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As we approach the end of 2023, it's safe to say that Bristol has seen it's fair share of restaurant and bar closures over the past 12 months. Whether it's down to lack of demand, rising running costs, or the lasting impact of Covid-19, there have been some shock closures and even some establishments we never expected to be without.
While there's still much to look forward to in 2024 when it comes to the city's food and drink scene, we're taking the time to say one final goodbye to the restaurants and bars we've lost here in Bristol in 2023.
We've compiled a list below. Do you have any fond memories of any of these you'd like to share? Or any dishes you really can't believe you'll never get to tuck into again? Let us know.
Revolución de Cuba
Revolución de Cuba, which opened on Bordeaux Quay next to the V-Shed Wetherspoon pub back in October 2018, closed its doors for good on October 2017, 2023. The team shared a post to its social media to say: "Amigos, we have loved shaking your cocktails and creating unmissable fiestas over the years, but as of today, we will sadly be closing our doors in Revolución de Cuba Bristol.
"We want to extend an enormous thank you for joining the Revolución de Cuba fiesta and making some unforgettable memories. Any guests with bookings will be contacted in due course – thank you for your patience and understanding.
"For any guests looking for their next Cuban escape, your nearest Rev de Cuba is now our Cardiff location! Goodbye Amigo, and Gracias!"
Assilah Bistro Moroccan Restaurant and Shisha Garden
Assilah, a Moroccan restaurant in Totterdown said to be the longest-running in Bristol, closed its doors after almost 22 years of business back in September 2023. Restaurant owner Bridget Holden posted a farewell message to Facebook, in which she wrote: "And just like that!!!!! To all our fantastic customers new and old.... After almost 22 years we have now taken the decision to hang up our pinnies and retire Assilah.
"It has been an honour to have been part of Totterdown for the past two decades and to serve you all. We hope we have provided a taste of Morocco during this time through Assilah and provided a few memories along the way."
The Cheese Platter
Bristol's first ever cheese restaurant closed back in the summer after eight months of service. The owner of The Cheese Platter in Redland quit the hospitality industry citing insurmountable staffing issues as the cause. The restaurant opened in November 2022 in The Vincent, a luxury retirement home on Redland Hill, run by former teacher Joshua Doyle.
The owner said he was baffled the restaurant concept didn't already exist outside of London as a nation of cheese lovers. Speaking on the difficult decision, the first-time restaurant owner and maitre d' said: “I’m sad to be joining that statistic of restaurants that don’t last a year but it’s there for a reason.
"It’s very true, it’s tough. The sad thing is this was actually growing. We were starting to see bigger numbers and there are some that will say I’m a fool to give this up but I know the toll it’s taken on me and my mental health.” In The Cheese Platter's case, the kitchen lost two head chefs in the space of a month and was left with a team of just two people.
Michelin-starred restaurant The Ethicurean in Wrington, near Bristol, and announced it would be closing its doors in October 2023. The announcement, which was made in the summer, said: "After 13 incredible years, The Ethicurean restaurant at Barley Wood Garden will close its doors.
"With co-owner Matthew Pennington based in Scotland and chef owner Mark McCabe excited to embrace some exciting new projects, the senior team agree that time is right to let go of their beautiful venue in Wrington."
Founded by Matthew in 2008, The Ethicurean spent over a decade celebrating sustainable British dining, working with talented growers, makers and suppliers who have shared Matthew and Mark's vision for a gentle footprint on the planet and responsible practices. From the outset, their dedication to ethical practices set them apart, having been awarded a Michelin Green star in 2022 and a plethora of other industry awards for their commitment to sustainability.
Matthew said: "What a decade and a bit it has been! We are beyond grateful to each and every one of our gorgeous customers for their loyalty, friendship and support over the years. It has been an incredible journey and an overwhelmingly enjoyable one. To our staff, past and present, all wonderful characters, you helped to shape the restaurant and make it the very warm and welcoming place it is and enabled us to bring our vision to life for customers - thank you. "
Rosemarino, a popular Italian restaurant in Clifton, closed its doors back in July 2023, after 13 years of service. The restaurant had been hailed as one of the best places in Bristol serving 'genuine Italian cooking', but the small restaurant's owners said it just couldn't survive the stormy economic situation with costs of everything from basic ingredients to electricity bills rising.
In a post on the restaurant's Instagram page, the team thanked customers who have dined at the York Place restaurant over the years, writing: "After 13 wonderful years, we have made the difficult decision to close the doors at our beloved neighbourhood restaurant permanently. The past few years have thrown some major curveballs at the industry we love, and the relentless financial pressures have made it increasingly difficult for us to sustain our small business.
"Despite our best efforts, we are no longer able to continue serving you in the way we envisioned. To all those we have welcomed over the years, and all the amazing staff who have been part of the team, we are immensely grateful for your love and support; we cannot thank you enough for being a part of Rosemarino’s story."
Another popular Italian eatery, this time situated on Cotham Hill, also closed its doors back in July. Serving up food from what had been regarded as 'one of the best Italian restaurants in the city', for seven years, Pasta Loco had also received rave reviews from locals and national food critics alike.
It was the first restaurant from the family team who have since gone on to open Pasta Ripiena, Pizza Bianchis and Cotto across Bristol. In a statement, owners Dominic Borel and Ben Harvey said they had made the decision to close “with a heavy heart”. They said the closure was in part down to difficulties within the hospitality industry such as rising costs of energy, labour and ingredients and landlords ‘hiking rent’.
But said the “final nail in the coffin” was Bristol City Council’s pedestrianisation scheme for Cotham Hill which they claimed would result in the restaurant losing the majority of its outside tables during its busiest period over the summer.
Middle Eastern street food trader Jigaraki had its last day of service in the Cargo development at Wapping Wharf on New Year's Day 2023, after almost three years, but said at the time: "We will be taking some time to work out what is next for Jigaraki. We would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few years and look forward to seeing you all in the future."
The German-inspired restaurant housed in a historic, Grade I-listed building, shared a message on its website on January 3 stating that the restaurant was now permanently closed after just over two years of business. Hospitality group and owners D&D London explained that the decision was due to the cost of living crisis - you can read the full statement here.
Clifton's Sunday General closed on January 29 citing the impact of the cost of living crisis. The bakery and store opened in October 2020 during the pandemic to offer a one-stop shop for local suppliers and producers.
"Like so many small businesses affected by the cost of living crisis, we’ve had to make the difficult decision to close our doors. We’ve absolutely loved being a part of the Clifton Village community and are super grateful for all the lovely customers and suppliers we’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with," the store said in a statement.
The award-winning bakery in Old Market announced it was closing on February 3, 2023. The Assembly Bakery on West Street thanked its customers for their support over the years, after announcing the closure with a "heavy heart".
The Old Market site first opened in 2017 and quickly became known for its beautifully made loaves, pastries and cakes championing some of the best local ingredients. At one time it had two sites after expanding to a unit in Wapping Wharf in 2021, which shut last year.
Clifton cafe, Tradewind Espresso, closed its doors earlier this year stating the cost of living crisis as the main factor. It started its life as a mobile van before taking over the site on Whiteladies Road that it called home for eight years.
The statement from Tradewind said: "After eight years of service, we are sorry to announce that Tradewind Espresso has now permanently closed its doors. Due to the current cost of living crisis, it is no longer possible to keep the business running."
The Clifton venue that had one of the city's biggest selections of craft beers called time on the bar after 15 years earlier in the year. Flipside became the permanent spot for A.B.O.E. (a bit of everything), which had been run from the venue as a food pop-up.
The complete statement from Flipside at the time said: "After nearly 15 years of great times, delicious cocktails & banging parties at Flipside, Papaji's & Tequila Max, Andy's time has come to an end. We have handed over the baton to the new Owner and Chef, Sebastian Merry, who will be giving the much-loved site a new lease of life with an amazing new concept and some seriously tasty food.
"Andy and the team, current and previous, want to thank all the great guests they've hosted over the years and invite you all to come and try the new food and drink once A.B.O.E. is open.
"Chef Seb will be re-opening A.B.O.E. ... and if you would like to book a table, then please head to the Instagram page to book in until the new website is up and running."
Wild Beer's Bristol bar permanently closed early this year after the owners and developers of Wapping Wharf took over the premises. Umberslade said it did its "very best to support the team" during financial difficulties but it "had to draw a line".
The West Country brewery was one of the first independent operators to join the Wapping Wharf neighbourhood in 2016 when the area was first earmarked for redevelopment. The future of the Gaol Ferry Steps taproom was then plunged into doubt after Wild Beer fell into administration in December last year.
La Grotta closed its doors on June 3, 2023 after almost 50 years. The restaurant said in a statement: "After over 50 years of trading from our Union Street home, we are closing. From life as the Bali and my Papa Alfonso being waiter, to La Grotta as it is today, we have met amazing people and staff."
La Grotta - which means cave in Italian - claimed to be one of Bristol's oldest restaurants pairing traditional Italian cooking and a welcoming atmosphere. It has been run by the same family for the past 35 years - having previously been called The Bali - and was often used as a space for events, parties and celebrations for diners over the years.
Om Burger, a vegan burger business based in Stokes Croft, closed its doors back in March 2023 after more than two years. The restaurant opened at the end of 2020 and was headed up by restaurateurs Nick Makin and Rory Perriment, who took over a unit previously- occupied by the former Touch of Class salon.
The launch of the restaurant - a plant-based offshoot from the same team behind the highly-rated Burger Theory - was set back slightly due to Covid restrictions, having been a year in the making. Om Burger said: "We have a very sad announcement.
"We are afraid to say that some major change is afoot. The costs of running a restaurant are just too high and only getting higher. Sadly the revenues we have seen at the restaurant just don’t cover its costs. Our beloved restaurant has to close.
"Om Burger has been a huge success in many ways, many have enjoyed our food and we love our cute Stokes Croft restaurant. There are some positives in this. Om has various outdoor events lined up this summer including Shambala, Barn on the Farm and Womad so hopefully we will see you at one of those."
The popular award-winning fish and chip restaurant on College Green closed its doors suddenly back in August 2023, and found itself on the market. Located next to the Green House bar, the property was boarded up and the premises up for let with estate agents Burston Cook.
Catch 22's restaurant on College Green had been open for some eight years and was well loved and known for its vegan dishes, in addition to its fish and chip meals. The most recent review at the time, from a customer on Tripadvisor, dates back to April 13, 2023, with five stars for its "excellent vegan choice".


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Microsoft has officially confirmed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update at the ongoing BUILD 2016 developer conference with the promise that the update will facilitate a “more personal computing that comes to life.”
Here’s what end-users can expect from the update:
As we have already pointed out previously, Microsoft is planning to introduce some major updates to the Edge browser, including new extension support, biometric authentication support (using Windows Hello), and possibly even native AdBlock support.
A number of other native apps including the likes Groove Music, Camera, Maps, Photos etc. are also likely to be updated.
Cortana users can also expect a few major improvements vis-a-vis enhanced voice commands alongside the ability to activate right from the lock screen. Not just that, she will also make intelligent suggestions while you use your PC or smartphone, e.g. places nearby, reminders, and more.
Least surprisingly of all, Windows Inking is all set to receive its fair share of improvements as the Anniversary Update looms prepares to hit Windows 10 devices. The new Ink workspace tools will enable users to draw on top of any app using a set of pens, virtual rulers and more.
For example, with the improved Windows Inking, users will now be able easily annotate Maps in other maps applications.
Finally, the new update will also bring some good news for Xbox users who will now be able to convert their gaming console into devkits and test new games and apps.

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2021 Mahindra Scorpio (automatic) SUV found testing; interior details revealed
Mahindra should launch the 2021 Scorpio SUV in India by the end of this year. In the latest development, a test mule of the vehicle's automatic version was spied testing on the roads, revealing key details about its interiors. As per the pictures, it will have a conventional sunroof, a semi-digital instrument cluster, an upright infotainment panel, and a flat-bottom steering wheel. Here's more.
The car will have a multi-slat grille
The 2021 Scorpio will exhibit a boxy design, featuring a large multi-slat grille, a wide air dam, a muscular bonnet with sculpted lines, a side-hinged tailgate, and a rear spoiler. For lighting, dual pod projector headlights with C-shaped LED DRLs, and new LED taillights, will be available. On the sides, the vehicle will be flanked by ORVMs, roof rails, and 10-spoke alloy wheels.
It will be offered with two turbocharged engine options
The 2021 Mahindra Scorpio should be offered with two BS6-compliant engine choices: a 2.2-liter mHawk turbo-diesel mill and a 2.0-liter mStallion turbo-petrol motor. Transmission duties will be taken care of by a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox.
The vehicle will house a semi-digital instrument cluster
The 2021 Mahindra Scorpio will feature a spacious 7/8-seater cabin with fabric upholstery, a sunroof, automatic climate control, a flat-bottom multifunctional steering wheel, and an engine start-stop button. It should pack a semi-digital instrument cluster and an infotainment console with support for the latest connectivity options. For ensuring the passengers' safety, multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, and a rear-view camera should be available.
2021 Mahindra Scorpio: Pricing and availability
The pricing and availability details of the next-generation Mahindra Scorpio in India will be revealed at the time of launch. However, it should carry a significant premium over the current model, which starts at Rs. 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom).


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Grannell said retailers should now finalise their own arrangements as “the train had left the station” on chip and pin.
By January next year, they will be liable for all losses incurred as a result of fraud on debit and credit card transactions that are made without the chip and pin verification process.
Grannell predicted 60% of transactions would be chip and pin verified by the end of 2004 and 90% by the end of 2005.
He said 100,000 retailer terminals had been made compliant with chip and pin, including all those operated by Safeway, Sainsbury and Tesco.
But there are still 750,000 terminals to be upgraded, at an estimated cost of around £200 each. Grannell said: “The business case for chip and pin will become compelling in the future as fraudsters will look for the weakest link: the retailers who do not use it.” The new verification system would help retailers streamline back office functions, reduce paperwork and save money, Grannell said.


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For the second time in EOS’ infancy, transactions are being censored. For some, it’s a way to stop scammers. For others, it’s centralized overreach.
The price of bitcoin slid below $6,000 on Friday, hitting a new low for 2018.
The price of bitcoin fell to levels last seen on February 6th of this year following news of security concerns with Japanese cryptocurrency exchanges.
Crypto exchange Bitfinex’s chief strategy officer Phil Potter is leaving the firm, Reuters reported Friday.
The U.S. policymakers will look into potential risks that digital currencies could pose to the American democracy.
Litecoin’s (LTC) price hit a seven-month low on Friday as the cryptocurrency markets turned risk-averse.


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Locus launches order-to-delivery management platform
GIC Singapore-backed B2B logistics optimisation startup Locus on Monday announced the launch of its order-to-delivery management platform for last-mile operations.
The solution, rolled out at the 2022 Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo in Orlando (Florida), helps enterprises manage all stages of last-mile fulfillment on a single, integrated platform and transform these operations into strategic growth centres for their business, the company said in a statement.
Also read: 8 entities to test fintech products for MSME lending under RBI’s regulatory sandbox
“In today’s competitive landscape, quick and on-time deliveries are non-negotiable to customer satisfaction, retention and growth. But while many companies might see last-mile logistics as simply a means to an end, they might not realise that optimising these efforts can actually contribute to the bottom line,” said Nishith Rastogi, founder-CEO of Locus.
Founded in 2015 and backed by GIC Singapore, Tiger Global, Qualcomm Ventures and Falcon Edge, Locus claims to help a wide range of customers globally across industries, including Unilever, Nestle, Bukalapak, Tata Group and BlueDart, among others.
The company said it executes 650 million deliveries across more than 30 countries spread over north America, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia, New Zealand and the Indian subcontinent.


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The pending bankruptcy of Borders Group Inc. could be bad news for the downtown Borders bookstore.
Borders, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as Monday or Tuesday, according to a Saturday article in the Wall Street Journal. Sources say it’s planning to close about a third of its 674 Borders and Waldenbooks stores.
The Borders in downtown Milwaukee has struggled in the last couple of years as its next-door neighbor, The Shops of Grand Avenue, continues to bleed tenants, said Bill Orenstein, a partner in the building.
“The downtown store started out great, but I think that what hurt the store downtown was the Grand Avenue going pretty much empty,” he said. “From then on, it hasn’t been a good store.”
Construction on Wisconsin Avenue, which tore up the street in front of Borders for much of 2010, also hurt the store’s revenue, he said.
Orenstein and fellow developer Mark Irgens teamed up to buy the former Marshall Field’s building in 1998 and renovated it to house the Residence Inn Milwaukee Downtown and the American Society for Quality offices. Borders moved into 19,000 square feet of the building in late 2002 and signed a 20-year lease, Orenstein said.
Borders hasn’t approached him about renegotiating its lease or its plans for the store post-bankruptcy, he said.
“What was in the paper is the sum total of what we know about it,” he said.
The loss of the store would be a huge blow for retail on West Wisconsin Avenue. The Borders has been one of few bright spots, along with Boston Store and a handful of other tenants, in the strip of connected buildings that many people consider Grand Avenue. In fact, Grand Avenue does not own the Boston Store space or the Borders building.
Borders also has stores in Fox Point and Greendale.


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Catala Consulting · 18 Mar
Another day another lockdown announced, another batch of new cancellations, another day and the revenue pace of most of the hotels in Europe is dropping. This has been our day to day for the last weeks. Everyone is starting to feel directly or indirectly the impact of the coronavirus and the business consequences. While everyone is fighting to capture the demand in the market, some are actually fighting to survive and ensure the cash flow of their operations in the next weeks.


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We have the latest information that the manufacturer Asus announced its latest mid-end device Zenfone Max.
The main attraction of the device is its massive battery of 5000mAh, which will give stopless power to the device and also there is an option to charge other devices attached to it.
The upcoming Asus Zenfone Max sports a 5.5” IPS display with the resolution of 720pixels and protected by Gorilla Glass 4, RAM of 2GB, internal storage capacity of 16GB and it can be further expanded via microSD slot. It is powered by a Snapdragon 410 chipset with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop with Zen UI 2.0 on top.
The camera section of the device includes a rear camera of 13MP, dual-LED dual-tone flash and laser-supported autofocus and the front-facing camera of 5MP with 85-degree wide-angle lens.
It will support 4G LTE, 3G with HSPA+, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.
It is expected that the dual-SIM device will be launched on October; 2015.The cost of the device is still unknown.
Keep going with us for more information.


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HURRICANE ON SATURN To Release Debut Full Length Album "Killing Field" In November!
Italy-based HURRICANE ON SATURN have announced that the countdown has started to their debut full length album, entitled "Killing Field", which will be released in November 2020, and available on all digital stores. More details will be revealed shortly, so stay tuned!
Watch the first 2 singles
- “Till We Die”: https://youtu.be/1OU-CXFukNI
- “I’m On My Own”: https://youtu.be/oQgdCG_8eRk
Buy and stream the singles here:
Apple music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/till-we-die-single/1531562101?uo=4
and many more...


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Rising food prices have caught the attention of Canadians, leading to less meat consumption and a more careful approach to shopping. Meanwhile, one academic says Statistics Canada may be underestimating how much food inflation has taken place.
Even if Statistics Canada’s estimates are on the conservative side, the increase is still substantial. The agency reports that meat prices have risen about 10 percent in the past six months, while the price of groceries has risen 8 to 10 percent over that time.
However, Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says the increase could be even higher.
“Currently, Statistics Canada could be underestimating the food inflation rate by at least 1.5 percent, if not more,” he said in a commentary published Sept. 22. “A 1.5 percent increase for an average family of four would represent approximately $180 to $200 worth of food each year.”
To find out how price increases might have affected consumers’ shopping over the past six months, Charlebois’s lab partnered with Caddle to survey 10,005 Canadians in summer 2021.
Nationally, 49 percent of respondents said they bought less meat due to higher prices, with Albertans having the greatest drop at 57 percent.
Respondents also said they are shopping more carefully now than in 2020. Nearly four in ten (39.6 percent) are buying more food close to the expiry or best before date to take advantage of discounts, 37.5 percent are buying more house brands, 41.6 percent read weekly flyers more often, and 39.5 percent use coupons more often.
The practice of “shrinkflation,” where companies maintain prices but sell food in smaller amounts or packages, was noticed by 73.5 percent of Canadians.
Charlebois told The Epoch Times that smaller packaging may lead to less food being wasted, but shoppers don’t like the practice.
“It bothers people,” he said. “[Companies] are selling you the illusion that you’re buying the same thing, but you’re not.”
Statistics Canada reported in July that the price of fresh vegetables had dropped 7.5 percent since July 2020, and fresh fruit prices dropped 0.6 percent. It reported in August that the price of fresh vegetables had dropped 5 percent since August 2020, while fresh fruit prices rose 0.8 percent.
Charlebois says forest fires in B.C. and on the U.S. Pacific Coast region mean those prices are sure to rise.
“Produce is going to be impacted, nuts are going to impacted, because we do import a lot of nuts and fruits and vegetables, especially fruits from California,” he said.
“That could actually impact availability and affordability. Importers would probably go elsewhere to find some of these products, but again, those other options may be more expensive.”
StatsCan’s Findings vs BetterCart’s
On some items, Statistics Canada and the Canadian company BetterCart, a platform that compares food prices across grocery stores, disagree on which direction prices have gone since January. Statistics Canada says a litre of ketchup cost 5.9 percent less, but BetterCart said it increased 7.3 percent. Similarly, Statistics Canada says the price of 500 grams of macaroni dropped 3.1 percent, but BetterCart said it grew 12.7 percent.
On some other items, the agency had lower estimates on price increases. It said a kilogram of frozen french fries went up 5.9 percent, while BetterCart said it rose 26.2 percent. Statistics Canada said the price of 454 grams of butter rose 2.8 percent, but BetterCart said it rose 35.5 percent.
In his commentary, Charlebois wrote that although the agency accounts for “shrinkflation,” “about 70 percent of products in its food basket have quantities which no longer exist in the market,” which suggests the need for an update.
“The federal agency provides details around its process and reporting, but it never discloses what brands it looks at, what stores, or how the data is being processed in Ottawa,” he wrote.
“Some of the data capturing process needs work and certainly more transparency. Statistics Canada claims it changes its food basket constantly, but it still only monitors baked beans as a vegetable protein-based product. For fish and seafood, canned salmon is basically it.”
Statistics Canada communications officer Maryse Carrière explained in an email that “food prices are now mostly captured using weekly scanner data collected directly from grocery retailers across Canada … and include sales and promotions where applicable,” noting that 17,000 prices are captured from those retailers.
“Representative products, which are a narrow class of items for which the average price change is expected to be representative for a similar group of products, are added and removed each month as food products appear and disappear from the market,” Carrière wrote.
“Prior to the pandemic, food prices were also collected by interviewers visiting stores; however, this is now replaced by online prices using store websites or flyers.”
Charlebois thinks the agency needs to revisit its methodology because “market conditions have changed over time—they’re much more volatile than before.”
“I wouldn’t question StatsCan’s good faith, [but] their data collection process may not accurately capture what is actually going on,” he said.


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HANOI, Vietnam Nghiem Ngoc Thuy has been slinging coffees to thirsty Vietnamese for 20 years in her colonial-style villa with peeling shutters, and she and her customers aren't too worried that the imminent arrival of U.S. giant Starbucks will alter their time-tested coffee traditions.
Starbucks announced Thursday that it will open its first cafe in Vietnam early next month in Ho Chi Minh City as part of its strategy to expand across Asia, and plans to add more shops throughout the country.
But compared with other Asian markets Starbucks has recently entered, the Seattle-based company faces a unique scenario in Vietnam, where French-inspired coffee culture reigns supreme, two homegrown chains have established presences and family-run sidewalk cafes are ubiquitous.
“Our prices are affordable for average Vietnamese,” Thuy said, pausing for just a moment during an afternoon rush at her family-run cafe in Hanoi, the capital. “Expensive coffee is just for the children of government officials, or people who have lots of money.”
Vietnamese coffee, made from ballsy robusta beans, packs a stronger caffeine wallop than European-style espresso, which is made from effete arabica. It has a slightly bitter taste that usually is offset by sweetened, condensed milk known to rattle tourists' eyeballs.
Dang Le Nguyen Vu, whose Trung Nguyen Group owns 55 cafes in Vietnam, said he welcomes Starbucks and doesn't view the American newcomer as a threat.
“I could imagine Starbucks opening up to a hundred cafes at most in Vietnam in the next 10 years,” Vu said. “But will people in a country with such a low GDP per capita, and a different taste in coffee, really accept Starbucks?”
— The Associated Press
- Mother thanks police for saving her 8-year-old son from rushing waters in Santa Ana River
- 4 hurt in road-rage brawl in Huntington Beach, police say
- Two novice surfers saved in stormy surf, leashes wrapped on pier pilings
- Senior Trump appointee fired after critical comments
- Man dies in multi-car crash on 55 freeway in Tustin; another crash, injuries follow


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Let’s get one thing straight. Sustainability needs to be ingrained into business strategy. Marketers can’t start telling sustainability stories to consumers if their brands don’t have any stories to tell about sustainable products, actions or initiatives.
But when 88% of consumers think that companies are an essential part of the solution to climate change, the pressure is on for brands to get their story straight. So, what is the role of marketers in all of this? What can the marketing community do to have an influence and lead their brands and audiences in the right direction?
Last week, we went to the Financial Times Climate Capital Council’s event, Climate Change and Changing Consumer Behaviour: How Companies Should Respond, to get the bigger picture from some of the leading minds in sustainable business. Here are some of the most important thoughts on sustainability in business right now, set out specifically for marketing leaders.
Cracking the say/do code
Citing a recent survey by American Express, Emiliya Mychasuk (Climate Editor at the Financial Times), told us that 87% of people in the UK wish that companies would make it easier to reduce their carbon footprint. Real behaviour change is blocked by cost and convenience barriers. How does this become a marketer’s problem?
Sue Garrard, Chair of Blueprint for Better Business and sustainability strategy advisor reckoned that a lot of brands tend to “misread the big gap between what consumers say and what they do.” Now, there’s a challenge for marketers.
“For decades, consumers have said they care and that they’d buy different, more responsible products”, she added, but their actions aren’t adding up. “When you decode it, consumers are being very honest about wanting to be part of the solution in their role as consumers and as citizens more widely, but very few brands have cracked the code.”
So, where do we go from here? Marketers have always had the tools to influence cultural change and encourage people to see and do things differently. They do it by telling stories that consumers want to be a part of. But too many marketers still don’t really know who they’re talking to. With data-led personas that paint a clear picture of the consumer, who they are, and how they behave, marketers can play their part in closing the sustainability say/do gap with the right relevant messages.
The foundation of a good relationship
Another barrier to increasing consumer confidence in sustainable products and ideas is a BIG one for brands: trust.
Ignacio Gavilan, Director of the Sustainability Consumer Goods Forum, put it plainly: “being a familiar brand no longer guarantees trust. In fact, big can now mean bad.” When it comes to sustainability storytelling, consumers don’t know who to trust. To combat this, Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director of Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations, called for higher industry standards for transparency when it comes to sustainability storytelling, so that consumers can more easily make sense of claims.
However, individual brands do have a role to play here, too. As Ignacio pointed out, two thirds of shoppers are now turning to the internet to find information about a product and the ethical, environmental and social background of the brand. “Consumer reviews, activist websites, and even random tweets are filling the information void left by companies,” he said. But with more transparency in their communications, he added that brands can build “a very vibrant connection with consumers. And transparency must always benefit consumers.”
But what does this mean in practice? Consumers aren’t interested in long CSR reports. It’s about presenting data and information in accessible and relevant ways along the customer decision journey. For example, citing a GlobeScan survey, Sue mentioned that around 68% of consumers want to see carbon labelling on products.
A great example of this emerged when one of our clients, adidas, collaborated with a competitor, Allbirds, to create a shoe clearly labelled with the cost of just 2.94kg CO2 per pair – a great way to differentiate their offering while helping consumers to make a positive and informed purchase.
Reduce, re-use, but don’t react
Sue had clear guidance for any leader still buying into the “false binary construct” that sustainable products and processes are an expensive investment: “the job of leadership in any company is to deliver today, but also to plan for the new economy. And my advice is always to look at that true cost, and then convert some of it into investment and get ahead of the game.” Or, as Lorraine put it, “it might be cheaper in the very short term to not do anything, but actually, it very quickly becomes much more expensive.”
For marketing teams to get ahead of the game, leaders need to invest in long-term sustainability marketing capabilities. And as Ignacio explained, sustainability strategies require a whole “new skillset and a new understanding of the business.”
To get there, Sue put forward that “a lot of enlightened companies are building the muscle internally.” Leaders need to understand how their teams can make the best decisions based on sustainability, and build those capabilities to keep innovating through ever-changing times. “You try and fail quite a lot when you make any major change in a company,” Sue added. Change should be an investment, not a cost. So, brands have to start experimenting, learning, and unlocking any resistance to change now, before more government policies, incentives and penalties (hopefully) come in.
It’s everybody’s plan
Marketers need to have the knowledge and confidence to talk about sustainability. Without the opportunities to learn about or be actively involved in the brand’s sustainability strategy, marketers are being set up to greenwash and spread misinformation. When sustainability strategy and metrics for success are woven directly into the business model, everybody in the community “can see their point of connection just as they can to any other business plan,” as Sue pointed out.
Speaking of the business community, if there was ever a good time to diversify your teams and create spaces for collaboration across them, it’s while planning and executing your sustainability strategy.
Reflecting on the Youth Council initiative that was introduced towards the end of her time at Unilever, Sue stressed the importance of listening to a wider range of voices, across levels of seniority, when innovating and updating a sustainability strategy. “A lot of solutions sit in the business, no matter how big or small you are,” she said. “If you genuinely empower people to be part of the solution, then you get magic.”
DEI is crucial for sustainability capability, not only because we need diverse voices as we innovate for a more sustainable future, but because marginalised identities are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change.
Seize the opportunity
Securing a sustainable future is everyone’s problem. It’s up to investors to demand more future-proof business models before investing any capital; it’s up to governments to give more consistent signals that encourage the right kinds of competitivity across industries; it’s up to consumers to drive demand, and it’s up to marketers to translate the consumer’s voice into strategy and convert that demand into real action.
Silence is no longer a safe option for brands. In fact, as Ignacio offered, silence actually raises suspicion, damages trust, and “is clearly a sign that you have something to hide.” Sustainability might be everyone’s problem, but it’s also your opportunity to make a real difference while driving brand growth and energising your teams with an authentic sense of purpose.
Let’s get your sustainability story straight for your consumers. Get in touch to start building your brand’s sustainability marketing capability.


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Panasonic: 3D Blu-ray Trending Upward8 Mar, 2011 By: Chris Tribbey
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — The differences between the 2010 and 2011 slate of Panasonic Blu-ray Disc players is telling: The initial Panasonic line-up saw three regular Blu-ray players, and one that did 3D.
2011 is just the opposite: The DMP-BDT310, DMP-BDT210 and DMP-BDT110 are all 3D, while Panasonic’s DMP-BD75 is the lone non-3D Blu-ray player out in market from the company.
The reason, according to Troy Livingston, entertainment group product manager for Panasonic Consumer Electronics, is simple: By the end of 2011, 3D Blu-ray players will represent more than a quarter of all Blu-ray players in the U.S. market. And it’s a trend Panasonic sees continuing.
“Especially with all the focus on 3D content, consumers are really going to start adopting [3D] at a much higher rate,” he said March 8 during a preview of Panasonic’s Blu-ray and home audio hardware.
The new 3D players feature a slicker, more PC-like menu, a 3D effect controller, 2D-to-3D conversion for non-3D content (as well as the ability to slightly alter that content for depth and Skype video call capability). The DMP-BDT310 and DMP-BDT210 also have built-in WiFi and touch-free opening and closing.
The players also feature Netflix, Amazon VOD, CinemaNow, Vudu, YouTube, Twitter, Pandora, Picassa and Bloomberg.
The company expects to show off its HDTV and 3DTV line-up in April.


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Tesla plans to design and assemble new car models in Shanghai and Berlin, giving the offshore operational centres outside its Palo Alto, California head office more clout to offer electric cars that track more closely to local consumer preferences.
Chief executive Elon Musk confirmed in a response to a tweet about the factories that Tesla was preparing to build two new and differing car models at the facilities. “Both will do original cars,” he said on Monday.
The statement portends heated competition in China, the world’s biggest new-energy vehicle market, after a number of Chinese rival producers shored up their capital through stock offerings to fund new model development and expand production lines to catch up with the global leader. Europe, with a strong consumer preference for energy efficient vehicles, is also a key market for Tesla.
Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China.
Tesla rolled out Model 3 sedans in January from its US$2 billion Gigafactory 3 facility in Lingang outside Shanghai. In the short span of time, the locally built model has become a top-selling car in the mainland market by outselling its nearest rival BYD by three to one.
The California-based carmaker cut the price of Model 3 in April with a standard-range battery pack to 271,550 yuan (US$39,817) after subsidies, from 299,050 yuan. The cut fuelled demand from wealthy Chinese fans with a penchant for luxurious cars to boost their social status.
They helped propel the delivery of Model 3 to 14,954 units, giving Tesla a 23 per cent share of the pure electric car segment, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). BYD, one of the oldest producers based in Shenzhen, came a distant second, with the sale of 4,106 units of Qin EV3 model.
China auto show to provide much-needed boost for industry slowly recovering from coronavirus pandemic
Yale Zhang, managing director of industry researcher Automotive Foresight, said local brands would need to slash their cars’ prices before taking on Tesla. As the most established NEV brand worldwide with the most mature technology, it enjoys stronger consumer awareness, he added.
At present, Model 3 is the only Tesla model that is assembled at the Gigafactory 3 and sold on the mainland. Tesla has started making Model Y test vehicles there, which is expected to be delivered to local customers from early next year.
Automotive industry officials are also hoping the US electric vehicle maker to create a local supply chain on the mainland to cut production costs in the industry.
Chinese rivals including Nio, Xpeng and Li Auto are offering models with longer driving ranges and sophisticated electronic gadgetry to compete against Model 3, but they have yet to mount a real challenge to the US rival.
Xpeng’s P7 sedan sells at 229,900 yuan and Li Auto’s Li One SUV sports a price tag of 328,000 yuan. Nio’s ES6 sports-utility vehicle starts at 343,600 yuan after subsidies.
More from South China Morning Post:
- China’s EV makers pour billions of dollars into research, output and marketing to catch up with Tesla on their home turf
- Tesla to start shipping China-made Model 3s to Asian markets in push back to Trump’s plan to win back manufacturing jobs
- Tesla’s made-in-China Model Y launch imminent after resounding success of Model 3 among mainland buyers
- Investors question rally in stocks of Tesla’s Chinese electric vehicle rivals


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Severn Trent Water is facing a £35.8m fine for deliberately providing false data to industry regulator Ofwat and poor customer service. The amount is equal to three per cent of the company’s turnover.
Ofwat proposes that Severn Trent Water misreported some of its customer service data to hide its true performance in 2005. It believes this damaged ability to regulate the water sector effectively and protect customers.
Shareholders will bear the entire cost of the proposed penalty. The fine breakdown includes £34.7m, 2.9 per cent of turnover in 2006-7, for deliberately misreporting key customer service information. A further £1.1m, 0.1 per cent of turnover in 2005-2006, is for providing sub-standard services to customers and failing to meet guaranteed standards of service.
Ofwat chief executive Regina Finn said: ‘In a monopoly industry where the majority of customers have no choice of supplier, the only protection customers have is from the regulator.’
Severn Trent Water chief executive Tony Wray said: ‘We fully acknowledge and accept that the company is responsible for its failures. Now that we have received the notices from Ofwat setting out the proposed level of penalties and the reasons for them, we will carefully consider them and will respond appropriately.’


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NZ cigarettes with estimated €9,700 retail value found in checked-in luggage
More than 18,000 contraband cigarettes have been seized by Revenue officers in Dublin Airport.
The NZ-branded cigarettes were discovered this afternoon in the checked-in luggage of a 42-year-old Estonian man.
Their retail value is estimated to be in the region of €9,700, representing a potential loss to the exchequer of around €7,700.
The man was arrested and brought before Dublin District Court this afternoon, where Judge Miriam Walsh remanded him in custody to Cloverhill prison until next Friday.
A Revenue spokesperson said: “The majority of people pay the right amount of tax and duty.
“If you know someone is evading tax or involved in smuggling, report it to Revenue.
“You can do this quickly, easily and confidentially using our secure online reporting form or by contacting our confidential free phone number 1800 295 295.”


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Researchers found shelling out for childminders, babysitters and food and drink through the week leaves a huge dent in the pockets of mums and dads up and down the country.
On top of that, petrol and attraction entrance fees means parents will have to find around £406.60 to keep the kids happy.
The study also found 51 per cent of parents 'panic' in the run up to the holidays over how to amuse their children, the poll of 2,400 mums and dads found.
Kevin Peake, marketing director at npower, said: ''Understandably parents worry about being able to afford school holidays - the summer holidays are the worst but even half terms are cause for concern.
''No-one would think that having two children home for just five extra days could be so costly, but when you take into consideration how expensive it is to entertain children with trips to the swimming pool, zoo, theme parks and friend's houses things soon add up.''
The study found parents who can't get time off work during half term, shell out £149.18 on child-minders or babysitters.
A further £72.36 will go on food and drinks for the kids and their visiting friends.
The study also showed generous parents will spend around £50 on days out with the children to places such as animal farms, leisure centres and zoos.
Eating out in restaurants and cafes will cost an extra £33.03 as parents treat the kids when out and about.
And a further £26.67 will go towards toys as parents give into pester power during half term and treat the kids when visiting attractions.
In addition, the average child between the age of five and 15 will be receiving an average of £22.91 pocket money to allow them to socialise with friends and go shopping.
Activity clubs or holiday clubs will cost a further £27.41.
Adults also estimate kids will spend up to four hours a day sitting down with a DVD, computer game or the TV.
Kevin Peake added: ''Our free electricity monitor is an easy way to see how much electricity you - or your children - are using, as you use it.
''You might be surprised to see that your dishwasher in fact uses more energy than the average games console - something not to let on to the kids when trying to get them to help out with the chores.''


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Table of Contents
Microsoft wants to buy Discord
According to an agency report, software giant Microsoft wants to strengthen its position with a billion-dollar purchase in the field of video games.
As reported by Bloomberg with reference to unnamed sources, Microsoft is currently in negotiations to acquire the video game chat platform Discord for over 10 billion US dollars. However, according to Bloomberg, one of the alleged sources said Discord would prefer an IPO rather than selling its platform. Discord has also been in talks with Epic Games and Amazon in the past, according to other sources.
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In the process, Microsoft’s NASDAQ-listed shares gained 0.67 per cent today to US$237.58.
After last year’s slump, Porsche Automobil Holding SE is again focusing on increasing profits. The family holding company, which is listed on the MDAX, announced that group profit after tax is expected to be between 2.6 and 4.1 billion euro this year. Last year, it had slumped to 2.6 from 4.4 billion euros, as the Piech and Porsche families’ holding company had already announced in February.
The consolidated result of Porsche Holding depends to a large extent on the development at VW. The Wolfsburg-based group expects a significant upturn in business in the current year, with both deliveries and sales expected to increase. The margin in the passenger car business should also increase.
Last year, the Wolfsburg-based company’s sales dropped noticeably, and VW also earned significantly less in operating terms. After taxes, Volkswagen AG earned 8.8 billion euros after 14 billion in the previous year. For Porsche, this meant an at-equity result from the investment in Volkswagen of 2.7 billion euro. Earnings per ordinary share of Porsche amounted to 8.56 euro, per preference share to 8.57 euro.
Porsche SE reported net liquidity of 563 million euro at the end of 2020, compared to 553 million euro in the previous year. At the end of 2021, it is expected to be between 0.4 and 0.9 billion euro.
As already announced, Porsche shareholders are to receive a stable dividend of 2.21 per preference share and 2.204 euro per ordinary share. A total of 676 million euro is again to be distributed. Porsche shares lost 7.04 per cent in XETRA trading, closing at 87.42 euro.
Millions for a digital copy of the first tweet
A digital copy of the very first tweet has been auctioned off for a good 2.9 million dollars. The highest bidder, a software entrepreneur from Malaysia, only bought a kind of electronic certificate of authenticity. Twitter co-founder and current company CEO Jack Dorsey, who auctioned off the tweet copy, donated the exact 2,915,835.47 US dollars on Monday to an organisation supporting poor people in Africa.
Dorsey wrote, “just setting up my twttr” on 21 March 2006, which was the platform’s original name. It is the oldest message available on Twitter.
The Twitter boss sold the copy as a so-called NFT (non-fungible token), whose authenticity is secured with the blockchain data chain of the cryptocurrency Etherium. A blockchain is a form of database that stores all transactions with a digital item and is distributed on a ledger across many computers on the network, making it tamper-proof. The highest bidder, Sina Estavi, runs Bridge Oracle, which is in the blockchain business.
NFTs are experiencing a boom right now: for example, a copy of a collage by the digital artist Beeple was recently auctioned off for a good 69.3 million US dollars. This is a record for digital art. Here, too, the buyer only acquired a digital certificate of authenticity – anyone can own an identical copy of the artwork.
In NYSE trading, Twitter shares rose slightly by 0.15 per cent to 65.31 dollars.
Geely with a profit slump
The Chinese carmaker Geely suffered a severe drop in profits last year as a result of the Corona pandemic. The company, which owns Swedish carmaker Volvo and whose owner Li Shufu is Daimler’s largest single shareholder, reported a third lower bottom-line profit of 5.5 billion renminbi (709 million euros). The company announced this in Hangzhou and Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Shares fell a good 7 per cent on the Hong Kong stock exchange; analysts had expected a less sharp drop in profits. Geely’s revenue was down 5 per cent to 92.1 billion renminbi, and sales fell 3 per cent to 1.3 million vehicles.
Geely is also apparently having problems with its planned listing on Shanghai’s StarBoard technology exchange. Bloomberg news agency reported that China’s stock market authorities questioned whether the company was sufficiently high-tech for such a listing, citing people familiar with the matter. Until now, Geely has been listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Geely is China’s leading manufacturer of cars under a local brand. The market leader in the country is Volkswagen. Actually, according to the report, Geely had already received permission for the listing in September, which could bring a higher valuation than a listing on the Shanghai main stock exchange. The Chinese stock exchange regulator is currently examining more rigid rules for first-time share sales on the tech exchange segment StarBoard anyway.
In Hong Kong, Geely shares ultimately fell 6.63 per cent to 22.55 Hong Kong dollars.
Steff has been actively researching the financial services, trading and Forex industries for several years.
While putting numerous brokers and providers to the test, he understood that the markets and offers can be very different, complex and often confusing. This lead him to do exhaustive research and provide the best information for the average Joe trader.


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Soldiers detained about 50 men trying to break into the Egyptian Museum in a fresh attempt to loot archaeological treasures, the military said Monday. Snipers were stationed on the roof of the building, and dozens of troops patrolled the grounds of the famed antiquities museum.
More in News
It's not unusual for Lindsey and Alan McIver's children to get up before them.
The expression "double-edged sword" has often been used to describe Colorado's 2018 fire season whenever storm clouds approach.
Scattered severe storms could bring large hail, wind gusts up to 60 mph, brief heavy rain and frequent lightning strikes Tuesday in the Denver metro area, forecasters say.
The 16th Street Mall store won't be just any Target. At 30,000 square feet, it's less than quarter the size of the retailer's average store. It will feature a curated collection of goods designed to appeal to downtown shoppers.


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Reliable Paper Inc. Press releases
Jan 14, 2015
In an effort to give thanks and show their Christmas spirit, Reliable Paper has granted a Christmas Wish to the Torbet family of Acworth GA as part of 104.7 The Fish’s Christmas Wish.
Sep 10, 2014
Reliable Paper will sponsor the University of Georgia’s Flagline to show their support for the Bulldogs.
Apr 30, 2009
Reliable Paper Inc offers an extensive line of disinfectants, spray and wipes that will HELP alleviate the Spread of Swine Flu!


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Cordial receives highest score possible in campaign orchestration criterion in new report
2 Minute Read
Cordial recognized among most significant email marketing service vendors.
Today we’re announcing our placement as a Strong Performer in Forrester Research’s “The Forrester Wave™: Email Marketing Service Providers, Q1 2022” report. Cordial was evaluated against 24 criteria in three high-level categories: Current Offering, Strategy, and Market Presence.
Cordial received the highest possible scores in the evaluation in the criteria across product vision, content management, campaign orchestration, dynamic content, and data integration. According to the report, “This vendor’s passionate claim – ‘We build technology to help brands send a better message’ – aligns authentically with its culture and values.” We offer an innovative approach to assisting marketers with personalization and creativity, saving time, and utilizing customer data to its fullest potential in real-time.
“All B2C marketers want to better their customer engagement strategies,” said Chief Operating Officer at Cordial, Benjamin Dorr. “First-party data is critical to growing lifetime value through ongoing communication and relationship-building. Our platform helps brands truly personalize their marketing at scale, in real-time, and across channels, and we are pleased to see, in our opinion, the results of our efforts rewarded in this report.”
The report cites, “Cordial’s culture and current offering are its strongest assets,” and, “Retailers that want a fresh approach to real-time triggers or event-based messaging will like Cordial on their vendor shortlist.” We believe this further indicates its strength as a leader in email marketing and the valuable services it offers.


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Workers gathered outside the premises yesterday, hoping they would get answers about outstanding payments.
Quality controller and single parent Cheryl Abrahams said she was worried about not being able to support her family.
“We don’t have money. A lot of us are single parents. One of our colleagues is in hospital because of this.”
Abrahams said she still hasn’t received her provident fund money either.
“I could have done something with this R6 500. What must we do? We are the people who are suffering. I was crying last week when I went home and it sunk in that I had a salary at the end of the week, and now I have nothing.”
Machinist and shop steward Linda Evans said: “Are we going to get paid from now up until April 18 when the liquidation starts? We are sitting at home without any money. We can’t look for work because we don’t have any papers, any cards, nothing!”
She added that there is still a four-year government tender that they were working on, “which means there is work”.
Sumayah Kleinsmidt has been working with Kishugu for 29 years and said when they announced the liquidation, R50 was provided to everyone to travel back home.
“We feel they misled us.”
Read also: Clothing workers win 8.5% salary hike
Rob Winter, interim representative of the Kishugu managing director, said the business rescue practitioner Jurgens Steenkamp made the call to liquidate the business.
Mandi Dicks, who resigned as a director from Kishugu in February, said there is still a tender at the company.
“You can’t just take a tender somewhere else, now these people are all unemployed.”
Trevor Abrahams, director of Kishugu, holdings said he is mindful of the workers’ distress:
“We deeply regret that the current trading conditions and management of the company has resulted in Kishugu clothing to file for liquidation.”
A researcher for SACTWU, Simon Eppel, said the economy was not only to blame: “The fault is not entirely external: the way in which companies deal with this context of stress also provides some insight into the capability of factory management”
“The union is keen to pursue a couple of options to ensure jobs are saved,” Eppel said.
CORRECTION: In our report on Tuesday (“Jobs hang in balance for clothing factory workers”) we incorrectly stated that the company Kishugu is facing liquidation. It is in fact Kishugu Clothing which is facing liquidation, and not Kishugu. Kishugu is a 50% shareholder in Kishugu Clothing. We regret the error.


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Windows Insiders give thanks for latest release... Hang on. Where's the 64-bit Intel on Arm stuffing?
Also: Edge to take to the M1, and TypeScript 4.1 is here
In Brief Microsoft's army of unpaid Windows Insider testers can look forward to a Windows 10 turkey without that crucial bit of juicy 64-bit Intel on Arm stuffing.
After a number of test builds less exciting than lukewarm custard, Dev Channel testers were expecting great things from Redmond to round out November. After all, chief product officer Panos Panay said there would be 64-bit treats for the faithful, right?
Alas, barring a final, unscheduled push, the 64-bit Intel emulation for Windows on Arm promised for the Dev Channel build of Windows 10 is unlikely to appear this side of December. The Windows Insider team appears to be shutting up shop in light of the US holiday of Thanksgiving.
Hello #WindowsInsiders, we wanted to give a heads up that due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, there will not be a Dev Channel flight next week. Stay safe! ^AL— Windows Insider (@windowsinsider) November 20, 2020
The most recent emission to the Dev Channel was build 20262, which was sadly bereft of features (even those that had been snatched away with the move to the FE_RELEASE development branch) in favour of less than a dozen fixes and the usual parade of known issues.
One might have hoped for a bigger bang to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Windows 1.0, but the big day itself saw just an update to test the servicing pipeline. One of Microsoft's Windows Insider bigwigs, Brandon LeBlanc, noted: "This update does not include anything new."
Just like the rest of them, it seems.
Still, we remain hopeful that the Windows team will relent and offer up 64-bit Intel emulation to loyal insiders running Arm-based hardware. We'd hate to start making comparisons between Windows on Arm and a Thanksgiving Turkey.
That's what the Surface Duo is for.
Got a new Apple M1 Mac? What's the one app you can't do without? Edge!
Windows on Arm may not seem to be at the forefront of Microsoft's corporate mind, but Apple's take on the hardware has attracted the attention of Redmond's finest with M1 support for Microsoft's Chromium-based browser "in the works."
A native version of Edge would join Office 2019 for Mac (recently emitted for Insider users) in Apple's Arm-based future. It took Microsoft quite some time to bring its new browser to its own Arm-based hardware. M1 fans, however, may have a considerably shorter wait. After all, a Chrome port is already doing the rounds.
Last week also saw the rolling out of features to the Canary and Dev Channels of Edge enabling the synchronising of history and tabs over multiple devices, including those running Linux and the General Availability of WebView2 for .NET.
The latter replaces the original EdgeHTML-based control with something a little more Chromium and is for anyone looking to embed web content in their applications. Declared fit for production back in October, the GA release adds support for .NET 5, .NET Core and .NET Framework Windows Forms and WPF applications running atop versions of Windows going back to 7.
The promised fixed distribution mode has also been made available for those who would prefer it if components they had carefully tested against did not update themselves at the whim of Microsoft.
TypeScript 4.1 takes a bow
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Riding high on Microsoft 365, AvePoint announces merger
As Microsoft has seen the uptake of its Teams platform soar as workers adapted to a life in sweatpants and t-shirts rather than shirts and ties, other companies have clung to its coat-tails and seen revenues rise too.
One example is Microsoft 365 specialist, AvePoint, which today confirmed merger with special purpose acquisition company Apex Technology Acquisition Corporation. While things had been ticking over nicely prior to the current pandemic, "the impact of COVID-19 and the growth of Microsoft’s cloud solutions, including Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, have accelerated demand for our product," said AvePoint CEO Dr Tianyi Jian.
The deal, which the pair claimed puts an equity value of approximately $2bn on the combined company, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. The new company will be called AvePoint, but will add former Oracle CFO (and Apex leader) Jeff Epstein to its board.
The company will also benefit from $140m from private investors and the $352m held in Apex's trust account (as of 30 September.), so expect lots of purchaes over the next few years. ®


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TOKYO — In the US, everyone seems to be speaking about inflation. The nation’s reopening from the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed pent-up demand for every part from uncooked supplies like lumber to secondhand items like used vehicles, pushing up costs on the quickest clip in over a decade.
Japan, nonetheless, is having the alternative drawback. Shoppers are paying much less for a lot of items, from Uniqlo parkas to steaming-hot bowls of ramen. Whereas in the US common costs have jumped by 5.4 % previously yr, the Japanese economic system has confronted deflationary stress, with costs dipping by 0.1 % in Might from the earlier yr.
To some extent, the scenario in Japan will be defined by its continued struggles with the coronavirus, which have stored customers at residence. However deeper forces are additionally at play. Earlier than the pandemic, costs outdoors the unstable vitality and meals sectors had barely budged for years, as Japan by no means got here near assembly its longtime purpose of two % inflation.
It wasn’t for lack of attempting. Over practically a decade, Japanese policymakers have wielded practically each trick within the economist’s playbook in an effort to coax costs increased. They’ve juiced the economic system with low-cost cash, spent enormous sums on fiscal stimulus like public works, and lowered rates of interest to ranges that made borrowing practically free.
However as Japan has discovered the exhausting method, low inflation will be an financial quagmire. And that have carries a warning for the US if its present bout of inflation eases, as many economists anticipate, and its economic system falls again into the cycle of weak inflation that preceded the pandemic.
“Most economists, me included, are fairly assured that the Fed is aware of how one can carry inflation down,” together with by elevating rates of interest, stated Joshua Hausman, an affiliate professor of public coverage and economics on the College of Michigan who has studied Japan’s economic system.
Nonetheless, “it’s a lot much less clear, partly due to Japan’s expertise, that we’re superb at bringing inflation up,” he added.
For shoppers, falling costs sound like a very good factor. However from the attitude of most economists, they’re an issue.
Inflation, they wish to say, greases the economic system’s gears. In small quantities, it will increase company earnings and wages, stimulating development. It may well additionally scale back the burden of debt, bringing down the relative prices of faculty loans and mortgages.
Japan’s incapacity to carry inflation is “one of many greatest unsolved challenges within the occupation,” stated Mark Gertler, a professor of economics at New York College who has studied the difficulty.
One common clarification for the nation’s bother is that buyers’ expectations of low costs have turn into so entrenched that it’s mainly not possible for firms to boost costs. Economists additionally level to weakening demand brought on by Japan’s growing old inhabitants, in addition to globalization, with low-cost, plentiful labor successfully retaining prices low for shoppers in developed international locations.
The image as soon as seemed very totally different. Within the mid-Seventies, Japan had among the highest inflation charges on the planet, approaching 25 %.
It wasn’t alone. Runaway costs set off by the Seventies oil disaster outlined the period, together with for a complete era of economists who have been groomed to consider that the almost definitely menace to monetary stability was fast inflation and that rates of interest have been the very best device to fight it.
However by the early Nineties, Japan started experiencing a special difficulty. An financial bubble, fueled by a hovering inventory market and rampant property hypothesis, burst. Costs started to fall.
Japan attacked the issue with progressive insurance policies, together with utilizing detrimental rates of interest to encourage spending and injecting cash into the economic system via large-scale asset purchases, a coverage often known as quantitative easing.
It appeared to do little good. Nonetheless, economists on the time noticed Japan’s expertise not as a warning to the world, however as an anomaly produced by dangerous coverage decisions and cultural quirks.
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That started to vary with the monetary disaster of 2008, when inflation charges world wide plummeted and different central banks adopted quantitative easing.
The issue has been most notable in Europe, the place inflation has averaged 1.2 % since 2009, financial development has been weak and a few rates of interest have been detrimental for years. Throughout the identical interval, U.S. inflation averaged just under 2 %. The Federal Reserve has stored its fundamental rate of interest at near zero since March 2020.
Some outstanding economists considered the low inflation as an indication that the U.S. and E.U. economies is perhaps getting ready to so-called secular stagnation, a situation marked by low inflation, low rates of interest and sluggish development.
They’ve anxious that these developments will deepen as each economies start to grey, doubtlessly lowering demand and pushing up financial savings charges.
In 2013, below newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan started its most formidable effort to sort out its weak financial development and low inflation.
The federal government launched into a grand experiment of big financial and financial stimulus, shopping for monumental portions of equities and reducing rates of interest in hopes of encouraging borrowing and placing extra money into the economic system. As the availability of money elevated, the pondering went, its relative worth would decline, successfully driving up costs. Flush with cash, shoppers and corporations alike would spend extra. Voilà, inflation.
To encourage spending, Japan adopted a coverage, often known as ahead steering, geared toward convincing those who costs would go up because it pledged to do every part in its energy to realize its inflation goal of two %.
However the authorities’s efforts at persuasion fell quick, so there was little urgency to spend, stated Hiroshi Nakaso, a former deputy governor of the Financial institution of Japan and head of the Daiwa Institute of Analysis.
Japan discovered itself in a vicious circle, stated Takatoshi Ito, a professor of worldwide and public affairs at Columbia College, who served on Japan’s Council on Financial and Fiscal Coverage.
Shoppers got here to anticipate “steady costs and nil inflation,” he stated, including that consequently, “firms are afraid of elevating costs, as a result of that will appeal to consideration, and shoppers might revolt.”
The sluggish economic system made firms reluctant to boost wages, he stated, “and since actual wages didn’t go up, most likely consumption didn’t go up. So there was no enhance for demand for services.”
As inflation hardly moved, some economists puzzled if Japan’s stimulus had been too conservative, even because it racked up one of many world’s largest debt burdens.
Policymakers, citing a have to repay the nation’s money owed and meet the rising prices of caring for an growing old inhabitants, hedged towards the spending by twice elevating the nation’s consumption tax, apparently weakening demand.
Ultimately, Mr. Abe’s experiment, often known as Abenomics, might not have been as profitable as hoped. But it surely has knowledgeable policymakers’ response to the pandemic, stated Gene Park, a professor of political science at Loyola Marymount College in Los Angeles who research Japan’s financial coverage.
One takeaway, he stated, is that governments may spend greater than they’d ever thought attainable with out setting off a fast rise in inflation. One other is that they may must spend significantly greater than they’d as soon as thought of essential to stimulate development.
Japan “has given the U.S. extra freedom to experiment with bolder measures,” Mr. Park stated.
In the course of the pandemic, Japan, too, has tried to use the teachings discovered since 2013.
The federal government has paid outlets and eating places to remain closed, handed out money to each individual within the nation, and financed zero-interest loans for struggling companies.
Costs fell anyway. That was partly on the behest of the federal government itself, which lately pressured telecom firms to decrease cell phone charges it deemed too excessive. Most Japanese shoppers are additionally nonetheless ready to be vaccinated towards the coronavirus, holding again financial exercise.
Even after the pandemic wanes, nonetheless, Japan’s inflation charges are prone to keep low, stated Sayuri Shirai, an economics professor at Keio College in Tokyo and a former board member of the Financial institution of Japan.
In spite of everything, the first drawback stays unchanged: Nobody is actually certain why costs have stagnated.
“The central financial institution most likely doesn’t wish to say that they can’t management inflation,” Ms. Shirai stated. “Subsequently, this difficulty has simply been left with no clear dialogue.”


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IBM boosts dividend 18%, extends share buyback
IBM Corp is increasing its dividend payout by 18 per cent and buying back more of its stock - two moves designed to boost the company's share price.
The technology company said Tuesday at its annual shareholders meeting, held this year in Milwaukee, that it is raising the quarterly dividend payout to 65 US cents per share. It had been 55 US cents a share for the past four quarters.
IBM has developed a habit of announcing dividend increases at its shareholder meetings. The per-share payout has more than tripled since 2006.
IBM also said its board has authorised US$8 billion for buying back its stock. The company now has US$10 billion available for that purpose.
IBM shares rose 36 cents to US$131.09 in morning trading.
IBM's decision to return more cash to its shareholders provides another sign of confidence from the technology sector as it rebounds from the recession. Last week IBM increased its profit forecast for 2010.
Other positive signs have come this month from tech bellwethers such as Intel Corp, which reported a 44 per cent jump in revenue for the first quarter.


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Apple’s next-gen iPhones, set to arrive in 2020, will reportedly include new 3D cameras for improved AR. Bloomberg is reporting that the company is working on longer-range 3D cameras for the back of the high-end iPhone devices that are set to arrive in 2020.
The new laser-powered 3D cameras will allow for more detail, allowing the iPhone to create a 3D version of the real world, resulting in better and more immersive AR experiences. The new 3D cameras, which work up to about 15 meters from the device, and improved AR functionalities on the 2020 iPhone will be an early look at Apple’s plans for the company’s much-awaited AR headsets.
The new 3D cameras will also allow for improvements to regular camera-features, allowing for increased depth, perception and placement of virtual objects that could seriously improve the iPhone’s Portrait Mode. The new camera could debut first on the company’s upcoming iPad Pro, expected to arrive sometime in Spring 2020.
For 2019, Apple is introducing a third camera for the high-end iPhone. The additional camera will result in a larger field of view and a wider range of zoom in pictures, and it could also introduce software-powered features like the ability to automatically repair a subject on videos or photos that may have been accidentally cut off. The new phones will also double the length of Live Photos from three seconds to six seconds. It will also include new Face ID sensors.
Apple’s plans for the 2020 iPhones also include 5G support, though the company is likely going to tweak a lot of its plans before anything is finalised. For now, though, our focus should be on the 2019 iPhone — and apart from the new camera upgrades, there won’t be a lot of new things on the new devices. And yes, it will retain a similar design to 2018’s iPhone Xs and the original iPhone X.


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You might just be seeing a new version of Google Maps in your Play Store downloads today - Google has updated the app from version 7.3 to 7.4. There's not a whole lot of new stuff going on inside, certainly not compared to the cavalcade of UI changes that happened earlier this year. A few tuned gestures, a few refreshed UI elements, and that's about it. APK downloads below.
If you're a regular Maps user, you'll notice that the one-finger zoom gestures have been reversed.


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Google has rolled out Google+ Local which is the new Google Places. Local business owners will now see new interface for their Google Places Page.
Google announced the release of Google+ Local and with the business places page gets a local plus page.
The Google+ users can see "Local" tab in their +page.
What are New ?
1. Google Places Page has a Google Plus Page.
2. +Google users have the "local" tab, and hence the business reaches to more +Google users.
3. +Google users can review your local business.
4. Integrated Zagat Reviews. More about Google+ Local Reviews: https://support.google.com/local/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1723748&p=zagat_score


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Stay informed. Read up on Plantine’s most recent product developments and latest news, as well as the most important updates from the wider CBD and Hemp industry.
https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/What-is-HempCAP-CBD-powder.jpg 624 1000 admin https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/logo.png admin2019-08-17 08:14:422019-10-21 10:40:43What is HempCAP™?
So, what is HempCAP? It’s a truly industry-leading, highly bioavailable, health-beneficial, cannabinoid-rich powder and natural protein source, fit for human consumption.
https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/blog-img-1.png 380 580 admin https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/logo.png admin2019-04-21 10:12:382019-10-21 10:42:36Meet us at Vitafoods 2019 Europe!
Plantine will be attending Vitafoods Europe at the Palexpo in…
https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/your-formulation-bg.jpg 833 1599 admin https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/logo.png admin2018-05-04 06:41:442019-01-17 07:52:14EIHA Pre-review of CBD by WHO with favorable results
Researchers, producers and consumers advocating for the commercialization of Cannabidiol (CBD) have crossed a second important hurdle as a preliminary evaluation of the substance by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva in November 2017 produced positive findings.
https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/blog-img3.png 309 641 admin https://www.plantine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/logo.png admin2018-05-04 06:11:112018-11-13 21:12:32U.S. 2018 Farm Bill that would free hemp still not sure to be voted on by the Senate
The new U.S. 2018 Farm Bill that would free states to guide hemp programs – allowing them to expand – is reportedly “fast-tracked,” but proponents still can’t say if the measure will get consideration by the USA’s upper congressional body any time soon.


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During July 2016, the containership fleet reached a landmark 20 million TEU in terms of aggregate capacity, says Clarksons Research.
To many it only seems
The Dutch shipping company family Switijnk has contracted C-Job Naval Architects to develop a Rotor Sail-equipped design to meet their specific loading and sailing profile.
Chinese shipbuilder Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd said it plans to cut 2,000 additional jobs, just under 10 percent of its current workforce, stepping up
Conrad Shipyard was established in 1948 and is headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana. The company designs, builds and overhauls tugboats, ferries,
TPG Marine Enterprises, LLC is an operations, logistics and consulting company that specializes in all aspects of cargo movement on the Inland Waterways System.
Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the re-gasification system for an FSRU (Floating, Storage, Re-gasification Unit) conversion project that Höegh LNG plans to carry out on a modern LNG vessel.


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In true Valve fashion, Gaben & Co. have just launched the long-awaited Source 2 engine… as part of the new Dota 2 Workshop Tools. Oddly, Valve isn’t confirming that this is actually Source 2 — but the Steam and Dota 2 communities are confident that this is it. You can also run an alpha version of Dota 2 in the new Source 2 engine, making it unofficially the first Source 2 game. Officially, we hope that Valve is still holding out for Half-Life 3 as the first real Source 2 game — the math checks out: Source 1 + Source 2 = Half-Life 3. Read on for our early impressions of the Source 2 engine, and how to try it out yourself.
Later this year, L4D2 will be released for Linux — but more importantly, Gabe Newell has indicated that Windows 8 is awful and that Linux might be the future of desktop gaming.
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South Sudan and Rwanda have signed an agreement that aims at ensuring product standardisation, quality assurance and product testing for the next three years.
The agreement was signed last week, in Kigali, between the Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) and the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS).
The goal is to provide a framework for exchanging scientific and technical knowledge to foster the harmonisation of accreditation, certification and import inspection procedures, among other things.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro, the Director General of RBS, said the bilateral ties will boost facilitation between Rwanda and South Sudan, remove technical barriers to trade and increase business opportunities for both countries.
“RBS is best placed to partner with SSNBS since both institutions are relatively young and have a common history. We have registered good progress in promoting trade, public safety through the promotion of quality standards and I believe that our counterparts from South Sudan can learn from us,” Dr. Cyubahiro said.
His SSNBS counterpart, Dr. Mary Gordon Mourtat, acknowledged that South Sudan seeks to align its market procedures with those of East Africa and believes that Rwanda can offer some lessons in fostering quality standards for South Sudanese imports and exports.
“We have learnt of the tremendous success registered by RBS over the past ten years in developing and enforcing standards and technology advances. We would like to see these standards adopted in the South Sudan market to improve the quality of products,” Mourtat said.
Meanwhile, Mark Priestly, the Country Director of Trademark East Africa (TMEA), a multi-donor body that supports EAC integration, said that although South Sudan is welcome to join EAC, it must first ensure that its economic structures are at par with those of the region.
“TMEA has opened up a bureau in South Sudan to show our commitment to help South Sudan join EAC. We are proud of the move made by the country’s bureau of standards because they will definitely learn a lot of East African procedures from Rwanda.”
Priestly believes that the Rwandan private sector is also set to benefit directly through increased import and export of quality products with South Sudan through this understanding.


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D – There are just a few days to go before HAPTICA® live ’15: On March 25, the theme of the day at the Palladium in D-Cologne is going to be haptic advertising.
- 110 exhibitors will be presenting new products and trend-led items.
- In the Best Practice Special Show, successful campaigns deliver inspiration for the audience’s own practice.
- The award-winning products of the Promotional Gift Award 2015 will be on display in a further exhibition, the award ceremony will additionally take place at the HAPTICA® live ‘15 at 4.30 p.m.
HAPTICA® live ‘15 opens its doors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 25, 2015. There is subsequently the opportunity to attend a networking event up until 9 p.m., drinks and finger food will be served. Participation is free of charge, however it is necessary to pre-register at:


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Burger King's proposed acquisition of Tim Hortons may offer big tax benefits but the real tax winner is likely to be its controlling shareholder.» Read More
NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. Constellation Brands Inc. class B: Approximately 1,900 shares changed hands, a 551.8 percent increase over its 65- day average volume. The shares fell$. 18 or. 2 percent to $86.96.
NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. Baytex Energy Corp.: Approximately 1,123,400 shares changed hands, a 555.3 percent increase over its 65- day average volume. The shares rose$. 79 or 1.8 percent to $43.97.
U.S. medical device maker Medtronic is building stronger ties to Europe, a couple months after announcing a $42.9 billion acquisition that involves moving its main executive offices across the Atlantic, where it can get a better tax deal.
WASHINGTON— Burger King plans to become is the latest U.S. company to shift its legal address out of the country by merging with a foreign company. Burger King has announced plans to buy Tim Hortons, the Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain.
So Buffett's participation in fast-food chain Burger King Worldwide Inc's purchase of coffee and doughnut chain Tim Hortons Inc- complete with relocation of Burger King's domicile to Canada- might at first blush raise questions about his patriotism.
NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest volume gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. American Strategic Income Portfolio: Approximately 43,000 shares changed hands, a 357.9 percent increase over its 65- day average volume. The shares fell$. 07 or. 7 percent to $10.25.
Burger King plans expansion of Tim Hortons. Burger King said Tuesday it will buy Tim Hortons in an $11 billion deal that would create the world's third largest fast-food chain.
NEW YORK— Stocks that moved substantially or traded heavily Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market:. Burger King Worldwide Inc., down $1.40 to $31. The burger chain confirmed it plans to buy doughnut seller Tim Hortons for $11 billion and will move its headquarters to Canada.
Stocks rose on Tuesday after a report had orders for durable goods jumping far more than expected in July.
Contrary to what many observers have speculated, Burger King won't be able to justify much of the Tim Hortons deal through tax advantages.
Here are key things Burger King needs to focus on to avoid a customer backlash over its proposed Tim Hortons merger, says brand expert Leeann Leahy.
NEW YORK— A look at New York Stock Exchange 10 most-active stocks at the close of trading:. Bank of America Corp. rose. 2 percent to $16.33 with 61,753,500 shares traded. Best Buy Co. fell 6.8 percent to $29.80 with 24,954,800 shares traded.
NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest percentage gainers on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. DSW Inc. rose 9.2 percent to $30.99. Mobileye NV rose 8.5 percent to $41.43.
Here's how you incentivize companies to do business in the US, not head to Canada like BK, says Michael Yoshikami.
Executive Chairman of the board of Burger King Worldwide addressed the debate over tax rates in the deal between Burger King and Tim Hortons.
A combined Burger King- Tim Hortons would rank a solid third in global sales at restaurants among fast-food companies:. Yum Brands' total includes sales at KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Totals are systemwide sales, including both company-owned and franchised restaurants.
Tim Hortons, Canada's favorite doughnut and coffee chain, could soon become a bigger international player.
TORONTO, Aug 26- Canada will evaluate Burger King Worldwide Inc's proposed C $12.64 billion bid for Tim Hortons Inc to determine whether it would provide a net benefit to the country, Finance Minister Joe Oliver said on Tuesday.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), discusses if Burger King's acquisition of Canada's Tim Hortons will draw scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers opposed to tax inversion deals.
The $11 billion merger of the burger joint and doughnut shop needs to be put in context, says CNBC's Jim Cramer.


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Shadowrun Returns lost goodwill with its fanbase when it went back on its Kickstarter promise of being DRM-free. However, after new negotiations with Microsoft, who have a significant stake in the Shadowrun franchise, developer Harebrained schemes has come to a new agreement.
They can now “release fully DRM-free versions of Shadowrun Returns and future expansions such as Berlin.”
Harebrained shared the news through a Kickstarter update:
“We just want to send out a quick update to share some good news. Thanks to a new agreement we were able to negotiate with our partners at Microsoft, Harebrained Schemes is pleased to announce that we are now able to release fully DRM-free versions of Shadowrun Returns and future expansions such as Berlin.
“The DRM-free versions of SRR and Berlin will continue to be fully supported. You’ll be able to download all game patches, use the Shadowrun Returns editor and experience user-generated content downloaded from third-party sites such as Nexus.”
As well as the news about a DRM-free release of the game, the team are trying to get their game up on the GOG store.
Development of Shadowrun Returns’ Berlin campaign continues but the real news of last month was the release of the Linux version of the base game. The new version of the game can be downloaded through Steam.


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Our Charity of the Year for 2019 is Friends of Castle Wood School.
We will be supporting the charity throughout the year at our events.
Friends of Castle Wood School is a charity that was established in […]
Shoppers are now able to get their hands on a new clothing brand just in time for Christmas!
Lower Precinct shopping centre has just welcomed outdoor clothing retailer Trespass to their ever growing retailer mix, and […]
Lower Precinct will be supporting Purple Tuesday, the UK’s accessible shopping day which takes place on Tuesday the 13th of November, 2018.
The nationwide initiative aims to make customer-facing businesses more aware of the opportunities and […]
Lower Precinct, Coventry gives a warm welcome to the newly opened store, Street UK – an affordable alternative lender to high cost providers of credit on a sustainable basis.
The new store is located on the […]
Lower Precinct, Coventry gives a warm welcome to the newly opened store, Merlins – a popular gifts and gadgets store.
The new store is located on the ground floor of the centre, within Sherbourne Arcade, selling […]


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China Denies Claims of Apple Ban From Government List
Apple’s iPad and MacBook computers aren’t excluded from the Chinese government’s procurement list, as Bloomberg News claimed on Wednesday, stated the country’s chief procurement centre, via Reuters Apple didn’t apply to be included on the list in the first place.
The Central Government Procurement Centre, the finance ministry and Apple itself refute earlier claims by Bloomberg News that 10 Apple products, including tablets and laptops — previously part of the procurement list — have been excluded due to security concerns.
In a statement sent to Reuters, the Chinese government can spend public money to purchase Apple products, even though they are not on the energy-saving list.
“Even though Apple has the certification for energy-saving products… it has never provided the necessary verification material and agreements according to the regulations,” said a Finance Ministry fax sent to Reuters on Thursday evening, a statement closely mirrored by the Central Government Procurement Centre in their own announcement on Friday.
This week, many of the products mentioned were available for purchase on the website, except for a short period late Thursday when sales were temporarily halted; though that had nothing to do with national security, merely a monthly price adjustment.
“Every month we have one price adjustment to make sure the prices are aligned with market prices,” said a person familiar with the procurement process, who attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding. “We’ll stop purchases and then restart after they’re aligned.”
What the speculation concerning Apple products reveals though, is the anxiety among foreign technology firms in China, amid what they may understand as an official campaign to curtail their expansion.


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Glebe Farm Foods has taken a swipe at Oatly with a video depicting co-owner Philip Rayner running over a keyboard in a field – a motif from the plant-based giant’s high-profile 2017 Super Bowl advert.
In it, Glebe has recreated one of Oatly’s first global campaigns, which saw CEO Toni Petersson singing the phrase “wow, wow, no cow” while playing a keyboard in a field of oats.
Using Oatly’s distinctive typeface to spell out “huh?” above the instrument, co-owner Philip Rayner is heard to say “I’ve just about heard enough of this nonsense” before running over the keyboard in his tractor.
With a similar keyboard soundtrack to the one used in Oatly’s original ad playing in the background, Rayner looks down from his cab for the crushed keyboard and says “whoopsie” before a carton of PureOaty is displayed.
Captioning the video, Glebe’s account wrote, “We ‘found’ this electric keyboard in the middle of an oat field. Who’d have thought? Apparently, it might have been left over from some marketing gimmick – think it’s how some of the big firms sell oat milk to the Americans perhaps…. Aaannnyway, wasn’t too much bother to deal with.”
In what appeared to be a semi-humorous response, Oatly creative director for the UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland Michael Lee appeared to threaten Glebe with further legal action.
“Ha ha Glebe Farms, good one! You’ll be hearing from our lawyers… Wait, did I say that last bit out loud?”
It is the latest development in what is becoming a growing rivalry between Glebe Farm and Oatly, which has extended into areas beyond the courtroom.
In July, PureOaty was revealed to have a lower carbon footprint than Oatly’s oat drinks, while the pair are also set to become near-neighbours when Oatly completes construction on its first UK factory in Q1 2023.
It comes as Oatly has become embroiled in a separate legal dispute over a trademark with healthy food and drinks supplier Skinny Food Co.
Last week, The Times revealed the plant-based giant had opposed the Nottingham firm’s attempts to trademark the term ‘Skinny Barista’.


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Sony's PlayStation 4 is finally getting a media player feature.
A new software update that enables the PlayStation 4 to play video files, digital music, and photos locally off of a USB flash drive/hard drive or be streamed over Wi-Fi (DLNA) started rolling out on Monday through the PlayStation Store.
The omission of a media player on the PS4 has baffled owners since the console launched in 2013, especially since the PlayStation 3 has the ability to do so.
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HTC will launch its next flagship phone, aka the HTC 10 on April 12 . The phone is said to be available for buy (in Taiwan) starting from April 15. It will have a very compelling camera and BoomSound audio . It will also have chamfered edges, very different from what we've seen previously on any HTC phone. More images of the HTC 10 have found their way to the internet, once again leaving nothing to the imagination as also cementing earlier leaks of HTC's next flagship.
The images show off the HTC 10's chamfered aluminum build, dual antenna stripes, a circular camera set up (housing laser autofocus and dualLED flash), and lower mounted speaker out and USB Type-C port for charging and data syncing purposes.
At the same time, a new report also suggests that the HTC 10 will come in as many as three variants: one with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 652 processor with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, and another with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The third variant will reportedly come with Snapdragon 820 along with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal memory.
While the Snapdragon 652 is expected to be priced around $585, the Snapdragon 820 variants will reportedly be priced at around $770 and $900 respectively.
Rumoured specs of the HTC 10 include: a 5.15-inch QHD Super LCD 5 display, a 12-megapixel (UltraPixel) camera on the rear, Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Sense UI and a 3,000mAh battery.


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Honda is on course to launch its sportiest hybrid model yet, the sharp-edged CR-Z road car, in 2010 – and to endow it with more power and performance, and a much more entertaining drive, than next year’s Honda Insight.
In an interview given exclusively to Autocar at the 2008 Paris motor show, Honda designer Motoaki Minowa confirmed that work was continuing on the CR-Z road car ahead of a proposed launch in early 2010.
“The design of the road car will be mostly the same as the CR-Z concept,” Minowa said. “We have to consider the practicality and functionality of a few of the concept car’s more elaborate features quite carefully.” He also hinted that the concept’s CR-X-inspired split glass hatchback will not make it onto the finished road car.
Although it’s a much smaller car than the new five-seat Insight, the CR-Z will indeed share the larger family hatchback’s front-drive, transverse-engined platform. It will be powered by the same new 1.3-litre, 100bhp petrol engine, but battery-driven assistance should boost its total to around 130bhp and close to 200lb ft of torque.
Performance should be spirited rather than searing - think 0-62mph in around 9.0sec – but it should be delivered alongside fuel economy of around 55mpg on the combined cycle and CO2 emissions of close to 100g/km.