they’re just sort of dumb adapters. When I say dumb adapter, I mean it doesn’t have any critical computing or any processing that’s happening at all with the adapter itself. It’s all running directly on the Mega SG. So every single one of those systems have been designed and implemented 100 percent in FPGA and they’re all done. So you’ll be able to just plug in a cartridge adapter, stick in a Game Gear game, play it in all its glory, right in the Mega SG. And it only costs $10. That’s as fucking cheap as it gets.”
To whet your appetite for this master Sega system, if you will, here’s a playlist featuring Golden Axe on the Sega Master System, Ristar on the Sega Master System, and Girl’s Garden on the SG-1000.
While these cartridge adapters are promised, they won’t be available at launch. You may recall a teased component ahead of the Super NT launch that still has yet to be released: the analog output adapter. Cutting the analog output is one of the most notable ways Analogue was able to ship the Super NT at its sub-$200 price, and that strategy continues with the Mega SG. But Taber had suggested there was a possible solution for extracting analog audio and video from the Super NT.
Designed for Super Nt and future Analogue systems. A digital to analog converter that plugs into the HDMI port.— Analogue (@analogue) January 19, 2018
When asked what’s happened to this thing, Taber said, “It’s been done. It’s like 99.9 percent done and has been for like six months. We just didn’t have the time to focus on it. We had a small window of time to be able to focus on something else before we needed to get on Mega SG to be able to stick to our development schedule, and we even pushed the envelope a couple of weeks out and we just couldn’t spend another fucking day on it. We had to drop it. So it’s basically done, ready to be produced. We even have all the parts for it and everything, we just have to pull the trigger on it. So right when we get through these last little details with Mega SG, that’s the first thing on the list.
“Basically it’s a DAC [digital-to-analog converter] that’s just like if you took all of the analog component side of the NT Mini — identical in its quality and every single detail about it — and you put it into an external component that you plug right into the back of any Analogue product and it outputs into all of the analog video signals, audio signals with some other extra special things that we haven’t announced yet.”
As for cost, Taber replied, “We don’t have the price down exactly right but let’s just say it’s not going to be expensive. It will be reasonable.”
But while that analog video output solution is still TBD, the Mega SG comes with analog audio — via a headphone jack right in the front of the console — stock.
“It’s got an analog headphone jack because that’s Sega as fuck and there’s no way we couldn’t do that,” Taber said.
The Mega SG has the same SD card slot as the Super NT, and the NT mini, so it’s probably a safe bet to assume that a hacked firmware will appear at some point post-release, though Taber wouldn’t comment on it. “The only firmware officially released by Analogue will always be found on support.analogue.co,” he said.
But that’s assuming that those who don’t pre-order can even get one. The Super NT has consistently sold out and been restocked before selling out again following its release in March of this year.
When asked if he expects the Mega SG to suffer the same shortages the Super NT has, Taber said that Analogue is “in a much better position” to keep units in stock. Even the Super NT should be back in stock going forward. “We just produced another big round of Super NTs that are in stock now,” Taber said. “We wanted to make sure they were available through the announcement of Mega SG and we’ve had continuous significant demand for it. It’s a product that we have no plans in discontinuing or not making available anytime soon.”
Like the Super NT, you’ll be able to pick from four color variations on the Mega SG: the US variant, with the red accent; the EU variant with the white accent; the JP variant with the blue accent; or the all-white unit, an eye-grabbing complement to the all-black Super NT model.
There are still some things we don’t know about the Mega SG — for example, Taber wouldn’t say whether or not the Mega SG will come with a bundled title, ala Super NT’s Super Turrican: Director’s Cut — but so far, Analogue’s latest looks to be another all-star entry into the increasingly competitive retro gaming hardware category. And, more importantly, a rare example of Sega’s classic hardware getting the kind of attention it deserves.


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Canada's Heart and Stroke Foundation, just a few short years ago, was happily in bed with the food industry, selling it their "Health Check" front of package seal of approval and partnering with multiple fast food restaurants. But then last year, the Health Check program was shuttered and since then, the Heart and Stroke Foundation has forged a course that their prior partnerships would have undoubtedly prevented.
First they published the most rigorous sugar recommendations in North America.
Next they launched a campaign urging the government to restrict the commercial marketing of foods and beverages to children.
And most recently they proved that food industry money, while green, isn't the only money available as they've just announced their largest industry partnership in the Foundation's history - with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Huge kudos to Canada's Heart and Stroke Foundation.


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Over the years, advancements in technology have created fundamental changes in consumer shopping and spending habits. The rises of e-commerce and mobile payment solutions have forced retailers to rethink how they target and engage consumers.
In one of my most recent articles, I noted that popular retailers like Nike (NKE -0.21%) and Starbucks (SBUX -0.08%) had not just noticed these major consumer trends, but had aggressively positioned their businesses to capitalize on them. Recently, another popular retailer, ANN (NYSE: ANN), announced a major proposed change in its business model which should help the company grow better in the evolving retail landscape.
ANN's new strategy
On March 14, ANN released a statement which detailed a strategic realignment of the company's businesses. President and Chief Executive Officer of ANN Kay Krill explained in the statement, "Retailing has undergone a sea change over the last few years, driven by the continued rapid shift of consumers' purchasing behavior and the growth of omni-channel shopping."
Krill went on to explain, "Today, we are taking the next critical step, by realigning our organization to support an integrated stores/e-commerce structure to accelerate our strategic growth agenda and overall financial performance in 2014 and beyond."
Also, the company announced the promotion of Gary Muto to president of ANN Brands, which means that he has been placed in charge of the design, merchandising, and marketing for the company's premiere Ann Taylor and Loft brands.
The heart of the strategy consists of a complete realignment of all of ANN's businesses, with an objective of better integrating the physical stores with the company's growing e-commerce platform. Better-integrated business segments should allow the company to operate faster and more efficiently. However, the strategy of creating a more streamlined process also entails eliminating approximately 100 positions at ANN, which equals about 10% of the company's corporate workforce.
ANN has three goals; to deliver high-quality fashion products, enhance brand strength and awareness, and increase customer service.
CEO Krill concluded, ""The strategic realignment we are announcing today builds on our ongoing initiatives to expand our omni-channel capabilities, enhance the productivity of our store fleet, grow our international presence, and develop new categories of growth, including the launch of the Lou & Grey brand, while also furthering our objective to maximize the profitable growth of ANN INC."
For the year ending January 2015, analysts on average expect ANN to grow revenue 6% and earnings per share 13.4%. Both of these estimates represent an improvement on ANN's recently announced prior year performance, in which the company grew its total revenue 5% and its EPS 4.3%.
Following in the footsteps of giants
As previously mentioned, ANN is not the only retailer with plans to capitalize on the consumer's changing shopping/spending habits. Nike and Starbucks have been capitalizing on this trend for a while, and now they have started to reap the benefits of this in a big way.
Nike has been aggressively building its e-commerce capabilities over the years. The company's online business increased revenue 33% in the most recent quarter. Incredibly, Nike's e-commerce business still only represents approximately 15% of the company's total direct-to-consumer segment, which means that the business will likely see continued expansion and rapid growth.
Meanwhile, Starbucks benefits from its investments in various payment-solutions technologies and its aggressive gift card initiatives. Not only can consumers pay for products at Starbucks through a myriad of payment solutions, they now purchase more gift cards than ever. These gift cards have been bringing in new customers for Starbucks who are likely to become valuable repeat customers.
While ANN is still a relatively small retailer in the grand scheme of things, it is undoubtedly a positive that its management is following in the steps of such successfully innovative companies as Nike and Starbucks.
Since there is no stopping the evolution of the consumer's shopping/spending habits, retailers that want to survive and thrive have no choice but to embrace new strategies. Management at ANN appears to be on the right track to accomplishing this, which could translate into long-term shareholder value for patient investors who are willing to wait for tangible results.


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These 1080p-capable Inteset media centers not only have a 7.1 channel surround sound, they have both Blu-ray and HD DVD support with a hybrid drive built right in. They also support Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS audio, which is great since you probably won't have enough cash left over after you buy this to get another media center. Couple that with two HDTV (over the air, not cable) and two SDTV tuners, and you've got a media center capable of replacing much of your current entertainment system. Having both Blu-ray and HD DVD, even in a mid-'90s styled box, is nothing to complain about. [Inteset via Cepro]
Inteset's Media Centers Offer Both Blu-ray and HD DVD
Trending Stories Right Now
The Antarctic is no stranger to weird sounds, from ancient trapped air bubbles popping to entire ice sheets disintegrating. Now we can add another freaky track to the ouevre of icy masterpieces.
In response to the record-setting $US5 ($7) billion fine recently levied against Google by the European Union, the search giant is making some changes. On Tuesday, it announced that manufacturers will soon have to pay a licensing fee to ship devices into the European Economic Area (EEA) with Google apps pre-installed.


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It has began in 2020 and originally of the 12 months, new telephones from Samsung, Realme and Oppo have been seen. At the start of the 12 months, many smartphone producers have lowered the costs of their previous telephones, after which these gadgets can be found at an reasonably priced worth. Today, we’re telling you about such telephones whose costs have been lowered just lately. The record contains every part from top-end premium gadgets to mid-range telephones.
Samsung Galaxy S10
After reducing the value of Samsung Galaxy S10 by Rs 16,100, the cellphone will be bought at a worth of Rs 54,900. The smartphone has a 6.1-inch AMOLED display and the cellphone has a triple rear digital camera setup with a 16MP main sensor.
Samsung Galaxy S10 +
The worth of Galaxy S10 + has been lowered by Rs 17,100, after which the 128GB storage mannequin of the cellphone will be bought for Rs 61,900. <! –
This handset is powered by Exynos 9820 octa-core processor.
Samsung Galaxy S10e
The worth of Samsung Galaxy S10e has been lowered by Rs 8,000 and now this cellphone is being bought for Rs 47,900. The smartphone has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and the cellphone has a 3,100mAh battery.
Xiaomi Mi A3
Recently the value of Mi A3 has come down and the 4GB RAM variant of the Android One gadget is now being bought for Rs 11,999 after a deduction of Rs 1,000, whereas the 6GB RAM mannequin is being bought for Rs 14,999.
After the newest worth reduce of Nokia 6.2, this cellphone is being bought for Rs 12,499. The cellphone has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The gadget has a 6.3-inch full HD + show and the cellphone is getting a 3,500mAh battery.
Nokia 7.2 is available in two RAM choices which embrace 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. The 4GB mannequin will be bought for Rs 15,499 whereas the 6GB RAM variant will be bought for Rs 17,099. The cellphone has a 48MP triple digital camera and the gadget is getting 3,500mAh battery.
Vivo Z1 Pro
The worth of Vivo Z1 Pro has been reduce by Rs 1,000 and the 4GB RAM mannequin of the cellphone will be bought at a worth of Rs 12,990. The 6GB RAM mannequin of the gadget is now out there for Rs 13,990. This cellphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor and the cellphone has a 5000mAh battery.
The worth of Vivo Z1 has additionally been lowered by Rs 1,000 and now the 4GB RAM mannequin of the gadget is being out there for Rs 14,990. The 6GB RAM variant is now being bought for Rs 16,990. The cellphone is powered by Snapdragon 712 chipset and works on Funtouch OS 9.1.
Oppo A5 2020
The 3GB variant of Oppo A5 2020 is on the market for Rs 11,490 after a deduction of Rs 500. The cellphone was initially bought for Rs 11,990. The smartphone has a quad-lens digital camera and the gadget has a 5,000mAh battery.
Now discuss Oppo K1, its worth has additionally lowered by Rs 1,000. The smartphone will get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and the gadget has a 3,600mAh battery. Snapdragon 660 processor is on the market within the cellphone.
Samsung Galaxy A30s
Samsung Galaxy A30s has been lowered to Rs 14,999 after the value. The smartphone has a 25MP triple digital camera and is launched with a 4,000mAh battery.
Samsung Galaxy A20s
Samsung Galaxy A20s worth has been lowered by Rs 1,000 and now it’s important to pay Rs 10,999 to purchase the 3GB RAM variant of the cellphone. The cellphone has a 6.4-inch HD + show and this gadget works on Android 9 Pie.


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Share this tale: Stricter rules force closure of Alberta payday lending shops, states industry employer
Cash advance licences have actually dropped by significantly more than one-quarter since the NDP federal government enacted stricter guidelines for loan providers in 2016 and more brick-and-mortar shops could possibly be shuttering throughout the next year, warns the elected president regarding the industry relationship.
Ahead of Bill 15, also called the Act to finish Predatory Lending, payday loan businesses had about 230 licensed shops in Alberta.
Stricter rules force closure of Alberta lending that is payday, claims industry employer returning to video clip
But at the time of fourteen days ago, that number had fallen to 165, Canadian Consumer Finance Association president and CEO Tony Irwin stated.
Money cash, CanadaвЂ™s next largest lender, has withdrawn from payday advances altogether no longer provide items because they occur underneath the brand new legislation because вЂњit just ended up beingnвЂ™t viable for them,вЂќ Irwin stated.
вЂњThatвЂ™s perhaps maybe maybe not insignificant,вЂќ he said. вЂњAnd they’dnвЂ™t function as the only people but they have been the biggest providers.вЂќ
A pay day loan of $1,500 or less should be paid back within 2 months. In 2016, the federal government estimated Alberta has about 240,000 loan that is payday borrowing about $500 million per year.
Content articles proceeded
The legislation, which arrived into impact in might 2016, saw the borrowing rate on every $100 fall to $15 from $23. It forbids loan providers from asking a cost to cash an online payday loan cheque|loan that is payday, prohibits soliciting customers directly by email or phone, and prevents companies from offering that loan whenever clients curently have one outstanding with all the business.
Loan providers are no longer permitted to penalize customers for trying to repay loans early, have to offer all loans with instalment plans and must limit the amount of times a loan provider will make pre-authorized withdrawals.
Irwin stated the shop closures are not a shock nevertheless the true number ended up being вЂњdisappointing.вЂќ
Despite the fact that bigger players like Cash Money and cash Mart are transitioning to providing instalment loan services and products, they may not be replacement services and products for payday advances, he stated.
And in reaction to consumer need, maybe not because federal government has basically turn off something that is required and ended up being working pretty well. even though it is good other items are being developed for customers, he’d rather note that happen вЂњbecause industry is producing themвЂќ
вЂњThe government of Alberta reported its intention to extinguish the industry, these were pretty clear about this. Then the results we are seeing and the impact is consistent with that,вЂќ he said if that was their intention.
Provider Alberta Minister Stephanie McLean stated this woman is satisfied with the speed of modification occurring in the market.
Content articles proceeded
McLean pointed into the success of the partnership between Cashco and ATB financial which enables customers вЂ” new and old вЂ” to access lower-cost short- and medium-term credit items. Servus Credit Union and Connect First Credit Union are providing mini-loan services and products.
Servus Credit Union up to now has granted 185 loans totalling significantly more than $290,000 and much more than 5,000 Albertans have actually sent applications for reports underneath the Cashco/ATB arrangement, McLean stated.
federal Government is necessary to report yearly the total value of payday loans supplied in Alberta, the sheer number of pay day loan agreements joined into, how many perform pay day loan agreements joined into, the common size and term duration of pay day loans, and also the total worth of payday advances that have gone into standard and been written down.
The report that is first expected when you look at the springtime.
McLean stated the argument that the closing of brick-and-mortar stores is indicative for the state associated with the industry does not вЂњpaint your whole image.вЂќ She contends that businesses are now actually offering payday loans Illinois more products that are online didnвЂ™t need storefronts.
вЂњA storefront closing will not paint the image of men and women getting loans and where they have been getting them either,вЂќ she said.


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Jim Sinclair described as "an amazing convergence" of concern for an ailing world
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The company is targetting early2014 for its IPO, the people said.


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Another story from a leader in social customer care, like others you may have heard from our ENGAGE conference last week. Check out our exclusive interview below!
The rumors are true––as announced at our Engage conference earlier today, Socialbakers is coming out with a whole range of new platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn), products, and updates! Here are list of the biggest things we’ve got in store for the coming month:
Speakers from Socialbakers, top brands, and industry experts are getting ready to take to the Engage 2013 stage in New York. Tune in and learn social media insights, trends, and predictions for 2014.
In less than 24 hours, the world’s best in social marketing will converge on one stage to bring you their insights, experiences, trends and techniques.
Not to brag, but we are pretty happy. It took us three years to sign up our first thousand clients but we have acquired the second thousand in just twelve months.
In the lead up to Engage NYC 2013, we’re recognizing a brand which has mastered the art of social care: Samsung who recently reached 25 million fans on Facebook in Europe. It seems 3.5% of Europe’s population have one thing in common--they’re all fans of Samsung on Facebook, making the preeminent electronics company the number one brand on the old continent.
We're excited to announce that we have appointed Neil Weston as the new Chief Operating Officer of Socialbakers.
Yes, Engage NYC 2013 is this week! On Thursday November 21, some of the world’s leading innovators in social marketing will share one stage and deliver their stories, insights and techniques. In anticipation for the event, we take a look back at previous Engage conferences, some highlights and summaries of what has become a major social media event.
The US is a crucial force in the global economy. But how does it fare in terms of social customer care? We decided to investigate, and pitted the country against a somewhat similar market, the UK, to see how they measure up. The results were not that pretty:
We’re really excited to announce our all-star lineup of speakers for Engage NYC 2013! We’ve brought together some of the leading social media innovators from around the world. On one stage, they will divulge their secrets for creating the best social content, social advertising and segmentation, and social customer care. See below for a who’s who at Engage.


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The American Medical Association cited the alarming growth of sales of e-cigarettes to minors
The nation's largest doctors group called on the Food and Drug Administration to adopt tighter regulations on the sale and marketing of electronic cigarettes to minors.
Citing what it described as alarming growth of sales of e-cigarettes to minors, the American Medical Association ratcheted up its opposition on the sale of the nicotine-delivery devices to minors and urged the FDA to bolster regulation of the popular devices.
"The AMA supports an FDA proposal to fill the gap in federal regulations on purchasing, labeling, packaging and advertising of electronic cigarettes," said Robert M. Wah, the AMA's incoming president
"The new policy will guide the AMA's future efforts to strongly encourage the proposed FDA regulation as a notable and important step to improve public health and deter the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors."
Arizona already bans the sale of the products to people under 18, and the FDA has proposed a nationwide ban on the sale to minors. The doctors group supports the ban as well as efforts to limit marketing the devices to minors.
The group also wants manufacturers to disclose the design, content and emissions of e-cigarettes. It also wants device makers to adopt child-proof and tamper-proof packaging, enhance labeling, restrict flavors that appeal to minors and halt unsupported claims that the devices can help users quit tobacco.
In adopting its new policy, the doctors group cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics that use of the devices in middle and high schools jumped from 3.3 percent in 2011 to 6.8 percent in 2012.
Ken Alltucker covers health care as a member of The Republic's watchdog team. He has written about the Affordable Care Act, consumer health, insurance, prescription drugs and hospitals.
How to reach him


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BROOKINGS Ð As prices for food, gasoline, and other products rise, individuals should avoid panic as well as complacency. SDSU Extension Family Resource Management Specialist Liz Gorham advises individuals and families to budget more and spend less. “Even with prices rising, financial affairs are still within your control,” she said. “It will take work and planning, but you can survive a financial crisis and come out stronger when it is over.” Gorham said tracking household expenses is a good start, as it allows for a record of where money has gone. “It can serve as a guideline for future spending, with expenses separated into fixed and variable categories,” she said. “Often it is in variable expenditures that families can find places to cut their spending.” For families without a budget, starting one now makes sense, Gorham said. “Family input is essential, as is being realistic and flexible,” she said. “Be creative, but remember, you still want to survive comfortably.” Gorham offers these suggested ideas when crafting the home budget during times of rising prices:
- Agree to discuss purchases that exceed a certain dollar amount with other family members before buying.
- Make a shopping list, weigh the importance of each purchase, and avoid impulse buying.
- Buy specials, comparison shop, use coupons, and shop at price-competitive stores. Buy in bulk, look for cash discounts, and try thrift and discount stores, too.
- Do not drop insurance coverage, but investigate your coverage to avoid paying for policies that overlap or give duplicate coverage.
- Do not cancel essential medical and dental appointments because in the longer term, you may end up losing money. Ask providers about flexible payment schedules if necessary.
- Conserve resources by consolidating shopping trips and errands and making your home energy efficient. Gorham said setting bill-paying priorities is important. “Maintain vital services such as utilities, transportation, and insurance, and avoid the trap of short-term, high-interest loans,” she said. “It can be alarming to realize your income no longer goes as far, but taking no action to make adjustments will only make things worse.”


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Android Users Can Now Lock Incognito Session On Chrome
Google has announced that users can now lock their incognito session when they leave Chrome on Android.
Uber Eats Now Shows Users Which Personal Info Couriers Get
Uber Eats is rolling out a new “View as Delivery Person” feature in the US and Canada, which will show users how much of their personal information a courier has access to during the delivery process.
Shutterstock Launches Its AI Image Generation Platform
Shutterstock has announced the launch of its AI image generation platform, which will be available to use by all Shutterstock customers globally in every language the site offers.
Bug In GTA Online Game Corrupt Players’ Accounts
The payers of Rockstar Games’ popular multiplayer action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online have reported losing game progress, stealing in-game money, and ban from game servers due to an alleged vulnerability in the PC version of the game.
Microsoft To Reveal Network Issue That Caused Mega Outage In Detail
A network issue caused the mega outage at Microsoft services like Teams, Xbox Live, Outlook and Microsoft 365 suite as millions of users globally were left in the lurch. The company will now submit a detailed review this week of what exactly happened.
Dell Acquires Cloud Services Startup Cloudify For $100 Million
Dell Technologies has acquired Israeli startup Cloudify which is known for cloud orchestration and infrastructure automation.
Tesla Sales Up 51% In 2022, Net Income Doubles Amid Musk’s Twitter Saga
Elon Musk-in Tesla made more money than ever in 2022, as total revenue grew 51 percent to $81.5 billion and net income more than doubled to $12.6 billion.
Meta To Reinstate Trump Account On Facebook And Instagram
Facebook parent company Meta announced that it allow former President Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram two years after his initial suspension.
‘For You’ Tab To Stay On Users’ Preferred Timeline On Twitter For Web
Twitter on Wednesday announced that the web version will now remember which timeline users were using last and default to it when they open it again.
Tesla Invests $3.6 Billion In Nevada, Will Add 3k New Team Members
Elon Musk-owned Tesla has announced that it will be investing over $3.6 billion more to continue growing its Gigafactory in Nevada in the US, and will also add 3,000 new members to the team.
Oracle Introduces New Logistics Capabilities To Boost Global Supply Chains
Cloud major Oracle is introducing new logistics capabilities within its Fusion Cloud Supply Chain and Manufacturing (SCM) offerings, that will help customers cut costs, improve accuracy and automate regulatory compliance.
Google To Discontinue Spam Backdoor For Political Groups
Google plans to discontinue a pilot programme that let some political campaign emails bypass spam filters in Gmail at the end of this month, the media reported.
Ad Spending On Twitter Falls By Over 70% In December
Advertising spending on Twitter Inc dropped by 71% in December, data from an advertising research firm showed, as top advertisers slashed their spending on the social media platform after Elon Musk’s takeover.
US To Test Nuclear Engine For Future Mars Missions
NASA and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have announced a collaboration to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space, the key steps for sending the first crewed missions to Mars.
Microsoft Edge Insiders In Dev Channel Can Now Personalise Sidebar
Microsoft has rolled out a new update to Microsoft Edge Insiders in the Dev channel which will provide users the ability to personalize the top sites within the sidebar.
Meta Introduces More Features To End-To-End Encrypted Messenger App
Meta has announced more new features in Messenger for end-to-end encrypted chats, including chat themes, custom emojis, reactions, group profile photos, and more.


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Stellenbosch’s joyous, colourful Harvest Parade takes place on Saturday, 01 February 2020, an annual tradition that celebrates a year of hard work.
The Wine & Food Tourism Conference, convened by tourism specialist Margi Biggs, will be headlined by trends analyst Dion Chang
The Delheim Wine Farm in Stellenbosch has introduced four new fynbos-flavoured cupcakes to its cupcake and wine tasting experience.
The latest wines in Stellenbosch Hills' eponymous range have been released, and include five wines from the 2016 harvest now ready for market.
From the 1st of November, Oldenburg Vineyards in Stellenbosch's Banghoek Valley will have a new winemaker - Nic van Aarde.


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NYC fashion brand Pyer Moss puts a high fashion spin on a classic Reebok silhouette, resulting in a design that’s just as dope as the Hip-Hop legend that the coveted shoe shares a name with.
Originally debuting in a crisp white hue that dropped back in March, the new DMX Run Fusion 10 now shows off a sleek all-black colorway. The refined look helps to show off the grooves and details of the shoe’s eclectic structure, from the sock-like ankle collar to its loopy shoelace system that looks like it was pulled fresh off the runway.
Those looking to pick up the Pyer Moss x Reebok DMX Run Fusion 10 will have to log onto Reebok.com before the shoe’s release this Friday (June 15) for a chance to enter and be selected at random for early access. You’ll also be able to cop directly from PyerMoss.com, so make sure to be on the lookout from all angles. Happy hunting, folks!
Images: Pyer Moss


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LONGVIEW (KYTX) - Longview kids have had to wait a little longer for the biggest, and most popular splash pad to reopen in Longview.
Kids won't have to wait much longer. Next Monday, on the 26th, Jack Mann Splash Pad in Longview is set to have its grand reopening. The splash pad has been closed for renovations. The park has received a brand new pavilion and a brand new concessions stand. The renovations total $250,000.


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Surface Phone Rumors: 3 Ways The Device Can Make Windows 10 Mobile Successful
Microsoft will be launching a new phone, the Microsoft Surface Phone and it is said to compliment Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile. But will it be able to save the Windows 10 Mobile from its bad reviews when so many predecessors have failed to do so?
According to a written article at Vine Report, one of Microsoft's boldest ambition next year is the introduction of a new lineup of Surface phones, which will be bannered by three different variants. Though there have been so many rumors and speculations about the premium quality and collection of the specs of the said smartphone, there have been no confirmation of those sources' from the American tech giant, Microsoft.
Based on all the rumors and speculations surrounding the Surface Phone, critics believe that Microsoft is trying to build something that has the internal stuff reminiscent of a laptop, but wrapped in a mobile device. But with the latest success on how well the Surface Studio was received from fans and critics, it is not an impossible feat for Microsoft to deliver this project.
Earlier this month, Microsoft has just created a robot that reaches "human parity" on a level that could be called as a historic achievement. We might be able to see that technology applied in the new Surface Phone.
About how the Surface Phone can save the Windows 10 Mobile from its devastating state, here are some of the reasons listed at Digital Trends on how it can be possible:
Long Desired, Never Delivered
Through the years, Microsoft has released numerous updates and with Windows Phone being rebranded as Windows 10 Mobile, there was no phone that could really carry it. Even with Lumia 950, that had hardware on par with the very best Android competitors could not deliver, that is until the long-rumored Surface Phone appeared.
Surface Phone Is Made For Windows Mobile 10
According to an interview at Digital Trends, back in December, Chief Marketing Chris Capossela admitted that they needed more breakthrough work. From that interview, it was clear that Microsoft was really trying to create a smartphone that was intended for the Windows 10 Mobile. All those previous phones that tried to adapt with the Windows 10 Mobile were just trials that would lead the Windows 10 Mobile to its true partner, the Surface Phone.
Windows Mobile 10
Though it is a clear indication that the Surface Phone will be the most compatible with the Windows 10 Mobile, it is also believed that Microsoft will update the Windows 10 Mobile to further increases its compatibility with the upcoming Surface Phone.
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Are banks overburdened with responsibility for money lost to online scams?
Bank boss calls for ugly-commercial cooperation to diminish scams that trick folk into making instant payments online
- Karl Flinders,Emea Drawl Editor, Computer Weekly
Published: 25 Jan 2021 14: 05
A digital bank boss has called for social media companies to fragment responsibility for losses to buyers duped into transferring money to fraudsters when shopping what they deem are true items.
Anne Boden, CEO at digital challenger Starling Bank, called for cooperation between assorted sectors to clamp down on authorised push rate (APP) fraud, on the final is called bank switch fraud.
APP occurs wfowl a consumer sends money to uncover something, which turns out to be erroneous and in truth a prison steals their money. Banks on the final reimburse possibilities by means of the Contingent Compensation Mannequin, presented in Might per chance well objective 2019. This objects out when victims who’re manipulated into making valid-time payments to fraudsters are to be reimbursed and by whom, and banks on the final uncover responsibility.
In a most contemporary weblog post, Boden expressed her hope that assorted sectors will shoulder some responsibility for such scams, in particular social media platforms.
“Banks make investments billions of kilos into tackling financial crime, but we is now not going to end it on our possess,” she wrote.
Boden pointed the finger at social media platforms and telecoms networks that are damaged-down in assorted financial crimes. “Very on the final, accounts are damaged-down for marketing for ‘money mules’ for the functions of money laundering, selling stolen identity and credit card knowledge, phishing, bogus funding scams and impersonation fraud,” she acknowledged.
But Boden acknowledged banks “appear to possess change into the underwriter of all forms of fraud that are now not with out a doubt financial fraud in any respect”.
She added: “If a consumer buys a pair of boots online from a plight advertised on a social media platform that takes their money and runs, here’s now not financial fraud, it’s raise fraud.”
Boden acknowledged there are no repercussions for the social media platforms on which the fraudsters advertise. “Criminals wouldn’t be allowed to advertise on faded media with such impunity,” she added.
“We fully give a boost to the Contingent Compensation Mannequin code that we signed up to last year to attend possibilities hit by scams. But this roughly rip-off is now not what the code was intended for.”
Boden called for a ugly-commercial capability and better law enforcement to end the organised gangs in the motivate of those scams because of “banks can now not originate this on their very possess”.
Gareth Lodge, analyst at Celent, acknowledged social media does “appear to fall by means of the cracks” of regulation.
“Will possess to you had a builder who did a shoddy job, you’d ring shopping and selling requirements,” he acknowledged. “Will possess to you bought something from eBay or Amazon, then eBay or Amazon would kind it and refund you.”
Lodge agreed that there has to be a ugly-commercial capability. “Whereas banks possess a position to play, in particular as a strategy of catching suspicious project, they aren’t to blame, or certainly, even suddenly eager,” he acknowledged. “Social media will deserve to possess a position to play, and there ought to be a threat to their status. I deem, though, that it’s now not proper a position, but collaboration that’s the important thing – tackling fraud is every person’s commercial.”
Figures from UK Finance camouflage that 57% of rip-off cases repeat to uncover fraud, with 45% of those cases being for sums under £300.
Final year, UK Finance acknowledged these crimes are now not proper a neighborhood for the banking commercial to resolve. “Executive, regulators and assorted sectors must step up and play their phase.,” it acknowledged. “That involves those organisations in a roundabout way focused on the payment, but who could want facilitated the fraud occurring – as an example, by means of a knowledge breach, or by carrying erroneous adverts on their platforms.”
One IT legitimate in the banking sector fraud is complex to resolve as it is some distance tough to end folk falling for scams. “As rapidly as an avenue is closed, the fraudsters gain fresh techniques of attack. I deem education and consciousness is most principal to establish out and attend extra folk watch out,” he acknowledged. “There comes some extent when bank possibilities must uncover responsibility for his or her possess actions but it with out a doubt is tricky to know the put that line has to be drawn.”
“This all came about inside of a generation I deem folk will progressively learn and be extra cautious but it with out a doubt could uncover years.”
He acknowledged regulators possess a sophisticated lag to stability client safety against client behaviour. “By the deliver of social media, I originate deem it has change into the wild west and sturdy regulatory circulate has to be taken against those companies on a host if ranges.”
Drawl Continues Below
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Representatives from a new business body met recently with the Ministers of Enterprise, Regional Development, Social Development and Stormont’s two Junior Ministers to discuss challenges facing the retail sector and town centres.
The new Town Centre Alliance includes Glyn Roberts, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Independent Retailers Association (NIIRTA), Joe Jordan, President of the Belfast Chamber of Trade,
Stephen Dunlop, Chairman of the Association of Town Centre Management and Adrian Farrell, President of Portadown Chamber of Commerce.
It was the first time the business organisations have made a formal presentation to the Executive Sub Committee, chaired by Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster, on the ‘Future of Our High Streets.’
In a joint statement after the meeting, the group said:
“We put forward new ideas on rates, planning, car parking and above all we pressed the Ministers on the need for a new Shop Vacancy Strategy, given that one in five shops are now empty.
“This meeting is a very useful start to getting a new joined up approach from the Executive and we will be engaging further with the Ministers.”


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According to the Q4 car production and delivery data released on Monday, Tesla, the most valuable manufacturer in the world, had a 40% increase in deliveries year over year in 2022. Tesla’s new vehicle deliveries fell short of Wall Street projections despite the good numbers.
Tesla managed to deliver 405,278 of the 439,701 vehicles it produced in Q4. In contrast, Tesla only made 308,600 deliveries over the same time frame in 2016.
Following the opening of the conveyor belt at its new Austin, Texas, and Brandenburg, Germany, facilities, Tesla increased output.
In 2022, when it delivered 1.31 million vehicles, Tesla’s yearly production was 1.37 million. In the previous year, 936,172 vehicles were delivered for the entire year.
While the numbers are a booster shot of confidence for the Tesla board, it still fell short of the expectations of Wall Street which predicted a sale of 420,000-430,000 vehicles in Q4.
The logistical troubles meant that Tesla’s deliveries in the quarter fell about 34,000 short of production. It also fell short of the ambitious goal set by Musk of expanding deliveries by 50 per cent annually.
While Tesla’s stock plunged 65 per cent in 2022, its worst performance since being listed in 2010, CEO Elon Musk urged the employees to not be ‘bothered’ by the ‘stock market craziness.’
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Snoop Dogg excels at using his popularity to secure a bag. The 51-year-old Hip-Hop legend has officially launched his own premium coffee brand.
The Long Beach, Calif. rapper announced INDO.xvz in partnership with Indonesian coffee entrepreneur Michael Riady on Tuesday (March 7). “My relationship with coffee goes way back,” Uncle Snoop said in a statement.
“The many long nights in the studio making hit after hit, coffee provided the fuel which kept us going. Today marks the launch of a new company I created along with my partner Michael, who introduced me to the best-tasting Indonesian coffee. Indo is going to change the industry. I can promise you that.”
The “Gin & Juice” artist also promoted his coffee through Instagram, saying that it was “created 4 n inspired by all that entrepreneurs, dreamers, risk takers & innovators out there. It’s time to change that game INDO is for owners #FuelTheDream.”
INDO.xyz will begin as an exclusive product for retailers in California and Las Vegas before anyone can purchase it nationwide. The coffee can be bought on INDO’s website as well as Amazon, Albertsons, Erewhon, Pavilions, Safeway, Sprouts, and Vons. INDO cold brew will cost $5.99 and the whole bean will cost $17.99.
This business venture adds to what is shaping up to be a strong 2023 for the West Coast great. DJ Pooh recently announced that the 2001 film The Wash, starring Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, will be revived and made into a television series. The Death Row Records affiliates will also be releasing a collaborative album titled Missionary this year in honor of the 30th anniversary of Doggystyle. A recent Instagram post hinted at the project possibly coming this summer.


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By Dhirendra Tripathi
Investing.com – Publicis stock (PA:PUBP) traded 3% higher in Paris as the advertising giant raised its annual forecast again after all its markets grew in double-digits in the third quarter.
The company said organic growth for the year is now seen in the 8.5%-9% range compared to the 7% as per previous forecast. Operating margin is expected to top 17%. The company upgraded guidance for all its key performance indicators.
The fresh guidance comes as corporate profits have expanded, allowing companies to increase their discretionary spending to attract more consumers.
Publicis’ U.S., Europe and Asia markets all grew between 10% and 12.5% in the third quarter. This was owing to large and prestigious client wins like Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Ferrero, Planet Fitness (NYSE:PLNT) and TD Bank (TSX:TD).
“Q3 has been a busy quarter," the company said.
Publicis’ net revenue in the third quarter was 2.62 billion euro ($3.03 billion), up 12% on-year.
Compared to 2019, while organic growth in Europe and Latin America was flat, North America, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa grew. In the U.S., both digital and traditional media expanded.


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How many houses in the UK have broadband?
Nearly eight million UK homes (27%) can get gigabit broadband, which includes full fibre services and Virgin Media’s fastest cable package. Northern Ireland has the highest availability, with more than half of homes (56%) able to get these faster services, while 42% of Scottish homes also have access.
How many households in the UK have no internet access?
In the UK, just under 12 million people don’t have access to what the UK government defines as essential digital skills, which includes being able to communicate online, handle information and content, make transactions, problem solve and be safe and legal on the internet.
What percentage of homes have Internet?
A decade later, in 2007, this per- centage had more than tripled to 62 percent and in 2015 increased to 73 percent. The percentage of households in the ACS using the Internet grew from 74 percent in 2013 to 77 percent in 2015. In 2016, 82 percent of households had a subscription to the Internet.
How many households have no broadband?
Notwithstanding this progress, the Report finds that approximately 19 million Americans—6 percent of the population—still lack access to fixed broadband service at threshold speeds. In rural areas, nearly one-fourth of the population —14.5 million people—lack access to this service.
What percentage of the population has broadband Internet subscriptions 2020?
Broadband in the U.S.: 2010 to 2020
From 2010 to 2020, Americans with access to broadband internet increased from an estimated 74.5 percent to 93.5 percent, as represented by the light blue line above.
How many children in the UK have no internet access?
On Monday, a letter sent to the Prime Minister from senior public figures including former education secretaries and former prime minister Tony Blair cites figures from Ofcom which estimate that between 1.14 million and 1.78 million children in the UK (9 per cent) do not have home access to a laptop, desktop or tablet, …
How many people have access to the internet in the UK 2020?
Worldwide, the number of internet users rose from 1.02 billion users in 2005, to 3.9 billion users in 2018.
Share of households with internet access in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1998 to 2020.
|Characteristic||Share of households|
How much of the UK has internet?
The share of households with internet access in the United Kingdom grew from 9 percent in 1998 to 93 percent in 2019. Virtually all adults aged 16 to 44 years in the UK were recent internet users (99%) in 2019, compared with 47% of adults aged 75 years and over; in aggregate, the third-highest in Europe.
How much internet data does the average household use per month?
The study found that on average, North American households have 14.7 connected devices. Those devices use up a lot of bandwidth. The average monthly broadband usage in US homes is 190 gigabytes per month, according to a report from iGR Research.
Which age group uses internet the most?
Age distribution of internet users worldwide 2019
As of 2019, a third of online users worldwide were aged between 25 and 34 years. Website visitors in this age bracket constituted the biggest group of online users worldwide. Also, 18 percent of global online users were aged 18 to 24 years.
Should every household have a computer?
Everyone needs a computer in the household. … Children, teenagers, adults, and senior citizens all can use the same computer, but they all use the computer for a different purpose. Computers have always been useful, but not until recently have computers become useful for children who are twelve and under.


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Those looking for a new AT&T smartphone during the month of January aren’t going to find anything new. Instead the carrier is going to rely on, at least for the first month of the year, on its big name devices from 2013. Fortunately for those in the hunt for a device, that isn’t such a bad thing at all.
Last year was extremely kind to AT&T and its customers. The carrier made great strides with its 4G LTE network expansion and it now is as close as ever to the king of 4G LTE, Verizon. AT&T’s 4G network now blankets huge cities in addition to rural one and the company will likely now set its attention towards LTE-Advanced which will bring even faster data speeds to mobile customers.
The carrier also introduced a brand new smartphone plan dubbed AT&T Next which allows users to pay in monthly installments without having to sign a contract. The program was a response to T-Mobile moving completely off-contract and it allows AT&T customers, like T-Mobile customers, to move from flagship phone to flagship phone relatively painlessly.
Finally, AT&T introduced a wealth of smartphone options to its consumers. From the iPhone to Android phones to new Windows 8 devices, AT&T offers an expansive smartphone lineup. It’s a lineup that is bound to change in 2014 but likely won’t until March when HTC and Samsung deliver their new devices.
For now, AT&T customers and those thinking about switching over to Ma Bell’s network are stuck with last year’s crop. Fortunately, the device’s from 2013 are still fantastic. Those looking for a new smartphone in January are going to encounter a lot of options when looking at AT&T and here, we want to help narrow those options down.
Here now are the devices we consider to be the five best AT&T smartphones available for the month of January, 2013.
iPhone 6 rumors might be swirling but that doesn't mean that the iPhone 5s is going anywhere, anytime soon. In fact, the iPhone 5s should remain Apple's flagship smartphone until the summer, at least, which means that it's still a very solid buy months after its release.
Apple also does a fantastic job of keeping its devices updated, typically for three years, which means that the iPhone 5s has a long life ahead of it. Simply put, this is a fantastic, all-around phone and one that consumers should have their eye on in the new year.


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US: Neiman Marcus merges online and store teams
Upscale department store retailer Neiman Marcus has announced a series of changes to its management team by merging its online and store teams.
Jim Gold, president of specialty retail, has been named as group president and chief merchandising officer. He will lead an integrated merchant and planning team for Neiman Marcus stores and online.
John Koryl, who currently serves as president of Neiman Marcus Online, has been appointed president of Neiman Marcus stores and online.
He will be responsible for Neiman Marcus store operations and sales, e-commerce domestic and international operations and sales, site merchandising, site optimization and customer care.
As part of the reorganisation, the divisional merchandise manager positions will become omni-channel, while the buying roles will remain the same, with buyers solely focused on one channel.
"These changes allow us to operate as one, single, Neiman Marcus brand," said CEO Karen Katz. "John and Jim are proven leaders who will take the Neiman Marcus brand to the next level of growth and service for our customers."
The changes will take effect from 14 April.
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Latest alcohol craze: High-octane whipped cream selling well
By DANIELLE CAPALBO
Hour Staff Writer
The latest package store fad has raised safety concerns among experts, not least because it looks like something you'd snag in the dairy aisle: alcohol-infused whipped cream.
"We're aware it's for sale in liquor stores, and it's certainly something that parents and adults need to regulate, to ensure it's not used either inappropriately, No. 1, or by mistake, No. 2," said State Police spokesman Lt. J. Paul Vance.
At World of Beverages on Main Avenue, chocolate- and vanilla-flavored Cream -- one of several brands that produces the so-called "whipahol" -- sold out during their first month in stock, said Kim Porter, a cashier. Remaining flavors are raspberry and caramel, which the store has ordered by the case.
"It's really good, actually," Porter said.
She likened the rate of sales to Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink the government has recently regulated.
On the heels of a crackdown by Connecticut's attorney general, the Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters last week to four manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks saying the caffeine added to their beverages is an "unsafe food additive."
A 375-milliliter canister of Cream sells for $10.99 at World of Beverages and packs a 15-percent alcohol content. Porter said the price itself may deter underage buyers, who flocked to Four Loko because it cost so little.
Plus, she said, the effects are hardly the same; an entire canister of Cream has the same alcohol content as three or four beers.
That could be the reason that Porter hasn't yet nabbed any customers trying to purchase Cream with fake IDs, she said. Instead, adults have been purchasing the product for mixed drinks, shots, desserts, martinis and coffee.
Bottles of whipahol produced by other brands, like Whipped Lightning, could hold between 16 and 18.25 percent alcohol content.
Though Porter said she doesn't believe that children would mistake the canister for ordinary whipped cream -- for one thing, it looks completely different, she said -- Vance said the product has "definitely raise some red flags."
He suggested that parents stow the product out of reach of their children and clarify that it's different than the whipped cream they might use on their ice cream sundae.
Adults, too, should exercise caution when wielding the whipped cream, he said.
"If you're making an alcoholic beverage and add alcoholic whipped cream on top," he said, "it could pose a real set of dangers."


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CUSTOMS officers discovered thousands of litres of illegally-imported alcohol when they raided a Tyneside mini-market.
They also found more than 250 litres of spirits, which they suspect to be counterfeit and contain dangerous levels of chemicals.
The haul was hidden underneath cardboard in the back of the shop on Wallsend High Street.
The spirit products were mainly bottles of Glens Vodka. None of them displayed legally-required UK duty stamps.
An HM Revenue & Customs spokeswoman said: “This highlights the growing problems of the illegal supply of excise goods in our region. We would like to stress again that the public are an integral part in the fight against this illegal trade.
“We are urging the public to buy from reputable and licensed traders.
“Even outlets which on the face of it are presenting themselves as reputable can be involved in this kind of activity and the public should be on their guard.
“If you suspect that someone is illegally importing or selling duty-free or counterfeit alcohol or tobacco, call our hotline on 0800 595 000 and report it.”
The raid was carried out by HMRC’s newly-formed regional investigations team. The bust comes on the back of a similar seizure at the Raby pub in Byker where fake spirits and smuggled wine were found.
Last month a warehouse in Brunswick, Newcastle, was busted and up to £60,000 of illegally-imported and counterfeit alcohol was found.
Dave Hogg, crime and disorder programme manager of regional alcohol office Balance, said: “Counterfeit alcohol can be extremely dangerous as it is not known what has been used to make it.
“It can be exceptionally harmful to people’s health as it often contains methanol – a chemical which can cause blindness, unconsciousness and even death.
“Those producing such drinks have little regard for people’s well-being. Their only interest is in profit.
“There also needs to be a realisation that the sale of both counterfeit and smuggled alcohol is often used to fund organised crime, which can have a detrimental impact upon the North East region.”


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A clever phishing scheme has been spotted targeting users who have had their iPad or iPhone stolen, leading researchers to believe that it has been set up by a criminal group that offers thieves the service of finding out the information necessary to unlock the stolen devices.
AdThief (or Spad) is the name of a recently discovered iOS malware that has managed to infect some 75,000 jailbroken iOS devices and steal revenue from around 22 million ads in a period that spanned a little over four months.
In the wake of the discovery of undocumented features in Apple's iOS that can serve as backdoors, the company has modified a knowledge base article to enumerate and explain the three questionable services found by iOS forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski.
A researcher has revealed that Apple has equipped its mobile iOS with several undocumented features that can be used by attackers and law enforcement to access the sensitive data contained on the devices running it.
An unusual case of cyber extortion has been spotted in Australia: Apple device users in Queensland, NSW, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria have been woken up to messages displayed on their devices saying they have been hacked.
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