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The one-off resurgence support payment (RSP) is designed to help businesses cover costs, such as rent or fixed costs during higher alert levels.
To be eligible for the payment, which took effect yesterday, businesses must have had a 30% drop in revenue over a seven-day period because of the lockdown.
The RSP includes a base payment of $1500 per business, plus $400 per employee, up to a total of 50 full-time staff, with a maximum payment of $21,500.
Businesses with more than 50 full-time staff can apply, but will not get more than the maximum.
Businesses can apply for the RSP at the same time as the wage subsidy.
Yesterday, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the scheme would be available until all of New Zealand returned to Alert Level 1 for one month.
‘‘A strong public health response is still the best economic response.
‘‘The economy overall has been performing more strongly than when Covid reached our shores,’’ Mr Robertson said.
The Otago Southland Employers’ Association welcomed the government support.
Association solicitor Dr Kathryn McAuley said it was encouraging any businesses eligible to apply.
The payment was ‘‘vital’’ alongside the wage subsidy, because businesses also had other costs they had to meet, she said.
The application process had been made simpler this time, and the website also had a calculator businesses could use.
The association had been getting calls from businesses which were struggling, Dr McAuley said.
‘‘It is really good to have that payment available for them ... last time there was a lot of unknowns but the thing we did know was the length of time we were going to be in lockdown.’’
Business owners who wanted support were encouraged to ring the Covid-19 helpline - 0800 50 50 98 - operated by the association and the Otago Chamber of Commerce, Dr McAuley said.
Other financial support for businesses includes the leave support scheme, available for employers, including the self-employed, to help pay employees who need to self-isolate and cannot work from home.
It pays a lump sum of $600 per week for each full-time staff member and $359 a week for part-time workers for up to two weeks.
The short-term absence payment is available to businesses, including the self-employed, to cover staff who cannot work from home while they wait for a Covid-19 test result.
That payment is the same as the leave support scheme.
The wage subsidy scheme has had more than 127,000 applications, and $484 million has been paid out, since it reopened on Friday.
The majority of applicants are sole traders or small firms, 72% having 19 or fewer employees.
- Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald & RNZ


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Just when everyone thought that Google had signed Google TV’s death warrant when it released the Chromecast dongle yesterday, an employee working on the project says Google TV is all but finished.
The team behind the streaming TV platform says “we believe there is ample room for both products to exist and succeed”. Furthermore, it has been suggested that Google TV devices will received an update to support Google Cast – the technology that powers the Chromecast dongle – later this year.
The update for support to stream such content services from the likes of YouTube and Netflix will come as part of an Android 4.2.2 update for Google TV, which was announced earlier in the year at the Google I/O conference. However, products that are based on the intel chips such as the Logitech Revue and the early Sony products to adapt the Google TV platform will not receive the update, but products such as the Vizio Co-Star and Asus Cube will.
Chromecast – Best friend or Worst enemy?
Chrome and Android boss Sundar Pichai told CNET that “Google TV is moving forward in a major way” and “You’ll see more partners announced at CES.”
With the Google TV project seemingly failing to catch on or attract any real adoption from consumers, could the support of Chromecast be the missing piece in the puzzle to success? It will certainly make it a more accessible and compatible product with existing products on the market, and will particularly begin to compete directly with the Apple TV which has otherwise had free run of the market so far.
However, given the price tag of only $35 for the Chromecast dongle, there seems little scope left for the more expensive Google TV, with most consumers probably just opting for the dongle alone, and utilising their existing products with Google’s new Airplay like functionality. Ultimately, have we seen the last of Google TV?

domain: news


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Is this the start of the latte recession?
For years, Starbucks has claimed its perpetually growing chain of stores was resistant to blips in the U.S. economy. But this week it tempered that message, implying its customers might actually be cutting back on that extra Frappuccino.
The admission means Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) may be joining other restaurant companies who have taken a hit as consumers trim spending in the face of higher gasoline and food prices.
Starbucks, after reporting a 9 percent rise in third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, said weakened consumer spending was one reason why customer traffic at its U.S. stores rose less than 1 percent during the period.
Executives also blamed heightened competition as rivals such as McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) and Dunkin’ Donuts have upgraded their coffee offerings.
In an interview on Wednesday afternoon, Chief Executive Jim Donald said higher prices on commodities such as gasoline and milk were affecting Starbucks customers.
“All these things just add up to, maybe people aren’t going four times a week,” he said. “Maybe it’s three times a week.”
In a note to clients, Banc of America Securities analyst Andrew Barish said it was the first time Starbucks has said the weak economic environment and tougher competition was affecting sales. Barish has a “neutral” rating on Starbucks shares, which have dropped 23 percent this year on investor fears of slowing U.S. growth and rising costs on commodities such as milk.
Donald’s comments stand in stark contrast to those Starbucks executives have made in recent years about the company’s ability to withstand an economic slowdown.
“I would never say never, but I don’t see anything that indicates in the near future that Starbucks is going to be susceptible to the economy,” Chairman Howard Schultz said in an interview with Reuters last September.
William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia said on Thursday that economic worries were to blame for a string of small monthly same-store sales increases Starbucks posted in 2001 around the time of the September 11 attacks. Same-store sales is a key retail measure that tracks sales at stores open at least 13 months.
Since then, however, Starbucks has grown to more than 10,000 U.S. stores from about 3,000, making it even more vulnerable to the vagaries of consumer spending, Zackfia said.
“Anyone who has 10,000 stores is going to have a fairly wide bandwidth of customers they serve,” she said. “They are certainly not immune.”
Zackfia, who has an “outperform” rating on Starbucks shares and owns the stock, pointed out, however, that the coffee shop chain has not been as hard hit as others in the industry.
The Seattle-based company stood by its full-year earnings outlook, though it said achieving the upper end of its range of 87 to 89 cents per share would be “challenging.”
In contrast, companies including Panera Bread Co PNRA.O, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc PFCB.O and Wendy’s International Inc WEN.N have warned in the last month of weaker-than-expected results for the rest of the year, in part because of weak customer traffic.
Other restaurant companies have been more resilient. McDonald’s and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N), for instance, in the last month both posted quarterly same-store sales gains that exceeded Wall Street expectations.
Starbucks shares were down 16 cents at $27.04 in afternoon trade on Nasdaq on Thursday.


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The shares of the New Delhi-based company, which is majority-owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, were down by nearly 11 percent, or 147.75 rupees, at 1210.50 rupees on the Mumbai stock exchange in late morning trade.
Maruti reported that its net profit during the fiscal first quarter had slid to 4.65 billion rupees (99 million dollars) from 5.84 billion rupees a year earlier, despite a 27 percent leap in sales.
The fall was a shock for financial analysts who had forecast Maruti would report a profit of around seven billion rupees for the three months to June 30.
Analysts blamed bigger royalty payments to Maruti's parent Suzuki Motor Corp following a new agreement and forecast that the payouts would put pressure on the company's earnings in future quarters.
Maruti, which makes nearly one in two cars in India, paid 1.9 billion rupees in royalties to Suzuki, the company said, without giving year-ago figures.
The fast-growing Indian car market has become increasingly important to Suzuki Motor, which holds 54 percent of the company.
"The sudden change in royalty charge overshadows an otherwise strong operating performance," said Chirag Shah, research analyst at Emkay Global Financial Services Ltd, which lowered its ratings on the shares to "reduce."
Maruti, which is facing fiercer sales competition from domestic and global carmakers, also blamed such factors as higher steel and other commodity prices along with a weaker euro for the profit drop.


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UK Mail has secured a 231,000ft² plot of land in the West Midlands to develop its new hub. The purpose-built mail and parcel sorting centre will be developed at Prologis Park Ryton, near Coventry, and will include a 36,330ft² head office building. Automatic sorting equipment will be installed at the site, which the operator says will increase the proportion of parcels it sorts automatically from 20% to 80%. UK Mail chief executive Guy Buswell said: “Prologis Park Ryton was selected […]
Netherlands-based post and parcel firm PostNL – parent company to TNT Post -has sold part of its stake in TNT Express.
UK Pallets is to close, after parent company UK Mail pulled the plug following years of poor profitability. The closure will cost UK Mail £1m, plus asset write-downs of £2m.


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Worker pay is taking center stage as protesters push for $15-an-hour minimum wage from McDonald's. USA Today looks at how top executives compare.» Read More
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 13, 2014-- VoicePort, LLC announced today that they have launched their Prescription Adherence Solution at Klingensmith's Drug Stores, an eight door independent drug store chain headquartered in Ford City, PA. Alphonse J. Sasso, Vice President of Business Development at VoicePort commented, "We are very excited to have the chance to work with Klingensmith's Drug Stores in their pursuit of patient care.
A new study reveals that 80 percent of Super Bowl spots don't help sales. Pop culture commentator Chuck Nice shares his opinions on three hot topics.
The price of choice-grade U.S. beef at wholesale set a new record this week as tight supplies were squeezed by harsh weather.
The USDA shut down Foster Farms poultry plant in Calif. due to cockroach infestations. The plant was previously closed due to salmonella outbreaks.
CNBC's Jane Wells reports Chipotle Mexican Grill is partnering with a local pizza establishments where you can choose your own ingredients and make your own pie.
Rejecting criticism from activist investor Nelson Peltz, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi says it just makes sense to keep its snack and soft drink businesses together.
DENVER, Jan. 10, 2014-- Marley Coffee,, the sustainably grown, ethically farmed and artisan-roasted gourmet coffee company, announced that effective immediately, its coffee will be the corporate coffee option at the Denver- area headquarters of Arrow Electronics, the Fortune 500 electronics company.
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi addressed critics in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" Friday--saying the company's snack and soft drink businesses are "better together."
Denmark's food authority is asking pastry chefs to reduce the amount of cinnamon found in some foods because it contains an excessive amount of coumarin, reports CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera.
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 9, 2014-- Sente, Inc., a privately held specialty aesthetic skin care company engaged in the development of targeted skincare products based on glycoproteins, today announced that the company has entered into a strategic partnership with ZendyBeauty, the innovative online platform connecting patients with Board-Certified cosmetic dermatologists and plastic surgeons.
Discussing Constellation Brands 3Q earnings beat due to big beer sales, with Rob Sands, Constellation Brands president & CEO.
General Mills announced that Cheerios are no longer made with genetically modified organisms. Their reasons may be more about good business.
McDonald's pledged Tuesday to start buying sustainable beef, but it's going to take a while.
The parent of family restaurant and entertainment chain Chuck E. Cheese, is exploring a potential sale, people familiar with the matter said.
Tod Wilson, founder of Mr. Tod's Pie Factory, was the first winner on “Shark Tank.” CNBC.com caught up with him to see what's happened since.
As prime dipping season begins, Kraft Foods confirmed a shortage that couldn't come at a worse time.
On Tuesday, Starbucks will launch portable, less expensive versions of two of its most popular beverages.
Jed Kleckner, Delivery.com CEO, explains how the record cold weather is affecting the delivery industry in a positive way and discusses the pricing model of Delivery.com.
Some customers notice when they get less yogurt for the same price.
Discussing whether foods DETAILColin O'Neil, The Center For Food Safety, and Mark Connelly, CLSA analyst.
Federal prosecutors think G.M. is criminally liable for its ignition problems, the New York Times reports.
A confluence of economic factors are setting the scene for a strong Memorial Day Weekend in the auto industry.
Worker pay is taking center stage as protesters push for $15-an-hour minimum wage. USA Today looks at how top executives compare.


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There’s only a week until its launch and we can hardly believe how secretive Rihanna is being about her makeup line Fenty Beauty. (But at the same time, we *get* it.) Well, it’s finally, almost here. Having given us just a hint of what to expect while wearing Fenty Beauty on tour for Valerian, she’s now giving us the slow burn: Three clips have been released on various Instagram accounts. One features a cast of models including Duckie Thot, Slick Woods, Halima Aden, plus the singer herself, gleaming in a rose-mauve-chocolate palette of glitter and gloss, with a cameo of the packaging. The other two, one from @badgalriri and the other from @fentybeauty, each feature models coolly rattling off what are obviously tantalizing shade names.
The line will drop on September 8 at the stroke of midnight. But we’re hoping more revealing videos will be posted before then. See them for yourself below.
By Mufei Jiang


text: NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Shares of American Eagle Outfitters AEO, +0.13% slipped 3% in Wednesday premarket trading after shares of the teen apparel retailer were cut to sell by Merrill Lynch. Analyst Lorraine Maikis cited high management earnings targets and inventory for the action. "We think estimates are too high for fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2008, and expect earnings adjustments to be a negative catalyst for the stock," she wrote in a note to clients. "Entering what may be a weak consumer spending environment, we are looking for turnarounds, companies that have managed inventory well or those that can cut costs." Shares of American Eagle closed Tuesday at $25.31. Maikis said she prefers Abercrombie & Fitch ANF, -0.66% for its "productive square footage growth, cost control and lower inventory levels."


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TalkTalk shares jump as the telecoms firm receives a £1.1bn takeover offer from City bigwig known as 'the Rottweiler'
- Toscafund's bid of 97p a share values TalkTalk at around £1.1billion
- That's lower than a 135p offer Toscafund reportedly tabled for TalkTalk last year
- Executive chairman Charles Dunstone needs to approve the takeover
Shares in mobile and broadband provider TalkTalk jumped today after it received a takeover offer from its second largest shareholder, investment company Toscafund.
Toscafund's bid of 97p a share values TalkTalk at around £1.1billion - some £400million lower than a 135p offer that Toscafund reportedly tabled for the company last year.
TalkTalk shares hit a four month high following the announcement, rising 16 per cent to exactly 97p. However, they are still below their pre-Covid levels of around 120p in February.
Offer: Toscafund's bid of 97p a share values TalkTalk at around £1.1billion
Toscafund is headed up by Martin Hughes, who has reportedly been dubbed 'the Rottweiler' by some in the City due to an aggressive style of doing business.
TalkTalk, which often comes bottom of the list for customer service, said it was in discussions with the fund over the offer and had decided to 'progress the proposal further'.
Executive chairman Sir Charles Dunstone needs to approve the takeover for it to go ahead, after Hughes insisted on his backing.
Dunstone, the Carphone Warehouse founder who launched TalkTalk in 2013, still holds a nearly 30 per cent stake in TalkTalk, making him the firm's biggest shareholder.
Toscafund is the second largest shareholder with a 29 per cent stake.
In July, Sky News reported that Tosca made an indicative offer of 135p for TalkTalk in 2019 which however was rebuffed.
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Having been building in stake in TalkTalk in recent years Toscafund may have not unreasonably decided it could do a better job of managing the assets itself out of the glare of public markets.'
TalkTalk, which has around four million customers in the UK and generally offers cheaper prices than BT and Sky, suffered a fall in sales and customers during lockdown.
However its boss Tristia Harrison said sales of its new 'working from home' broadband packages had been 'strong', helping it rebound from the Covid slump.
TalkTalk has been struggling to remain competitive in recent years, and it often gets poor ratings for customer service and reliability.
It was the victim of a high-profile cyber-attack in 2015, which was highly damaging to the brand, that at the time was still led by Dido Harding.
TalkTalk shares jumped 16% today to 97p but they are still below their pre-Covid levels of around 120p in February
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To the inner elements, the location signifies which the inner speaker is bigger in physical dimension as compared with in earlier iPhones. Jakarta – InstaAgent yang sempat muncul di App Retailer dan Google Play Retailer sudah dihilangkan. Presently, Verizon prospects should pay $5 monthly for the premium app permitting them to observe the games reside – a characteristic solely accessible on phones. Uber President Jeff Jones has resigned, the company confirmed to NBC News on Sunday.
In recent times, the Commission has imposed antitrust penalties on other tech giants, ordering Intel to pay €1.1bn (£793m; $1.2bn) in 2009, and Microsoft €516m in 2013. If you wish to keep updated with what occurs on this planet of Technology, Hardware, smartphones, latest video games and apps, updates and critiques, latest geek tales and use as little time as potential, then this app is what you need!
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The biggest tech news of the day include Nintendo’s Swap controller challenge appears to be fastened, Instagram letting advertisers e-book appointments and Google including a location-sharing characteristic to its Maps app. You’ve rigorously priced the deal based mostly upon your expectations of how the shopper is going to make use of your technology – by a particular group within the buyer’s massive organization.
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We do our best to carry to the attention of our readers, Breaking Information, Movie star News and Gossips, politicking e.t.c. There are also huge tech names that didn’t make the cut of the Top 10 know-how firms, together with Apple, which was ranked No. 21 in expertise and No. 187 on the US 100. Here, I’ll let you know in regards to the tech corporations that offer highest paying internship applications.
Airbnb, led by CEO Brian Chesky, is among the tech-associated corporations that signed an amicus brief opposing the second travel ban. Different sources who work at two different tech corporations confirmed that the matter is essentially stuck at their respective authorized departments.
For one thing, the benefits of founding a tech startup distant from Silicon Valley are apparent. Conexx , the non-profit group whose mission is to engender constructive enterprise relationships between Israeli and Southeastern corporations and help …
Essentially the most environmentally friendly tech companies on the planet are these whose power consumption features a high percentage of renewable power. The Department of Commerce group organizes enterprise matchmaking introductions for his or her exhibitor corporations to meet with mobile carriers, hardware producers, enterprise mobility strategists and entrepreneurs to barter licensing agreements and develop global consciousness of their unique applied sciences and services.
In this article, we list the tech certifications that will repay biggest within the job market. Instead of running on a rotating strip of rubber, try to finish first within the Boston Marathon. Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano.
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Company Name : Silvan Innovation Labs
Funding Amount : Rs 3.5 crores
Investor(s) The Chennai Angels
Funding Round : Not Disclosed
The Chennai Angels has invested over Rs 3.5 crores in Bangalore based Silvan Innovation Labs which is engaged in developing products and solutions for Home Automation.
“The Chennai Angels Team consists of very experienced and successful entrepreneurs and we look forward to working with them and learning from their wisdom,” said Avinash, CEO of Silvan Innovation Labs.
Founded in 2008, Silvan Innovation Labs has now also launched its consumer products wherein it is providing solutions for retrofit homes. With a team of 70 people, it has developed products which are architected for Indian lifestyle.


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Just a couple of days ago, while many Dynamics CRM customers getting ready for Microsoft Convergence in Atlanta, Microsoft dropped a press release as well as a Bob Stutz blog post about some forthcoming functionality in the Dynamics CRM Spring release. Microsoft is making good on their more frequent release cadence for Dynamics CRM 2013.
- Increased focus on the marketing side of CRM, targeting the CMO (strong message in Bob’s blog post)
- Marketing enhancements via the Dynamics Marketing product (next step after the Marketing Pilot acquisition last year)
- Social listening capability native in Dynamics CRM, which will be at no additional cost to CRM Online customers similar to the strategy with InsideView Social Insights functinoality
- Customer care improvements…separate from the recent Parature acquisition announcement
I’ll be curious to get a pulse on the reaction of folks at Convergence, but at face value this is going to be a great update.


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Equities First Holdings, LLC, a global leader in asset-backed financing, today introduced a new corporate brand and identity. The firm and its seven global subsidiaries (as of 21 December) will be known as EquitiesFirstTM (“EquitiesFirst”). After 18 years in business, the rebrand reflects the firm’s dynamism as it enters a new phase of growth and expansion.
Founded in 2002, EquitiesFirst is a specialist in equity-backed financing, operating globally in all major financial markets. EquitiesFirst’s investment model provides loan capital to equity shareholders. The total value of loans transacted stands at US$2.5 billion as of 1 December 2020. This is a testimony to the hundreds of cases in which EquitiesFirst has supplied liquidity to founders, investors and other long-term shareholders.
The new brand name does not signal any change to EquitiesFirst’s innovative investment strategy. However, its mission is now encapsulated in the phrase “Progressive Capital”, a new expression for EquitiesFirst’s business and the benefits it brings to financing partnerships. EquitiesFirst’s Founder and CEO, Alexander Christy, Jr. said today, “We are creating a new paradigm for capital. Progressive Capital represents the best that financing can be: accessible, vital and transformative.”
EquitiesFirst has also taken this opportunity to codify the values at the core of its success as a global financial institution:
- Founded on respect: respect and fairness form the foundation of the relationships with our partners. EquitiesFirst recognises the shared experience of entrepreneurship, living through market cycles and establishing a long-term legacy.
- Here to help: ultimately, business is a connection that takes place between people. Effective partnership requires empathy, sincerity and innovation to adapt to unique and dynamic situations.
- Genuinely invested: alignment of interests drives EquitiesFirst’s model and creates value for all parties involved. The business grows when our partners grow and when they return to us over time.
This evolution of the brand reflects EquitiesFirst’s business growth and ambitions. As transaction volumes continue to increase, EquitiesFirst has demonstrated its commitment to regional markets by investing in a global footprint with 12 offices across eight countries.
In the wake of this rapid advancement and the firm’s new brand, Mr. Christy shared his reflections on EquitiesFirst’s origins and path forward,
“I can trace the original idea of EquitiesFirst back to 1997 when I brokered a loan against shares for a small family-owned apple farm. That capital not only saved their business and legacy but was also the inspiration for our business model. I am proud of the impact we have had over the last 18 years around the world. Today, we take the understanding of EquitiesFirst, and define ourselves for the next 18 years and beyond”.


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Velázquez Works To Boost Small Business Exports
BROOKLYN — Small businesses in New York and around the country may soon have additional tools to market their products abroad if Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn/Manhattan) has her way.
As the ranking member of the House Committee on Small Business, Velázquez recently introduced H.R. 3976, new legislation aimed at facilitating the participation of small firms in international trade.
The measure, entitled the “Enhancing Exports through Entrepreneurship Act of 2012,” creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to market their products abroad.
“Selling American goods and services overseas translates directly into good-paying jobs here at home,” Velázquez said. “Many entrepreneurs would like to compete globally, but find it difficult to take the first steps. This legislation offers resources they need to start selling and marketing their products internationally.”
Many provisions contained in the legislation are the product of a small business exporting workshop the Congresswoman hosted in the Lower East Side this past November. During that session, a number of New York entrepreneurs discussed how costly it is for small firms to begin exporting. Hurdles like shipping expenses, market research and compliance costs often dissuade small companies from competing globally.
H.R. 3976 would assist New York City firms with overcoming these barriers by offering tax credits to offset the costs of exporting to foreign countries. Under the bill, small firms can qualify for tax credits worth up to 25 percent of such expenditures, potentially saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“For small companies that are starting to market abroad, the upfront costs are significant,” Velázquez noted. “By providing targeted tax relief and new financing options, we can help entrepreneurs bridge the gap between when they begin selling their product abroad and when their overseas ventures pay for themselves.”
Small businesses interested in exporting their products would also enjoy new financing options through the legislation. Under the bill, the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation would boost their lending and investment to small firms.
Over the last five years, the Export-Import bank made more than $750 million available to New York’s small businesses seeking to market their products abroad. Velázquez’s legislation would expand and build on those types of investments.
“Access to capital is always a challenge for small companies, but for businesses that are taking on the new risk of shipping their product into new, foreign markets, it can be particularly daunting,” Velázquez noted. “With this bill we’re telling firms intent on exporting their product: we will ensure you have viable financing options.”
In addition to assisting small firms with revenue and capital needs, small businesses would benefit from technical assistance provisions in the bill. By making export-related information available through local resource centers like Women’s Business Centers, SCORE Chapters and Veteran Business Outreach Centers, entrepreneurs would easily obtain information such as demand for various goods and tariff schedules.
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A European court has ruled that popular toy brand maker Lego will not be allowed to trademark its characteristic toy plastic bricks. The Lego patent for the use of interlocking plastic bricks has long ago expired, and the company hoped that by trademarking the plastic brick design this would block competitors from using the exact same design. Disappointing this may be for Lego, the company has in recent years begun selling Lego blocks for purposes other than children’s toys. 10 examples are listed below.
1. The solar reflection tiles installed on the outside of the International space Station are made with Lego bricks dipped in Thompson’s water seal. Engineers working for NASA were surprised to find that Lego bricks are a lot more durable than other space-age polymer composites.
2. Much of the plastic inside of Apple’s popular iPhones and iPod’s are made from plastic recycled from used Lego bricks. Apparently, Steve Jobs loved playing with Lego as a kid and decided to make his company’s products out of the stuff.
3. Lego has discovered that it is possible to construct a freeway which will last for 200 years from more if it is built out of millions of small plastic Lego blocks which are then covered with a 1/8 inch layer of plastic. Such so-called, “Lego highways”, are being funded by Pres. Obama was stimulus package and make a whirring sound when drivn over.
4. Much of the new Berlin-Wall-style immigration barrier being built between Mexico and the United States will be constructed from Lego blocks which are glued together by Smurfs.
5. Toyota is building a light weight electric-gas-solar-steam powered hybrid which will be built-amazingly enough-out of Lego blocks. The car company discovered that melting Lego blocks together in the form of a car was a more efficient and green way to build a car, though the final product looks like it was designed by Salvador Dali.
6. As an homage to Lego toys, an exact replica of the Golden Gate bridge will be built in Manhattan by using 50 billion red Lego bricks.
7. An entrepreneur in South Dakota has figured out a way to make a customizable bed frame out of Lego blocks to help even the lightest sleeper get some much needed Z’s. Buyers of the bed simply “sculpt” the surface of the bed by using Legos, upon which a flexible mattress is placed.
8. Scientists working at Stanford have discovered that shrinking down Lego building blocks could be used to build even faster micro-chips if the building blocks are made out of carbon nanotubes coated with silly putty.
9. Boeing is investigating making experimental aircraft fuselages out of Lego blocks, however there remains a concern that during flight small children may start taking the plane apart.
10. In preparation for hosting the Winter Olympics, Russia has reportedly bought up all Lego blocks in stock at Lego Headquarters in Carlsbad California, and they will be used to build a gigantic Russian flag which will be visible from outer space.
For the Top Ten Surprising Facts About the Eiffel Tower click here.


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Remi Bader is “honoured” to be been named as Victoria’s Secret latest plus-size model.
The 26-year-old TikTok star will work with the brand - which has been attempting to rebrand amid a series of scandals - as both a brand ambassador and as a size consultant on their PINK line as the lingerie company attempts to rework its image.
In a statement, Remi said: “What intrigued me so much about this partnership — besides the fact that I grew up wearing PINK — is the brand’s openness for my honesty and desire to see change.
"PINK has made a lot of strides over the years to be more inclusive and focus on mental health and I’m really honoured to work with the team to help young adults embrace their bodies and be an honest voice for the amazing community I’ve built."
Executives shared how much they admire how Remi has pushed “the boundaries” as they begin their year-long partnership - which kicks off with larger sizes of swimwear being made available.
Amy Hauk, the CEO of Victoria’s Secret’s PINK brand said in a statement: “We love how Remi uses her platform to push the boundaries and make real change. We’re always striving to improve as a brand and ensure our customers feel empowered and confident in our products. We also admire how she’s real about all aspects of being an influencer and how she’s been open about her own mental health journey.”
Remi - who boasts 2.5 million followers across her social networks - will also work across the brand to ensure their aims are met, including on charitable causes, such as the Pink With a Purpose panel.
Victoria’s Secret has been on a mission to rebrand their image - which included a sexed-up annual fashion show - after a series of setbacks, including changing consumer demands and being accused of perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards through their ‘Angels’, which included models such as Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, Candice Swanepoel and Lily Aldridge.


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Bridgestone filed a lawsuit in September 2017 with the Shanghai Intellectual Property Court alleging that Fangxing’s use of its patented truck tire tread pattern to manufacture and sell tires was a patent infringement. . In May 2018, a ruling was issued ordering Fangxing to suspend infringement and pay damages of RMB620,000 (approximately ¥ 9.8 million). An appeal was subsequently filed in June of the same year, but the lower court ruling was upheld by the Shanghai Superior People’s Court, and Bridgestone’s winning case was finalized.
The patents covered are related to the tread pattern of the company’s truck tire “R118,” and are products that Bridgestone independently developed for the Asian market, including China.


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This week, LULU will begin testing “self-care” products online and 50 of its stores as part of the company’s strategy to dabble in white space and introduce innovation to its customers. New test categories include training and running. But the company says it remains committed to its core women’s business, projected to grow “in the low double digits” and men’s, with an annual growth target of 20 percent, for the next five years.
In July, Lululemon will open a 20,000-sq.-ft. experiential store in Chicago’s Lincoln Park section that will feature multiple studios, meditation space, healthy juice/food offerings and dedicated space for community gatherings. Meanwhile, the brand has expanded its membership program to a third city—Austin, TX—and has expanded its Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) capability to 115 doors.
In Q1, LULU’s North American business grew 18 percent as store traffic increase in the high single digits. Senior management says the company has significant growth opportunities in the region via its merchandise assortments, flexible store formats and unique event offerings. Meanwhile, the current full year FY19 outlook calls for a revenue range of $3.73-3.77 billion and a comparable sales increase in the low double digits on a constant dollar basis.


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Fans of The Room series have been eagerly anticipating the release of the new entry of the series which will be simply called The Room 3. The game was supposed to be released this Spring in all regions but the game eventually got delayed to Summer 2015 and it really seems like it will miss this release window as well. Despite all this, things are looking great for the game and the wait isn’t going to be that long.
Fireprooof Games has confirmed today that The Room 3 is “probably a couple of months away from a release”. The team has also confirmed that the game is pretty much playable at this point and the team will be focusing on puzzles tweaking, hints writing and general polishing from now on.
Today some brand new The Room 3 screenshots have also been made available online. You can check them out in really high quality by going here.
The previous entry of the series, The Room 2, has been released a while back on the App Store. The Room 2 expands the gameplay experience of its predecessor by including several connected puzzles in different rooms, with the player having the ability to move freely between them. Also, at the end of each stage, players will be have to find the real exit of the room, adding yet another gameplay element to the experience.
The Room 3 will be released in the near future in all regions on the App Store. We will keep you updated on the game’s release date as soon as more comes in on it so stay tuned for all the latest news.


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Mr. Prater, one of the architects of the idea, had been inspired by his own experience, both as someone who had ridden as a boy, and became a motocross competitor, and as a father who was introducing his two sons to the sport. After the presentation, one of the board members asked to look at the ride program.
The idea got unexpected traction, but there were two problems. First, the time to sell parents on motorcycling isn’t necessarily right after watching racers jump motorcycles 30 feet in the air. The other was that Supercross fans already liked motorcycles. But, one board member suggested, what about using other shows Feld puts on?
The result was a three-year outreach program to run at a touring monster truck event, the Monster Jam — the kind of place you could find motor sports fans who are not necessarily motorcyclists, but could be.
The Ride Initiative has now completed its first year, using a 10,000-square-foot area with two riding ranges, where children ages 6 to 16 are outfitted in full safety gear, given basic instructions and then put aboard a minibike or all-terrain vehicle with restricted horsepower. Younger riders could put on the protective gear and take a straddle bike through an obstacle course, and those not up to riding could wear 3-D goggles to take a simulated ride, or just dress up for a photo.
“Ask any rider about their first ride, they know the bike they were on, the year, and who gave them the ride,” said Tim Buche, president of the industry council. “Let’s give kids that experience.”
Matthew S. Levatich, president of Harley-Davidson, pointed to his company’s roughly 250 Riding Academies in the United States as an easy way to get into riding — not only can they receive instruction on a Harley, he said, they will be introduced to people who will keep them engaged in motorcycling.


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Why IBM Will Soar While Apple Stumbles
IBM and Apple are firms at a crossroad. Neither can continue as it is; both face a fundamental reinvention. The difference is that one knows it, and the other shows all the signs of being in denial. Our bet is that IBM will succeed, and that Apple, contrary to conventional wisdom, may be the one to fail.
IBM (IBM) is on a long losing streak, with 14 quarters of revenue decline. Many commentators have forecast that this decline will soon undermine profits, and some have even expressed doubt in the wisdom of the mighty Warren Buffet for his investment in the firm.
Apple (AAPL), on the other hand, is the world’s most highly valued company and one that has brought delight to its millions of loyal customers. It’s a firm at the top of its game and, despite slipping from its pedestal last quarter, it still enjoys the enthusiasm of investors.
And that’s a reason for worry. Our research over more than 30 years has told us that it can be dangerous to be at the top of your game the way Apple is now. Business history is littered with examples of once great companies that missed the next wave of innovation in their markets. The likes of Kodak, Blackberry, and Nokia have all fallen by the wayside in recent years.
What we’ve learned is that these companies didn’t fail because of technology or bad luck, but because of arrogance. Sears (SHLD) is a fine example. At one time, one in every nine dollars spent in America was at a Sears store. Its executives ignored the advance of Wal-Mart (WMT) and built the Sears Tower as a monument to their greatness.
IBM and Apple have both faced adversity. Apple was in trouble before Steve Jobs’s triumphant return in 1997, and IBM famously danced its way back to profitability under legendary CEO Lou Gerstner following its near-death experience of the early 1990s.
What separates the two is that IBM learned from the experience and reinvented itself in the early 2000s as a business services firm. It is no longer as dependent on selling computer hardware, and it is a major provider of business consulting and analytics.
IBM was thus able to move ahead of the next curve, bypassing the disruption that claimed HP, Dell, Sun, and other competitors. In contrast, Apple remains dependent on an array of well-designed products that are beginning to lose some of their luster and cachet.
IBM’s recipe for transformation was what we call the ambidextrous organization. The company learned how to lead in core markets, like those for computer hardware and software, even as it created disruption in emerging markets.
It did this with a series of carefully designed experiments led by Emerging Business Opportunity units (EBOs). For example, IBM Life Sciences was set up as a quasi-independent unit with the goal of making the company central to the emerging fields of genetic and proteomic research. At its core is much of what IBM now calls Watson.
The EBOs were separated from IBM’s management system and its focus on driving short-term profits. With EBOs, the mission was to test the market, learn what value proposition worked, and then establish IBM’s market position as quickly as possible. Leaders of new EBOs, however, were free to find new ways of working, changing IBM’s typical approach when necessary and recruiting deep specialist skills appropriate to solving the customer’s problem, not simply to selling IBM technology.
By 2006, EBOs alone had contributed more than $15 billion in incremental IBM growth and were a more effective growth instrument than acquisitions. One senior executive estimates that 45% of IBM’s current profits derive from these initial EBOs. IBM learned how to grow through experimentation.
IBM continues to transform itself today. While CEO Ginni Rometty is under pressure to deliver results, she is leading a firm that knows how to manage these major pivots. Its DNA is different from the firm that arrogantly ignored the threat of Microsoft (MSFT) and others in the early 1990s.
Apple’s challenge is that it may not have learned the same lesson from its own past. Its rapid rise was based on some fundamentals about product experience, speed of innovation, and a dedication to be the leader in any product category.
Unfortunately, these great strengths may have become toxic. Its culture has become highly secretive. Suppliers may only refer to Apple by a specially assigned code name. They win new contracts without knowing why and what Apple plans to do with their technology and then lose them again without knowing what they did wrong.
For these reasons, Apple risks become inwardly focused, cutting itself off from the lessons that IBM’s experiments were able to teach it. It is suffering the curse that comes with being the inventor of a whole new product class—an environment in which organizations begin to believe their own propaganda.
Apple’s new $5 billion “spaceship” headquarters is just one indicator that they too are gripped by the “success syndrome.” Let’s hope that in years to come it does not stand next to the Sears Tower as an expression not of success but of hubris.
Charles O’Reilly III and Michael Tushman are professors at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Harvard Business School, respectively, and authors of Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator’s Dilemma (Stanford Business Books, 2016).


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Leading UK wine merchants, including Berry Bros & Rudd, Bordeaux Index and Corney & Barrow, have launched a pre-emptive strike ahead of this year's Bordeaux en primeur campaign by calling on chateaux and negociants to drop prices to revive consumer demand.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has lifted its two-week hold on new submissions to the state's "special liquor order" catalog, an application moratorium that was installed Jan. 8 due to a months-long backlog of pending items.
Facing a fourth drought year and maybe the driest January on record, farm water leaders hope storms are on the way, but they saw a dry January last year and got no water from the federal Central Valley Project
Six dollars? $35? I don't remember. My eyes were instantly melted shut by the searing flames of insidious capitalism. I hope no more than $7.99 because otherwise you should be even more ashamed of yourself than you already are, even to be seen touching this
(numbers seem a little low - ed) Consumption in the U.S. is poised to rise 11 percent over the period from 2014 to 2018 to reach 378 million 9-liter cases, close to its 12 percent growth rate between 2009 and 2013, according to data from Vinexpo and International Wine and Spirit Research. Chinese growth is set to slow to 25 percent from 69 percent, taking its total to 181 million cases
I am a romantic about wine. I don't mind saying it, even though some people may consider that soft and unrealistic, lacking the sort of rigor necessary to avoid being manipulated by fairy tales and marketers
Since 2003, CellarTracker has grown to become one of the most comprehensive and thorough wine databases in the world. It has over 285,000 users with entries for close to 40 million bottles, and nearly 3.8 million wine reviews ...


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Research finds employees installing and accessing games on their work PCs
One in four employees admits to installing games on their work computers, according to a research.
And more than half of IT managers report that employees are accessing online game sites at work, according to data from internet access management company Websense.
The research found that employees are bored with Solitaire and are turning instead to games such as Quake, EverQuest and Snood during working hours.
"The online gaming explosion first hit the workplace because of prevalent broadband internet access," explained Geoff Haggart, European vice president of Websense, in a statement.
Haggart said employees are now bringing in unauthorised games on CDs, or downloading free games via peer-to-peer networks, which risks exposing corporate networks to malicious code.
News source: vnunet.com


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At the Odette Conference, there is much less blah-blah and much more real solutions than anywhere else to help you overcome the supply chain challenges you face today. The event also offers supply chain professionals and IT experts unique networking opportunities at the international level.
The OFTP2 Expert Group constantly reviews the OFTP2 protocol to ensure that it remain at the leading edge of file transfer technology. The latest enhancement -“Partner Data Exchange using XML“ - published in version 3 of the OFTP2 Implementation Guideline will bring about significant gains in time and efficiency.
After more than 3 years apart, the success of our Odette2022 conference in Prague proves that the desire to meet face to face is still there and we are pleased to announce that our Odette2023 conference will take place on 20/21 November in Berlin.


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It's hard to know what a stranger whose characteristics are different to yours would do or write or think: Sarah Carling wrote a brilliant piece about writing anonymously on SEO Chicks during her interview for the role.asics gel-oberon 8 running shoes 2016 More than 400 dental manufacturers and suppliers will be on the bustling trade floor offering fantastic exclusive deals on the latest products, materials and services for delegates at The Dentistry Show. 2016 Tweet send to a friend Presented by The world's first Jaguar dealership, established in 1927 and responsible for supplying vehicles to the Royal family, is to give up its franchise because it feels unable to meet the corporate standards now demanded by the marque.
Dannii Harwood She's been starring on sites like Only Tease for some time, but now blonde British vixen Dannii Harwood has her very own personal website and it's a pretty decent offering for her fans.asics gel-oberon 8 running shoes 2016 For nearly 100 years, people have been flocking to Yorkshire for a taste of Bettys, but today it&rsquo. Nigel Farage: Watch In Full 18th September 2015 Listen as UKIP leader Nigel Farage takes your calls, live on Nick Ferrari's breakfast show.asics gel-oberon 8 running shoes 2016
17 July 2014 ACCC ACCC and ATO issue tax time scam warning Media release warning small businesses to watch out for scammers, including scammers impersonating ATO representatives on the phone, sending fraudulent emails and even creating fake websites. ??Emma Shadbolt asks top riders what their most memorable moments are Calls for new rider weight rule in the show ring Tricia Johnson 07:25 28 February, 2016 Currently there are no weight restrictions in native classes ‘. All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.asics gel-oberon 8 running shoes 2016


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Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:
Swedish publishing group Bonnier—which owns Popular Science, among other titles—and British design firm Berg have teamed up for the Mag+ project, a series of concept videos that re-imagines the magazine in the era of digital reading (Publishing Perspectives).
Heartland Publications, which publishes twenty-three newspapers in nine states, filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday (Associated Press). The announcement adds another name to the half-dozen major newspaper chains that have gone broke in the past year (Associated Press).
A writer in Boulder, Colorado, was caught shoplifting his own books (New York Times).
Responding to complaints from Hollywood studios and publishers such as McGraw Hill and Simon & Schuster, the World Trade Organization upheld a ruling yesterday that could force China to liberalize its imports of U.S. books and other media (CBC).
The New York Public Library has rolled out a fully functional version of its upcoming Web site for public testing (Los Angeles Times).
Louis de Bernières and Orange Prize-winner Naomi Alderman are part of just one among several groups of British authors contributing to a revival of the literary salon tradition (Guardian).
By analyzing the frequency of new word use in books by Thomas Hardy, D. H. Lawrence, and Herman Melville, physicists have developed a theory of “literary fingerprints” (Scientific American).
An exclusive deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. is making digital subscriptions to newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post available to users of the Sony Reader (Telegraph).


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The team at Shelby has recently announced its plans to end the production of the GT350 Mustang by the end of 2013, in order for the muscle car to make room for the future generation of the model.
Shelby will pull the plug on the current GT350 Mustang, by the end of this year, a decision taken in order to make room for the 2015 Mustang, which should make its way onto the market sometimes in 2014. The demand for the muscle car is still strong, as the company has recently announced, but this action will prepare the road for the 2015 Mustang.
“The demand for the Shelby GT350 continues to be strong and this decision in no way indicates a lack of interest”, said John Luft, the Shelby American president, to Motor Trend.
Ordering the current Shelby GT350 Mustang, in aspirated form, will set you back for 26,995 USD, and for the money you will get 450 HP. Choosing the supercharged version means that you will have to pay 33,995 USD, but you will enjoy 624 HP. The Mustang GT350 is coming in 350 units annually and it needs just 3.7 seconds to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h).
Source: Motor Trend


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Kamiya Promises More Details On Bayonetta 3 Soon
Hideki Kamiya of Platinum Games promises that we’ll get more details on Bayonetta 3 sometime soon. Hopefully.
It’s been well over 2 years since the last time we heard about Bayonetta 3. We know that it’s in development since the announcement trailer dropped at 2017’s The Game Awards, also revealing that it would be a Nintendo Switch exclusive title (at least to start). But since then it’s been radio silence.
In this week’s issue of Famitsu, Kamiya and producer Atsushi Inaba did an interview where they mostly talked about the release of the Bayonetta & Vanquish 10th Anniversary Bundle for the PS4 and Xbox One, but Kamiya did mention a few things about Bayonetta 3.
First, Kamiya said that he does listen to social media and is aware that there are lots of anxious fans eagerly awaiting even the tiniest scrap of news. For them, he said that development on Bayonetta 3 is proceeding smoothly.
Second, he referred back to the 2017 trailer and revealed that there are still hidden pieces of info that have yet to be uncovered. We’re not sure what that could be as the trailer is less than a minute long and mostly features Bayonetta shooting at some unknown assailant. Then her high-heels fall to the ground along with her signature pistols.
Bayonetta is wearing her original costume, so perhaps Bayonetta will be a prequel rather than a sequel to Bayonetta 2?
Tragically, Kamiya did make clear that he wouldn’t have any other official announcements to make on Bayonetta 3 as that would be Nintendo’s job. So the surprise announcement that will be coming in next week’s issue of Famitsu will likely not be Bayonetta-related and instead will be about one of Platinum’s unannounced self-published projects. Probably.
In the meantime, the Wonderful 101 Kickstarter is fully funded and is now sitting comfortably at well over $1.5 million. Hopefully we won’t have to wait three years for more news on that game too.
Source: Read Full Article


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As we kick off the 2020s, let’s reflect on the economic events of the last decade and how they might shape the next one. From the boom of cryptoassets to tackle the climate emergency, the economy will be radically different in ten years from now. Iqbal V. Gandham, UK MD of global multi-asset trading platform, eToro, highlights his five trends to look out for in 2020 and beyond.
1. A turning point for cryptoassets
The start of the decade began gripped in a recession thanks to the global financial crisis, which some heralded as the death of globalisation. Not only did that gloomy premonition fail to materialise, the banking crash also sparked the creation of something called Bitcoin.
The cryptocurrency captured investor attention in April 2013 when it clocked a record $265 per Bitcoin after soaring ten-fold in the previous two months. From then on it has soared and dipped and risen again, currently sitting above $7,800 after a bumpy December. This volatility has sparked a debate about the future of cryptoassets, with some commentators believing that a veriﬁed ETF (exchange traded fund) is needed to build confidence, such as the Bitcoin ETFs proposals being considered by the SEC in the US.
Over 2,000 cryptoassets have been launched since Bitcoin, creating a market worth an estimated $359bn. Facebook’s Libra project brought crypto back into the public consciousness, causing authorities and central banks to talk sensibly about launching their own centrally backed digital currencies (CBDC). This development, along with the likely introduction of regulation across the UK, EU and US in 2020 could signal a coming of age for cryptoassets.
2. Greater diversification by investors
As the markets changed over the last ten years, so did investor behaviour, with people making more use of new financial instruments like ETFs, which soared to a total of $4 trillion in assets last summer. Investors can now invest in a wide range of assets and industry sectors, from robotics through to renewable energy and traditional commodities such as oil.
However, as we begin a new decade, focus is moving away from oil and assets with a big environmental impact, as investors become more eco-conscious and aware of issues like climate change, choosing instead to invest in solar panels and offshore wind farms.
While cryptoassets continue to grow in popularity for both institutional and retail investors, they have also become a gateway to more trading traditional assets for new investors. We saw on eToro that 10% of new crypto investors diversified into stocks, currency and commodities like gold globally. Already in 2020 we have seen the price of gold rise following the US attack in Iraq and threats of retaliation from Iran.
3. The economics of climate change
As governments, businesses and consumers all began to make more concerted efforts to tackle environmental issues, the 2010s heralded a surge in sustainable investments, with renewable and clean energies leading the charge. Already a massive market valued at $928bn in 2017, the global renewable energy sector is forecast to reach around $1.5 trillion by 2025, with solar and wind set to make up nearly half (47%) of the world’s power capacity by 2030.
This growing environmental awareness also spurred masses of people to turn to veganism. By 2017 there was a 600% increase in people identifying as vegan in the US alone, up from 1% in 2014 to 6% in 2017. The number of vegans in the UK also rose from 540,000 in 2016 to a colossal 3.5 million in 2018. Investors have followed suit and are increasingly allocating parts of their portfolios to veganism, renewables and stocks that will make an environmental difference.
This boom in veganism was so great it helped Los Angeles-based firm Beyond Meat launch the most successful IPO of 2019. The company, which produces plant-based meat substitutes that taste and ‘bleed’ like real meat, closed its first day of trading at $65.75 in May, 163% above its IPO price, making it the best performing debut IPO in nearly two decades.
4. Tech revolutionises consumer tastes
The last decade will also be remembered for a whole host of new technology, such as the Apple iPad, the rise of smartphones and the explosion in streaming services like Netflix, which skyrocketed to a market cap of $137bn, gaining its own catchphrase, ‘Netflix and Chill’.
Netflix’s dominance in the market could soon be rivalled with competition coming from the likes of Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus (which is bringing out the big guns with its Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars content), and HBO Max.
As we start 2020 it’s hard to believe that a decade ago you couldn’t order an Uber, have a cheeky Deliveroo or plan your next getaway on Airbnb. Smartphone apps have transformed the way we do everything from banking to dating, but the 2020s are likely to see the demise of many of the tech firms that have great awareness but aren’t profitable.
2015 saw the launch of Amazon’s Alexa, which kick-started a massive market in virtual assistants, with the likes of Google, Bixby and Apple all getting in on the game. Amazon remains king, selling over 100 million devices since launch, while next year the trillion-dollar company sets its sights on AI home robots and autonomous drones that deliver mail in 30 minutes or less.
Carmakers including Nissan and Tesla are aiming to launch autonomous vehicles in 2020, innovations that will rely on 5G, the fifth-generation of mobile connectivity, a technology forecast to be the catalyst for a new industrial revolution. 5G is expected to grow nearly threefold from $53.93bn in 2020 to $123.27bn by 2025.
5. The changing political landscape
The shock election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016 subsequently stirred up countless controversies. His fierce trade war with China has grabbed the most attention over the past year, impacting everyone from big corporates to farmers, and severely disrupting global supply chains. If it is resolved, many commentators believe a strong economy will see Trump sworn in for a second term in December.
What’s most telling about the roots of this trade dispute is the growth of China as an economic powerhouse, with the country ending the decade as the world’s largest economy. Back in crypto, China has also reversed its initial opposition to cryptoassets and is now embracing blockchain and is rumoured to be on the verge of launching its own stablecoin.
In the UK, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s December 2019 victory with an unexpected 364 seat majority, Sterling soared to its highest level against the euro in a decade reaching $1.35. The FTSE All Share opened strong the day after the election, but what comes next is anyone’s guess. Will Brexit actually happen this month? And if it does, what will the final trade deal mean to UK and EU businesses?
The last decade was certainly a time of change and there’s no reason to believe the 2020s will be any different. However, the flow of information and the opening up of new ways to invest and manage your money means that the next decade will also be an exciting time for ordinary investors.
Tradersdna is a leading digital and social media platform for traders and investors. Tradersdna offers premiere resources for trading and investing education, digital resources for personal finance, market analysis and free trading guides. More about TradersDNA Features: What Does It Take to Become an Aggressive Trader? | Everything You Need to Know About White Label Trading Software | Advantages of Automated Forex Trading


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First Nintendo 3DS screenshots for Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Activision have today released the first screenshots for the Nintendo 3DS version of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, currently in development by Behaviour Interactive.
The game is due to feature epic battles across Earth, from the jungles of South America to urban Detroit in a bid to save the planet from destruction. These latest screens present in-game captures of Bumble Bee, Lockdown, Optimus Prime, and Megatron.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is due to release for Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS on June 24th across Europe.


text: Amazon Web Services and Google have emerged as the latest companies catering to enterprises that wish to deploy their Kubernetes container systems in on-premises, bare-metal environments, according to SDxCentral. AWS recently updated its Elastic Kubernetes Service Anywhere platform with the ability for users to run it on bare metal environments, while providing support for all EKS Anywhere components and integrated third-party software. The move addresses some users need for a greater level of customization, according to Deepak Singh, AWS vice president of compute service. These needs range from managing licensing costs, to trying to get better density, to sometimes performance benefits like getting access to low-level hardware capabilities, according to Singh. Meanwhile, Google unveiled its Google Distributed Cloud Virtual offering that combines Anthos bare metal and VMware vSphere capabilities, requiring users to supply their own bare metal hardware. According to Richard Seroter, Google Clouds director of outbound product management, GDC Virtual caters to companies that have specific hardware, security, and locality requirements, which make on-premises data centers the best place for them to run.


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Surreal prices in Venezuela
In Venezuela, the economic crisis has led to some shocking and surreal price distortions, which sometimes affect ordinary people. To illustrate this story, photographer Carlos Garcia has photographed various products, as well as their "price tags" in the dollar. For example right now kilogram of raw carrot is worth 19, 05 USD, which is equivalent to 120 Venezuelan bolivars at the official exchange rate of 6, 3 boliavara per dollar.
A company such as Adidas sneakers are here almost 1,200 dollars. In this article we will see how insanely high prices for simple everyday now exists in Venezuela.
Photographer Carlos Garcia says, "I wanted to show in Venezuela, something more substantial, really show the current economic crisis in Venezuela. So this time I wanted to create images that would really show people the story in full, namely the insanely high prices for simple everyday products. The idea was simple: take a picture of a product with a price tag showing its equivalent in US dollars.


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Head of Mac hardware leaves AppleAnother week, another top level exec departs from Apple\'s Macintosh division.
On Monday, November 8th, the vice president of Apple\'s Mac support unit left the company. Exactly one week later, Tim Bucher, head of Apple\'s Mac hardware engineering, did the same.
Word of Bucher\'s departure began to spread late-last week, though Apple at the time would not immediately confirm the report to AppleInsider. However, CNet News.com was able to receive confirmation from Apple earlier this morning.
\"Apple has not named a successor for Bucher but said a team of workers is overseeing engineering efforts and reporting to executive vice president Tim Cook, the leader of Apple\'s Mac unit and also the head of the company\'s overall sales and operations.\"
The team reportedly consist of Apple\'s industrial design chief, Jonathan Ive, along with Bob Mansfield, Dan Riccio and \"someone recently hired to lead the electrical-engineering group, whose name Apple did not release.\"
Bucher was in charge of Mac system development until May, when he was promoted to head all Mac hardware engineering, as former chief Jon Rubinstein shifted gears to head up the company\'s new iPod division.
Last week, AppleInsider reported on the departure of Mark Wilhelm, Apple\'s former vice president of Apple Care customer support.
On Topic: General
- Apple hyping this week's opening of first-ever Brooklyn retail store
- This week on AI: 'Apple Car' delayed, new iOS 10 & macOS betas, 'iPhone 7' leaks & more
- Hacker who targeted celebrity Apple and Google accounts sentenced six months in prison
- US appeals court vacates Apple win in Unwired Planet patent suit
- Apple retakes top spot in FutureBrand 'perception strength' rankings


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If you’re not willing to pay for the $39.99 digital/$64.99 retail Windows 8 upgrade, there’s now another option: buy an Asus ultrabook, and get the upgrade for free!
There’s now another Windows 8 upgrade option for users who buy a Windows 7 Asus ultrabook
At the beginning of this month, Microsoft announced the Windows 8 upgrade offer: it allows users to pay $39.99 or $69.99 for a digital or retail upgrade to the OS. Users running Windows XP through to Windows 7 qualify, and Asus is saying if you buy an Asus Windows 7 ultrabook then you’ll get the upgrade for free!
The deal supports the Acer Aspire M3, M5, S3 or S4 from June 2 to January 31, 2013. That’s the same end period as the Windows 8 Upgrade offer; Asus says it will refund users, which isn’t quite offering a free upgrade. Does that mean we’ll have to go through the awkward process of mailing in a rebate?
Correct, it seems: when Windows 8 releases there will be a link to apply for a refund. The ultrabook serial number and Microsoft order number will be required. Whether you feel like that’s worth buying is dependent on whether an ultrabook is worth buying. Microsoft’s Surface tablets still look like the ultimate device, namely because it can be an ultrabook and tablet in a matter of seconds providing you have the magnetic keyboard.
Confusing Messaging With Ultrabooks
Ultrabooks have failed to gain significant market share, research from Gartner revealed recently. The research firm said the device is in an early adopter phase, and it added that Asus will probably drop ultrabook prices quicker than other manufacturers.
I think, inevitably, when you’re shipping four devices running Windows 8 – the PC, traditional laptop, ultrabook and tablet – something is going to suffer. That could be ultrabooks, because the form factor is in similar position to where tablets were when the iPad launched: consumers are asking where they sit between a PC and tablet. It isn’t the powerhouse a PC can be, but it’s not as lightweight as a tablet. It’s also not as great for touch input, because you’ve got to bend over because of a keyboard. That’s not a great experience.
Windows 8 launches late October.


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You know it's bad when an automaker has to point out that one of its vehicles is "a car." And that's exactly what Toyota has done with a series of quirky commercials featuring its new Yaris and comedian Michael Showalter.
Read This Article
Are we finally moving away from gas-powered cars for good?
The Oregon Department of Transportation is looking into a system that would track the amount of miles you log as an alternate way to pay road taxes and user fees.
The 2012 Toyota Prius c is the latest to join Toyota's ever-expanding hybrid family, and the automaker has released the Prius c online configurator for consumers to build their entry-level hybrid hatchback.


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Dell, China's Baidu pair up to make smartphones
Thursday 08 September 2011
US computer giant Dell said Wednesday it had teamed up with top Chinese search engine Baidu to develop smartphones, as the two firms seek to tap into the nation's lucrative mobile Internet market.
The pairing will allow the companies to compete against the likes of Apple, whose iPhones are hugely popular in China - the world's largest online market with 485 million users.
A spokesman for Dell, who declined to be named, told AFP the US firm and Baidu would make smartphones together, but declined to comment further on details of the cooperation or the timing for product releases.
Baidu was not immediately available for comment.
A report on China's popular Internet portal Sina.com, citing unnamed sources, said the first smartphones jointly designed by Dell and Baidu could hit the market as early as November.
The announcement comes just days after Baidu, which has more than 75 percent of China's search engine market, unveiled a new software platform compatible with Google's Android mobile operating system.
The Baidu Yi platform - the Chinese word "yi" means easy - will allow third-party developers to offer applications for mobile phones such as games and tools.
According to the government-linked China Internet Network Information Centre, nearly two-thirds of web users in China use mobile Internet.
And China had more than 900 million mobile phone subscribers at the end of April, highlighting the potential for mobile Internet use.
Baidu has identified cooperation with other companies and diversification of the services it proposes as key pillars for development.
Last year, it launched an e-shopping mall with Japanese web retailer Rakuten, a video website called Qiyi, and unveiled a platform allowing users to run games, videos, and other applications on its website Baidu.com.
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A powerhouse lineup of Breakout Sessions at BevNET Live in Santa Monica has been released today.
These Breakout Sessions continue a tradition of providing the audience with the opportunity to go in-depth in key areas like distribution, sales, investment, marketing and the legal issues that can determine the ultimate success or failure of an emerging brand. We think they’re stocked:
Lessons from the Food Courts: With Noah Hagey, Justin Prochnow, and Ryan Kaiser
A presentation by attorney Noah Hagey, followed by a panel with two other lawyers familiar with the space, will give attendees a look at the evolving legal environment affecting entrepreneurial beverage companies through the lens of the federal courts in the Northern District of California — the so-called “Food Court” where so many actions have been filed. The panel will also take attendees through strategies for avoiding regulatory and class-action suits and offer a look at the other active legal minefields affecting the beverage business.
Don’t Derail the Deal: With Nick Giannuzzi, Brad Barnhorn, and Chris Fenster
Due diligence isn’t just something that potential investors do at the end stage of a deal, but it’s what companies should be doing all along to make sure that they’re ready when the time to raise comes along. In this three-part discussion and presentation, a lawyer, CFO, and board member will bring their perspectives on what derails a deal — and how to protect against that. Fenster, the founder of outsourced CFO firm Propeller Industries, will explain the top financial risks that can trip up entrepreneurs as they head for the finish line of an investment round. Longtime board member and entrepreneur Barnhorn will talk about some of the internal issues that can affect the relationship between a CEO and a board heading for a deal, including control of information and keeping stakeholders unified; finally, Giannuzzi, an experienced deal attorney, will offer up some of the key legal touchpoints that need to be on legal lockdown as you head into your fundraising mode.
Balancing Brick and Mortar: With Alex Matthews, Sharelle Klaus, and Todd Carmichael
Bars are everywhere, but they aren’t serving booze: Juice, Kombuchas, Coffee, Tea, Soda and even Dairy and Dairy alternatives are being turned into products at the center of branded brick-and-mortar operations, while also sending RTD versions of their products into the retail market. But how can CPG and brick-and-mortar operations combine to strengthen a brand, and what’s a good strategy for balancing the business? Our panel will offer guidance from companies that have combined on-premise and off-premise strategies, including highly successful chains Juice Served Here and La Colombe, both of which have recently launched unique RTD brands, as well as fast-growing Dry Soda, which operated a soda store spotlighting its sparkling brands for almost a decade as a marketing hub and headquarters. Together, the panelists will illustrate the challenges and best practices that factor into creating a winning brand in multiple formats.
Engaging With Strategics: With Matt Mitchell, Mike Burgmaier, and Jim Tonkin
What is going on in the mind of the large food and beverage companies these days, and what’s the best way to reach out and make contact? And how do you even know if you’re ready, anyway? Two advisors who have deep experience working with companies like Coke, Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch, WhiteWave, Nestle, and more, and Matt Mitchell of Coke’s own VEB (Venturing & Emerging Brands) strategic partnership unit will be on hand to offer their observations and take questions on the latest action involving the interactions between emerging beverage companies and the “big guys.”
Turnaround-Proof Your Brand: With Vanessa Walker and Gerry David
As financial euphemisms go, “Turnaround” is just about the worst — because it implies that there’s been a bankruptcy or other negative event that has put your company into a place from which it needed to execute an extreme change in direction. But for entrepreneurs, with the demands for cash and the pain of competition, it’s also going to be a looming possibility — unless you turn yourself around first. Celsius CEO Gerry David – a professional “turnaround leader” – will be there to explain how to probe your company’s financial and operating situation, as well as how to rethink spending and company structure in order to create positive growth. As a bonus, Celsius’ EVP Vanessa Walker, who has made her name reviving the fortunes of listless brands, will provide attendees with the kinds of sales and marketing tips that can build momentum away from any potential for disaster.
National Buyers, Allied Brands, and Big System Alignment: With Derek Dodge and Danny Stepper
For growing brands, there’s nothing better than the chance to meet with a national buyer whose okay can create opportunities in thousands of stores. There’s also nothing riskier, if the operations and marketing teams aren’t in the loop. Similarly, the opportunity to vastly expand distribution through deals with big DSD players like Dr Pepper Snapple, AB-InBev, Coke or Pepsi can either accelerate opportunity — or create a trainwreck. Dodge, who handled National Accounts for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, including its high-performing emerging brands group, and Stepper, the co-founder and CEO of Coca-Cola incubator L.A. Libations, bring deep experience pairing emerging brands with big customers and complex distribution systems to allow them to take full advantage of the scale opportunities they work so hard to earn. Between them they’ll offer advice and preparation strategy on what to do at the big buyer meeting — as well as before and after — to ensure success.
BevNET Live breakouts are held in two sessions on the afternoon of Monday, Dec. 5, between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. To plan your schedule, check the agenda.
Very few tickets remain for BevNET Live Winter 2016. Register now >>
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live is a two-day forum for beverage entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, retailers and investors to gather and exchange ideas through interactive panels, lectures, and networking. Attendees can tap the expertise of investment professionals on ways to attract funding, successful brand owners about their inspiring stories, and the BevNET.com community, which has spent a decade dedicating itself to careful reporting on the fast-moving beverage industry. BevNET LIVE offers extensive and in-depth programming. More than just a conference, BevNET LIVE includes exclusive offerings, such as the BevNET LIVE Expo, The New Beverage Showdown, Sampling Bar, Beverage School, and more.


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According to Statista, the pet food industry in Singapore was valued at US$130.90 million ($177.4 million) in 2022.
Malaysian pet food retailer Petico has acquired Perromart’s assets. Perromart is a Singaporean online retailer that sells pet food, accessories and others.
The acquisition includes Perromart’s inventory, customer data, domain name, warehouse equipment and fittings, as well as intellectual property (IP) rights for Perromart’s in-house brands.
The acquisition does not include Perromart’s liabilities such as bank loans and trade creditors.
Perromart, a pet food company owned by 25 Holdings, became insolvent and was placed in receivership in March.
According to Petico, its entry into the Singaporean pet food market is part of its strategic growth plans to expand its regional footprint and cater to the growing demand for high-quality pet products.
“We are truly delighted to be able to acquire some of the assets of Perromart, which has strong brand equity despite being in the business for only eight years,” says Daniel Choy, one of the co-founders of Petico.
Choy, along with Ashwin Kumar, Ben Fong and Esther Loo, co-founded Petico in 2019. Choy comes from the family that runs Pet World, the largest pet food manufacturer in Malaysia.
“This strategic acquisition will allow us to fast-track our Southeast Asia expansion plans. We will also expand our offering of high quality, nutritious pet food to Singapore pet owners, including some exciting new brands we are bringing to Southeast Asia,” he adds.
In addition, Choy announced that Petico has offered vouchers to Perromart’s customers who were affected by delivery fulfilment issues, as a gesture of goodwill. The vouchers offer $10 off orders that total over $100.
Petico says it is retaining the Perromart brand name for the foreseeable future and may consider opening a flagship store if the opportunity arises.
The pet food industry in Singapore was valued at US$130.90 million ($177.4 million) in 2022, according to German consumer and market data firm Statista. It is also expected to grow by over 5% annually in the next five years.


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The past year has been challenging and turbulent for many frontier markets in Africa. In 2022, African economies met headwinds of inflation, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sovereign debt challenges. This led to a decrease in demand for African goods and services, as well as reduced investment in the continent. In addition, many African countries rely heavily on exports of raw materials and commodities, which are subject to global price fluctuations, making their economies vulnerable to external shocks. Overall, while Africa has made significant progress in recent years, it still faces significant challenges in terms of trade and economy. Due to all of these challenges, the estimated average real GDP growth rate fell from 4.8 percent in 2021 to 3.8 percent in 2022.
Despite this, a large number of Africans living abroad continue to support, provide technical assistance, and transfer money to their home nations for trade and development. Given this reality, the African diaspora ought to be leading the drive for the continent’s economic development. In addition, African countries should establish mechanisms to engage their diasporas as a force multiplier for sustainable development. In this piece, we look at four areas where the African diaspora could support the continent’s sustainable development: trade, especially under the African Continental Free Trade Area; innovative research and development; investment; and peace and security.
African trade and AfCFTA
The new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has ushered in the potential to connect a vast continent through a free trade zone. Furthermore, many believe that the AfCFTA will be a crucial step in the growth of commerce and employment prospects in Africa. The AfCFTA aims to create a single market for goods and services across the continent, allowing for greater trade and investment flows between African countries. In reality, African consumers, entrepreneurs, and enterprises would be free to trade and conduct business among all 54 countries duty-free, leading to increased economic growth and job creation across the continent.
The agreement is also expected to boost intra-African trade, which has historically been low due to tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and lack of infrastructure. By removing these barriers and creating a more integrated market, the AfCFTA could help African countries to become more competitive and to diversify their exports. The agreement is also expected to promote industrialization in Africa, as it would allow countries to take advantage of economies of scale and to develop new industries. More jobs would be created as a result, and youth would gain new skills all throughout the continent. For the AfCFTA to be successful, it is essential to ensure visa-free access and frictionless travel, logistics, and supply chains. Several diasporans with international expertise can help with this; it will be essential to ensure that AfcFTA achieves the desired goals of boosting trade and employment by offering advice and technical support on logistics and supply chains.
Supporting 2.5 billion people by 2050 through innovative R&D
African countries must build innovative research and development (R&D) capabilities in order to become self-sufficient by 2050, when the continent's population will approach 2.5 billion people. To support the 2.5 billion future dwellers, it will be essential for African countries to produce new crop varieties for food and nutrition, ensure food security through cold storage and warehousing, and develop African solutions in medicine and health. Several Africans living abroad have supported efforts to secure food on the continent by moving back to the continent and offering technical assistance and investment. One example is Jerry Parkes, the managing director of Injaro Investments, a private equity company that focuses on agriculture and other rapidly expanding industries.
Diaspora-led investments: venture investing, scaling entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies
Despite a global downturn, African venture financing (debt and equity) grew by over 8 percent to US$6.5 billion in 2022. Many new venture funds are managed and run by African diaspora professionals, working between high-income countries and African capitals to make business deals. The diaspora starting businesses with venture capital will spur job growth, increase disposable income, boost GDPs, and bolster tax revenue for social assistance and the poorer members of society. As a result, new businesses in fintech, agtech, media, health, and medical sectors are being developed using cutting-edge emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).
To meet and achieve the SDGs, African countries must invest in early-child development, healthcare, and create meaningful jobs for young adults. Some people who have returned from the diaspora are creating jobs through business and entrepreneurship, like the Ghanaian Fred Swaniker. who founded The Room, a talent firm that connects, vets, and trains freelance software engineers, cloud developers, financial analysts, and administrative talent.
The diaspora can play a significant role in achieving the SDGs, harnessing AfCTA, bolstering African economies, and helping African countries weather the shocks they encounter because of uncertainties and global events through impact and social investment. While the African diaspora is seen as an important stakeholder in development, members of the diaspora are seldom seen as impact and social investors. The global impact investing market is $1.164 trillion; imagine how that number could grow if investors from the African diaspora were considered significant contributors. This impact capital has the potential to create livelihoods, drive economic advancement, and tackle challenges that are underfunded by development and philanthropic dollars. In order to actualize diaspora led investment on the African continent, the impact investing market must acknowledge, trust, and collaborate with those investors to change the perceptions of risk and value in investing in emerging markets.
Securing Africa’s future: fragility and security
From coups in Burkina Faso and Guinea, to conflicts in Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Somalia, the year of 2022 ushered in instability and stagnant growth in these countries and their neighbors. While the African continent has been relatively stable compared to the 1990s, it still has a way to go to support peace and security. The diaspora should play a role in sustaining peace, and very well can by importing expertise, know-how, and resources from their host countries. For instance, a diasporan with experience in the military and peacekeeping could promote and advance widely recognized democratic values to reduce instability and conflict.
Ongoing diaspora engagement
The African continent will need to develop African solutions for African challenges and engage its diaspora professionals more than ever as its population increases from 1.4 billion to 2.5 billion by 2050. Ireland, Israel, and India have all successfully utilized their professional diasporas as a force multiplier. The world now knows that India is the number one producer of vaccines. How did India do this? The answer lies in the India diaspora—the Indian nationals who brought back their skills, know-how, finances, and gumption to take risks in life sciences, industrials, technology, chemicals, and telecoms to make India a global economic power. The divide between the rich and poor in India remains large, but India’s middle class has grown in the last couple of decades. If India can engage its diaspora professionals to great effect, why can’t African countries do similar?
CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.
Image credit for social media/web: Adobe Stock


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Kellogg’s has announced a voluntarily recall of roughly 10,000 cases of its Eggo Nutri-Grain Whole Wheat waffles.
Officials with the company say the product might be contaminated with listeria.
This is the only Eggo product that is linked to this recall. No related illnesses have been reported thus far.
Georgia is among the 25 states that are affected by this recall, including Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Consumers are advised to return these products to the place of purchase for a full refund.
More information is available here.
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Qoros cars for UK – but not quite yet
Speaking to What Car?, the company's sales and marketing boss, Stefano Villanti, said that investment for right-hand-drive models has yet to be signed off, although he did confirm that it was part of the firm's ongoing plan. UK cars could arrive within two years.
Qoros will start its European sales with the 3 saloon – shown for the first time at the Geneva motor show – which costs from around £17,000. Villanti revealed that Qoros will then be launching a new model every six to 12 months, including a hatchback and an SUV, which is also on show in Geneva in concept form.
In total, the company plans to put 'five or six' models on sale using the same architecture. A supermini is also under consideration.
By Chas Hallett


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THE Eight2Five Innovation Hub, together with Old Mutual Zimbabwe (OMZ), has commenced its cloud computing upskilling programme for local technology and information communication technology (ICT) entrepreneurs and start-ups.
The programme seeks to upskill local entrepreneurs and start-ups in solving real-world problems through technology.
Kickstarting the programe, Eight2Five and Old Mutual recently hosted the first hybrid Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Computing onboarding in Harare.
Officiating at the event, Old Mutual Zimbabwe ICT Executive Takudzwa Muzvidzwa said the cloud computing session was a success, which drew over 65 developers and tech enthusiasts that attended the event in person while others joined virtually.
“Ensuring that our entrepreneurs get a globally competitive advantage is of great importance to us, this is why we took the initiative to put this together and continue the journey of empowerment,” Muzvidziwa said.
AWS Senior Developer Advocate Veliswa Boya also attended the event.
The AWS user group community seeks to offer technical resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to entrepreneurs, AWS enthusiasts, and emerging thought leaders.
AWS experts connect and create communities in the regions they are in, across the world, and the Eight2Five hub was a great starting point for the Zimbabwean community.
The end goal is to increase the global footprint of AWS across the world and create support hubs in places where AWS doesn’t have a strong presence yet.
AWS is the most agile cloud platform, which is what start-ups need given the prospect of scaling up fast and the demands of adding new features and applications quickly in a fast-paced digital world.
The aim of introducing AWS is to empower start-ups to take on massive challenges and build lasting companies with far-reaching impacts. AWS is not just a cloud computing service but it also offers special benefits to start-ups in terms of technical support and training – HARARE


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Love is in the air at Starbucks.
Social media users have reported that they have seen new Valentine’s Day merchandise in several Starbucks’ stores across the nation, Good Housekeeping reported.
When you head to your local Starbucks, the collection you'll see features new color-changing cups, mugs, water bottles, and several matte and glitter cold-brew cups.
Users say items are officially available at Target, but a coffee chain representative reported that the items might arrive in stores closer to Valentine’s Day.
One user posted the official cups and captioned the post, “Happy @starbucks release day! So many fun designs to choose from, including the $3 color changing valentine 💋.”
This isn't the first time the coffee giant has unveiled color-changing cups.
After unveiling its new holiday cups in November, Starbucks rolled out more coveted seasonal items, including a reusable color-changing cup. The cups were shared in a release on the Starbucks website, along with other new holiday items.
Starbucks new Holiday Color Changing Cup offers a festive twist to the fan-favorite drinkware, transforming from green to red when the cup contains hot liquid,” read the description for the cups, which are going for $3 each.
Starbucks other new holiday offerings included a 6-pack of ornately designed color-changing cups ($16.95 for the set), a Glitter Cold Cup Set ($18.95 for all 5), a Bubble Mint Cold Cup ($18.95), a reusable Stripe Straw Pack ($7.95), and a Red Cup Ornament ($7.95).


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U.S. safety board opens probe into Pennsylvania chocolate factory blast that killed seven
Reuters | Updated: 29-03-2023 02:44 IST | Created: 29-03-2023 02:44 IST
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on Tuesday opened an investigation into Friday's natural gas explosion and fire at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory that killed seven.
The NTSB said it was investigating the blast at the RM Palmer Company Chocolate factory in West Reading. Images on social media of the explosion's aftermath showed a pile of debris and flames letting off large plumes of thick black smoke in a downtown area surrounded by other buildings.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)