text:
Vitamin supplements, beta-carotene and Vitamin A have been linked with cancer prevention but there now are doubts about their protective effect, according to James Marshall, member of the cancer epidemiology research team at State University of New York in Buffalo.
"Studies do not support the idea of self-prescribing vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent cancer," he said, speaking of human diet and cancer studies based on food consumption.
However, certain foods, particularly those containing Vitamin A and carotene, which is converted in the body to Vitamin A (found in high amounts in fruits and vegetables and in lesser amounts in animal products such as milk, meat and eggs), have been identified as having a protective effect in the diet. "We don't know what is doing the work, but something is happening," Marshall said.
Pills Versus Food
At a recent seminar on pills versus food sponsored by the California Dietetic Assn. and the Dairy Council of California, Marshall told dietitians that vitamin and mineral supplements can fail to have any effect because pills do not duplicate the combination of nutrients found in foods.
"While recommendations regarding diet and cancer are probably the best we can come up with at this time, they aren't gospel," Marshall said. "It is quite possible that nutrients relative to cancer have yet to be identified. It's also possible that nutrients found to inhibit certain growths could induce others."
So far, the link between diet and cancer is not fully understood. According to Marshall, diet may be responsible for 20% to 35% of cancers, although some experts extend the range to 70%. Tobacco, a known cause of cancer, takes the blame for 30% of the risk.
Marshall pointed out that studies on diet and cancer cover only information derived from laboratory animal and ecological studies, with most of the attention focused on fiber, fats and vitamins A and D.
Added Cancer Risk
"There is no evidence that any dietary element, whether in the form of food or vitamin supplements is as powerful as cigarettes in the causes of cancer," Marshall said.
A combination of high fat and low fiber intake places an added risk of cancer. "Many studies, however, failed to show that effect. We still have a long way to go before we understand the effects of fiber and cancer," Marshall said.
According to some studies, fats may increase the risk of cancer, but these studies have not been completely convincing. "We still don't have evidence that meat consumption is associated with cancer risk. A few studies have shown that beef has a protective effect on both the colon and gastrointestinal tract. A direct link is still to be proven," Marshall said.
Many studies related to Vitamin A deal with beta carotene, which has received the bulk of attention. Beta carotene is but one of many carotenes found in fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, winter squash and tomatoes. It is also found in cruciferous vegetables (from the cabbage family) such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Fruits high in Vitamin A are often high in Vitamin C, too, and include cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and strawberries.
Controlled studies performed by Marshall and his colleagues have shown an increased incidence of cancers of the mouth, esophagus, cervix, bladder, larynx and lung among people with a low intake of these carotene-rich foods.
'A Lot to Learn'
However, thinks Marshall, it would be foolish to single out specific nutrients, such as vitamins A or C in pill form as preventions against cancer. "Consuming them in pill form to prevent cancer may not only be a waste of money, but also dangerous," Marshall said.
"We still have a lot to learn. A well-balanced diet is the best we can offer at this time. It's just wishful thinking that vitamins and minerals will prevent cancer," he said.
The American Cancer Society's advice for cancer prevention is to reduce the proportion of calories derived from fat; increase intake of complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and grains that are rich in vitamins A and C as well as more cabbage-family vegetable and cauliflower; eat only moderate amounts of salt-cured, smoked and nitrite-cured foods.
Adding exercise to the daily routine is advised. The cancer society also advises moderation in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Heavy drinkers, especially those who also smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco, are at unusually high risk for cancer of the mouth, larynx and esophagus. Alcohol abuse can result in cirrhosis, which sometimes leads to liver cancer.
Cancer prevention guidelines, with few exceptions, follow the Dietary Guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: eat a variety of foods, maintain desirable weight, avoid too much fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, eat foods with adequate starch and fiber, avoid too much sugar, avoid too much sodium and drink alcoholic beverages in moderation.
The cancer society recommends eating more fiber even though advantages are still scientifically unclear. It also cautions against the hazards of obesity. A study of almost 1 million Americans shows that obese people stand at greater risk of developing certain types of cancer than people of normal weight. Studies show that there is an increased incidence of cancers of the uterus, gallbladder, kidney, stomach, colon and breast associated with overweight individuals, particularly for those who are 40% or more overweight.
Although making no recommendations, the cancer society, in a recent publication, notes that epidemiologic studies implicate high intake of coffee in bladder and pancreatic cancers. Also, meat and fish cooked at excessively high temperatures (such as by frying and broiling) create mutagens, which have induced cancer in animal tests. "The subject needs further study," states a cancer society pamphlet.
Among the other factors commented upon in the pamphlet are artificial sweeteners: "Although saccharin at high levels has been shown to cause bladder cancer in rats, there is no clear evidence that its moderate use causes cancer in humans. Of possible concern, however, is the consumption of saccharin by children and pregnant women. The long-term effects of new non-caloric sweeteners now entering the market have not yet been studied."
The pamphlet also points out that there is no evidence that Vitamin E prevents cancer in humans, although anti-oxidants such as Vitamin E have been shown to prevent some cancers in animals. Evidence that selenium protects against cancer is not strong enough to justify recommending its use. Because of the potential hazard of selenium poisoning, the American Cancer Society warns against medically unsupervised use of selenium as a food supplement.
On cholesterol: "Evidence relating both to high- and low-block cholesterol levels to human cancers is inconclusive," the pamphlet states.
Published materials on cancer and diet are available free of charge by writing to the American Cancer Society, 2975 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90010-1110.


text:
In the spotlight this week:
U.S. cyber firm FireEye breached by nation-state hackers
Hackers leak data from Embraer, world’s third largest airplane maker
Healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson sees 30% increase in cyber attacks
Ransomware gangs cold call victims who restore backups without paying ransom
Credit card stealer discovered in social media buttons
Iranian RANA android malware also spies on instant messaging apps
Earlier this week, cyber firm FireEye revealed that its own systems were infiltrated by “a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities.” The company said hackers used “novel techniques” to make off with its own tool kit, which could be useful in mounting new attacks around the world. FireEye has engaged the FBI in this matter. FireEye and the FBI believe that the hackers were after what the company calls “Red Team tools” used to replicate the most sophisticated hacking mechanisms in the world to look for vulnerabilities in their systems.
Brazilian company Embraer, considered as the third-largest airplane maker after Boeing and Airbus, was the victim of a ransomware attack last month. The hackers leaked private files on the Dark Web as revenge after the airplane maker refused to negotiate and instead chose to restore systems from backups without paying their ransom demand.
Data uploaded on this site included samples of employee details, business contracts, photos of flight simulations, and source code, among others. The airplane maker said the attackers had "access to only a single environment," and that the incident caused only a temporary impact on "some of its operations."
In the latest attempt to put pressure on victims, ransomware gangs have escalated their tactics and are now cold-calling victims if they suspect that a hacked company might try to restore from backups and avoid paying ransom demands. This newest tactic has been used since August by ransomware gangs like Sekhmet, Maze, Conti, and Ryuk. Outsourced call center groups are being rewarded handsomely for working for ransomware gangs, using a standard template and script.
Healthcare research giant Johnson & Johnson have observed a surge of cyber attacks carried out by state-sponsored hackers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with targeted attacks aimed at information about the vaccine. Johnson & Johnson, along with other COVID-19 research companies, have been recently hit by North Korea-linked hackers.
North Korean hackers have targeted at least six pharmaceutical companies in the U.S., the U.K., and South Korea working on Covid-19 treatments, further delaying the release of the vaccine. C-Suite executives at pharmaceutical companies have called upon their vendors in the supply chain to invest in “strong defenses against cyber attacks” for the greater good.
Cyber criminals have created a new type of web malware that hides inside images used for social media sharing buttons in order to steal credit card information entered in payment forms on online stores. The malware, known as a web skimmer, or Magecart script, was spotted on online stores in June this year. While this particular form isn't widely deployed as of yet, its discovery suggests that Magecart gangs are constantly evolving their bag of tricks.
A team of researchers unveiled previously undisclosed capabilities of an Android spyware implant developed by a sanctioned Iranian threat actor. The spyware could let attackers spy on private chats from popular instant messaging apps, force assign Wi-Fi connections, and auto-answer calls from specific numbers to eavesdrop on conversations.
Earlier this year, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on APT39 (aka Chafer, ITG07, or Remix Kitten) — an Iranian threat actor backed by the country's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) — for carrying out malware campaigns targeting Iranian dissidents, journalists, and international companies in the telecom and travel sectors. Coinciding with the sanctions, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a public threat analysis report describing several tools used by Rana Intelligence Computing Company, which operated as a front for the malicious cyber activities conducted by the APT39 group.
Subscribe Here to receive Blackpanda thought leadership, webinar invitations, and cyber intelligence direct to your inbox.

domain: news


text:
Thursday, Mar 08 2012
News and Analysis
There is no indication that Netherlands-based Qurius, a Dynamics reseller, plans any move to the American market. But its recent establishment of an ISV arm is worth mentioning since this is an important direction for resellers. The company has established QIPtree to develop software on the Dynamics platform.
Founded as an intended spin-off, QIPtree reminds me of ToIncrease, the development arm of Columbus, formerly known as Columbus IT Partner, which does operate in this country. QIPtree hit the market with more than 20 products that are designed for industry sectors with titles such as Service Management, IT Business, Transportation and Semi-Process Industry. The company also fields more generic ones that include Quality Management, Electronic Banking, Invoice Workflow and Inventory Status. A third category encompasses products that resellers can utilize in developing and connecting applications, such as Testing, Handheldconnect and Packtax. All of these are preceded by QIP4- as the proper name, but that would burden this report. European resellers have been scrambling to reposition themselves because of the drag the debt crisis has on the economy and I would assume this is such a response.
Last modified on Sunday, 16 June 2013


text:
Business travel has failed to return post-COVID and that’s hurting the bottom lines of hotel and airline companies. And in a challenging U.S. economic environment, companies are tightening their belts.
“It’s not like the pent-up demand you have for leisure travel,” explains Gaming, Lodging and Leisure analyst Todd Jordan in this clip from The Call @ Hedgeye. “You don’t really have that for business transient. And the companies are under pressure, so why are they going to release the purse strings for expensing travel? I think it’s only going to get worse.”
The hotels, in particular, are struggling, Jordan says, and when you add in the rising cost of hotel rooms it’s the “nail in the coffin” for business travel.
On the leisure travel side of the equation, and in an entirely different sector, Communications analyst Andrew Freedman sees a similar post-COVID trend playing out. Specifically, entertainment company Live Nation (LYV) saw a spike in demand after the Omicron variant. That pent-up demand is steadily tapering off in the past year.
“We saw a very high level of on-sale activity in the summer period,” Freedman says about LYV. “Q2 and Q3 last year were highly concentrated, and much stronger than what the steady state trend of the business is.”
Watch the full clip above.


text:
Adding to the plethora of 3D printers now available, here come the 3D scanners! Makerbot has announced one, and here’s an IndieGoGo crowdsourcing project for one.
Not much to say about this, just another step.
Oxford Performance Materials (OPM) out of South Windsor, CT has announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its new OsteoFab 3D printed cranial device. This marks the first approval for an additively manufactured polymer implant. The new OPM device is a cranial maxillo-facial (CMF) plate for skull reconstruction which can be used to replace up to 75% of the skull. Their device is made from PEKK (polyetherketoneketone), which has many of the desirable properties of the commonly used PEEK implant material — but it also has twice the compressive strength, making it an ideal material to replace any bone that counts user protection among its primary functions.
Kinect Fusion pulls depth data that is generated by the Kinect for Windows sensor and, from the sequence of frames, constructs a highly detailed 3-D map of objects or environments. The tool averages readings over hundreds or even thousands of frames to create a rich level of detail.
Its finally happened: a dress has been made using a 3D printer and computers are one step closer to taking over the world. Stagewear designer Michael Schmidt and model Dita Von Teese debuted this 3D printed gown on Monday at the Ace Hotel and it looks very high-tech and cool — a much more wearable take on the partially 3D printed dresses Iris Van Herpen put out for her last collection.


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. President Joe Biden will provide details on Monday of his administration’s plans to step up the number of truck drivers by drawing in more women and veterans, as the White House moves to strengthen national supply chains.
In a statement, the White House said Biden would be joined by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in outlining the efforts to remedy long-standing weaknesses stemming from workforce challenges in the trucking industry.
The moves are part of a year-long drive to stiffen U.S. supply chains against climate shocks and geopolitical tension, so as to ensure that China or other nations cannot weaponize the supply of goods against the United States.
Biden has focused on rebuilding U.S. supply chains after acute shortages of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a dearth of semiconductors that made cars costlier and helped push inflation to 40-year highs.
The plan to boost the numbers of truck drivers, launched in 2021, has swelled hiring, with more commercial driver licenses available in the first two months of this year versus last year’s corresponding period, the statement said.
Trucking moves 72% of goods in America and some carriers routinely lose, and must replace, 90% of their workers each year, White House figures showed.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Bradley Perrett)


text:
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — Business is already picking up at local Mardi Gras venues across the city as Mardi Gras krewes prepare to hit their original routes this season.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell made the announcement during a press conference on Jan. 25.
Cantrell also said the city has secured an additional 150 officers to help get the Krus back on their authentic routes.
One of the stores seeing a surge in business is Beads by the Dozen in Elmwood.
Dan Kelly, President of Endymion and owner of Beads by the Dozen, said longer parade routes mean more people will buy beads.
“Now that the routes are longer for everyone, they need more product to throw,” Kelly said. “I think a lot more people will take to the streets.”
Many Krus will roll down their original routes for the first time since the pandemic began.
Cantrell said police officers are paid at least $75 an hour during the carnival.
Kelly said the long parade routes would significantly affect the economy.
“Economically, I think it’s going to be a big boost,” he said. “Endymion, all the restaurants and bars on Carrollton Avenue, were thrilled to find out we were going our traditional downtown route. I think it’s going to be a big boom for everyone in town.”
Endymion will be rolling through the Ernest R. Morial Convention Center this year for construction at Caesars Superdome.
Do you see a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Click here to report it. Please enter the title.
Copyright 2023 WVUE. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.


text:
Research + Insights
Yes she can: Female founders speak the truth about the startup life
A new report from Visa reveals the trials and triumphs of female entrepreneurship in the United States
Female entrepreneurs are on the rise, making up one of the fastest-growing segments in small business globally. What’s motivating women to take the C-level reins of their careers? Passion for what they do, financial freedom and flexibility top the list in a new report, State of Female Entrepreneurship. Visa shared the report at its first "She’s Next, Empowered by Visa" event in Atlanta today.
While 76 percent of women surveyed said they feel more empowered as business owners today than they did five years ago, challenges like raising capital still creep up; nearly three-quarters of respondents chose to self-fund their startups. Other concerns included building a good team (37 percent reported this as top-of-mind), finding the right tools for the job (36 percent) and dealing with competitors (36 percent). Still, women-owned small businesses are thriving, with an average annual revenue of $1.1 million and an impressive longevity—on average they’ve been operating for 11 years.
She’s Next is being supported by the Female Founder Collective (FFC), a network of businesses led by women to support women, and its founder, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff, to offer unmatched resources and opportunities for female entrepreneurs. First on the campaign trail: an event today in Atlanta focused on digital marketing, a topic about which respondents were eager to learn more. Read the full State of Female Entrepreneurship report and discover more insights into women-led businesses in the infographic below.
Are you a female founder? Download your free, resource-filled toolkit here.


text:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had investigated a windshield-wiper flaw before GM issued the 2008 recall. The regulator in 2004 fined GM $1 million, at the time its largest civil penalty, to settle charges the company failed to conduct a timely recall of about 600,000 vehicles for wipers that stopped working or failed to turn on when needed.
Micro-Heat, which filed for bankruptcy in 2008 after GM stopped offering its HotShot wiper-fluid heater, was based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. GM in 2008 said Micro-Heat should bear the $19.2 million cost of recalling 944,000 cars and trucks for the earlier recall, according to court papers in the bankruptcy filing.
“This was a unique technology available from only one supplier, and that supplier has stopped manufacturing, which left no opportunity to collaborate on an improved design,” said Jeff Boyer, GM executive director of safety, in the statement. “The voluntary payment to customers is for the loss of the feature, not the recall.” Today’s recall includes 1,365,070 vehicles in the U.S., 98,794 in Canada, 26,228 in Mexico and 38,093 exported to other countries, GM said.
Vehicles included in the U.S. recall are the Buick Enclave and Lucerne; Cadillac CTS, DTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado 3500, Suburban, Tahoe and Traverse; GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL; Hummer H2; and Saturn Outlook.
NHTSA this year fined Toyota, based in Toyota City, Japan, $16.4 million, the highest civil penalty, for delays in notifying the agency about unintended acceleration defects.


text:
In February of this year, Douala, the economic capital of Cameroon, saw a new rise in inflation. “The general level of prices increased by 3.3%, after +2.9% the previous month and +2% in February 2021,” the National Institute of Statistics (INS) said in a recent report.
This situation in Douala is mainly driven by the increase in food prices (+8.2% in February 2022, after +7.9% the previous month), as well as those of education (+3.6%, after +3.4% the previous month).
Regarding food products, the stats agency points out that during the period under review, “the prices of imported food products increased by 9.6% YoY, and those of local products by 7.7%”. This is the result of the explosion of maritime freight costs, as well as the soaring prices of agricultural raw materials and crude oil. This reality, which started with the Covid-19 pandemic, has been aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war.
Cameroonian Poultry Farmers Ask For State Support To Overcome The Crisis
François Djonou (photo), head of the Cameroon Poultry Interprofession (IPAVIC), said in a recent interview with Cameroon Tribune that households have nothing to worry about concerning the availability of chicken on the local market during the upcoming Easter holidays. “To produce more chickens during Easter, poultry farmers have increased orders for day-old chicks. The brooders, too, had made arrangements to produce enough day-old chicks,” he said.
However, after Easter, supply will drastically decline. “I fear that this (the availability of chicken, ed) will not last long enough. The health crises and the war in Ukraine have had a devastating impact on the poultry industry. As a solution, we are asking the state to intervene and provide a subsidy to offset the high costs,” François Djonou said.
Indeed, as is the case in several production sectors in Cameroon, local poultry farmers are dependent on external partners for inputs such as hatching eggs and day-old chicks. The import bills have become more expensive in recent months due to the explosion in freight costs, following the ongoing war in Ukraine.
State-Employer Consultations On Inflation Are Biased
Members of the government and the association of economic operators have been meeting for several weeks to discuss the current inflation crisis in the country. While they are still trying to find a solution to get out of the crisis, Cameroonian accountant, David François Nyeck, said there is bias in the process.
He says that for meetings to be successful, companies must be transparent about their accounts. In an open letter, the accountant believes that it is the certified accounts of companies that must serve as a reliable basis for discussions between the authorities and the business community. “Without reliable accounts, there is no possibility of getting the right selling price. Without reliable accounts, no dialog with the public authorities can be free of suspicion,” he argues.
During a meeting held last March 18 with the government, the employers’ grouping Gicam highlighted the additional costs generated by the current situation. But in the absence of company accounts, it is impossible to evaluate how this impacts their markets. Similarly, it is difficult to know whether the companies, which are threatening to stop supplying the market in the second half of 2022 if they receive no government support, have themselves made efforts to reduce some of their non-essential costs.
David François Nyeck believes that this non-transparency which is however counterproductive for businesses is “cultural” in Cameroon. “When you ask local businessmen why they find it difficult to finance their companies, they will tell you everything but the essential. They think they will get in trouble with the government if they are transparent about their business,” the expert said.
The situation is such that the window available for business financing at the Douala Stock Exchange (Bvmac) remains underused. According to available data, only three companies based in Cameroon are listed on the exchange. These are SEMC (a subsidiary of Castel), Socapalm (a subsidiary of Socfin), and Safacam (a subsidiary of Socfin).
Irad Calls For The Inclusion Of 10% Cassava Flour In Bread
The Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (Irad) suggested in a note published April 6, to include 10% of cassava flour in wheat flour for bread production.
The institute calls for a law to be put in place. “This measure would generate the production of 680,200 tons of tubers, 34,000 ha of fields and 6,000 direct jobs and more than CFA11 billion in savings each year,” IRAD said.
According to the agency, the inclusion of local flours into bread production will reduce wheat imports and contribute to the structural transformation of the Cameroonian economy. As a reminder, Cameroon has adopted the import-substitution policy as part of its National Development Strategy 2020-30 to establish its food sovereignty.
Until Irad’s suggestion is taken into account, the country continues to import wheat flour. According to data from the International Trade Centre, Cameroon spent more than CFA548 billion on wheat imports between 2012 and 2017. In 2020 alone, the country imported 860,000 tons of wheat flour for CFA156 billion.
Data projects the figure to increase by 30,000 tons this year to about 900,000 tons. According to Irad, wheat is the leading cereal consumed in Cameroon after corn and rice.
Govt Formalizes Partnership With Banks On Tax Payment Platform E-Guce
The Cameroonian Finance Minister presided yesterday over the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding relating to the payment of customs duties, taxes and levies on the Guce’s electronic platform known as e-Guce. The ceremony took place in Yaoundé between members of the government, credit institutions and the single window for foreign trade (Guce).
Online tax payments have been in place for several years in Cameroon, but the new MOU will give Guce access to reliable partners to fund the maintenance of its platform and boost its functional, technical, and operational performance. “E-governance has become an essential approach to address the issues of performance and competitiveness within administrations, organizations, and businesses,” Isidore Biyiha, CEO of Guce, said while speaking about the importance of digitalization in improving the performance of both the public administration and the private sector.
For example, according to the activity report of the Ministry of Finance, the digitization of payments boosted customs revenue on vehicles by 53% in 2021. The amount went from CFA132 billion in 2020 to CFA201 billion in 2021.
Govt Collected CFA6.5 Trillion+ Via E-Guce Platform Over The Past Decade
Over the past ten years, the Cameroonian government collected more than CFA6.5 trillion on the online platform dedicated for taxes, duties and levies payment e-Guce. The information was reported yesterday by Isidore Biyiha, who heads the Single Window of Foreign trade (Guce).
“The amount collected by the government via payment transactions on the platform went from more than CFA123 billion in 2012 to about CFA880 billion in 2021. This makes a cumulative amount of more than CFA6, 500 billion over the decacde,” he said.
According to him, “this performance is the result of the constant and ingenious collaboration between the Guce and experts from the DGTCFM (Directorate General of the Treasury, Financial and Monetary Cooperation, ed), customs, the DGI (Directorate General of Taxes, ed), banks, and many other actors, to provide innovative solutions tailored for the country’s realities”.
These figures reflect the crucial role the Guce platform plays in the national system of collection and securing of public revenues, in particular, and more globally in the process of establishing a digital ecosystem in Cameroon.


text:
Shelagh Fogarty 1pm - 4pm
Wilko plans to close 16 branches this year in 'nail in the High Street's coffin'
10 January 2022, 13:49 | Updated: 10 January 2022, 14:07
Retailer Wilko is planning to close 16 stores this year, the company has announced.
The firm said the stores affected will close as their leases end as favourable terms cannot be agreed.
The firm said the closures will not affect new openings or its stores relocation programme.
The GMB union said it was "another nail in the High Street's coffin", warning that hundreds of jobs could be lost when the 16 stores shut.
Jerome Saint-Marc, Wilko's chief executive said: "Our history is steeped in serving our customers and communities going back to 1930 but there's no denying the way people shop with us and where they want to shop with us is changing.
"As a business we're evolving and this includes working with landlords for more favourable terms, as well as looking at locations and store formats.
"We'll continue to pull together to make our business better to secure the future of over 16,000 team members.
"We'll be doing everything we can to support our affected team members who will be offered any available positions in nearby stores.
"We apologise to those communities where stores are closing but will continue to offer them everything they need in nearby stores or via wilko.com."
Roger Jenkins, GMB national officer, said: "These closures are devastating for Wilko workers and the communities who use them.
"It's yet another nail in the High Street's coffin and GMB calls on councils and landlords to review commercial leases and offer lower rents.
"Empty high streets and shopping centres are in no one's interest and but with 400 shops a week closing, this is inevitable, unless the costs of premises can be reduced.
"GMB will now meet with Wilko members to discuss our next steps."
Which Wilko branches are going to shut?
Wilko said 11 of the stores have an alternative Wilko within five miles.


text:
SPARTANBURG S.C. A rollout of display hardware and entertainment content from theBITE Network to the nearly 1,500-family restaurants in the Denny’s chain, based, here, will begin in early 2009 and continue for several years under an agreement signed by franchisor Denny’s Corp. and out-of-home digital media concern IndoorDIRECT.
The content of theBITE is a combination of entertainment and advertising, including a weekly 60-minute lifestyle program with four hosts reporting on news, entertainment, music and sports. IndoorDIRECT said the Denny’s deal marks its first agreement with a full-service chain, though it already has screens in 430 quick-service and fast-casual locations and expects that number to grow to 1,000 sites by the end of March.
Depending on the specifics of each agreement, out-of-home digital media providers, such as Dallas-based IndoorDIRECT, may provide restaurant companies with a share of ad revenues, as well as display screens; content, including proprietary menu or other marketing materials; and content-management services. The terms of the Denny’s-IndoorDIRECT deal were not disclosed.
“TheBITE Network in our restaurants is great entertainment that represents an additional value to our customers, whether they are families enjoying a meal together or those who are eating after a night on the town,” said Mark Chmiel, Denny’s chief marketing officer. “And theBITE will help us bring to life [in its content] our marketing initiatives, such as our Rockstar Menu.”


text:
The saying goes that change is the only thing that is constant. That certainly is the case in the produce industry where businesses are always looking to streamline processes and introduce new products to the market. Since my agency — the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) — provides services that facilitate marketing opportunities for the industry, it is imperative for us to be nimble and constantly look for ways to strengthen our connection with industry leaders. One of the ways we do this is by attending conferences like last week’s United Fresh Convention & Expo in Chicago, Ill. Read more »
Posts tagged: FDA
The White House on June 2 convened a national forum to seek action on the problem of anti-microbial resistance. The development of antibiotics was one of the most significant medical achievements of the last century, and has helped to save millions of lives. But their overuse or misuse has resulted in the rise of bacteria strains that are resistant to antibiotics.
The White House has unveiled a National Action Plan designed to advance the appropriate use of antibiotics in food animals as well as promote collaborations among partners in medicine, veterinary medicine, and public health. This is consistent with a “One Health” approach that embraces the idea that a disease problem impacting the health of humans, animals, and the environment can only be solved through improved communication, cooperation, and collaboration across disciplines and institutions. USDA, which helped develop the National Action Plan, was pleased to join our many Federal partners and continue our work with the agriculture industry at the forum. Read more »
For the produce industry, the summer and fall of 2015 is more than a chance to share a new season of crops with customers. It’s when several of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) laws will become final. FSMA will make significant changes to the country’s food safety laws, including the first-ever regulation of fresh produce and a more proactive approach to preventing foodborne illnesses. My colleagues at the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) have been working hard with our partners to expand our outreach efforts about food safety to help the produce industry prepare for compliance.
One of the ways that we help the industry prepare for compliance is through a successful partnership with Cornell University and the FDA via the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA). We recently renewed this partnership through a Cooperative Agreement that enables the three entities to devote funds for training and outreach events. Since 2010, AMS has enjoyed working with our colleagues to engage with produce growers, industry members, regulators, and extension educators through working committees, public meetings, focus groups, and webinars. Read more »
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of attending a public meeting held by our colleagues at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide an update for the pending Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This law will make significant changes to the country’s food safety laws, including the first-ever regulation of fresh produce and a more proactive approach to preventing food-borne illnesses. I spoke on behalf of my agency – the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – as part of a panel of domestic and international officials who provided the government’s perspective on how we would like to see the final law implemented.
With several of the law’s rules set to become final later this summer and early in the fall, the FDA is still seeking comments and suggestions for the best way to implement FSMA. The meeting, which included breakout sessions where participants could start an open dialogue about the implementation, is part of the FDA’s emphasis on educating the industry before regulating it. Read more »
Do You Know the Biosecurity Steps to Protect Your Poultry from Avian Influenza? Get Advice From the Experts with #chickenchat2015 on April 16By
Since December 2014, USDA has confirmed several cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in the Pacific, Central, and Mississippi flyways (or migratory bird paths). The disease has been found in wild birds, as well as in a few backyard and commercial poultry flocks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers the risk to people from these HPAI H5 infections to be low. No human cases of these HPAI H5 viruses have been detected in the United States, Canada, or internationally.
Anyone who owns or works with poultry—whether on a commercial farm, in the wild, or at a hobby/backyard farm—should take proper steps to keep HPAI from spreading. The best way to protect your birds is to follow good biosecurity. Even if you are already familiar with biosecurity, now is a good time to double-check your practices. You are the best protection your birds have! Read more »
Ensuring that its food meets the demands of its retailers and the consumers who eat it is essential to the success of any produce business. This builds consumer trust and helps retailers confidently supply the food we all eat. To help out on this front, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) offers audits through the USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) & Good Handling Practices (GHPs) Audit Verification Program.
A voluntary service provided by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), GAPs audits verify that fruits and vegetables are grown, packed, handled, and stored safely. The audits certify that operations are following guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and industry-recognized food safety practices that can minimize the risks of food-borne illnesses. AMS Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division employees accomplish this through activities like evaluating food safety plans, walking the farm looking for food safety risks and performing unannounced visits to farms and facilities. The audits focus on waste management, such as animal manure; water quality; wildlife; and worker health and hygiene. Read more »


text:
The world is currently facing an extreme semiconductor crisis and many industries dependent on a stable supply of silicon have been forced to shut down most of their production. Currently, the United States, where most of the semiconductor giants are concentrated, has released its policy to help reshape chip manufacturing.
As such, Intel, which has been the king of silicon for the past three decades, has started buying from chipmakers around the world. Recently, the Wall Street Journal report indicated that Intel is currently in buyout talks with Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment to acquire GlobalFoundries.
At this time, it is not clear whether the deal will receive a green signal. However, any potential deal could value GlobalFoundries at around $ 30 billion. This is yet another piece of news from Intel buying up chip foundries, we’ve already heard of a similar type of deal involving Intel.
A few weeks ago, Bloomberg announced that Intel had offered around $ 2 billion to acquire the factory-less semiconductor SiFive. The company is one of the largest producers of commercial RISC-V silicon and IP processor solutions based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture.
Intel’s IDM 2.0 strategy is in full swing under the banner of its new CEO, Patrick Gelsinger, and seeks to improve its chipmaking footprint. To achieve these results, Intel formed a completely separate business unit called Intel Foundry Services (IFS).
Intel is also looking to expand its presence in the US and EU by offering dedicated capacity and a full IP portfolio, which includes x86 cores as well as IPs from the ARM and RISC-V ecosystems. Sources say the chipmaker is also investing $ 20 billion to build two new factories at its Ocotillo, Arizona plant.
âIntel is expected to lose nearly 50% of its Apple orders in 2021 and ultimately will not get any orders from the customer. By losing Apple’s 10% market share and seeing AMD stay firmly with an additional 10%, the Intel’s share of the laptop market is expected to drop below 80% in 2023, the sources noted.


text:
Super League Surges in Monthly KPIs; Shows Significant Growth In Multiple Areas
Broadcast partnerships have also increased, driven by interest in the company’s fully-remote production capabilities and patented visualization technology
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Super League Gaming (Nasdaq: SLGG), a global leader in competitive video gaming and esports entertainment for everyday players around the world, continues to enjoy a consistently strong period of audience growth, even during the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To date in 2020, Super League has delivered 191 episodes of original content across Snapchat and Instagram, which is three times the content produced in all of 2019. Having become a fully-operational remote studio within weeks of the pandemic lockdown in the U.S., Super League’s video team was able to ramp up monthly production, doubling output compared to the beginning of the year. The expanded activity reflects a material increase in consumer demand for Super League content. As previously announced, Super League passed the one billion video view mark over the summer and is now closing in on 1.5 billion views.
Production activity has expanded as well through a growing roster of partners, including Tencent, Capcom, Topgolf, Gen.G Esports, Wounded Warrior Project, and more, as brands contract to use Super League’s fully-remote production services and patented visualization technology to provide broadcast-quality live streaming services for multiple programs and initiatives.
Super League continues to surpass multiple benchmarks for 2020. To date, these metrics include:
- More than 40 million hours of total gameplay, across all platforms, which is approaching three times the amount seen in all of 2019
- The quadrupling of Super League’s social media audience, which now stands at 1.7 million across Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch
- More than 2.3 million registered users, which surpasses the goal of 2 million the company set for all of 2020
“We were already seeing significant audience and registered user growth last year, but never would we have imagined we would be seeing these huge increases,” says Ann Hand, CEO of Super League Gaming. “Following our commitment to building a first-class sales team in 2020, we are starting to see our monetization efforts catch up to this growth in engagement. In addition, we have begun driving revenue through direct player monetization - just like the publishers do with in-game transactions. This is a breakout year for Super League, and we are focused on making the most of it.”
About Super League Gaming
Super League Gaming (Nasdaq: SLGG) is a leading gaming community and content platform that gives everyday gamers multiple ways to connect and engage with others while enjoying the video games they love. Powered by patented, proprietary technology systems, Super League offers players the ability to create gameplay-driven experiences they can share with friends, the opportunity to watch live streaming broadcasts and gameplay highlights across digital and social channels, and the chance to compete in events and challenges designed to celebrate victories and achievements across multiple skill levels. With gameplay and content offerings featuring more than a dozen of the top video game titles in the world, Super League is building a broadly inclusive, global brand at the intersection of gaming, experiences and entertainment. Whether to access its expanding direct audience or the company’s unique content production and virtual event capabilities, third parties ranging from consumer brands, video game publishers, television companies, traditional sports organizations, concert promoters, and more, are turning to Super League to provide integrated solutions that drive business growth.
Super League Gaming
Sean McGowan and Cody Slach
Gateway Investor Relations
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements involve substantial risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements in this communication include, among other things, statements about our possible or assumed business strategies, potential growth opportunities, new products and potential market opportunities. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our ability to implement our plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect our business; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of events that took place during and subsequent to the quarter ended March 31, 2020, including the possibility that the expected benefits will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; unknown liabilities that may or may not be within our control; attracting new customers and maintaining and expanding our existing customer base; our ability to scale and update our platform to respond to customers’ needs and rapid technological change; increased competition on our market and our ability to compete effectively, and expansion of our operations and increased adoption of our platform internationally. Additional risks and uncertainties that could affect our financial results are included in the section titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings that we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission which, once filed, are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, any forward-looking statements contained in this communication are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.
Source: Super League Gaming
Released September 24, 2020


text:
A news article posted on electrek.co reports that the Ford Motor Company has issued a safety recall on its F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks. The reason for the recall is a defect that the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light might fail when intended and does not provide a low tire inflation pressure warning. The tire pressure warning issue could lead to an increased risk of a crash with injuries or death.
According to the Ford Motor Company, this is the first safety recall for its F-150 Lightning all-electric pickup truck. Ford stated that this issue only affects the electronic truck’s tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and only affects trucks that were delivered with distinct tire sizes.
First Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck deliveries started in the spring of 2022, and the initial customer feedback was positive. However, Ford announced a safety compliance recall on its Ford F-150 Lightning pickup trucks. Here are the important recall details:
The safety compliance recall only pertains to 2022 F-150 Lightning trucks that were sere shipped with 20-inch or 22-inch all-season tires. The problem is that the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) light might fail to light up when needed. The driver may not know that they have an improperly inflated tire as a result of that light failure. This could lead to a motor vehicle accident with injuries or death.
Ford reports that the issue exists due to the suggested tire cold inflation pressure value stored in the Body Control Module (BCM) was erroneously programmed to 35 PSI instead of the proper inflation pressure of 42 PSI. The Ford Motor Company also said that low tire inflation pressure could lead to poor motor vehicle handling and a possible loss of motor vehicle control, increasing the chance of an accident. Ford urges its customers to make sure their tire pressure matches the figures provided on the Tire and Loading Information label located on the door jamb inside the driver-side front door.
According to the Ford Motor Company, this recall affects more than 2,600 F-150 Lightning pickup trucks sold in the United States and another 220 trucks sold in Canada. The company did not report any accidents or injuries connected to the TPMS issue. Ford also began notifying its dealerships of the safety recall. F-150 Lightning pickup truck owners were contacted via email and the FordPass mobile app on June 28, 2022.
Customers who desire to have the remedy repaired immediately may also visit their local Ford dealership. According to Ford, the update process takes around 20 minutes to complete. Ford will also issue a Ford Power-Up software update in the next 30 days for all current Lightning F-150 pickup truck owners. To see if your Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck is affected by this recall, visit Ford.com.
CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW
Parker Waichman LLP helps families recover monetary compensation for harm caused by dangerous products. For your free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
New York | Brooklyn | Queens | Long Island | New Jersey | Florida
Call us at: 1-800-YOURLAWYER (800-968-7529) | Schedule your free consultation


text:
Hemptown, a privately held British Columbia company, was recently featured in a live interview with Super Charged Stocks hosted by Andrew O’Donnell. Hemptown’s Michael Townsend, Eric Gripentrog and Zayn Kalyan joined O’Donnell to discuss a variety of topics, including the future of the company, growing in the Emerald Triangle, CBG products and Hemptown Naturals. “It’s an ever-changing, ever-evolving industry,” Hemptown CEO Eric Gripentrog said in the interview, discussing the need to be flexible for success in the rapidly growing sector, and further discussing the company’s robust acquisition strategy and ability to generate revenue in five different verticals including biomass, extracts, flower, white labeling and consumer packaged goods. “Our long-term play is to move all the way to consumer packaged goods, with the highest contribution margin. We’re on a warpath with an M&A strategy to look at companies and acquire brands. Right now, we feel very comfortable that we have one of the best supply chains . . . From the strong genetics that we have, we believe that we’re second to none when it comes to farming and cultivation, and we also have a manufacturing facility.”
Click here to view the interview.
Hemptown is a diversified cannabinoid company delivering a wide product offering across the value chain, and in multiple sales channels, to meet the growing global demand for cannabinoid-based products. State-of-the-art cultivation in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, FDA-licensed and cGMP-certified product manufacturing and a strong leadership team with Fortune 500 experience are the pillars for Hemptown’s growth model as it pushes into the consumer-packaged goods sectors with top-quality white-label and branded product lines for the consumer market. For more information, visit www.HemptownUSA.com.
CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive SMS text alerts from CannabisNewsWire, text “CANNABIS” to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com
Do you have questions or are you interested in working with CNW? Ask our Editor
CannabisNewsWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork.


text:
The 32 year-old loves playing with his kids, running, listening to jazz music, and travelling to countryside places around the world to unwind!
Coolpad owns about 5,500 patents, including dual-SIM, in mobile phones. Sharma did not disclose the nature of the patents that are in the process of being filed locally.
"FY 2015-16 will be a tough year for north India, with both retail and institutional demand struggling to grow," Ambit Capital said in its report.
The company, which sells various popular motorcycle models including Pulsar, Discover and Platina, currently has a share of 18 per cent.
Samsung achieved about 46% share in the segment in the four months, with demand for models such as Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, Note Edge & Galaxy A7.
HUL will sell a ketchup with the new brand, while Pizza Hut will add the brand to its menu in the form of a new hot and spicy pizza.
Retailers and industry insiders pegged the mobile accessories segment at Rs 6,230 crore in India in 2014, which is set to grow 20-25% this year.
"Amit Shah is marketing a rotten product, which is why he has to do such intensive marketing. A good product is always accepted due to demand," Faleiro said.


text:
The liberals want to set drug prices in the US, the whole "allow people to buy drugs from foreign nations" is just the whip they're using to pressure the other lawmakers to allow them to set prices to avoid opening the US pharma market.
So the whip to pressure the conservatives is a free market, and the conservatives run from that idea.
Pharma is anything but a 'free market', it is one of the heaviest-regulated US industries. This would simply be allowing in competition that can easily undercut prices as the competition doesn't have the expenses incurred by US pharma companies to research, develop, and eventually, after up to decades, possibly bringing them to market. Many shady foreign companies copy US patented drugs that cost US pharma companies many millions at each step along the way and sell the knockoffs for a fraction.
This would put pressure on US pharma research, development, and sales to leave the US and cripple what remains.
If the goal is to globalize pharmaceuticals then US pharmaceutical regulations, laws, and procedures for testing and certification in the US will have to be lowered/reduced/softened to more closely match the global markets like Indonesia or they will cease to exist (in the US, at least).
I too want reasonable pharmaceutical costs and robust research and development of new drugs and treatments, etc. I just don't think loosing the foreign competition on US pharma that's effectively hamstrung by a cumbersome, inefficient, and achingly-slow regulatory structure seems wise.
I believe much more could be gained all around if serious reform, downsizing, modernization, and streamlining of the current US pharmaceutical regulatory structure could be accomplished. At that point opening US pharma markets to foreign competition would not matter as US companies could easily compete.
Competition is great. It drives innovation and keeps prices low. Having one competitor deliberately hamstrung is not competition or a 'free market'. In this case it amounts to targeted economic destruction of a nation's particular industry.


text:
Ford Retail's parts division, @first Parts, exceeded an annual turnover of £100 million in 2013, the first time since its launch in 2004.
Overall parts sales saw an increase of 14% year-on-year, while the trade, bodyshop and Ford dealers divisions reported an annual growth of 13%, 22% and 12% respectively.
This performance was driven by a number of key initiatives in 2013, the company said.
These included the introduction of a sales representative training programme, marketing campaigns, internal development and promotions from within the management team, as well as broadening the business’ customer base by launching an ‘all makes solution service’ called @first Express.
Jon Harte, managing director for @first Parts, said: “In keeping with the wider Ford Retail philosophy, at the heart of @first Parts’ business strategy has been putting its customers first; making sure the process of purchasing parts is as easy as possible and ensuring they receive an excellent service.
"This has included a series of informal customer events held across the country, which saw nearly 600 people join members of the @first team for a BBQ, raffle, interactive games and a display of vintage Ford cars.2013 has been a tremendous year for us and I am delighted to see all of the team’s hard work and strategic planning pay off.
"2014 will build on the success of the last 12 months and drive even further growth in the parts business. Key to this will be the national roll out of the @first Express solution, investment in new technologies and sales tools, as well as improved efficiency within the warehouse and logistics operations.”
“In addition to significantly growing my field sales team, the year ahead will also see an increased focus on training and development across the @first Parts divisions.”


text:
Just as we reported this morning, Apple has gone ahead today and launched a new (PRODUCT) RED version of the iPhone 8, which was launched back in September last year. As we mentioned, this isn’t the first time Apple has launched a special edition of the iPhone for (PRODUCT) RED – the iPhone 7 underwent the same treatment this time last year when Apple launched a red edition.
Surprisingly, there is. This time, Apple as opted for a black screen front for the red iPhone 8 whereas last year with the iPhone 7, Apple made the slightly controversial decision for a white screen front.
When does it go on sale?
So the phone was announced earlier today and it goes on sale this Tuesday 10th April at 13:30 BST / 5:30am PT and will be available in Apple Stores this Friday 13th April.
Prices are the same as the standard versions of the iPhone 8 starting at £699 for the 4.7-inch iPhone 8 ad £799 for the larger iPhone 8 Plus.
Thanks to Apple customers around the world for helping raise more than $160 million for @RED, fighting the spread of HIV in Africa and bringing us closer to an AIDS-free generation. https://t.co/uUolpv5Kv6
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 9, 2018


text:
90% of people also said they prefer going out to staying in on New Year’s Eve.
(PRWEB UK) 21 December 2017
52% of under 35’s prefer New Year to Christmas, a new survey by event guide and ticketing outlet, Skiddle, reveals.
Contrary to popular opinion, 90% of people also said they prefer going out to staying in on New Year’s Eve.
Almost 3 in 4 people said that New Year was the biggest party night of the year, followed by Halloween.
When asked how much money they typically spend celebrating New Year’s Eve, over a quarter (28%) said between £100 and £150 – more than any other night of the year. A fifth said they spend between £150 and £200, whilst 3% of under 35’s said over £500; including an outfit, drinks and club entry.
Overall, the majority of people (37%) said they prefer to spend their New Year with a small group of friends; whilst nearly a quarter said they like to celebrate with a larger group. Nearly a fifth (19%) said they enjoy the evening with a mixture of friends and family and 15% see in the New Year with their significant other.
Richard Dyer, Co-Founder and Director of Skiddle, commented: “Without a doubt, New Year’s Eve is the biggest night of the year, and a great opportunity for people to let their hair down and celebrate in style.
“We are seeing a huge increase in the amount of people who want to go out and enjoy their evening; with the atmosphere, the guaranteed party and the opportunity to indulge being listed as key reasons to celebrate.
“At Skiddle, we typically see a 98% increase in traffic during Christmas week and in 2016, 2 million people used our website to plan their New Year. Interestingly enough, last year our New Year’s Event Guide has nearly 200,000 views on Christmas Day, indicating that as soon as people have opened their presents, they are already thinking about the next big event of the festive calendar.
“Whatever your preference – big club night – or intimate party, comedy night or themed show, there is something out there for everyone. We would encourage you to book soon to avoid disappointment and take advantage of the exclusive events and discounts on offer.”
For a full list of New Year events in your area, visit http://www.skiddle.com/newyear or download the App for IPhone and Android.
The survey of 1,000 UK adults from Skiddle's own database was conducted between 11 - 15 December 2017.


text:
The console edition of Facepunch’s popular survival game Rust has received a ESRB rating for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The rating has no mention of current generation system ports but will likely be playable via backwards compatibility. The game originally launched on PC back in 2013 so console gamers have had a significant wait.
The Rust console edition was announced in the 2019 XO event in London and was penciled in for a 2020 release. However, very little was heard until Double Eleven who are responsible for the console port announced a delay.
In December 2020 they said in their blog post that 2021 was more likely when we would see a release. This post also provides a link to sign up to the newsletter if you require further information on the release.
We’re sorry that we haven’t been able to bring you Rust on console in 2020 as planned. We know from all of the messages that you’re excited to play it and we hope that with the dawn of 2021 we can restore your trust as we edge closer to being able to share something with you.
ESRB ratings are typically announced just prior to release, so with any luck a release date is imminent.
The game description on the ESRB website states the following information
This is a multiplayer first-person survival game in which players compete to survive in a hostile environment
The game has seen a surge in popularity as well especially on Twitch with streams pulling in several thousand viewers, so this is well timed news for the long anticipated port.
The founder of Facepunch, Garry Numan recently posted on twitter that they recently made over $1 million on steam in this past week. Maybe this is time for Rust on console to battle it out with Pubg.


text:
Send This Thread to a Friend|
Flemington, NJ, February 3, 2009 – Results of a national study that compared the 2008 Super Bowl ads against this year’s ads revealed that the top five ads in 2008 scored statistically higher than the top five ads from this year.
The study was conducted by HCD Research using its Media Curves web site, during February 1-2.
Comparing the Scores from 2008 and 2009 Super Bowls
|Top Five Ads from 2008||Top Five Ads from 2009|
|Diet Pepsi||What is Love||76.66||Bridgestone||Potato Head||71.73|
|Bridgestone||Squirrel||75.87||Budweiser||Coming to America||71.48|
“Our comparison revealed that the top five ads this year scored statistically lower than the top five ads from last year, said Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research. “Our results suggest that viewers’ attitudes may have changed as a result of the economy, and advertisers may have cut back on the creative and production costs of the ads this year.”
Ad Testing Methodology
During the game, the Super Bowl ads were inserted into a web survey and sent to a national representative sample of more than 2,000 participants. Responders answered questions regarding their perceptions of the ads using various parameters, including breakthrough, emotion, memorability and involvement. They also utilized an automated response system to indicate their level of interest in quarter-second intervals as they watch an ad.
The interest levels were analyzed in the form of curves to determine which commercials had the highest sustained levels of interest. The curves were used as part of a metric to calculate and rank the advertisements. The metric was also included with a measurement for emotions and an index for “word of mouth” impact of the ads.
Editors/Reporters: For more information on the ad testing, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, president and CEO, HCD Research, please contact Vince McGourty, HCD Research, at (908) 483-9121 or (email@example.com).


text:
German automotive company Mercedes-Benz has signed a multi-year extension to its partnership with golf’s Open Championship.
Mercedes-Benz will continue to serve as the official car and an official patron of the Open after agreeing the renewal with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), which operates the event.
As part of the deal, Mercedes-Benz will provide a fleet of over 100 vehicles to transport players, caddies, families and VIPs around this year’s championship, which begins on Thursday at Scotland’s Royal Troon Golf Club.
The company will also supply on-course evacuation vehicles, while an exhibition centre featuring some of Mercedes-Benz’s latest models will be set up for supporters to visit. The centre will also house the company’s new Garia Golf Car, which is due to be revealed later today (Tuesday).
In addition, Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors Martin Kaymer, Bernhard Langer and Rickie Fowler will take part in Q&A sessions and hole run-throughs. Fans will also be given the chance to be transferred to the course in a Mercedes-Benz courtesy car as part of a competition on the Open’s official website.
This year’s field will once again feature several Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors, including Kaymer, newcomers to The Open, Emiliano Grillo and Fabian Gomez, as well as recently signed global brand ambassador, Fowler. Mercedes-Benz brand ambassadors will each drive the GLE 250 AMG Line during tournament week.
Mercedes-Benz serves as an official patron of the Open alongside Doosan, HSBC, MasterCard, Nikon, NTT Data, Ralph Lauren and Rolex.


text:
Pick up your May edition of Good News, etc.
Read the story on Carrie Prejean - kudos to you! Also, exclusive interview with Carol LeBeau from KGTV Ch10
There are National Day of Prayer gatherings happening all over San Diego on May 7th. Do you know where you'll be?
The full online edition of Good News, etc. is available for the asking. Send us an email and we will send it out.


text:
AUSTIN – AUSTin, Texas – If you’ve ever wondered how to spot a scammer, the answer might be “just don’t buy anything”.
But a new scam called Rubber Van Clothing is targeting young women, especially in the Austin area, as the company tries to compete with fashion brands and others that have embraced the technology.
Randy Osterberg is the vice president of marketing for Rubber Vamp.
He has worked with the company for years and says it has been doing well.
He said he has noticed an increase in the number of girls coming in to the shop, some with fake IDs, and some with legitimate credentials.
Some of those IDs are fake.
Some are fake for people who have fake IDs.
But it’s really about a scam.
He believes it’s a ploy to sell products, and to make the salespeople believe that they have genuine credentials.
The Rubber Vants are trying to get the young women to buy more merchandise.
Osterburg says they’re trying to make them feel like they are worth more.
Rolando Rodriguez was one of those young women who bought a pair of rubber gloves for his wife.
He told KVUE News he was just curious about the brand, and how much they would be worth, so he bought a couple of pairs.
But when he got home, he saw a note saying the gloves were fake.
He called the Rubber Vanners store to see if they were the real thing.
They said they weren’t, and that he had to pay more money for the same product.
Rodriguez called the company again and said he’d received a letter.
It said the gloves would be delivered the next day, but the receipt showed the receipt was fake.
Rodriquez called back and spoke with a Rubber Vant employee.
The employee said it was all a hoax.
Rodrickson didn’t know where he got the gloves from.
He was frustrated and said it made him think twice about buying rubber gloves.


text:
Skip to comments.Economic growth rate slows to 2% on a sharp slowdown in consumer spending
Posted on 10/28/2021 7:43:21 AM PDT by Red Badger
The U.S. economy grew at a 2% annualized pace in the third quarter, its slowest increase since the end of the 2020 recession.
Decelerations in consumer spending and residential investment helped keep the number lower.
Weekly jobless claims fell more than expected last week to a fresh pandemic-era low of 281,000, below the 289,000 estimate.
The U.S. economy grew at a 2% rate in the third quarter, its slowest gain of the pandemic-era recovery, as supply chain issues and a marked deceleration in consumer spending stunted the expansion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.
Gross domestic product, a sum of all the goods and services produced, grew at a 2.0% annualized pace in the third quarter, according to the department’s first estimate released Thursday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a 2.8% reading.
That marked the slowest GDP gain since the 31.2% plunge in the second quarter of 2020, which encompassed the period during which Covid-19 morphed into a global pandemic that resulted in a severe economic shutdown that sent tens of millions to the unemployment lines and put a chokehold on activity across the country.
Declines in residential fixed investment and federal government spending helped hold back gains, as did a surge in the U.S. trade deficit, which widened to a near-record $73.3 billion in August.
The drops mostly offset increases in private inventory investment, a meager gain in personal consumption, state and local government spending, and nonresidential fixed investment.
Consumer spending, which makes up 69% of the $23.2 trillion U.S. economy, increased at just a 1.6% pace for the most recent period, after rising 12% in the second quarter.
Spending for goods tumbled 9.2%, spurred by a 26.2% plunge in expenditures on longer-lasting goods like appliances and autos, while services spending increased 7.9%, a reduction from the 11.5% pace in Q2.
The downshift came amid a 0.7% decline in disposable personal income, which fell 25.7% in Q2 amid the end of government stimulus payments. The personal saving rate declined to 8.9% from 10.5%.
Federal government spending fell by 4.7%, which the Commerce Department said was due to a halt in services and processing for the Paycheck Protection Program, a pandemic-era initiative aimed at providing bridge funding to businesses impacted by the shutdown.
“Overall, this is a big disappointment given that the consensus expectation at the start of the quarter in July was for a 7.0% gain and even our own bearish 3.5% forecast proved to be too optimistic,” wrote Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics. “We expect something of a rebound in the final quarter of this year — if only because motor vehicles won’t be such a drag and any negative impact from Delta should be reversed.”
In a separate economic report, jobless claims totaled 281,000 for the week ended Oct. 23, another pandemic-era low and better than the 289,000 estimate. The total marked a decrease from the previous week’s 291,000. Continuing claims fell by 237,000 to 2.24 million, and those receiving benefits under all programs dropped by 448,386 to 2.83 million.
Stock market futures remained higher after the report while government bond yields also climbed.
The July-to-September period saw a major clogging of the nation’s supply chain, which in turn dampened a recovery that began in April 2020 following the shortest but steepest recession in U.S. history.
Shortages in labor and soaring demand for goods over services contributed to the bottleneck, which is not expected to ease until after the holiday season.
Despite the Q3 weakness, economists largely expect the U.S. to bounce back in the fourth quarter and continue growth into 2022.
Another significant factor for the Q3 number was the summertime rise of the Covid delta variant, a situation that has reversed itself in much of the country. Consumer activity, particularly in the vital services part of the economy, appears to have picked up and could fuel a late-year growth burst.
“As Delta cases continue to subside, there may be more growth in the fourth-quarter as consumers will be more willing to spend on services involving in-person interactions,” said Dawit Kebede, senior economist at the Credit Union National Association. “The supply chain challenges, however, will likely continue until next year making it difficult to satisfy increased consumer demand.”
Companies during the current earnings season have noted the issues with supply chains, but many say customers are willing to pay higher prices. That in turn has helped fuel inflation, which is running close to its 30-year high and also is expected by most economists and Federal Reserve policymakers to cool next year.
Thursday’s data indicated that at least the pace of the inflation rise had taken a step back.
Core personal consumption expenditures, which exclude food and energy and are the preferred gauge by which the Fed measures inflation, rose 4.5%, a deceleration from the second quarter’s 6.1% increase but still well above the pre-Covid pace. The headline PCE price index increased 5.3% in Q3, down from 6.5% in the previous period.
I like how they try to blame Delta when the clear culprit is inflation.
Let’s go Brandon!
Man child Biden still on the job kind of like Nero.
I would suspect that empty shelves and non-availability are a factor. If you try to purchase something and can’t find it, regardless of price, or they’re telling you it will be on backorder for months, many will just walk away.
“As Delta cases continue to subside, there may be more growth in the fourth-quarter...”
‘After we eject all the members of the workforce who object to the jabs, we’ll be set to take off like a rocket in the fourth quarter!’
This is interesting. Welcome to the seventies. Remember this is on dollars moving through the economy. And the inflated numbers mean this should be higher. Or at least the same economy with higher prices would show growth even with the same products and services moving through the pipeline. But growth is now slowing. Which means either prices are coming down, or the economy is slowing very fast. Inflation plus growth is the real growth number. I think peoples experience is that inflation is going up more than 2%. So the economy is shrinking now. And if this continues for another quarter or two we will have a recession. Or as they called this in the seventies, stagflation. Where inflation eats growth. Couple this with higher interest rates and we call this Jimmy Carter.
Sell bonds. Buy banks. Stocks will go nowhere, consider dividend payers. Land is good only if property taxes are low and rent covers costs. Gold prices have been manipulated so I am not as fond of it as I would normally be.
Well, we know what happened to Nero.....................
“I like how they try to blame Delta when the clear culprit is inflation.”
ANYTHING, ANYTHING but the obvious. I’m somewhat surprised that they didn’t try to throw Trump in there.
These idiots want to raise our taxes at the beginning of another recession. Brilliant.
But it took a while
I’m rooting for negative even though it will hurt. Spending and prices are out of control. Too many dollars chasing too few goods of course.
A bad economy is what this administration deserves. Maybe it will make some fools wake up. I would say and vote the right way but the repoooblicans are not a hell of a lot better. The only real difference is that they do very little.
The ABCNNBCBS morons will blame TRUMP for all of this.....................
I don’t trust these numbers. I am willing to bet it is way worse.
If this is the best lie they can muster up it is waaaaay worse...................
And the markets are up sharply on this news. It makes no sense to me. I mostly got out of the markets before Jan 20th, I don’t regret it, but I missed a hell of an up side. Meanwhile inflation has bit me in the ass.
But Bidump is about to give a speech on how great the economy is since he took office.........................
The markets are up because people are done spending all their stimulus checks like drunken sailors. Less money chasing the same products.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
More Hank Williams Music
After so many years, you would think that there's not a very good chance that anyone is going to come up with any new, original Hank Williams audio.
Well now, the Associated Press is reporting that a new three CD set will be marketed in September.
The collection, entitled, "Hank Williams: The Legend Begins" has Hank singing one of his tunes at the age of just 15. There are two CD's that are from his original "Health and Happoness" radio show.
Sound techs have completely restored the audio and this collection is sure to be popular with anyone interested in Hank Williams or the foundations of country.
The set will be released through Time Life. Look for the release September 13, 2011


text:
NEW YORK — There’s another legal war in the fashion world.
On Wednesday, Manhattan-based Coach filed a complaint against French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton with the Japanese Fair Trade Commission. Coach alleged that, throughout the past year, LVMH has repeatedly practiced foul play and engaged in anticompetitive measures.
Specific details of the complaint could not be made public in compliance with Japanese law, but Coach alleged in a statement that LVMH has been actively trying to coerce Japanese department stores into dropping Coach by threatening to stop developing Louis Vuitton in those stores.
The two leather goods giants have enough financial clout and retail muscle to turn the battle into an all-out war that could spill over to department stores worldwide.
“We cannot accept being subjected to anticompetitive practices aimed at limiting our ability to freely offer Coach in the marketplace,” Lew Frankfort, chairman and chief executive officer of Coach Inc., said in a statement. “It is not the way we do business and is contrary to our principles of fair play.”
Reached in Paris late Wednesday, an LVMH spokesman had no comment on the Coach complaint.
But LVMH is not one to take such cases lying down. The French conglomerate remains locked in a long-running lawsuit against financial giant Morgan Stanley over what it claims were biased reports written by the bank’s luxury goods analyst, Claire Kent.
Louis Vuitton is the top imported accessories brand in Japan, but Coach has said that it recently eclipsed Prada and Gucci and is now number two behind Louis Vuitton. In Japan, Coach has had a 40 percent compound annual growth rate at retail over the last four years and the country represented about 21 percent of Coach’s total sales in fiscal 2004, which were $1.32 billion.
It comes as no surprise that LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault is sitting up and taking notice. In fact, it is widely believed Arnault keeps a close eye on the success of Coach in America and in Japan, and he is said to often bring it up in strategy meetings. When Frankfort and Antonio Belloni, LVMH’s group managing director, were seen huddling at the Milan Fashion Summit, which was cosponsored by Merrill Lynch and the Wall Street Journal last year, the rumor mill went into overdrive with speculation ranging from LVMH looking to acquire Coach, or the two parties possibly cooking up a distribution deal to build Coach’s presence in Europe and Asia. Given the complaint, it seems likely they touched on the subject of Japan and LVMH’s actions there.Interestingly, while Louis Vuitton is clearly considered a luxury brand, Coach positions itself as an accessible luxury brand with price points typically less than half those of Vuitton.
“We have always welcomed strong competition in the marketplace, because it drives category growth by giving consumers a wider range of viable choices,” Frankfort said in the statement. “Business practices which artificially inhibit competition through threats and harassment have no place in the market.”
Although details can’t be divulged and Coach wouldn’t disclose stores that were threatened, the complaint outlines a number of instances of LVMH’s actions. In Japan, Coach sells to such department stores as Takashimaya, Sogo, Isetan and Mitsukoshi
“As a company, Coach focuses on every single consumer, every single product and every single store, individually,” Frankfort said in the statement. “We view ourselves as a small company with large sales — that’s who we are and how we work. Any unfair action to deny our consumers’ right to choose and separate us from our business partners is unacceptable and we plan to fight this behavior vigorously.”
The investigation is likely to take several months. In the statement, Coach stressed that LVMH’s actions have had no material impact on Coach sales in Japan. “While the economic impact of this pattern of behavior has not been material, a delay or deferral of even a single expansion of a shop due to anticompetitive practices is unacceptable,” Frankfort said.
Coach’s growth has skyrocketed over the last few years and no slowdown in its growth appears to be ahead. Just last Thursday, the company increased its second-half forecast because of strong spring season results that are trending above plan. Coach estimated sales of at least $800 million for that period. It also updated full-year fiscal 2005 forecasts, projecting sales of more than $1.67 billion. In Japan, it expects a 27 percent increase in sales in the second half in constant currency with at least midsingle-digit sales growth.
The Japanese market is of particular importance to Coach’s growth strategy. The company formed a joint venture with Sumitomo Corp. in 2001 to help expand the brand in the Japanese market and operates a multichannel distribution there. It has become the fastest-growing imported accessories and handbag brand in Japan, leading the firm to accelerate its flagship openings. By Dec. 31, there were six flagships in Japan: in Tokyo in Ginza, Shibuya and Marounichi, and outside Tokyo in Osaka, Sapporo and Sendai. By the end of last year, Coach had 107 sales points in Japan, of which 105 were run by Coach Japan Inc. Of those, 79 were department store shop-in-shops; 16 were retail stores, of which six are flagships, and 10 were factory stores. With more flagships, department store sales have somewhat diminished in Japan as a result. The department store channel represents about two-thirds of sales in Japan, down from about 80 percent two years ago.“Regardless of the outcome [of the JFTC’s investigation], we’re confident that we will continue to deliver exceptional results,” Frankfort said. “We are a broad-based, multinational and multichannel enterprise and our opportunities for growth are abundant. Within Japan, we have a multichannel business which is being fueled first and foremost by flagships and new retail stores and secondarily by new department store shops and expansions. The vibrancy of our brand in Japan has never been stronger and our outlook has never been brighter.”
Luxury handbag resale company @rebagofficial is planning to sell a rare collectible for $70,000: the @hermes White Crocodile Himalayan Birkin. The exclusive Birkin sold for about $100,000 in 2008, when @davidbeckham bought one for his wife @victoriabeckham to add to her collection. Read more about the rare Birkin on WWD.com #wwdaccessories
With her costume pearl necklace and what-you-see-is-what-you-get style, Barbara Bush, who died Tuesday at age 92, was a straight-shooter from start to finish.
Born Barbara Pierce in New York City, Bush served as the 37th first lady, as well as the country’s second lady from 1981 to 1989. In addition to being part of the longest presidential marriage — 73 years — Bush also had the unlikely distinction of having one son, George W., become the 43rd president and another son, Jeb, run unsuccessfully in 2016. Having served as second lady during the Reagan administration’s two terms and lived all over the world during her own husband’s ascending political career, Barbara Bush made it clear that literacy — not fashion — was her priority. Read more from Rosemary Feitelberg’s obituary on the late First Lady in WWD.com, link in bio. #barbarabush #wwdnews
Western and ’90s trends have influenced denim for fall 2018. Think raw, dark and coated jeans mixed with bold prints and tough leather. #trendtuesdays #wwdfashion (Styled by @thealexbadia;📷: @ryanplett)
@denimdaysfestival, which initially launched in Amsterdam in 2014 and has since expanded to New York, is heading to Nashville for the very first time. The two-day festival, which will take place in November, will feature brand activations, hands-on workshops by artisans and denim mills, a vintage market, live entertainment, and local food and drinks. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Later this month, the popular “Diana: Her Fashion Story” exhibit will be reopening. @historicroyalpalaces, the charity that manages @kensingtonroyal, has been working towards adding new, never-before-seen garments to the exhibit, including this dress created by Gianni Versace for a fund-raising dinner at the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The exhibit will reopen on April 26 at Kensington Palace @wwdfashion
“Our family has always been engaged and interested in the world around us. [My brothers and I] were always encouraged to have our own opinion at a young age, which is not always something a child is asked — especially to have an opinion with reasoning behind it,” said @yarashahidi on becoming an activist. We caught up with the 18 year old last week, where she talked about her road to acting, how “Black-ish” led her to start conversations about identity and more. Head to WWD.com to read what she had to say #wwdeye (📷: @chelsealaurenla)


text:
Italian aperitif brand Campari is recreating the spirit of Milan's Navigli canal by inviting guests to take part in a
Renault UK is collaborating with Designjunction to create an immersive car-themed experience.
Design Junction's open-air party, Co-op's food roadshow and Innovo's pelvic floor pop-up feature in our list of events to watch
Brands including interior design magazine Dezeen and Japanese technology company EIZO will host an outdoor party to mark the start
Design Junction sponsor Transport for London (TfL) will host a funfair-themed booth at the annual interior design event, which forms
Retailer Habitat is hosting a Scandinavian-themed design and culture exhibition at its Platform gallery space in its King's Road, London
The third edition of Design Junction's London flagship show took place during the London Design Festival between 18 and 22


text:
Port strike could hurt imported goods
Published On: Dec 28 2012 06:33:36 AM EST Updated On: Dec 28 2012 09:10:18 AM EST
Things that are “made in China” could have a tough time getting into the US, if port workers go on strike Sunday
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
By Ayya Lmahamad
Russia's LUKOIL company has put into operation a new petrol station in Yevlakh city’s Ashagi Budzhag village, the company’s press service reported on June 2.
ECTO fuel will be sold at the new filling station, which meets modern requirements. In addition, there will be a mini-market, a cafe and a car service on the territory of the station.
The LUKOIL Group has been operating in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector since 1994 and is represented in the country by two subsidiaries.
The Company has a 10 percent share in the Shah Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline projects, and participates in the sale of petroleum products in the retail market of Azerbaijan through a network of about 70 filling stations operating under the LUKOIL brand name.
The Company also owns an oil depot that transships 120 thousand tons of oil products per year.
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz


text:
EUR/USD Forex Signal: Pattern Points to Bearish Reversal – DailyForex.com
While the pair will likely keep rising, there is a likelihood that it will resume the downward trend in the next few days.
The EUR/USD price bounced back on Wednesday after the US published the July inflation numbers. After dropping to a multi-month low of 1.1706, the price rebounded to a high of 1.1750.
US Dollar Retreats After Inflation Data
The price action of the EUR/USD during the American and Asian sessions was mostly because of the relatively weaker US dollar. The US Dollar Index, which weighs the greenback against key currencies, had its first drop in a few days after the relatively weak inflation data.
The numbers revealed that the US inflation rose by 5.4% in July while core CPI retreated to 4.3%. While these numbers were higher than the Fed’s target of 2.0%, they showed that consumer prices were starting to ease as the country reopens.
Meanwhile, there are early signs that the economy is being affected by the new COVID wave. In a statement, Southwest Airlines reported higher flight cancellations and slow growth. This is notable since the aviation industry has played a significant role in the ongoing recovery. Also, the sector tends to play an important role in other sectors like hotels and restaurants.
In Europe, data from Germany showed that prices jumped in July. The headline CPI rose by 3.8% in Europe’s biggest economy as the country reopened. This was the highest figure since 2008. Still, data published during the week revealed that the country’s businesses were starting to have a negative sentiment about the recovery.
Later today, the EUR/USD will react to the latest US Producer Price Index (PPI) data. Analysts expect the data to show that the headline PPI rose by 7.3% in June as the economy bounced back. A higher PPI tends to lead to higher consumer inflation. The pair will also react to the latest US initial jobless claims numbers.
The EUR/USD pair rose for the first day this week after the weak US inflation data. The pair rose from 1.1706 to 1.1750. It is still slightly below the 50-period and 25-period exponential moving averages. It has also formed what looks like an inverted cup and handle pattern. The current rebound is therefore a part of the handle section.
Therefore, while the pair will likely keep rising, there is a likelihood that it will resume the downward trend in the next few days.
Scalping Strategy Course (DVD + Online) - $299.00
In the much anticipated Forex Scalping Strategy Course, Vic and Sarid show you short-term focused techniques and strategies to make quicker profits while reducing market exposure.
Forexmentor Coach's Corner First Month (Online) - $149.00
The Coach's Corner offers 2 live sessions per week, an integrated approach to trading, FREE access to the VicTrade video course and Darko's Pattern Trading Video Lessons.


text:
This is why we love the MWC - some of the best phones of the year were announced almost side by side. Two of the headliners are the LG G5 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and we know how heated the competition between the G-series and the Galaxy flagship can get.
LG took the innovation route and created a phone with limited modularity. It may not be at Project Ara level, but also unlike Ara, it is consumer-ready. We have two modules so far - a camera battery grip and a high-quality audio DSP. LG (and partners) have a chance to keep the G5 fresh by releasing new modules.
Samsung walked off the beaten path last year, this launch was all about polish. Or more precisely about putting back what the S6 took away. Samsung's identity has always been "all and every feature" and the Galaxy S7 edge resumes this tradition. The only thing we can think of that the S7 lacks is stereo speakers.
Here are our favorite features of each of the two flagships.
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is closer to launch - it targets March 11 - while the LG G5 will come out in April (giving its engineers the option for final tweaks).
We don't have to wait that long for first impressions, though, we already have some findings to share about the cameras and performance.


text:
Amazon-owned One Medical begins opening new locations across US
Amazon acquired One Medical for $3.9 billion in February 2023.
Amazon is beginning to open new locations of the primary care provider One Medical -- a potential game-changer for medical care -- which it acquired earlier this year, as the tech giant moves into the health care space.
One Medical told ABC News it has just opened two locations in Connecticut, is planning to open a third office in the Castro neighborhood in San Francisco, and will open its first office in Milwaukee this fall.
Three other locations have been announced in Connecticut, but One Medical said plans for opening won't be announced until 2024.
In July 2022, Amazon agreed to acquire San Francisco-based One Medical, giving the company dozens of brick-and-mortar locations, and closed the deal in February 2023 for $3.9 billion.
Patients pay a $199 annual membership fee to receive care for everything from common illnesses to chronic conditions, to mental and sexual health needs, according to One Medical's website.
Subscribers also receive around-the-clock access through an app, can schedule same or next-day in-office or remote visits, and can schedule lab work to be done at any One Medical location. One Medical also says they accept most major insurance plans, as well as Medicare. Membership gives members access to 24/7 virtual care at no extra cost while in-office visits and remote visits are billed through insurance just like a typical doctor’s office, One Medical told ABC News.
"We're on a mission to make it dramatically easier for people to find, choose, afford, and engage with the services, products, and professionals they need to get and stay healthy, and coming together with One Medical is a big step on that journey," Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, said in statement at the time the acquisition was announced.
"One Medical has set the bar for what a quality, convenient, and affordable primary care experience should be like. We're inspired by their human-centered, technology-forward approach and excited to help them continue to grow and serve more patients," the statement continued.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said at the time that the concept could be game-changing in terms of making it fast and easy to schedule medical provider appointments, compared to traditional methods.
"If you fast forward 10 years from now, people are not going to believe how primary care was administered," he said in a statement. "For decades, you called your doctor, made an appointment three or four weeks out, drove 15-20 minutes to the doctor, parked your car, signed in and waited several minutes in reception, eventually were placed in an exam room, where you waited another 10-15 minutes before the doctor came in, saw you for five to ten minutes and prescribed medicine, and then you drove 20 minutes to the pharmacy to pick it up."
This is not the first time Amazon has entered the world of health care. In 2018, the Seattle-based retail giant announced it was buying PillPack, an online pharmacy that ships drugs and medications directly to customers' homes, for more than $750 million.
However, not all of Amazon's health care entry attempts have been successful. Last year, it shut down its Amazon Care telehealth service, which provided virtual visits as well as in-home visits for patients to receive tests and vaccinations.
Amazon is not the only tech company trying to own a piece of the health care market. Apple, Google and Microsoft have also made moves in recent years.
Through apps and features on the iPhone and the Apple Watch, Apple has cornered the market in terms of enabling users to keep track of their everyday health and fitness, but is hoping to expand into data communication between doctors and patients.
Additionally, earlier this year, Google announced it was expanding the use of AI in health care to help clinicians detect diseases earlier and answer medical questions patients have.
More recently, it was revealed last week that Microsoft has partnered with Duke Health as it looks to develop AI tools to "augment healthcare experiences for providers and patients," according to the announcement.
ABC News Live
24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events