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J-Palm Liberia, a local oil palm-based consumer goods and clean energy company, has won another recognition for its work in Liberia.
The company was selected on March 14, as theÂ winner of the first Johnson & Johnson Africa Innovation Challenge during the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Johannesburg. South Africaâ€™s Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa presented the award.
The company won the award for its popular skin and hair care product, Kernel Fresh. The products are currently sold in most supermarkets and convenience stores in Monrovia.
Kernel Fresh sources natural palm kernels from smallholder women farmers, increasing their income. The entrepreneur cold presses the palm kernel oil to be used in organic cosmetics.
Johnson & Johnson is a family of companies which comprises the world’s largest healthcare business and its presence in Africa dates back to 1930, including business operations, public health programs, and corporate citizenship.
The Africa Innovation Challenge is part of the company’s comprehensive approach to collaborate with and support Africa’s vibrant innovation, education, and health institutions.
With the aim of seeking the best ideas for new sustainable health solutions that will benefit African communities, the Challenge received nearly 500 submissions from innovators and entrepreneurs across the continent.
Mahmud Johnson, J-Palm CEO who received the award on behalf of his company, told The Bush Chicken in an interview that the award is an honor for his company and a moment of pride for Liberia.
â€œJohnson & Johnson is the largest consumer company in the world, and the fact that they will recognize the work we do in Liberia just makes me happy â€“ and I think it is a moment of pride for our country,â€ he said.
Johnson also recently won the 2016 African Entrepreneurship Award with a cash prize of US$150,000 to support his business.
He said the two awards come with mentorship, networking, and financing that would allow his company to expand its activities.
He said raising funds locally for businesses owned especially by young people is a serious challenge, thus making the awards very important.
â€œThe fact that most of these awards are actually very much focused on creating opportunities for African entrepreneurs to grow, it means itâ€™s not just about money; itâ€™s about what do you need, in terms of technical expertise in certain areas like, skills and mentorship so that as a result of the awards you will see that your business has grown from one stage to another,â€ Johnson added.
He stressed the need for Liberiaâ€™s private sector to be robust in order to create jobs and begin to add value to natural resources for the jump-start of the local manufacturing sector.
By winning these awards, Johnson said Liberiaâ€™s image is also being redefined globally over the previous mindset that the country is only associated with bad things.
â€œAnother thing that is exciting is the fact that, normally when you hear about Liberia, people donâ€™t really associate the country with entrepreneurship,â€ he said.
â€œSo, the fact that we have Liberian companies that are rising to the top on the entire African continent to be selected for these awards, I think it also sends a positive image for our country.â€
Though most supermarkets in the country carry his companyâ€™s products on their shelves, Johnson said the average Liberian does not buy from supermarkets. To accommodate, J-Palm will use some of the money to set up a marketing organization and sales points to enable every member of the population to have easy access to the companyâ€™s products.
Johnson encouraged young Liberians to get into business and focus on building suitable teams and persevering to reap the benefits. Four years since he set up his company, he said itâ€™s only over the last year that he has begun to expand.
â€œDoing business, of course, is not easy; itâ€™s a huge challenge. When youâ€™re doing business, itâ€™s almost like a marathon; itâ€™s not going to happen overnight,â€ he said.
Two African Entrepreneurs, Grace Nakibaala of Uganda and Francoise Nibizi of Burundi were two co-recipients of the Johnson & Johnson award.
In a press release issued by the company, Johnson & Johnsonâ€™s chief scientific officer, Paul Stoffels, described Africa as one of the fastest growing regions in the world.
Stoffels said his company was proud to support growth on the continent through strong collaborations that encourage innovation and accelerate advancement in the health systems.
â€œWe are seeing a surge of activities among entrepreneurs and health systems leaders to develop important solutions that overcome longstanding health and societal challenges,â€ he said.
â€œBy working together, we hope to bring meaningful solutions to patients and consumers more rapidly, to help cultivate the next generation of scientists, and to support Africa’s entrepreneurial base.â€
According to the organizationâ€™s chief technology officer, Josh Ghaim, the competition was extremely difficult to judge, as there were many terrific ideas.
“The three winning projects demonstrated a strong benefit to local communities and the ability to empower young women, and they also have the potential to deliver ongoing economic support,â€ Ghaim said.
â€œWe look forward to working with these entrepreneurs over the course of the next year to help them build sustainable operations.”
Each of the three winning recipients will receive funding as well as mentorship from scientists, engineers, and operations members from the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Research & Development unit.
Featured photo courtesy of Mahmud Johnson
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article wrongly stated that commentsÂ byÂ Johnson & Johnsonâ€™s chief scientific officer, Paul Stoffels, were made at the ceremony. Stoffels was in fact quoted in a press release.Â


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Georgia’s artisanal cheesemaking tradition was forced underground due to an oppressive Soviet-planned economy, but one woman is dedicated to bringing the ancient varieties back.
The mother of Georgian cheese
According to researcher Ana Mikadze-Chikvaidze, Georgia may be the homeland of cheese – an accolade to complement the country’s more well-known claim as the cradle of wine. She says that the local Mtskheta museum, located about 26km north of Tbilisi, has archaeological evidence hinting that Georgians thousands of years ago may have been the first-known humans to make cheese. Over time, different regions of Georgia developed distinct techniques resulting in a veritable tapestry of cheese varieties.
READ MORE CLICK HERE : http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200108-the-woman-saving-georgias-lost-...

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Apple's CarPlay was awarded the "best individual technology feature in a vehicle" by Autoblog at Detroit's North American International Auto Show.
"Apple's CarPlay represents the impact technology is having on our connected lives and brings an experience that is easy to use and enhances the lives of consumers who use this product," stated Stephen Rouse, Autoblog Director of Product and Technology.
CarPlay beat out six other finalists in the technology of the year category: Audi Virtual Cockpit, Ford Sync 3, Google Android Auto, Smart Cross Connect App, Volkswagen MIB II Infotainment and Volvo Sensus Connect.
"One of the best advantages of using CarPlay is that consumers can bring Apple Maps into their vehicles" - Autoblog
The site noted that "consumers will appreciate the straightforward approach with which CarPlay brings their iPhones to life on the vehicle's touchscreen. CarPlay functions almost exactly the same way the smartphone does, which makes a user's transition into the car seamless and simple."
It added that "one of the best advantages of using CarPlay is that consumers can bring Apple Maps into their vehicles. Depending on the make and model of their cars, this can potentially save car owners from having to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars to a dealership for an advanced navigation package."
CarPlay Maps and navigation were earlier cited by dealerships as a compelling feature selling GM vehicles, after the American automaker aggressively moved to bring Apple's technology to the largest number of vehicles of any other car manufacturer.
Earlier this month, Apple began detailing a comprehensive list of vehicle models that include support for CarPlay.
Alongside CarPlay, editors also awarded the 2016 Tesla Model S P90D as the vehicle "that showcases the most transformative, integrated technologies in the automotive experience overall," noting that the car "amazed us with self-driving capabilities that we thought were still years off."


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The Globe published a profile of Salt Lake Community College student Leo Weffer and his journey to become a fashion designer. Weffer, who graduates this spring, will host his own fashion show next semester.
Weffer appreciates the support he has received from SLCC students and faculty.
“SLCC feels like a family. It has been so welcoming,” he says.
Cherylene Rosenvall, an adjunct professor in the SLCC Fashion Institute, describes Weffer as a gung-ho student with a lot of passion.
“He has a lot of big ideas,” she says with a smile. “He is really good at jumping in. I’ve watched him slowly find his path; he now has his groove.”
Globe photographer Gina Portugal captured several images of Weffer and his designs. Click on a thumbnail to open the gallery.


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Stores offer holiday savings plans for frugal shoppers
09/08/2010 - By Louise Hauser
Stores promote Chrismas savings clubs to spur spending.
With consumer spending growing slower than expected, retailers are getting an early start on the holiday shopping season in the hopes of spurring buyers to credit card machines.
Large retailers such as Sears and Toys R Us have launched Christmas savings clubs, which provide shoppers with savings cards, the Associated Press reports. The cards - basically debit cards - allow customers to receive a 3-percent bonus for any money they load onto them up to a specific deadline.
After the cut-off point - November 15 for Sears and October 16 for Toys R Us - the cards will work as gift cards both online and in stores, allowing shoppers to use the cards to make purchases while guaranteeing holiday sales for the stores, the AP writes.
Smaller businesses are offering layaway plans, yet few larger retailers have tapped into the trend. Ellen Davis, vice president of the National Retail Federation, told the AP that larger stores are waiting to see how Sears and Toys R Us fare before launching their own programs in 2011.
Currently, states nationwide are using tax holidays to get consumers to point-of-sale terminals
. Illinois has suspended its 5-percent states sales tax for 10 days on back-to-school purchases to encourage families to spend.
Articles written by ChargeNational.com's editorial team. For more information, click here.
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More vendors could invest in e-commerce solutions in the near future, thanks in part to the long-term benefits provided by these systems.Full Article
08/05/2013 - By Louis Georgakakis
Wireless debit machines are helping many companies around the globe. In fact, the systems could become mainstays for many businesses, as these platforms enable firms to effectively manage patrons' transactions.Full Article
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While the Canadian economy has been sluggish in recent months and many merchant accounts have suffered accordingly, there's one area where sales continue to look strong. Wholesaling of computers actually rose in January, according to Bloomberg.Full Article
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Microsoft has claimed that its Xbox 360 console is only halfway through its lifecycle.
In an interview with CVG (opens in new tab), Chris Lewis, Microsoft Xbox vice president for EMEA, said that the Kinect motion gaming system had boosted the lifecycle of the six year old gaming console.
His comments come as rumors about a successor to Xbox 360, supposedly called the Xbox 720, continue to make the rounds in the industry. Judging by Lewis’s comments, it seems that Microsoft is prepared to offer and support Xbox 360 console for another five years.
“We see it as about halfway through. But yes you are right, Xbox is defying the normal curve you might expect. There's no doubt that Kinect put a huge shot of adrenaline into the business,” Lewis said in the interview.
"What we are now seeing is massive swathes of families and younger audiences flocking to it. As you saw at the press conference, we are now in line with what we projected at E3 2010," Lewis added.
He also revealed that Microsoft had chosen to pitch Kinect first to kids and families and then move on to the more serious console gaming community. Microsoft’s strategy has always been to provide better gaming experience to users, he said.


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The Mayo Clinic continues to expand its footprint in Rochester by stepping in to fill another empty retail space, the second such local project to surface in the past two weeks.
A building permit filed with the City of Rochester this week calls for a “tenant development of the new Mayo Clinic Retail” at 1129 Sixth St. NW. This is the address of
Barlow Plaza shopping center.
The project, later described as “Mayo Clinic Storehas an estimated value of $57,000 for the plumbing alone.
The permit does not indicate the exact location of the store. However, a dark Jackson Hewitt Tax Service the office is listed as closed on the company’s listing of locations in Rochester. Jackson Hewitt occupies a 1,048 square foot space sandwiched between
Chuck & Don’s Pet Food & Supplies and MegaExpress Laundry.
Neither the Mayo Clinic nor the real estate company that runs the mall answered questions about the future store.
However, this appears to be very similar to a Mayo Clinic Store project that surfaced last week. In this case, a building permit has been filed for an “interior remodel of an existing retail space (Mayo Clinic Store)” for Suite 36 in the Crossroads Mall at 1201 Broadway Ave. S.
Although the Mayo Clinic did not confirm or provide details of Crossroads’ building permit, Mayo spokeswoman Kelley Luckstein responded with a statement.
“Mayo Clinic Store is planning a new location in Rochester in response to patient requests. The store offers a wide range of high-quality medical products recommended by Mayo Clinic physicians that can help patients recover and live day-to-day,” she wrote. “The Mayo Clinic Store currently has multiple locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Arizona.”
The Mayo Clinic has four other outlets in Rochester that sell a variety of products, including medical supplies, compression garments, mastectomy products, wigs, Mayo logo apparel, and apnea equipment. sleep.
Branded retail stores generate steady revenue for Mayo Clinic, with some years doing better than others. In 2021, the stores accounted for $67 million in revenue, an increase of 17.5% from $57 million in 2020.
Jeff Kiger tracks business activity in Rochester and southeastern Minnesota every day in “Heard on the Street.” Send tips to
or via Twitter to
. You can call him at 507-285-7798.


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Samsung is set to launch its first tablet computer which will be lot lighter and convenient than the its existing counterparts, reports suggest.
Reports on Samsung’s bold new unconventional tablet have started to come from the CTIA (International association for the wireless telecommunications) Wireless 2011 exhibition in USA.
It is unconventional because of the tablet’s display size of 8.9 inches.
The 8.9 inch tablet size bridges the gap between the lighter and easier to carry 7 inch tablets and bigger ‘easier on eyes’ 10.1 inch tablets.
The Samsung tablet is lighter with close to 470 grams of weight and 8.6 mm width, which is slightly over the width of a standard smartphone.
The pictures revealed by Pocketnow.com taken right from the venue, shows that the device has a real snappy look.
The pictures also confirm that the device will use a 1Ghz dual core processor. There is no information about dedicated graphics but it is expected to have one.
The tablet 8.9 will also use a custom User Interface (UI) which sits on top of the Android 3.0. The UI will give it features like the application shift and peek options, allowing users to get a Win 7 type feel while using this device.


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WikiLeaks recently published what appears to be a huge repository of hacking information, tactics and exploits that was allegedly sourced from the CIA and NSA.
The quantity of information released exceeds the total amount of pages released. According to reports, the trove of published information did not include the actual applications that were used for these exploits, but rather discussions and commentary about how to gain control of various business and consumer devices. WikiLeaks has thus far agreed to not release the actual software repositories used, until some sort of consensus emerges from the public and private sector.
Fortunately none of the attacks were about mass surveillance, such as targeting infrastructure of internet giants like Google, Apple, Amazon or Facebook, but really focused on the end user and monitoring specific endpoints. However, it’s certainly going to add more fuel to the ever-growing security fire.
But it is not all doom and gloom, there are certain simple steps that we can all take to help minimize our personal cyber risk.
• Don’t trust the public internet. Rogue access points are more common than you think (just ask some of the RSA 2017 Security Conference attendees).
• Change the default passwords on new IoT devices day one! Avoid joining the DDoS botnet!
• Update your IoT appliance firmware/software frequently. The “Weeping Angel” Samsung TV attack described in the CIA wikileak was only a problem on non-upgraded firmware.
• If you are not using an application, delete or uninstall it. Applications are just attack surfaces waiting for attackers.
• Enable multi-factor authentication where ever possible and move to an online password manager to help you deal with the 20+ passwords that every internet user manages (usually on a piece of paper).
This article originally appeared on Broadsoft


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As big tech companies are increasingly investing in podcasts, Spotify on Thursday announced the acquisition of startup Podz, which is focused on AI technologies to enhance audio content discovery. The company wants to integrate Podz’s technologies to push its own podcast platform.
The acquisition was confirmed earlier today on Spotify Newsroom. Podz was created to help users discover new podcasts with a smart feed based on machine learning and artificial intelligence. The app automatically generates short 60-second clips that highlight the best moments of each podcast that may sound interesting to the user.
According to Spotify, such technology will be implemented on its own platform to improve the way users discover new podcasts.
Spotify has had machine learning experts focused on improving audio discovery for almost a decade, but there is more work to be done. We believe that Podz’ technology will complement and accelerate Spotify’s focused efforts to drive discovery, deliver listeners the right content at the right time, and accelerate growth of the category worldwide.
Interestingly, the announcement comes a day after Facebook confirmed that it will bring podcasts to its social network on June 22. On Facebook, creators will also have the option to create smart short clips to promote podcasts.
Apple has also been investing more in podcasts, following a redesigned version of the Podcasts app that was introduced with iOS 14.5 in April and paid podcast subscriptions, which became available earlier this week. With paid podcasts, Apple expects that creators will have more motivation to provide exclusive content to listeners, such as an ad-free experience or even bonus episodes.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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(Sports Business) Basketball superstar Michael Jordan is the latest sporting legend to invest in esports following in the footsteps of fellow NBA stars Rick Fox, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Jordan is leading an investor round worth $26 million into aXiomtic Gaming, the parent company of professional esports franchise Team Liquid.
“I’m excited to expand my sports equity portfolio through my investment in aXiomatic,” said Jordan in a statement. “Esports is a fast-growing, international industry and I’m glad to partner with this great group of investors.”
AXiomatic was formed in 2015 to capitalize on the eSports industry, which features professional video game players competing for prize money in front of often huge audiences. The following year it acquired a controlling stake in Team Liquid, a business now worth about US$200mil according to recent valuations by Forbes. That would make it the third most valuable eSports franchise in the world.
In more recent years, competitions have spread to the US and beyond, packing audiences into venues like Madison Square Garden.
AXiomatic is co-chaired by Ted Leonsis, owner of the National Basketball Association’s Washington Wizards and National Hockey League’s Washington Capitals; Peter Guber, part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Football Club; Jeff Vinik, owner of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; and Bruce Karsh, co-founder of Oaktree Capital and a Warriors minority owner. Earvin “Magic” Johnson, another NBA Hall of Famer and minority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, also is an investor.
Jordan, who retired for the final time in 2003, has been active since he stopped playing. He became a minority investor in the Hornets, then the Bobcats, in 2006 and bought the rest of the franchise in 2010. In addition to his work with Nike Inc, he’s an investor in global sports data firm Sportradar, alongside Leonsis. He also has backed the hiring startup Gigster and headphone maker Muzik.


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Device will not be returned. Apple called it the future of the smartphone, equipped with sophisticated parts with the promise of new experiences. At the time, Kuo, whose comments were reported on by , said that Apple would move away from 3D Touch in the handset. Credits end at end of term, early termination, early payoff or upgrade, whichever occurs first. We've also heard that the range could have a frosted glass-like back.
Device will not be returned. This is Apple's way of testing people's willingness to. Pros No one can deny that Apple set a high standard in the release of its iPhone line when it comes to smartphones. It seems unlikely, but there has been some talk that Apple could ultimately ditch the notch in 2019. Credible sources suggest that the 2018 iPhone models will arrive in varying screen sizes, including the biggest iPhone screen yet to be available- the iPhone 11.
New items : There was 1 product added last month. Compare prices for the most up to date products and search for great deals. The prices rise from there with each jump in internal storage. Instead, the included earbuds have a direct Lightning plug, which is a much better solution. First, we get it, you refuse to budge from the 4. Total Equipment Protection: Our protection plans must be added within 30 days of activating your device.
No credit check No credit check required. In a more fun sense, it can turn you into a cartoon animal or animated version of yourself with Animoji and the new Memoji feature. How long will this trend last? It's a rumor we've heard so it definitely seems to be on the cards. The patent is another technological advancement that will help the tech giant grow its users even more. There may not be a noticeable difference from the existing steel band on the iPhone X, but the likelihood for a seamless version is high towards enhancing band data transmission.
Once you activate your new phone, you will have 30 days to return your trade-in device in good condition. The biggest irony is that the people who are most likely to overpay by choosing a two-year-contract are the best customers. Available to new and existing customers who have an active Sprint wireless phone line. It lacks the 3D Touch features and higher-resolution front-facing camera of the iPhone 6S and beyond. It will be perfect for those who prefer their iPhone smaller and save a good amount of cash. So, figuring out how much iPhone costs requires some math. Even more interesting, you can now adjust the depth of a portrait mode photo called the bokeh effect after you take the photo, which gives you complete control over the blur.
As for the iPhone 11 pre-order date, Apple tends to open them on the Friday following the launch, which would be September 13 by our calculations. These dates could quite easily shift though. The patent could revolutionize experiences by not only eliminating the remainder of the physical buttons, but extending touch-screen capabilities to this area. Upgrade does not include same generation model Galaxy, must be next generation Galaxy. The second-generation iPhone had 3G. Will There Be Any iPhone Surprises for 2018? Instead, this -toting phone is shaping up to be another incremental update, just like last year's was over. Data deprioritization applies during times of congestion.
But here's a quick rundown of some features we hope that Apple works into its 2019 iPhone lineup. Let's hope Apple can find a way in 2019 to bundle the front-facing sensors another way and get rid of the notch. For his part, Kuo expects the biggest change to the iPhones' look in 2019 to be a textured glass panel similar to Google's Pixel 3. McFly OnLeaks Two of the most reliable leaks have come courtesy of mobile leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer — known by his online moniker — and each depicted camera and notch changes. If you're looking for the answer, you've come to the right place! But while appear to be all the rage in 2019, Apple's plans point to a 2020 release at the earliest. We could see identical prices for the iPhone 11. Those hopes were bolstered in March 2018, when the published an Apple patent that showed a mobile device design sans the notch.
You'd expect the best iPhone to simply be the newest model on the market, but now that Apple launches three phones each year, as it did in 2018 with the , and , there's a little more to think about. Apple can take the technology up a notch if they wanted. Apple is apparently securing displays and parts for their lineup of 2018 iPhone models. The iPhone 5 delighted users with 4G. Ditch the notch: Apple's notch has become iconic and has been copied many times, but it can still be distracting when you're using apps with a white background or watching movies at full screen in landscape mode. The Apple Pencil 2 in the delivers new functionality, such as gestures, and it magnetically attaches to the tablet for charging.


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DUBAI: The world’s first floating fashion week got off to a stylish, if not very delayed, start on Wednesday night as industry insiders gathered aboard the newly inaugurated naval hotel, the Queen Elizabeth II, which is docked in Dubai.
The Arab Fashion Council’s sixth edition of Arab Fashion Week in Dubai is set to showcase runway shows by 18 international designers including homegrown brand Amato Couture, which kicked off the event with a catwalk show.
Launched in 2002 in the UAE, Amato Couture is the brainchild of Filipino-born designer Furne One, who has dressed the world’s most celebrated stars including supermodels Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks, as well as singing sensations such as Beyonce, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj.
The designer showcased some of his most delicate yet, with out-of-the-box, floaty lace and tulle ball gowns causing quite a stir in the well-heeled audience. The dresses were ideal for the modern bride, with their form-fitting cuts, beaded bodices and flowing, embellished white capes.
This season, designers from 13 different countries will take part including the UAE, Russia, UK, Venezuela, Lebanon, US, Saudi Arabia, China, Taiwan, Portugal, Italy, Armenia and Egypt. The fashion-forward event will also see the launch of an eco-friendly collection under the name of AFC Green Label — a major move towards fashion sustainability in the region.
For the most part, the designers will showcase their Resort or Cruise collections, which makes the choice of a cruise ship-cum-hotel as the location for this edition of Arab Fashion Week so fitting.
Cruise or “resort” shows — shown by only a handful of the world’s fashion houses — were originally conceived to target wealthy women who traveled on cruise ships in the winter. Nowadays, they are used as a lucrative means of re-stimulating fashions in the mid-season lull.
The world-famous cruise liner, with a history spanning five decades, will see models walk the plank to showcase the most innovative creations from international designers, in a stylish event set to run from May 9-12.
The ship has been restored to her former glory — maintaining interior design features such as period furniture, paintings and famous memorabilia. The original porthole windows add a maritime feel to the modernized guest rooms and many of the restaurants have retained the same names.
Published by SAFFIYA ANSARI
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE


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“Apple is planning to share news on APFS support for Fusion Drives ‘very soon,’ Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi told MacRumors reader Jonathan in an email [Tuesday] afternoon,” Juli Clover reports for MacRumors.
“With the launch of macOS High Sierra, Apple introduced a new Apple File System for Macs that have all-flash built-in storage,” Clover reports. “At the time macOS High Sierra was introduced, Apple said that the initial release of the software would not allow Fusion Drives to be converted to APFS, but confirmed APFS support would be coming at a later date.”
Clover reports, “Since then, iMac and Mac mini owners who have Fusion Drives have been eagerly waiting for Apple to implement support for the feature, but in update after update, no APFS support for Fusion Drives has materialized.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s in Apple’s jam-packed pipeline.
So, coming in macOS 10.14 this fall?


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The Milwaukee Bucks and The Lonely Entrepreneur (TLE), a New York-based non-profit that empowers individuals with entrepreneurial skills and support, have partnered to give Black entrepreneurs free access to the knowledge, tools and the ongoing support they need to start or grow a business.
Through the Milwaukee Bucks’ partnership, TLE will be able to provide an unlimited number of signups for free for one year of its entrepreneurial platform to Black entrepreneurs nationwide, beginning today. This offer is part of TLE’s Black Entrepreneur Initiative (BEI), which currently empowers more than 100,000 current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs across the country. Entrepreneurs can sign up today through Wednesday, Jan. 20, at www.lonelyentrepreneur.com/bucks.
“Dr. King shared one thing with all entrepreneurs - a dream. But Black men and women face social and economic injustices that make that dream difficult,” said Michael Dermer, Founder of The Lonely Entrepreneur. “We want to thank the Milwaukee Bucks for giving the dreams of Black men and women a better chance of coming to life. We hope to make a lasting and significant impact on their lives and their communities.”
Locally, TLE and its BEI will make its entrepreneurial platform available to three Wisconsin-based organizations: the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, MKE Black, and the Madison Region Economic Partnership. Black entrepreneurs from each of these organizations will receive TLE’s foundational business-skill-building tools and resources to help them advance their businesses.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Lonely Entrepreneur to help advance its Black Entrepreneur Initiative nationwide and here in Wisconsin,” said Milwaukee Bucks Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility Arvind Gopalratnam. “TLE’s entrepreneurial platform is a fantastic resource for aspiring business owners, and we’re hoping to extend it to as many Black entrepreneurs as we can beginning on Monday.”
For more information on The Lonely Entrepreneur and its Black Entrepreneur Initiative, or to become a sponsor or ambassador, please visit www.lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei.
About the Black Entrepreneur Initiative
Founded by a multi-racial coalition of community and business leaders, the Black Entrepreneur Initiative is a nationwide program dedicated to offering 100,000 Black entrepreneurs’ access to foundational business-skill-building tools and resources delivered through The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Community. The Black Entrepreneur Initiative is provided through the generous donations of corporate, philanthropic and community partners and is administered through the Lonely Entrepreneur’s non-profit. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei.
About The Lonely Entrepreneur 501(c)(3)
The Lonely Entrepreneur seeks to unlock the potential of 1 million entrepreneurs worldwide. The Lonely Entrepreneur empowers entrepreneurs and provides corporate, non-profit, social responsibility and community efforts to provide individuals the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills and have a better chance of bringing their visions to life. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/nonprofit


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Audi bigwigs opened what the company claims is the first manufacturing plant to be opened in Mexico by a premium automobile manufacturer.
Moreover, the company says the facility is one of the most advanced in the world, and is classed as a “smart factory”.
The company says the new development represents the further expansion of its worldwide production network and enables Audi to continue along its path of global growth.
Senior members of Audi’s board of management opened the factory, which is the company’s first automobile plant on the North American continent.
Starting immediately, the brand with the four rings will produce the new generation of the Audi Q5 for the world market in San José Chiapa in Mexico’s federal state of Puebla.
The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 150,000 premium SUVs. By the end of the year, a total of 4,200 jobs will be created locally at Audi México.
Audi claims it is the first premium automobile manufacturer with product facilities in Mexico.
Professor Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi, says: “The plant in Mexico is a milestone in the history of our company and an important step in our internationalization.
“It is one of the most modern factories on the American continent. With this facility, we have established an important site for the export of our automobiles to customers all over the world.”
Audi considers Mexico to be a powerhouse for automobiles and automotive components. The country has 12 free-trade agreements with more than 50 countries and therefore offers ideal economic conditions, adds Audi.
During the opening ceremony, Stadler was accompanied by his board colleagues: Prof Dr Hubert Waltl, head of production and logistics and also chairman of Audi México; Prof Thomas Sigi, from Audi’s human resources, and Dr Bernd Martens, from procurement.
Puebla state governor Rafael Moreno Valle, and the mayor of San José Chiapa Josué Martínez Santos, were also present.
Stadler ceremonially gave the signal for the official start of production of the new Audi Q5. Stadler says: “For us, this plant is more than a financial investment of over one billion euros. Above all, it is a commitment to the site and to the people who, together with us, have managed this great achievement.”
Waltl, says: “Our plant in Mexico is a prime example of the Audi Smart Factory. The facility is the first that we have put into operation completely virtually, that is, in a computer simulation.
“We have optimized the entire process chain and put the plant into operation 30 percent faster than is usual.”
That was a record in the automobile industry, he adds.
Audi says it has applied “state-of-the-art technology” in the factory planning. The plant first took shape in great detail in virtual space, where factory planners from various sites were able to work on the plant structure simultaneously.
As a result, Audi was able to set up a complete car plant with a press shop, body shop, paint shop and assembly line on an area of 400 hectares (988 acres) in the record time of just three and a half years.
Ultramodern plant equipment and highly efficient logistics will allow an annual production volume of 150,000 Audi Q5 vehicles, says the company.
Various water treatment methods and the application of new technologies in the paint shop will enable the plant to be free of wastewater.
New equipment will significantly reduce water, gas and electricity consumption and facilitate resource-efficient production, claims Audi.
A supplier park has been established immediately adjacent to the park. Seven suppliers and logistics providers have started operations there in time for the start of production of the Audi Q5.
The “JIS” (just in sequence) park guarantees short distances from the suppliers’ buildings to the assembly line and allows punctual delivery of components for the premium SUV.
At the start of production, Audi is sourcing more than 70 percent of the parts from the Nafta region and plans to increase this proportion of localization over the long term. In total, more than 100 companies already supply parts for the Audi Q5 from sites in Mexico.
In line with its social responsibility, the company also supports the people in the region. Audi México has so far taken more than 3,300 local employees on board.
Audi prepares its employees for their future tasks with tailored training courses at a new training center. Approximately 5,300 training courses have already been carried out.
In addition, Audi has provided advance training at its sites in Germany to more than 750 Mexican employees, who were assisted by experienced mentors.
Audi México offers diverse entry possibilities to young talented people, such as the system of dual training with approximately 80 apprenticeships each year, the internship program, the EMA scholarship program (Estudiantes Mexicanos en Alemania) and the new Programa de Especialistas, a qualifications program for career starters and job applicants with initial career experience.
The new Audi Q5 combines the sportiness of an Audi sedan with a versatile character and a highly variable interior, says the company.
Whether in terms of connectivity, efficiency or driver assistance systems, the “SUV with the Four Rings sets new standards in its segment”, according to Audi.
To date, the company has delivered 1.6 million of the Audi Q5 to its customers worldwide, making the model the most successful premium SUV in its segment.
The Audi Q5 is also still produced at locations in China and India for those local markets.


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Sri Lanka Tourism Suffers After Deadly Bombings
The deadly bombings that struck Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday have led many foreign visitors to stay away from the island nation.
The Lonely Planet travel guide named Sri Lanka as its top nation for travelers in 2019. The country is known for its beautiful beaches, ancient ruins, wildlife and parks.
But on April 21, more than 250 people were killed in several bomb attacks at hotels and churches. Among the dead were 45 foreigners, including visitors from China, India, the United States and Britain. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
Since the attacks, foreign tourism has dropped sharply.
Sri Lankan travel officials say many foreigners who were planning to visit the country over the next few months have canceled their plans. Officials reported that, overall, visitor arrivals to Sri Lanka have dropped about 80 percent since the bombings.
The tourism industry makes up about 4.9 percent of Sri Lanka's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2018, 2.3 million tourists visited the island, bringing in about $4.4 billion. That was an increase of nearly 12 percent from 2017.
Industry experts say hotel occupancy rates across the island have fallen by at least 85 percent. Most beaches, eateries and stores in popular tourist areas are now empty.
Many foreign travelers usually visit Hikkaduwa, on the southwest coast. The area is known for its good surfing conditions and clear waters for snorkeling. The Associated Press reported that on a recent day, only a few of the area's 27 hotels were even open. Most eateries that sit along the six-kilometer beach were closed.
The Hikkaduwa Beach Hotel was one of the few places still open. On the day of the bombings, all 50 of its guest rooms were full. Now, few people are staying there.
"It's a real disaster. We don't know what to do right now," said Sanjeewani Yogarajah, who works at the hotel. She said the attack has so far cost the business $31,000. The loss in earnings has forced the hotel to send half of its workers home.
Lankesha Ponnamperuma, who runs the hotel company Hikka Tranz, is one of the luckier ones. He says that while foreign visitors are mainly staying away, his business is surviving because many local people are using the hotels. On some days, up to two-thirds of the company's hotels are filled, he said.
The president of Sri Lanka's Hotels Association, Sanath Ukwatta, said many hotels have been advertising rates 30 to 50 percent lower in an effort to get Sri Lankans to come. While he admits such offers will not fully solve the economic problems, they can still "help at least to keep the hotels going."
One visitor to Hikkaduwa beach who spoke to the AP does not seem to mind the lack of other foreign visitors in the area. Alexi Konchayenko, a sports trainer from Ukraine, drank fresh coconut water and enjoyed the sunny beach.
Bomb blasts can happen "anywhere, anytime," Konchayenko said. He added that he was not afraid to be there and would probably come back. "Sri Lanka is an amazing country. This is my first visit and I will tell my friends also to come."
Hotel worker Sanjeewani Yogarajah says one of the biggest concerns for industry officials is a travel ban issued for Sri Lanka by several countries after the attacks.
"The ban is our main worry. Until it is removed or softened, we can't start our marketing to attract tourists," he said. "If it is lifted soon, we are hopeful we can bounce back this year, or otherwise definitely next year."
I'm Bryan Lynn.
1.travel ban 旅游禁令
The travel ban will end January 4th.
这一旅行禁令将在一月4 日取消 。
2.makes up 弥补；组成
He makes up for lost time and starts to kill people.
3.a few of 少数
We chose a few of the commonest lexical items in the languages.
4.right now 立刻；马上
You might as well tell him right now.
5.Many hotels have been advertising rates 30 to 50 percent lower in an effort to get Sri Lankans to come.
in an effort to 为了
Mass burials are now under way in an effort to ward off an outbreak of cholera.
He finally left home in an effort to counter the tyranny of arranged marriage in the old society.
6.The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the blasts.
claimed responsibility for 宣称对...负责
An underground organisation has claimed responsibility for the bomb explosion.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.
《孤独星球》旅游指南将斯里兰卡评为2019年最热门旅游国家 。这个国家以美丽的海滩、古遗迹、野生动植物和公园而闻名 。
但在4月21日，有超过250人在酒店和教堂的几起爆炸案中丧生 。遇难者中有45名外国人，包括来自中国、印度、美国和英国的游客 。“伊斯兰国”组织宣称对这些爆炸案负责 。
斯里兰卡旅游官员表示，很多打算未来几个月来旅游的外国游客取消了他们的计划 。有关官员报告称，自爆炸事件发生以来，斯里兰卡的游客数量总体下降了约80% 。
旅游业占斯里兰卡国内生产总值（GDP）的4.9%左右 。2018年，有230万游客到该岛旅游，带来约44亿美元的收入，比2017年增加了近12% 。
业内专家表示，整座岛的酒店入住率下降了至少85% 。如今，热门旅游区域的大多数海滩、餐馆和商店都很冷清 。
很多外国游客通常选择到西南海岸的希克杜沃旅游 。该地区因其绝佳的冲浪条件和清澈的浮潜水域而闻名 。据美联社报道，最近一天，该地区27家酒店中只有几家营业 。这条6公里海滩上的大多数餐馆都关门了 。
希克杜沃海滩酒店是仍然营业的几家酒店之一 。爆炸发生当天，该酒店的50间客房全部满员，而现在的酒店门可罗雀 。
该酒店的员工Sanjeewani Yogarajah表示：“这真的是一场灾难 。我们现在不知所措 。”她说，到目前为止，爆炸袭击已经导致该酒店损失了3.1万美元 。收入损失迫使该酒店辞退了一半员工 。
而经营Hikka Tranz酒店公司的Lankesha Ponnamperuma比较幸运 。他说，虽然损失了大多数外国游客，但他的生意因当地人的光顾维持下来 。他说，有时，酒店多达三分之二的酒店能住满 。
斯里兰卡酒店协会会长Sanath Ukwatta表示，为了吸引当地人入住，很多酒店打广告降价30%到50% 。虽然他承认这类优惠无法彻底解决经济问题，但至少帮助酒店维持了正常运营 。
希克杜沃海滩的一位游客接受了美联社采访，他似乎对该地外国游客稀少并不介意 。来自乌克兰的体育教练Alexi Konchayenko 一边喝新鲜的椰汁一边享受着阳光明媚的海滩 。
Konchayenko表示，炸弹爆炸随时随地都有可能发生 。他还表示，来这里旅游并不害怕，也许还会再来 。他说：“斯里兰卡是一个神奇的国度，这是我第一次来旅游，我也会推荐朋友们过来 。”
酒店员工Sanjeewani Yogarajah表示，业内官员最大的担忧是袭击发生后几个国家发布了针对斯里兰卡的旅游禁令 。
”他说：“禁令才是最令人担心的 。在禁令取消或放宽之前，我们没办法开始宣传招徕游客 。如果很快解除禁令，我们希望今年能够反弹，否则只能等明年了 。”


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- You are here:
Finally, success! Chris Anthony has been trying to launch a three-wheeled electric vehicle for years now – first, with the ill-fated Aptera Motors, which he co-founded, and now with his own Epic EV. Last Saturday, all that effort came together in a triumphant event that saw the Torq ...
Epic Electric Vehicles Torq – Click above to watch video after the jumpIt looks like Chris Anthony, an Aptera co-founder, is about to go truly epic in the electric vehicle universe. His company, Epic Boats has entered into a partnership with Caddo Manufacturing in Vivian, LA to not only ...


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US Airways increasing overweight bag charges
South Florida Business Journal
Date: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 5:15pm EST - Last Modified: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 5:16pm EST
US Airways Group Inc., the fifth largest South Florida air carrier, is raising its charge for overweight bags.
The cost to check luggage weighing between 50 and 70 pounds will jump to $90 from $50 on flights within the Americas, according to the company’s website.
In addition, bags weighing 71 to 100 pounds will cost $175 to check in, up from $100.
And, the carrier is raising the price for a third checked bag. That will cost $125, up from $100.
The increased fees take effect next month.
Tough economic times have forced the airline industry to seek new revenue streams, including charging passengers for food and other amenities, reducing capacity, laying off employees and focusing on key markets.
US Airways (NYSE: LCC) has more than 3,200 flights per day to 200 domestic and foreign destinations. The carrier is based in Tempe, Ariz. and services Miami International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Palm Beach International airports.


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Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to open their newest Central Ohio location in September (1510 Polaris Parkway). And while they’re putting the finishing touches on the sporting goods store, they’ve also begun the hiring process.
Dick’s is looking to employ roughly 150 workers. The company is searching for management and sales associate candidates. Full- and part-time positions are available. Interested folks can learn more on the company’s website: www.dickssportinggoods.jobs
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'Wheel ale' promotion's now motoring
The sales team at Salisbury-based Hop Back Brewery have come up with unique way to visit customers while doing their bit for the environment - by bike.
In a move to promote "wheel" ales, the four-strong team have opted to cycle. And if the journey is too great a distance, cars are driven to a park-and-ride site so they can cycle from there.
Sales manager Greig Futcher said: "The idea is to cut down on car pollution and congestion in the places we visit. Protecting the environment is important, especially as all our beers are made with fine, natural ingredients."
Futcher said he put the idea to the team, expecting some of them would be reluctant: "Three of us aren't exactly fit and young, but they all wanted to take part. One person even went on eBay to buy one of those kids' buggies that attaches to the back of a bike so they could put POS materials on it," he said.
Futcher added that the team is planning to continue cycling in the future.


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The Association of Publishing Agencies joined with Royal Mail to build awareness of custom magazines in the United Kingdom and continue to drive growth of the market, the group said yesterday.
The APA represents custom magazine publishers under the umbrella of the Periodical Publishers Association. Formed in 1993, the APA has 31 members producing publications for 350 leading companies in Britain and internationally.
APA is working with Royal Mail sales teams to promote custom magazines as a cost-efficient, effective marketing tool. The association said advocates are given a thorough understanding of the custom magazine market. APA also briefs them on the industry's issues, such as media fragmentation and how custom magazines can fit into the marketing mix.
The initiative is reinforced by APA's annual Customer Magazine Directory, and the 2006 edition is due out later this year, and the APA's Web site (www.apa.co.uk).
“More and more companies are realizing the benefits of [custom] magazines as a highly effective marketing and communications tool — testament to the number of new launches we experienced last year,” APA director Julia Hutchinson said in a statement. “Yet, this doesn't mean that we are going to become complacent. The APA exists to champion the medium, and this new advocacy initiative is just one way that we intend to continue building the industry.”
Hutchinson said Royal Mail has the infrastructure and contacts to reach many new clients. Mintel estimated last year that the turnover for the market would exceed $936 million by 2009, she said.
“Through programs such as this, our aim is to surpass this,” she said.
Melissa Campanelli covers postal news, CRM and database marketing for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters


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Hayati Kamhi, a Turkish businessman who co-founded and co-owned the Turkish megayacht builder Proteksan Turquoise, died suddenly on Monday. He was 62.
Kamhi was found in his home, reportedly the victim of a gunshot wound to the head. News reports in Turkey state that police are treating it as a suicide.
Kamhi is most known in the marine industry for launching Proteksan Turquoise in 1997, with partner Mehmet Karabeyoglu. It was a combination of two builders: Proteksan Yachts, which Kamhi had created; and Turquoise Yachts, which Karabeyoglu had established. Proteksan Turquoise has delivered nearly two dozen megayachts to date.
Before becoming involved in megayacht construction, Kamhi founded several other companies. Some concentrated on marine activities, such as P and F Maritime, a yacht builder and yacht-marketing firm. Kamhi also created companies involved in personal electronics, electronic cash registers, and the trading of steel, chemical products, and grains.


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Addressing a major source of complaints with its Apps suite, Google has announced that it will now offer around-the-clock phone support for the core components in the Apps for Business version of the hosted collaboration and communication suite.
This means that Apps for Business customers will be able to call Google for technical assistance whenever they run into trouble with suite applications like Gmail, Calendar, Sites, Docs, Talk and Video.
“All support cases are handled directly by trained Google Apps experts,” wrote Jocelyn Ding, vice president of Google Enterprise Operations, in a
Google also improved abilities for Apps administrators to manage mobile devices and broadened availability of a cloud-based data analysis service.
Right now, 80 percent of Apps business customers report being “more than satisfied” with their Apps support experience, according to Google customer satisfaction surveys, but the company wants to bring that satisfaction rating to 95 percent, she wrote.
Google Apps, launched in 2007, was originally aimed at small companies seeking to hand over the hosting and management of their workplace e-mail to Google. Phone technical support has so far been limited to certain customers and for certain suite components.
However, Google in the past two years has been aiming to attract large enterprises to Apps, packing the business version of the suite with IT management, security and software features that this type of customer requires.
In doing so, Google Apps has become a major threat to Microsoft, which is trying to counter with its Office 365 cloud-hosted suite.
Administrators of the Business, Government and Education versions of Apps will now be able to manage not only Android but also iOS and Windows Mobile devices from the suite’s control panel at no extra charge and without special hardware or software.
“In addition to our existing mobile management capabilities, IT administrators can now see a holistic overview of all mobile devices that are syncing with Google Apps, and revoke access to individual devices as needed,” wrote Hong Zhang, a software engineer, in another
From the control panel, administrators can establish different password requirements and roaming sync preferences for individual user groups, according to Zhang. Administrators also get access to mobile usage trends and analytics data.
Google also is expanding the preview program for its BigQuery Service, which it introduced to a limited number of enterprise users and developers last year.
This data analysis system has also been upgraded with a new user interface, a revamped API and simplified functions for managing and sharing data tables, as well as for exporting query results, product manager Ju-kay Kwek
The announcements were made at Google’s
Atmosphere event, where the company is hosting 350 CIOs from around the world to discuss the role of cloud computing in the enterprise.


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Machine vision systems company $CGNX posted lower 1Q16 results, hurt by lower revenue and higher expenses. $CGNX said net income from continuing operations fell 24% to $14.89MM, or $0.17 per share compared to $19.47MM, or $0.22 per share a year ago. Revenue fell 5% to $96.21MM, hurt by lower revenue from the consumer electronics industry.
$DB is going to cut off services for about 3,400 clients in equities trading.
$F stock slid more than 2% after the company issued two safety recalls involving more than 650,000 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ model cars.
The new CEO of $SBUX, Kevin Johnson, has some pretty large shoes to fill but there are many who have good faith in his ability to do so.
$TSLA opening a showroom in Michigan. A bold move !!


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Samsung reported a record-breaking profit in Q2 2017. It registered KRW61 trillion or about $ 54.7 billion revenue. The operating profit stood at KRW14.07 trillion ($ 12.6 billion), which is a staggering 72% increase year-over-year.
The expectations are Q3 numbers to be even bigger because of OLED panels shipments to Apple for the new iPhone.
Chip business was the top earner among Samsung’s businesses for Q2 2017 with $ 7.2 billion operating profits(KRW8 trillion) out of KRW17.58 trillion revenue, or about $ 15.7 billion. The number will keep growing in the July-September period because of the continued strong demand for DRAM and NAND chipsets.
The IT & Mobile Communications (IM) division of Samsung accounted for half the consolidated revenue – KRW30 trillion. The company stated that the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ had outsold the Galaxy S7 series in almost all regions. Apparently, people like the new Infinity Display, the enhanced IP certification and the iris recognition. Interestingly enough, the Galaxy S8+ accounted for more than half of the sales of the duo.
Despite the strong performance of the flagships, the mid-range and low-end devices decreased in shipments, so the total number of shipped phones remained at a similar level QoQ. Samsung has an answer to this trend, though. The new Galaxy J series was launched in July globally so things are expected to pick up.
The annual profit of Samsung will also be higher than ever, according to analysts. The company expects “favorable semiconductor conditions to continue” in the third quarter.
With the increasing demand for more sophisticated devices, data servers, cloud platforms and Internet of Things devices, the number of required chips keeps growing. That has brought a supply shortage which led to hiking up prices and thus widening Samsung profit margins.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)


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Apple, Google's next closest competitor, is activating a relatively paltry 189,000 iPhones each day.
Google's Andy Rubin announced via Google+ that the company is now activating 700,000 Android devices every day.
"There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day," said Rubin in a post to his Google+ account Tuesday. "For those wondering we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices), and 'activations' means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service."
It wasn't that long ago--October, to be specific--Google told us the daily activation rate was 550,000. It appears as though there's been a pretty big jump in activation numbers this fall, and the rate has doubled since April, when Google said that the rate was 350,000 daily activations.
To put the 700,000 daily activations figure into perspective, 29,000 people are buying new Android devices every hour, or 486 every minute, or 8 every second.
At this rate, Google may be activating one million Android devices each day before the middle of 2012. It is possible Google will sell 250 million Android devices in 2012. That's a lot of devices. (Keep in mind, this is a worldwide number, and isn't specific to the United States.)
Apple's iPhone remains Google's next-closest competitor, but it pales in comparison.
If we take the most recently released quarterly numbers from Apple, we know that it sold 17.07 million iPhones during its fiscal fourth quarter. Divide that by 90 days in the quarter and you get a relatively paltry 189,000 daily iPhone activations.
The big caveat here is, of course, that iPhone sales slowed down dramatically in the May-October period as people waited for Apple to announce the iPhone 5. Of course, Apple didn't announce the iPhone 5, and instead launched the iPhone 4S. iPhone sales picked up again in October once the iPhone 4S reached store shelves--but not in time to give us more reliable and up-to-date daily activation numbers.
Even so, Google is killing Apple, no question, and Apple will likely never catch back up with Android.
With Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich available on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, interest in Android will only continue to swell.
It's time to get going on data center automation. The cloud requires automation, and it'll free resources for other priorities. Download InformationWeek's Data Center Automation special supplement now. (Free registration required.)
How Enterprises Are Attacking the IT Security EnterpriseTo learn more about what organizations are doing to tackle attacks and threats we surveyed a group of 300 IT and infosec professionals to find out what their biggest IT security challenges are and what they're doing to defend against today's threats. Download the report to see what they're saying.
2017 State of IT ReportIn today's technology-driven world, "innovation" has become a basic expectation. IT leaders are tasked with making technical magic, improving customer experience, and boosting the bottom line -- yet often without any increase to the IT budget. How are organizations striking the balance between new initiatives and cost control? Download our report to learn about the biggest challenges and how savvy IT executives are overcoming them.


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All the Alexa tips and tricks you never knew you needed
Here's everything you need to know to master Amazon's virtual assistant.
Uber will soon obscure rider pickup, drop-off locations
It's a move to enhance rider safety and privacy.
Amazon’s Vesta sounds like something out of ‘The Jetsons’
Amazon is reportedly working on a home robot.
Wikipedia adds preview pages to end your tab-hoarding nightmare
Your Wikipedia habit just got more efficient.
Google finally has an iMessage alternative—kind of
Google has quietly been working on a game-changer.
Watch the founder of the ice bucket challenge regain his voice
Pat Quinn regained his voice with the help of new technology.
Tesla batteries are keeping more than 600 locations powered during Puerto Rico’s blackouts
Elon Musk made it a priority.
Spotify may have a new look for free listeners
Users of Spotify's free tier will get the option to listen to playlists on-demand.
Now you can ride the rise and fall of cryptocurrencies—in a game
This is probably the safest way to surf the cryptocurrency market.
‘Blue Screen of Death’ problems force Microsoft to delay Windows 10 update
The yet-to-be-named update should officially ship by May.
Twitter replaces gun emoji with a water gun emoji
A powerful visual tool of harassers just got stripped away.
Instagram will soon let you download your data from the app
Just how much does Instagram know about you, anyway?
Gmail’s redesign adds some welcome calendar integration
There's no need to toggle between Gmail and Calendar tabs now.


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Amazon started 2020 in an already-dominant position within the U.S. e-commerce business and, more broadly, the retail trade. However, the COVID-19 pandemic sent the company into uncharted territory, as consumers flocked to e-commerce and brands were forced to lean into online business like never before. The net result is that Amazon is more powerful than ever, recording Q3 revenues of $96.1 billion.
Digiday’s Deep Dive: Amazon Strategies is a collection of videos, presenter slides and key takeaways from our recent Digiday virtual forum that will provide valuable tips and actionable insights on how brands can get their Amazon strategy on track ahead of the holidays and going into 2021.
Below you’ll find key takeaways, quotes and stats, as well as videos from retailers and agency partners on the platform’s successes and challenges in recent months.


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Costa Rica News – Eruptions of Poás led to the closing of many shops adjacent to the volcano.
The villagers have been crying out for help in facing the shortage of visitors. The closure of the National Park led to a ¢7,000 million annual economic blow.
The families that have, for generations, owned businesses in the area are living in fear and anguish. The eruptions forced authorities to close the volcano seven months ago, ending the steady flow of clients to the area.
After decades in operation business owners are unable to cover fixed costs such as bank debts, taxes, salaries and supplies. They have let the employees go and await a declaration of a state of emergency to alleviate some of the economic pressure.
Those that have managed to remain open have significantly cut hours, some open just weekends and one open just four hours a week. They have shelves and refrigerators full of expired food and drinks and no money to buy new products.
Some owners say they will close the normal businesses and instead try to survive selling just a few items like strawberries and Christmas ornaments.
One person reported having to receive his own food from a church so he could use the little money he had on food for his trout so he could later sell them.


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World’s most famous known coffee company, Starbucks, has taken an environmentally friendly approach. Before diving into the explanation I would like to give a back story of why I decided to write this article:
During the summer of 2019, I visited Korea and it was an awesome experience. In particular, my visit to Starbucks. It might seem absurd that a trip to a coffee shop was a memorable experience; however, I saw something that caught my eye and impacted me in a particular way. I didn’t see the classic green straws, instead, I saw white paper straws. I was shocked at first and couldn’t believe that a large corporation was replacing its iconic straws for white paper straws. It was then that I felt proud, strangely, of a company which was finally taking a step towards an environmental change.
This visit inspired me to investigate how those straws arrived at the Starbucks shop where I sipped my passion tea.
As of July 2018, the corporation announced that it was going to eliminate all plastic straws globally by 2020. They believe that their decision will help cut 1billion single-use plastic straws that are being thrown away every year. In September of 2018, Starbucks has sent their new developed paper straws to 100 stores in South Korea to test out their product.
The corporation initiated a collaboration that is known as the NextGen Consortium with companies such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Coca-Cola Company, Yum! Brands, Nestlé, and the World Wildlife Fund to investigate and discover new recycling and composting methods. These large companies are aiming to spread awareness on the use of environmentally-friendly cups around the globe.
Starbucks has also developed a lightweight and straw-free lid that is soon going to take over the 300,000 stores around the world. The materials used for the new lid are more durable and uses 9 percent less plastic than the former lid. It’s a win-win situation for the environment and the consumer. Although there are lids such as the Nitro lid, the domed ones, that use wide plastic straws for “optimal sips of liquid and foam” still in use, the company is planning to find for an alternative by 2020.
Big corporations are heading towards an environmental approach and it seems that this trend will continue as long as consumers show their interest in protecting the planet Earth. Therefore, the change in the world all comes down to the decisions we make as consumers and the use of our voice to raise awareness about the continuous environmental problems.
Categories: World News


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Digital Currencies and Crypto Derivatives are part of the emerging currencies and New Payment Methods that are gaining acceptance in recent times. The Covid-19 Pandemic has escalated the use of these currencies.
Several African countries, and countries in the world, lack proper regulatory frameworks for Crypto Currencies and Crypto Derivatives hence building an ideal ecosystem for cybercrimes to thrive.
Against this backdrop, AGA-Africa in collaboration with the Lagos Business School and Fintech Association Nigeria (FINTECHNGR) held a two-day webinar from 2nd -3rd November, 2021 titled “Digital Currencies and Crypto Derivatives: Banking, Regulatory and Cybersecurity”.
The webinar was aimed at creating a platform for sharing knowledge of the intrinsic banking, regulatory and cybersecurity issues in both digital currency and crypto-assets/derivatives. This would equip participants with essential knowledge required in the investigation and prosecution of cybercrime and cryptocurrency related crimes in Nigeria.
The training was officially opened by Markus Green Esq. AGA-Africa Board Member with keynote speeches from Victor Banjo, Director Executive Education, Lagos Business School, Ade Bajomo, President of FINTECH Association, Nigeria and CSE Dein Whyte, Public Service on behalf of Abdulrasheed Bawa, Chairman Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The subject matter experts who facilitated the informative sessions were: David C. Blake, General Counsel, Attorney General Alliance, Prof. Olawale Ajai, Professor of Legal, Social, and Political Environment of Business, Lagos Business School, Jimoh Musa, Director, Payment System Management Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Adedayo Adebajo Digital Transformation: Block chain specialist and M.D Jelurida Africa, Kombe Kaponda, Financial Markets Infrastructure (FMI) Networks and Security Specialist, Central Banker, ICT Networks and Security Solutions Engineer, Digital Frontiers Institute and Dein Whyte, Public Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria.
AGA-Africa Country Coordinator for Nigeria and Partner, PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors Ebelechukwu Enedah moderated the sessions and brought the successful two-day event to a close.


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Posts Tagged ‘Celestial Seasonings’
The Hain Celestial Group Inc. said Tuesday that Carl Icahn is cutting his stake in the company by half to about 7.5 percent.
Hain Celestial Group Inc.’s said Tuesday that fiscal second-quarter profit rose 58 percent on higher revenue driven by acquisitions in the United Kingdom and rising sales of its brands elsewhere.
The maker of Celestial Seasonings tea said Lamel, 65, will remain with the company until a successor is named.
Health food and drink maker Hain Celestial Group Inc. said Wednesday that fiscal second-quarter net income rose 23 percent as shoppers picked up its Earth’s Best, Celestial Seasonings and MaraNatha health food brands and expanded distribution Net income for the three months ended Dec. 31 rose to $20 million, or 44 cents per share, from [...]
The Hain Celestial Group Inc. has acquired British chilled-food maker Daniels Group in a $230 million all-cash deal, the natural and organic food and beverage company announced Tuesday. Daniels makes such natural chilled foods as Covent Garden Soup and Johnson’s Juice. Hain Celestial said in a statement Tuesday that chilled and fresh food accounts for [...]
Health food and drink maker Hain Celestial Group Inc. said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled as more people bought its products. The company, which makes Celestial Seasonings tea and Rice Dream rice milk, said its net income during the three months that ended June 30 rose 92 percent to $12.8 million, or [...]
Natural foods company Hain Celestial Group Inc. reported a 12 percent jump in fiscal first-quarter net income Thursday, helped by stronger sales in North America. “Even with a tough economy, consumers are committed to eating healthy foods and maintaining healthy lifestyles,” said President and CEO Irwin D. Simon. The company, which makes Celestial Seasonings tea [...]
A Citigroup analyst says he expects shares of Melville-based natural foods company Hain Celestial Group Inc. to rise Thursday after the company posted impressive sales momentum that will increase its results in coming years. Analyst Greg Badishkanian raised his own estimates Thursday, a day after the company said that fiscal 2011 results will come in [...]
Melville’s Hain Celestial Group Inc. has appointed two directors under an agreement with financier Carl Icahn, who owns a major stake in the company. The Melville-based natural and organic foods company said Wednesday that Brett Icahn and David Schechter have been appointed to its board of directors. Under the agreement with Carl Icahn’s investment funds, [...]
Melville’s The Hain Celestial Group Inc. has obtained a five-year, unsecured $400 million credit facility, which will be used to expand the natural and organic food producer’s business. The company said the facility was led by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “With consumers increasingly focused on health and nutrition, this financing will enable us to [...]


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Citi India bans use of debit/credit cards to buy bitcoins
The decision, the bank said, comes following concerns, both globally and locally including from the RBI
Citi India today banned use of its debit and credit cards for purchase of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies following concerns expressed by the Reserve Bank over virtual currencies.
Citi India in a message to its customers said it has banned usage of its debit and credit cards for purchase or trading of virtual currencies.
"...Citi India has decided to not permit usage of its credit and debit cards towards purchase or trading of such bitcoins, cryptocurrencies and virtual currencies," the message read.
Should you buy TCS, Asian Paints, BPCL, HPCL, IOCL, GAIL, other stocks today? Here is what brokerages recommend
Gold and Silver rate today (March 1, 2024): Yellow metal remains unchanged; white metal trades higher after US inflation figures matched expectations
Traders' Diary: Buy, sell or hold strategy on L&T, Britannia, Hindalco, JSPL, Voltas, over a dozen other stocks today
GAIL share price target 2024: Brokerage firm revises target for this Maharatna PSU stock - Buy, Sell or Hold?
Commercial LPG becomes dearer by up to Rs 25.5/cylinder in New Delhi, Mumbai from March 1; check out cooking gas rates in other metros here
In his Budget Speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the government does not consider cryptocurrencies legal tender or coin and will take all measures to eliminate use of these crypto-assets in financing illegitimate activities or as part of the payment system.
The decision, the bank said, comes following concerns, both globally and locally including from the RBI, cautioning the public regarding the potential economic, financial, operational, legal, customer protection and security related risks associated in dealing with bitcoins, cryptocurrencies and virtual currencies.
Virtual currencies are stored in digital/electronic format, making them vulnerable to hacking, loss of password and malware attack which may also result in permanent loss of money.
The RBI has also clarified that it has not given any licence/authorisation to any entity/company to operate such schemes or deal with bitcoin or any virtual currency.
03:45 PM IST


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The slow motion network neutrality enforcement ping pong match between the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission resulted in a data throttling settlement with AT&T, according to a story by Bevin Fletcher in FierceWireless. The details haven’t been released yet, but if approved by FTC commissioners it would end a dispute over how AT&T manages – throttles – the bandwidth consumed by millions of customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans.
AT&T’s mobile data throttling isn’t limited to legacy all-you-can-eat customers, at least according to research published last year, but the FTC’s enforcement action is limited to legacy data plans that are no longer offered.
The dispute tracks with the history of net neutrality regulation. It began in 2014 with a consumer rights lawsuit filed by the FTC against AT&T, when there were no federal rules in effect regarding net neutrality. When the Obama-era FCC declared broadband to be a common carrier service, AT&T’s response was to claim the FTC no longer had jurisdiction…
The agency said AT&T had been throttling speeds since 2011, and in some cases customers’ data speeds were reduced by nearly 90%. AT&T previously said it has been “completely transparent" with customers since starting its unlimited data throttling practices in 2011.
AT&T’s website currently discloses that for unlimited plans “AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds when the network is busy.”
AT&T had also argued the FTC lacked authority under the then-imposed net neutrality regulations enforced by the FCC, which in 2015 reclassified internet service providers as common carrier telecommunications service providers under Title II of the Telecommunications Act.
Then the Trump administration’s FCC reversed that ruling, saying that broadband isn’t a common carrier service, but instead it’s an information service that’s overseen by the FTC. That reversal led to the pending settlement.


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All-new Mitochondria - Y, preserved moss geometric terrarium by TerraLiving
"The Mitochondria - Y" unveiling video.
Coming soon... to join our official collection, this new luxury botanical art is the most unique of its kind, featuring a breakthrough in our design language that took years to develop.
Its new design language derived from the "Yggdrasil" family is set to open up a brand new category in TerraLiving for 2022 and beyond.
#terraliving #mitochondria #yggdrasil #geometricterrarium #terrarium #3dprint #glassart


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Sign up for Equitymaster's free daily newsletter, The 5 Minute WrapUp and get access to our latest Multibagger guide (2017 Edition) on picking money-making stocks.This is an entirely free service. No payments are to be made.
After opening the day on a positive note, the Indian equity markets shed their gains to close the day on a flat note. Stocks from sectors such as consumer durables, telecom, and realty were leading the losses, while banking stocks witnessed maximum buying interest.
On the global front, most of the Asian indices closed their day on a positive note. The Hong Kong's Hang Seng ended higher by 0.42%, while Japan's Nikkei 225 ended higher by 0.48%. The European indices also witnessed buying interest. The FTSE 100 was up 0.98%, France's CAC 40 was up 0.46% and Germany's DAX was up 0.53%. The rupee was trading at Rs 67.34 to the dollar at the time of writing.
Gold witnessed losses today. The yellow metal touched its three-month low today after tracking weak trend overseas and sluggish demand from jewelers in domestic markets. During this week, the metal bore most of the brunt on prospects of a US interest rate hike from the US Fed this month.
Asad Dossani, editor, Profit Hunter, recently stated that gold is going to crash and wrote a piece on how to make money trading gold. Also, one of the articles from Vivek Kaul's Diary titled 'Has Gold Entered a New Bull Market?' shares some interesting insights on the movements in gold prices.
To keep a regular tab on the movements in gold prices, you can read weekly market commentary from the Daily Profit Hunter team. Their weekly commentary tracks the developments in the global economy as well as equity, currency and commodity markets.
In another news update, Firstpost has reported that the World Bank has dropped the use of developing nation tag for India in its specialized reports. This comes as the World Bank recently changed the status of the country from 'developing' to 'lower-middle income' based on poor performance on parameters such as electricity generation, sanitation facilities and labour force participation rate.
This can be a clear wake-up call for India despite it being the fastest growing economy. Our recent edition of The 5 Minute WrapUp talks about what India needs to focus on if it has to sustain the growth momentum in future.
Stocks in the pharma space ended the day on a mixed note with Panacea Biotech and Natco Pharma leading the gains. As per a leading financial daily, Natco Pharma's marketing partner, Mylan Inc., has received a tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for Sorafenib Tablets. This product is the generic version of NEXAVAR, which is indicated for the treatment of certain types of cancers.
Natco Pharma and Mylan have filed an ANDA containing a Paragraph IV certification for this product. According to the sales data for the 12 month period ending December 31, 2015, NEXAVAR had US sales of approximately US$ 300 million.
Natco Pharma is a contract manufacturer for reputed companies like Ranbaxy and Parke Davis. The company's products cover three main markets; international formulations, domestic formulations and APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients). Within these areas, the company is the leader in generics oncology and is taking steps to expand its therapeutic segments with a continued focus on niche products. The company's stock ended higher by 8.5%.
For information on how to pick stocks that have the potential to deliver big returns, download our special report now!


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A good indicator of whether the economy is really recovering is the cruise industry. There aren’t too many more discretionary spend items than a ticket for a ride on a cruise ship. Carnival Cruise today reported that third quarter earnings rose 22%. The gains were partly fueled by lower costs but much of the gains came on revenue gains – the company’s North American boats saw a 10% increase in the latest quarter versus a year ago. And Europe saw a 1% rise.
Clearly, the company s seeing a rebound from a vicious pounding it took during the recession. But it is also clear that it needs promotions like the one above to convince people to pack their bags and head out for a cruise.


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Engadget has posted a leaked image sent anonymously of the Sony Xperia Z from Sony’s booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center at this year’s CES 2013. It appears to be sporting a 5-inch 1080P display, as previously rumored. We’ll definitely learn more about this new smartphone as the week continues.
CES 2013: Leaked Image of Sony Xperia Z
From Around the Web


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BT Bits: Unlikely Paths to Success
As spring lies just around the corner, waves of established firms are coming to campuses to begin their early recruiting efforts. With heightening enthusiasm for these early initiative programs and pre-internship opportunities, it is easy to get sucked into believing that there is only one path to your dream job. However, success isn’t always so straightforward. Here are a few of today’s most prominent leaders in business who got off to an unlikely start.
Kat Cole, President of Focus Brands and COO of its subsidiary brand Cinnabon, never expected to be a leading woman in business by age 32. When she was in college, studying engineering at the University of North Florida, she began working as a waitress part time at Hooters. By the end of her first year, she had covered nearly every position from cook to manager. She continued to seek new opportunities within the company as the business expanded. She began playing a vital role in training new employees and managing new locations, and soon was traveling all over the world to open new restaurants. While serving as Vice President of the company, she oversaw the growth of Hooters from approximately 100 locations with $300 million in revenue to 500 locations in 33 countries with $1 billion in revenue.
When Pete Cashmore was recovering from an appendectomy at age 13, he discovered his passion for a new emerging medium: blogs. In order to pass the time, he honed his writing skills by penning articles and submitting them to well-known online publications. As he became familiar with the digital media landscape, he saw a lack of new sources dedicated to the “Connected Generation,” those who have grown up using the internet for entertainment and news. In 2005, Cashmore launched Mashable from his parents’ house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He envisioned it as a news source that covers the latest tech advancements and trends in the start-up world. With few resources at first, Cashmore had to produce content himself, often authoring over 10 articles a day. But Mashable has come to become an Internet giant, with 19 million social media followers and logs 35 million unique visitors each month.
In 1977, Jerry Greenfield had just unsuccessfully applied to medical school; Ben Cohen was stuck cycling through various jobs in menial labor. The two were friends in high school, and they decided to enter the food industry together. Initially, the pair aimed to start a bagel company, but the cost of equipment made the project infeasible. So they shifted their attention to ice cream. After taking a five dollar correspondence course in ice-cream making at Penn State – the cost of which they split – they opened their first ice cream shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont. However, Cohen suffered from anosmia (resulting in the loss of smell and partial loss of taste) and struggled to distinguish flavors. To compensate for this impairment, he added large chunks of ingredients to their ice cream, leading to the famous Ben & Jerry’s texture. Their ice cream shop became extremely popular and today, the company has over 500 franchises and generates over $132 million in annual revenue.
When Kavita Shukla was only 12 years old, she swallowed some unsafe tap water while visiting her grandmother in India. Though she expected to be ill for a few days after the incident, a cup of her grandmother’s homebrewed tea successfully warded away the illness. After this remarkable occurrence, Shukla spent several years conducting experiments and found that the spices in her grandmother’s tea had anti-microbial properties. She came up with the idea of infusing the key spices into paper that would keep food fresh. Her product, FreshPaper, is now sold in groceries nationwide and in more than 35 countries. Shukla herself has been featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 for her efforts and continues to focus on growing her company.
Before entrepreneurship, Christina Wallace found success in the performing arts. As an undergraduate, she majored in Mathematics and Theater Studies at Emory University, and served as a theater director and arts administrator at the Metropolitan Opera. After graduating Harvard Business School, she created her own start-up, Quincy Apparel, an e-commerce site that offered semi-custom clothes for young women. Within two years, the company went under. Undeterred, Wallace founded BridgeUp:STEM, an education start-up inside the American Museum of Natural History that teaches computer science to inspire young children. Today, she works as a co-host for a Forbes podcast, The Limit Does Not Exist, which focuses on the intersection between STEM and creativity, and serves as the Vice President at the venture capital firm Bionic Solution.


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From his dual perch in Las Vegas and New York, all the trouble signs got the attention of Steven Maksin, 46, a mall turnaround specialist who loves a challenge as much as making money. Like picking stocks, he spots underperforming malls, buys them cheaply with cash, pumps money into reviving them, and waits for a return on his investment.
He has had success with malls and shopping centers in Texas and Colorado.
"I was intrigued," Maksin said of the beaten-down mall that sits off Exit 47A on I-295 in Burlington Township. He then ticked off every developer's dream: access points (it's near I-295, the New Jersey Turnpike (Exit 5), and Route 541; great demographics (population and household income); and traffic, lots of it.
"He buys these things dirt cheap, because if it was just the land, it wouldn't be that cheap," said Charles Swain, president and principal of Colliers International Real Estate Management Services in Atlanta, who met Maksin last month when the landlord and investor was on an economic development panel.
Maksin bought a Georgia mall last year. "He buys a property that's still generating cash flow, and waits to see what the community needs before he makes his move," Swain said. "I wish I was a risk-taker like him."
Maybe it's because Maksin's company - Moonbeam Capital Investments L.L.C. - is based in Las Vegas, where the term all in is commonplace. But Maksin is definitely all in, to the tune of $230 million, on top of the $4.4 million he paid to acquire the mall in late 2012.
Starting next spring, here's what Maksin says to expect: a complete face-lift of the mall's facade; 1.2 million square feet of retail added to the existing 300,000 square feet; the development of a "hybrid mall" that combines a traditional, indoor mall with an outdoor, lifestyle center for shopping, dining and entertainment, including a Dave and Buster's-type family center, and a hotel. Throw in some water fountains and benches to rest on in between purchases or while waiting for your reservation at the dozen new restaurants.
When you have 150 acres, and an additional 50 acres of "green space" to work with (some of which belong to the Hovnanian family of Philadelphia), the sky's the limit, said Maksin, Moonbeam's chief executive officer. Full build-out is expected to take two to five years and to be done in stages. The mall will stay open the entire time of construction.
"This will be one of the largest and most exciting projects on the East Coast," Maksin said last week from Las Vegas. "And most successful."
"He's got a different vision for these malls," Swain said of Maksin. "They can't continue to be what they are now."
Maksin cited Spectrum Plaza in Houston and Greeley Mall in Greeley, Colo., as two of his big successes. Maksin bought Spectrum Plaza in August 2011 when it was about 30 percent occupied. By February 2012, occupancy shot to more than 80 percent. That same year, in April, Maksin acquired Greeley Mall when it was less than 60 percent occupied. He said he is negotiating deals from national tenants to boost occupancy to more than 90 percent. Sales per square foot at the mall went from $300 to $400 within two years.
Maksin said the Burlington mall project stood out and represented a reawakening of the commercial retail industry.
"I call it a recession and depression that started in 2008, and by 2010, the industry totally went to sleep," he said. "This is the first year in the revival - not just locally but nationally as well."
The mall at 2501 Mount Holly Road was also a retail riddle: perfectly situated, yet a drastic failure.
"In the last few years, we went after malls," Maksin said. "But Burlington Mall is a star in our portfolio. It's so bad and so great at the same time. . . . That's what attracted us - and the price was right."
The low purchase price was largely due to the mall's fallen value. The mall, which opened on Aug. 5, 1982, had an assessed value of $29.3 million in 1991. By 2006, it was $20.5 million. It is currently assessed at $13.5 million.
Kristi Howell, president and CEO of the Burlington County Regional Chamber of Commerce, listened as Maksin and his partners - developer Patrick G. Heller of Diamond Real Estate Investments L.L.C., of Limerick, Montgomery County, and Peter Hovnanian of J.S. Hovnanian & Sons - gave a presentation on March 13 outside the mall's JC Penney.
Heller had worked on redeveloping land adjacent to the mall with the Hovnanian family for years. Maksin said Heller and Peter Hovnanian approached him in 2012 as he was securing financing to buy the mall to form a partnership to resurrect it.
"He's a visionary," Howell said of Maksin. "He's done his homework. He knows what the numbers are."
Here are a few: The Burlington mall has a 55 percent vacancy rate. The average vacancy rate at malls in the top 80 U.S. markets is between 10.3 percent and 14.6 percent.
On the upside, last year 75,000 cars traveled I-295 per day, 81,000 traveled the New Jersey Turnpike, and 33,000 cars traveled Route 541. The average household income in 2013 was $82,833 within a three-mile radius of the mall.
"This game is all about numbers," said Maksin, who is also a CPA and tax lawyer and splits his time between Las Vegas and New York, where his law firm is based. "All the ingredients are there."


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The Google Pixel 6 series hasn’t been launched yet, of course, but leaked images have already surfaced in the past few weeks, offering a look at what the company’s mobile team have been working on. In the past, Pixel designs have been somewhat underwhelming (to me, at least), but if these unofficial images are to be believed, Google is finally set to revamp things from a design point of view.
Reliable leakster Steve McFly, also known as @OnLeaks on Twitter, has just shared a series of images that seemingly confirm the aesthetic that my colleague Rory talked about the other day. He liked it, and so do I.
What’s also revealing here is that we might not see an XL model this year, with Google replacing it with an XL moniker instead. Plus, OnLeaks also revealed via Digit.in that the Pixel 6 Pro will have a triple-camera setup—a first for a Pixel phone—with the regular Pixel 6 featuring a more familiar dual-camera setup on the back.
Other leaked specs for the Pro include a 6.67″ curved display with a single hole-punch cutout for a selfie camera; it isn’t clear if the AMOLED panel will have a high refresh rate, however. We’re expecting to see dual stereo speakers on Google’s next flagship phones, as well as features like wireless charging support.
Meanwhile, the camera array at the back will supposedly include a primary wide camera, as well as a periscope telephoto camera to offer optical zoom, as well as a yet-to-be known camera next to the LED. I’m guessing the regular Pixel 6 will miss out on the periscope lens, although this is just speculation at this point.
So far, we haven’t actually heard anything about the chipset that’ll power the next Pixel phones. As recently as April, there were rumours that Google would incorporate its own Whitechapel SoC within the next generation of Pixel phones—something that has clearly been a strength of the iPhones in the years gone by.
So, what do you think about Google’s radical new look? They haven’t actually confirmed an official release date yet, and of course, the images above are all unofficial, but it seems likely that we’ll get work sooner rather than later. As always, share your thoughts in the comments section below!
[ SOURCE ]


text: After dumping on the hype about the iPhone, I can’t resist adding another piece of information about why I’m suspect about (nearly) everyone’s favorite gadget of ‘07. This Alternet article lays out the case that the Working Assets group has against Apple’s product. While telecomms bowed to the Bush administration’s illegal wire tapping scheme, Apple was happy to work with one of them but as the article points out WA might have unwittingly too. Be that as it may, the larger point is that Apple has tied down their system to one single carrier (AT&T) while shutting out the other phone companies, who (in fairness) did have a shot at the iPhone previously. Not only does it force any drooling consumer to drop their carrier for AT&T but it also stifles any innovation or new players in a tightly controlled (aka monopolized) market.


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People like to throw around superlatives in discussing Super Bowl ads -- best, worst, funniest, most moving. But what about most important?
How can a Super Bowl ad be important? The six listed below helped change how advertisers, brands and Americans everywhere conceived of what an ad during the Super Bowl could be used to do.
Apple -- "1984" (1984)
It was a big year for Apple. 1984 was the year the company launched the Macintosh personal computer, and it was the moment when the company decided to make the most expensive ad in its history. “That spot is really what launched the Super Bowl of advertising,” said Keith Quesenberry, a former creative director and current lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. “Before that, there was a Super Bowl going on, and just regular ads ran during the Super Bowl.
“Because of the sizable audience,” he added, “Apple decided to turn it into a special moment.” The decision was not unanimous. Members of Apple’s board were very hesitant to spend so much money -- the ad had a $900,000 budget -- which included a hefty fee for Ridley Scott, the director behind "Alien" and "Blade Runner."
And, like so many Super Bowl ads, even though “1984” attracted a mountain of attention, it may not have helped move many units.
Chrysler -- "Imported From Detroit" (2010)
Brands are not in the habit of buying Super Bowl airtime in the midst of historically bad years. But after being rescued from bankruptcy in 2008 and well on the way to its worst sales year since 1962, Chrysler needed to make a big bet. That’s why it laid out nearly $9 million for the 2-minute spot that was supposed to redefine not just the automaker’s brand, but the once-noble principle of buying American.
“It took the perception of cars and flipped it on its head,” Quesenberry said. “This really had this big turning point.”
A year later, the bet looked like it paid dividends: Chrysler’s sales rebounded 17 percent.
E*Trade -- “We just wasted 2 million bucks”
This may sound crazy, but there was once an era when the streets of Silicon Valley were flush with venture capitalists’ cash, teeming with companies built on questionable business models throwing said cash around. On the one hand, this 1999 spot is emblematic of that time -- “It goes back to the excess of the dot-com period,” Qusenberry said -- but on the other, it was the first Super Bowl ad to explicitly acknowledge both its stakes and the place Super Bowl ads occupy in the American cultural imagination.
Plus, the ad gets bonus points for taking the Super Bowl ad’s chief talking point and turning it into a punchline.
Coca Cola -- “America the Beautiful” (2014)
It’s not every day that an ad gets attacked for being too multicultural. But this 2014 Coke ad, which featured people of multiple races, ethnicities and sexual orientations singing “America the Beautiful” in different languages, was apparently too much for some people. So many people took to social media to complain that #SpeakAmerican and #boycottCoke were trending on Twitter within hours of the ad’s first broadcast, though the anger over the ad’s content was met with an equally passionate response from its defenders.
“A brand has to be careful,” Quesenberry said of Coke’s ad. “Being controversial can bring you extra attention, but if it’s negative attention, is it really worth it?”
Wendy’s -- "Big Bun" (1984)
This Wendy’s spot from 1984 showed what can happen when you put a catchy slogan in front of 100 million people. Though it technically debuted a few weeks before the Super Bowl, the ad's punch line, “Where’s the Beef?” became something else after it aired during Super Bowl XVIII.
“It became a cultural phenomenon,” Quesenberry said.
In addition to Walter Mondale using the phrase to criticize his opponent Gary Hart’s proposed economic policies, the phrase was cut into a novelty single and was printed up on T-shirts. It even did something few Super Bowl ads do -- it pushed Wendy’s sales up more than 30 percent.
E*trade -- Baby (2008)
Most brands dream of finding a spokesperson or character that America embraces, but the E*Trade baby, who debuted in 2008, wound up turning into a force that could not be stopped. Created by the ad agency Grey New York, the baby became such a hit that E*Trade wound up using the baby and his pals in five consecutive Super Bowls, as well as countless other spots throughout the year.
But after a while, E*Trade executives began to notice something: People had stopped associating the pitchman with the product. “The baby ate the brand,” E*Trade Chief Marketing Officer Liz Landsman told Fast Company.