text:
With the rise of e-commerce and the decline of the shopping mall, the last two decades have seen massive shifts in the world of retail. Consumers are migrating online and demanding more from their purchases: lower prices, faster shipping, sustainable practices. Amazon looms large and threatens players at every stage of the supply chain as both a demanding partner and ruthless competitor. So what can more traditional retailers and manufacturers do to maintain and grow market share in what feels like an entirely new marketplace?
1) Invest in e-commerce
For years, it’s been a sink or swim situation for retailers: get on board the e-commerce train, or get left behind. But how do you keep up with digital giants that have made online transactions their bread and butter?
As Forrester recently put it, “there has not been a time when technology has had a more profound impact on customer experience and revenue performance. By the sheer force of nature, this places CIOs and technology front and center.” To sell in 2019, you need excellent infrastructure supporting e-commerce and merging it with brick-and-mortar processes to create a fluid omnichannel customer experience. Successful retailers are abandoning the traditional model of basing their IT spending on the previous year’s revenues. Instead, they are growing tech spending as a forward-looking endeavor, understanding that state-of-the-art user experience is crucial in both generating sales and making sure customers return. In fact, IHL reported that leading retailers are outspending their weaker competitors sevenfold on IT.
In 2016, Walmart put out a call to technology companies, looking for partners that could offer solutions for its inventory management, cybersecurity, and e-commerce platforms, to name a few. As a result, Walmart is now partnered with Microsoft, using Microsoft’s cloud services to innovate its external services and internal applications through artificial intelligence and data solutions. Walmart’s investment in technology has paid off; according to a benchmark report by SimilarWeb, Walmart is the third most trafficked online retailer. The superstore giant is topped by only Amazon and Ebay, making it the most successful brick-and-mortar retailer in the e-commerce space.
2) But Find Channel Balance
This isn’t to say that retailers should abandon brick-and-mortar entirely and migrate to the web. Omnichannel is the name of the game now, and retailers can no longer pick and choose between digital and brick-and-mortar. Even Amazon, the poster child for online retail, has found a use, and in fact, a need for physical retail in its model. In addition to the 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods that netted Amazon 460 grocery stores, the website that was founded as an online bookstore has built over a dozen Amazon Books stores. Amazon has also recently announced mutually beneficial partnerships that increase its brick-and-mortar presence, such as delivering tires purchased on its platform to Sears Auto Center locations, where the customer can have them installed, or accepting returns at Kohl’s stores, where store-within-a-store space is also set aside to sell Amazon products. At the same time, Amazon is doubling down on its digital presence, for example experimenting with a Snapchat feature that would allow users to search for an item on Amazon based on a picture of an object or barcode. As an industry leader, Amazon demonstrates that if you want to be successful in the current retail space, you can’t be afraid to bring the physical experience online and the digital experience offline.
3) Take Back the Channel
Most manufacturers understand: you can’t rely on your distribution channels to own your relationship with consumers. That’s why the concept of CRM exists. But, in practice how do you get closer to the consumer, and get a better idea of what they want from you?
The Clorox Company has a successful CRM program, where they rely on distributors to sell their products and to provide accurate sales data. However, Clorox also puts heavy emphasis on its Early Performance Indicators. These are signals of performance early in the funnel, drawn from online engagement, that examine how conversation and buzz about the brand could translate into sales performance. While Clorox’s CRM partners manage valuable customer transaction data, EPI’s allow Clorox to assess its brand perceptions and predict sales activity in between CRM reporting cycles.
In this Amazon-dominant retail environment, some manufacturers have taken more extreme measures to regain control over their sales. The decision to become an Amazon wholesaler can be a Catch-22 for manufacturers. You cede control of your pricing, and potentially brand value, but in a world where over half of online shopping traffic goes to Amazon, not being present in the marketplace can be detrimental. Some manufacturers, such as Birkenstock, have taken the calculated risk to pull their product from Amazon altogether, in protest of unpredictable competitive pricing and the presence of counterfeit and knock-offs that dilute brand image.
With omnichannel so ubiquitous, manufacturers need to step back and take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of each channel. In channels where progress can be opaque or where partners require more control, it may be necessary to get creative in order to maintain the caliber of performance your brand expects.
4) Activate Sales Networks
While e-commerce is clearly the direction retail is moving, there are real challenges of implementing e-commerce platforms for more complex services or offerings. Grainger, the largest industrial B2B online retailer, relies on digital transactions. But, Grainger’s notoriously large catalog (over 1.6 million products, most of them highly specialized) can make it challenging for customers, particularly those with larger business accounts, to decide what to order on their own. The company reports that more than 60% of transactions are completed online, and expect that number to rise to 90% in the next several years. However, many of these transactions are aided by a sales rep at some point in the process. These reps may not be closing the final sale, but they are a crucial step in the customer journey.
Industries that have been historically dependent on agents are beginning to feel the threat of digital channels. With the rise of self-service online insurance enrollment, both offered directly by the provider or through third-party aggregation sites, some industry watchers are announcing the death of the agent and broker field. However, brokers and agents are still valuable in some areas. Employers and HR reps report depending on brokers for their group insurance needs and often maintain contact with their brokers for other resources outside of traditional enrollment season. The roles of agents and brokers may be diminishing, but they will not disappear entirely.
To maintain their standing in this shifting landscape, agents are demanding more from their carriers, such as digital tools and technology that bridge the gap between the growing digital and traditional personal customer experiences. Allied has built tools that help its insurance agents develop online content and digital marketing, and has integrated agent-enabled plans into its mobile app, reducing the administrative burden on agents. Transitioning to the digital marketplace, retailers must take stock of where their e-commerce model may fall short, and empower their human salesforce to fill in the gaps.
5) Empower Consumers
Consumers are more demanding than ever and companies have to either move quickly to meet those needs or make way for those who do. Distribution channels are more democratized than ever, allowing consumers to use platforms to curate the resources around them rather than depend on (and frankly, wait for) companies to offer what they want. This gives consumers access to goods and services they didn’t have before due to financial or geographic obstacles. Consumers’ ability to quickly and temporarily find and use anything from a car to a dog-walker has dramatically changed their spending and purchasing habits. This provides both opportunities for companies that get creative and break out of traditional models, and risks for those that can’t adapt fast enough.
Digital channels are making smaller brands more visible to consumers, and that means more competition for established brands. Search engines give consumers easy access to brands they may have never heard of, consumer reports, and customer reviews, allowing them to make more informed purchasing decisions and giving them broader choice than their local store’s shelves. At the same time, digital marketing and the online marketplace is making it easier for smaller, niched brands to get a foothold in market share, following the model of Warby Parker or Dollar Shave Club. These new brands cater to specific, untapped consumer needs or concerns, offering better value, higher quality, health benefits, more sustainable sourcing, or a departure from long-standing oligopoly. Often these emerging brands debut with a direct-to-consumer model, meaning that companies fail to view them as competitors until after they have already established a customer base.
As consumers become more empowered in their purchasing journeys, companies need to adapt to meet them where they are. For larger established companies, agility is key. Your emerging competitors are listening to customer concerns and you need to as well, and develop marketing, product lines, and business models that satisfy these consumers.
Retail is dramatically different than it was just ten years ago, and it continues to evolve at breakneck speed. The shift to e-commerce may be intimidating for businesses, especially those not digitally native, so to speak. But by investing in a strong online channel, leveraging the strengths of existing channels and using technology to patch their weaknesses, and taking cues from consumers, retailers and manufacturers are finding success in the Amazon era.


text:
The new launch builds on the success of earlier collections for children and adults.
Following the success of its first collaboration, RHS has teamed up with kitchen cookware, bakew
RHS has been enjoying success across a variety of licensed categories, as it continues
Inspired by images from the RHS Lindley Collections, the exclusive 27-piece women’s apparel line celebra
Floral fragrance partnership enters 12th year with new fragrance and new designs.
Range of 2021 RHS calendars and diaries available at retail from September 2020.
New lavender-inspired toiletries collection is latest launch in successful partnership.
New footwear range from Hotter will be available from late 2019.
Agros Trading to produce first ever fully licensed range of bird feed.

domain: news


text:
We’ve been writing a lot lately about the increasingly blurry lines between platform and publisher, a world in which new-media entities like Twitter (s twtr) and Facebook (s fb) and Medium — and even brands like Red Bull or Coca-Cola — are competing with traditional outlets for the attention of readers. Now LinkedIn (s lnkd), which was already a significant competitor for many existing publications with its “Influencers” program, is opening up its platform.
As my colleague Lauren Hockenson notes in her post, LinkedIn is now allowing any user to publish posts or articles on the site, and also to follow writers even if the author isn’t already in their network. Previously, writers appeared on the platform by invitation only, typically celebrities like Richard Branson.
There are a host of issues involved with becoming a hybrid of platform and publisher, as Jonathan Glick of Sulia discussed in a recent post about what he called “platishers,” and as I commented in my own post on the topic. But the latest announcement from LinkedIn highlights one thing that makes the company a significant competitor — namely, the fact that it already has an existing business that is more than paying the bills and can subsidize its publishing arm.
A competitor who doesn’t rely on advertising
In other words, LinkedIn doesn’t have to rely solely on advertising revenue that is derived from driving traffic to its publishing business, the way many traditional newspaper and magazine publishers do. It has annual revenues of about $1.5 billion, and virtually none of that has anything to do with its publishing operations. Compare that to a company like Forbes, which — despite its aggressive moves into digital publishing, and becoming a kind of open-blogging platform for brands — is still a fairly traditional publishing business, in the sense that it depends primarily on advertising revenue.
Forbes, which is reportedly being shopped around with a price tag of about $400 million, has revenues of around $135 million, according to offering documents that media consultant Ken Doctor wrote about recently. More than 70 percent of that comes from ads, and despite the magazine’s Brand Voice program and other initiatives, its online revenue has not been growing very rapidly, and certainly not enough to offset the decline in print advertising.
In fact, LinkedIn — a business that barely existed 10 years ago — could buy Forbes for cash if it wanted to, since it has more than $2 billion on its books. Whether it would want to or not is a different question, although it does seem to fit with the publishing strategy behind Influencers and LinkedIn Today.
Existing publishers closing at the worst time
In the past, many publishers had unrelated businesses that helped to pay the bills when the media game couldn’t: the Washington Post, for example, used to be able to count on revenue from Kaplan Inc., a chain of for-profit colleges also owned by the Graham family. Then Kaplan also started to decline, and the Grahams eventually had to sell to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Now, many newspapers and magazines are relying on paywalls of one kind or another to supplement their declining revenue base — but they are doing so just as competitors like LinkedIn and Medium and even brand-driven publishing entities are opening up, which is a very risky strategy.
Are there going to be quality issues and other struggles for new publishing platforms like LinkedIn, as there have been for Medium and the Huffington Post (s aol)? Of course there are. But particularly for LinkedIn, the benefit of having a completely separate business that is generating significant amounts of revenue will give the company a lot more firepower than most of its competitors. Just another thing to keep traditional media awake at night.
Post and thumbnail images courtesy of Flickr users Nan Palmero and The Bitten Word


text:
I was also able to talk to the CEO and president of Massachusetts-based bioscience company Metabolix and got some nice updates of the company's activities not only about their joint bioplastic venture Telles but also about their industrial chemicals and crop technology developments.
The blog already talked about Telles' recent start-up of its 110m lb/year Clinton, Iowa PHA-based resins plant. Here are some of the other salient points of the meeting and then watch my video interview with Rick Eno as he talked about last year's accomplishments and this year's expectations. Sorry about the slight shakiness to the video as I'm not yet proficient in this form of interview = )
- The company expects to be selling food contact injection molding products such as cutlery in second quarter this year; and film and thermoforming products such as coffee lids, yogurt cups, and storage bags in the second half of the year.


text: Auspicious morning A annulus of indie developers are selling a parcel of their games which includes some of the biggest impromptu games on the market. Gamers can dub their own payment—from 1c to $1,000—pro a peck of games that would leaning to function to deteriorated $80 if sold separately. Anyone who buys the wrap can see sick thither themselves as accurately; customers can send any amount of their purchases to two chief nonprofit groups. The selling, nicknamed the "Unpresuming Converge" beside the studios bogus, is certainly epic. The games included in the case are Mankind of Goo, Gish, Lugaru, Aquaria, and Penumbra Overture. Each of these titles has proven to be a unchanging bang, and the event that five separate studios are working together to draw up them on tap to gamers into courtesy much they determination to waste is unusual. As Jeff Rosen of Wolfire explained to Ars in a fresh question period, the close-knit brains of community in the midst indie developers is brawny kingpin as a utility to the purchasing's existence.


text:
CEO of Linkinforlife phones and foundation has expressed his gratitude towards customers for holding him on throughout the Year.
CEO of Linkin for life phones and foundation Collins Dwamena, extends his heartfelt gratitude to the general public and customers for staying connected to him and company throughout the year 2021 and is looking forward to serving them better next year.
The business mogul has expressed his excitement especially with the support from family, friends, customers shown towards him and business, and not giving up on him when he introduced the linkinforlife foundation that recently did a donation to the aged at Kwahu Bepong on the Boxing Day, and was made possible through proceeds from phones and accessories bought from his outlets.
“The year has been great, even though we faced a lot of challenges we were able to sail through and achieve some of things we planned for, some we didn’t plan but we were able to make it happen”, he said.
Speaking on plans for next year, Mr. Collins Dwamena has assured costumers a better deal and there might be an introduction of other businesses aside what he’s known for.
He also thanked all the celebrities who shared his business flyers and videos on their social media handles for they also contributed their quota in the success of the year’s story.
Linkin For life is a Ghanaian based retail phone shop situated at circle tiptoe lane that offers customers value for money.
They have in stock quality iPhones, Samsung, Android phones, charges in all sizes, screen protectors and every phone accessories. They also deal in swapping and have in stock laptops in all ranges and latest gaming consoles.
They also gives customers the comfort to shop from their homes by visiting http://linkinforlife.com and can also call +23354 1427156 for purchasing and delivery.
Linkin in for life can be followed on Face book Linkinforlife
IG @linkin_life and Twitter @forlinkin


text:
270+ city hotels withdraw boycott of MakeMyTrip, Goibibo
Around 270 hotels of the city, who had stopped taking bookings from two major online travel portals MakeMyTrip and Goibibo alleging heavy commission and indiscriminate discounts, have withdrawn their boycott on Friday.
Around 270 hotels of the city, who had stopped taking bookings from two major online travel portals MakeMyTrip and Goibibo alleging heavy commission and indiscriminate discounts, have withdrawn their boycott on Friday. The week long boycott, imposed by the Gujarat chapter of the Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA) on December 1, came to an end after these portals assured they will address the issues, said Abhijeet Deshmukh, spokesperson, HRA-Gujarat.
He claimed that the travel portals have agreed to cap the commission on room bookings to a maximum of 22 per cent, which was around 40 to 45 per cent earlier. "During a meeting today, these portals assured us that the commission will be maximum 22 per cent for city-based hotels. It can be less than that, as 22 per cent is the upper limit, which will not be breached," said Deshmukh.
In addition, these two portals have agreed to HRA's demand of not offering any discounts on room tariffs without the consent of the hotels, said Deshmukh, who also owns a hotel chain. "Now, instead of offering indiscriminate discounts, these portals will have to seek the hotel's approval. No discount will be offered if the hotel is not ready. Further, the portals have also promised us some exclusive deals to boost our business," he added.
Animal vs Sam Bahadur Box Office Collection: Animal enters Rs 500 crore club, beats Sam Baadur on Day 6 | Check day-wise collection, OTT release date and more
DOMS IPO to open for subscription soon: Check out price band, lot size, allotment date, other details
Data security is paramount to us; we invest in cutting-edge tech to keep customer data safe, says Kavitha Subramanian, Co-Founder, Upstox
Watch this Zee Business video here:
Since December 1, around 270 hotels in the city had stopped entertaining customers who had booked their rooms through these two portals. Out of around 550 hotels in Ahmedabad which are listed on MakeMyTrip and Goibibo, 270 hotels, having room tariffs ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 4,000, had boycotted these portals to mount pressure.


text:
Nintendo filed a lawsuit claiming copyright for a 3D model of a penis of the character Bowser. The project was created by modeler AkkoArcade who developed the “work” for pornographic films that parody games. The notification was shared by the artist on Twitter, along with the photo of the “member” in question (ATTENTION: image +18 on the link).
AkkoArcade saw a message from the team at Patreon, the website on which the source code of the 3D model is hosted, stating that he received a copyright claim for the artist’s work on the platform. Also according to the warning, the complaint came from Nintendo of America and, so far, has not been removed from the site.
The most curious thing is that the model was created in 2018 and only now, three years later, the company decided to bring a lawsuit against the 3D model of Bowser’s penis. Nintendo itself has not yet commented on the case, but it is almost certain to say that the reason is to prevent its characters from having a darkened image, especially as it is a game with an age rating for all ages.
As a form of protest, AkkoArcade has now made the source code freely available for those who own a 3D printer to download and produce the alleged Bowser member.
If you are over 18 and want to check the tweet that shows the model, just click on the link.


text:
The #Kidfluencers, Not kidding Around
By Harvey Schwartz
As the #kidfluencer market inches to the $1.7 billion mark within the next couple of year, brands have the opportunity to team up with incredibly talented and professional creators under 18-years-old with a dual talent: performing and being experts at content marketing.
I had the recent opportunity to moderate one such multi-talented creator during a panel at The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Influencer/UGC Marketing Day at Viacom, where I was joined by the 15-year-old Sissy Sheridan, host of Nickelodeon’s DYI with Me and star of Brat’s Chicken Girls.
Sissy’s exposure on DYI with Me inspired her to go from posting only sporadically on social media to design and execute her content marketing growth strategy. After a compelling PowerPoint presentation telling her mom why she should “totally” be on Instagram, too, she got approval to start building her following. “For me, social media is a business,” a determined Sissy told the IAB audience of brand marketers. Fast-forward a year, and Sissy has over 60K followers (and counting).
Successful kidfluencers are also keenly aware of the platforms’ ever-changing algorithms and how these would affect their content marketing strategy. When discussing Instagram’s recent test of hiding likes “to remove pressure” in some markets, Sissy shared she thought the policy would be a “bummer for creators with a high engagement like her,” adding that she counts on her high engagement (sometimes as high as 50%) to pitch herself to brands. “I can only say, “My engagement is great. I’m reaching a lot of kids, teens, and people that would buy your product. However, if Instagram hides my likes, the brand would be, ‘Oh, but she only has 60 thousand followers.”
Although there might be a workaround by accessing analytics, screenshot them, and sharing them with brands, Sissy is concerned that by hiding likes Instagram may end up involuntarily rewarding users who buy followers. “Some people have 1 million (bought) followers, and each post may have only ten likes, but you wouldn’t know if Instagram hides the likes.”
As far as strategy, Sissy is also well aware of the platforms’ differences. “I just got verified on Snapchat, which means I can get on the news page and get as many as 200 thousand views per story,” she said. “Sometimes, I think that did well on Snapchat and could do the same on Instagram, but they all have a different business to them.”
For instance, Sissy shared that it is “a lot harder” to get YouTube subscribers than Instagram followers. “I don’t feel like I have to subscribe to someone on YouTube to watch their videos. On Instagram, you want to follow them and see what their feeds look like,” she explained.
However, when it comes to finding trends, YouTube takes the lead. “When you follow the main trends, the YouTube algorithm may boost your videos,” explained Sissy, adding that she once uploaded a video that got 10 thousand views from an equal number of subscribers. “I just wanted to have 5 thousand views,” Sissy said of a music video, ‘Most Girls’ she uploaded onto YouTube. The current count? One hundred and twenty-seven views and counting!
Aside from being a great performer and influencer who adjusts to the different platforms’ analytics and algorithms, Sissy also looks at the big picture for establishing her uniqueness. “All of my Instagram photos have to have something yellow,” she explains about her most recent motif. “When I started doing Chicken Girls, I wanted to have something that people could identify me with. So, right now, it’s the color yellow, which creates anticipation (what is she going to post next?).”
Lastly, this kidfluencer has a long-term vision. Sissy is aware that what she has with her followers is an ongoing, engaging relationship that can make an impact. Moreover, as an activist, she’s open to partnerships that make a difference for kids. “To make a change in the world is also super important to me.” So that’s a trend that we can all get behind!
Harvey Schwartz is Viacom Ad Solutions SVP of Talent


text:
The Discover Small Business Watch index is the most up-to-date poll on conditions in the sector which has accounted for the vast majority of employment growth in all the economic recoveries of the past thirty-five years. The DSBW Index collapsed in November, to 76.5 from 88 in October. December remains unchanged. But fewer small business owners expect the economy to improve.
- The number of small business owners who think the economy is getting worse was down to 49 percent from 53 percent in November; while 24 percent of small business owners see the economy staying the same, up from 16 percent in November; 25 percent see the economy getting better, down from 28 percent in November; and 2 percent are not sure.


text:
Latest in Tag: imports Highlight
Latest in Tag: imports
Trade exchange figures contribute to 21% decrease in Egyptian trade deficit with France
Egyptian imports from US reach $4693.5m in 2020
Petroleum product imports amounted to $6.383bn during 2020
Country’s exports stood at EGP 22.8bn in 11M of 2020
Egypt’s trade deficit decreased by 28.8% to $2.9bn during October 2020, versus $4.1bn for the same month of previous year, according to a report by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).
The bulletin reviewed the volume of trade, including exports and imports, with Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Eritrea.
Non-oil exports see slight downturn to total $18.76bn in 2020, against $19.23bn last year
Country’s imports recorded $49.012bn, while exports reached $20.953bn in same period
Imports of medicines and pharmaceuticals recorded a decrease of 12.7%
The agency noted that China, as the foremost supplier of raw materials for pharmaceuticals, was particularly hard hit, alongside other countries in East Asia and Europe.
Companies such as Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi have already raised their prices to cover added expenses
Non-oil exports declined 1.8% to $8.707bn between January and April compared to figures for the same period in 2019
Gamea said the decision aims to protect Egypt’s production of sugar from global price volatility, after the fall in oil prices and subsequent 30% decline in sugar prices
Egyptian exports fall slightly by 2% in same period
Decision prevents rise in steel imports into the country
Public treasury bears EGP 10bn value of reducing gas, electricity prices for industry activities
The funds are within the $3bn agreement framework between Egypt and ITFC that was signed in January 2018.
The court, headed by Counselor Mounir Abdel Kudous, decided to suspend the decision, and referred it to the State Commissioners Authority, an advisory body within the State Council, for technical review
The deficit value of Egypt’s trade balance reached $4.15bn during March 2019, versus the $3.77bn for the same month of previous year
The report added that the UAE is the largest Arab importer of Egypt’s products in February 2019, with a total export of $177.9m, compared to $202.4m during February 2018, a decrease of 12.10%
Business mission likely to visit Egypt in September, says Indonesian ambassador
Fourteen countries account for 60.62% of Egypt’s foreign trade volume, led by China
Most of commodities benefited from low customs duties of current tariff
“We expect these figures to rise further in 2019”: President of ABCC
Gasoline, diesel, butane account for largest part of imports, imports will be cut in 2019, as several new refining units in Egypt spring into action
Imports worth twice exports: CEIC
Mineral, chemical, agricultural, electrical equipment, base metals’ products, top prevailing imports
Budget deficit to be under 5% of GDP by FY 2020/21
Rationing Egypt’s imports’ decision negatively affected state’s exports, industry, says Shiha
Total fuel imports from January to May 2018 rose to about $5.035bn compared to $4.924bn in the January-May 2017 period, with an increase of nearly $111m. According to the latest statistics of the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), total imports of crude oil amounted to $1.483bn, during the first five months of …


text:
Beauty Oasis Spa wins Business Of The Year award
- Credit: South West Business Awards
South West salon, Beauty Oasis Spa has won the Business Of The Year 2019 award.
The company has four salons, including in Weston, Burnham and Winscombe and owner, Sarah Hallaran, is ‘honoured and proud’ to have brought the award home.
A ceremony, held by the South West Business Awards, celebrated the region’s most ambitious, inspirational and exciting businesses, charities and individuals on January 24.
More than 300 nominees entered the awards, and attendees were treated to a three-course meal and live music from a Tina Turner tribute act.
Sarah said: “This is all down to our amazing training and management team and all of our staff who work tirelessly to raise and maintain standards in our industry.
You may also want to watch:
“They are preparing the next generation of beauty therapists, and we are honoured and proud to take this award home to them.”
- 1 Worle resident left with maggot-infested bins during heatwave
- 2 Disruptions to your journey by car across North Somerset
- 3 Versatile extended cottage with annexe in rural village
- 4 LOVE ISLAND 2021: Weston's Jake Cornish makes it official with Liberty
- 5 Could self-driving pods be the future of Weston?
- 6 Council hopes to reopen Weston Marine Lake later this week
- 7 Electrical appliance retailer opens appliance showroom
- 8 Overnight A&E closures continue at hospital
- 9 Family pays tribute to founder of Jolly Dollies support network
- 10 Manchester United legends and All Stars put on nine-goal thriller at Cheddar


text:
Lawrence Livermore is reaching out to private industry amid a race for talent and ideas to solve pressing issues including national security.» Read More
DETROIT, July 31- Tesla Motors Inc, the California- based maker of luxury electric cars, said it expects to build more than 60,000 cars in 2015, after spending heavily this year to update and expand its Fremont assembly plant.
SAN MATEO, Calif.— Action video camera maker GoPro Inc. on Thursday reported its second-quarter net loss nearly quadrupled from a year ago as it nearly doubled operating expenses despite revenue increasing 38 percent.
CHICAGO, July 31- A salmonella outbreak linked to California- based poultry producer Foster Farms' contaminated chicken appears to be over, more than 17 months after it began, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.
OLYMPIA, Wash.— The governors of California, Oregon and Washington sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewel on Thursday to stress that they don't want the possibility of drilling off of the West Coast.
NEW YORK, July 31- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has invested $120 million in San Francisco- based mobile games studio Kabam, the latest in a string of U.S. investments intended to build up the Chinese online retailer's presence in the world's biggest Internet arena.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.— Live Nation Entertainment Inc. on Thursday reported earnings that declined by 61 percent in its second quarter, and missed analysts' expectations. The Beverly Hills, California- based company said profit declined to $22.9 million, or 11 cents per share, from $58.1 million, or 30 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier.
PALO ALTO, Calif.— Electric car maker Tesla Motors widened its loss in the second quarter as it prepared for the launch of a new SUV and started work on a massive new battery plant. But the company is still considering sites in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, and won't make a final decision for several months.
DETROIT, July 31- Tesla Motors Inc, the California- based maker of luxury electric cars, said it lost $61.9 million, or 50 cents a share, in the second quarter, as revenue nearly doubled to $769.3 million. In the year-ago quarter, Tesla lost $30.5 million, or 26 cents a share, on revenue of $405.1 million.
In California, however, insurers' projections of 2014 medical spending were fairly accurate. Other companies planning to sell 2015 Obamacare policies in California include Kaiser Permanente, Health Net, and Molina Healthcare. California is the largest of about a dozen states to announce proposed 2015 rates.
NEW YORK— Shares of LinkedIn Corp. jumped Thursday after the professional networking service reported a second-quarter loss but still topped analysts' expectations. LinkedIn posted a loss of $1 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with a profit of $3.7 million, or 3 cents per share, in the same quarter a year earlier.
July 31- GoPro Inc, which makes wearable cameras used by surfers, skydivers and other action junkies to post their exploits online, reported a bigger quarterly loss as costs nearly doubled. GoPro shares fell 9.3 percent to $43.50 in extended trading.
RENO, Nev.— Electric car maker Tesla Motors said Thursday that it is preparing a site near Reno, Nevada, as a possible location for its new battery factory, but is still evaluating other sites. Tesla said it broke ground on the Nevada site in June. California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas are also in the running.
July 31- Burger King Worldwide Inc said on Thursday it would no longer buy products from OSI Group LLC suppliers in China, where the fast-food hamburger chain has about 200 restaurants.
DETROIT, July 31- Tesla Motors Inc, the California- based maker of luxury electric cars, said it lost $61.9 million, or 50 cents a share, in the second quarter, as revenue nearly doubled to $769.3 million. On a non-GAAP basis, Tesla said it earned 11 cents a share, topping analysts' expectations of 4 cents.
TAMPA, Fla., July 31- Southwest Airlines and SeaWorld said on Thursday they are ending a longtime marketing partnership, as the airline faces pressure from animal rights groups critical of the marine life conditions at its popular tourist attractions.
*Iliad bids $15 billion in cash for 56.6 pct at $33 per share. PARIS/ NEW YORK, July 31- French telecoms company Iliad SA has made a surprise offer for T-Mobile US Inc, setting up a potential bidding war with rival suitor Sprint Corp, the U.S. mobile carrier now controlled by Japan's Softbank.
That's what$ 1 million will buy you in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. The Bay Area saw a record number of houses and condos going for $1 million and above in the spring, pushing the median selling price into the cool million-dollar range for the first time in June, real estate research firm CoreLogic DataQuick said Thursday.
In California, however, insurers' projections of 2014 medical spending were fairly accurate. California is the largest of about a dozen states to announce proposed 2015 rates.
NEW YORK, July 31- Several hundred claims are expected to be filed at the start of a GM-financed program being launched Friday to compensate victims of a faulty ignition switch on some of its vehicles, lawyers say.
Obamacare customers in California will see average insurance premium rates rise by 4.2 percent next year, officials announced Thursday.


text:
Czech Stop in West damaged when SUV smashes through wall
WEST, Texas - Everyone's favorite kolache stop south of the Metroplex, the Czech Stop, is cleaning up after an SUV drove through one of its walls.
The West Volunteer Fire Department posted photos of a white SUV that smashed into the store, damaging the window and taking out part of the wall.
Workers say a woman lost control of her vehicle around 7:30 p.m. Monday night.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.
The bakery side of the store opened on Tuesday, but the rest of the store may remain closed for a few more days.
"We are hoping to be open possibly tomorrow, by the latest Thursday," said Czech Stop employee Anissa Adamson. "It's not going to stop us."
READ MORE: North Texas woman uses CPR to save man having a heart attack on walking trail
Source: West VFD
The West VFD says they don't know the specifics about what caused the crash and that the building looks worse in photos than it actually is.
They say the kolache shop off of I-35 should be up and running again soon.


text:
Nothing goes better with a Bruins orCeltics game than beer. Just ask the folks behind the first ever Paulaner Bar to open its doors in the United States. They chose New England’s premier sports and entertainment arena, TD Garden, as the location to open thecustom built bar, which was made in Germany.
The bar reflects a modern biergarten in Germany with its custom-made copper and brass draught towers to the oak and maple-topped tables and chairs. Joe O’Grady, vice president at Paulaner HP USA, believes the location on the train platform at North Station will help expose the brand. “TD Garden North Station has annual foot traffic exceeding 8 million people,” he said. “The opportunity for the Paulaner brand to be seen by this volume of people in our target demographic is a perfect fit for us. These commuters and event attendees not only are able to see the Paulaner brand, they also have the opportunity to try our beers in an authentic and enjoyable setting.”
There were currently five styles of authentic Paulaner draught beer on tap when we visited, including Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Paulaner Pils, Paulaner Munich Lager, PaulanerSalvator - as well as three from Munich’s Hacker-Pschorr Brewery including, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse Dark and Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold.
For more information on Paulaner Bar at TD Garden, visit tdgarden.com/the-garden.


text:
Traditional plates meet modern palates under the Michelin stars
Nov 15, 2011
|Chef Corey Lee (center) at home in his San Francisco restaurant, Benu (Photo courtesy of Benu).|
Following the release of the latest Michelin Guide to San Francisco in October, Chef Corey Lee has become the latest Korean-born proprietor of a Michelin two-star restaurant. Moreover, Lee’s dedication to presenting Korean flavors and craftsmanship at their most authentic has set Benu (www.benusf.com) apart as a vehicle for the globalization of Hansik, or Korean food culture.
Since Benu opened its doors last summer, the restaurant’s tableware has come from Lee’s own line of traditionally crafted ceramics, produced in collaboration with Korean porcelain manufacturer KwangJuYo. KwangJuYo was established in 1963 with the aim of continuing to craft Korean pottery in the tradition set forth by the Gwangju Gwanyo workshop that supplied the pottery needs of the Joseon royal family.
The partnership between KwangJuYo and Lee, who was officially appointed goodwill ambassador by the City of Seoul for the promotion of Hansik, can be seen as an effort to provide a multi-dimensional and multisensory Hansik experience. At Benu, Lee stays true to traditional Korean flavors and cooking styles, steaming meat together with Asian pear, flavoring broth with kimchi, making pasta from powdered dotori (acorn) flour, and glazing pine nuts with honey.
The tableware provided by KwangJuYo, meanwhile, pays tribute to the Korean ceramic tradition while also appealing to more modern tastes and practicality. KwangJuYo has made significant gains in fostering appreciation for Korean ceramic crafts while addressing the issues of low demand and marketability that previously plagued the industry. The recent steps taken by KwangJuYo to adapt its product for the modern consumer and thereby expand its market have also helped to expand the international reception of Hansik.
Prior to opening Benu, Lee, who immigrated with his family to the United States when he was seven years old, was the chef de cuisine at the popular Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry. In 2006, the James Beard Foundation awarded him the “Rising Star Chef” designation as the best chef under 30, and French Laundry’s maestro chef Thomas Keller praised both his technique and his creativity in presenting the best of French flavors.
In a recent interview with the Joongang Daily, Lee described his cooking philosophy as one that seeks to provide more than an everyday dining experience, taking the experience of eating beyond physical and sensory reactions to an emotional response. Moreover, he expressed that the globalization of Hansik will not take place if these goals become the sole focal point. He called instead for those promoting Hansik to direct greater energy to developing an understanding of the ingredients that create Korean flavors, the cooking traditions passed down from generation to generation, and the different developments and innovations in food production today.
Korea.net Staff Writer
Department Global Communication and Contents Division, Contact Us


text:
In an uncommon piece of uplifting news in the memory division, Samsung is intending to essentially increase its DRAM yield, which ideally implies that better estimating is not too far off.
It has not been a fun circumstance for anybody needing new RAM or a memory update. Costs have relentlessly moved over the previous year, and a report turned out a month ago recommending that memory valuing could hop by 40 percent or more before the year’s over, topping off what might be the biggest yearly increment ever.
“Only one year prior, DRAM purchasers took full favorable position of the oversupply (overabundance limit) segment of the cycle and arranged the most reduced value conceivable with the DRAM producers, paying little respect to whether the DRAM providers lost cash on the arrangement. Presently, with tight limit in the market, DRAM providers are getting their ‘payback’ and charging whatever the market will bear, paying little mind to whether the cost expands hurt the clients’ electronic framework deals or makes it lose cash,” IC Insights said at the time.
Presently a month and a half later, Korean IT news association ETimes reports that Samsung is broadening a DRAM creation lines at two or three its semiconductor plants. Evidently Samsung has been supporting its operations with new gear since early October, with large scale manufacturing anticipated that would happen in the primary quarter of 2018.
“Inside, Samsung Electronics isn’t upbeat that SK Hynix and Micron, which need specialized aptitudes, are making their greatest benefits from their DRAM organizations,” said a delegate who knows about memory semiconductor markets, as indicated by ETimes. “Some of Samsung Electronics’ work force trusts that this monetary blast should be done before China enters DRAM markets.”
Samsung is one of the greatest DRAM makers on the planet. In the event that it proceeds with its intend to expand creation, it could drive down estimating, however this isn’t probably going to happen until the second 50% of one year from now. Meanwhile, costs are as yet headed upwards.


text:
Bloomberg’s new report, “The Grocery Price Shock Is Coming to a Store Near You” issues a grim warning about inflation caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is expected to worsen in the near future.
“The most recent crop spikes follow months of price gains fueled by booming import demand from China… With China’s purchases continuing and a spate of adverse weather conditions threatening crops in Brazil and the U.S., there are few signs of respite. Analysts including those at Rabobank, Mintec and HSBC Global Research all see a risk of even higher prices as a result, though it will vary across markets,” Bloomberg reported.
Bacon and other expensive cuts of meat in America, tortilla in Mexico, beef in Brazil, and palm oil in Myanmar have all recently surged in price, impacting the poorest most severely. The Bloomberg Agriculture Spot Index recently peaked at the highest number in almost nine years. Prices of the world’s most popular food commodities such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and vegetable oils have risen and are expected to continue climbing.
“There seems to be sort of a bullish force behind the prices internationally,” Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, said in an interview. “The indications are that there is very little reason to believe prices would remain at these levels. It’s more likely they will rise further. Hardship is still ahead.”
Natural News points out that while local farmers will enjoy greater profits from rising prices, “a bevy of other consumer goods including raw materials such as lumber — needed to build houses and businesses — are also rising, along with energy costs as the world attempts to recover from being ‘closed’ due to the pandemic in an unprecedented over-reaction.”
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Check your email to complete sign up
The article concludes, “the economy under President Trump was heading in the right direction. There were more than enough jobs, prices were stable, and our GDP was rising.” Under the current administration, based on the Bloomberg report, JD Heyes of Natural News believes that the economy will continue to suffer.
“The relentless rise in prices acts as a misery multiplier, driving millions deeper into hunger and desperation,” Chris Nikoi, the World Food Programme’s Regional Director for West Africa said earlier this month. The current rise in prices is “pushing a basic meal beyond the reach of millions of poor families who were already struggling to get by,” he said.
Meanwhile, the wealthiest Americans have become $195 billion richer in the first 100 days of the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, stimulus spending, and a rising stock market. “The threat of food inflation is making governments nervous. Russia, one of the world’s top grain exporters, has ordered a freeze on some retail food prices while taking steps to curb shipments. Bolivia has temporarily banned exports of beef to safeguard supplies at home and put a lid on prices,” according to Bloomberg.
“Generally people see this inflation continuing,” said Tosin Jack, an analyst at Mintec, which monitors commodity prices. “The trend will continue for some time and it will translate into consumer goods.” Global food prices have been surging for the last ten months. “The surge is stirring memories of 2008 and 2011, when spikes led to food riots in more than 30 nations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and contributed to political strife and uprisings in the Arab Spring,” Bloomberg reported.


text:
House of Fraser suffers 60 per cent sales drop in run-up to Christmas
House of Fraser has reportedly suffered a dive in sales over the crucial Christmas trading season, in a fresh sign of the woes facing the beleaguered department store chain.
Year-on-year sales plunged 60 per cent in the 12 weeks to 18 December, according to Kantar Worldpanel figures reported in The Sunday Telegraph.
It is the retailer’s first festive performance under the ownership of Mike Ashley, who bought the firm in August for £90m.
The retail magnate’s spending spree, which has also involved the acquisition of Evans Cycles, took its latest turn last night after reports that Ashley has been interested in making a bid for embattled music chain HMV.
The news comes after a swathe of mixed Christmas performances from Britain’s largest retailers, many of which have struggled to maintain profits amid growing competition and rising costs.
Earlier this month Debenhams reported a 5.7 per cent drop in like-for-like sales during the 18 weeks to 5 January.
Read more: Debenhams' Christmas sales slip as it continues talks with lenders over its future
Recent figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) also found that the UK retail sector suffered its worst Christmas in a decade last month as sales stagnated during the crucial festive period.
Read more: Retail sector suffers worst Christmas in a decade as sales stagnate
Overall retail sales were flat in December, the lowest level of growth since April and the worst festive performance since 2008.


text:
Electronic Express via Rakuten offers the Google Pixelbook 12.3" Intel Celeron Kaby Lake 1.6GHz 128GB Touchscreen Chromebook for $999. Coupon code "XP100" cuts it to $899. With free shipping, that's the lowest price we could find by $80. Buy Now Tips Today only, you also get $17.98 in Rakuten Super Points. The Google Pixelbook Pen is not included. Features Intel Core i5-7Y57 1.2GHz Kaby Lake dual-core processor 12.3" 2400x1600 LCD Touchscreen 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Google Assistant Chrome OS
Here's where Biden — as well as Trump — stands on the future of the Social Security retirement system.


text:
- SEA LIFE San Antonio is finally opening downtown with an underwater tunnel
- Beloved Texas taco chain Fuego fires up first San Antonio location
- San Antonio will soon have a late night Chinese food spot serving until 2 a.m.
- Taste of the Northside officially canceled for Fiesta San Antonio 2021
- Here's why floating caterpillars are all over San Antonio right now
- Waco car dealer offers Jeep so Baylor can recruit players 'out of the hood'
- Houston teacher disciplined after using racial slur for class activity


text:
It’s good to have the governor on your side.
Brewers across New York have been praising a new tourism campaign Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week designed to promote the state’s wines, beers and spirits.
Cuomo made his announcement at New York’s first Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit, where producers of alcoholic beverages met with state officials to discuss legislative and regulatory issues facing their industry.
New York will provide $1 million for a new advertising campaign promoting the industry, and it will increase funding, leveraged on an industry match, by up to $2 million, providing a possible $5 million marketing campaign.
The state also plans to hold events similar to Restaurant Week and promote the industry at the state fair. There are also plans to ensure that only alcoholic beverages produced in New York are sold at New York Racing Association tracks.
With more than 450 wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries, New York ranks third in wine and grape production in the U.S., second in distilleries, and is home to three of the top 20 brewers in the country.
“My administration has focused on opening New York’s doors to business and improving our state’s business climate,” Cuomo said in a press release. “New York’s vibrant beer, wine, cider and spirits industry supports thousands of jobs across the state and is a major driver of tourism in many communities.”
Westchester is home to many prominent breweries, including Elmsford-based Captain Lawrence Brewing L.L.C. and the Peekskill Brewery L.L.C. Beer aficionados have been anticipating the opening of the Yonkers Brewing Co. sometime next year.
“We are very excited that Gov. Cuomo is taking this initiative,” said John Rubbo, co-owner of the Yonkers Brewing Co. “It’s a growing industry and it’s great to see that the governor recognizes that and is taking an active step in the promoting industry. We’re just ecstatic.”
Rubbo called the summit a great first step, and hopes New York will host annual beer competitions and tastings like other states do.
“It will promote New York and encourage more people to do business in New York,” Rubbo said.
Small business breweries have become popular in recent years, and Rubbo said that people want to try beer that is made in their backyard.
“Yonkers Brewing Co. is your hometown beer,” Rubbo said. “People are proud of something from home. The industry is growing, and if New York wants to be a part of that growth, it makes sense to come on board and support the industry.”
In starting a small business, Rubbo said it is important to have the support of state and local government. Government across the board has been supportive, he said.
“It’s extremely important. We are investing a lot in this business and New York is a great place to invest in. … It’s very important to have Cuomo say that he supports our industry and wants to see it thrive. We’re very thankful.”
Scott Vaccaro, who owns Captain Lawrence, said he thinks the governor’s campaign is going to be a huge boost to New York breweries.
“It’s something I’ve never seen before,” Vaccaro said. “The alcohol industry doesn’t always get help. It’s great to hear.”
Vaccaro said that small brewers get shut out of events like the New York State Fair and others that could really raise his company’s profile. He also is looking forward to the state modifying regulations. Currently brewers must pay $1,000 for a tasting permit.
“The governor said that a lot of these laws are archaic and were written at a time when there wasn’t a small brewing industry,” Vaccaro said. “It makes a huge difference for small businesses. We appreciate it. We feel fortunate to have a governor that believes in us.”
Vaccaro said that his brewery helps support New York farmers by using area hops, wheat and barley.
“It has wide ranging implications,” Vaccaro said. “We are growing in tough times. It’s great to have a friend in the governor’s office.”
Vaccaro and Rubbo both said that while Cuomo has not tried their beer yet, he is always welcome to come and visit.


text:
GOG announced today they've taken a step towards making it easier to get games onto their store, and more clear on what they won't accept.
They've launched a new form for developers and publishers of all kind to fill out, who wish to have their games released onto GOG. Over email they told me the entire process is simplified, with it offering up "more context and focusing on the most important aspects to ensure our team gets all the necessary information from the get go".
Historically, GOG has been a little odd in what they accepted and denied to be placed onto their store, I've seen various Twitter posts from developers over the years frustrated on it when GOG denied their game for no real reason. GOG is still much more curated versus the likes of Steam but perhaps this is set to change a little.
Additionally, the GOG team have put up a dedicated page going over what they say are the benefits of releasing on GOG.
You can see the types of games GOG say they won't accept here.
In other GOG news they're also doing their own thing for Pride Month, and a little differently this time too. Instead of just one game collection, they've made an entire page to highlight games across various categories including Masculine romance representation, Female romance representation, Featuring transgender characters and more.
GOG's Summer Sale will also begin at the end of the week.


text:
For CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, a coalition of over 500 CEOS supporting such programs in the workplace, this December 7th is the first “Day of Understanding.”
Author: John Howell
Learn about a $10 million “bias bus” currently on a 100-stop tour to workplaces, universities, and communities across the U.S., with a goal of reaching 1 million people in person and online.
Earlier this month, 20,000 Google employees walked off their jobs to protest revelations that the company fired three senior executives over sexual misconduct, paying one of them a $90 million severance package. This is just the latest example of top companies and their stakeholders taking stands on key social issues.
SPECIAL SERIES: 3BL Forum 2018
The 2018 3BL Forum covered a 3.0 version of Brands Taking Stands, one in which companies take a wide variety of approaches to address social issues their teams care about.
SPECIAL SERIES: 3BL Forum 2018
This year’s “Brands Taking Stands: The Long View” event, wrapping up its second day today, October 24, in National Harbor, MD, doubles down on this theme, exploring the latest developments in those companies taking positions on the key social and political issues of today.
This year’s Future Investment Initiative might have to be re-branded as “Davos Deserted,” as many executives, corporations and media companies are cancelling their RSVPs for a return visit. A “Who’s Who” in global business, media, and influencers are staying home as questions persist about the apparent assassination of Jamal khashoggi in Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
We are witnessing a new development in the Brands Taking Stands movement. States, led by California, are defining themselves as “brands” by adopting definitive positions on social and political issues that are intertwined with business issues such as corporate governance.
The collision of principle and policy in current affairs has just ratcheted up several notches in intensity. The reason? The latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the U.S. that takes direct aim at profits at a number of the largest multinationals.
The socially responsible investment industry is exploding. By any measure, the growth is exponential, and increasing rapidly. The reasons are straightforward -sustainable investing is increasingly seen as a superior methodology to manage risk and drive returns.
Behind the unending stream of headlines about executive malfeasance, there’s a lot of thought and action going on in progressive quarters about how to improve leadership training so that business can perform better.
Global food and beverage companies are acquiring healthier brands to reposition their offerings as more health conscious, often complete with environmental side benefits.
Critics argue that like publishers, tech “distributors” are responsible for the content they carry. Companies argue that it is not their right or duty to censor third-party content.
Salesforce CEO Benioff’s reasons for social activism are based in a fundamental belief that as “political leaders become weaker, chief executives have to become stronger.”


text:
BrightFarms has grown its customer base to new stores and markets across the United States. The company’s sustainably and hydroponically grown salad greens and herbs are now available at Dierbergs, Food Lion, Jungle Jim’s International Markets, Misfits Market and Tops Markets.
Salad greens for Fairfield, Ohio-based Jungle Jim’s will be sourced from BrightFarms' greenhouse in Wilmington, Ohio, while Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops, No. 28 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States, will offer BrightFarms greens also from the Wilmington greenhouse. Meanwhile, the BrightFarms’ Culpeper, Va., greenhouse will supply stores that Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion operates in Richmond and Lynchburg, Va. Food Lion’s parent, Ahold Delhaize USA, is No. 4 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list.
Making its debut in the St. Louis metro area, BrightFarms will provide unique lettuce varieties such as Sunny Crunch and Fresh Kick for Chesterfield, Mo.-based Dierbergs, with product sourced from a greenhouse in Rochelle, Ill.
“We feel that BrightFarms is a great complement to our offerings,” noted Jeff Cady, Tops’ director of produce and floral. “Tops customers demand the freshest and best produce possible, and BrightFarms delivers that day in and day out. They’re ‘local’ without being local, if you will. We are truly excited to be partnering with a company that is innovative, driven and looking to brighten the future of our planet.”
BrightFarms has also teamed up with Philadelphia-based Misfits Market, a delivery-box service that normally ships imperfect or “ugly” produce to customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, for which the produce company will supply aesthetically appealing excess yields from its Bucks County, Pa., greenhouse to help Misfits attain its goal of reducing food waste.
According to BrightFarms, its hydroponic greenhouses use 80 percent less water, 90 percent less land and 90 percent less shipping fuel compared with long-distance growers. Delivered within 24 hours of harvest, the company’s salad greens are free of pesticides and certified non-GMO.
Among the other retailers carrying the company’s items are Walmart, Food Lion sister banners Martin’s Foods and Giant Food, and Albertsons.
Irvington, N.Y.-based BrightFarms finances, builds, and operates local greenhouse farms in partnership with supermarkets, cities, capital sources and vendors.


text:
Posted by Bill Stilwell at July 13, 2000 12:00 AM
Last month, SOCAN's licensing manager, Gina Pollock, sent a letter to the owners of music stores across the country. Pollock wanted to let them know that the music they play in their stores is, like all other music in this country, licensed to SOCAN by its performers and composers, and that the stores should therefore pay a licensing fee for playing it.
"If it wasn't for record stores, there'd be no industry at all," said Laurence Marks, owner of Abba-Zappa in Toronto. "Here I am, struggling to make a buck. So they get 50 bucks from my store, who's it going to go to? Some guy on Queen Street with an independent CD out? No. It's going to go to Neil Young." The licence would cost Marks $50 a year for his small, used-CD store.


text:
Watch the company’s corporate video to learn more about its processes and staff
The Kinetic Co. launched its corporate video on its YouTube page. The video shows the great potential of the company that, with more than 70 years of experience, delivers to market the best in the manufacture of industrial knives and hardened wear products.
The material was not only produced for the external public, but also for the company’s employees, thus highlighting the team’s efforts and showing that behind the finest quality industrial knives there is a group of people who dedicate themselves daily to making Kinetic the World’s Premier Knifemaker.
Watch the video:


text:
It's all about the zoom this week at Crave. Some may name them bridge cameras, describing the way they boast features from both the compact and dSLR worlds, but for those who call them superzooms the latest generation is living up to the name. We starting to wonder if the race to slap a bigger lens on the front will overtake the race to cram in more megapixels.
We're currently stalking with, er, carrying out testing with a. We thought the 12x zoom was a bit tasty, but the recent announcements from Panasonic and Fujifilm knock it into a cocked hat. packs 8.1-megapixel and a crazy huge 18x zoom. Fujifilm's 8-megapixel S8000fd matches the Panasonic's 18x zoom, 64mm (2.5-inch) screen, face detection and maximum ISO 6,200 sensitivity.
Fuji seems committed to making these dSLR-aping cameras accessible to consumers by continuing its recent policy of adding SD and SD-HC memory capacity cards alongside the usual xD format. On top of that, the S8000fd gets its juice from four consumer-friendly AA batteries.
The really good news is that manufacturers have recognised that such ginormous zooms need to be paired with decent image-stabilisation systems. Pushing a telephoto lens to these kind of limits will magnify even the smallest of hand vibrations and give you blurry pictures (booo!). So the Z712, DMC-FZ18 and S8000fd all have optical image stabilisation (hurray!). The CCD sensors are microscopically shifted to counter camera shake.
As the gap between dSLRs and compact cameras narrows, primarily because compacts are getting better, there seems to be less space for bridge cameras. But if the manufacturer-hyped megapixel race is slowing, and perhaps even topping out at around 10-12 megapixels, we anticipate zoom size could become the newest camera craze. Superzooms are inherently unable to match the pocketability of the slimline compact, but they could develop a growing following from photographers looking to take more control without making the leap to dSLR.
Available in September, the Fujifilm S8000fd will retail at $399.95 (£200) in the US and should be zooming its way across the pond soon. -Rich Trenholm


text:
Sept. 9, 2011 | Vol. 3 No. 36
BBC Biochemical lacks procedures and controls to prevent microbiological contamination of product, according to an FDA Form 483 recently handed to the contract manufacturer.
The FDA is considering requiring quality agreements between medical product manufacturers and their suppliers as part of its push for tighter control of the supply chain, an FDA consumer safety officer says.
AngioDynamics failed to report a field correction and the possibility that one of its devices may have figured in a death or serious injury, the FDA said in a May 27 warning letter posted online Tuesday.
Drug maker Dendreon said it would lay off 500 employees — about one-fourth of its work force — to cut costs in response to lower-than-expected sales of its new prostate-cancer treatment Provenge.
Praxair India plans to construct a new state-of-the-art air separation plant in the rapidly growing Pune-Mumbai industrial corridor of western India.
Nectar Lifesciences received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients manufacturing plant Unit-II in Dera Bassi, Punjab.
Berlin Pharmaceutical and Acino Pharma AG signed a long term partnership agreement under which Berlin will market a wide range of the Swiss company’s current and future products in Thailand.
A recent Food and Drug Administration report has some worrying about shortages of cancer drugs and other essential medicines.
A new production technique has been developed by the Bradford university researchers to make co-crystals for use in the pharmaceutical industry.
ePublishing :: CMS, Hosting & Web Development | © Copyright by FDAnewsAll rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.


text:
The new Ginninderry Markets start this Saturday, run by the Ginninderra Rotary Club to cater to the burgeoning West Belconnen community.
The markets will be held from 3pm to 6pm at the GX Display Village, off Pro Hart Avenue.
They'll run every second Saturday.
Fresh fruit and vegetables, live performers, coffee and locally-made food will be some of the attractions.
Some regular stallholders from the Jamison Trash and Treasure Markets will also be there.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.


text:
Prague’s Pařížská Street has for the first time been ranked among the most expensive streets in the world in terms of rents in a ranking compiled by consultancy Cushman & Wakefield.
Overall, Pařížská came in seventeenth place. It overtook Na Příkopě Street, which had appeared in the ranking since 2004. The most expensive street in the world is the upper part of Fifth Avenue in New York.
Cushman & Wakefield annually compares 68 countries around the world by the highest rent achieved on the most expensive shopping street. The ranking always includes one most expensive streets from each country.
The highest annual rent in Pařížská is EUR 2,719 (CZK 66,200) per square metre. In local currency terms, this is about the same as before the covid-19 pandemic.
The 17th position in the world ranking is the highest ranking for a Czech street since 2005, when Na Příkopě Street finished in the same place.
Overall, Paris is the thirtieth most expensive in Europe. Na Příkopě Street ranks 33rd in the European comparison with an annual rent of 2,460 euros per square meter.
Cushman & Wakefield’s Main Streets Across the World report, launched in 1988, tracks the top retail streets across 92 cities and ranks the most expensive by prime rental value utilising Cushman & Wakefield’s proprietary data.
An annual report until 2019, this is the first since then—allowing insight into comparative performance pre- and post-pandemic.
“The industry has been through one of the biggest stress tests imaginable over the past few years, but best-in-class retail real estate has remained robust,” Cushman & Wakefield head of EMEA retail at Robert Travers said.
“While we now face new economic challenges, the conversation has shifted from pessimism to retail´s omnichannel evolution.
“Many brands are playing the long game and seeking to secure prime opportunities to adapt to ever-demanding customer needs.
The world’s most expensive streets by annual rent in euros per square metre
1. Upper 5th Avenue in New York (21 076)
2. Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong (15 134)
3. Via Montenapoleone in Milan (14,547)
4. New Bond Street in London (14 346)
5. Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris (11 069)
6. Ginza in Tokyo (9,956)
7. Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich (8927)
8. Pitt Street Mall in Sydney (7624)
9. Myeongdong in Seoul (5973)
10. West Nanjing Road in Shanghai (5225)


text:
Firms in Shetland are facing huge rate rises – some by as much as two-thirds – under the Scottish government’s revaluation of business property which will come into force at the beginning of next month.
Hotels, guest houses, shops and other retailers are all in line for the swingeing increases and are only now beginning to digest the potential impact on their business plans as the country emerges tentatively from recession.
Although the government has reduced the business rate for 2010/11 to 40.7p in the £ for properties with a rateable value of £35,000 or less and 41.4p in the £ for those above, the revaluation conducted by the Scottish Assessors Association – based on annual turnover – more than makes up for the cut in many instances.
On top of the government’s proposals to increase the durationl of ferry journeys to and from Shetland and the prospect of fewer winter sailings, the revelation has angered politicians and business people.
For seven hotels in Shetland the revaluation will mean an increase of a quarter or more. Two hotels facing sizeable increases are the Grand Hotel and the Queens Hotel, which face an increase in their rateable values of around 40 and 90 per cent.
The new rates set mean the Queens Hotel will now have to pay £19,006 and the Grand £19,109.50, increases from the previous year of £7,462 (64 per cent) and £3,463 (22 per cent) respectively. Owner George Hepburn, of JW Gray, said he had not yet been informed of this and as such could not comment.
Some of the other businesses to be affected are Lerwick’s shops: Westside Pine will see its rateable value increase by almost a quarter and the Cope-operated Shetland Soap Company by 21 per cent.
Other accommodation such as guest houses and hostels will also experience increases, with Islesburgh Youth Hostel’s rateable value increasing by 17 per cent and Eddlewood Guest House at Clairmont Place by 30 per cent.
Steve Henry, chairman of the Shetland Tourism Association, said: “Anything that puts the cost of people staying up will have an effect on Shetland.”
Mr Henry said the news this week that NorthLink is to add time to journeys and cut sailings will also be a worry for those in the tourist industry in Shetland.
Shetland Retailers Association chairwoman Janet Davidge said that for businesses that will be affected by the increase it is “bad timing”.
She said: “With the current economic climate it’s just one more thing for businesses to worry about.”
Isles MSP Tavish Scott said he will be writing to the businesses which will be affected by large increases.
Mr Scott said: “Liberal Democrats want to see a transitional period so that the hotels which are facing big increases don’t suffer the full force of these rate rises immediately. We know that the Scottish government doesn’t set the value of every hotel. But the government has chosen to hit hotels with the full increase in just one year.
“Previous administrations have brought major changes like this in slowly, over a period of time. The UK government is doing the same.
“At a time of deep recession, the SNP are hitting the tourism industry in Shetland and throughout Scotland hard.
“On April 1st, some Shetland hotels will be stunned by painful rises in their business rates. The Scottish government can’t take Scotland’s hotel industry for April Fools. They must introduce the scheme which helps these important Shetland businesses.”
The MSP raised the issue at First Minister’s questions last Thursday, criticising the decision to put “extra burdens on Scottish tourism” during a time that will be economically difficult for many businesses and questioned whether the government would change its mind about the increase.
First Minister Alex Salmond responded by stating that the decision to raise the rates had been made by independent assessors, “not by the First Minister or the government” and that the package of relief available to small businesses is “the most generous package in the United Kingdom” under which “60 per cent of Scottish businesses will be better off”.


text:
What is the criteria of having a good App Store? Is it the number of apps? Or should quality be preferred over quantity. For most companies, its the quality that matters. Apple is known to have boasted a lot about the 900,000 apps figure even though it doesn’t represent the entire figure.
According to Adeven, a new analytic company, most apps in App Store haven’t been downloaded more than a few times.
“579,001 apps out of a total of 888,856 apps in our database are zombies,” Adeven says. These apps have never ever taken a spot at the top thousand rankings.
But while Apple has never released figures for such apps, these ‘zombie’ apps may not be so much of a failure at all, but still don’t encourage app developers to keep developing.
“They may still receive a couple of downloads every day – maybe even up to 100 or so – but that is not going to be enough for a developer to capitalise on or draw motivation from to support the app.”
According to another research some time back, the App Store contained 9,000 flashlight applications which alone explains the whole situation.
Still, this again proves that when it comes to application stores, its the top quality apps which matter most. As long as the basic ones are covered, the store can be deemed reputable. And it won’t be wrong if said that it were those 35% apps which achieved the 50 billion downloads figure.
The post 65% of Apps in Apple App Store are Zombies appeared first on .


text:
Recently, Forbes teamed up with PayScale to make a list of the most and least meaningful jobs in the world, and fashion designers didn't come out seeming very fulfilled. The rankings come from surveys with workers in a wide range of fields that asked about compensation and if workers felt their job made a difference in the world. Topping the list of most meaningful positions was orthopedic surgeon, police chief, and youth ministers.
The least meaningful jobs included senior media buyers and photo retouchers, with fashion designer coming in at seventh, tied with shippers for lack of meaning. Apparently, designing threads to stunt in actually doesn't make the world a better place. Sorry, Kanye.
So, if feeling good about yourself is important to you, you probably shouldn't be a fashion designer. But that's okay, the world could use more orthopedic surgeons, anyway.


text:
Originally posted on VentureBeat:
ComScore just released its June 2012 U.S. mobile report, and the results were mostly predictable.
The unholy trinity of Google, Samsung, and Apple captured 50 percent of the mobile phone market, and 84 percent of all smartphones run either Android or iOS. But Apple is growing slightly faster in both categories.
Samsung manufactured 25.6 percent of all phones in use in the U.S. as of June 2012, ComScore says, while Apple had a 15.4 percent share of the entire mobile market, which includes both smartphones and feature phones. Motorola, which is owned by Google, came in at 11.7 percent, while LG has almost 19 percent market share.
When it comes to smartphone platforms, Google is in the undisputed lead, with a 51.6 percent share. Apple has a 32.4 percent share but grew 1.7 percent over March 2012 numbers — faster than any other platform vendor. In fact…
View original 138 more words


text:
According to a new report by research firm CMR, the overall Indian consumer storage flash memory market which includes micro SD cards, SD cards, and flash drives declined 17 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to the third quarter in terms of shipment.
However, on YoY comparison, the market recorded a 7 percent growth, in terms of units shipped.
Micro SD and Pendrive categories witnessed 15 percent and 23 percent decline respectively in terms of units shipped in 4Q CY2017. Alternatively, SD Cards recorded huge 83 percent growth predominantly because of the wedding season in 4Q CY2017, the report said.
"Demand for superior quality photos by the customers during wedding season demands high-end cameras and high-speed camera cards to store high-resolution images. This led to the surge in camera card demand", said Shipra Sinha, Analyst, CyberMedia Research.
In 2017, micro SD cards, Flash Drive, and SD card categories added around 391 PB (Petabytes), 418 PB (Petabytes) and 31 PB (Petabytes) respectively accumulated 840 Petabytes of memory in the fourth quarter, the report further added.
CMR pointed out that SanDisk continued to be the most favored vendor and contributed 50 percent market share in terms of units shipped. However, the vendor shipments witnessed 18 percent decline as compared to the last quarter. Sony and Strontium were other leading players. These top three players collectively made 65 percent contribution to the overall consumer storage flash memory market.
In micro SD segment, SanDisk remained the top contributor with 37 percent market share in the quarter, however, it witnessed 17 percent decline when compared to the last quarter. Strontium maintained its second position and Samsung was at the third spot in the fourth quarter.
"Heavy memory consuming apps for various entertainment activities in the smartphones, will keep the demand for Micro SD cards in the near future. However, growing trend of large internal memory smartphones will be a hindrance which will be offset by growth of entry-level budget smartphones," Sinha concluded.


text:
ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Latest Gaming Products at ROG Convention 2019
Duisburg, GERMANY, April 12, 2019 — ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced new gaming products, including ROG in-ear active noise-cancelling headphones, the ROG Throne Qi headset stand and ROG Strix Helios premium mid-tower PC case at ROG Convention 2019, the largest world’s ROG fan-fest for gamers and hardware enthusiasts. In addition to the ROG product announcements at the convention, ASUS announced the first-ever TUF Gaming monitor, VG32VQ, which is also the world’s first monitor with concurrent motion blur reduction and Adaptive-Sync.
"With the arrival of the ROG in-ear headphones and ROG Strix Helios case for pro gamers and enthusiasts and TUF Gaming VG32VQ monitor that brings performance, durability and stability to mainstream gamers, we're ready at ROG Convention 2019 to bring you a complete gaming ecosystem that delivers the best user experiences,” said Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales for the ASUS Open Platform Business Group Jackie Hsu.
In addition to the new product announcements, ROG also displayed its latest hardware lineup at ROG Convention, including the ROG Mothership (GZ700) detachable gaming laptop, ROG Swift PG65UQ, PG35VQ, PG349Q and ROG Strix XG43VQ 4K HDR gaming monitors, ROG Matrix GeForce 2080Ti graphics card, ROG Strix Scope Keyboard, ROG Strix Carry gaming mouse, the ROG PNK LTD keyboard, mouse, headset and mouse pad, ROG Chariot gaming chair and ROG Ranger BP3703 lighting backpack. Visitors to ROG Convention had the opportunity to experience the cutting-edge of PC gaming by trying out some of the l atest titles on this brand-new ROG hardware.
For ROG Convention, ROG also collaborated with four major game-title publishers — Activision, Ubisoft, THQ Nordic and Cloud Imperium Games — to debut numerous games on 180 Powered by ASUS pre-built PCs with the latest Intel chipsets and processors. From experiencing highly anticipated games like Anno 1800, Sekiro, Space Junkies, and Fade to Silence on high-end gaming hardware to enjoying full immersion in the vast universe of Star Citizen, the first ROG Convention was envisioned not just to be a showcase of the best hardware but also a celebration of all things gaming.
ROG in-ear active noise-cancelling headphones
The first-ever ROG in-ear headphones feature active noise-cancellation (ANC) technology to eliminate environmental noise for immersive gaming experiences anywhere. Complementing this feature is Ambient Mode, which lets users hear what's going on around them with the push of a button. The ROG in-ear active noise-cancelling headphones come equipped with large 10mm ASUS Essence drivers to deliver incredibly strong bass and optimized gaming audio. An ergonomic design and three sizes of included ear gels and ear fins ensure a secure and comfortable fit. The headphones have a USB-C connector, which provides multiplatform support for mobile phones, PCs, Mac and Nintendo Switch.
ROG in-ear active noise-cancelling
ROG Throne Qi headset stand
ROG Throne Qi is a headphone stand providing stable, secure storage for gaming headphones and featuring convenient Qi wireless charging technology to ensure Qi-enab


text:
Some thought it was a joke when Elon Musk first suggested on his Instagram account that he was going to start selling flamethrowers, however, he was being completely serious. In January, 2,000 people pre-ordered what may look like a harmless Nerf gun, but could actually be a potentially lethal weapon.
On Saturday 9th June in Space X’s car park, 1,000 of these provocatively named “Not-A-Flamethrower” devices were dispatched. They’re sold by Elon Musk’s new business, named The Boring Company. They organised an event for the occasion that had a truck serving food, a band, and many people who came to try out or buy the machine.
An instant success
The flamethrowers went on sale on 27th January and they had completely sold out by 1st February. At 0 a piece and 20,000 units sold, the new company founded in 2016 has made million in the space of a hundred hours.
Since they were sent out, things have gotten a little bit out of control. To prevent all the potential lawsuits that his company could face, Elon Musk tweeted some pretty quirky conditions for use. People in possession of this weapon were still eager to set fire to all sorts of things. Some let their children play with it, or even used it to cook their steak.
In a video made by American Youtuber Justine Ezarik, the system seemed to have some faults. Sometimes you could trigger a release of fire with just a slight press of the finger, the next time nothing would happen. Not really what you’d expect from this type of machine.
The public authorities’ reaction
Not everyone is happy about these types of goods going on the market. The State of California tried to prevent it sale from the very beginning by passing an amendment. But given the fact it didn’t get enough votes, the bill is still under review.
So far, there have been no emergency calls reported that were linked to the flamethrower. But, there’s still 19,000 other people who will get their weapons in the coming months, and so the risk will increase.
There’s still the issue of how people are going to receive their order as, according to The Verge, the UPS Post Corporation refuses to distribute items containing highly flammable propane. So it could be that Elon Musk decides to get the members of his own company to distribute them.


text:
In a rancorous U.S. Senate hearing last week on crypto regulation that was akin to the verbal sparring typically found in a press conference preceding a boxing match, noted NYU professor Nouriel Roubini, famous for predicting the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, faced off with Coin Center’s director of research Peter Van Valkenburgh.
Dr. Roubini reveled in his role as the contrarian, where he called crypto the “mother of all scams” and argued that there was nothing truly innovative about the technology. At best, he professed that the technology is inefficient and actually quite centralized, and at worst it is a tool for fraudsters to prey on gullible investors or for criminals to hide financial tracks of their illicit activities.
On the other hand, Mr. Van Valkenburgh used his testimony to calmly plead for time to allow the crypto space to develop. Using past development cycles for technologies such as the internet and email as references, Van Valkenburgh highlighted how no ambitious technology was fully formed at its outset. Furthermore, he correctly pointed out that any worthwhile technology is usually first adopted by criminals looking for an advantage over law enforcement. Crypto and blockchain technology is no different, so it should not be held to an alternate standard.
Much has already been written about the hearing, and a significant amount of vitriol has emanated from Dr. Roubini (and his Twitter account @Nouriel) and been given back to him from a suddenly unified crypto community. It has become easy, and mostly correct, to dismiss Dr. Roubini’s testimony given his clear desire to antagonize and play a role akin to a comic book villain.
The Non-Blockchain FinTech Challenge
That said, this would be a mistake, because he made one very salient observation in his prepared and oral remarks that everyone in the crypto space should pay attention to: the non-crypto Fintech has developed quickly and independently of crypto, and it still has much farther to go. This evolutionary path will culminate in the creation of complete financial platforms akin to the business models utilized by Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple that will blur the lines between the financial and consumer technology sectors.
These platforms are now and will continue to demand increased attention from lawmakers in the U.S. and around the world, as the financial regulatory environment becomes increasingly complex. It is critical for blockchain and crypto companies to understand how these key trends will impact their sector and adjust their product development and regulatory strategies accordingly.
Key Fintech Investment Figures
A cursory look at the sector’s investment figures illustrates the magnitude of this development. Between 2014-2017, investment in the space increased at a CAGR of 18.2%, with the total amount invested in 2017 reaching a record high of $38.9bn. By comparison, crypto companies raised $5.6 billion in ICOs and another $2 billion in traditional venture capital funding.
Areas of focus include payments (PayPal, Venmo, Transferwise), Lending (Affirm, Kabbage), Wealth Management (Betterment, Wealthfront), and even digitally-native banks (Starling, Monzo, N26). In his testimony Dr. Roubini also highlighted how technology companies in China such as WeChat and Alipay have hundreds of millions of daily users. This is a level of adoption that the crypto space, where the most accessed Dapps have a couple of thousand daily users, so far can only dream of.
The Fintech Evolutionary Journey
That said, numbers only tell half the story. Fintechs are on a journey of convergence with traditional banks, which will lead to the development of complete financial platforms. Why is this so? Simply put, in recent years banks made two critical observations:
At the same time, Fintechs came to their own separate realizations:
Therefore, it makes sense that these entities are currently engaging in a period of “speed dating” where they try to find complementary partners that bring out the best in each other. They will integrate their projects via APIs, and in some cases banks such as Monzo, Revolut, or Starling are launching their own marketplaces (app stores) where customers get easy access to a curated list third-party applications focused on lending, budgeting, or asset management.
The Regulatory Response
The reaction from governments around the world to these developments has been to learn as quickly as possible about the risks and opportunities presented by these new technologies in an effort to promote innovation without negatively impacting consumer welfare. This has typically been done by formally soliciting comment from individuals and companies in the space and conducting informal gatherings. Once this “learning” phase is complete, governments have three main choices. They can:
However, as one would expect, this process is not as simple as it appears, and in the U.S. in particular no matter what area of financial services a company is addressing, it is likely to have at least two regulators: one federal and one at the state level. Consider this: In the U.S. alone the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) all have a role in patrolling the financial system, and their jurisdictions are not clearly delineated. On top of that states are the primary regulators for companies such as money transmitters, payday lenders, mortgage companies, etc.
Adding to the challenge is the increased focus that data and data protection regulators will play in this new financial services environment. Data is the most valuable natural resource of the 21st century, and every company is now a data company at some level. Furthermore, individual consumers are awakened to the value of their data and increasingly want to be in control of their personal information. Therefore, financial services companies will now also need to manage the conflicting goals of helping individuals maximize use of their information, particularly as it flows into and outside of their organization, without compromising privacy or security.
Specific regulatory action focused on these goals includes the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) in Europe, which requires banks to make available customer data to third parties via APIs or the CFPB Consumer Protection Principles, modeled after Europe’s General Data Protection Regulations, which espouse to put consumers in the driver’s seat regarding which financial firms have access to their data and for what purposes.
Impact on Blockchain
Fortunately, because of blockchain’s distributed nature and privacy-centric DNA, there is an argument to make that applications and services built on top of this technology could meet customer expectations and be tailor-made for the regulatory environment of today and tomorrow. However, given that the space is still much closer to its beginning than its end, much of these benefits will be ephemeral for the time being. In the interim, it will be critical to keep open lines of dialogue with regulators, as pressure on them is only going to heighten as the fintech space develops.


text:
Study Shows the Damage a Vitamin E Deficiency Can Do to the Brain
The importance of getting enough vitamin E has been emphasised by a recent study, which has shown how a vitamin E deficiency can cause damage to the brain. Researchers say that such a deficiency disrupts the supply of nutrients to the brain that are crucial to neuronal health.
Vitamin E Deficiency in Zebrafish
Conducted at Oregon State University, the study involved examining zebrafish which were fed a diet lacking in vitamin E throughout their lives. Zebrafish deficient in the vitamin were found to have 30% lower levels of DHA-PC – a component of the cellular membrane of brain cells (neurons). Low levels of DHA-PC have previously been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. The vitamin E deficiency was also found to lower levels of lysoPLs – nutrients which are needed to get DHA into the brain and assist the repair of damaged membranes – by around 60%.
“You can’t build a house without the necessary materials,” says lead author Dr Maret Traber. “In a sense, if vitamin E is inadequate, we’re cutting by more than half the amount of materials with which we can build and maintain the brain.”
The zebrafish in the study had levels of vitamin E deficiency equivalent to those a human would experience after a lifetime of eating a vitamin E deficient diet. While the effects of a lack of vitamin E may not be immediately clear to those who aren’t consuming enough, the study shows the impact it can have long-term.
“Human brains are very enriched in DHA but they can’t make it, they get it from the liver,” explains Dr Traber. “The particular molecules that help carry it there are these lysoPLs, and the amount of those compounds is being greatly reduced when vitamin E intake is insufficient. This sets the stage for cellular membrane damage and neuronal death.”
This study is not the first to show how the brain benefits from getting enough vitamin E. Previous studies have shown a link between increased vitamin E intake and reduced progression of Alzheimer’s disease. There has also been evidence to suggest that vitamin E could help to reduce the brain damage caused during a stroke.
Dr Traber concludes: “There’s increasingly clear evidence that vitamin E is associated with brain protection, and now we’re starting to better understand some of the underlying mechanisms. This research showed that vitamin E is needed to prevent dramatic loss of a critically important molecule in the brain, and helps explain why vitamin E is needed for brain health.”
There are plenty of options for those who’d like to increase their vitamin E intake. Some of the best sources of the vitamin include nuts and seeds – such as sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts – and green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli.


text:
Avid birdwatchers to flock to South Australia as an international birdwatching destination
- From: The Advertiser
- December 27, 2012
SOUTH Australia is set for a rush of binocular-toting tourists due to a "special interest" campaign promoting the state as an international birdwatching destination.
The SA Tourism Commission has joined Tourism Tasmania to run a campaign until July promoting "unique" birdwatching experiences in a bid to attract international tourists who would usually visit the eastern states.
There are more than 800,000 registered birdwatchers in the UK and tour guides say the hobby is growing in Canada, the US, Germany, Belgium and Sweden.
SATC general manager Rik Morris said a $6100 trip by a staffer to promote SA at the London Wild Bird Watch Consumer Show led to six foreign journalists visiting SA to see the state's birdwatching hotspots, including Cleland Wildlife Park and Warrawong Sanctuary.
Peter Waanders, of Southern Birding Services, said the Adelaide Hills, Flinders Ranges, Riverland and the coast north of Adelaide were top spots for native birds.
Scottish tourist and grandmother of five, Pat Beattie, 64, spent yesterday touring Mt Lofty and parts of the River Murray.
Opposition tourism spokesman David Ridgway questioned the benefit of pursuing birdwatchers when the commission had dropped the ball on on the operation of the visitor information centre.
POLICE will launch an unprecedented national crackdown on illegal firearms and their suppliers in the first Australia-wide assault on gun violence.
THE SUCCESS of the new Holden Commodore rests on the shoulders of mums and dads across Australia.
HAWTHORN star Lance "Buddy" Franklin has apologised to a woman who accused him of drunken, rude behaviour on Saturday night.
A VICTORIAN firm selling eggs under the name Barossa Ridge Farms is being investigated by the consumer watchdog for potentially breaching labelling laws.


text:
Sunday panel to include reps from Curzon and MUBI.
Screen International is partnering with Sofa Digital to present an expert panel in Cannes entitled VOD Goes Global.
The talk will examine VOD potential in emerging markets such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, China and Russia, but also looking at lessons learned in more mature markets and how those can be applied elsewhere.
The industry expert panelists confirmed are:
- Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO, MUBI
- Mathilde Henrot, founder and COO, Festival Scope
- Steve Lewis, head of home entertainment and digital, Curzon
- Fabio Lima, executive director, Sofa Digital
- Wendy Mitchell, Contributing Editor, Screen International (moderator)
The panel will be held on Sunday May 15 at 10am in the Diane room of the Majestic Barriere.
Topics to be addressed include correct pricing levels in different markets, what films work where, growth potential of specific territories, marketing challenges, the future of TVOD compared to SVOD, the potential for day and date launches and licensing and deliverables complexities.
To register your interest in attending the panel. please visit http://bit.ly/1QXfKKR