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Method Man Fuses TICAL Cannabis Business With Activism
Posted On June 14, 2020
- Hip-Hop veteran, Method Man, introduces new strains while promoting awareness of social injustices.
- Nearly three decades later, Method Man has turned TICAL into a legitimate cannabis brand.
- Method Man’s latest venture is the latest business pushing towards the legalization of marijuana in the US.
Read full article: allhiphop.com


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Latin America's showing the world the benefits of e-invoicing
In recent years, Latin American governments have come up with a proactive solution to tax evasion by embracing electronic invoicing. In fact, many Latin American countries have made e-invoicing mandatory for businesses because it’s such a powerful way to bring the shadow economy into the light and combat fraudulent activities.
With e-invoicing, every business invoice is issued and passed through the government. But that doesn’t mean that the government must approve invoices, only that the government gets a copy of all business activity.
In Chile, one of the first countries to implement mandatory e-invoicing back in 2003, more than 97% of billing is now filed electronically. In countries like Brazil, suppliers cannot even ship goods without an official e-invoice that passes through the government servers. According to a study by Billentis, Latin America will see an annual growth rate of 32% in the use of e-invoices in the 2017 to 2024 period, with Mexico leading the way in adoption.
Mandatory e-invoicing in Chile, Brazil and Mexico is paving the way for other governments in the region to follow suit. Other nations, such as Argentina, Ecuador and Peru, are now expanding their e-invoicing regulations, after having some time to first study the other successful models in the region and to compare adoption rates.
From a U.S. perspective, it may seem weird or even risky at first. But e-invoicing not only reduces tax fraud, but also makes life easier for small businesses. Businesses can file their taxes in minutes without the need for costly and time-consuming tax preparation services. Many in Latin America believe that the trade-off is more than worth it.
As a result of mandatory e-invoicing, Latin America has also become a global leader in the factoring industry. The factoring industry, approximately $3 trillion per year worldwide, allows suppliers to meet their working capital needs by selling their invoices, or accounts receivable, to lenders for cash. Factoring companies are specialized firms that calculate their offers based on a supplier’s reputation, credit and the invoice validity.
After purchasing the invoices, the factoring companies receive payment for the original invoice balance at a later date directly from the customer. Factoring allows suppliers, especially SMEs, an alternative to high-cost financing options, to obtain mission-critical cash liquidity. For example, an unsecured line of credit in Chile might be 40%+ interest per year, whereas factoring might only be 12%-24% interest per year because the lender uses the invoice as collateral.
E-invoicing is a leading driver of the factoring boom in Latin America because it helps decrease financing approval and processing times for businesses. With faster application times, factors are able to serve more SMEs at a quicker rate, including those typically deemed too small for traditional factors.
Mexico was the second Latin American country after Chile to aggressively adopt mandatory e-invoicing for both individuals and businesses in an effort to stamp out tax evasion. As Fernando Martínez Coss of Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (the SAT) noted, “between 2007 and 2009, the SAT lost $3.4 billion, largely due to what it euphemistically calls “apocryphal invoicing.” Despite implementing regulations much later than Chile and Mexico, Brazil also turned to mandatory e-invoicing in 2006 to streamline the collection of taxes, quickly becoming a world leader in the space.
In Peru, where factoring is referred to as “negotiable billing,” e-invoice implementation is underway, and so far, all of the necessary conditions for its success are in place. Colombia too has in place an electronic billing normative, which was executed in 1996. However, more recently Colombia is using Chile as inspiration for a new electronic billing model that is expected to reach wide adoption by over 800,000 businesses in the country. Meanwhile, other countries in the region, like Costa Rica and Argentina, have had e-invoicing options in place for a number of years now but continue to push for its massification not only for tax purposes but also to promote the added value e-invoicing provides for businesses of all sizes.
As a result of such early adoption, mandatory electronic billing efforts have paid off in Latin America. The technology has not only helped the region’s banks and other financial institutions develop better financing services for their clients, but it has also led to the creation of a number of innovative e-invoicing startups.

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MARSHALL, Mich — The big box store Kmart has been shutting down locations all over the country for decades.
The store in Marshall, Mich. has been the last one still operating in the entire state since 2020, but its run will be done this weekend when it closes, ending the once-ubiquitous discount brand.
"We learned a few months ago that the Kmart store here in Marshall would be closing," said Tom Tarkiewicz who is Marshall's city manager. "The store will be missed."
The Kmart in Marshall (15861 Michigan Ave.), which is a small community located 20-minutes east of Battle Creek, will shut its doors this coming weekend. This particular store has survived as long as it has because it's the only national big-box retailer in the immediate area.
Additionally, Kmart didn't own the building, which prevented the company from closing the store years ago, along with several other Kmarts throughout Michigan.
"It's really going to hinder a lot of our residents who do not have the luxury of a vehicle but use our transit system to get to Kmart," said Tarkiewicz. "Marshall and Albion residents really relied on this store.
"The closest Wal*Mart or Meijer store to us is in Battle Creek."
The store opened in the early 1990s as a "Big K," replacing an older and smaller Kmart nearby.
"There's nostalgia connected to Kmart," said Tarkiewicz, who is a native of Troy, Mich., which was the home to Kmart's headquarters. "I remember when the first Kmart opened."
Last Kmart in Michigan is closing
The Kmart brand was born in 1962 when Detroit-based retailer S.S. Kresge Co. opened the first Kmart big-box store in Garden City.
Kmart peaked during the 1970s and 1980s, competing against other box-retail stores like Meijer, JC Penny and Sears. Before the retail chain's merger with Sears, then its subsequent double bankruptcies, there were nearly 2,500 Kmart stores nationwide, including 134 in Michigan.
Kmart abandoned its corporate headquarters in Troy in 2006. The original location in Garden City closed in 2017, leaving the Marshall location as the chain's last store standing.
"Our city's next concern will be filling that store location with a new tenant," added Tarkiewicz. "The owner of the property does have a buyer for the building but it's unknown at this time what the new owner's plans for it will be."
The Marshall Kmart will close its doors for good Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Until then, whatever merchandise is remaining can be purchased for 30-75% off the retail price.
Everything must go.
"We're sorry to see them leave but time moves on," said Tarkiewicz.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.


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The political debate in the US has become rough, and some fear a return of McCarthyism from the 1950s when everybody linked to Russia feared prosecution. Now China too has come into the equation, and political methods move into the same direction, says China analyst Kaiser Kuo to the US World&News Report.
Category Archives: Donald Trump
US president Trump closed a trade deal with Mexico, a minor victory, but putting more pressure on the trade negotiations with China, says business analyst Wang Haiyan at CGTN. For the time being, Trump can afford to play tough on China, she says.
McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC and Burger King are some of the American consumer brands in China who can get burned as the trade war heats up further, says business analyst Shaun Rein, author of The War for China’s Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order, to the South China Morning Post.
The People’s Daily has hit out to Apple for making its capital on the expense of China, but all iconic American brands fear to be hit by the ongoing trade war between China and the US, says business analyst Andy Mok at CGTN.
US media tend to frame their stories by dividing the world into winners and losers. In the US-China trade war they have declared the US the winner, for all the wrong reasons, writes political analyst Harry Broadman in Forbes. In this case, the media framing is creating a dangerous and wrong myth, he writes.
The developing trade war between China and the US focuses on tariffs for commodities, while China could hurt the US really nasty by deploying its consumer power by boycotting products, tourism and US-related education. Political analyst Victor Shih, author of Factions and Finance in China: Elite Conflict and Inflation, explains in Bloomberg why China has not done so.
Figuring out who might be hurt by the trade war between China and the US is still be tough, but tech companies like Alibaba and Tencent see their US ties as a liability, says financial expert Sara Hsu to Cheddar. “The trade spat between Washington and Beijing has not only quelled investors’ appetites, it has also discouraged Chinese tech giants from expanding internationally.”
China has been reluctantly been shooting back with tariffs at US imports up to now in the Donald Trump trade war. It might be even more reluctant to use the powerful tool of its consumers in the trade war, says political analyst Victor Shih in the Financial Post. But it could, and Apple and Starbucks should prepare, says business analyst Shaun Rein on Fox News.
First shots have been fired on tariffs in the trade war between the US and China, but the impact has been limited up to now, tells economist Wang Haiyan to CGTN, as the affected numbers are still relatively small. Escalating the effects can be avoided, but to need a compromise by the end of the summer, she says.
Making sense out of US president Donald Trump’s economic policies has become impossible, even for the most seasoned observers, like Harry Broadman. For Forbes he tries to make sense out of the damage Trump has caused up to now, and the decades it will cost to repair that damage.


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Major hair and makeup inspo ahead.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
New York Fashion Week is back — and if there’s anything to learn from its hiatus, it’s that there’s nothing like seeing stellar beauty looks IRL. As fashion month heads to London, see some of the most standout hair and makeup moments from the Spring 2022 shows in the Big Apple.
“Big, fun, and very camp,” is how Evanie Frausto, lead hairstylist for Bumble and bumble, described the gravity-defying hair at Christian Cowan. Complementary sheer lips and fresh complexions came courtesy of MUA and Smashbox Cosmetics lead artist Isamaya Ffrench.


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Michael B. Jordan’s production company Outlier Society has expanded its existing partnership with Amazon Studios to include a first-look film deal and an overall television deal.
Up first, Amazon Studios has set a release date for Jordan’s high-octane thriller “Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse.” The film, which Amazon acquired from Paramount Pictures last year, will debut globally on Prime Video on April 30.
“Bringing Outlier Society’s slate of film, television and multi-media content all under the same roof is an exciting next chapter for us,” Jordan said. “Amazon’s global and expansive reach offers us the ability to entertain and engage our audience in innovative ways, while maintaining our commitment to supporting a wide range of stories and storytellers. I’m thrilled to be kicking off the partnership with ‘Without Remorse’ this spring.”
Under the movie agreement, Outlier Society will produce and acquire “elevated films showcasing diverse, bold filmmakers and talent for the studio’s ever-growing original movies slate.”
The creative relationship will extend beyond film and television. It’s also expected to foster cross-collaborations with Amazon’s businesses, from fashion and Audible to music. A day prior to the announcement, Jordan starred in Amazon’s Super Bowl ad, which asked the age-old question: “What would be the ideal body for Alexa?” (Answer? Jordan, obviously.) According to YouTube, it was the most-watched TV spot on Sunday.
Elizabeth Raposo was recently named president of Outlier Society. Raposo, the former president of production at Paramount, is responsible for overseeing production and development alongside Jordan. Jordan launched Outlier Society in 2016 to highlight diverse stories and voices. Its upcoming slate includes the Denzel Washington-directed film “Journal for Jordan” and the third entry in the Rocky Balboa spinoff series “Creed III.”
Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said Jordan and his team share the studio’s passion for “amplifying new and exciting voices with an emphasis on diversity both above and below the line.”
“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with Outlier Society,” Salke said. “Michael, Liz and the team will be key partners in our efforts to showcase compelling, ambitious and addictive content that can reach our global audience. We can’t wait for everyone to see ‘Without Remorse,’ our next chapter in the Tom Clancy universe – it’s an action-packed thrill ride fans will love.”


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Ethnobotanists have a new theory on which plant the berserkers ingested.The Feds Need to 'Grow a Set and Do Their Jobs'
Lawmakers are busy building their case against Silicon Valley's giants, but they're less optimistic about the agencies in charge of antitrust enforcement.A Major Legal Battle May Change How Digital Game Sales Work
Valve's Steam platform is currently appealing a case in France over consumers' ability to resell games.Thousands of Tech Workers Join Global Climate Change Strike
Employees in Silicon Valley want their companies to do more to help the planet. Will this activism make a difference?Hackers Hit Click2Gov Bill-Paying Portals in 8 Cities
The new wave of attacks comes after a previous Click2Gov hack compromised 300,000 payment cards.


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Redfall has received a new official story trailer providing an overview of the game’s “thrilling” story.
The new story trailer is courtesy of IGN and was published some minutes ago. Check it out down below:
Redfall is slated to release on May 2nd for PC and Xbox Series S|X and will support cross-play between PC and Xbox. As covered yesterday, Arkane Studio’s upcoming open-world, single-player and co-op shooter will also support NVIDIA DLSS3, Ray tracing, and Reflex on PC.


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American trucking could be on the rise in the coming years, as the expansion of the Panama Canal will likely increase the number and size of shipments making their way to the United States. However, some fear domestic transportation companies may not be able to handle the increase in business if they don't start to prepare in advance.
Expansion plans will impact transit
The Panama Canal is currently undergoing an expansion project that is projected to double its capacity by allowing larger ships carrying more cargo to pass through. The project, which is slated to be finalized by 2015, could bring a substantial amount of new business to the country. To accommodate the increased number of shipments that will be traveling via the waterway before heading to the U.S., American ports are already making adjustments and ensuring they will benefit from the additional business.
Will transportation companies be able to cope with more business?
Water transportation providers are already making the necessary adjustments, but the canal expansion could also have a rather unexpected impact on the North American trucking industry. With larger cargo loads being shipped through the canal and reaching American shores, more vehicles may be necessary to get these products to their final destinations. Some doubt the industry is ready for this increase in business, but American Trucking Associations Vice Chairman Phil Byrd disputed that claim in testimony he recently gave to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
"We are aware of no systemic trucking capacity shortages that are currently impacting freight movement at our port facilities or could serve to restrict the transport of Panama Canal increased volumes beginning in 2015," he said.
However, there has been concern voiced about deteriorating infrastructure, driver shortages and new industry rules that have the potential to limit services when more cargo needs to be moved. To mitigate these risks as more cargo ends up in American ports, distribution companies may need to analyze and enhance their current networks and capabilities. In addition, company leaders who wish to participate must determine how they can take advantage of the increased amount of shipping opportunities the expansion will provide. By correctly optimizing their local, regional or long haul routes based on the greater amount of cargo in certain ports, transportation companies can better manage the movement of freight shipments. With vehicle routing software, a company can enjoy the benefits of more business opportunities, less time spent planning routes and lower expenses.


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Stories are a powerful way of communicating—and part of the reason why Gregg Renfrew created Beautycounter. She wanted the story about harmful ingredients in our everyday personal care products to be told, person to person. Last week, she shared Beautycounter’s story again at an event hosted by Lesley Chilcott, Leslie Sanchez, and Women in Film, a professional organization that brings together top women in the film and entertainment industry. Gregg revealed some of the key facts that keep us working for better beauty, like how more than 80,000 chemicals have been approved for use in the United States but nearly 80% have never been tested for safety on human health.
Gregg said it perfectly:
“So let me be clear. I am not here to talk with you about a cosmetics issue. This is a women’s health issue. It is a family health issue. It is our issue. And it’s one we can do something about.”


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He's chipping in to help a worthy cause.
Tony Wells, owner of Lindley Fish Bar, is donating free fish and chips to a local charity – and offering portions at £1 per serving to celebrate the centenary of the National Fish Fryers’ Federation.
The takeaway at West Street, Lindley, is one of 100 UK outlets offering vouchers to claim fish and chips for ‘100 pence’ on Monday as part of the federation’s centenary Chip In For Charity campaign to raise £10,000 for the Fisherman’s Mission.
As well as the cut-price offer, Tony and his team will be delivering 30 free portions of fish and chips to the Huddersfield Methodist Mission on Wednesday.
Tony said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to support a worthy charity on our doorstep while raising funds for a national cause.
“The Huddersfield Mission does an incredible job of helping vulnerable people and a delivery of fresh fish and chips can be immediately distributed at their evening cafe.”
He said: “To help in our bid to raise money for the Fisherman’s Mission we are giving out vouchers for customers to come back on Monday to claim their fish and chips for ‘100 pence’.
The Lindley Fish Bar, formerly known as West Street Fisheries, underwent a £50,000 refurbishment in January 2012.
Tony and his wife Isabel’s Elland store – Westgate Fish Bar – is also taking part in the charity effort with free portions of fish and chips being delivered to the Ebenezer Food Support and Drop In next Saturday .


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Technology companies are known for their use of analytics. The most famous—or notorious—example was at Google, which once tested 41 shades of blue to decide what color to use on a toolbar. But tech companies are far from the only ones that interrogate data to make better-informed decisions. Indeed, according to a new report from PwC, a consultancy, traditional businesses use analytics slightly more often across business functions than tech firms.
PwC spoke to nearly 1,500 companies, include some 200 technology firms, for the study. It shouldn’t be surprising that non-tech firms are enthusiastically adopting analytics: “New digital ecosystems are emerging in various sub-sectors that are shifting the power and profits of established companies,” Tom Archer, who leads the consultancy’s tech practice in the US, tells Quartz. ”These disruptions will require companies in all industries to evaluate the manner in which they serve their customers.”
But, Archer suggests, rather than looking at just the number of companies are using analytics, it’s more useful to look at how the companies are using it. “While the technology companies’ responses were lower across several functional areas, they scored higher on product development and nearly on par in the sales area, both of which are critical areas to be able [to] sense and respond to customers’ desires in a more rapid fashion.” In other words, data and analytics are built into the very foundation of tech firms’ business, while other industries tend to use analytics as an add-on, to support the business.
Deloitte, another consultancy, has its own report out this month about the use of technology by mid-size American companies across industries. It too asked them about analytics use. Nearly two-thirds of companies in its sample use analytics, again mostly for secondary functions such as sales and marketing.
So what are all these companies analyzing exactly? They’re investigating internal data but they are also trying to get a look inside the heads of customers and potential customers. From Deloitte:
Not long ago, companies selling goods or services online could gain significant competitive edge by collecting customers’ names, locations, and basic demographic data. Today, firms need leading-edge capabilities to get consumers to click the “buy” button. Businesses want to know how much time users spend online, what they’re searching for, and what they’re likely to purchase.
A report out earlier this month from Tata Consultancy Services, yet another consultancy, explained how companies are collecting these data for sales and marketing purposes—mostly through mobile apps and social media.
With dramatic changes in established business practices and egged on by consultancies, all sorts of businesses are hoarding and analyzing data for a competitive edge. This practice is so widespread that even the chief information officer of one of the biggest data firms in the world, Acxiom, suggests that firms should exercise some restraint and strategic thinking in their data-gathering. “The historic approach has been: Go buy technology, go put data into it, then determine what reporting you want, and then figure out what your use case is,” he told Deloitte. “I would turn that around and say, ‘What is your case? What are you trying to solve?’ Start with the business requirements. Companies often skip over those simple questions.”
Without caution, companies end up with vast vaults stuffed with the most detailed data imaginable. Acxiom was one of the companies mentioned by name in a Federal Trade Commission report into data brokers and analytics firms. The kind of data they collect, listed here by Quartz, covers every imaginable aspect of an individual’s personality.


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There is some evidence that the public should wear masks. But let doctors and nurses get them first.
All economic downturns increase automation. This one will be worse.
At least. And outside experts say that’s a reasonable estimate.
Among Americans, partisanship has been a stronger predictor than age, gender, geography, even personal experience, a new study shows.
"I haven’t heard about testing being a problem," Trump said on a call with governors on Monday.
Zoom’s best month could also be its worst.
"Has anybody decided to shut down the economy for six months every year for flu season?"
Should I be using self-checkout? Are delivery services ethical? Where is the peanut butter?


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ThinkingPhones is rebranding to become Fuze, after the company that it bought in November in an effort to grow the video conferencing capabilities of its cloud-based unified communications offerings.
The channel-friendly company has also closed a $112 million round of financing, money that Fuze said that it will use to expand its reach globally and to invest in product innovation, particularly around the effort to simplify business communications.
“Our new company name, Fuze, removes the limitations of ‘ThinkingPhones’ and provides a name suggestive of our vision—a unified platform that seamlessly ‘fuzes’ voice, video and collaboration,” said Fuze CEO Steve Kokinos, who founded ThinkingPhones in 2006. “Our unified platform marries voice, text, messaging, collaboration and video to make communication meaningful and collaboration authentic—all while providing real-time insights that help you work smarter, backed by technology that is intuitive to the individual. This all goes a long way towards making work enjoyable and productive.”
The acquisition of Fuze was part of a major push by ThinkingPhones over the past couple of years to broaden its capabilities and better compete in a growing and fast-changing unified communications (UC) space. The company in August 2014 bought Whaleback, a New Hampshire-based company that provided managed and cloud-based services to midsize companies. In February 2015, ThinkingPhones bought Contactive, which brought analytics to the vendor’s offerings
With Fuze, ThinkingPhones brought in cloud-based video conferencing products that enable people to collaborate across multiple devices using tools like high-definition voice and video as well as content sharing. Fuze also brought with it more than 100,000 customers, including such high-profile names as Groupon, Starbucks and Thoughtworks.
In 2015, ThinkingPhones also added more than 400 new people to its workforce and grew revenues more than 150 percent, and added more than 175 new customers.


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Cryptic's Bill Roper - the Diablo and Hellgate luminary now working on superhero MMO Champions Online - has stood up for Mythic's Warhammer Online after it announced its drop to 300,000 subscribers.
"I hear half the people are saying, 'Oh gosh, Warhammer looks like it isn't doing so great,' because they said they had 300,000 subscribers. Those are not bad numbers," Roper told MTV.
"I know many games out there that would love to have 300,000 subscribers," he continued.
Roper thinks that the inflated expectations that come from comparisons with World of Warcraft, which has over 11 million subscribers worldwide, have given pundits and executives a distorted idea of what a successful MMO is.
"It's like when you're in school, and there's the one kid that gets 100 per cent on every single test. You have to throw him out of the curve to actually see how everyone else compares because everyone fails when compared to that guy," Roper said.
"But I think that there are a lot of MMOs out that are thriving. And the good side about that is that you can have a few hundred thousand subscribers, do great, keep the company alive, grow it over time and keep it moving."
The problem comes, Roper said, when publisher executives don't understand that this is the case, or how a smaller MMO can be "fiscally sound".
"I really think that the biggest challenge maybe is that there's a much higher expectation now for MMOs. And It's really tracking more like traditional console sales, where if you don't have a certain amount when you launch - you have to get that big forward momentum at the beginning."
Roper discovered the problems associated with launching a subcription game when he had to close his Flagship Studios venture after the failure of Hellgate: London. He'll be hoping for a better performance from Champions Online when, according to new owners Atari, it launches in June.


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A strong performance in Mainland China mitigated the damage in Hong Kong where sales were down by 31 per cent due to the...
Strong performances from supermarket businesses and joint ventures underpinned Singapore-listed company's performance.
If closed, the deal would create a company worth more than US$50 billion.
Deal settled after regulatory approval secured.
The move will see 14 stores shutter, taking 50 staff down with them.
Foodpanda has expanded its q-commerce service to more than 2500 7-Eleven stores across Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and t...


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McCormick’s Palm Springs Collector Car Auction this weekend is a family-run event held twice a year. It is somewhat low-key because it doesn’t get the TV-glam attention as a Barrett-Jackson big-top blowout nor does it get the stratospherically expensive cars.
Most of the vehicles are sourced from Arizona and Southern California and it is not uncommon to find several “Palm Springs Barn Finds,” said spokesman Alex Fedorak.
“We get cars that have been (in Palm Springs) since the ’50s and ’60s, just sitting,” he said. “Cars with original interior and paint with 20,000 miles are not uncommon.”
More than 500 vehicles are registered for the three days – 120 vehicles this afternoon ((Friday)), 225 tomorrow ((Saturday)) and 175 Sunday. Bidding, $30, starts at 3 p.m. today ((Friday night)), with free admittance to just check out the vehicles. Tomorrow’s preview begins at 8 a.m. with bidding at 10 a.m. 20 cars will be moved across the block in an hour.
Typical hammer prices range from $2,000 to $200,000, Fedorak said. “But $2,000 can snag a pristine Triumph or early ’60s American iron,” he said. “We see a lot of convertibles and even a lot of Lincoln convertibles. The last auction had a Rolls- Royce go through for less than $10,000.”
The buyer’s fee is low at 5 percent of the selling price. Transactions also include a $40 documentation fee.
Desirable entries this weekend include a 1954 Corvette, 1957 Cadillac Eldorable Biarritz and 1970 Ford Torino GT Convertible. There are also will be a gaggle of customs and some late-model muscle. View the list online.
The Goodguys 13th Del Mar Nationals will be April 5 to 7. Are you ready?


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Published 10:00 pm, Thursday, August 2, 2007
To fight piracy, Microsoft China cuts price of Vista
Microsoft Corp. has cut retail prices for its Windows Vista operating system in China by more than two-thirds to encourage use of legitimate software.
The company cut the price for the Vista Home Basic package to 499 yuan ($66) from 1,521 yuan Wednesday, Wei Qing, who heads the Windows mobility business group at Microsoft China, said in a phone interview Thursday. The retail price for Vista Home Premium was reduced to 1,802 yuan from 899 yuan.
200 Dell workers in Oregon sales office to lose jobs
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- US Marijuana Job Growth Could More Than Double By 2021 Buzz 60
- Amazon Offering Cash Back to Customers Who Shop at Whole Foods Wibbitz
- Volkswagen Sets Record for January Sales Wibbitz
- Paid sick leave for businesses Fox7
- How Spanx Is Shaping Itself For the Future of Business Cheddar TV
- Ty Pennington's New Show Celebrates Small Businesses Cheddar TV
- You Cannot Miss This Incredible Documentary of Manolo Blahnik on How He Built His Shoe Empire ELLE
- John Legend helping support former inmates turned entrepreneurs with their startup businesses Fox5DC
- How To Be a Confident Woman in Business Cheddar TV
- Whiplash on Wall Street Brandpoint
- Advice For Starting A Niche Business Cheddar TV
- Bitcoin ATM machines serve senior citizens, white collar professionals, lawyers, and doctors Sun-Sentinel
- Amazon Could Soon Have Wristbands That Track Employees Buzz 60
- America’s Most Hated Companies Veuer
- Successful People Do These 5 Things in the First Few Months at a New Job Buzz 60
- Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Hathaway Form Health Care Company Wibbitz
- Watch This CEO Reflect On 30 Years of Working Her Way to the Top Fortune
- Wilbur Ross Tells Davos: U.S. Is Done ‘Being a Patsy’ on Trade Fortune
- Qualcomm Fined for Illegal Payments to Apple Fortune
Dell Inc., the second-largest personal-computer maker, closed a sales office in Roseburg, Ore., cutting 200 jobs as part of a plan to shed 10 percent of its work force.
Employees have been told the office is closing, David Frink, a spokesman for Round Rock, Texas-based Dell, said in an interview Thursday. The company has about 85,000 employees, he said.
Dell to buy ASAP Software in deal worth $340 million
Dell Inc agreed to buy ASAP Software from Corporate Express for $340 million, acquiring products that help companies manage their computer systems.
The purchase adds programs to track software purchases, licenses and renewals, Dell said Thursday in a news release.
ASAP is a unit of Amsterdam, Netherlands-based Corporate Express, the world's biggest office-supplies distributor. The acquisition is expected to close in the fiscal third quarter, Dell said.
ASAP also provides e-commerce services for software publishers and their partners, the company said.
Japanese companies criticize YouTube's copyright efforts
TOKYO -- A coalition of Japanese television, music and film companies slammed YouTube Thursday, saying the online video-sharing service was not doing enough to rid the site of cartoons and other clips that infringe on copyrights.
The group also expressed skepticism over an automatic video recognition and purging system being developed by YouTube parent Google Inc., questioning the reliability of the technology and saying it was taking too long.
YouTube has been immensely popular in Japan, trumping rival Japanese video-sharing sites. It started a Japanese-language version of the site in June to gain even more viewers -- and to post warnings in Japanese against uploading copyrighted materials.


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Real life test shows with enough time, money, anyone can be hacked
People get hacked when they get lazy and fail to practice good security measures, goes the conventional thinking. While this may be true to a large extent, preparation failed to protect a professor from having his digital realm thoroughly compromised by ethical hackers to whom he issued a challenge.
The protagonist in this instance would be New York University (NYU) Professor and PandoDaily editor Adam Penenberg, while the ethical hacking team from Trustwave's SpiderLabs were involved in the penetration attempt. As reported on CSO here, the team attempted multiple ways of attacking Penenberg, including trying to overwhelm his home wireless router, trying to lure him to a malware-laden blog, as well as visiting his office at NYU to identify the MAC addresses of his devices.
The breakthrough apparently came through Penenberg's wife. According to the report, "The team sent an email using the name of an actual Pilates instructor to Penenberg's wife, with a 'video clip' containing malware that gave the team full access to her laptop whenever it was on the Internet." Once in, they were able to gain access to Penenberg's laptop and phone, likely by exploiting their ability to access his home network.
Ultimately, the team was able to remotely lock up Penenberg's computer while he was using it, get his iPhone to beep audibly even though it was set to vibrate, and set both his iPhone and laptop into stolen mode. Copies of credit card and bank statements, online bills and various social media accounts were also successfully compromised.
Of course, the team acknowledged that it would have been far easier and cheaper to attack a company with "dozens to thousands of employees" as potential targets. In this scenario, the time and level of difficulty was greatly increased as only Penenberg and his wife could be targeted. Indeed, a hacking expert cited by the report gave an estimate of at least $50,000.
With the cost of a successful compromise being so costly, individual users may be tempted to think that hackers would just pass on them. Trustwave's security analyst Garret Picchioni turns the thinking on its head though, by pointing out that while it may not be worthwhile to attack individuals, it all depends on the value of the final target. To put it simply, an employee working for a major online web store may well be deemed as being worth this level of effort for a chance to steal credit card numbers, for example.


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London Stock Exchange soars 9.6% amid rising hopes £20bn Refinitiv takeover will be approved
LSE jumped 9.6 per cent amid reports it is set to win approval for its takeover of Refinitiv
Shares in the London Stock Exchange jumped 9.6 per cent amid reports it is set to win approval for its £20billion takeover of data analytics company Refinitiv.
It would make LSE a major distributor and creator of market data at a time when observers think it is becoming as important to finance as oil is to industry.
This week S&P Global agreed to buy London financial analytics firm IHS Markit for £33billion, creating a challenger to Refinitiv and Bloomberg.
To appease EU regulators poring over the proposed takeover of Refinitiv, LSE has agreed to sell its Italian operations Borsa Italiana to Euronext.
Competition regulators in Europe are ready to give the deal the green light. LSE shares rose 764p to 8754p, valuing it at £30billion.
The European Commission, scheduled to decide on the deal by January 21, declined to comment.
LSE and Refinitiv also declined to comment.


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|By Marketwired .||
|May 20, 2014 03:04 PM EDT||
YORBA LINDA, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 05/20/14 -- LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc. (OTCQB: LVVV) is pleased to inform its shareholders that it has finalized the majority acquisition of The Apple Rush Co. Inc. (PINKSHEETS: APRU) and has announced its intention to change the name of Apple Rush Company to Applied Herbaceuticals, Inc. and continue to trade under the symbol APRU.
Pursuant to the transaction, LiveWire owns approximately 77% of APRU as well as the CANNA Bliss and CANNA Rush trademarks. Additionally, APRU has entered into a long-term license agreement whereby APRU shall be the exclusive worldwide licensee of the Apple Rush and Ginseng Rush branded products.
"We chose Applied Herbaceuticals to differentiate our brands and maintain the goodwill attributed to our flagship LiveWire Energy chew brand," said Bill Hodson, Chief Executive Officer for LiveWire Ergogenics. "Applied Herbaceuticals will focus on distributing the branded CBD-based products CANNA Rush and CANNA Bliss. We look forward to working closely with our joint-venture team and distribution partners to introduce branded and private-label products to our customers through Applied Herbaceuticals."
Tony Torgerud, CEO of Applied Herbaceuticals, stated, "I see an excellent opportunity with Canna Bliss and Canna Rush along with the re-launch of the Apple Rush and Ginseng Rush brands. We are building a strategy to introduce and re-invigorate these products."
Over the next 30 days, LiveWire will launch a new corporate website, LiveWireErgogenics.com that will provide a clear and concise explanation of corporate structure.
Details of the transaction can be found in Form 8K filed by LiveWire on May 20, 2014.
About LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc. (OTCQB: LVVV) and LiveWire Energy Chews
LiveWire Energy chews are manufactured in Anaheim, California by LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc.
Designed for consumers with an action-packed lifestyle, LiveWire Energy chews are pocket-sized, portable alternatives to bulky energy drinks or shots. Available in seven different flavors, the Company's grab-n-go packaging responsibly displays the amount of caffeine in each chew, including Citrus Mango (90 mg caffeine), Pomaberry (90 mg caffeine), Chocolate (100 mg caffeine), Mint Chocolate (120 mg caffeine), Sour Apple (90 mg caffeine), Cinnamon Fire (90 mg caffeine), and Coffee (100 mg caffeine).
LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc. was formed in 2008 and its products are available for purchase at thousands of retail outlets nationwide or are available online at:
About The Apple Rush Co., Inc. (PINKSHEETS: APRU)
The Apple Rush CO., Inc. is a manufacturer of natural and organic beverages and food products.
APRU is a lifestyle brand holding company that specializes in healthy alternative nutritional supplements. Its brands currently include Canna Bliss, and Canna Rush and the worldwide distribution rights to the nostalgic brands Apple Rush and Ginseng Rush. Separate divisions are set by the active ingredients within the products such as Hemp based CBD oils, Ginseng,and other healthy lifestyle products. Ginseng Rush and Apple Rush are the premier beverages produced by the Apple Rush Co., Inc. Beginning with a 40 year history in the natural beverage arena the Apple Rush Co., Inc is prepared to return to prominence with its sparkling fruit juices and newly developed fruit smoothie product line. We have a goal to become the leader in natural and organic healthier alternative beverage products.
Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements
To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, future collaboration agreements, the success of the Company's development, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.
LiveWire Ergogenics, Inc or Applied Herbaceuticals do not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural constituent of hemp oil.
INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT
Email: Email Contact
What sort of WebRTC based applications can we expect to see over the next year and beyond? One way to predict development trends is to see what sorts of applications startups are building. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Arin Sime, founder of WebRTC.ventures, will discuss the current and likely future trends in WebRTC application development based on real requests for custom applications from real customers, as well as other public sources of information,
Mar. 24, 2017 10:00 AM EDT
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In the enterprise today, connected IoT devices are everywhere – both inside and outside corporate environments. The need to identify, manage, control and secure a quickly growing web of connections and outside devices is making the already challenging task of security even more important, and onerous. In his session at @ThingsExpo, Rich Boyer, CISO and Chief Architect for Security at NTT i3, will discuss new ways of thinking and the approaches needed to address the emerging challenges of securit...
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Seattle-based Starbucks has requested that the National Labor Relations Board temporarily suspend mail-in-voting in union elections over allegations that labor board personnel coordinated with union representatives to improperly influence voting.
In a Monday letter to the chairman and general counsel of the NLRB, Starbucks alleges “highly improper, systemic misconduct” and that board agents secretly coordinated with union agents in a concerted effort to “tip the scales” in favor of the union in an election at an Overland, Kansas location.
The coffee colossus cited information for a whistleblower, a “career NLRB professional” who came forward to the company with the alleged improprieties at the board’s St. Louis office when it was overseeing an election at the Kansas store this spring at a time when the company’s employees are in process of a nationwide drive to unionize.
Starbucks claims that the board officials made special arrangements for pro-union employees to vote in person at its offices when they allegedly did not receive their mail-in ballots; the company and the union had agreed that store elections would be conducted using mail-in ballots.
“The store is one of 314 U.S. Starbucks locations where workers have petitioned the NLRB to hold union elections since late last year. More than 220 of those stores have voted to unionize. The company opposes the unionization effort,” according to the Associated Press.
“The purpose of this misconduct was to tip-the-scale in order to deliver the outcome sought by the Union,” Starbucks wrote in the letter. “The result of the misconduct was to ignore—and bypass—the actual sentiments that Starbucks partners may have expressed in properly conducted elections.”
Starbucks also claimed that there are concerns over similar situations in other outlets.
“If the NLRB does not respond by investigating and remedying these types of actions, we do not see how the board can represent itself as a neutral agency,” Starbucks said in its letter.
The group behind the national push for unionization, Starbucks Workers United, predictably cried foul, accusing the nation’s foremost coffee chain of trying “distract attention away from their unprecedented anti-union campaign, including firing over 75 union leaders across the country, while simultaneously trying to halt all union elections.”
“Ultimately, this is Starbucks’ latest attempt to manipulate the legal process for their own means and prevent workers from exercising their fundamental right to organize,” the group said in a statement according to AP.
The company was recently in the headlines over the closure of stores in some of the country’s most crime-ridden, Democrat-controlled cities, a reaction to Starbucks’ decision to surrender to the “woke” mob by implementing an open restroom policy after a 2018 incident when a manager at a Philadelphia store called the police on two black men who were accused of trespassing after being denied use of the facilities.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz: ‘America has become unsafe’ … store closures ‘just the beginning’ https://t.co/jnYcWpACKW pic.twitter.com/cLFf4RJe8P
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) July 21, 2022
“We are beginning to close stores,” because of safety issues, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a video that was posted to Twitter. “Starbucks is a window into America, we have stores in every community… we are facing things in which the stores were not built for. We’re listening to our people and closing stores, and this is just the beginning. There are going be many more.”
In addition to recognizing its failed policies in opening the restrooms to unpaying non-customers including dopers, drunks, vagrants, hookers and the homeless, Starbucks seems to have had a moment of clarity over mail-in-voting, a process many contend is an open invitation for fraud.
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The capex will be utilised for automation, building new factories and new machinery, among others, says chairman
by FARA AISYAH/ pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL
TOP Glove Corp Bhd has earmarked RM600 million in capital expenditure (capex) for the financial year ending Aug 31, 2020 (FY20), for automation and expansion activities.
The world’s biggest rubber glove manufacturer, which has been ramping up its spending, needs the large capex to grow, chairman Tan Sri Dr Lim Wee Chai (picture) said.
“In terms of capex for FY20, it will still be about RM600 million. We invest for the future, we don’t invest for only one or two years—we see 20 to 30 years ahead,” he said at a briefing on Top Glove’s fourth-quarter (4Q) results in Shah Alam recently.
The group’s FY19 capex of RM632.17 million, which was utilised for new factories and improvements in existing factories, was 37% higher than the RM461.77 million allocated in the previous year.
“We will be utilising the capex in FY20 for automation, building new factories and new machinery, among others,” Lim said.
Part of the capex allocation may also be used for mergers and acquisitions (M&As), although the group will approach any possible M&A with caution to ensure the deals are not over-valued, he said.
Lim said the group is still comfortable with its current gearing level of below 1%.
In April last year, Top Glove purchased surgical glove maker Aspion Sdn Bhd from Adventa Capital Pte Ltd for RM1.37 billion.
It then filed a lawsuit against Adventa and two Aspion directors in July 2018, due to alleged overstatements of Aspion’s assets and the acquisition price.
The group’s new capacity expansion comprises mostly nitrile gloves, while the remaining are vinyl and latex gloves.
It’s expected to have 38 factories with 876 production lines, and a production capacity of 84.1 billion pieces annually by December 2020.
Currently, the glove manufacturer has 33 factories with 682 lines which can produce 63.9 billion pieces of gloves per year.
It has added 16 new lines which can produce two billion pieces of gloves per annum in 2019.
In 2020, it aims to have five new factories and an additional 178 lines that will produce 18.2 billion pieces of gloves yearly.
Moving forward, Lim is confident the glove maker will be able to achieve double-digit growth despite the competitive environment.
“We expect between 10% and 20% growth for sales and net profit growth for FY20, on the back of our capacity expansion plan,” he said.
The group aims to expand organically in order to meet the increase in global glove demand, which is set to grow by 10% yearly, Lim added.
Top Glove’s net profit for the 4Q of FY19 (4Q19) fell 13% year-on-year (YoY) to RM80.05 million from RM92.33 million previously, dragged by higher natural rubber prices and increased competition.
The 4Q19 revenue declined 2.8% YoY to RM1.19 billion from RM1.22 billion last year, due to lower demand recorded in its emerging-market segment.
For the full financial year, the group’s net profit slipped 12.7% YoY to RM370.56 million from RM424.36 million in the previous year, while revenue grew 13.7% YoY to RM4.8 billion from RM4.22 billion previously.


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Gaming magazine Play UK published a graph showing the total sales of 19 PlayStation 3 exclusive games.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has sold a total of 5.67 million copies worldwide, making it the best selling third party PlayStation 3 exclusive to date.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the series continues to be a strong brand name and an important part of the video game industry, as proven by these numbers.
Note: keep in mind that it’s unconfirmed where Play UK got these numbers.
Source: The Silent Chief


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After it’s founding almost 40 years ago, Gap still remains an iconic brand. To celebrate its history, the brand is launching a concept Gap1969 concept store on Carnaby street.
In true Gap style, the store will be open for 19 days and 69 hours. The three story store will feature strictly limited washes and styles, 69 of each, that will be numbered and stamped.
The store will also feature designs from Ed Hardy, Albertus Swanepoel and photographer Garance Dore, who will host the debut of Pharell William’s collection.
Music has always been an integral part of Gap’s history, and the concept store will be no different. Many different breakthrough artists will be playing but opening day will kick off with VV Brown followed by Taio Cruz.
On opening day you will be able to purchase limited edition, Gap


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Robert Graham has launched a new whisky auction service which brings together buyers and sellers from around the globe whilst offering expert bottle and collection valuations.
Toraño is launching two lines, called E-021 and W-009. The new collections are additions to the growing Vault portfolio.
Cigar Golf Club, a company that offers cigars for golfers, has launched in the USA. Cigar Golf Club is associated with Plasencia Cigars and aims to build an exclusive brand of cigars for golfers worldwide.
Sabor Havana Cigars is ready to host their 16th annual end of year event, which brings together cigar aficionados, industry notables, and influencers. The festivities will take place under an oversized tent, featuring cigars from the top brands in the industry.
General Cigar announced that effective November 28, 2016, Vice President of Marketing Alan Willner is leaving the company to pursue other interests.
Drew Estate announced the release of the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Barrel Fermented Churchill and the Pappy Drew Limitada to Pappy & Company, the online store of the Van Winkle Family.
The H-Town Lancero will be presented in a 7 x 38 Lancero and will be packaged in 10 count boxes. The blend features a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and Nicaraguan fillers and is blended by Drew Estate Master Blender Willy Herrera.
French Puros Hedon are from now on available internationally at selected retail stores and at the most prestigious luxury hotels.
Romeo and Julieta Capuletos, 2016 Edición Limitada, has been presented in the Italian city Verona, on 21st of September 2016, as a worldwide primacy.
In October, the Moscow Aficionados Cigar Club will celebrate their 6th anniversary and host from October 14–16 a Cigar Festival.
Davidoff announces the opening of the Davidoff Lounge at Havana Phil’s Cigar Company in downtown Greensboro, NC.
Mombacho Cigars will roll out new branding over the second half of 2016; beginning with Liga Maestro which will be unveiled at the upcoming IPCPR in Las Vegas.


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The product is designed for entry-level users looking to save money on a GPU upgrade. But you're probably better off buying other graphics cards.
Twitch, Pinterest, Airbnb, and UPS have all been fined, but the sums won't exactly break the bank.
You could win the big prize if you finish our latest survey, all about your love or hatred of your broadband ISP.
'We recently asked the FEC to authorize a pilot program that may help improve inboxing rates for political bulk senders,' Google says.
Companies and government agencies using Google Cloud can now access 'planetary-scale environmental monitoring.'
We compare the various Amazon Echo Shows and Google Nest Hubs to help you figure out which smart display is right for you.
The upcoming GPU is designed for flagship smartphones and also offers variable rate shading.
In the meantime, at least five major VPN players have decided to remove their physical VPN servers from the country.
Extortion group RansomHouse claims simple passwords, such as “123456,” used by AMD employees made it easy to steal the data.
If you're looking to save money on your wireless bill, these lesser-known, lower-cost cell phone plans might be the ticket.
The median download speeds for Starlink users decreased slightly in the US and Canada between January and March, according to Ookla Speedtest data.
Install the extension, buy stuff online, and new trees get planted by Ecosia.
Alexa and Google Assistant are two of the leading voice assistants out there. Here's how the smart speakers that use them stack up against each other.
The One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition uses Leica optics and 1-inch sensors to record all-around video at 6K resolution.
Airbnb will remove its 16-person occupancy cap, but keep a tight leash on unauthorized events.
They are located in California and Colorado, and Rivian intends to expand its network to 3,500 chargers across 600 locations.
The agency is eyeing potential new launch periods in 2023 and 2024.
Extract Mode could mean the difference between clearing an obstacle or not when off-roading.
Expect to see user-friendly LG-branded charging stations popping up soon.
Shipments will start on Thursday, when the company begins fulfilling Q3 pre-orders a day early.


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Apple Fest offers treats, smiles this weekend
Published: Sunday, September 5, 2010 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 11:06 p.m.
Sitting in the shade of the buildings in downtown Hendersonville, Samuel Otten, 8, and his sister, Catherine, of Salisbury, enjoyed candy apples, smearing their faces in red.
The kids' grandmother, Carolyn Otten of Mills River, and her friend Martha Massey of Hendersonville sat next to the kids, enjoying their own treat of chocolate mint Dippin' Dots Ice Cream.
Down the street, near the Ginny's Fudge and Nuts vendor, Makayla Lee, 10, of Fairview, held the remains of her candy apple in one hand and a piece of cotton-candy-flavored rock candy in the other.
Her sister Makenzie, 8, of Fairview, said her favorite part of the festival was the candy, while Makayla enjoyed the rides.
“What else do you do at the Apple Festival, but eat?” proposed Massey.
“What I like about it is relaxing,” Catherine said. “Sitting and eating.”
Up and down the streets, people were enjoying treats, everything from fudge to funnel cake to carnival foods. Also, there was every variety of apple confection to consider.
N.C. Cooperative Extension Area Agent Marvin Owings handed out yellow cards as visitors came to taste seven variations of applesauce made from three different varieties of local apples at the Blue Ridge Farm Direct Market Association booth. Ginger gold, golden and gala varieties were used in the applesauce. Usually, visitors to the booth tasted different wedges of apples.
“We wanted to see the consumers preference on taste and texture,” Owings said.
Danny McConnell of McConnell Farms Inc. in Dana sold caramel apples, spice apple slushes and a variety of fruit butters at his stand on Main Street. The line grew in the warm afternoon as visitors craved sweet drinks.
“Apple Festival really kicks in our apple season. Actually, it puts the consumer into the mind-set that it's time to buy apples,” McConnell said.
With a motorized engine chugging out five gallons each session, Ken Cole, with Riverview Farm in Mills River, continuously churned apple ice cream for his vendor stand. He figured, by the end of Apple Festival, he will have gone through 500 pounds of ice.
Each session to create the cooled cream takes 30 to 45 minutes.
“My wife keeps me straight,” Cole said with a laugh. “All I do is run the motor. She does the mixing.”
Cole said this Apple Festival featured one of the biggest crowds he has seen at the event.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Cannabinoids are a class of compounds that interact with receptors throughout your body. CBD is just one of dozens of cannabinoids found in cannabis, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the one responsible for marijuana’s famous high. Medical cannabis is technically any cannabis product used for medicinal purposes, and these can contain THC or CBD or both, said Nick Jikomes, a neuroscientist at Leafly, a website that provides information about legal cannabis. “A common mistake people make is to think that CBD is ‘the medical cannabinoid’ and THC is ‘the recreational cannabinoid.’” That’s inaccurate, he said, because THC is a potent anti-inflammatory and can be helpful for pain.
CBD IS AN ABBREVIATION FOR CANNABIDIOL, A CHEMICAL COMPOUND FOUND NATURALLY IN THE CANNABIS PLANT. IT IS NOT MIND ALTERING LIKE MARIJUANA, WHICH MEANS CBD WILL NOT MAKE YOU HIGH. OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS STUDIES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL OF CBD. RESEARCHERS DISCOVERED THE HUMAN ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM (ECS), WHICH IS THE SYSTEM THAT CBD INTERACTS WITH.
Joseph Rosenblatt is a New York entrepreneur and COO of Enliven Essentials, a New York CBD-infused-product company. He helped found Enliven Essentials with his family when he discovered the astonishing benefits CBD oil could provide for close family members suffering from pain and anxiety. Rosenblatt also writes, travels, and educates people about CBD oil and the benefits it carries. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or through enlivenessentials.com.
Other studies have been done in lab animals, or in vitro (meaning in a test tube, using animal brain tissue). Those studies have found anxiety-reducing effects but only at midlevel dosages, in the range of 10 to 20 mg per kg. As an example, one study found that CBD can, in rats, be an effective anti-inflammatory painkiller — at 20 mg per kg. It’s not a direct translation, but that dosage would be somewhere in the range of several hundred milligrams for an adult human.


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A Civil Society Organization, Good Governance Forum (GGF), has asked the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), to implement the single window system in verifying and clearing imported goods.
GGF in a statement signed by its Director General, Awaiye Adedayo and Director of Public Relations, Agbechoma Grateful and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday in response to the suspended policy on retroactive duties payment by the NCS added that to ensure effective implementation of the single window system, there is the need for a total overhaul of the NCS processes.
The group added that total overhaul of the NCS processes should be in the following ways:
“Audit their books, investigate and fish out corrupt customs officials who have been cutting corners to assist car importers, and prosecute them. Set up automated systems to properly calculate duties to be paid for any imported car, and this should not just be at the discretion of the officers; by this, importers would already know the duty to be paid before the car arrives.
“Build up stronger border controls to check illegal car importations.
“Collaborate with car registration agencies or offices all over the federation to set up systems that will check genuine customers’ documentation before any car is registered, and trigger any erroneous car registrations and ban every manual car clearing and payment processes”.
The group added that, the single window system introduced at the ports by the Federal Ministry of Finance during the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration “requires that imported goods be verified through an automated process within 24 hours”.
GGF emphasized that “Though the law empowers NCS to check non-payment of duties, it would not be necessary to do so if the process of verification ensured that there were no defaulters”.
The Organization stressed that, “Retroactive enforcement of vehicle duties payment at this time of economic recession was not a right move, as it would further increase the hardship on the people”.
It, therefore, called on the National Assembly, “To consider an amendment of the law establishing the NCS to make it difficult for it to impound any vehicle once the vehicle’s duty has been verified and is duly registered.”


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(Reuters) - Electronics retailer Best Buy Co Inc said on Tuesday it had suspended its relationship with Care.com Inc, sending the online childcare marketplace operator’s stock down 9.8 percent.
Care.com’s stock tumbled last month after the Wall Street Journal reported that the company listed U.S. caregivers who had police records and were later accused of committing crimes while caring for clients’ children or elderly relatives.
Best Buy had offered Care.com’s Care@work service as a benefit to its employees.
“We have suspended our relationship with Care.com as we do a thorough review of both the program and the company,” Best Buy spokesman Jeff Shelman said in a statement. “We remain committed to providing affordable back-up childcare to our employees.”
Care.com spokeswoman Nancy Bushkin said in an email that her company hopes to resume providing its service to Best Buy.
“While disappointed, we respect Best Buy’s decision and are committed to working closely with their teams to confirm the safety of our backup care services and the value they have already begun to bring to their employees,” Bushkin said.
The development between Best Buy and Care.com was reported earlier in a research note from Wall Street firm BTIG, which lowered its rating on Care.com as a result.
Reporting by Dan Burns; Editing by G Crosse and Andrea Ricci
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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UK applies to join Pacific free trade area CPTPP
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will speak to ministers in Japan and New Zealand to request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), with formal negotiations set to start this year.
According to the government, joining the CPTPP would deepen the UK’s access to fast-growing markets and major economies, including Mexico, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Joining the £9tn partnership will cut tariffs for UK industries including food and drink, and cars, while also creating new opportunities for modern industries like tech and services.
UK trade with the group was worth £111bn in 2019, growing by 8% a year since 2016.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “Joining CPTPP will create enormous opportunities for UK businesses that simply weren’t there as part of the EU and deepen our ties with some of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
“It will mean lower tariffs for car manufacturers and whisky producers, and better access for our brilliant services providers, delivering quality jobs and greater prosperity for people here at home.
“We’re at the front of the queue and look forward to starting formal negotiations in the coming months.”
Julian David, CEO of techUK, said: “Today marks an important step in the UK’s path to developing a modern trade policy that creates new opportunities for the UK tech sector. Building on our recent agreements with Japan and the European Union, the accession to the CPTPP will allow us to join a group of ambitious countries breaking the newest ground in digital trade.
“The UK has been a major beneficiary of the rise of digital trade with over 67% of service exports worth £190.3 billion being digitally delivered. CPTPP will open up new markets for innovative tech SMEs looking to grow and expand beyond our borders. We are looking forward to working with the government throughout the process.”
Mike Cherry, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Chair, said: “Membership of the CPTPP would be a hugely welcome development to all small businesses looking to either expand or begin their trading journeys.
“Crucially, at the very heart of this agreement is an SME chapter, something that we have lobbied for the inclusion of in every FTA, ensuring that no business is left behind.
“This is truly a world-leading agreement and one that will genuinely help small firms to thrive and succeed more than ever.”
CBI President, Lord Karan Bilimoria, said: “This ambition marks a new chapter for our independent trade policy. As one of the largest free trade agreements in the world, these 11 countries contribute over £100bn to our economy.
“Membership of the bloc has the potential to deliver new opportunities for UK business across different sectors. The CBI will continue to work with the Government to ensure that firms get the most out of an agreement that will create jobs and deliver wide-ranging benefits to communities across the country.”


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Publix pulls out of supermarket/strip-mall project in Orchid in the face of local opposition
ORCHID — One year after first showing interest in building a supermarket and strip mall on C.R. 510, Publix has pulled out of the project, local officials said.
The Lakeland-based supermarket chain “has terminated the contract for the acquisition of the Orchid property and will not be moving forward with the project,” a representative of WindCrest Companies, the project developer, said in an email late Wednesday to Orchid Town Manager Noah Powers.
More: Publix submits formal application for supermarket, stores in Orchid
Publix representatives did not return telephone calls and emails seeking comment.
Publix began talking with town officials in February 2018, and submitted its formal application in October. The project, on 7 acres on C.R. 510 near the Wabasso Causeway, would have comprised a 31,000-square-foot supermarket and a 6,000-square-foot building with five retail stores.
But the project immediately encountered opposition from individual property owners and from nearby gated communities, who raised concerns over store hours, signs, aesthetics, stormwater management, security, lighting, noise and traffic.
Among other variances from local codes, Publix had asked Orchid to waive its prohibition on businesses opening on Sundays.
Peter Saxon — a board member of the Old Orchid Homeowners Association, which opposed the project — said he is grateful Publix has withdrawn its application.
More: Opponents launch email campaign in attempt to block Publix store
“While their intentions may have been to better serve neighboring communities, the reality is that the project was completely inappropriate for the tranquil, residential oasis that is north Orchid Island,” Saxon said Thursday. “The project would have excessively increased traffic, noise, light pollution and environmental degradation, as well as it being completely incompatible with local building codes."
In addition, Saxon said, Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club helped educate both Publix and town officials "to the overwhelming problems associated with the planned development.”
The site has a long history of controversy since Vero Beach developer Ken Puttick, through his company KGP-II Orchid LLC, purchased it for $3.5 million in May 2006. In 2011, he proposed 40 two-story courtyard townhomes with two-car garages, but that project required rezoning from commercial to residential use and was rejected by the Town Council.
In 2016, the council rejected a proposal by Puttick for an assisted-living facility, but the town determined its zoning did not include adult-living facilities as a permitted or conditional use in the commercial zoning district.
Puttick unsuccessfully challenged that decision in court.


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LONDON (ICIS)--AkzoNobel’s first-quarter net income rose 5% year on year to €253m as higher selling prices helped to offset lower sales and higher currency and raw materials costs, the Netherlands-headquartered paints and coatings specialist said on Tuesday.
The company’s share price slumped more than 4% as of 9:16 BST as the company forecast that foreign exchange and raw materials headwinds would continue through 2018, and earnings significantly undershot analyst expectations.
First-quarter earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) pre-incidentals came in at €149m, down 28% year on year and 20% below consensus analyst forecasts of €186m.
Sales for the three months ending March 2018 declined 8% year on year to €2.18bn, the company said in a statement.
Sales volumes fell 3% year on year during the quarter on the back of continued weak demand for marine and oil and gas sector coatings, and revenues fell 8% as a result of currency impacts.
Despite cost base issues for the paints and coatings sectors, AkzoNobel has been successful so far in passing on the higher expenses, with selling prices up 3% year on year during the quarter, and a second wave of price increases planned for the second quarter.
"Headwinds continue for Marine and Protective Coatings, as well as currencies and higher raw material costs. Results were lower compared to an exceptionally strong quarter last year,” company CEO Thierry Vanlancker said.
"We are ramping up our pricing initiatives and have implemented various cost discipline measures to deal with higher raw material prices. Initial savings from creating a fit-for-purpose organisation are also being realised,” he added.
Earlier this year, Vanlancker had been careful to mitigate growth expectations for the first three months of the year compared to early 2017, which he has referred to as a “nirvana quarter”.
Raw materials costs have dogged the company over the last year, with an estimated €300m increase in expenses in 2017.
Adjusted EBIT for specialty chemicals, the division the company is selling to private equity firm Carlyle and sovereign wealth fund GIC for €10.1bn, fell 10% year on year during the quarter to €150m, as positive pricing was offset by currency impacts and lower volumes.
“The transformation is gaining momentum and we are on track for delivering 15% return on sales by 2020," Vanlancker said.
The company projected a strong market for decorative paints, particularly in Asia, while conditions are forecast to remain challenging for marine and protective coatings, but no new financial guidance was disclosed.
Pictured: AkzoNobel Center in Amsterdam Source: AkzoNobel Additional reporting by Pearl Bantillo
(Update adds commentary, detail throughout)


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Economic Data Calls for 07.10.2015
Here’s what we are looking for in tomorrow’s economic reports (July 10, 2015) — Good Luck Trading!
1. UK Trade Balance (4:30AM NY Time) Bearish GBP -- Potential downside surprise given drop in PMI manufacturing and manufacturing production
2. Canadian Employment (8:30AM NY Time) Bearish CAD -- Potential downside surprise given sharp drop in employment component of IVEY


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As the years roll by, the iPhones from the American company, Apple are becoming increasingly Chinese. We already know that Apple gets a plethora of its iPhone components from Chinese manufacturers. In fact, the company also assembles a good number of its iPhones in China. Now, there are reports that the iPhone 14 will even be more Chinese. This is because the company will use a display from a Chinese manufacturer. In the past, iPhones only use displays from Samsung and LG for out-of-the-box products. However, for replacement products, it uses some BOE screens. Nevertheless, this is about to change.
Recently, industry chain sources claim that BOE will provide 6.1-inch OLED screens for Apple’s iPhone 14 this year. The company will produce between 30 million to 50 million units accounting for about 15%-25% of the total. Previously, BOE supplied panels for resale or repair of the previous generation. This is the first time that BOE will supply display panels for new iPhones.
Gizchina News of the week
iPhone 14 Pro Max will retain Samsung & LG displays
However, the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Max will use Samsung and LG displays. Nevertheless, the entry-level iPhone 14 will use BOE panels. In 2021, BOE’s annual shipment of flexible OLED smartphone panels will be about 60 million, a year-on-year increase of nearly 60%. The shipment of flexible displays will rank first in China and second in the world.
With the decline of OLED production costs and the improvement of panel supply capacity, panel makers in mainland China have gained more recognition from leading brands including Apple and Samsung. Relevant data shows that in the first half of 2021, BOE supplied about 6 million OLED panels for the iPhone 12. The company also supplied a good number of panels for the iPhone 13 already. Earlier, according to TheElec, BOE is preparing to supply OLED displays for Apple’s future iPad and MacBook models.
According to reports, BOE will build an 8.6-generation OLED display panel production line at its Sichuan B16 factory to meet Apple’s supply needs. The new production line will be operational by the end of 2024. The company plans to supply OLED panels for Apple’s future iPad and MacBook models to compete with South Korea’s Samsung Display and LG Display.
At the same time, BOE plans to achieve mass production of double-layer tandem structure OLED displays in 2022. This OLED display screen will be for smartphones and can effectively reduce the power consumption of mobile phones. It will also be an advantage because devices with this display will be thinner. Apple plans to use double-layer tandem OLED panels on future iPad models.


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The first leak revealed on November 18, 2023, was that Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series will be launched on January 17, 2024, in San Jose, California. Whereas the leak about the camera developments and the exclusive Instagram feature came on November 20,2023. Reported by SamMobile.
Although the South Korean giant has yet to reveal official details, the Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to feature crucial improvements over the Galaxy S23 series.
These advancements include:
- A 200-megapixel sensor, which is up-to-date, is considered the highest resolution seen in a smartphone.
- An enhancement over its predecessor, the Galaxy 23, featuring a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor with improved low-light performance.
- A new 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with x10 optical zoom, offering superior telephoto performance compared to its predecessor, Galaxy S23 series.
- New computational photography techniques to enhance image quality.
Exclusive Instagram Feature
The South Korean manufacturer is also launching an exclusive feature from Instagram. The rumored feature will enable users to share photos and videos directly from the Galaxy S24 camera app to Instagram.
Samsung is playing a high-level game by targeting one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, Instagram. Thus, Samsung expects the partnership with Meta’s social media giant to be a major selling point for the Galaxy S24 series, thereby enhancing the Galaxy S24’s appeal and drawing attention to it through active circulation on the social media platform.
In parallel, let us not forget that Instagram is synonymous with creativity and visual storytelling, which aligns with Samsung’s brand image and enhances users’ experiences in capturing and sharing moments confidently.
With over 2 billion active users worldwide on Instagram, Samsung is reaching a large audience of diverse backgrounds, including photography enthusiasts, content creators, and social media users.
You can pre-order the day after the launch date, January 18. However, in South Korea, pre-orders will begin on January 19 due to the time difference. The devices will be available for purchase in markets across the world, including the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Tech sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.


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Clipper Teas has introduced a new gift box containing a selection of the brand’s Organic Infusions range.
Fairtrade and organic tea brand Clipper is running an outdoor advertising campaign to celebrate its black tea range.
Clipper Teas has launched a three-tiered summer sampling campaign for its green tea range, designed to position the brand as the ‘Queen of Greens’.
Clipper Teas has introduced five new natural and organic herbal teas to its infusions range. Calmer Chameleon, Flower Power, Happy Mondays, Skinni Mintie and Skinni Vanilli join the existing Snore and Peace and Rise and Shine blends. “We pride ourselves on bringing fresh ideas and remarkable new products to the tea category, and our new […]
Clipper has launched a range of green teas, including naturally sweeter varieties, aiming to convert ‘even the staunchest green tea cynic’. With UK consumers being urged to cut down on sugar, and Britons consuming over one million cups of sugar a day through tea alone, Clipper is trying to help ease the transition to sugar-free […]
Start-up company Stir Drinks – owned and run by Clipper Teas founder Mike Brehme and Tony Revill-Johnson – has introduced its Daily Cultures range of probiotic teas, a first to the UK market. Developed to combine great tasting tea with taste-free, heat-resistant bacteria, the initial Daily Cultures range comprises Breakfast Tea, Green Tea and Peppermint […]
Retailers got busy for Fairtrade Fortnight (24 February-9 March), organising window displays, tastings and a host of events to flag up this year’s Make Bananas Fair campaign. Claire Humphreys from Archie Browns, which has stores in Penzance and Truro, was one store that made the most of the event. “Across our two stores and our […]
Healthy Sales & Marketing is one of the health food trade’s best-kept secrets – yet the brands it represents have sales of over £30 million. Here, Natural Products editor Jim Manson talks to HSM founder Cliff Moss about what it takes to succeed in today’s congested and competitive natural products sector. (more…)
Vegans warned about ‘unwittingly supporting animal exploitation’
January 22, 2018 Jim Manson
UK-based Ethical Consumer magazine has warned vegans that they could be “unwittingly supporting animal exploitation” as the companies behind many of the Britain’s leading vegan brands also have a heavy involvement in the meat and dairy industry.
British Homeopath Society takes NHS to court over CAM funding ban
The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) is taking the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) to court over a recent decision to ban public funding of homeopathy and other alternative medicines.
Juiceburst rebrands, reformulates, extends range
Soft drinks brand Juiceburst has reformulated and rebranded across its entire portfolio, as well as creating two new additions to its core range.
OTB receives £1.73m in funding
The Organic Trade Board (OTB) is to receive a loan from Triodos Bank, Europe’s leading sustainable bank, to help grow organic sales in the UK in 2018 and beyond.
November 21, 2017 Jane Wolfe
With mounting research emphasizing the crucial part the microbiome plays in preventing and fighting disease, Jane Wolfe takes a look at the best ways to optimize gut health (more…)
Food of the gods
Regularly consuming a little of what you love could have long-term health benefits – even where chocolate is concerned, discovers Rosie Greenaway (more…)
A significant rise in job insecurity since the UK’s decision to leave the EU means people are loath to take time off work – and with an increase in colds and flu, this is leading to higher demand for OTC remedies. Jane Wolfe reports (more…)
Let’s do lunch!
Sharna Waid has been taking a look at how natural products retailers and brands are maximizing the crucial two-hour lunchtime selling period (more…)
As Europe braces itself for a winter flu outbreak, protect yourself with Sambucol and the power of black elderberry.
Experts across Europe have warned the EU to brace itself for a bad flu season this winter. A new vaccine has been produced which is effective in fighting H3N2, the flu strain likely to hit the region this year; however, the vaccine is generally available for free to over 65s, pregnant women, those with an […]
Natural beauty made in Cyprus
Sharna Waid has been finding out how passionate producers in Cyprus are using the fruits of the land to create natural beautifying cosmetics. According to the ancient myth, Aphrodite – the goddess of love and beauty, pleasure and procreation – was born out of the waves off the coast of Cyprus. Aside from attracting three […]


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Bentley to cut up to 1,000 jobs under voluntary release programme
Bentley is to cut up to 1,000 jobs under a “voluntary release programme” and cannot rule out future compulsory redundancies, the luxury carmaker has announced.
The Crewe-based company said significant effects on its short-term financial outlook means that with “deepest regret” it has informed its 4,200 workers of a programme to significantly reduce the size of the organisation.
A statement said: “Bentley is in the middle of a major change programme started in 2018, driving for consistent financial resilience through rapid productivity improvements across the business.”
The programme led to profits and a record performance in the first quarter of this year, said Bentley, adding: “Although organic growth was the planned solution for the remaining restructure challenge, this was clearly derailed by the impact of the pandemic.
“With this considerable forecast reduction to future revenues, Bentley has hastened plans carrying out a comprehensive review of its cost and investment structure and as the last resort, as with any organisation, the people costs and structure.
“Steps had already been taken to cut or delay unnecessary spend without impacting future product plans. Recruitment was stopped, contractors were released across all business areas, pay was frozen and up to 66% of colleagues at peak were placed on furlough.
“One further clear conclusion was that an urgent reduction in the workforce was unfortunately required.”
To ask 1,000 of them to leave the company, albeit on voluntary terms, is heartbreaking for the workforce and their communities
Unite said the announcement was “another heavy blow” for the automotive industry following a series of job losses caused by the Covid-19 crisis.
National officer Steve Bush said: “Bentley is a name known around the world for the quality of its vehicles, thanks in large part to the expertise of this highly dedicated and superb workforce.
“To ask 1,000 of them to leave the company, albeit on voluntary terms, is heartbreaking for the workforce and their communities. We are determined to support our members during this process to do what we can to mitigate the jobs lost.”
The announcement was made just weeks after Bentley resumed production in Crewe.
Adrian Hallmark, chief executive officer of Bentley Motors, said: “Losing colleagues is not something we are treating lightly but this is a necessary step that we have to take to safeguard the jobs of the vast majority who will remain, and deliver a sustainable business model for the future through our Beyond100 strategy.
“The voluntary release programme at least allows the colleagues to make the personal choice and leave us with the most appealing and supportive offer possible within the circumstances.
“Covid-19 has not been the cause of this measure but a hastener.
“It is vital, even more so now with what is going on around us that we look to the long-term future of Bentley.
“This means fundamentally redefining our company so we respond immediately to protect the business through this crisis, continue to lead our sector by reinventing the company and look to establish ourselves as the leader in sustainable luxury mobility for the next 100 years.”
Letters have been sent to workers outlining offers of personal financial terms based on length of service, age and salary.
Bentley is also providing financial support on career guidance for workers who choose to pursue a new professional direction.
Unite’s convener at Bentley, Stuart Davis, added: “Our members have shown their commitment to the brand over many years and this should not go unrecognised.
“2020 should have been Bentley’s best ever year but sadly it will now be remembered for all the wrong reasons.”
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: “It has been a black week for UK Automotive with devastating job cuts across retail and manufacturing coming hard on the heels of earlier losses.
“Whilst the industry is fundamentally strong and agile, it is not invincible. Global industries are challenged and we need to ensure the UK has in place a comprehensive strategy to support the sector and the highly skilled workforce on whom it depends.
“As the sector strives to weather the worst storm in a generation, measures to drive cash flow, stimulate demand and, above all, maintain our competitiveness are essential.”
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TWRP recovery continues to add support for more and more devices. Last time we took a look at the project, unofficial builds for the Snapdragon Galaxy S8/S8+ were available (but not for the US models). Over the past few weeks, more phones have been added to the official support list.
First up is the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, which was released two months ago in the US. The Xiaomi Redmi 4X, Lenovo K33, and two variants of the Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro (C900F/Y and China) are now supported as well. Finally, those builds for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ we previously covered are now official. Read More
VoLTE and WiFi calling are both features that have existed on multiple carriers for some years now, but until now, Sprint devices haven't been able to use them in conjunction with each other, save for two rather unimportant devices. The latest updates for the Sprint Galaxy S8 and S8+ enable CallingPLUS, Sprint's lingo for its VoLTE - WiFi calling combo. Read More
XDA is the living, breathing embodiment of the spirit of software engineering. At least, as applied to Android. And thanks to those fine folks, the inevitable march of progress has advanced yet again. XDA member BotsOne made two posts yesterday in which he confirmed that he and the others working on it were able to get read/write access to the system partition, and were subsequently able to install SuperSU. Read More
Samsung gets a lot of stick for what's perceived as bloatware on its devices, even if that situation has improved somewhat in recent years. With that, it's easy to forget that the Korean company does actually produce some really useful software, as evidenced by a new app that's aimed at mobile gamers. Samsung Game Live will allow users to live stream their gaming prowess to various other services. Read More
When the Galaxy S8 was initially released, it lacked support for Google's Daydream VR platform. But at Google I/O, the company confirmed that the phone would receive an update "over the summer" that added Daydream support. Then T-Mobile said the update was coming, followed by Verizon. Read More
The prices for the S8 and S8+ have been plummeting over the past few weeks. Just a couple of days after the latest price drop, Samsung has once again lowered the prices on both its flagships over on its eBay storefront, and is now selling a brand new Galaxy S8 for $549.99 and an S8+ for $639.99. Unlike some previous deals, these are the US unlocked models and not the dual-SIM variants. They're also only available in Midnight Black.
Considering that these phones started retailing for $720 and $840 when they first came out in April, these sales are a pretty considerable saving. Read More
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are some of the best phones on the market, with their main downside being that their MSRPs are a little too high. Not to worry, though - the US unlocked models of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have now dropped to $574.99 and $649.99, respectively, on Samsung's own eBay storefront. That's $25 lower than we've previously seen for the S8 and $50 lower for the S8+. Read More
T-Mobile fired up a buy one, get one (BOGO) deal on the Galaxy S8 shortly after it launched. While there were caveats, it was a good value. Now, that deal is back, and the upcoming Moto Z2 Force getting the same BOGO offer. You probably want the GS8, though. Read More
Caseology is a trusted and well-reviewed case maker, so a sale of its products on Amazon may well be of interest to some of you. Particularly those of you who've so far managed not to break that beautiful screen on your Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+, as there are cases for those devices starting at $4, as well as many others. Read More
Many people assume VR is only really for movies and games that make the most of its 3D capabilities, but it can also be used to watch standard video content. Why would you choose to watch a movie on your TV when you can instead use a 200-inch virtual screen with a scenic 360-degree background? That's exactly what Samsung's upcoming Phonecast VR app will let you do. Read More