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A Microsoft job posting hints that Microsoft will offer a Microsoft 365 subscription for consumers in the near future. But what consumer services does Microsoft have left to offer?
Join us live right now on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter.
Amazon's selling the Bose SoundSport Free truly wireless earbuds for $169 today, and we loved these when they cost $80 more.
The Razer DeathAdder Elite is on sale for $40 at Amazon. That's a great discount on a great gaming mouse.
Following a miserable 10nm Cannon Lake launch, Intel signals a strategic shift to focus on six pillars of engineering.
Intel's first major CPU core update in years kicks the chip giant back into high gear. Meet Sunny Cove.
The Razer Phone 2 is a gaming powerhouse that loses some of its charm in the upgrades.
If you're looking for a compact external graphics card dock with basic expansion options, the Sapphire Gearbox will be right up your alley.
Vinyl records are making a major comeback, but digital recordings are better suited to mobile pursuits. Audio-Technica's USB turntable gives you the best of both worlds.
Your decision isn't between two products, it's between two entire ecosystems.
Truly wireless earbuds let you ditch all cables in our post-headphone jack world, but like with anything else, their quality varies. Our top picks offer great audio without sacrificing battery life or comfort.
Amazon has cut the price of its new Fire TV Recast over-the-air DVR by up to $50, depending on how much storage you need.
OnePlus has unveiled its latest special edition phone, the 6T Speed Orange McLaren Edition with 10GB of RAM and Warp charging.
The 32GB Fire HD 10 tablet is $100 at Amazon.
from our new site, Greenbot


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Why did the chain ax customizable burgers? They failed to drive sales and lengthened wait times at McDonald's drive-through windows,
Pinterest will start trading on NYSE at $19 per share, valuing it at about $12.7 billion. Video-conferencing app Zoom is selling shares of its Nasdaq stock at $36 apiece.
Working with Qualcomm again, Apple can now "fire up the engines" in race for fastest 5G phone.
Nike's first payoff? Millions of fans seeing Tiger Woods raise a clenched fist in victory for winning the Masters again, amid the Swooshes on hat, shirt and shoes,
Lyft, which operates bicycle-sharing operations under different names in several major cites, is temporarily pulling electric bikes from its fleets because of a braking problem.
Campbell paid $1.55 billion for the company in 2012, and will unload it for about $500 million if Campbell's board approves.
"Normally reticent, indeed painfully private, company released a level of specificity about its operations that was pretty much without precedent over its more than a quarter-century as public company."
With 306 different types in average supermarket, will yogurt sales leap to $9.8 billion by 2022, or continue 6% downward spiral? Answer depends on which research report you read.
The EU and the U.S. "have been battling for more than a decade over mutual claims of illegal aid to plane giants Boeing and Airbus," according to Reuters.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating Fisher-Price's Rock 'n Play Sleeper, on which at least 10 infants older than three months have died.

domain: news


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Mazda has all but confirmed that it’s launching an all-new RX-9 sports car that will be powered by a twin-turbocharged rotary engine.
Rumors of an RX-8 successor began to swirl almost immediately after the car’s discontinuation in 2011, but Mazda largely swept those reports under the rug. However, that changed in late 2015 when Mazda CEO Masamichi Kogai hinted that an RX-8 followup might make sense for the Miata’s rear-wheel drive platform.
Further bolstering those rumors, MazdaPartsUSA.com issued a press release on Tuesday indicating that Mazda will reintroduce a rotary engine in an upcoming sports car called the RX-9. “I don’t have any insider info, and I’m not offering any predictions here, but I’d be shocked if Mazda brought back the RX without offering a rotary engine,” said Frank Mitchell, Manager and Director of MazdaPartsUSA.com. “While the rotary’s emissions aren’t as clean as other engines, Mazda’s SKYACTIV technologies are impressive. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Mazda has found a way to make the rotary engine meet future emissions standards.”
The company went on to postulate that the RX-9 would come packing 450 horsepower.
Although MazdaPartsUSA.com isn’t a subsidiary of Mazda, it should be noted that Mazda was actually responsible for distributing the release. Given that tie-in, it seems as though Mazda is trying to send us a very strong message. Look for the Mazda RX-9 and its rotary engine to launch sometime in 2017.


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What's it going to take to get you to take a Fiat 500 home today? Fiat thinks it has the answer.
To kickstart national sales of its 500 minicar in North America, Fiat will begin offering a new $199 per month lease and special financing as low as 1.9 percent.
The lease deal requires $1,999 at signing and lasts for 39 months. It applies to the base 500 Pop with a five-speed manual transmission, a model that would generally be considered the kind of car used to get people on dealer lots. But Fiat has said that about half of all 500 buyers are choosing to shift things themselves. A Pop with an automatic will run $20 more a month, while the range-topping automatic-only Lounge will run $279 per month.
As for the financing rates, they apply to a wider range of 500s. Those who want 1.9 percent, will need to sign on to a 36 month term; Fiat will also offer 2.9 percent for 48 months, 3.9 percent for 60 months and 5.9 percent for 72 months.
Fiat isn't offering the deals on its 500c convertible models, which have been especially quick movers on dealership lots.
While Fiat says it has been happy with sales so far, the company has acknowledged that its dealership network hasn't built itself up quite as fast as it anticipated. But with more dealers coming online every week, Fiat hopes that the special deals will mean more 500s on the road and less on dealer lots.
1.'Fiat offers $199...' view


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Sellers claim luxury marketplace Reebonz owes them over $30k
28 Aug 2021
Luxury marketplace Reebonz is under fire from disgruntled sellers who claim that the online company has not paid them on time. Reebonz, is alleged to owe more than $30,000 to 11 sellers on its platform. SP’s senior lecturer Amos Tan, opined that the company might be experiencing cash flow issues as its customer base probably consists of bargain-hunting middle-income consumers who are inclined to save money for essential items or investments like property during the pandemic.
[The Straits Times]


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From Bulbanews, your community Pokémon newspaper.
Online retailer reveals June 23 release date
|This article brought to you by Bulbanews, your community Pokémon newspaper.
According to the online retailer Rakuten Ichiba, the Japanese language versions of Pokémon Black and White 2 will be released on June 23, 2012.
A June release was confirmed by Nintendo when the games were first announced, but this is the first time a specific date has been given. The games will have a North American and PAL releases at a slightly later time, though specific dates are currently unknown.


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Google updates Maps app for Apple's iOS with new navigation options and Uber integrationSearch giant Google on Tuesday unveiled a major update to its native Maps application, adding a slew of new navigation features such as lane guidance and walking time as well as the ability to book a ride from car hire service Uber directly from the app.
Google's latest update to Maps is a boon for both drivers and commuters who use public transportation. Those who spend their time in a car, for instance, can now have the app's turn-by-turn directions feature tell them which lane to drive in based on their route.
Public transportation aficionados will find that walking time has been added to transit routing, and the app will automatically show the next scheduled bus or train departure. Those who prefer a car service, meanwhile, can access Uber directly from the route options display.
The app's search options have also been updated. Points of interest such as hotels and restaurants can be sorted by rating, and users can now search using their voice.
Other enhancements include the ability to save offline maps to a custom list, a redesigned navigation mode, a new scale bar, iPhone and iPad contacts integration, Google Account support for saving new places, and new pin dropping functionality to share or save locations.
Google Maps version 3.0.0 is available now as a free, 13.4-megabyte download from the App Store.
On Topic: Google
- Twitter for iOS gets 'Peek and Pop' 3D Touch gesture support, Google adds AMP integration
- Google staves off Oracle code copyright claim
- Google preps self-driving car facility near Detroit as Chrysler partnership ramps up
- Eric Schmidt says he uses an iPhone, but claims to prefer Samsung's Galaxy
- IDC: $200-350 Chromebooks shipped 37% more U.S. units in Q1 vs Apple's $1,200 MacBooks


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Microsoft confirmed last month what some had suspected: the Xbox One will not be bundled with a headset like its predecessor. Instead, voice chat would be handled through the Kinect peripheral by default. Fortunately for those of you who would rather avoid hearing people scream obscenities through your speakers, there will be a solution.
First, the most important bit: on Twitter, Microsoft product planning manager Albert Penello confirmed that current-generation headsets will be compatible with Xbox One controllers by way of an adapter, which presumably will be sold separately. Fortunately, the adapter also covers third-party gaming headsets.
In another tweet responding to a Twitter user asking about whether or not the Xbox One would come bundled with a headset, Penello said that Microsoft has heard all of the fan feedback, and that the firm is currently looking into it. Whether that would mean we could get a new headset or an adapter included with the system is anyone’s guess, but the chance of either happening seems slim based on Microsoft’s previous statements.
Polygon had the chance to speak with Microsoft Australia last month, and the site was told that the company is looking into allowing the Xbox One controller to support several gaming headsets, including those of the high-end sort, from several third-party manufacturers.
“The Wireless Controller has been redesigned to allow for higher data transfer speed between the controller and the console,” a Microsoft representative told the site.
“This also required creating a new expansion port design for headsets and future controller add-on devices which is different from a standard audio plug input. Xbox plans to develop solutions in the near future to allow consumers to connect many brands of wired gaming headsets to the Wireless Controller for gaming and chat audio.”
Hopefully Microsoft will have more to say about the matter at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany next month.


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By now you must have seen the box art for the Game of the Year edition of Batman: Arkham City.
Kotaku · Jason Schreier
Some interesting nuggets from Nintendo’s financial presentation this evening: 1) the company has somehow shipped nearly a million…
Kinja is in read-only mode. We are working to restore service.


text: Thank you to the wonderful Robin & Celia Birbeck owners of Taste of Moray who throughout the busy Christmas sales period asked customers to choose between a 10% discount on the price of their hamper or making a 10% donation to ARCHIE!! Mary Nimmo, ARCHIE Highland Fundraising Board Chair told us, “We cannot thank Celia and Robin Birkbeck enough for their ongoing support for The ARCHIE Foundation here in the Highlands and Islands. Things are particularly difficult at the moment and we are receiving an unprecedented volume of requests for help. These funds will make a huge difference to us and we are very grateful for their support”Celia Birkbeck, owner of Taste of Moray, said “We are proud to be supporting this amazing charity which raises money for vital resources at a very difficult time” Thanks to Taste of Moray and the generosity of their fabulous customers they have raised an amazing £1,424.73!!! and we couldn’t be more grateful!


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Thousands upon thousands of consumers in cities across America are taking delivery of their new iPads today, and many more lined up at Apple Stores and other retailers to be among the first to own Apple’s latest iOS-powered tablet. Early reviews were overwhelmingly favorable — Gizmodo summed them up nicely — and countless consumers have taken to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to sing praises of Apple’s new slate. Seeing the incessant chatter slide through a Twitter timeline is one thing, but popular ad network Chitika has taken iPad-watching to the next level. Read on for more.
Developers at Chitika have created a special webpage they call the new iPad tracker. As the name might suggest, the firm’s widget tracks the proliferation of Apple’s third-generation iPad as consumers across the country use them to load apps and visit websites that serve Chitika advertisements. Chitika’s network identifies new iPads according to their unique user agent string, which is read each time ads are served to a device.
The new iPad tracker shows three unique sets of data in real-time. First, a pie chart represents new iPad usage versus first-generation iPad and iPad 2 usage over the course of the past hour. The line chart that follows displays third-generation iPad adoption per hour in a time series, and the third shows new iPad adoption by state.
Apple’s new iPad features a dual-core Apple A5X processor with integrated quad-core graphics, a new 5-megapixel camera, optional 4G LTE connectivity and a high-definition Retina Display. BGR published a hands-on preview of the new Apple iPad on Friday, and we said its new display looks “unreal, like it’s not a digital display at all, but an actual printed glossy photo.”


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The 39-year-old looked dapper as he dashed into the store wearing a smart suit and crisp, white shirt.
His hair slicked back into his usual style, the star seemed eager to get into the store without causing too much chaos on the already packed street.
Fans lined the path outside the VB store, and spilled out onto the street in an attempt to catch a glimpse of famous faces headed to the opening.
Wearing brown lace-up shoes and carrying a chestnut beanie, David was certainly prepared for the autumnal weather.
Entering his wife's shop, in Mayfair, the former footballer looked pleased with the store and had a good look around.
Flanked by a personal security guard, David strode confidently along the street and smiled to fans.
While David made an appearance at the store, Victoria Beckham was pictured arriving in New York City this morning as she prepares to speak at a press conference at the United Nations General Assembly.
The 40-year-old missed seeing her first customers arrived at the new Dover Street store, with her role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for their UNAIDS taking precedence.
"On my way to #NYC to support @UNAIDS x vb #UNGA," she posted to her 7.84 million followers last night.
No doubt Victoria will be happy to see David mingling with guests at her new store, and eager to get back to Blighty to see the shop in person.


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Over the past hour or so there has been a massive wave of spam related to a ‘free Groupon of pure garcinia cambogia‘ rising on Twitter. The tweets are coming hot and heavy every few seconds and have targeted celebrity accounts like Jane Fonda, sports teams like the San Francisco Giants and even some TechCrunch writers. Updated below.
Many other users appear to be affected by the tweets, and they all appear to have originated with the HootSuite client. One possible explanation for this is that a repository of HootSuite users have had their accounts compromised by a malicious entity gaining access to a company server.
We reached out to HootSuite for comment and CEO Ryan Holmes said that they are “currently reviewing the spam incident” and will get back to us with a statement.
HootSuite had some spamming issues late last month. At the time, it said that it had seen “an increase in attempts by spammers to gain unauthorized access to social media accounts by exploiting password weaknesses,” but stated that it had not been hacked. Instead, it said that it was “seeing attempts (some successful) to login to HootSuite using user IDs and passwords acquired from compromised social networks.”
At the moment we don’t know whether this is a similar case or not. One thing to note is that the URLs being posted do not use HootSuite’s standard ‘owl.ly’ shortner, which could indicate that they’re not coming from the company’s native platform.
Here’s what the tweets look like inline:
And here’s a tweet by Jane Fonda showing the ‘via HootSuite’ label:
The link in the tweets takes you to a modified link for Garcinia Cambogia that is clearly supposed to ape Groupon, a classic phishing tactic that the attackers hope will net either Groupon login details or more likely financial information when they go to order said supplement.
At this point one culprit is a HootSuite hack of some sort, as user Sam Houston reports that he’s seeing the same message on both Twitter and Facebook. Both messages posted by the HootSuite client. Other users are saying that their LinkedIn accounts have been affected as well.
We’re working to assess how widespread the spam issue is and what the extent of the damage to HootSuite users, but for now you should exercise caution. If you ever think that any Twitter app is compromised, you should revoke its permissions in your Twitter settings area and do the same on Facebook and any other connected network.
H/t Our own Alex Wilhelm, who was also affected by the spam.
Updated: Twitter has now flagged that particular link with a spam warning when you click on it from the web:
Update: a statement from Hootsuite:
Today HootSuite continues to see attempts by spammers to gain unauthorized access to social media accounts by exploiting weak passwords. In the attempts made to date, HootSuite itself has not been compromised or hacked, however, a small number of successful attempts to log in to HootSuite were made using user IDs and passwords that were acquired elsewhere. Likely, people are using the same password for both HootSuite and the other social network or online service. When these types of attempts were first discovered on July 26, 2013, HootSuite’s customer support team armed customers with a best practices blog post to help educate users on how to create a more secure password. On August 20, we deployed numerous security measures to protect users, including Social Verification, and Location Verification. Today, less than .01% of HootSuite’s user base (approximately 7000 HootSuite users) were affected. In this case, the unauthorized users accessed HootSuite through a third-party application using OAuth. In response, we’ve temporarily disabled access to OAuth from the affected third-party online service, and will continue to deploy efforts to keep our users safe. We ask that customers who experience an unauthorized post to one of their social accounts to change their username and password on all their online accounts that use that same username and password. For those who may have been affected, please follow @HootSuite_Help for updates and review our best practices to ensure secure passwords have been created.


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Jason West has left Respawn Entertainment
Call Of Duty co-creator Jason West has apparently left Respawn Entertainment.
The former Infinity Ward boss has left his new studio possibly as long ago as last May 2012 due to "family issues".
West founded Respawn with his fellow Infinity Ward founder Vince Zampella after their highly-publicised departure from the Call Of Duty studio and subsequent court battle with Activision.
Zampella said on West's departure in an official statement, "Jason has left Respawn to take care of some family issues. We have worked together on some amazing accomplishments over the years, starting with an early Segasoft project that never shipped. It is sad to see things come to an end, but there are times when change is best for growth, both personally and professionally."
"I wish Jason the best and send my best wishes to his family," he continued. "Respawn continues to amaze me, the team here is resilient and talented. E3 will be therapeutic for us, as we finally get to start showing our work again. I know the team was excited about the response we got from just admitting we were going to attend."
- Feminist Frequency's Anita Sarkeesian driven out of her home by internet abuse
- Shadow Realms lead writer talks the inspiration behind the game's story
- PlayStation Allstars and Joe Danger headline September's PS Plus Instant Game Collection
- Titanfall will ge more cool free stuff after the last DLC but Respawn won't support it indefinitely
- Gauntlet release date pushed back
- Yakuza Zero announced for PS4 and PS3
- Escape Dead Island gets a release date, comes with guaranteed access to the Dead Island 2 beta
- Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls PC patch 2.1.0 arrives
- Next-gen and PC GTA V versions rumoured to be delayed into 2015


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Trading The CES (MMI, AAPL, HPQ, DELL, INTC)
Rumors are that Motorola Mobility (NYSE: MMI) is planning on releasing a tablet PC at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show, that starts this week.
Motorola Mobility is the higher growth portion of the old Motorola, as it contains the smartphone segment, as well as the set top boxes. A tablet from Motorola, presumably built on Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android operating system would be a new market for Motorola that it hasn't previously been in.
Tablets and smartphones are expected to see tremendous growth at this years CES, with new offerings from Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) and others. According to Oppenheimer chip companies like Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM), Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS), RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD) and Brightpoint, Inc. (NASDAQ: CELL) will benefit from the CES.
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is also a name that could benefit from the CES, as its new graphics chips are implemented into the tablets and smartphones.
Other names being mentioned as beneficiaries are ARM Holdings (NASDAQ: ARMH) and NXP Semiconductors NV (NASDAQ: NXPI). ARM Holdings has been a huge beneficiary from Apple's products, such as the iPad and iPhone.
While no one is expecting the Verizon (NYSE: VZ) version of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone or a new iPad at the event, there are plenty of other ways for investors and traders to capitalize on these products via add-ons at the CES.
Disclosure: long NXPI, ARMH
Best of Benzinga


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Published on May 31st, 2016 | by Day Trader
IPO Darlings of 2015 Where Are They Now?
The tech and online world is undoubtedly the future of commerce. That’s why the latest IPO news is always filled with information about start-ups, new tech gadgets, or online shopping services.
Some of the best and brightest IPO reviews of 2015 came from the tech world. In fact, 2015 was projected to be the best year for IPOs since the year 2000, and the business world did not disappoint. The most exciting debuts of the year probably came from FitBit, Etsy, and Shopify, who all did extraordinarily well as IPO new issues.
But amidst all the excitement of this year’s happenings, we sometimes forget about the fads of yesteryear. This summer, let’s take a look back at some of 2015’s most interesting IPO news and see where these darlings wound up, one year later.
The wearable tech company FitBit had the best IPO data of 2015. They opened with 36 million shares last June at a total $741 million — 52% above initial indications. Their IPO reports quickly grew by 50%.
Then, interest waned. Some people say FitBit is over, along with all the other similar wearable tech services that flocked in its wake. Despite a recent 8% rise, the company is still down 50% since this time last year.
The digital craft and vintage marketplace stirred a lot of IPO news when they went public last year and opened up at 94% above the indicated price. After an initial boom, prices have mostly leveled out in the seven to nine range, well below the high of 21.98 last summer.
Shopify also had major interest for prime brokers at their initial public offerings; they opened 65% over indicated price. Of the three, they seem to be holding on to their initial glow the best; while prices are still below their high of last August, they’ve risen from a recent dip during February to come out at a strong high-20s.
The stock market can be an unpredictable and unwieldy place. IPO news is changing as often as the stock prices themselves. While these three companies have managed to all stay in the game, the initial excitement they’ve caused hasn’t always translated into long-term success.
Still, it’s safe to say none of these three companies will really hit the chopping block any time soon. In which case, it might be a good time to buy!


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Amazon cloud “doesn’t come down at Christmas”
Amazon has publicly denied rumours that its cloud computing service is just a cunning way to offload spare server capacity from its online store.
So says Dr Werner Vogels, Amazon’s chief technology officer (CTO), who made the comments during a talk given at CeBIT today in Hannover.
Describing Amazon Web Services as “infrastructure as a service”, he stressed that his firm was in the cloud business to stay – not just as a sideline to its web operations.
Addressing one of the “myths” of using Amazon’s cloud, Vogels said that many people believe that “when Christmas comes, suddenly all of the foundations of your [business] will be gone.”
He said there was “still thinking out there that Amazon is only in this to sell off excess capacity. That’s simply not true.”
“We are in this business because we believe there’s a huge benefit to providing these services to large businesses and small business alike,” he said.
Vogels noted that the Amazon S3 cloud service now has 100 billion objects in it, up from 54 billion last year.


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Zomato recently came up with a little controversial tweet. In the latest tweet, it emphasized on eating home food too at times. Read more at exchange4media.com
The tweet might be a sign that Zomato might soon focus on delivering home cooked food.
The tweet saw responses for Amazon prime video in, Mobikwik, The Viral fever, YouTube India, Dabur Hajmola etc.


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Apple’s signature wireless earbuds might be getting a major makeover as early as 2019. This follow-up to the AirPods would be an over-ear headset that is retrofitted with noise-cancellation and water-resistant technology.
On Monday, Bloomberg published a report stating that higher-quality AirPods are in the works and that the company is ramping up its audio-device arsenal. Back in late February, famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sparked the rumor that a second-generation of AirPods could see the light of day. The latest from Bloomberg seems to substantiate those claims.
This is all from Bloomberg’s resident Apple scooper Mark Gurman and fellow technology reporter Debby Wu, who after interviewing a handful of employees were able to reviewal a few new details about what we could expect from this new device.
For starters, don’t expect to go for a morning swim with them, as the water resistance feature will only guard against rain and sweat. Noise-cancellation seems to be the other major addition, and Apple may restructure the entire look of the earbuds to make them look more like a studio headset. Apple is also trying to increase their range, to avoid any connectivity issues.
As far as the price goes, expect them to be more costly than the current $159 pair. This would allow Apple to divide its line of earbuds into two models, much like it does for the “Plus” versions of their iPhones.
Production of these next-generation AirPods has not begun, according to reports, but Apple is working on striking a deal with a manufacturer. According to the Bloomberg, Apple is in talks with a Tymphany, a subsidiary of Primax Electronics. This audio tech firm designs and produces components for headphones and speakers around the world.
While nothing is certain as of yet, it seems like Apple is pushing hard to get into the audio device market apart from its acquisition of Beats.


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ACCC gives nod to Foxtel-Austar merger
Pay TV consumers are hoping for more competition, content and choice after the ACCC gave approval for the merger of Foxtel and Austar.
TICKY FULLERTON, PRESENTER: More content and more choice - at least that's the hope for pay TV consumers with the controversial merger of Foxtel and Austar a done deal.
There were concerns the $2 billion takeover would create a monopoly, but the competition watchdog gave it the go-ahead after Foxtel agreed to concessions.
Here's Simon Palan.
SIMON PALAN, REPORTER: One year in the making, approval to merge Foxtel and its smaller rival Austar was delayed several times. The competition regulator the ACCC was worried about a monopoly in the pay TV sector, but now it won't oppose the deal after Foxtel agreed to a number of concessions.
ROD SIMS, CHAIRMAN, ACCC: The undertaking that we've got today is one that does in a sense deal with the competition concerns we had from the merger.
SIMON PALAN: The concessions mean the merged company can't have exclusive rights for internet, TV and a range of other TV shows and movies, but it can continue to have exclusive rights for individual sports.
RICHARD FREUDENSTEIN, CEO, FOXTEL: We think the undertakings have balanced quite well the ability for new entrants to enter the market versus the importance of encouraging us to continue to invest in content and in driving innovation.
SIMON PALAN: Either way, some analysts say it's all becoming fairly trivial because in a few years the National Broadband Network will deliver so many new ways of watching TV.
Do you think that has been a factor in the ACCC's decision to allow this merger?
STEVE ALLEN, MEDIA ANALYST: Definitely would've been a factor. Unquestionably. All these technologies would've weighed in and it's a pretty smart decision that they've made. Because they can see all this new technology coming and they can see consumers already choosing different ways to get content that they want.
It's going to continue. It's rapidly increasing now and it's just gonna continue.
RICHARD FREUDENSTEIN: It is a very competitive environment. We back ourselves to compete. We think we've got a great offering that our customers love. We believe cable and satellite are still very, very, very important ways to deliver television programming into people's homes.
SIMON PALAN: The final hurdle in the approval process is expected to be cleared on Friday when the deal goes before court. Foxtel and Austar are hopeful the merger will be completed by May.
Author Simon Palan


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When Executive Chef Joe Natoli enters 619 Ocean View – the Sawgrass Marriott’s oceanfront restaurant in Ponte Vedra Beach – he is instantly reminded of Salina, the small Italian island near Sicily where his father was raised which he visited often as a child.
Casting his arms wide to the waves crashing right outside the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, Natoli said, “Every day, when I see this I’m like, ‘Wow, this reminds me of Italy. That’s kind of where Coastal Italian came from.”“Coastal Italian” is the theme of 619 Ocean View’s new menu. Drawing on his memories of the Italian coast and the farm-fresh produce so prevalent in its cuisine, Natoli and his culinary team have crafted a new menu that combines Italian tradition with produce from local First Coast farms.
“It’s really using our local ingredients,” Natoli said, “and making them stand out with an old-world tradition.”
New menu offerings include traditional entrees with an Italian twist – from Frutti di Mare and Chicken Milanese to Grilled Swordfish Siciliana to Braised Short Ribs with Papardell and Lobster and Butternut Squash Ravioli. Appetizers include focaccia spread with slow-roasted elephant garlic, a charcuterie featuring a variety meats, cheeses and house-marinated olives, and arancini stuffed with either mozzarella or house-made Italian sausage.
“The exciting thing about this menu is that 98 percent of it is prepared in-house,” Natoli said. “There is very little that is being brought in.”That extends to 619 Ocean View’s new dessert menu, which includes house-made delicacies such as a chocolate budini and lemon semolina cake. And in keeping with the restaurant’s commitment to develop partnerships with local farms and purveyors, the restaurant has begun working with local ice cream parlor Christy’s Dream to offer home-made ice cream flavors created exclusively for the restaurant.
“They’re making a maraschino cherry and vanilla ice cream and a sea salt caramel ice cream just for us,” said Marya Moore, general manager of the Sawgrass Marriott’s Cabana Beach Club. “It’s an awesome partnership that will continue to grow.”
Natoli credits the talents of chefs Nick Ocheltree, Tyler Kimbrell and their team with helping him to bring a bit of the Italian coast to Florida’s First Coast.”
“I have some culinary geniuses in the kitchen,” he said. “I’m tasting now what I remember growing up in Italy.”


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Shuman Farms Commits to Giving Back Through Its Program and Brand
REIDSVILLE, GA - Shuman Farms has renewed its commitment to giving back through its Produce for Kids® program and its RealSweet® brand Vidalia® onion bags, supporting Feeding America as the 2019 Vidalia season begins.
“Working with Feeding America over the past several years has allowed us to not only help children eat healthier, but it has also helped us provide support to those families who face hunger every day,” said John Shuman, President and CEO. “We recognize that hunger hits communities all over the United States and the impact on children is especially tough.”
According to the company’s press release, Shuman founded Produce for Kids in 2002, a cause-marketing organization dedicated to creating a healthier generation and giving back to families across the country. Produce for Kids has raised more than $6.7 million for families and children in need since the program’s inception.
Children’s hospitals were originally supported by Produce for Kids, and the organization started a partnership with Feeding America in 2014.
In agreement with Feeding America, the reports show that “one in six children may not know where they will get their next meal, and more than 12 million kids in the US are facing hunger.” Through Produce for Kids’ in-store and digital campaigns, more than 10 million meals have been provided to those in need. The program was recognized as a Mission Partner of Feeding America in 2018.
With more than 50 produce and other health-conscious brands spreading the message of healthy eating through in-store signage, circular presence, social media, and digital support, Produce for Kids’ campaigns are executed in more than 3,000 stores in 33 states.
In addition to its flagship in-store campaigns, Produce for Kids runs several digital campaigns throughout the year including its Mission for Nutrition program in March and Power Your Lunchbox in August. Produce for Kids will also be celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Healthy Family Project podcast in May.
“Produce for Kids has evolved over the years to become an industry-leading brand that engages with shoppers wherever they are in their path of purchase, both in stores and online,” Shuman explained. “Looking forward to 2019 and beyond, we will continue to evolve our programs to make sure we continue to bring relevant and engaging content to consumers, encouraging them to fill their market baskets with fresh produce while contributing to their communities in a positive way.”
Shuman Farms has also promised to provide 50,000 additional meals to families in need through its Feeding America® brand Vidalia onion packaging starting in June, along with supporting its Produce for Kids program this Vidalia season. According to Feeding America, 22 million children who receive free or reduced lunch during the school year will struggle with hunger. This initiative was designed to help aid the cause.
“We know that summer break can be especially hard for children who struggle with hunger,” Shuman added. “It is our hope that our donation will help to support the wonderful programs Feeding America has to help these families.”
By displaying in-store signage and utilizing the social media toolkit provided by Shuman Farms, retailers who sell the Feeding America RealSweet Vidalia bags can support the initiative and bring awareness to childhood hunger as well.
“This is sustainability at its best, supporting families in need who live and work in the communities where our products are sold,” Shuman continued. “We are blessed to be working with like minded people who want to make a difference as much as we do.”
Shuman Farms started shipping RealSweet® brand Vidalia® onions April 22 and throughout the summer months, plans to have good availability of quality Vidalia onions.
For more news on Shuman Farms and anything fresh produce, keep tuning into AndNowUKnow.


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Following the decision of its board last Thursday to not remove its CEO from the role, Groupon has suffered at the hands of investors.
Comparing the company’s closing price before the decision to its current trading price, Groupon has declined more than 15% since Andrew Mason was kept in the command chair at the company. Groupon, now valued at $2.5 billion, has shed the majority of its value since going public, as the company transitioned from growing its revenues at breakneck speeds into a more mature company.
Groupon has forecasted rising revenues, and profits, for the final quarter of 2012. The full breakdown is as follows:
For the coming quarter, Groupon expects revenues to fall between $625 million and $675 million. At the high end, that would be a 37% gain on last year’s Q4. Including $30 million in stock-based compensation, Groupon expects to earn between $0 and $20 million in the quarter.
As the company has reformed its internal controls, stemmed losses, and become a more stable firm, investors have punished it; its rich valuation in the public markets was due to its ballyhooed status as the former fastest growing company of all time, and when it lost that particular momentum, it lost its shine as well.
Andrew Mason, the company’s founder, has overseen its dramatic rise and fall. The company is trading at less than half of the price that Google reportedly offered it, when the full earn-out of that deal is taken into account. Interestingly, Groupon is now trading at, taking its coming quarter and extending it for three more, roughly a ratio that puts its revenues and valuation on an even level.
To its credit, a hedge fund picked up 9.9% of the company’s stock after steep declines. TNW speculated that perhaps the market had overcorrected on the company, and had thus made it almost a value play. We’ll leave the final scoring to you.
Top Image Credit: TechCrunch


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Lord Sugar says Sunderland will pay for Brexit with 'mass unemployment' after predicting Nissan will follow Honda's closure
Lord Sugar spoke out after car-maker Honda's decision to close its car factory in Swindon, with the loss of 3,500 jobs.
And the billionaire business magnate predicts it won't be long before Nissan makes the same decision, leaving Sunderland to "pay with mass unemployment".
The entrepreneur, who stars in BBC TV show The Apprentice, is Britain's 95th-richest man, with a personal fortune estimated at $1.15billion.
He pointed the finger at Sunderland for Honda's decision in a Tweet sent yesterday afternoon, shortly after news of the Japanese carmaker's shock announcement emerged.
He wrote: "Honda to leave UK with a potential loss of 3,500 jobs in 2022. It won't be long for Nissan to make same decision.
"Sunderland you tipped the scales in 2016 vote and now you will pay with mass unemployment in your area, not just Nissan factory, but all the peripheral suppliers."
Earlier this month, Nissan did a U-turn on a previous pledge that its next generation X-Trail 4x4 SUV will be made in Sunderland.
The Tweet prompted more than 1,000 replies, and when one user told Lord Sugar it was "embarrassing someone with your influence and following and apparent intelligence makes such a statement", he replied: "Truth hurts."
Honda this morning confirmed that it will close its plant in the Wiltshire town in 2021, with the loss of 3,500 jobs.
The Japanese firm told workers it proposed to close the vehicle manufacturing plant at the end of the current model's production life cycle.
The plant currently produces 150,000 cars a year.
Related: Union remains 'seriously concerned' over future employment at Sunderland's Nissan plantA statement said: "This proposal comes as Honda accelerates its commitment to electrified cars, in response to the unprecedented changes in the global automotive industry.
"The significant challenges of electrification will see Honda revise its global manufacturing operations, and focus activity in regions where it expects to have high production volumes."
Honda said under the proposed restructure, the current role of its UK manufacturing business (HUM) as a global manufacturing hub may no longer be viable.
There was no mention of Brexit in Honda's statement.


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Shortage of Higher-welfare Pigs20 May 2013
UK - Although the DAPP continues to break new ground rising by 0.33p to stand at 162.79p, flagging up further significant shortages in the British pigmeat supply chain, prices stood at stand-on on Friday (17 May), writes Peter Crichton.
Although the DAPP continues to break new ground rising by 0.33p to stand at 162.79p, flagging up further significant shortages in the British pigmeat supply chain, prices stood at stand-on at the end of last week.
Spot pigs continue to be in short supply and although most buyers tried to hold their ground at similar levels to last week, it was possible to squeeze the odd penny or two extra in places with the result that spot bacon was generally traded in the 166p–168p/kg range with a few cases of a copper or so more where buyers were particularly short or on a tighter spec.
On the downside, however, good quality Belgium carcasses are hitting these shores ex-head and feet at around 165p/kg, which means that the British counterpart is now around 25p/kg dearer than this, which will no doubt encourage some of the buyers operating at the commodity end of the trade to save money by switching to foreign gear.
A significant shortage of Freedom Food pigs following difficult winter conditions earlier in the year and rising demand from some of the top-end retailers means that this sector has become something of a sellers’ market and it should not be too long before premiums of at least 10p/kg above DAPP will be available, but bearing in mind the extra costs including straw involved in high welfare production, significant premiums are needed to make this viable.
The euro has had another relatively lacklustre week closing on Friday almost unchanged at 84.48p, but the cull sow market still remains in the doldrums reflecting indifferent continental manufacturing pigmeat prices. As a result most cull sow buyers were operating in a narrow 100p–102p/kg band according to load size and specification.
Weaner prices are continuing to nudge ahead with the latest AHDB 30kg ex-farm weaner average now quoted at £49.63/head, but any wearing Freedom Food badges are worth £2-£4/head more than this.
There seem to be fewer bulls and more bears in the commodity markets recently where prices have eased back a shade due to better global crop forecasts, although the UK harvest will inevitably be down due to the awful weather earlier in the growing season. Ex-farm feed wheat is currently trading at around £188/t, but feed barley provides much better value at a £20/t discount and is worth considering as a cheaper ration ingredient. Wheat futures prices have also been showing an easier trend with July traded at £184.35/t and November has now dropped to £179/t.
Still a fair way to go, but hopefully not too much longer now before the majority of producers are in the black instead of the mire.
ThePigSite News Desk


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And the number of apps for the watch, which now stands at about 7,400, is growing at a slower rate than the explosive uptick of apps that were produced for iPhones and iPads in their early days.
There can be no other explanation than skepticism about the Watch. It has nothing to do with trying to figure out a new form factor or the fact that developers have to wait the fall release of watchOS 2.0 to ship native apps. Nope.
Other software companies Chen mentions whose apps are missing from the Apple Watch include Google, which mysteriously doesn't yet make a Gmail client for the Watch and merely serves to compound the high level of Watch skepticism which is already very high, astoundingly high, really, so high. It is certainly shocking that a company with a competing platform would not jump on the Apple Watch and devastating that there's no other way to read Gmail on the Watch. Failure and shameful spankings all the way around at the Apple team working on the Watch.
Personally, the horny one thinks email is a lousy use case for the Apple Watch and serves to underline the reasons why developers should rightly be loathe to just shrinking their app down and slapping it on the Watch. Thoughtless, rampant software development may be the hallmark of a quickly growing platform, but it's still not necessarily something to aspire to.
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Renault to invest over 1 billion Euros to accelerate EV production in France
On Thursday, French automaker Renault announced that it has earmarked an amount of more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) for investment in its home country, with the objective of accelerating the production of electric vehicles (EVs).
The EV investment announced by Renault apparently marks an attempt by the automaker to keep its momentum going in terms of EV production. Renault has already emerged as a leading manufacturer of EVs in Europe, thanks to the success of its ZOE battery-powered subcompact car.
In announcing the new investment for increasing EV production capacity in France, Renault has revealed in a press release that its investment plan includes a number of initiatives.
Sharing further details about the initiatives which will be part of the new investment plan, Renault said that the maximum output at the ZOE production line in Flins, west of Paris, will be increased by two-fold with the EV’s next upgrade. Moreover, the automaker’s manufacturing facility in northern Douai will be tooled up for the purpose of producing EVs on a new architecture shared with Nissan, Renault’s affiliate in Japan.
Renault has further revealed that electric motor production capacity at the Cleon plant will be tripled; and a tooling investment will be made in Maubeuge in eastern France for the production of the company’s next Kangoo van, including its electrified version.
German automaker BMW has recently revealed that the total number of company’s i3 electric cars sold in the UK has touched ‘10,000 units’ milestone.
According to an Automotive News report, German automaker BMW plans to discontinue its i3 all-electric compact car and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car ahead of introducing its next-generation electric vehicles (EVs).
According to a Reuters report, Germany’s new Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said in a recent interview with the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain that all possible measures should be taken by the country to avoid the imposition of ban on diesel car
According to a recently published Reuters report, German automaker BMW -- which sold more than 100,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in 2017 -- does not plan to commence mass production of electric cars before 2020.
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Kandi has recently marked its official foray into the US market, with the launch of two new EVs --- the EX3 all-electric SUV, and the K22 subcompact electric car.
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors has issued a voluntary recall of 123,000 units of its Model S electric cars, owing to a defect in a power steering bolt.


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Today is Black Friday, which means the majority of people are searching for the offers in preparation for Christmas. But, it isn’t just our local shopping centres that will be met with a swarm of potential customers. Instead, businesses are anticipating an upsurge in online orders with 2015 seeing a large shift towards people choosing to stay at home to bag the best deals. However, not everyone chooses to jump on the sales bandwagon with the prospect of delivery issues. We can understand this, no one wants to get excited about discounts all to be shot down by unexpected delays.
Pressure builds for companies and couriers alike rises with a staggering 81% of customers opting for home delivery last year. Can deliveries within such a busy time be made simpler? The answer is yes with our guest booking system. This service will allow you to meet your customers’ expectations as we can provide you with a quote within seconds. We aim to collect your items within an hour, which could prove invaluable in situations where deliveries are pushed for time!
We hope you find yourself some good deals today. Happy hunting from the Speed Courier team!


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Since the inception of Bitcoin in 2009, the world of cryptocurrency has grown rapidly. Today, there are thousands of cryptocurrencies available, each with its own unique features and characteristics. Among the most recent additions to this vast landscape is Floki, a meme-based cryptocurrency that has quickly gained popularity among investors.
In 2023, Floki price has started reversing is on a uptrend ever since Elon Musk tweeted on Floki this 15th of February 2023. Investors are speculating whether or not Floki can reach 1USD. Let’s learn more about Floki Inu and learn about Floki price prediction in this article.
Named after a character from the popular television series Vikings, Floki is a cryptocurrency that was inspired by Elon Musk’s tweet in December 2021. In his tweet, Musk referenced a new “Floki” cryptocurrency, and within hours, the cryptocurrency had gained significant attention from investors and traders.
Floki is a community-driven token that aims to incentivize both its holders and users. Its creators have emphasized the importance of building a supportive community around the token. According to the project’s whitepaper, the team aims to develop a platform that will enable users to engage in transactions using the Floki token and receive rewards in the form of additional Floki tokens.
The currency operates on blockchain technology, which is a secure and transparent digital ledger for recording transactions in a decentralized manner. Floki utilizes a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm, meaning that users can receive rewards by holding and staking their Floki tokens. This mechanism is designed to encourage long-term holding of the token and incentivize users to contribute to the community.
One of the key features of Floki is its focus on gaming and the metaverse. The team behind the project has emphasized the potential for the token to be used in online games and virtual worlds, providing a new way for gamers to monetize their activities. In addition, the token is designed to be used as a currency within the metaverse, enabling users to buy, sell, and trade digital assets.
Floki has also gained attention for its meme-based nature. Like other meme-based cryptocurrencies such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu, Floki is designed to be a fun and lighthearted investment. Its community-driven approach has led to the creation of a large and active online community, which has helped to drive its popularity.
As of February 2023, Floki has a market capitalization of $484,155,374, making it the 96th largest cryptocurrency by market cap. The circulating supply of Floki tokens is 9,784,519,446,786, with a total supply of 10,000,000,000,000 and a maximum supply of 20,000,000,000,000.
Despite its popularity, it’s important to note that investing in cryptocurrencies, including Floki, comes with significant risks. The cryptocurrency market is highly volatile, and prices can fluctuate rapidly, leading to potential losses for investors. As with any investment, it’s important to conduct thorough research and consider the risks before investing.
What is the current price of Floki?
As of 26th of February, 2023, the price of Floki is 0.00049USD.
Can Floki reach 1 cent?
There is no guarantee that Floki will reach 1 cent, as the price of cryptocurrencies is subject to market fluctuations and can be affected by a variety of factors. However, some analysts and investors believe that Floki has the potential to reach 1 cent or even higher in the future.
What factors could affect Floki’s price in the future?
Floki’s price could be influenced by a variety of factors, including market demand, investor sentiment, regulatory changes, competition from other cryptocurrencies, and technological advancements. And more importantly Elon’s Musk tweet.
Is investing in Floki a good idea?
Investing in any cryptocurrency comes with significant risks, and it’s important to conduct thorough research and understand the potential risks before making any investment decisions. It’s also essential to consider your personal financial situation and investment goals.
Where can I buy and trade Floki?
Floki is listed on several cryptocurrency exchanges, and it can be bought and traded on these platforms. Some of these are: Uniswap, Kucoin, Pancakeswap etc. It’s important to choose a reputable exchange and to take necessary security precautions when buying and holding cryptocurrencies.
In my honest opinion, Floki is a community-driven meme-based cryptocurrency that has quickly gained popularity among investors. Its focus on gaming and the metaverse, combined with its active and supportive online community, has helped to drive its success. However, as with any investment, it’s essential to consider the risks before investing. Whether Floki Inu would reach 1USD or not, time will tell. But from our prediction, Floki Inu is not going to be a dollar at least by 2050.


text: According to Richards’ family, Kim had received an ultimatum to seek psychiatric care or suffer total withdrawal of finances from her kin. While this is considered to be a serious threat, Richards admitted that she finally sees the need to improve herself. Fans of the show may be familiar with Richard’s mental issues; including an arrest for intoxication in public at a hotel and charges of resisting arrest, trespassing, and assaulting an officer for allegations of kicking an officer. Another sign of trouble flared up in a second arrest for swiping more than $600 in merchandise from a Target store. While the recent case of petty theft is expected to be heard later today in court, it is unclear as to whether or not Richards will be making an appearance.


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Following my comments a few days ago about a drop in wine production in many countries of the world, a friend asked me just who is making all the wine on the shelves. It's an interesting question because when we see headlines about the largest wine producing countries, many others get out of the discussion.
Every year, the gold medal for wine production seems to alternate between France, Spain and Italy, three countries that have a long history of wine production and wine consumption. Spain and Italy in particular also have a long history of producing "bulk wine," wine that is generally pretty bland stuff but that fills glasses at bars and bistros around the world. Both countries have areas that are very warm and produce huge quantities of grapes.
Both Spain and Italy tended to have poorer regions in the southern part of the country so both land and labor were inexpensive, making production of bulk wine commercially feasible. Unfortunately, that production tended to mask the fact many of these areas could also produce quality wine if given a chance. That chance has come over the last 20 or so years and we are now seeing vibrant "new" (at least new to the market) wine regions. In 1970, you would have raised a lot of eyebrows suggesting great wines would every come from Puglia (the "heel" of Italy's boot), from Cariñena in Spain or even from the Languedoc in the south of France.
I've had stunning wines from all three of those regions in the past few weeks. These days it's wine pricing in those areas that is more likely to raise eyebrows, or the ratings wines from those areas achieve in blind tastings. In fact, it's a whole new world of wine out there, which makes a lot of additional homework for us wine educators and a lot more variety for wine consumers.


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Sometimes bad ideas come from big companies. This is one: Adidas “shackle” sneaker.
According to Reuters, CNN and other new media outlets, Adidas has withdrawn its plans to sell a controversial “shackle” sneaker featuring affixed rubber shackles.
The company has received harsh criticism when advertising the shoe on its Facebook page and received harsh criticism from around the Web, with many saying they felt the shackle invoked the painful image of slavery.
The high-top sneakers, dubbed the JS Roundhouse Mids, were expected to be released in August, according to the Adidas Originals Facebook page. “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?” a caption below a photo of the sneakers read.
The sneaker was designed by Jeremy Scott who is known for a “quirky” style.
“The design of the JS Roundhouse Mid is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott’s outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery,” according to a statement in the Reuters article. “We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.”
My question: Was there no one at Adidas who said, “Wait a minute, this is a really, really bad idea?”


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Waymo, which develops self-driving cars for Google’s parent company, accused Uber of patent infringement, unfair competition and stealing trade secrets. Does the case have teeth?
Author: Leon Kaye
In 2016 the Barack Obama administration instructed the federal Bureau of Prisons to phase out contracts with private prison companies. But incoming Attorney General Jeff Sessions overturned the order last week.
Last week, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk hit back hard at allegations of unsafe working conditions at the company’s assembly plant in Fremont, California.
Tesla’s cryptic plans to build three new ‘gigafactories’ turned heads, while confounding analysts who cannot believe the company continues to grow while losing money.
Yesterday Lyft announced an expansion in over 50 U.S. cities – adding to the 40 new communities it brought on last month. And the timing is perfect as its largest competitor, Uber, finds itself mired in public relations debacles.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state’s support of solar power resulted in an 800 percent rise in the solar sector since he took office. But did that translate to more jobs? 3p’s Leon Kaye takes a closer look.
Google’s traffic navigation app Waze plans to expand and take on ride-sharing giants Uber and Lyft. But don’t expect drivers to use it as their primary job.
The North Dakota Senate is mulling a bill that would impose a two-year moratorium on wind power development in order to “save coal,” says one senator.
Automobile companies are quick to tout their sustainability credentials, including more electric vehicle rollouts. But they also want the Donald Trump administration to roll back EPA fuel-efficiency standards. How can these two positions coincide? 3p takes a closer look.
This week, the NGO Mighty reached an agreement with Olam to stop deforestation for palm oil and rubber development across its land concessions in Gabon, central Africa.
The average American family saves an average of $500 a year on utility bills due to improved energy-efficiency standards for appliances, according to a report released this week.
The 32-team World Cup is usually a global gold mine for FIFA and its sponsors, which pay up to $50 million to have their brands associated with the event. But so far, sponsors aren’t flocking to align their brands with the 2018 World Cup in Moscow.
During the Munich Security Conference last weekend, some expressed concern that climate change risks could escalate social conflicts around the globe.
Two trade associations says they will team up to standardize food labeling nationwide. But will the new labels actually alleviate consumer confusion and reduce unnecessary food waste?


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Since the startup boom in Africa, over 12 years ago, 11 startups of African origin have individually raised a minimum of $50 million. There were 19 of such funding rounds.
Of the 19 rounds, Financial Services had eight entries, followed by Marketplace (Online Retail) with seven. Online Retail had only two companies with multiple entries: Jumia accounted for four and South-African eCommerce platform, Takealot, had three.
No Financial Services company dominated the space. However, South-African Jumo, Nigeria’s Opera Pay (OPay), and Tala -- which was first launched in Kenya -- all had two entries.
In the infographic below, Intelligence by Techpoint dives into the data.
Go deeper and gain more insights about the African startup space. Get the 2020 edition of the Nigerian Startup Funding Report.


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Both stocks have been posting year-to-date declines, as well as losses over shorter periods.
Meanwhile, other companies, such as Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.B), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP.A) are showing signs of life.
Bank of America analysts Andrea Pistacchi and Victor Beltran-Segarra see global alcoholic beverage industry sales rising 5.6% in fiscal year 2023, despite weaker-than-expected performance since the start of the fiscal year. ‘year.
They added that they expected 4.6% growth in the US market.
“In Asia, China is expected to accelerate on easy offsets and potential easing of the Covid zero-tolerance policy, while the rest of the region rebounds strongly,” they wrote.
The recovery of the travel industry should also contribute to the global rebound in beverages. In the United States, analysts pointed out, in-home alcohol spending represents only 1% of Americans’ total income, but adult beverages are “a relatively ‘affordable’ pleasure for most…suggesting that this will be one of the last purchases that consumers will sacrifice. .”
Additionally, according to the report, two-thirds of alcohol spending in the United States comes from households earning more than $75,000 a year. This could bode well for sales, if high earners continue to spend their disposable income on alcohol.
Despite Bank of America analysts’ optimism about fiscal 2023 and the strength of well-paid consumers, high inflation and rising energy costs could hamper consumer demand for the foreseeable future.
Double-digit sales growth
British company Diageo has grown sales at double-digit rates since March 2021, but growth has slowed. Revenues were also growing at double-digit rates, but growth has been flat recently.
Wall Street expects earnings to rise 15% in fiscal 2023, to $8.30 per share, then another 9% in 2024, to $9.05 per share.
According to data from MarketBeat, analysts have a consensus rating of “hold” on Diageo. The title has been corrected since January. It closed Tuesday at $174.36, up $0.52 or 0.30%. The stock widened earlier in the session, but reversed to close near its session low.
It is currently trading below key moving averages, which does not bode well for investors hoping to enter as the stock is about to make a big price move.
Diageo owns 200 alcohol brands, sold in more than 180 countries. Brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Tanqueray, Bailey’s, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal and Ketel One.
First choice as economies recover
In the beverages report, Bank of America said its top pick was Pernod. Analysts cited reasons including the recovery of China and travel, the company’s balance sheet and an attractive valuation. Pernod has a market capitalization north of $48 billion, but as a France-based company it is not tracked by the S&P 500.
Well-known Pernod brands include Jameson, Glenlivet, Chivas and Beefeater, among many others.
Like Diageo, Pernod has also been in liquidation since early January. A rally attempt in April failed and the stock sold off along with the broader global market, following the summer rally in equity markets.
Profits and sales have both increased in recent quarters, following slowdowns in 2020, as the company has clearly been hit hard by closures of bars, restaurants and other out-of-home venues.
This stock is also underperforming the broader market and languishing below longer-term price lines, such as the 50- or 200-day averages, as well as the shorter-term averages.
During economic downturns, consumers often turn to less expensive alternatives. This is true in many product categories, including alcohol. Bank of America calls this phenomenon “trading down”.
Bank of America analysts said Pernod’s U.S. portfolio “should be relatively downside-proof, with the exception of a few smaller brands. Key growth drivers have limited exposure to low-income consumers (Jameson, The Glenlivet, Jefferson’s) or are attractively priced (Malibu) In addition, much of Pernod’s growth in the US is coming from specialty brands that still have plenty of room to grow.
Despite a “buy” rating on the stock, as you can see on MarketBeat’s analyst data page, and some future potential, it’s generally best to avoid a stock that’s currently in a correction.
Companies mentioned in this article
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Investors who are at or near retirement age know that the need for reliable income is moving up the priority list. This makes investing in dividend stocks a logical choice. Most dividend-paying stocks pay dividends on a quarterly basis. However, for people who don’t have an income stream from employment, quarterly dividends of any size create an uneven income stream. This can be difficult in times of economic volatility, and especially in the face of rising inflation.
One solution for these investors is to buy a special class of dividend stocks that pay dividends monthly. Monthly dividend income is one way to create predictable cash flow. And investors also have access to stocks that have a high dividend yield, sometimes over 10%. That’s nearly 10 times the 1.6% average dividend yield of S&P 500 stocks. And because of the business models of these companies, those returns are sustainable.
In this special presentation, we’ll look at 7 monthly dividend stocks that are yielding more than 10% in June 2022.
See the “7 Dividend Stocks That Gain 10% Every Month”.


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Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) by 8.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 862,777 shares of the company’s stock after selling 84,062 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.07% of Kraft Heinz worth $47,547,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 2.8% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 36,036,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,985,959,000 after buying an additional 997,088 shares during the last quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd increased its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 39.6% in the second quarter. Magellan Asset Management Ltd now owns 33,621,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,112,094,000 after buying an additional 9,529,235 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 5.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,693,659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $479,108,000 after buying an additional 438,842 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 3.3% in the second quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,204,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $452,592,000 after buying an additional 230,493 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Investors Inc. PA increased its holdings in Kraft Heinz by 39,913.8% in the second quarter. Federated Investors Inc. PA now owns 3,407,179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,038,000 after buying an additional 3,398,664 shares during the last quarter. 62.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
KHC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Investment Research lowered Kraft Heinz from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 5th. BidaskClub lowered Kraft Heinz from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Saturday, September 29th. ValuEngine raised Kraft Heinz from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, October 19th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Kraft Heinz in a report on Monday, September 17th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $52.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised Kraft Heinz to a “hold” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 4th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $66.89.
Shares of KHC stock opened at $48.71 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $60.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.87, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.45. Kraft Heinz Co has a 1 year low of $48.51 and a 1 year high of $80.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 1.00.
Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 1st. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.81 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $6.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.31 billion. Kraft Heinz had a return on equity of 6.62% and a net margin of 39.56%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.83 EPS. Analysts predict that Kraft Heinz Co will post 3.64 earnings per share for the current year.
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.625 per share. This represents a $2.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 15th. Kraft Heinz’s payout ratio is 70.42%.
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This report was originally reported by American Banking News and is owned by of American Banking News. If you are accessing this report on another website, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of United States & international trademark & copyright legislation. The original version of this report can be viewed at https://www.americanbankingnews.com/2018/12/08/franklin-resources-inc-sells-84062-shares-of-kraft-heinz-co-khc.html.
About Kraft Heinz
The Kraft Heinz Company manufactures and markets food and beverage products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. Its products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy products, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, and other grocery products. The company offers its products under the Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Planters, Maxwell House, Capri Sun, Ore-Ida, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Cracker Barrel, P'Tit Cheese, Tassimo, Classico, Plasmon, Pudliszki, Honig, HP, Benedicta, ABC, Master, Quero, Golden Circle, Wattie's, Glucon D, and Complan names.
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- The FDA announced on Tuesday that access to hearing aids will be expanded.
- Americans 18 years and older will be able to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids without a medical exam, prescription, or fitting adjustment by an audiologist as early as October.
- The FDA’s decision offers more affordable and accessible healthcare.
About 30 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss, and would benefit from the use of a hearing aid, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. And as of now, hearing aids are only available via prescription and with a heavy price tag—but by October that could change. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled today to allow hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter (OTC).
This decision allows those with “perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment” to obtain hearing aids from in-person or online retail and drugstores “without the need for a medical exam, prescription, or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist,” according to the FDA. These over-the-counter hearing aids are expected to be available as early as October of this year.
This decision results from President Biden’s Executive Order which called upon the FDA to “to promote the wide availability of low-cost hearing aids,” in July of 2021.
“The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearing aids, furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of expanding access to high-quality health care and lowering health care costs for the American public,” the FDA explained in a press release. “It is designed to assure the safety and effectiveness of OTC hearing aids, while fostering innovation and competition in the hearing aid technology marketplace.”
Thousands of Americans supported the proposed ruling, including consumers, professionals, hearing aid manufacturers, members of congress, and more. This level of support helped influence the final FDA decision to expand access to hearing aid devices.
The decision will affect so many, in so many ways. “Expanding buying options is important because our ears can help foster work success and a happy social life as well as keep us safe,” explained Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America said in a previous interview with Prevention.
As of now the cost of over-the-counter hearing aids is unknown, but the move to OTC is expected to slash prices. Currently in the U.S., prescription hearing aids can range from $1,400 to almost $3,000 for a single hearing aid—that’s up to $6,000 a pair—according to Better Hearing. And that price doesn’t include the costs of seeing a specialist to prescribe the hearing aids in the first place.
The OTC options won’t be exactly like their prescription counterparts, though. “To assure the safety and effectiveness” of over-the-counter hearing aids, certain design elements of the devices will change, according to the FDA. These changes will include: “lowering the maximum sound output to reduce the risk of hearing from over-amplification of sound, revising the insertion depth limit in the ear canal, requiring that all OTC hearing aids have a user-adjustable volume control, and simplifying the phrasing throughout the required device labeling to ensure it is easily understood.”
This awaited move by the FDA to make these auditory devices available without a medical test, prescription, or fitting will allow countless people with hearing impairments to get what they need, faster and cheaper. Now that’s music to our ears.
Shannen Zitz is a Freelance Editorial Assistant at Prevention who recently graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with an English degree. She loves all things fashion, beauty, and wellness. If she’s not reading or writing, you can probably find her frequenting the skincare and makeup forums on Reddit.


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10 Things AMD Needs to Fix Now - Develop an Alternative to Intels Atom
Develop an Alternative
to Intel's Atom
AMD remains silent on the low-cost PC front that Intel has tackled with its new, low-watt Atom processors. If Intel is correct, this market for low-cost notebooks alone could be worth about $10 billion. AMD should be grabbing at the market, too. One option involves the company's low-volt Geode processors, which would make a good fit but would need technical adjustments to deliver the performance needed for the latest PCs and Internet devices.
AMD reported its sixth straight quarterly loss April 17 and continued 2008 on a sour note, but management promises the company will turn things around-


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Chalco First-Half Loss Widens on Lower Aluminum PricesBloomberg News
Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., the nation’s biggest producer, said its first-half loss widened amid lower prices.
The company, known as Chalco, posted a loss of 4.12 billion yuan ($671 million), or 0.3 yuan a share, in the first half. That compared with a loss of 623.8 million yuan, or 0.05 yuan a share, a year ago, it said in a statement, citing Chinese accounting standards. Sales declined 8.6 percent to 70.1 billion yuan.
Aluminum prices in London averaged about 8 percent lower in the first-half of 2014 than a year earlier. The lightweight metal’s prices have since rebounded, reaching an 18-month high of $2,100 a metric ton on Aug. 26, as producers including Chalco shuttered capacity.
The company said it still faces a “tough” operating environment in the second half.
The loss contrasts with United Co. Rusal, the world’s largest aluminum producer, which yesterday reported its first profit in five quarters as prices and premiums rose. Alcoa Inc. last month posted better-than-expected profit in the second quarter on the strength of its smelting business.
Chalco closed unchanged at HK$3.45 in Hong Kong before the earnings announcement. The benchmark Hang Seng Index lost 0.7 percent. The company’s Shanghai-traded shares declined 1.1 percent to 3.61 yuan today.
Aluminum has rallied as much as 26 percent since Feb. 3, when it touched the lowest since July 2009. It entered a bull market on the London Metal Exchange last month. Today, the metal for delivery in three months rose 0.1 percent to $2,088.
Chalco said April 16 it would cut 600,000 tons of production capacity.
The rebound in price may prompt the Chinese aluminum industry to restart closed smelters. Almost 1 million metric tons of aluminum capacity, including the suspended capacity in Chalco, is in the process of starting up, Credit Suisse Group AG analysts said in a note July 30.
— With assistance by Helen Yuan


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New governance by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has called for greater transparency on business transactions. All company operations need to appear financially appropriate to those with a vested interest which, in times of austerity, seems to be most of the general public. As a result, businesses have to think twice about the amount they spend on conferences, meetings and hospitality. Inevitably this area of expenditure is becoming the first victim of budgetary cuts.
Barclay’s has already placed worldwide restrictions on employees travelling to meetings. Aviva has gone as far as cancelling hospitality events for brokers. Is it now only a matter of time until increasingly more sectors incorporate similar rules and regulations to their business operations?
It is not surprising that such restrictions have been put in place by the FCA. After all, the media condemned the financial sector with a heavy sentence during the peak of the economic crisis and this legacy has not been forgotten. For the meetings industry this means that the new brief is as follows: if your client would be embarrassed or damaged by their event being splashed across the front page of the tabloids, then quite simply, no-one will go near it. The truth is that less is definitely more nowadays.
Whilst many in the conference and meetings industry will see the changing rules imposed by the FCA as a potential crisis, the reality is quite different. If your venue justifiably offers value for money, fully encompassing the new regulations, your existing clients will have no reason to take their business elsewhere. In fact, five-star hotels may be well placed in converting their meetings spaces into additional spa facilities and focusing on consumer travellers and bonus day bankers!
When ABPI established the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) 21 years ago, they placed harsh regulations on the spending practices of drugs companies. Despite this, Robinson College’s relationship with the medical and pharmaceutical industry has remained strong, with demand for meetings within this sector increasing by 7% on previous years. We see no need to be concerned about the FCA’s ruling, because we already meet the business needs for our clients completely in line with these new corporate guidelines.
If this is not the case for your business, perhaps now is a good time to ask yourself, why not?


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Best of 2013: Funky Glasses Kill 3D TV Dream
The television industry promised 3D TV would revolutionize home entertainment. Samsung, Panasonic, Sony -- even retailers like Best Buy got in on it. But three years later 3D TV still hasn't taken off. So what happens now? Bloomberg Businessweek's Sam Grobart takes a look. (Source: Bloomberg)
Most Recent Videos
Was the DNC Hack Preventable?
51:38 - Eric O'Neill, Carbon Black's national security strategist, discusses how to respond to government hacks with Bloomberg's Emily Chang on "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)


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Some of India's biggest brick-and-mortar retail chains are refusing to sell Android One devices, due to Google's handling of online sales, as well as low profit margins, says a report.
The Audiophiliac muses about his favorite subject.
The South Korean electronics giant will roll out the Styler wardrobe, which cleans clothes with steam rather than water and detergent, in China and America in the next month.
Researchers create a machine that vomits to study how virus particles emitted when someone throws up can spread through the air and infect others. They had us at "a machine that vomits."
Road Trip 2015: The first in a two-part series on Vietnam's startup scene and how the government is trying to rev up investment and interest in businesses that hope to be the next viral hit.
Yub nub! Let Internet star Munchkin brighten your day as she dresses in an Ewok costume and waddles through the grass with her walking stick to a "Star Wars" soundtrack.
For the ninth quarter in a row, T-Mobile has added more than 1 million net total customers. The question remains: will that be enough to take the No. 3 spot?
For as little as $42, you can get a sweet peel-and-stick montage to adorn nearly any wall. Plus: two bonus deals!
Grab a mic! Most people can carry a tune, even if they think their voice would make Simon Cowell scowl, a researcher at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music says.
You don't have to be a poet for your words to make beats -- the Typedrummer site will translate. CNET'S Michael Franco talks to the man behind the code.


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A lasting change in consumer behavior, an industry in denial, a growing sense of gloom and the possibility that things could get even worse.
Not retail for a change, but the British office market. Rising borrowing costs mean a correction is underway in commercial property, with the UK’s largest listed landlords reporting falling values this month.
Structural change is also corrosive. The pandemic-driven shift to hybrid working continues, leading to a drop in demand for office space, similar to the rise of online stores to brick-and-mortar stores. The two sectors are certainly different, but there are echoes.
First, it can take a while for a trend to hurt. In retrospect, the expansion of retail space in the UK after the advent of smartphones in 2008 looks insane: the total space grew by about 10 percent over the next decade, according to agents Lambert Smith Hampton. Even as the online share of retail increased, demand for logistics skyrocketed, and retailer failures increased, physical growth continued, apparently justified by the “halo” effect of new stores or omnichannel strategies. Once vacancy rates started to rise significantly, it was too late: real estate agent Savills has said that as much as 300 million square feet, or a quarter of the market, could be redundant by 2030.
Office landlords don’t have to worry about multi-location tenants simply disappearing, or at least not with the frequency that retailers have faced in recent years. But after suggestions that bosses or youth or ambitious would lead the office return, followed by predictions that warm weather, or cold weather, or economic pressures would force an uptick, the shift to working from home seems to be holding. According to Remit Consulting, the occupancy rate is about half its pre-pandemic level, or about 30 percent.
That takes time to get to market when leases expire. Research from LSH this summer found three-quarters of occupiers said they planned to reduce space when they could, based on a stable workforce, with the most popular option being a reduction of between one-fifth and 40 percent.
Which brings us to another echo: “bifurcation” is the industry’s best friend. Despite an increase in vacancy since 2020, particularly in the City, office brokers point to robust rental figures, with most rental companies looking for the newest, most sustainable office space. Tenants are willing to pay more for less space, they say, but in a better location and in a building their staff might like.
Prime, in the industry jargon, will be fine. In retail, after years of similar claims, that wasn’t the case: Top quality malls may have been the last to crack and the first to recover, but everyone suffered, says Peter Papadakos of Green Street Advisors, who reported a 15 percent drop for retail. office demand has predicted from hybrid working since mid-2020. The rot in one part of the market can seep into the other.
According to the RICS, expectations for the capital value of prime offices in the next year followed secondary to negative territory between the second and third quarters of this year, while the previously strong rental outlook was reduced to modest growth.
The real danger now is how a structural change in what tenants want from office space interacts with a cyclical downturn. Retailers suffered not only from online, but also from rents being too high relative to sales, both of which were subsequently exacerbated by the pandemic.
The office market does not have the same affordability problem; operating costs are perhaps 15 percent of total operating costs and much lower relative to personnel costs than retail. But that makes job growth prospects critical, impacting tenants’ willingness to take excess square footage with them just in case, or upgrade to more luxurious rooms close to cafes or bars, especially if the battle for attracting staff decreases. Subletting is the first sign of trouble as companies hedge their bets when faced with a recession of uncertain depth and duration.
Whether the retail rumble in the office market gets louder will be determined as much by employment numbers as by square footage.


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The stock market is calling RIM’s new BlackBerry launch a dud.
Friday’s selloff has picked up steam on heavy trading volume amid reports that the U.S. launch is failing to generate the buzz that is typically associated with major launch events.
What’s problematic, WSJ reports, is AT&T Inc. doesn’t appear to be highlighting the new phone, the Z10, or giving it prominent shelf space at its stores. The phone will go on sale in Verizon stores next week.
“You walk into an AT&T store and there’s no special announcement and there’s not a lot of fanfare,” Colin Gillis, tech analyst at BGC Partners, said in a chat with MarketBeat. “That’s an issue the company is facing.”


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The court ruled that, “it is unlawful for a person to manufacture, label, package, sell or advertise a food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, nature, substance or quality”.
The court presided over by Justice Dr. Osei Hwere also awarded a cost of GH¢ 500.00 each against the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and six other registered sachet producers.
The injunction followed a writ filed against Voltic Ghana Limited together with the FDA, Nivaansh Manufacturing Limited, A.R. Zare, Adat Water Limited, Straight Gate Ministry, Tasty Urban Water Limited and Right River Enterprise.
The plaintiff, Century Investment Limited which is also a sachet water producing company filed the action against the aforementioned defendants over what it claims, is unfair trading practice.
The company went to court seeking a declaration that the arrangement under which the six companies are using the franchise of Voltic to produce “Voltic Cool Pac” amount to unfair trading, deception of consumers and the public, and a passing off.
It also sought for an order of injunction, which was granted, when the case came up for hearing on Thursday.
According to the GNA, only Voltic Ghana, entered appearance and the court awarded the GH¢ 500.00 cost against the other defendants for failing to enter appearance.
In its statement of claim, Century Investment said among other things that, Voltic and the six other companies have for some time now been producing sachet water with the brand name “Cool Pac” and with different registered/licensed numbers embossed on the various 500milligram (ml) sachets.
It further claimed that they have been packaging the sachet water in 500ml sachets with the inscription ‘Cool Pac’ but on the larger packs containing 30 pieces of 500mls sachets of water, the name ‘Voltic’ is added to the brand name Cool Pac to read “Voltic Cool Pac’.
According to the plaintiff, “it is unlawful for a person to manufacture, label, package, sell or advertise a food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, nature, substance or quality."
Regarding the Food and Drugs Authority, Century Investment stated that it had reneged on its duty to protect the consuming public from false, deceptive labelling and branding of water produced by the defendants.


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AUSTRALIA: New footage released of Victoria’s medicinal cannabis crop
Never-before-seen footage of Victoria’s medicinal cannabis crop
New footage of Victoria’s medicinal cannabis crop has been released, along with a promise the treatment will “change so many lives”.
Premier Daniel Andrews shared the footage of the first approved Australian crop to his Facebook page today, after Victoria became the first state to legalise cannabis for medical use.
The video shows forensic testers pruning and drying the crop before it is pressed into oil.
More than 150 plants were delivered to the Melbourne-based Cann group, which was the first company issued with a licence to be able to grow medicinal cannabis in Australia.
Other crops have also been approved in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.
In March, the Andrews Australian Labor Party Government spent almost million to import the product from Canada to treat 29 children with severe epilepsy, with the wait for locally-produced cannabis then thought to be too long.
Victoria’s locally produced crop is made at a secret location and will be produced in oil, capsule, vapour and spray forms.
Research has proven that medicinal cannabis, cannabidiol, can significantly reduce convulsive seizures in children with severe epilepsy.
The international study, published earlier this year in The New England Journal of Medicine, focused on Dravet syndrome, a severe epilepsy beginning in infancy where children experience drug-resistant seizures.
Earlier this year, Health Minister Jill Hennessy MP said the next stage would be to determine which adults would be eligible for treatment with medicinal cannabis.
NOTE: Cannabis Club Australia believes that Australian adults should have the legal right to grow and consume their own cannabis.
PLEASE LIKE, SHARE AND COMMENT IF YOU WANT THE FREEDOM THE GOVERNMENT HAS.


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Craft beer drinkers, prepare for Irma IPA. What started with spaghetti models has ended with 15 barrels of Irma-themed beer, produced as part of a statewide collaboration in St. Petersburg this month. Brewers expect sales of the beer to earn …
Florida beer wholesalers and brewers are attempting to return to work in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which wreaked havoc on the state and has left millions of residents without power.
Funky Buddha joins the list of Florida craft breweries to be acquired by a beer conglomerate. Constellation Brands, owner of Modelo, Corona and Ballast Point, acquired Funky Buddha for an undisclosed sum.
The MillerCoors brewery in Trenton is producing much more than beer. The Butler County plant is partnering with the American Red Cross to provide fresh drinking water to disaster zones.
Entrepreneurship is like a poker game. The longer you stay at the table, and the more chips you accumulate, the more you stand to lose if your luck runs out.
Florida loves beer — nearly $22 billion worth of it. That’s according to an economic impact report conducted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Institute released earlier this month that shows the beer industry contributed $21.6 billion …
Here’s the skinny: Lawmakers are moving legislation to allow beer distributors to give away glasses from brewers imprinted with product names and logos to bars and restaurants. Now, they have to be sold.
TALLAHASSEE — Universal Parks & Resorts is stepping into the middle of a bar fight between beer makers and distributors over legislation that would allow brewers to sponsor rides or events at major theme parks.
Bills are moving in the Legislature to allow beer distributors to give away glasses from brewers imprinted with product names and logos to bars and restaurants. Now, they have to be sold.
As an FSU grad, it makes me happy to no end to see how well craft beer is going in Tallahassee. Of those, I’ve been quite fortunate to try several beers from Lake Tribe Brewing, a Tally brewhouse that recently …


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ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — Actor Dan Aykroyd made an exclusive appearance at Byerly's Wines & Spirits shop here last month to sign bottles of his new Crystal Head premium vodka.
Aykroyd's in-store appearance comes at a time when famous names are boosting spirits sales at supermarkets, according to the Nielsen Co.
There's tequila from Justin Timberlake, vodka from Donald Trump and whiskey from Willie Nelson.
Celebrity spirits sales grew 19% last year in supermarkets compared to 2007, and represent 0.3% ($7.5 million) of the total spirits category, according to Nielsen. In liquor stores, celebrity spirits are growing at an even faster rate, showing a nearly 21% increase since last year.
Along with Aykroyd's in-store appearance at the St. Louis Park store, Crystal Head vodka was available for purchase exclusively at all seven Lunds and Byerly's Wines & Spirits Shops from March 18 through 23.
Aykroyd was an original cast member on NBC's “Saturday Night Live” and starred in such movies as “The Blues Brothers” and “Ghostbusters.”
The idea for Crystal Head Vodka reportedly came from Aykroyd's fascination with ghosts, spirits and extraterrestrial life.
This vodka is free of any additives such as sugar, glycerin and citrus oil. It is made with water from a deep aquifer in Newfoundland, and quadruple distilled and triple filtered through polished crystals known as Herkimer diamonds. The vodka is then placed in a bottle sculpted into a glass rendering of a human skull. The bottle is produced by Bruni Glass in Milan, Italy.


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A record number of British citizens are preparing to move abroad to escape the cost of living squeeze, as soaring energy prices and rising inflation ravage household budgets.
The highest level of searches in internet history were made in Britain for the term “move abroad” last month on search engine giant Google. Searches rose by 1,000pc in April, data commissioned by emigration specialist Reiss Edwards found.
America, Canada and Australia ranked as the most popular destinations, with searches about Australian visas rising 670pc in the last 12 months.
More than 400,000 British residents emigrate each year, 20,000 of which move across the Atlantic to America, according to Amar Ali of Reiss Edwards. “The British public has been faced with a gradual rise in the cost of living since the pandemic, which has been amplified enormously in the last couple of months,” he said.
Rising prices have pushed some British residents to look for an alternative, and more affordable, country to live in.
Inflation hit 7pc in March and the Bank of England has warned it could reach 10pc this year. Meanwhile, the tax burden is on track to reach its highest level since the 1940s.
Jason Porter of Blevins Franks, a financial adviser for expats, said there had been a “considerable” jump in the number of people looking to move abroad this year.
“People are paying much more for everything and it’s a culmination of bad news. It makes people get into the mindset of needing a new start and they know they will have a much cheaper life abroad,” he said.
Inflation is rising globally but higher wages and a cheaper cost of living means that many foreign countries are still attractive.
Mr Porter said: “Other countries like France, Spain or Portugal are starting from a much lower point because the cost of living was so much cheaper and it still will be even if they have strong inflation.”
Even a move to America, where inflation is running at 8.5pc, a 40-year high, could prove profitable for people in Britain. The average cost of living is 1pc less expensive here in the UK but lower wages leaves British workers worse off than their American counterparts. The average British after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.6 months compared to 2 months in the United States, according to analyst Livingcost.
Australia has also raised interest rates to combat inflation, increasing the Bank Rate for the first time in 11 years to 0.35pc from 0.1pc. This follows price rises of 5.1pc in the year to March. Similarly to America, Australian wages after tax stretch to cover more living expenses than UK wages.
Europe has been wrestling with rising inflation but some countries have fared better than others. France’s national consumer price index rose to 4.8pc in April while Spanish consumer prices rose 8.4pc. Both typically have lower living costs than Britain.