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Murphy to 'make the case' to keep Nabisco plant in Fair Lawn
Gov. Phil Murphy said he has joined the effort to keep the famed Nabisco plant in Fair Lawn after he reached out to the North American head of parent company Mondelēz International.
The plant, which is commonly known to locals as the Nabisco factory, has become a staple of the borough as an ever-present landmark on Route 208 and the source of the scent of fresh-baked cookies in the area.
"I'm going to make the case that there is no better place to do business than in New Jersey," Murphy said.
The governor said he already spoke with company representatives and has future videoconferences scheduled with them as well.
Laurie Guzzinati, the company's senior director of corporate and government affairs in North America, said the company is looking at "strategic" geographic locations in each part of the country and that if the New Jersey locations were to close, the company's East Coast presence would be in Virginia.
She said Mondelēz is far from making a decision and that the Fair Lawn plant is still operating as usual.
"I can't fathom the several hundred folks here who would be impacted and their families," Murphy said. "We are going to give it everything we've got."
Fair Lawn Mayor Kurt Peluso said he worries about the roughly 600 jobs in limbo with the future of the plant in question.
"That smell of fresh cookies equates to jobs," Peluso said in a Facebook video on Thursday. "I'm going to fight like hell to keep Mondelēz and the Nabisco plant here in Fair Lawn."
Mondelēz International makes classic cookies and crackers under the Nabisco brand, including Oreos and Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers and Ritz Crackers.
Guzzinati said closures, if they were to take place, would begin in the middle of 2021.
Anthony Zurita is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all the major news happening in North Jersey, subscribe here. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.


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- GameStop announced Chewy co-founder Ryan Cohen will become its chairman.
- The change is expected to take place following the company's annual shareholder meeting, which is scheduled for June 9.
- Cohen, who is also the manager of activist investor RC Ventures, invested in GameStop last year, to push the video game retailer to focus on online sales and shutter unprofitable stores in malls.
The retailer's shares jumped more than 4% in premarket trading after the report came out but were down nearly 1% late morning. The stock has retreated from some of its sky-high gains since a surge in late January, but is still up more than 835% this year, giving the company a market value of $12.4 billion.
Cohen invested in GameStop last year, to push the video game retailer to focus on online sales and shutter unprofitable stores in malls. His involvement with the company helped spark the stock's wild ride earlier this year.
Cohen is also manager of activist investor RC Ventures.
Kathy Vrabeck is currently GameStop's board chair.
The transition is part of a broader management shake-up taking place at GameStop as it tries to turn its business around.
It has recently brought on several executives from Amazon, Walmart, QVC and Chewy for top positions. Chief Merchandising Officer Chris Homeister submitted his resignation from the business in late March. And in February, Chief Financial Officer Jim Bell announced his resignation, as the company searches for a successor with more of an e-commerce background.
GameStop said Thursday in a securities filing that other new board nominees include Larry Cheng, the first investor in Chewy, and Yang Xu, an executive at Kraft Heinz.
It's also nominating current board members Alan Attal and CEO George Sherman.

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Ocean Spray heads to Chile for its first international acquisition
Ocean Spray has been eyeing an overseas expansion for a while now, so it was only a matter of time before it made its first international acquisition.
The Lakeville-based cooperative earlier this week purchased Agricola Cran Chile Limitada’s cranberry processing business in Lanco, Chile, for $28.5 million. The plant converts harvested berries into sweetened dried cranberries, similar to the Craisins that Ocean Spray sells. The purchase price includes property related to receiving and processing berries. Ocean Spray officials say Cran Chile will continue to operate its 1,450 acres of cranberry bogs, and will become a member of the Ocean Spray growers cooperative.
The acquisition follows a deal signed with Pepsico roughly a year ago that gave Ocean Spray greater marketing and distribution capabilities in Latin America. The two companies have primarily focused on expanding Ocean Spray’s presence in its existing Latin American markets, like in the Caribbean. But they’re also expected to bring Ocean Spray into new markets, such as Brazil.
The Pepsico arrangement was focused on juicing up sales of Ocean Spray beverages. But the new Cran Chile deal is more focused on the sweetened dried cranberry business.
Rick Lees, the chief financial officer at Ocean Spray, tells me that that this is Ocean Spray’s first manufacturing operation purchase outside of the U.S., and its first acquisition of any kind outside North America, at least in recent memory. (Ocean Spray has bought bogs in Canada but no manufacturing facilities, Lees says.) The Cran Chile plant produces about 12 million pounds of sweetened dried cranberries a year, which will allow Ocean Spray to expand its overall production capacity for the product by 5 percent. Lees says all 100 plant employees became Ocean Spray employees this week, and that he expects the work force will grow as Ocean Spray looks to expand the plant’s output.
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Excitement is building for the Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) 2016 where 40 designers – including five from Africa – will take to the ramp in 16 shows at the Durban Exhibition Centre from Wednesday, August 31st to Saturday, September 3rd.
Presented by the eThekwini Municipality as part of its successful Fashion Development Programme, the DFF is now in its fifth year of wowing designers, the media, fashion buyers and the public as it brings out the very best in local fashion and shows where local creative’s can strut their stuff alongside the best in the world.
To ensure that Durban design is top notch and discover those hidden talents that can put Durban on the fashion map, the eThekwini Municipality has invested substantial sums in internships, industry related training programmes, networking sessions as well as and various lifestyle and modelling programmes and boot camps over the years. Now, designers are able to reach for their dreams and even participate in high profile fashion shows at the likes of the Vodacom Durban July. On the ground, Durban’s fashion entrepreneurs can help grow the city’s economy and create jobs through forming small businesses.
Five years into this Durban fashion experience, the DFF is ramping things up to another level with the theme “Beyond Threads”… and one of the DFF 2016 treats will be the 2nd Durban Fashion Fair Awards on Saturday, September 3rd at the Inkosi Chief Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. These awards will honour and recognise the top designers and models taking part in the DFF 2016.
So, don’t miss out on the glitz and the glamour. Tickets will be on sale at Computicket from Monday, August 1st. Prices range from R100 per person per show with students at R50 per student per show. Prices for the Awards show will cost R200 per person and students at R100 per person. For more information go to www.durbanfashionfair.com


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Serbs steal up to “ to Gazprom “
“ the Daughter “ the oil company - group Optima has bought the developer of systems of safety Khaoticen
As Nemanja Nikitovich became known daily, the founder of the Serbian developer of systems of safety Khaoticen, has sold the business of the Russian company, affilirovannoj with Gazprombank - Group Optima. On the basis of Khaoticen the Russian company is going to develop an information security direction. Experts consider that the Serbian developer has managed Optima approximately in 20 million dollars
that Group Optima has got Serbian Khaoticen and intends to construct on the basis of this active a new direction of the business on information security, representatives of Group have told daily and the founder of Serbian company Nemanja Nikitovich has confirmed. As they said, “ As a result of the transaction Group Optima has got control over the European developer of systems of corporate information security Khaoticen “. According to the previous owner of the Serbian active, as a result of transfer of the company to the Russian Group Optima, it has received a place in board of directors. Exact volume of means which to it was listed by the Russian company for the Serbian active, g - n Nikitovich has refused to name.
Former owner Khaoticen notices that the active has been sold counting on that led by the Russian company it will be possible to enter the new regional markets. The general director of group Optima Alexander Oganjan notices that in plans — to develop the business of information security in Russia, on the Balkans, in Europe, and also to master the market of Southern Africa. “ naturally, it would be interesting to me, if the Gazprombank became as a result the customer of our systems of information security, but the transaction purpose consisted at all in it “ — adds g - n Nikitovich.
In December of last year Natalia Kaspersky`s InfoWatch company has got the German manufacturer of an anti-virus software — cynapspro and portirovala it on the Russian market of information security for small and average business. In opinion g - zhi Kaspersky, business of its company will directly not compete with Optima Infosecurity. “ the Serbian company, certainly, successful in a segment of bank safety, however here arises a question, its merge and the subsequent teamwork to current actives of group Optima which is engaged generally integratorskimi in functions " will be how much successful; — marks g - zha Kaspersky.
Group of companies Khaoticen has earned for the first half of the year 2012 of an order of 8 million dollars, its basic clients are Raiffeisen Bank, Telenor, OTP Bank and the governmental structures of Serbia. As the head of a direction of broker service in the international markets BKS Alexey Ivin marks, the sum of transaction at full absorption of an active can make about 20 million dollars, proceeding from a double gain for the first half of the year 2012 and the general margin on acquisition in 30 %.


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While Vainglory (Free), the made-for-mobile MOBA, has been out for a while now, it hasn’t “officially" launched according to its developers, Super Evil Mecacorp (SEM). Bo Daly, SEM CEO and co-founder, explains that if Vainglory was a PC title, July 2nd would be the day it would come out of beta. On July 2nd, then, Vainglory launches globally for both iOS and Android. The global launch also brings with it some new features: Ranked and Casual queues, an innovative skin system, new tutorial videos to ease players into this very demanding genre, and, finally, a new hero, Rona the Beserker.
Vainglory has been doing very well according to the developers, having more than 1.5 million Twitch viewers in May, a three-fold growth since February. Many developers have tried to bring the MOBA experience to mobile, and so far SEM is easily the one with the most success. Vainglory is fun to play, looks gorgeous on devices that support Metal, and has been expanding its heroes and features steadily.
I’m glad that the developers have decided to split the queue in Casual and Ranked because MOBAs are notoriously demanding and player skill imbalance is often the cause of much vitriol. I don’t expect that to change completely, but I’m hoping that these two queues will help players get the most out of the game. The game is already on the App Store in most territories, so go and give this MOBA a try if you are into demanding yet rewarding games. If it’s not available where you’re located yet, then look for Vainglory next week on July 2nd when it officially launches worldwide on iOS and Android.


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Jim O’Neil, an economist at Goldman Sachs and the man who coined the acronym “BRICs” (standing for Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and thereby promoted those countries to the forefront of U.S. and European consciousness, is now saying that the year 2011 is “the year of the U.S. comeback.”
Now, it’s true, analysts at investment banks make a lot of lousy predictions. And as our last “MetroMonitor” showed and as everyone in touch with reality already knows, the U.S. economy is still struggling. Housing prices in the third quarter were still down from the previous year (though up from the previous quarter), foreclosures are still climbing, and the unemployment rate is still above 9 percent, even with depressed labor force participation.
With that said, it is the reason that O’Neill is bullish that got our attention. He alludes to the late-2010 political bargain made between President Obama and Republicans Senators on tax and stimulus, endorses the Fed’s quantitative easing policy, and mentions strong productivity. But those factors are ancillary to his analysis. Chief among the reasons for his optimism is the upward spike in the savings rate (i.e. how much people save as a percentage of their income) since the start of the recession, which he believes will boost domestic investment and fuel American exports to the vaunted BRICs.
We like this because it is the same argument that we made in our report “Export Nation,” which documented that metros like Wichita, Portland, Houston, New Orleans, and Austin have been rapidly expanding sales from export industries. This is how it works: U.S. residents spend less money on consumer products and put more money into mutual funds, retirement and savings accounts; that money eases access to capital for U.S. businesses, which then build more factories, buy more machines, come up with better ideas through R&D, and, most importantly, hire more workers, exporting the surplus around the rapidly growing world, sometimes to their own factories located there.
One explanation for why the savings rate dwindled to historically low levels leading up to the recession was the massive housing bubble. Housing appreciation leads home owners to think they have more wealth (and therefore discretionary income) than they actually do. In that sense, the great recession became the great disillusionment leading to more prudent consumption habits. Part of this trend, no doubt, is that banks and credit card companies have pulled back and thereby forced consumers to save in order to spend, but whatever the reason higher savings will be good for innovation in every sector, from health care, to the clean economy, and exports.
For exports, it helps that there are plenty of expanding opportunities to sell goods and services. As readers of this blog know, the BRICs are special because they are all big rapidly industrializing countries, as Niall Ferguson likes to say. Combined their GDPs’ are roughly half of U.S. GDP, according to data I analyzed from the Economist Intelligence Unit. But there are opportunities beyond the BRICs. Many medium-sized countries--in which spending power accounts for at least 1 percent of U.S. GDP--are also growing rapidly, with GDP growth rates at or above 4 percent per year from 2000 to 2009. They are, in order of growth rates: UAE, Venezuela, Argentina, Nigeria, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Poland, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Columbia, Israel, Turkey, Chile, South Africa, and the Czech Republic. Together their economies account for over one fourth of U.S. GDP. It’s tempting to call this second tier MORTARS--mid-sized, other rapidly transitioning areas.
We know that these countries are already buying goods and services from the United States and that the share of exports going to BRICs and MORTARs is increasing. Exports of U.S. goods, which are easier to track than exports of services, came to $107 billion to the BRICs and $116 Billion to the MORTARS in 2009, reflecting an average growth rate that is roughly 2.5 times the total growth rate of goods exports since 2003. Over that period, the share of total U.S. goods export going to these countries increased from 17 percent in 2003 to 25 percent in 2009.
Based on their industrial composition, the metros that best positioned to take advantage of this shift are Portland OR, San Jose, Palm Bay, Boise, Austin, and Albuquerque--one quarter of their total exports, including services, could go to these countries. So, with public and private investments in R&D and infrastructure, and smart policies that encourage innovation, and retooled education and training programs for a more sophisticated manufacturing sector, the United States can build a future with BRICs and MORTARs. That wouldn’t be a bad New Year’s resolution.


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Mobile messaging trends: What we learned from Cyber Week 2021
Global events from the last two years have changed the way customers shop and how businesses interact with them. 2021’s Cyber Week made this even more apparent with record-breaking numbers of digital interactions.
After analyzing messaging volumes across our platform on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year, we were happy to find more brands moving towards a digital-first approach – that is omnichannel and on their customers’ preferred channels.
Here we share highlights from this year’s Cyber Week and how consumers chose to interact with businesses.
Brands set up hybrid shopping experiences
Last year’s lockdowns had brands racing to adapt to online environments and provide digital-only shopping alternatives. Now, with reduced measures, they were able to set up their first truly hybrid shopping experiences.
The goal was to provide highly personalized, safe, and stress-free experiences that transcend from online to offline – and vice-versa.
We worked with thousands of companies across industries to implement timely, rich, relevant messaging with their customers. As a result, they’ve managed to drive new sales, proactively address customer needs, safeguard transactions, and expedite customer queries.
Based on the number of interactions handled on our platform, we’d say they did a pretty good job.
Digital interactions reach record highs
This year, we witnessed a massive increase in the number of customer interactions that took place over mobile during Cyber Week 2021 – with 4.25 billion interactions being handled on our platform.
Black Friday highlights
The most notable increase is the 2.28 billion transactions that took place on Black Friday alone. That’s a 71% increase from last year on a global scale, and a 62% increase compared to an average Friday in November 2021.
We further noticed that compared to 2020, this year’s Black Friday interactions versus an average Friday in November were up by 22% – meaning business-to-consumer messaging played a larger role in the overall shopping experience.
The top five channels favored by customers were:
Cyber Monday highlights
We saw equally impressive results for Cyber Monday with 1.97 billion interactions taking place. This is a 93% increase from last year in customer interactions on a global level and a 37% increase compared to an average Monday in November 2021.
Compared to 2020, Cyber Monday messaging had a 10% higher impact this year.
The top five channels favored by customers were:
Black Friday becomes a global event
What used to be a North American shopping season has become a worldwide extravaganza, with brands across the globe making the most of the opportunity and having the ability to cater to audiences beyond borders.
Although North America remains a leader, with a 136% increase in 2021 interactions compared to 2020 and 128% more interactions compared to an average Friday in November 2021 – other regions are catching up.
In fact, we saw Black Friday 2021 messaging volumes increase by up to 102% compared to 2020 with India experiencing the largest jump, followed by Eurasia (63%), Europe (39%), and Africa (23%).
We also noticed Black Friday volume increases compared to an average Friday in November 2021 with MENA experiencing the highest increase at 212%, followed by India (55%), Europe (54%), and Eurasia (41%).
Brands had billions of interactions
Among the 4.25 billion interactions that took place, we noticed a pattern among the key channels used.
SMS remains the top channel used on our platform on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
However, spikes in MMS follow close behind making it the second most-used channel. Since customers already use their mobile phones to either start or complete their purchasing journey, grabbing their attention with eye-catching images and videos is an easy way to lead them back to their cart.
Mobile App Messaging gained popularity as well, highlighting the importance of timely communication with geo-targeting as well as app and web push notifications.
Meanwhile, increases in RCS (Rich Communication Services) show that customers want engaging content from their favorite brands. Adding images, videos, and GIFs to your messages makes them more enticing – leading to increased click-through rates and essentially more sales.
It’s also no surprise that voice, video, and chat app interactions increased as customers continue to crave human interaction and always-on support.
Knowing how customers want to interact with brands is key to developing a winning communication strategy. Use these learnings from our customers’ Black Friday and Cyber Monday interactions to develop yours in 2022:
- Omnichannel communication is no longer a nice-to-have but rather a must-have. Enabling your customers and agents to continue the conversation from one channel to another is key to delivering connected experiences that build trust and foster relationships.
- Customers are gravitating towards rich, interactive, two-way communication with brands. The way you develop your communication strategy starts with what you’re already doing right in this space and taking the next few steps forward.
- Timely communication is equally important as engaging communication. Leverage geo-targeting and push notifications to gain visibility and stay top of mind during high volume periods.


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Juul model vaping pens are seen on the market in a store in Manhattan in New York Metropolis, New York, U.S., February 6, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar
(Reuters) – North Carolina’s Lawyer Basic filed a lawsuit towards Juul Labs Inc on Wednesday, piling extra strain on the most important U.S. e-cigarette maker that’s already beneath intense scrutiny for its merchandise’ utilization amongst youngsters.
Josh Stein, the primary state legal professional basic to sue Juul, stated the corporate’s focused advertising and marketing towards youth, whereas downplaying the potential hurt its merchandise could cause, resulted in an “epidemic” of vaping amongst minors.
Stein introduced an investigation into Juul final October trying into its advertising and marketing practices and retail companions.
Juul’s e-cigarettes resemble USB flash drives and work by vaporizing a nicotine-laced liquid.
Stein stated he shared info from his investigation with different states and wouldn’t be stunned in the event that they adopted North Carolina’s lead.
A Juul spokesman stated the corporate had not but reviewed the lawsuit, however has been cooperating with Stein’s workplace.
E-cigarette makers are already beneath strain from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA), which laid out plans in March to clamp down on using the favored nicotine gadgets amongst teenagers.
Juul, through which Marlboro maker Altria Group has a 35 % stake, has already pulled widespread flavors corresponding to mango and cucumber from retail retailer cabinets and shut down its social media channels on Instagram and Fb.
Stein stated he’s requesting the North Carolina State Court docket to require Juul to restrict the flavors offered within the state and delete buyer information for these under 18. He additionally requested Juul pay civil penalties.
Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Modifying by Shinjini Ganguli
Our Requirements:The Thomson Reuters Belief Rules.


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An outstanding figure of the Russian politics, the head of the Russian Federation Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Yevgeny Primakov, joined the discussion pertaining to Russia’s membership in the World Trade Organization. The newspaper Vedomosty wrote that the Chamber of Industry and Commerce sent a concept of Russia's incorporation into the WTO to the Russian government. The chamber warned the government about unreasoned steps in that direction.
The authors of the concept believe that only 16% of Russian enterprises are capable of competition with the Western producers on equal terms. It was asserted in the concept that lifting barriers for the importation of goods was dangerous for a lot of sectors of the economy: the automobile industry, aircraft production, insurance and the financial services, as well as the food industry, the chemical industry, and commerce. Furthermore, Russia’s membership in the WTO will strike a blow to small business.
The authors of the concept did not say anything new; they did not say anything on how to help the Russian economy survive incorporation into the WTO either. The governmental officials who are used to lobbying attacks, do not clearly understand a lot of the ideas of the chamber. The chamber particularly offered to set up budgetary adapting mechanisms for the most important branches of economy, of the regions and of the small business to forthcoming competition with the imports.
The last part of the concept was very surprising even for experienced governmental officials, but at the same time, it gave an explanation for the reasons why this document came up. The Chamber of Industry and Commerce offered to reconsider the strategy of negotiations with the World Trade Organization. The authors offered to attract business people (i.e. the oligarchs), who would be able to promote Russia's interests.
This idea is not actually new, but the oligarchs must have forgotten that only the leading politicians and the leaders of the country can be in negotiations with the WTO, according to the rules of the organization. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to avoid financial speculation with capital flowing from one branch to another.
Yevgeny Primakov’s authority is very high, and, probably, the oligarchs will use his influence in order to reach the governmet, which has recently cooled towards big business. It is also not ruled out that it was Primakov’s attempt to settle into the new position.
Dmitry Litvinovich PRAVDA.Ru
Translated by Dmitry Sudakov
Xi Jinping buried Zelensky's peace plan and put "peace negotiations” on Ukraine in Switzerland into question. The Chinese leader expressed his view on the subject after he had meeting with all leaders of the warring parties


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New site for crowdfunding
Thailand's new crowdfunding website, www.dreamaker.cf, will offer an alternative fund-raising source for budding entrepreneurs by the end of this month.
The website, owned by Dreamaker Crowdfunding, is aimed at capitalising on the government's digital economy policy to promote new technology and innovative entrepreneurs.
Crowdfunding is not popular in Thailand and so far there are only a couple of sites, such as www.taejai.com and www.perdmuak.com. But Aekkasit Diewwanit, chief executive of Dreamaker, says the business has strong potential.
"With the growing number of internet users and widespread social media usage as well as the rising number of tech-innovative entrepreneurs, Thailand is ready for the crowdfunding model," he said.
Crowdfunding is an alternative model for SMEs that cannot access the conventional financial system and have limited access to venture capital.
The concept of Dreamaker, which bills itself as the "crowdfunding portal for inno-creative ideas", is reward-based, enabling both individuals and organisations to develop their projects by posting and sharing them on the portal in order to raise funds from supporters.
The website targets for each individual project to raise funds of at least 100,000 baht and a project can be posted for a period of 30-60 days.
Those who are interested in a certain project can pledge funds. When a project achieves its target figure, the payment will be charged to a credit card.
In return, supporters will receive rewards or other incentives such as limited edition gifts or products depending on the ceiling amount.
The website will charge a fee of 5% of the total amount of funding for each project. There is no charge if the project fails to achieve the targeted amount.
The portal seeks to raise funds to support ventures in technology, design, food, publishing, movies, art and health care. It will mainly focus on entrepreneurs aged 25 to 30, who have little experience but strong ambition.
Mr Aekkasit found that 4,500 Thais supported Kickstarter, the world's leading crowdsourcing website, pledging US$1 million as part of Kickstarter's $1 billion pledge milestone in March 2014. This group will be the first potential users of the Dreamaker website.


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Jobs in the Marijuana Industry: These 6 Professions Sprouted From the Pot Industry
Marijuana is legalized in 23 states, including Washington, D.C., proving the industry is growing — both socially and economically. In 2013, the marijuana industry was mainly medical and worth about $1.8 billion, CNN reported. Two years later in 2015, the industry has been estimated at $5.4 billion, according to research from cannabis industry firm ArcView Group, CNN reported.
"Marijuana is not that different than other industries, and it's not just about the plant. There's a need for people to work in accounting, finance, legal, HR, etc.," marijuana job website WeedHire.com founder David Bernstein said, according to Yahoo. At the end of 2014, almost 16,000 people were licensed to work in the marijuana industry in Colorado. That's a 143% increase from 2013. Needless to say, this is the perfect time for people to cash in on some green.
However, with breaking down boundaries comes an unprecedented territory, so both states and private businesses are still trying to set up efficient regulatory systems, especially in places like California and Washington, D.C. After all, marijuana is still labeled as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin.
Regardless, the industry is booming, and new, validated professions have emerged directly from it. These days, it's not just a weed dealer.
It sounds tedious but being a marijuana trimmer is a legitimate profession in the industry, consisting of pruning the leaves from the buds with a pair of small scissors, High Times reported. The wages can be up to $15 an hour, but is the perfect entry-level job to get a foot in the industry's door. Eventually, workers can gain enough experience and learn enough about the plant to become a gardener or open a retail shop. Some people head right toward marijuana farm hotspots like Humboldt County in California for seasonal harvesting time.
The demand for devices to smoke marijuana is increasing as legalization does as well. Glassblowers will be able to be more creative and create pipes, accessories and water pipes that will blow away the user. It's becoming a more acceptable art for, and now artists are able to charge higher prices for more beautiful pieces, the Boston Globe reported.
3. Cannabis extractor
The future of cannabis consumption is arguably by high-tech extracted forms, such as concentrates like butane hash oil, which can be found as wax or shatter. Creating a concentrate requires advanced chemistry skills, experience and proper lab equipment, and doing it without all of those three can result in an unsafe disaster or explosion, the New York Times reported. To manufacture clean concentrates, professionals use products such as organic alcohols, vacuum pumps and freezers in a totally sterile environment (since dust could ruin a batch), according to High Times.
"Cannabis extracts as a whole — butane extracts in particular — are kinda getting a bad reputation," marketing director for Sirius Extracts Brandon Krenzler said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "The professionals are left with a PR mess, they are forced to prove what they do is proper, clean, safe, organized and consistent." He later called extracts the future of the industry, as more people seek purer products.
This job is the marijuana equivalent to a bartender. Budtenders work a marijuana dispensary's counter, recommending strains and products based on a customer's tolerance and needs — essentially, educating the interested public. A prospective budtender has to be licensed with the Marijuana Enforcement Division, which could take a while, but seems to be well worth it. "People need to educate themselves instead of just being like 'pot is bad' — they don't know the positive effects that marijuana can have on you," Colorado budtender Sloane Poorman told Mic in 2014. "I mean, we have cancer patients and people who have been injured."
The bud has got to come from somewhere. Growers can use both artificial and natural light to grow their plants, which in Oregon, can be as many as the property can fit, according to CNN. Some growers in Washington, Oregon and California are working on ways to build a standard for sustainable grown marijuana. Also, growers must test their cannabis' THC levels.
Monkey Grass Farms in Washington, a family-owned farm with over 21,000 square feet used for indoor growing, sees the future of farming as sterile, food packaging industry-like production, according to Mashable. The farm supplies up to 20 pounds of marijuana per week to Washington-based shops.
For true marijuana fans, a dream job could arguably be becoming a marijuana reviewer. With this job, someone with considerable knowledge of strains and products can test out new products to share its effects with the public, according to the New York Daily News. "I have the luxury of smoking the best weed in the world on a weekly basis, so they have some catching up to do," Colorado weed reviewer for the Denver Post, Jack Browne, said, according to the New York Daily News.


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Things are getting a bit testy in retail land. The world’s largest retail trade group sent a letter on Monday (March 16) to the National Governors Association and the U.S. Conference of Mayors stating its subtle displeasure about retailers finding out about mandatory store closures in the press. The National Retail Federation (NRF) has asked governors and mayors to essentially call first before closing or curtailing retail hours to deal with the COVID-19 virus.
In a joint letter to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, chairman of the National Governors Association, and Bryan Barnett, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, the NRF and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) asked officials to coordinate with them before making decisions on whether to close or curtail retail business operations.
“This is an unprecedented situation that demands an 'all-hands-on-deck' approach, and community retailers are eager to do their part,” said the letter, signed by NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay and RILA President Brian Dodge. “Retailers prepare in advance for crisis situations to allow them to continue serving the critical needs of their customers by quickly and thoughtfully adjusting a wide variety of practices, including those related to their supply chains, stores and employees. Families are counting on retailers right now and retailers are determined to be there for them.”
Advance notice, the retailers’ groups say, will help merchants prepare for potential panic-buying and enable stores to scope out supply chain issues.
“We encourage elected officials to make every attempt to reach out – in advance –to retail leaders to discuss recommendations on whether to close or curtail business operations. It is also important that, if a recommendation is made, it provides sufficient time for employers to craft and put in place contingency plans for employees and those impacted communities before it becomes effective.”
While the letter was polite and polished, the sentiment was clear regarding recommended or even mandatory store closings.
Other retail news was decidedly more on the generous side. Supermarket giant Kroger and the Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation announced a $3 million commitment to deploy hunger relief resources to communities hit by the pandemic. The commitment will be distributed between the foundation's nonprofit partners, Feeding America and No Kid Hungry. The initiative will support local food banks nationwide and will focus on children whose schools may be closed.
"Our most urgent mission is to be here for our customers when they need us most, and our store, warehouse, distribution, food production and office associates are working around the clock to keep our stores open for our customers," said Keith Dailey, Kroger's group vice president of corporate affairs.
Grubhub is also contributing to the struggle. The food delivery company announced it is temporarily suspending collection of up to $100 million in commission payments from impacted independent restaurants nationwide. Grubhub said it will provide immediate and substantial cash flow relief to its 350,000 qualified independent restaurants, which drive more than 80 percent of the company's orders.
Grubhub has also created a fund that will enable proceeds from its Donate the Change program to go toward supporting restaurants and drivers impacted by the crisis. The company will allow diners to round up the change from every order and donate it to the Grubhub Community Relief Fund, with donations from members matched by the company. Grubhub has been raising more than $1 million per month through Donate the Change.
"Independent restaurants are the lifeblood of our cities and feed our communities,” said Matt Maloney, Grubhub founder and CEO. “They have been amazing long-term partners for us, and we wanted to help them in their time of need. Our business is their business – so this was an easy decision for us to make.”


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The upcoming Disney/Pixar movie, ‘Inside Out’ is set to release in June. Funko has announced accompanying Pop! figures including, Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. You can expect to see these arrive at retailers sometime in May.
Entertainment Earth now has these up for preorder.
One thought on “Disney’s Inside Out Pops Coming Soon”
is anger supposed to look like the guy from falling down? LOL
Comments are closed.


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'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' will premiere on Jan. 17 on FX.
American Crime Story appears to be honoring the legacy that Gianni Versace left on the fashion industry.
In the latest teaser for The Assassination of Gianni Versace, a number of models are seen walking the runway in a haunting manner as Gianni, portrayed by Édgar Ramírez, talks over the fashion show.
"My shows must be about life," he proclaims as a Kate Moss look-alike hits the catwalk. "Life is precious."
Gunshots are then heard as the models stop mid-walk and a newscaster is heard announcing that the 50-year-old designer has been murdered at the hands of Andrew Cunanan, played by Darren Criss.
"Who will stop this murder spree?" another reporter is heard asking as we see a model crying on the runway.
Last month, the first trailer was released for Versace, which offered fans a first look at Penelope Cruz as Donatella Versace, Ramírez as Gianni, Ricky Martin as the designer's longtime partner, Antonio D'Amico, and Criss as Cunanan.
These first snippets largely focused on how Cunanan came to meet and ultimately kill the Italian fashion mogul, but also show how his sister, Donatella, stepped in to protect her brother's legacy.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will premiere on Jan. 17 on FX.
In September, Donatella honored her brother during Milan Fashion Week by reuniting the original supermodels that her sibling helped make famous. Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen joined Donatella on the runway and looked just as gorgeous as they did all those years ago.
At a press conference prior to the show, the 62-year-old designer said she was thrilled to pay tribute to Gianni. “Today I am not sad," she declared. "I am happy that after 20 years I can finally do this with a smile on my face."


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Georgina was “unofficially” deemed Ontario’s food truck capital this summer by the Culinary Tourism Alliance, which works with communities to grow food tourism.
It’s great publicity for our local food trucks, which serve everything from burgers and fries to pizza, poutine, and even deep-fried pickles!
So why are these same food trucks, celebrated by the Culinary Tourism Alliance, banned from operating in Georgina’s waterfront parks?
It’s a head-scratcher, especially since the Town imposed a cooking ban this summer in all of its waterfront parks — not only can you not cook your own hot dog, you can’t buy one either.
Locals have told us that this wasn’t always the case. In years past, beach-goers could choose from a cornucopia of delectable treats at concession stands, including ice cream and popcorn.
So why is the Town playing hardball with local food trucks? Because apparently, it’s waiting for Council to approve the Waterfront Parks Master Plan before it can update its bylaws
It seems odd that local businesses, who have been hit hard by the pandemic, must wait for an update to a bylaw before they can sell to thousands of day-trippers who flock to our waterfront parks and are literally starving.
After all, this summer, food vendors have already been allowed in De La Salle Park for special events, like the Georgina Marathon, and an ice cream truck was operating in Jackson’s Point Parkette for the Painted Perch Festival.
The Park Division’s decision to ban cooking was made without approval from Council; it was an operational decision.
Why can’t it do the same for local food trucks and vendors, so they can sell their food at the beach while there is still some summer left?
- Resources for small business in Georgina - January 23, 2023
- Queensville Players tackle groundbreaking play, The Laramie Project - January 23, 2023
- Petition to cancel aerodrome attracts more than 1,300 signatures - January 22, 2023


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While cloud-based solutions are not a new concept in the security industry, one company believes it has developed cutting-edge technology that will change people’s perceptions about using the cloud to manage their video surveillance system. Eagle Eye Networks, Inc. made it official market debut on Tuesday with the launch of its first product, the Eagle Eye Security Camera Video Management System.
The company, which was formed about a year and a half ago, is the brainchild of Dean Drako, who is the founder and former president and CEO of Barracuda Networks, a pioneer in the development of appliances for IT security applications.
“The cloud has a lot of advantages for video security. We unfortunately, as an industry, haven’t really realized a whole lot of them yet, but the cloud is really growing in a lot of other segments; general computing; the email industry with Google mail and Microsoft mail; the phone PBX is basically moving to the cloud and most everyone is outsourcing their phone system and going to IP phones; the storage industry with Dropbox and box.net; and, so there’s a huge high-growth sector there and it’s going to continue,” said Drako.
According to Drako, one thing that differentiates Eagle Eye Networks from some of the more traditional VMS companies is that their product is designed for operational, as well as security professionals.
“We designed it for security, but we also designed it for operations folks – people who want to tune up their stores, people who want to watch and optimize customer service – and that’s a little bit different from what I think people have done in the past,” Drako explained.
Drako also feels that Eagle Eye has addressed many of the security and redundancy concerns surrounding cloud-based security solutions that have persisted among end users and contributed to their reluctance to use them in their companies.
“One of the things that we do with all of the video, which is a little unusual, is that we can encrypt the video… and that ensures that only the right people will get access to the right video,” said Drako. “The systems that we run are fully redundant. Everything we store gets stored kind of like it does in the Amazon EC2, S3 or Gmail system, so there’s built-in redundancy. Systems can fail, they’ll be replaced, but the data is stored in either two or three places at all times.”
Although the Eagle Eye solution is cloud-based, there is a hardware component that will be installed at customer sites. The company offers a broad selection of bridge and cloud-managed video recorder (CMVR) appliances that can support anywhere from 15 to 1,000 cameras. “We’re really the first VMS with the flexibility to record locally on premise or record in the cloud,” said Drako.
Because of the continued migration to IP, the role of IT professionals in security has increased substantially. In fact, according to a survey conducted on behalf of the company last year, nearly half of more than 280 IT security decision makers surveyed said that they are involved in supporting or selecting video surveillance products for their organization.
“I think there is a big opportunity here. Video surveillance is growing quite rapidly and I look at the IT world… where basically everything has moved to the cloud,” said Drako. “It is just a matter of time before video surveillance moves to the cloud and I kind of think we’ve crossed a point where bandwidth availability has reached a critical level where it’s feasible now, whereas five years ago it wasn’t very doable because there wasn’t enough bandwidth to get video up. I think bandwidth will still be an issue, but with every passing month, that issue declines. My mission is to build the Dropbox of video surveillance.”
Drako said they plan to take the Eagle Eye VMS solution to the market through the channel and will focus on small-to-mid-sized applications, as well as enterprise installations.


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McCain Foods joins forces with Bored & Hungry and Roblox to educate consumers on regenerative…
The company just launched a new brand platform and campaign, “Be Open,” created by Venables Bell + Partner which aims to build awareness and understanding of Opendoor’s offerings in a thoughtful and emotive way.
AML is the latest agency to join the new, fast-growth Selbey Anderson marketing services group. Shoreditch-based specialist AML brings ‘simple ideas for a complicated world’ to the SA line up.
Impero’s latest research explores consumer feelings around Christmas following two Covid-thwarted festive seasons and in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis.
Combined company will help customers take control of their data and address audiences effectively in the absence of third-party cookies
UK leading online greeting card marketplace thortful have launched a Mother’s Day campaign that illustrates the competitive nature between siblings at Mother’s Day.
New research report from M&C Saatchi TALK highlights the shift in consumer attitudes, behaviours and beliefs towards the art of conversation and how brands can embrace the conversations that matter most
Europe’s largest scooter and motorcycle manufacturer and one of the world leaders in the industry, today shares the findings of a new report that explores the details behind Vespa’s strong brand value. The results of the analysis show that the Vespa brand value totaled 906m€.
YouCam Apps presents new Clueless-themed virtual beauty filters in celebration of the 90s cult classic comedy movie.
09 August 2021 – London, UK: Global staffing partner for brand experiences, Elevate, is today…
Massive industry shifts in digital and e-commerce result in one team, one name across offices and disciplines.
Global brand experience agency Avantgarde announces the launch of Green Game, the first German agency focused on sustainability in sponsoring, in partnership with former professional skier Felix Neureuther and cemano communication founder Marc Socher.
As it now enjoys its one-year anniversary since its official launch, M&C Saatchi Talk is also celebrating incredible new business growth after a fantastic first half-year.
New Technology Enables Mid-Flight Optimization for Audio with Automated Recommendations to Enhance Campaign Performance
Is your business ready? Reflect Digital launches a ranking study on the new Google update, Core Web Vitals, to shed light on businesses’ site weaknesses.


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Flattering Bodycon Dresses, Recently, 4leafcity. com, the renowned clothing manufacturer plus retailer, has released the new collection of cheap bodycon dresses. Now, the company’s online shop is showcased with a lot associated with fashionable clothes. In addition, it is offering fantastic discounts (up to 32% off) on these products.
Typically the Statement of 4leafcity, According to the CEO regarding the company, its new items sell well within the global market. So far, 4leafcity. Flattering Bodycon Dresses, com has received a lot of good reviews for its refreshing products. Before March eight, all old and new customers can enjoy the specific offer.


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Over-Reliance on China Stings Apple as $44 Billion is Wiped Off Its Valuation
Over the past decade and a half, Apple has grown into one of the world’s biggest tech companies. Much of that success is down to the fact that the company has managed to produce some of the most iconic and technically advanced products like the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad among others. Those products have made Apple one of the world’s most valuable companies but a large chunk of that growth is fuelled by the massive sales it generates from its operations in China. The world’s 2nd biggest economy is one of the biggest markets for the company and its fortunes rise or fall according to the sales figures in the country. The dependence on the massive Chinese market has come into sharp focus following the start of the trade war between the United States and China.
The United States President Donald Trump has already imposed further tariffs on Chinese goods, and then in one of his tweets he ‘ordered’ American companies to stop their manufacturing operations in China. Since then the company’s stock price has slumped, and the company has lost a mind-boggling $44 billion in value. Apple has been manufacturing its products in China for many years now, and it is going to be difficult for the company to follow through on what the President has asked. On top of that, the increased tariffs on goods from China will directly impact Apple’s bottom line and its iPhone sales considerably. An analyst working with Wedbush Securities Inc mapped out the potential difficulties for Apple in a note. He stated,
The company would require three years to move 20% out, he adds, which is still less than the 25% of iPhone production that Apple needs for its domestic U.S. market. American tariffs on goods from China would therefore directly impact Apple’s biggest moneymaker.
Last year, Apple’s sales in China had nosedived due to the economic slowdown in the country and the emergence of worthy local competitors. That had forced the company to offer steep discounts in order to prop up sales and although that proved to be a successful move, it showed the vulnerabilities that Apple now faces. Weakness in the most lucrative market can never be a good thing for any company, irrespective of size, and it remains to be seen how it performs over the next few weeks.


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October 19, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
The Economist wrote:
- Anti-Semites have often claimed, for a large part of history, that Jewish people control the world of finance.
- So much so that it seems that areas with a legacy of anti-Semitism avoid using finance.
- According to a study, even today, areas in Germany where Jews were most likely to be sent to concentration camps are 7.5% less likely to invest in stocks, when compared to other Germans.
- This is to their disadvantage – such individuals get lower returns on their savings, imposing a direct financial cost on them.
- The authors conclude that “persecution of minorities reduces not only the long-term wealth of the persecuted, but of the persecutors as well”
It is perhaps important to note that this is “a cultural norm of distrust in finance that has transmitted across generations independently from anti-Semitism”. Read more details here.
Source: The Economist
October 17, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
An equation that tells you exactly when to arrive at a party to not be weird. What a ridiculous idea! Why, the only people who would use that are those who break out in a cold sweat wondering if they’ll be socially ostracized for being late, or awkwardly gawked at for being the first ones there. People who’ll map the location in advance to find the closest Starbucks so that they have a place to retreat too if no one else is there. People who will write a bulletin about it for an “economics” website so that they can easily find it in the unlikely scenario that someone invites them to a Halloween event.
*Ahem*. Walt Hickey wrote:
- The chaps at FiveThirtyEight organized a crowd sourced experiment to figure out when people show up to parties.
- They found that the median individual shows up to a party 58 minutes after it was meant to begin.
- But it depends on the size of the party. In those that have fewer than 23 attendees, the median guest is only 29 minutes late.
- Those with more than 25, the median person comes 70 minutes into the event.
- As a general rule of thumb, if you want to be the median guest to arrive, show up 42 minutes late, allowing for an additional 4 minutes for every ten members attending.
Read the caveats about the data, the 9% of people who arrive before a party begins, and see some excellent graphs and visualizations, as well as additional trends here.
October 16, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
More bad news about France’s economy from Kabir Chibber: sales of Bordeaux are cratering:
- Wine from Bordeaux, a region in France, is responsible for half the value of French wine exports.
- Sales have fallen 18% to $2.3 billion this year.
- The fall is in part due to the Chinese government’s recent anti-corruption measures which discourage officials from giving or receiving expensive gifts.
- French people as a whole are also drinking less wine – -consumption fell 7% in 2013 and has steeply declined since the 1980s.
- This leaves the US as the biggest market for wine in the world.
Read more about France’s economic woes here.
October 15, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
We’re inventing force fields! What are we using it to protect, you ask? Tactical nuclear warheads? Strategic bits of infrastructure? George R.R. Martin?
No, as a society we’ve decided that the best use of this technology is to avoid a touch of rain. Michael Franco wrote:
- An Air Umbrella on Kickstarter has raised $22,000 of its original $10,000 goal with 9 days to go.
- It will use pressurized air to protect users from the rain.
- It comes in three different versions and is expected to cost up to about $150.
- The battery is nothing to write home about – it’ll last between 15 and 30 minutes.
- Expected delivery is December, 2015.
Read about the project, how it works, and more over here.
October 14, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
Barry Petchesky wrote a piece that will make you feel for the poor souls at Bose:
- As the NFL is being sponsored by Bose, the famous maker of noise cancelling headphones, players aren’t allowed to wear any other brand.
- A player who wore a pair of Beats headphones was fined $10,000.
- However there is reason to believe that Beats just paid the fine for him.
- And anyway $10,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to what the players get for wearing the brand.
- This is probably why other players have since been seen prominently wearing Beats headphones even after the fine was announced.
Read more here.
October 13, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
The Economist reviewed “The Social Order of the Underworld: How Prison Gangs Govern the American Penal System” and outlined parts of the argument for why prison gangs are rational:
- Up until the 1950s prison gangs did not exist. Instead prisoners lived according tp a “convict code” that included guidelines such as not snitching.
- It worked because in a small prison community fears of social ostracism was enough to keep everyone in line.
- Then the prison population exploded and as s result of larger prison populations as well as a lot of first time offenders who did not know the code, the arrangement began to break down.
- In this breach emerged the prison gang. Not only did they provide protection, their size meant that they were better able to bargain collectively and smuggle goods in such as drugs.
- Gangs are also long term sellers which mean that their reputations are a guarantee of the quality of the products they offer.
- Gangs are often centered around race because to avoid damage to the gang’s reputation it is important that others be able to clearly distinguish who is and isn’t a member of the gang.
Read about what this means in terms of policy prescriptions and more details about the book here.
Source: The Economist
October 12, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
Kevin Smith and Paul Dini, two giants in the comic book cartoon industry, pointed out a disturbing preference that executives have:
- Television shows that appeal to girls are pressured to expand their young male audience because boys are more likely to spend money on merchandise.
- This creates a tendency towards goofy and random humour.
- It also creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where girls don’t watch comic book cartoons on TV because they’re not geared towards them, further causing such shows to focus on boys.
- Smith, for his part, feels that girls may not buy action figures but they may buy other accessories such as character clothing. Executives are merely failing to do their jobs in identifying markets.
Read more about the phenomenon here.
October 8, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
The umbrella revolution – so named because of the umbrellas that protesters are using to protect against tear gas and the weather – has been going on for over a week now. Heather Timmons looked at what this meant for Hong Kong’s economy:
- China’s ban on tour groups visiting Hong Kong was expected to hurt the service sector as two thirds of visitors to Hong Kong are from the mainland. However tourism has actually increased as visitors arrive to shop and view the protests.
- Retailers may have lost $284 million in sales according to one group, although the reality is murky. Others are reporting that the protests are actually boosting sales.
- While the stock market has taken a hit, traders have generated more in fees due to higher trading volumes as skittish investors reevaluate their portfolios.
- All in all, the Chinese government’s assertion that the protests could cost Hong Kong $5.2 billion seem unfounded.
Read more about the economic impact of the protests over here.
October 7, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
C. Coville wrote about strange cases of one country building market dominance in weird things:
- Sweden is responsible for a lot of our pop music. Producers and musicians increasingly come from the country, in part because the government launched several music schools, and now one in three Swedish children attend after-school music programs.
- We can thank India for the best hair extensions. Since many Indian women don’t treat or blow dry their hair, they make for the best tresses. Some then cut their hair at a temple as an offering, and the clippings are auctioned off for community funds.
- A good number of the Avengers – and movie stars in general – are Australian. Reasons for this include that they’re cheaper than American actors, and project a more chiseled action hero image, than American ones who tend to be more boyish.
Check out the rest of the article which includes musings on the spread of Wahhabism, why producers have to coerce Chris Evans to become Captain America, and more over here.
October 6, 2014 in Daily Bulletin
The world’s demand for Nutella is causing a shortage of hazelnuts writes Dan Charles:
- Most hazelnuts come from a narrow strip of land around the black sea in Turkey.
- Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, is responsible for the consumption of about 25% of the world’s hazelnuts.
- This year there was a frost in Turkey that cut production in half, causing prices to rise by 60%.
- The world’s demand for the nut is encouraging other countries to start production. Chile, Australia, and America are all starting or expanding hazelnut growing operations.
- Humans aren’t the only creatures that love the nut; one of the biggest challenges of growing them is keeping the squirrels away.
Read about the hazelnut market, find out why it’s so difficult to grow them in America, and find out about one scientist that might have figured out a way to do so anyway over here.


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2018-11-26T15:33:00+00:00By Martin Brok
Martin Brok, EMEA president at Starbucks speaks at Tech. 2018 about how the business has used tech to transform how its customers buy coffee.
2018-03-21T06:00:00+00:00By John Ryan
Opened at the end of February, the new-look Starbucks Reserve store, in its home city of Seattle, shows the lengths that purveyors of warm beverages are prepared to go to in order to create ‘premium’ experiences for their customers.


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GUWAHATI, Nov 1 - Eleven shops were gutted in a massive fire at Pandu under the Jalukbari Police Station late last night. The incident occurred around 12 am and 11 shops, including a tea stall, grocery shops and jewellery shops, were destroyed. However, no injury has been reported.
A source in the State Fire and Emergency Services said that it received a call at 12.30 am regarding the fire. Altogether 12 firetenders stationed at Dispur, Chandmari, Pandu and Lokhra were pressed into service.
The cause of the fire that started from one of the shops is yet to be ascertained. It spread quickly due to two loaded kerosene drums kept in the shop, the official added.


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Flipkart Big Billion Days sale 2022 will be a eight-day long sale that starts September 23 and will continue till September 30.
Flipkart Big Billion Days sale starts September 23. The eight-day long sale will continue till September 30. The e-tailer has created a webpage of the upcoming sale, teasing upcoming deals and offers on products across categories. Flipkart has also partnered with ICICI Bank and Axis Bank to offer 10% instant discount to customers on all purchases made during the sale. The e-commerce platform has also revealed deals on smartphones that will be available in the sale. Here we bring you deals on smartphones under ₹20,000 that are revealed so far


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Here are the top devices which users searched for in the month of November
We put the Nokia’s second-gen Android-toting smartphone through its paces
A quick review of the Nokia’s Android-toting X2
Wondering about the device with which Nokia is having a second go at the Android OS? Don’t worry, we have got you covered
Here are the top devices which users searched for in the month of September
The Lumia 730 is decently priced at Rs 15,299 – it might not be a clinch-worthy deal, but it’s not a deal-breaker either.
The smartphone offers a flagship-like experience with its stylish design, great camera capabilities and decent specs, but its pricing seems steep
While the Lumia 930 is surely a loaded offering, we feel that should have been launched in the country earlier
The dual-SIM Lumia 530 is the most affordable Windows Phone handset available. How does it fare?
Here’s a quick snapshot at what the successor of the Nokia’s best-selling smartphone of last year brings to the table
Having a few doubts about the Nokia Lumia 530? Read on to get an answer
At first glance, it looks like a mixed bag with some obvious advantages over its predecessor
Here are the top devices which users searched for in the month of July
Here are the top devices which users searched for in the month of June
The Nokia X2 is a major improvement over the Nokia X. Here's a quick look at the major changes.
The Lumia 630 is one of the most attractive options among affordable smartphones. Check out how it fared in our full review.
Here’s a closer look at the latest competition in the smartphone segment and the one that’s better for you
Short on time? Check out our review in pictures of the Nokia Lumia 630.
A roundup of the top smartphones launched in May 2014.
Curious about the dual-SIM Nokia Lumia 630's camera? Check out our review.


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Latest In The World Of Leaks – All We Know About HTC’s New Flagship Phone
The leak came from none other than HTC’s own website. Intentional publicity stunt? Who knows?
HTC’s test site recently leaked information regarding their new U12 Plus phone, making the release official. So far, leaks related to the phone had been surfacing the internet intermittently. However, this leak has confirmed everything that we had found out, coming directly from the company.
Roland Quandt recently tweeted to his followers, after discovering the leak on HTC’s website. He mentioned that they had left out information, regarding their latest phone, out in the open. Roland discovered that a subdomain of HTC, used for testing, was displaying significant information about the new phone. The leak, since then, has been fixed by the HTC, and the link is no longer functional. However, some sharp followers of his Twitter account were able to take some screenshots of the new device.
The U12 Plus phone has the following features:
- Display: Super LCD6 with a 6-inch display coupled with the WQHD+ (1440 x 2880) screen resolution.
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with a 6GB RAM.
- Storage: Supports up to 2TB of storage space (with microSD).
- Battery: A high-functioning 3,500mAh battery.
- Camera: Dual camera with 12 and 16-megapixel sensors, for the back camera. The front camera also has a pair of 8-megapixel sensors.
- OS: The phone should come with the latest Android Oreo operating system. An Android P update is expected to be supported for this device.
Apart from these, the phone is dust and water resistant has improved touch-sensitive buttons and support for Google Assistant is “always-on”. Users will be able to enjoy sound with the Boomsound speakers. Overall, these features translate into a great Android device.
We may have uncovered its starting price, at the time of release. It should start at around $920, for a device with 128GB storage and 6GB RAM. As indicated by its price, the phone is not coming out to serve as a mid-range device. It will directly compete against the mainstream devices, such as the Galaxy S9 and iPhone X.
What Does It Lack?
So far, it seems that HTC has completely ignored the latest trend of OLED screens. Moreover, the notch is absent, as well. Both these features have recently been favorites among consumers, so we will have to wait and see how the device performs.
After all the leaks, relating to the specifications, pricing, and design, we will have to wait and watch if HTC can still surprise us with any additional features, which we may have missed out. The official launch is scheduled for Wednesday, however, chances for getting any “new” information are low.


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The Kentucky fall yearling sale is back on this year's Fasig-Tipton calendar after the auction firm's officials announced in mid-March that it had been canceled.
The New York Breeders' Sales Co. has cataloged 400 mares and weanlings, along with 16 stallion seasons, for its fall breeding stock sale. The auction will be held Oct. 12 at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. (OBS) has cataloged 1,000 horses for its fall mixed sale, which will be held Oct. 6-8 in Central Florida. The auction will begin with a select session, and two open sessions will follow.
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Mark Spitz -- My Mustache Was Violated By Pill Company
Mark SpitzMy Mustache Was Violated... By Pill Company
2/4/2014 5:35 PM PT
No one abuses Mark Spitz's trademark mustache and gets away with it ... so says Mark Spitz, who claims a pill company had the balls to jack his follically-enhanced image to hawk energy pills without permission.
The U.S. Olympic legend has filed a lawsuit against New Vitality -- an online vitamin and supplement company that allegedly used an old-school photo of Mark in an ad for one of their products called PowerQ10.
In the ad, Spitz gives a testimonial about how much he loves to use the product to support his energy levels and heart health.
Problem is, Mark says he never agreed to allow the company to use his name, his image or his mustache to endorse any New Vitality product and now he's looking for big fat check to make things right. He also wants punitive damages.
We reached out to New Vitality -- so far, no word back.


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The “Reward & Recycle” scheme rewards customers that hand in old mobile phones, laptops and MP3 players with cash rewards.
As part of its support package, the mobile phone operator has also introduced “Copy & Keep” which allows customers to transfer data such as contacts, music and photos from old handsets to new handsets in-store.
Orange says that two thirds of British consumers have old handsets at home, and the scheme will help reduce the number of electronic products going to landfill.
the retailer also claims that 38% of consumers don’t know how to back up the data on their electronic devices and the service will make it easier for customers to make use of the recycling scheme.
Both services are available in all Orange high-street stores, to everyone, including non-Orange customers. Cash rewards will vary depending on the handset and its condition.
Orange announced this week that it will start selling the iPhone on monthly contract and pay-as-you-go, on 10 November.


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April 6, 2018
Singapore is the latest country to launch promotional activity for the Winx Worldwide Reunion, the upcoming event celebrating Rainbow’s “Winx Club” brand.
Megcorp, the distributor for “Winx Club” in Singapore, has launched a competition that invites fans to use their creativity and imagination by taking a picture of themselves as their favorite Winx Fairy. A judging panel will decide on the winner, who will receive a ticket to the reunion event to be held in Jesolo, Italy, Sept. 3-6.
Comprising seven TV series and three feature-length movies that mix 2D animation and CGI, “Winx Club” follows the adventures of a group of young fairies and combines action and adventure with comedy for girls from ages 4 to 10, as well as tweens and teens.
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“Part Cinque – TINY BUBBLES”
Venice-based music production studio WOLF AT THE DOOR unleashes a new film created for their own surf shop and brand LONE WOLFS Objets d'Surf. Titled “Part Cinque – TINY BUBBLES,” the offbeat ad features original music by WOLF AT THE DOOR and was produced by their in-house design and production team Black Rainbows of Death.
Director: Thomas Leisten Schneider
Featuring: Patrick Wilkins and Adam Sinclair
Creative Directors: Scott Brown and Alex Kemp
Cinematographer: Keith Pikus
Editor: Alex Kemp
Production coordinators: Aaron Robinson and Natalie Hsu
Produced by: Black Rainbows of Death
Music, Sound Design, and Mix: Wolf at the Door
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- Meat kit company HelloFresh has launched 20-Minute Meals, according to a company statement. The new kits will cut down on prep-time and clean up, and are in addition to HelloFresh’s standard kits that require more user prep.
- The new recipes are in response to customer interest in quicker and simpler kits. Too much time spent chopping vegetables and cleaning dishes has been a common complaint.
- The 20-Minute Meals will include ready-made sauces, pre-chopped vegetables and fast-cook ingredients, like pre-made rice and fresh pasta. Recipes include steak and nectarine salad with arugula, pecans and feta cheese; butternut squash agnolotti with kale in a sage brown butter sauce; and sesame beef tacos with quick-pickled veggies and spicy crema.
The target audience for meal kits is millennial and Gen X consumers, who are 321% more likely to purchase a membership, according to Nielsen. The shortcuts offered in the 20-minute kit may appear to some consumers as value depreciation, but will likely be welcomed by the busy home cook who wants to spend less time in the kitchen. Simply put, if there wasn’t consumer demand for faster kits, the company wouldn’t be launching them.
Competitors like Blue Apron have not introduced similar reduced-time options yet. One smaller upstart, Gobble, was founded on the concept of simple, fast preparation. Each meal can be cooked in less than 15 minutes and only uses one pan. But its distribution is limited; it's only available in 31 states now.
HelloFresh’s latest launch is not just a response to consumer complaints. It’s also an attempt to retain customers. Research has found that 90% of customers drop out within the first six months of a meal kit membership.
Home delivery meal kits are facing increased competition from grocery stores and Amazon. Kroger and Publix now offer their own branded meal kits. Amazon filed a trademark application for prepared food earlier this year and started selling the kits on a test basis in a few markets. If the online giant offers take-home kits at Whole Foods in the future, it could be an industry game changer. HelloFresh’s faster meals may help them stay relevant amid this increased competition. However, it remains to be seen how HelloFresh can keep chopped ingredients fresh, since the company's meals arrive in a big box delivered weekly.
There has been no official word on the price of the new 20-Minute Meals, but they’ll likely follow the same structure of HelloFresh’s original plan at about $10 a serving. If these new kits are a success, expect to see competitors like Blue Apron follow suit.


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Goodwood Festival of Speed car launches 2019: Ford GT Mk II, McLaren GT and more
From racing cars to luxury grand tourers, these are the big announcements from the unofficial ‘British Motor Show’
The Goodwood Festival of Speed has raced to a finish after four hectic days featuring a host of racing legends and some of the most exclusive cars in the world.
Founded in 1993, the Chichester-based event sees motorsport royalty thrashing historic machines up the Goodwood Hillclimb in front of crowds of fans.
Carmakers also use the celebration of all things motoring to unveil their latest and greatest production cars. In fact, the event has become so popular with manufacturers that it has been dubbed “the British Motor Show”.
Here are some of the best new car announcements and public debuts at this year’s festival:
Audi R8 LMS GT2
Audi is already one of the kingpins in customer racing, so it comes as little surprise that the German carmaker has committed to the upcoming GT2 series with its new R8 LMS GT2.
The new series, which is aimed at amateur racing drivers, invites carmakers to build racing cars based on road-going models but with more power - and less downforce - than today’s highly-popular GT3 machines.
Making its debut at Goodwood, the R8 LMS GT2 is powered by a 640bhp naturally-aspirated V10 engine, making it “the most powerful car” in the Audi Sport Customer Racing division’s 11-year history, says motorsport news site Sportscar365.
Prices kick off at €338,000 (£300,200), the news site says, a figure that’s significantly higher than the road-going version’s £128,295 tag. Expect deliveries to get under way in December, just in time for the 2020 GT2 season.
De Tomaso P72
It has been nearly 30 years since supercar lovers could pick up a new De Tomaso. However, the Italian carmaker, famed for its Pantera from the 1970s, has unveiled a brand new model at the Festival of Speed.
Dubbed the P72, the sleek supercar is “intended to elicit a spiritual connection to the futuristic P70 prototype race car of the 1960s”, according to PistonHeads. The P72’s sculpted design takes information from both the elegant prototype racing cars of the period and the marque’s own heritage.
It’s based on the radical Apollo Intensa Emozione, so it “wouldn’t be unreasonable” to suggest that the P72 may use the German hypercar’s 780bhp 6.3-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine, the motoring site says.
Only 72 examples will be made, each costing around €750,000 (£670,000), says Motor1.
Ford GT Mk II
Audi wasn’t the only carmaker to announce a hardcore, track-only model at Goodwood. To mark the company’s success in top-level endurance racing, Ford will create 45 GT Mk IIs that are completely unrestricted by competition regulations.
The model is fitted with a “dual-element rear wing and massive diffuser”, along with a handful of carbon-fibre winglets at the front, helping it generate 400% more downforce than the road-going GT, says Top Gear.
It’s around 150bhp more powerful than the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning GT, too, with its 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 engine producing approximately 700bhp, the motoring site says.
Buyers will need a spare $1.2m (£960,000) to get their hands on one of the limited-edition models, a fair chunk of change given that it can’t be driven on public roads.
Lexus LC Convertible
The Lexus LC Convertible was seen in action for the first time at Goodwood, after being unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Previewed in prototype spec with “jazzy” camouflage, the LC Convertible is all but identical to the Japanese carmaker’s LC 500 - albeit without a roof, says PistonHeads.
Although Lexus has yet to reveal the car’s engine specs, the LC 500’s 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine or more eco-friendly 3.5-litre V6 hybrid are the likeliest choices.
Drop-top models typically carry a premium over their coupe counterparts, so expect the LC Convertible to cost a few thousand more than the LC 500, priced at £75,234.
Like the LC Convertible, the McLaren GT hit the road at the Festival of Speed following a March debut, in an online unveiling.
The GT is designed to combine the performance of McLaren’s range of supercars with the comfort and ease of use offered by the marque’s cross-continent grand tourers.
The new car is powered by the same 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine found in the radical 720S supercar. At 611bhp, the GT is 99bhp down on the 720S, though most of the newcomer’s 465lb-ft of torque is available at just 3,000rpm, so it should have a “low-end shove” for getting up to speed quickly, notes Evo.
The GT is also one of the cheapest McLaren models on sale. Prices kick off from £163,000, although as WhatCar? notes, it’s “most customers at this end of the market will go far beyond that” by adding optional extras.
Mercedes-AMG has been releasing teaser images of its upcoming A45 super hatch since Christmas - but fans have finally had their patience rewarded.
The German carmaker pulled off the covers of the production-ready version of the A45 at Goodwood, before the car hits the showrooms later this year, says Autocar. It’s based on the A-Class hatchback, but swaps out the regular model’s engine for a 387bhp four-cylinder turbo motor.
Power is transmitted to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the motoring magazine says. In range-topping A45 S guise, which ups the power output to 415bhp, the super hatch will launch a family of five from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds.
Prices have yet to be confirmed, but expect a figure of around £45,000, says Auto Express.


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Aristocrat, which is an Australian slot machine giant, has launched an almost AU$4 billion bid to acquire Playtech plc.
Playtech shareholders, who represent more than 20% of the provider’s outstanding shares, have already sent letters of intent or irrevocable undertakings to Aristocrat. Playtech board has recommended unanimously to other shareholders to support the scheme.
Playtech plc is a game provider that was founded in 1999. All of their games have high-quality graphics, impressive visuals, and fun features which makes Playtech a very popular game provider. Playtech is presented in almost every newly launched casino, for instance, Winz.io online casino, which started in early 2021 has already implemented it. Playtech’s closing price was 429 pence on 15 October 2021. The Australian giant is ready to offer a cash price of 680 pence per share, under the terms of the deal. That is a 58% premium over the old closing price. The team of Aristocrat believes that Playtech would deliver strategic benefits and accelerate the Australian giant’s growth strategy.
Trevor Croker, who is a CEO and Managing Director of Aristocrat said that regulatory relationships with Playtech’s online real money gambling platform, which is a leader in the industry, and European B2C footprint and Aristocrat’s high-class gaming content would be brought together by the proposed combination. He also added that their combined group would offer end-to-end solutions for gamers all around the world. Croker has also said that adding a talented team like Playtech’s strong company like Aristocrat would create a leader in the global online real money gaming industry.
The acquisition of Playtech for the iGaming industry may be helpful. The iGaming industry stands to gain from this deal since players will have access to additional games that stand out from the competition. If Aristocrat, a land-based casino game provider, now has the ability to change and adapt its games to online casino gaming, it bodes well for the industry as a whole. As a result, organizations are working to create a single, user-friendly gaming platform. This platform will allow users to play an even wider range of games, which will enhance their overall experience and happiness. Intriguing synergies may be established when a land-based service and an online product are combined. With a web channel and a mobile app, the casino can keep in contact with its customers even while they’re out of town, which has several advantages. There is the opportunity for consumers to continue playing whether they are at home or on the road (which often accompanies the presence of the gaming rooms). It’s possible that operators may utilize the virtual casino to promote their real casino’s many different initiatives. Internet gaming companies may provide fantastic solutions to land-based casinos by providing streaming options from actual locations to online players and branded live casino halls. With a live stream service, land-based casinos can now provide their clients with the option to play their preferred casino games with their preferred dealers whenever and from wherever they choose. Branded live studio solutions provide casinos the ability to customize everything from dealer clothing and playing cards to table design and even the studio environment in real-time. As a matter of fact, both technologies enable casinos to tailor their live casino landing pages, UI components and colors, user interface languages, and table limits to their own requirements and preferences. The operation of an online gaming business offers no threat to a land-based business that currently exists. An online casino is a great way for a casino owner to reach a bigger audience, reach players who would not otherwise be able to visit the casino in person, and communicate with those players. It doesn’t matter how few tables and dealers an online casino has; the owner may still bring in a large number of customers and make the most money from a single one.
SpringOwl Asset Management CEO Jason Ader, one of Playtech’s top shareholders, praised Brian Mattingley, Playtech’s chairman, for his efforts in finalizing the purchase. It “validates our long-held opinion of the value of Playtech,” he added.


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Anime Expo 2015 Announcements Rundown
Anime Expo was last week and we announced quite a few things at our Industry Panel this year. If you missed out on what all was revealed, we have a nifty rundown for you below!
BEYOND THE BOUNDARY UNBOXING
During our panel we did a LIVE UNBOXING of the Beyond the Boundary Box Set. Neat, huh? Our friend Chris Ayres was on tap to take us through everything included in the set. Check out the pic above to see what all will be included!
SENTAI FILMWORKS ON TOONAMI
You didn't think that we would stop with Akame ga Kill! did you? Of course not, and we've definitely been listening to your suggestions since we announced Akame.
One show in particular was requested more than any other, and made the most sense to put on the legendary Toonami anime block, and that show is Parasyte -the maxim-! You can look forward to Parasyte premiering this October on Toonami with a brand new English dub. More details coming soon, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date!
SUMMER 2015 ACQUISITIONS
We announced six titles at our panel and have recently added a few more to our Summer lineup. Check them out below. Which ones will you be watching?
- Aoharu X Machinegun
- Himouto! Umaru-chan
- Monster Musume
- Non Non Biyori Repeat
- To Love Ru Darkness 2
- Ushio and Tora
These titles will soon be available on Hulu, so watch out for them!
Apart from our Summer titles, we also picked up two series that fans have been clamoring for for...well, for a long time.
Higurashi - When They Cry
For years we've heard from the fans that we need to license Higurashi, and this year we did just that. A cult classic, Higurashi season 1 was previously released here in the states...and then nothing.
We not only have acquired the first season of the series, but have also picked up season 2 and the OVAs that comprise the third season. Both of these seasons have never been released in the US, and we are very happy and proud to be able to bring them to you all. More details about Higurashi will emerge as it becomes available!
...oh, and by the way, we have a few more titles we acquired along with Higurashi, but we can't say anything yet. ;)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
They said that it couldn't be done, that bringing this series to the US was IMPOSSIBLE. Well...we like a challenge. Legend of the Galactic Heroes has finally made its way to Western shores, and we are more than elated to be the ones to bring it to you.
This sprawling space opera documents an epic struggle that's been raging for more than 150 years, an interstellar war on a galactic scale. Two factions, lead by larger than life heroes, battle for supremacy in a series that has seen some of the best limunaries in the Japanese anime industry take the helm and go on to mega successful careers. Legend of the Galactic Heroes is just that: Legendary. And now it's coming your way.
This show is not one to be missed. More details on this historic acquisition will be forthcoming.
That does it for AX announcements! We had a blast this year, here's to AX 2016! :)


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Florida-based Publix supermarkets has named a former manager of its first store in the Atlanta market the head of its new Charlotte division, as Publix attempts to break into the North Carolina market.
Chuck Roskovich, a 37-year Publix employee, began as a clerk and spent his early years in Publix stores meat departments, the grocer said. He became the Atlanta division vice president in 2008, and was named senior vice president of product business development in 2011.
"Chuck's extensive leadership experience and his passion for retail store operations will help make our entry into North Carolina a great success," said Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw, in a statement. "We share Chuck's excitement in taking on this new opportunity to build Publix's brand in this important new market."
Publix opened its first two Charlotte-area stores earlier this year, in South Carolina. The store is planning to open its first Charlotte store in early 2014, in Ballantyne, and the company is seeking out other sites in and around Charlotte to continue its expansion.
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Friday August 29,2014 : PARX CASINO LAUNCHES SOCIAL GAMING APP
Land casino collaborated with mobile technology company in new online FTP drive.
Pennsylvania's largest land casino operator, Parx is to enter the online social gaming sector with a free-to-play mobile app developed in collaboration with mobile technology company Joingo.
The app augments Parx's Play4Fun platform powered by Williams Interactive, and features a geo-location capability, push notification system, and integration with the land operation to ensure that punters have in-app access to casino information and promotional offers.
It will additionally be incorporated in the Parx social media connections to Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, and will be available f.o.c. on iOS and Android platforms.


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Irish consumer sentiment inched higher in June following strong domestic economic data, but households remained nervous about their finances for the coming year, a survey showed on Monday.
Ireland has been Europe's fastest growing economy for the past five years, but consumer confidence has fluctuated sharply in the past year amid concern neighbouring Britain might leave the European Union without a replacement trade deal.
The KBC Bank consumer sentiment index rose to 90.7 in June from 89.9 in May. That was up from a 51-month low of 86.5 in February and still far short of the 12-month high of 107.6 last July.
The survey's authors said confidence had been boosted by strong domestic economic data in recent months, including a fall in unemployment to its lowest rate in over 10 years.
"A renewed focus on the risk of a ‘hard Brexit’ from 31 October may see sentiment sour again," KBC Bank Ireland chief economist Austin Hughes said, referring to Britain's current planned EU exit date.
"However, in the near term, an element of Brexit fatigue may be causing consumers to switch attention away from such risks to the reality of healthy Irish economic conditions at present."
Consumers were marginally more positive about the outlook for the Irish economy and jobs than they were in May and about how their own household finances had developed in the past twelve months, the survey showed.
But some Brexit related nervousness was hinted at in a slightly weaker view of household finances over the next twelve months, the authors said.


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Aaj Tak HD, India’s First HD Hindi News Channel Launched By India Today Group.
India’s No. 1 TV news channel with over 250 million viewers, Aaj Tak has launched India’s first Hindi HD news channel-Aaj Tak HD. Reinforcing its 18 year legacy of being a pioneer in indian television industry, Aaj Tak sets a golden milestone by transforming its content into high definition for the future through the HD avatar. Aaj Tak HD will be powered by rich exclusives, superior picture and audio quality, lesser ad breaks, making it the preferred news channels.
Mr Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor in Chief, India Today Group, speaking on the launch said, “Time and information are the real currencies of this digital age. We have created Aaj Tak HD to give the viewer the best value on both these counts. Aaj Tak HD has been designed in a way that there will be smaller ad breaks and much more news content than you will find anywhere else. Let me assure you that Aaj Tak HD is not just about High Definition audio-video. This is about High Definition content and more of it. As a market leader with Aaj Tak, we have always been Sabse Tez, and now with Aaj Tak HD we won’t be just Sabse Tez but also Sabse Zyada.”
Aaj Tak has had many firsts to its name, being the first to use 3 Dimesion augmented reality graphics during Uttar Pradesh elections, first to use drone camera for news coverage, first to launch election express – the only LIVE and on the move newsroom across India. Aaj Tak is also the first Hindi news channel to beat GEC channels on coverage. The brand has always been in the forefront of nuturing powerful latest technologies and innovations and offering differentiated viewing experience to its viewers. The launch of the High Definition channel will strengthen the company’s competitive positioning and will consolidate its leadership in the Hindi speaking belt.
The media group also planning to launch the news channel with special features on Business News, Bollywood Gossips and International News. The buzz on the launch will be multiplied with the much awaited campaign “Sabse Tez, Sabse Zyada” across multiple platforms – Outdoor, TV and Digital.
Aaj Tak HD will be offered exclusively on Tata Sky (Channel Number 508) in India for initial stages, and eventually will become soon available with other DTH providers.
Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson, India Today Group said on the launch event. Welcoming the viewers to the next level of television news viewing, Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson, India Today Group said, “Your trust in Aaj Tak has grown year over year. It is our responsibility therefore to always be Sabse Tez… And also to always keep you ahead. Aaj Tak HD will keep you ahead on the technology curve and will service the entire spectrum of your interests including special features on International Content, Business and Bollywood. We hope you like our new offering, ‘Sabse Tez Sabse Zyada”.
Aaj Tak is the leading channel in both urban and rural Hindi Speaking Markets not only as per BARC but also as per IRS data. With HD variant, Aaj Tak will also go on to attract the elite and affluent Hindi viewer profile.
Welcome to an exciting High Definition ride with Aaj Tak HD to the next level of news consumption.


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FLINT — This year, family-owned Skaff Furniture-Carpet One will host their first ever one-day event to be held two days after the holiday on November 26 to benefit three charitable organizations.
“Were calling it ‘Save and Share Saturday’,” says Dick Skaff, Skaff Furniture-Carpet One President. “And we will be donating 15 percent of each and every customer purchase that day to Carriage Town Ministries, The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and Whaley’s Children’s Center.”
According to Skaff, each customer can designate which charity they would like to support. They can choose one, or divide their donation between two or all three organizations.
“In the past, when we’ve done our ‘Save and Share’ initiative, customers would purchase gift certificates and some of the proceeds would go to the charity of their choice, but this is the first time we’ve turned it into a one-day event,” says Skaff. “We’re going all out by reducing prices, so our customers realize significant savings, which will make a significant impact for people in need in our community.”
In an effort to create even more excitement for ‘Save and Share Saturday’, customers can also stop by and register to win a Serta I-Comfort queen-size mattress set, a Best recliner, room-size carpet remnants and more.
“We are super excited about this whole thing. We have been planning it since August, and the prices are the lowest of any time during the year,” said Skaff.
Skaff was enthusiastic about his desire to give back to the community and called on other area businesses to do the same.
For this one-day event, Skaff has extended their Saturday hours from 10 a.m.until 8 p.m. Skaff Furniture-Carpet One has been in business in Genesee County since 1911.
The 70,000 square-foot Skaff Warehouse/Showrooms are located at 23- Expressway and Hill Road.
Today, Skaff offers well-known brand names in furniture and floor covering, including Lees, Bigelow, Karastan Carpet, Bruce Hardwood Floors, Flexsteel, Smith Brothers of Berne, Serta, Tempur-Pedic and more.