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Maine to reimburse 2022 fishing license fees
AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - If you are a commercial fisherman or aquaculturist here in Maine, check your mailbox soon for some money from the state.
The Mills Administration announced Thursday it will use federal funding to reimburse commercial fishermen, dealers, processors, and aquaculturists for the cost of their 2022 license. The payments are also intended to cover additional fees associated with licenses, such as trap tag fees for lobster license holders.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources is using a total of $8.3 million for this purpose.
The first round of payments totals $4.2 million and will start going out by way of paper checks in the mail by the end of the month.
Here is the full release from the Mills Administration, which lays out detailed eligibility:
Governor Mills Announces Cost Relief for Maine’s Commercial Fishermen and Aquaculturists
June 23, 2022
Mills Administration will use Federal funds to reimburse commercial fishermen, dealers, processors, and aquaculturists for the cost of their 2022 licenses
Augusta, MAINE – Amid high costs, Governor Janet Mills announced today that her Administration is taking action to deliver relief for Maine’s commercial fishermen and aquaculturists.
The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) will use $8.3 million in Federal funding to reimburse resident commercial fishermen, dealers, processors, and aquaculturists for the cost of their 2022 licenses, as well as additional fees associated with licenses such as trap tag fees for lobster license holders. The Department will also waive lease fees for active commercial leases for the 2022 lease year through a separate process.
The first round of payments, which amount to $4.2 million, will be mailed by the end of this month for license holders who purchased their license between November 15, 2021 and March 31, 2022. Reimbursements for licenses purchased during each of the remaining quarters of 2022 will be mailed separately.
Examples of licenses that are eligible for reimbursement include but are not limited to: a Class II lobster license with 800 tags costs ($1,203), a scallop dragger license ($243), a Zone 2 urchin dragger license ($312), or an elver license with two pieces of gear and crew ($498). More information on licenses can be found HERE.
“Maine’s commercial fishing and seafood industry is a crucial cornerstone of our economy, and they are facing unprecedented increases in costs,” said Governor Janet Mills. “This puts money back in the pockets of Maine’s fishermen, aquaculturists and dealers to help them offset growing business expenses, hopefully providing a small measure of relief for them.”
“Cost increases continue to challenge this important Maine industry,” said Patrick Keliher, Commissioner of the Department of Marine Resources Commissioner. “This relief comes at a critical time.”
Eligible recipients include resident commercial license holders who renew a license held in 2021 and who are 18 years or older as of January 2022. License holders with multiple licenses will receive reimbursement for all eligible licenses. Dealers are eligible for the license cost plus the cost of supplemental license held in 2021 and will be reimbursed after the conclusion of the 2022 dealer licensing year, which ends March 31, 2023.
License holders will receive a paper check in the mail at the address provided to DMR in the license application.
Lobster license holders who purchased a license between November 15, 2021 and March 31, 2022, but ordered trap tags, or additional tags, after June 6, 2022, will be reimbursed for the tags during next round of reimbursements. In addition, the reimbursement applies only to the purchase of initial tags, and not replacement tags.
Copyright 2022 WABI. All rights reserved.


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Let’s Start this Interesting Article Shared on DesiNew.xyz
One such example is for support Advanced Search The mode, which has been available to iOS users for months but has now been rolled out for Android beta users of the app.
According to a report by WABetaInfo, Android beta users will have to update their app to version 188.8.131.52 or above to use the advanced search mode, however, not all beta users will see it.
“WhatsApp is really capable, from server side, feature for some beta testers. This type of activation is partial and very slow: it happens when a company decides to enable a feature slowly to see its effects when enabled, ”said WABetaInfo.
For the unaware, the feature will allow users to search for all types of content – such as photos, videos, links, GIFs, audio and documents – through the main search toolbar.
Now that this feature has started rolling out for Android beta users, it will soon be rolled out for all Android users.
In another report, WABetaInfo also stated that the Facebook-owned app is working on rolling out an option to permanently mute notifications. This was seen on Android beta update version 184.108.40.206 of the app. The report states that the ‘Always’ option is set to replace the’ 1 year ‘option under the section Mute Notifications for…’.
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Developer Tishman Speyer has acquired Mazza Gallerie, the largely empty shopping center in D.C.’s Friendship Heights, and will redevelop it as apartments, though it appears it will retain a large retail portion as well.
Tishman Speyer issued a brief statement Tuesday saying it will build new rental housing while retaining substantial retail space and a large parking garage underground.
It offered no other details on the project, including what it paid for the property. The developer said specifics will be released at a later date.
Eagle Bank has confirmed it provided $26 million in financing to Tishman Speyer for the acquisition, and that the project will include 350 multifamily units and 26,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Lenders took possession of the property at 5300 Wisconsin Ave. NW at a foreclosure auction in August 2020 after its owner defaulted on loans. The resale to New York-based Tishman Speyer passes the property on to a developer with several other D.C. area projects in its portfolio, including Crossing DC Residences in Navy Yard and 2050 M Street.
In referring to the Mazza Gallerie location, Tishman Speyer regional director Jeff Chod said, “This project, on a gateway site into the nation’s capital … represents an opportunity to help meet the strong local need for high quality housing, while retaining a retail element that embraces the neighborhood.”
Mazza Gallerie, built in 1979, was once a bustling retail and dining destination, but has lost many of its large tenants in recent years. Neiman Marcus closed last year. The seven-screen AMC Mazza Gallerie movie theater closed earlier this year. Williams Sonoma and Pottery Barn area among other retailers that have left Mazza Gallerie in recent years.


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According to this article from CNN many people have been turning to CBD to help for its potential therapeutic benefits during these troubling times. The benefits that CBD can potentially offer consumers include reducing pain and inflammation, decreasing anxiety and aiding sleep.
"The idea of finding relief through plant-based therapy was extremely appealing at the time. I knew about cannabis, but I wasn't educated about all of the plant's therapeutic components." - Dr. June Chin
As CBD gains acceptance as therapy, ample studies support the use of CBD as part of your wellness routine to help manage daily stress and anxiety. According to the article, anxiety and stress relief, in fact, are the most common reasons that people turn to cannabis. This was according to a survey involving nearly 8,000 users of the plant.
"Health-care workers [who] are working long shifts are finding CBD helpful for restorative sleep and on their days off using it for pain and inflammation -- from being on their feet all day, [and having] low back pain and neck pain," Chin said
As explained by Dr. June Chin, CBD calms the nervous system by working on the neurotransmitters regulating nerve cells in our brain, called GABA receptors. "It tells your body it's time to power down -- so there is a relaxation component." According to the article's author, this can be extremely helpful during stressful times when someone might experience heightened anxiety levels, like during the coronavirus.
Click here to read the story and learn more how CBD can become a welcome addition to your wellness routine.


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ATLANTA and CARMEL, IN — Average auction prices in April, according to ADESA Analytical Services’ monthly analysis of wholesale used-vehicle prices by vehicle model class, were up 4.8 percent from year-ago levels.
Average prices were virtually flat (down 0.6 percent) compared to March. For the 10th consecutive month, compact cars had the strongest year-over-year price gains (17.8 percent), and full-size SUVs had the sharpest year-over-year price declines (-4.5 percent), in part due to high gas prices.
The ADESA auction inventory index recovered quite a bit in April, rising from 78.3 to 94.6 during the month. The index remains down 2.5 percent from its year-ago level of 97.1. ADESA Analytical Services estimates this represents approximately 26 days of auction sales – up from 21 last month. The rising inventories may mean that price increases in May will be more modest.
At Manheim, wholesale used-vehicle prices on a mix, mileage, and seasonally adjusted basis continued their upward movement in April, but at a slower pace than either February or March. The Manheim used-vehicle value index rose to a level of 112.9, up from 112.2 in March. Over the past year, wholesale prices have risen 4.9 percent and they have increased 10.3 percent from the April 2003 cyclical trough. Wholesale prices fell 0.5 percent in April on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, but that was less than the normal seasonal decline that occurs between March and April.


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Ariana Grande’s skin – Players of Fortnite Battle Royale can now buy Destiny 2 cosmetic items. The Fortnite x Destiny 2 collaboration has added different things like three skins, pickaxes, and the Investigate emote.
It turns out that the Investigate emote works with the Ariana Grande skin in Fortnite, but no one knows if this was done on purpose or not. This is likely just a visual glitch that accidentally got into the game.
Ariana Grande is one of the most well-known people to appear in Fortnite Battle Royale. On August 7, 2021, the artist had her concert in the game, which was beautiful.
A few months after the singer’s live show, Epic Games released Spacefarer Ariana Grande, a new version of her skin. This is a skin for the Icon Series that comes in different styles.
Ariana Grande skin
When used on Ariana Grande’s Spacefarer skin, the latest Fortnite emote, added as part of a collaboration with Destiny 2, has a strange effect. The emote changes the skin, and the new look is cool.
GKI, a popular YouTuber best known for posting glitches, found this reaction. This is probably another bug, but since it doesn’t make the game unplayable, Epic Games might not fix it for a while.
The emote makes the skin look even better, especially its Starfire version. The variant’s colors are a mix of black and red, but the emote turns the whole skin bright red.
The sad thing is that the emote only lasts a few seconds. When it’s over, the skin will return to how it looked.
It’s important to know that Ariana Grande’s Spacefarer skin comes with its own emote. This could be why it responds to the Investigate emote in secret.
As shown in the video above, Ariana Grande’s skin comes with an emote that lets players change their style on the fly.
The Ariana Grande emote skin glitch could be fixed in the next Fortnite update.
Ariana Grande’s skin – Since GKI’s channel is so popular, likely. Epic Games has already seen the bug, which could be fixed soon.
The glitch, however, is not very important and doesn’t change. How the game is played, so the developers can take their time fixing it.
Tuesday, August 30, is when the next update will happen. This is a big update for Fortnite that will add a lot of new stuff and fix a lot of bugs. The bug fix for Ariana Grande’s Spacefarer could also be included.
This skin isn’t very common. The last time it was in the Item Shop was on March 17, 2022. It hasn’t been available since Chapter 3, Season 2, which makes it one of the rarest skins in the current chapter.


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Client: Innocent Drinks
Innocent Drinks have launched a new campaign aimed at supporting sustainable tree planting schemes in rural India and Africa.
Under ‘Buy One Get One Tree’, once a consumer has bought an innocent special promotional smoothie carton and registered on the microsite, funding will be provided to support sustainable tree planting schemes in India and Africa.
Rural communities that plant the trees will receive income for 10 years for looking after the trees, and will receive training on sustainable agriculture. Innocent aims to plant 100,000 trees during this promotion.
Digital Marketing Agency, Soup has created a microsite which is the hub of an integrated campaign supported by on and offline advertising and a comprehensive PPC campaign.
On the site the user sees that not only a real tree but a virtual tree is planted upon their registration. Virtual trees can have messages attached to them or notes can be sent to friends who can then locate the tree in a growing virtual forest.
The website also helps promote the innocent community and provides users with the opportunity to download widgets which they can upload onto blogs, websites and community sites
The widgets have been created with dynamic functionality displaying the number of trees that the user may have planted.


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It's the sort of attraction that could finally put New York City on the map: Wegmans is coming to Brooklyn.
The family-owned grocery store with a cult following that rivals that of the Grateful Dead said on Wednesday that it will open its first New York City location at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 2017, the New York Times first reported.
Moving to the city is a tricky proposition for individuals and businesses alike, and Wegmans's announcement signals the grocer's willingness to test the waters in an urban location.
Wegmans, of course, has the sort of fanbase pop stars aspire to, and the news set off a virtual tidal wave on social media.
The store was ranked as the No. 1 supermarket chain in Consumer Reports's annual survey in 2015 and among the top 10 employers in the country by Forbes. A recent Harris Poll recently called Wegmans the company with the best reputation, edging out Google, Apple, and Amazon.
Which is why the store, which the Times says has "the variety of a Whole Foods, the prices of a Trader Joe’s and the scale of a Walmart," has inspired dozens of fan websites, hashtags, and even love letters.
So what took them so long? Why did the upstate grocer take nearly a century (Wegmans was founded in 1916) to move a few hundred miles south to the big city?
For the same reason dozens of other big box retailers have moved to cities slowly, and with trepidation: high rents and zoning hassles, among other urban challenges.
But cities offer a lucrative market for retailers, who have slowly figured out how to squeeze suburban stores into urban markets.
"It is a significant shift from their approach in the past, when they tried to cram their big-box formats into cities, often prompting big fights," writes the Times in a 2012 piece. "This time, the retailers studied city dwellers with anthropological intensity and overhauled things as varied as store sizes...packages...and signs."
Which is why, unlike most of its 85 other stores, the Brooklyn Wegmans will be 74,000-square-feet, about 25 percent smaller than its other stores.
It's also less likely to carry bulk packs of paper towels, canned goods, and other items city customers on foot will be hard-pressed to haul home.
And unlike past examples in which big box suburban retailers plowed into cities and met strong resistance, Wegmans says it is working with local leaders to create hundreds of jobs and to train local labor. The Brooklyn store is expected to create 600 jobs, including 200 full-time positions. Wegmans has said it will interview candidates exclusively from three housing projects next to the new store for at least the first two weeks of hiring.
“People need not just good food, but good jobs,” CEO Danny Wegman told the Times. “Brooklyn provides an incredible opportunity for both.”


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Computer maker Sun Microsystems Inc. on Thursday reported its largest net loss ever, taking more than $2 billion in acquisition-related charges, but squeezed out a small operating profit thanks to stronger pricing and lower component costs than expected.
Santa Clara, California-based Sun, which makes computers that manage networks, failed to reiterate a target set in November of turning a profit by the end of the company's fiscal year in June, saying the economy was too murky.
Chief Financial Officer Steve McGowan also said he would stop giving mid-quarter updates and declined to comment on clients' spending plans for the same reason
Investors also focused on a bigger question -- whether Sun's developing technology to easily manage networks could fend off incursions by PC technology makers Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp., which are moving into the high-end computing space where Sun is strong.
"Not only are (Sun) pressured to report good results on a quarterly basis, but their long-term standing in the IT (information technology) market is being called into question," said Marty Shagrin, an analyst at Victory Capital, which has some Sun stock.
News source: Reuters - Sun Microsystems Posts $2 Billion Loss
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You may want to skip the toppings on your next hot dog, or skip it altogether: Health researchers at the University of Michigan have found that eating a single hot dog could take 36 minutes off your life.
“We wanted to make a health-based evaluation of the beneficial and detrimental impacts of the food in the entire diet,” Olivier Jolliet, professor of environmental health sciences at the university and senior author of the paper, told CNN.
The team came up with an index that calculates the net beneficial or detrimental health burden in minutes of healthy life associated with a serving of food. It’s based on a study called the Global Burden of Disease, which measures morbidity associated with a person’s food choices.
“For example, 0.45 minutes are lost per gram of processed meat, or 0.1 minutes are gained per gram of fruit. We then look at the composition of each food and then multiplied this number by the corresponding food profiles that we previously developed,” Jolliet said.
One of the foods researchers measured was a standard beef hot dog on a bun. Its 61 grams of processed meat resulted in the loss of 27 minutes of healthy life, Jolliet said – but when ingredients like sodium and trans fatty acids were factored in, the final value was 36 minutes lost.
Consumption of foods such as nuts, legumes, seafood, fruits and non-starchy vegetables, on the other hand, have positive effects on health, the study found.
The index looks at foods that increase or decrease life expectancy, but it’s not as easy as trying to cancel out detrimental food choices with more beneficial ones, Jolliet said.
“The index is primarily there to help aid in selecting and using calories consumed on a daily basis to tweak a minimum of habits and make the minimum of change to obtain a maximum benefit for health and the environment from our food experience,” Jolliet said.
The point is to choose better foods, not to spend time doing the math, he said.
“Is it the ultimate metric that will tell you exactly what to eat tomorrow and entirely determine your life expectancy? No,” he said. “It is a useful metric that can help you make more informed choices and makes it simpler to identify and make adequate small changes in our diet.”
It’s also not as easy as calculating what food to eat in order to live to be 100, said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and public health at New York University. She told CNN the numbers may not be entirely reliable.
“Changing a diet to include or exclude any one food is unlikely to make much difference – it’s dietary (and lifestyle) patterns that count,” she said. “I suppose you could argue that the minutes add up, but that gets into further untested and untestable assumptions.”


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Shopify stock fell Wednesday based on December quarter earnings, revenue and total merchandise volume that beat consensus estimates. Management provided an overview of revenue for 2022 for SHOP stock as the coronavirus emergency fades.
Canada Shopify (a store) reported fourth-quarter earnings before the market opened on Wednesday.
for the quarter ending in December. At 31, Shopify earnings came in at 1.36 cents per share on an adjusted basis, down 14% from the same period a year earlier. The company said revenue rose 41 percent to $1.38 billion.
Analysts expected Shopify to earn $1.30 per share on revenue of $1.34 billion. A year ago, Shopify earned $1.58 per share on revenue of $978 million.
The total volume of merchandise from merchant customers increased by 31% to $54.1 billion versus. Estimated $53.03 billion.
Shopify stock fell 6.1% to nearly 835 before the market opened on stock market today.
“Our initial impression is that the absolute results were strong given tough comparisons, but did not live up to buying expectations,” Samad Samana, an analyst at Jefferies, said in a report. He added that the gross profit margin of 50.8% was down from the street estimate of 52.8%.
As Shopify’s earnings report approaches, e-commerce stock is down 35% in 2022.
Shopify Stock: Management provides general revenue forecasts
In the fourth quarter, Shopify said commerce solutions revenue rose 47% to $1.03 billion. Subscription Solutions revenue increased 26% to $351.2 million. Analysts expected business solutions revenue of $985 million and subscription solutions revenue of $357 million.
For the full year of 2022, Shopify said it expects “lower year-over-year revenue growth in the first quarter of 2022 and higher in the fourth quarter of 2022.” “We do not expect the e-commerce acceleration caused by COVID in the first half of 2021 to be repeated from government shutdowns and stimulus in the first half of 2022,” the company said.
Additionally, Shopify said it expects “Merchant Solutions’ revenue growth to more than double the year-over-year revenue growth rate for subscription solutions, as merchants benefit more from our offerings, and as we expand existing products into new geographies and roll out the latest features such as Shopify Markets.”
Shopify sets up e-commerce sites for small businesses, partnering with others to handle digital payments and shipping. Also, the e-commerce company has ramped up commercial lending.
Also, the company has a relative strength rating of 13 out of a possible 99, according to IBD stock check.
Follow Reinhardt Krause on Twitter Tweet embed For updates on 5G wireless networks, artificial intelligence, cyber security and cloud computing.
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FreightWaves SONAR is the data engine that powers the most trusted source of news and information in the supply chain world. As the transportation industry evolves and changes, SONAR innovates to empower users to operate at peak performance. The newest release is the first in a chain of large improvements to expedite rate management and remove guesswork.
This week’s release adds in the ability for users to customize outputs based on rate per mile versus flat rates and to quickly retrieve 90-day moving averages for contract rates. This comes in advance of several large data projects designed to simplify day-to-day decision-making and optimize tactical pricing.
But what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
FreightWaves SONAR is uniquely positioned in the market to remain a transparent intermediary for all players in the supply chain space. As we face the bottom of the current market cycle and begin guessing about the characteristics of the future freight economy, it is critical to have the most accurate and up-to-date information to make actionable decisions and maintain strong relationships. By leveraging more than $200 billion in annual truckload data, along with more than $1 trillion in global transportation data across 300,000 data points and charts, transportation leaders are able to gain the clearest picture at both the ground level and 30,000 feet.
Modern supply chains have to move away from rigid pricing structures with outdated processes backed by insufficient data. That is why FreightWaves SONAR is building high-frequency channels to create resiliency and flexibility for everyone.
What’s next for SONAR?
As we look forward to the F3: Future of Freight Festival in November, exciting announcements are piling up from the SONAR product team. Customers will love new designs, prescriptive rate functionality and strengthened pricing across modes and regions. Sign up today to be a part of the exciting event in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Stay tuned here for more information.
More than 500 of the world’s largest shippers and logistics companies trust FreightWaves to create sustainable supply chains. While the market has reached an apparent floor, now is the time to make technological changes to strengthen your supply chain for the future. Connect with us today to find out how SONAR does more than just provide the most accurate calls on the coming freight market.
The post SONAR now offers customizable rate outputs appeared first on FreightWaves.
Source: freightwaves - SONAR now offers customizable rate outputs
Editor: FreightWaves Staff


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January 10, 2020
Regulation on e-cigarettes will likely decrease after the UK has left the European Union, a senior figure in the vaping industry has said.
Nick Geens, Head of Reduced Risk Products at JTI was speaking in an exclusive interview with Vape Business to be published online and in Asian Trader on 17 January.
“It looks more likely now that Brexit will take place with the recent election results,” Geens said. “I am sure it is not going to be the very first priority for the new government, but they have given signs that once Brexit is in place that the UK government would be willing to look into softening the regulations on vaping.”
An advertising ban on nicotine-containing e-cigarettes has been in place since 2017 and a recent ruling by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) extended this to paid promotions.
Geens said: “There are certain bodies and authorities out there who seem to be waging war against nicotine altogether, which is not always justified, because there is evidence out there to suggest that there is a significant potential benefit of reducing risk for consumers in products that still contain nicotine.”
In what would be an almost unprecedented sign of deregulation for nicotine-containing products, Nick Geens thinks promoting harm reduction products could soon be made legal again.
He said: “We expect [the UK government] – mostly in terms of communication and advertising – to loosen up on the regulation because the UK authorities are clear in their belief in the [reduced risk] potential of vaping products… If we get Brexit done and we get on to normal regulation again, we can also close the loophole of unregulated zero-nicotine liquids and bring some consolidation to the market.”


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The Facebook-TikTok Face-Off
Instagram Reels Aims to Compete With TikTok
Instagram, owned by Facebook (FB) is rolling out a new service to compete with ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok. The feature is called Reels—and similar to TikTok, it gives users a platform to record and share short videos with audio or music.
TikTok has 800 million active users across the globe, and the number of TikTok users in the US has grown 5.5 times in less than 18 months. TikTok has worked to draw users from Facebook and Instagram through massive ad campaigns on the respective platforms. Now, Facebook is fighting back. The company is paying TikTok users with millions of followers to create exclusive content for Reels.
How Does Reels Work?
Through Reels, users can share video clips on their Instagram Stories. They can also send videos to individuals, or add a new Reels tab on their Instagram profiles. Instagram has over 1 billion active users worldwide. It has been successful before in launching new features to compete with other platforms, like Instagram Stories, which mimicked some features of Snapchat (SNAP).
Reels will launch in the US in early August. It will also arrive in the UK, Japan, Mexico, and about 50 other countries next month. The platform has already made its debut in India, Germany, and France.
Facebook’s move into TikTok’s territory comes at a tense moment in the relationship between the US (home of Facebook) and China (home of TikTok). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has indicated that the Trump administration has concerns about TikTok’s ties to China, and might place limits on the platform in the US.
Several weeks ago, TikTok announced it would pull out of Hong Kong due to conflicts about a new national-security law in the city. Just last week, India banned TikTok because of escalating tensions with China due to a border dispute in the Himalayas. India accounted for about one-third of TikTok’s users before the ban. Instagram Reels took the opportunity to launch in India to fill the gap.
Some TikTok users and talent managers in the US are wary of these rising tensions. Many are eager to build their presence on Reels as a way to have insurance in case TikTok is banned or limited in the US.
Please understand that this information provided is general in nature and shouldn’t be construed as a recommendation or solicitation of any products offered by SoFi’s affiliates and subsidiaries. In addition, this information is by no means meant to provide investment or financial advice, nor is it intended to serve as the basis for any investment decision or recommendation to buy or sell any asset. Keep in mind that investing involves risk, and past performance of an asset never guarantees future results or returns. It’s important for investors to consider their specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile before making an investment decision.
The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. These links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement. No brands or products mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this content.
Communication of SoFi Wealth LLC an SEC Registered Investment Advisor
SoFi isn’t recommending and is not affiliated with the brands or companies displayed. Brands displayed neither endorse or sponsor this article. Third party trademarks and service marks referenced are property of their respective owners.


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2016 North American Car And Truck Of The Year Finalists Announced
In the United States still held the official competition among popular cars for the title "Car of the Year 2016". Already identified just six prestigious finalists, including three cars and three large-sized crossover.
In the final of the competition "Car of the Year" among cars announced Honda Civic, Chevrolet Malibu and Mazda MX-5, and among the leaders of the SUVs are such cars as the Honda Pilot, Nissan Titan pickup truck models and no less famous Volvo XC90. Key indicators on which the professional jury selects the winners, comfort, overall design, safety of potential new and impressive technological ideas, as well as the relationship between the power and potential profitability. Two large-scale competition winners from each category will choose presented at the auto show, which will be held in Detroit in the first half of January, coming in 2016. It is worth recalling that this competition is conducted on the territory of Europe, the results of which will be officially knocked out in early March of the coming year in Geneva. Also, the competition "World Car of 2016". The results of the latter is reported to be fully unveiled in New York City.


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Microsoft's tablet come laptop, the Surface Pro, has had its fourth iteration announced by the company, rocking the new Windows 10 platform. Arguably the best slate on the market, the Surface Pro 4 arrives loaded with impressive hardware, but honestly we still look at this product as an ultrabook more than we do a traditional tablet.
Since Apple launched the iPad Pro (Apple Pencil and all) at the start of last month, the trail has gone a bit cold for the tablet come laptop wannabe. Cupertino has not said when the device will launch, but a report out of Japan points to an early November launch for the iPad Pro, with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard landing at the same time.
We are expecting Microsoft to launch the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL smartphones alongside Windows 10 Mobile next week. However, the company will also be launching a new Surface Pro, the fourth edition of the tablet come full on laptop PC. The latest information suggests that the Surface Pro 4 will come with a razor thin bezel that will make it look like an all-screen device.
The LG G Pad 10.1 has been launched in South Korea today, a few weeks after it was unveiled prior to the IFA trade show in Berlin. The flagship slate will not be staying in LG's homeland exclusively for long though as its launch in the United States and other regions should happen at the end of this month.
Retail giant Amazon is apparently going to update its tablet lineup with a 10-inch model, which will be the company's largest slate so far.
Apple has launched the iPad Pro today, the large screen tablet that the company says revolutionizes the slate market, although really it?s just Apple's take on the Microsoft Surface Pro. That's not a flippant comment either as the Surface Pro is excellent and from what we have seen of the iPad Pro so far, it is also excellent and very feature rich.
While Apple's iPad Pro remains merely a rumor, major rival Samsung is readying its own business oriented tablet, a device that has been leaked several times over the last month. Apparently the South Korean company is now shopping its 18.4-inch tablet to major carriers in its homeland, with a view to mass producing the slate in the fourth quarter of this year.
LG is launching a new phablet flagship later in the year, but the so-called G4 Pro is unlikely to be unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin next month. Instead the Korean company will keeps itself busy by launching a new tablet, the G Pad 2 10.1, a larger version of the 8-inch G Pad 2 that the company launched in South Korea last month.
The idea of an iPad Pro has been with us for a few years now, but since Apple tied up a deal with IBM last year that will probably expand enterprise, the iPad Pro rumor have gained even more traction. Now sources in Apple's supply chain are suggesting that the iPad Pro will be announced this year, during November in fact.
We sniff a PR disaster. NVIDIA has opened a voluntary recall of every single Shield Tablet that has been purchased in the last 12 months due to a safety issue. The battery used inside the slate can apparently overheat enough that it becomes a fire hazard, making the overheating issues of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 seem tame in comparison.


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Fisker Karma recalled over fire riskSun, 19 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700
The Fisker Karma range-extender EV is being recalled over a fire risk from a faulty cooling fan.
We’re not sure how many Fisker Karmas there are in the UK (well, there should be at least one), but so far it appears that there are a surprising 1,900 in the wild.
Now those 1,900 (or 2,400 if you count all the Karamas built and heading for customers) are to be recalled after fire destroyed two Karmas in the US.
The first, in Texas, has not been confirmed as related to the fault, but the second, in Woodside, California, has been attributed to a faulty cooling fan and Fisker are contacting all Karma owners to replace the potentially faulty unit.
This is the second recall for the Karma since its started to hit showrooms (the first was for a faulty battery pack) but, despite Fisker being a bit short of cash at the moment, they say they can handle the recall and that no elements of the Karma’s batteries, motors or other electric components are at fault.
It’s a shame for Fisker that the headlines are conspiring against them, because the Karma is a great looking car with a very sensible range-extender setup offering decent performance and a proper range.
Even if, at around £100k in the UK, the Karma is on the expensive side.
By Cars UK


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US restaurant chain Russo’s New York Pizzeria has announced that it will open three outlets in the UAE this year.
The firm will open restaurants in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in autumn after awarding territory rights to Dubai-based Prime Hospitality, a division of Ghobash Trading & Investment Company.
The first outlet at Dubai’s Jumeirah Centre is pencilled in for a late October opening, followed by an Abu Dhabi restaurant in November at the newly renovated Al Wahda Mall. Russo’s Sharjah eatery will be based at the Sahara Mall.
Russo’s says it is also looking to bring its up-market concept, Russo’s Coal Fired Italian Kitchen, to Dubai in 2013, despite not yet having secured a location.
“We have looked at a number of locations and found that landlords are happy to have us, however it is not a matter of opening as soon as we can, it’s a matter of finding the right locations,” said Murad Alnasur, general manager at Prime Hospitality.
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- Pakistan: Halal market has $1.3tr export potential
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- Australia: Baw Baw bites back at halal haters
- Pak-Brazil two-way trade needs to be expanded


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Twitter co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone have launched a preview version of Medium, a new Internet publishing tool that offers collections of content via themes.
Windows 10 review: Microsoft goes back to the future
Windows 10 ISOs now available to download
Poll: Is Windows 10 ready for its launch?
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windows 10 phone continuum
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How can we support farmers in the transition to more sustainable food systems? As part of our #FoodFuture campaign, we spoke to Alexander Bernhuber MEP to examine the challenge and what EU legislators are doing to help.
The agricultural sector has faced many challenges in recent years. Whether it is ensuring security of supply or the impact of climate change on biodiversity as well as soil and water quality.
For this reason, agriculture already makes its contribution to the fight against climate change. Through the production of regional food in a climate-friendly way, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced, not to mention other benefits. By farming in a sustainable way, such as greening, crop rotation or reduced tillage, the humus level can be increased.
Next to the challenge of properly adapting to climate change mitigation is also the implementation of new rules and procedures. Of course, it is important that there are certain rules and regulations. Unfortunately, legislative texts are often drafted without the adequate impact assessments. Hence, their execution imposes great challenges on the agricultural sector. New legislation for farmers should always include subsidiarity, proportionality and the consideration of practical effects.
The Covid-19 pandemic in particular, has shown the importance of a well-functioning interaction between agriculture and the food sector. To secure the food supply chain is always an important objective – not only during a crisis.
The food and drink industry and agriculture are also committed to food safety. To ensure food safety throughout the supply chain, the EU implements robust regulatory measures and farmers make voluntary efforts to ensure the highest levels of food quality. European food safety regulations have increased consumer confidence in European food production. As European food standards are the strictest, it is not surprising that Europe is the leading exporting producer of food and beverages.
The interdependence between agriculture and the food industry also manifests itself in terms of a sustainable future for farming.
In Europe, 88 million tons of high quality produced food are wasted every single year. By reducing the amount of food waste, other invaluable resources such as water, energy and other raw materials are not being squandered. The European Green Deal requires a food waste reduction of 50% by 2030.
In addition, the Farm to Fork strategy has an essential role to play in Europe’s fight against climate change as well. It aims to make the food sector fair, healthy and environmentally friendly. If agriculture – and therefore the food industry – adopts a sustainable path, this will also create new opportunities in the food value chain.


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Breaks in supply chains surface ahead of BrexitAdd bookmark
Fractures have begun to emerge within UK and EU supply chains ahead of the trade hurdles to be caused by Brexit.
The findings were uncovered in a survey conducted by CIPD drawing on insight from over 1,100 UK and European supply chain managers.
Fears of loss
Surprisingly, almost one in 10 of the responding supply chain managers admit their business has lost contracts due to Brexit. Furthermore, 14% fear parts of their operations will not be viable any longer.
In the space of 6 months the level of EU businesses that expect to move some of their supply chain out of the UK due to Brexit jumped up by 19% to 63% of the practitioners surveyed.
Around 40% of UK businesses are looking for local partners to replace their current EU partners. Encouragingly, 26% are determined to invest in strengthening their relationships with suppliers based in Europe.
Consensus depicts that the Government should strive to minimize tariffs and quotas between the UK and Europe in its negotiations.
Gerry Walsh, Group CEO, CIPS, commented: “The Brexit negotiating teams promise that progress will be made soon, but it is already too late for scores of businesses who look like they will be deserted by their European partners. British businesses simply cannot put their suppliers and customers on hold while the negotiators get their act together.
“The success of the negotiations should not be measured on the final deal only, but on how quickly both sides can provide certainty. The clock is ticking.”
Deadlock in Brexit negotiations is causing uncertainty with a considerable portion struggling to prepare and finalize their own corporation’s arrangements as a result. A quarter of the UK businesses included, which have over 200 employees, have spent £100,000 on preparing their supply chains.


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Drone Guarder, Inc. (OTCQB: DRNG) is engaged as an early stage security and surveillance service provider, which features the development and commercialization of a drone-based home security system. Shares of the security company are surging 58.54%, through afternoon trading on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. Over the past three months, Drone Guarder has seen average daily volume of 597,017 shares. However, volume of 4.65 million shares or dollar volume of $30,225, has already exchanged hands through afternoon trading on Tuesday.
Shares of Drone Guarder are jumping on Tuesday, after the company recently announced the development of its proprietary Droneguarder mobile application for the Microsoft Windows platform. The app is said to be available on the Microsoft app store shortly and will allow functionality for the DG Intruder to conduct security patrols across a property. The company is working on a demonstration video to show features and capabilities. Here is the full press release detailing of the new Windows app:
Drone Guarder, Inc. Press Release:
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / January 7, 2019 / Drone Guarder, Inc. (OTCQB: DRNG)
DG is pleased to announce the development of our Droneguarder App for Windows, we have been working on the DG Intruder App for Windows which now works on Windows Surface and all Windows operating systems. The DG Windows APP will be released in the Microsoft store shortly. The DG App will control functionality for DG Intruder to conduct Security Sweeps of the grounds of a property, and for the drone to be called home at any time once in the air, if the drone has been autonomously launched by an intruder and the human is a friendly it can be called home to base. We have programmed other essential functions for the DG App which will be demonstrated in our video.
Over the past few months we have been attempting to fix a technical problem with our Chinese partners regarding the constant streaming of video from the DG drone to the App, the issue has been real-time streaming and storing the drone video from the drone to the cloud via our web services. But this has not been possible and we have decided to switch to our new drone platform partners to DJI Drone manufacturers from China and Skydio Drones from San Francisco.
We are currently working with these two new drone platforms to overcome this issue, we have been working with DJI for the past 2 months on their Mavic Air platform and had good results with the streaming of the video. We are also working with Skydio Drones using their SDK development kit. We are utilizing the SDK development kits from both manufactures to test our App and the video streaming capabilities, we hope to announce a formal partnership with Skydio in the next couple of weeks, they have the latest leading edge technology and best operating system for the DG Drone product developments, our AI code integrates with both DJI and Skydio drone operating systems.
DG is working diligently on the technology integration of our AI with the drone partners for the best product results, we hope to release our DG Intruder product in the next couple of months. The recent technical issue we had with our Chinese partners slowed our development as we tried to resolve the problem, but we believe now we have resolved the issue. DG will be releasing a demonstration video in the next couple of weeks that shows our Windows App and the DJI Mavic Air in operation demonstrating the App functionality and drone.
Adam Taylor (CEO of DG) says ”We are excited to shortly be releasing the DG Intruder APP for Windows in the Microsoft Windows store, we intend to a have the App launched in the Apple and Google stores in the near future. We are also pleased to have a solution to resolve the real-time video streaming from the drone to the cloud where all footage can be stored in the cloud and viewed at any time where needed.”
About Drone Guarder Inc
DroneGuarder is an early stage security and surveillance company focusing on commercializing a drone enhanced home security system as a turnkey solution. The solution is app-based and includes a drone, infrared camera, and Android mobile app component: Once an alarm has been triggered, the DroneGuarder™ will immediately take off from a wireless charging pad.
Please visit http://www.droneguarder.com to learn about the company, management and products.
This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our growth strategy and product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated are: risks related to our growth strategy; risks relating to the results of research and development activities; our ability to obtain, perform under and maintain financing and strategic agreements and relationships; uncertainties relating to preclinical and clinical testing; our dependence on third-party suppliers; ourability to attract, integrate, and retain key personnel; the early stage of products under development; our need for substantial additional funds; government regulation; patent and intellectual property matters; competition; as well as other risks described in our SEC filings. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.


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In this episode of Retail Right Now, Total Retail's Joe Keenan and Kristina Stidham discuss back-to-school spending and behavior. Key data from recent consumer surveys on trends and forecasts show that retailers should prepare for a busy back-to-school season this year. For example, KPMG reports that BTS spending is expected to increase 9 percent year-over-year, and average spend per child will rise substantially — $268 per student compared to $247 in 2020. While signs show digital learning isn’t going away, the widespread return of students to the classroom is propelling increased spending in key retail categories, led by footwear, apparel and school supplies.
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, students are returning to classrooms and shoppers are returning to stores, even as online sales remain strong. A survey from Deloitte found the level of online spend for back-to-school has increased year-over-year to 39 percent, while in-store spending remains the same from 2020. Shopping behaviors first adopted due to safety will continue as a desire for convenience takes over, such as consumers opting for buy online, pick up in-store and curbside pickup services. This year’s back-to-school shopping season is sure to be a whirlwind for retailers as students gear up for a changed learning environment.


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Online video advertising company Blinkx, listed on London's junior AIM stock market, has full-year results out today and they show the company is getting crushed for failing to be on mobile.
Revenue at the company slipped from $247.21 million (£157.82 million) in 2014 to $214.96 million (£137.23 million) in the year to March 31.
It might not seem like a big drop but the online advertising is booming, particularly in video.
Pre-tax profit also nose-dived: the company swung from a $12.17 million (£7.77 million) profit in 2014 to a $20.79 million (£13.27 million) loss this year.
The problem Blinkx is facing is one that almost any consumer-facing Internet business will have to deal with at some point — the shift from desktop to mobile.
While video advertising is doing well at the moment, Blinkx's traditional desktop market is dying. As more and more people browse the internet on their smartphones, advertising money is being redirected to mobile.
Blinkx is overhauling its business to adapt to the changes. But this is costly — research and development rose from $24.69 million (£15.76 million) to $30 million (£19.15 million) over the last year. That's on top of falling desktop revenue remember.
The rise of programmatic advertising, the practice of buying space using automated processes, is also adding to costs. Blinkx has to spend money to integrate its business with various programmatic buying platforms.
Blinkx CEO Subhransu Brian Mukherjee said today: "In 2015, both the industry and company went through a significant structural shift. The Company deliberately realigned the business to focus on mobile, video and programmatic advertising channels, as the industry continued to move in this direction.
"Through organic investments and strategic acquisitions, the company reconstituted over half of the desktop revenue shortfall experienced year-on-year. Historically, companies in the sector that have evolved their strategies to capitalize on emerging trends and offer fully integrated solutions — through either acquisitions or organic growth — have been rewarded in the long run."
Despite Mukherjee's calls for investors to play the long game, Blinkx opened down 8% this morning. That's despite warnings earlier in the year that results weren't going to be pretty and a share price slump last week.
Blinkx's performance should be a warning to other ad companies facing the shift to mobile — or even any business that interacts with its customers online. Make the shift early or prepare for a painful transition.


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the most expensive gaming system on the market and sales have declined on a year-over-year basis for seven consecutive months.
The company has continually denied plans for a price reduction, though. MKM analyst Eric Handler says that may be technically true, as he does not expect an across the board price cut on all models – but some lower prices are a certainty.
“We believe Sony could cut the price for its 160GB system by $100 to $399 and then introduce a new, and cheaper, PS3 Slim (despite the company’s insistence it has no plans for a redesigned PS3), while discontinuing the 80GB system,” he writes.
Handler also notes “the 160GB system could be bundled with software, possibly even Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL 2010.” If this proves true, it could significantly boost PS3 sales. The “Madden” series is typically one of the industry’s top selling games every year.
Microsoft, which cut the price of its low-end Xbox 360 model last year to $199, may be forced to react if Sony’s cuts are aggressive enough. Handler says the company will not be the first to initiate cuts, as its larger installed base, lower price and relatively steady sales put it in a position of strength.
If it decides to react, Handler writes, “a $50 price cut for the Xbox systems should serve as a sufficient measure to maintain its market share lead versus the PS3.”
The risk is that by playing follow-the-leader, Microsoft might appear desperate to some observers. In the last console cycle, Microsoft regularly followed Sony in price cuts, making it seem reactive, rather than proactive.
Handler, though, disagrees that Microsoft would appear weak by cutting prices twice in a roughly one year period.
“If Sony is going to have the 160GB PS3 at $399 (and assuming they bundle a game with it) which is the same price at the Xbox 360 Elite machine with 120GB I think a $50 price cut makes sense,” he says. “I think Microsoft wants to sustain its momentum and continue to give consumers a reason not to buy the PS3.”
Nintendo, as always, remains the wild card. The company has not adjusted the Wii’s retail price since the system launched. The days of being unable to find a Wii are long gone, though, and sales have dropped off noticeably in the past few months.
Retailers, including the CEO of GameStop, have called for a price cut, but Nintendo has resisted so far. Instead, it is presently pinning its hopes on its software line-up for the back half of the year, particularly “Wii Sports Resort” – which comes bundled with a new peripheral that will make the Wii controller more accurate.
That title will hit U.S. shelves on July 26,but if early numbers from Japan are any indication, Nintendo could have another mega-hit on its hands. Over 350,000 copies were sold in the first week.
If that success is matched here, it doesn’t bode well for a price cut. If, though, U.S. consumers don’t embrace the game and new peripheral, Nintendo could change its strategy.
At least one analyst thinks a Nintendo price cut is a sure thing regardless. Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities issued a note to investors on June 12, saying: “In order to hit its full-year Wii shipment forecast, we expect Nintendo to cut the price of the Wii before [the] holiday, likely to $199.99.”
Beyond the benefit for consumers, video game console price cuts are good news for third party publishers. As system sales increase, game software sales follow suit. Both Activision and Ubisoft have key titles launching late in the year that would undoubtedly perform much better with higher Xbox 360 and PS3 installed customer bases.
Slideshow: Games to Watch
Slideshow: 2009's Best Selling Games


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Product Management News
Product Management news continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
1 hr ago | Bleed Cubbie Blue
The 2014 Digital Dollar Shift [Infographic] - 58% of business to business marketers are spending more on social media this year, with just one in fifty decreasing their spend in this area in 2014, reveals a new study.
Planning to attend Oracle OpenWorld 2014 ? If so, be sure to check out the various Enterprise Visualization activities that you can take advantage of while in San Francisco.
Here's some good news for those looking to land a creative job: Recent research by The Creative Group found that hiring in the industry is on an upswing.
In an effort to boost Internet usage in underdeveloped countries, Facebook yesterday said that it will provide free, but limited, Internet data access to mobile phone subscribers in the African nation of Zambia.
Adding to Vidyo's robust infrastructure and endpoint portfolio , VidyoDesktop VE extends the high-quality and scale of the Vidyo solution to Citrix virtual desktop offerings including Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp .
Google is looking to make your work day a bit more social and is taking its Google Hangouts into the business arena.
Kevin Simon, LinkedIn's director of product management, leads the team responsible for the site's Identity and Search products.
Advanced Micro Devices is moving closer to a motherboard design that will accept both x86 and ARM chips with the shipment of its first 64-bit ARM board.
Pinterest has acquired Icebergs , a " Pinterest for creative types," which offered an online collaboration service that allowed users to organize their projects, including not only images, but also articles, files, videos, and other content, and share that content with others.
I read a press release the other day announcing that, since the first of the year, Oracle has released 57 new JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 9.1 mobile applications optimized for smartphones and tablets .
Teq, the leading educational technology and professional development firm, today announced that Eric Pitcher has joined the company as Vice President of Software and Services.
Plantronics , today announced Plantronics Manager Pro v3.0, a cloud service that customers and partners can use to deploy and manage Plantronics communications devices.
Now, when you view someone's profile on Android iOS or the mobile website, LinkedIn will highlight connections and interests that you both share, as well as groups you have both joined.
After talking it up since November 2013, Cisco is this week set to ship its version of SDN, the Application Centric Infrastructure .
Centric Software, led by CEO Chris Groves, has raised $24 million in Series D funding to help it grow its fashion and luxury goods product management software in Asia.
Updated: Fri Aug 01, 2014 05:53 am
Copyright © 2014 Topix LLC


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Two students from the School of Creative Arts and Design were chosen to take part in the inaugural Superyacht UK Design competition at the CWM FX London Boat Show in January.
William Morris and Richard Marshall were invited by Superyacht UK, an association within the British Marine Federation, to take part in the competition at the recent London Boat Show.
In total, eight students from universities across the UK were invited to take part in the event which was designed to raise the profile of the essential hand-drawing skill which is quickly becoming a lost art; it is also to increase awareness of the marine industry as a potential career option and ensure more talent is available for the design houses.
William Morris, a final year Product Design student, narrowly missed out on scooping first prize but was selected as runner-up and awarded Highly Commended for his efforts. Also selected to take part was Richard Marshall who is also in his final year of Product Design.
Following his success, William said: “The Superyacht UK Design Competition was a fantastic opportunity, to not only compete amongst other designers, but to gain knowledge within the affluent superyacht industry, and primarily to collaborate and network with a variety of yacht design companies.”
Interior and Product Design senior lecturer Ben Salter said: “This prestigious competition focuses on traditional, conceptual hand-drawn skills, and has given Richard and William the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with some of the world’s leading super yacht manufacturers.”
James Roy, Yacht Design Director of competition sponsor BMT Nigel Gee Ltd, said: “It has been a pleasure to spend two days with these bright, creative and, above all else enthusiastic young designers. Their commitment was evident from the start and, with a mix of backgrounds, the final results covered a broad range of creative ideas. I have no doubt that they will all go far in their chosen fields and commend them all for the effort they put into their work.”


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Life after Lance: FRS acquires contract manufacturer, shuffles management team
The company announced the completion of the acquisition of Nutravail, a contract manufacturer with special expertise in chews, an area that FRS had also expended into recently. FRS is privately held, and the terms of the deal were not announced.
The company also announced the departure of CEO Carl Sweat. Current CFO Dave Henderson now becomes acting CEO, and Rick O’Neil, CEO of the newly acquired Nutravail, will continue on leading that company and will join the management team of FRS. The venture capital and private equity firm, Oak Investment Partners, and founder Tom Lines remain major investors in the company.
Another change: The company will no longer distribute its products via Pepsi Warehouse Services, but will “pursue an independent distribution network, using a combination of direct sales and distributors,” according to a statement issued by the company.
Focus on quercetin
One thing won’t change: The company remains focused on products built around the benefits of the antioxidant flavonoid ingredient quercetin, found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
“The FRS brand is firmly rooted in the science of quercetin,” Matt Kohler, chief marketing officer, told NutraIngredients-USA.
But the changes the company has made means it can expand its product offerings, Kohler said. In particular the company plans to leverage Nutravail’s chews expertise.
“Nutravail opens up significant revenue opportunities, particularly with soft chews,” Kohler said. “Their patented process allows us to put higher nutritional content into a chew, and they do so at lower temperatures which enables more nutritional content to remain. This will definitely be an area of focus for the combined company.”
Life after Lance
The company launched in 2004 around a single product, the FRS Healthy Energy beverage, which includes quercetin, green tea extracts and vitamins. The company pursued a strategy of latching onto high-profile sports figures as spokesmen. FRS now lists New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow and US women’s national soccer team star Christie Rampone in its stable. The primary spokesman at one time, though, was Lance Armstrong, the US cyclist who has admitted doping and has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
“Lance Armstrong lied to us, plain and simple. Once that became clear, we immediately cut all ties to him, and moved on. But we continue to be focused on the millions of consumers who love FRS. Some are elite athletes from professional sports teams, but most of them are regular folks trying to lead a healthy active lifestyle,” Kohler said.
Incremental growth in energy category
FRS has expanded its product line over the years into the aforementioned chews as well as protein drinks and beverages offering immunity support. It’s part of an attempt to find some open niches to compete in the crowded energy product marketplace.
“FRS is a different type of product and appeals to a different consumer, so it’s highly incremental to the category,” Kohler said. “FRS appeals to a healthy, physically active consumer and is evenly balanced between men and women. Traditional energy drinks appeal to young men who aren’t particularly health-conscious.”
Little regulatory risk
Kohler said that FRS’s difference from products like Monster and Red Bull means the company is not overly concerned about the mounting pressure against energy drinks from government regulators, members of Congress or from high-profile wrongful death lawsuits.
“Many energy drinks are essentially ‘caffeine bombs’ loaded with caffeine, sugar, and other ‘stuff’ that can lead to jitters and a caffeine crash. The people who are marketing those products should definitely be worried,” Kohler said. “FRS is different. Our products use natural antioxidants to deliver sustained healthy energy.”
As FRS executes its reset, not everyone is sold on the strategy of building a brand around the benefits of single ingredient. The risk, as with all ingredients, is that the ingredient itself and its benefits will become commoditized.
“I think it is a very difficult brand to understand. When they started nobody had quercetin. Now it is everywhere,” said beverage consultant Jim Tonkin.


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In 2017 PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannia plans to invest 30 billion UAH in drilling and purchase of new equipment, head of the company Oleh Prokhorenko has said at a press conference in Kyiv. According to him, next year the company intends to drill about 100 new wells, overhaul 500 existing wells, as well as carry out operations…Details
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Lower-than-usual temperatures (down by 2-4 degrees C from their long-term average) were registered in the west and north-west of Romania. Temperatures above the long-term normal occurred in the south of the country and in its northeastern region named Moldova (2 C). Air temperatures averaged within –8 and +10 C, peaked at +12 C in the…Details
The weather was colder-than-usual and featured precipitation. Diverse temperatures and precipitation shortages were reported in the country. The average weekly air temperature was +0.1 to +2.5 degrees C, mostly 1-2.4 C above normal. Air temperatures peaked at +14 C – this occurs on average once per seven years at the time – and bottomed out…Details
The leader in the sphere of trading in agricultural products and sunflower oil production in the Republic of Moldova – the company Trans-Oil Group – invested $6 million in increasing capacities of the grain terminal in the Giurgiulesti International Free Port, the press-service of the company declared. According to the announcement, the funds from the…Details
In the first five months of the current season pea exports from Ukraine have managed to exceed last season’s potential. 252 KMT of peas were shipped for export from July through November, up by 4.5% YoY (242 KMT). Traditionally, the key importer remains India with its export share reaching 43%. Ukrainian exporters supplied roughly 108…Details
In January-November the grain terminal JSC Ak Biday Terminal, the subsidiary company of the National Company Food Contract Corporation JSC, exported over 452 thousand tons of grains through its grain terminal in the Aktau port, the press-service of Food Contract Corporation declared. According to the announcement, in the same period of 2015 the shipped volumes…Details
Purchase prices for grains on Bulgaria’s domestic market somewhat sank last week. They were pressured primarily by volatility of the national currency against the U.S. dollar. Overall, the pace of grain market purchases is estimated as stable. Purchase prices for wheat are being pressured by its sufficient supply on the domestic market despite quick sales.…Details


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Good news for those of us with a fast car, a lead foot and poor impulse control: Ford is rolling out a new Speed Limiter feature. The car uses a camera to read the speed limit signs before giving you a heads up if your velocity is making you a police-magnet.
For now, the technology is only being rolled out on the company’s European line of cars, including the Edge, Galaxy and S-MAX vehicles. The Euro-market is a particularly good match for the technology, given that there are more than 35,000 speed cameras across Europe, and speeding tickets turning up in the mail is practically a national sport across much of the continent. Smile for the camera, indeed.
It’s yet another tiny piece of the self-driving car puzzle falling into place. In this case, in a car with the Intelligent Speed Limiter activated, a camera will read traffic signs ahead, adjusting the car’s speed without the driver needing to get involved. If the car you’re driving has a navigation package, it will augment the camera data with the speed limit data from the maps. Clever.
In effect, the speed nanny combines two technologies into the new, wallet-saving feature. The first is an adjustable speed limiter, which is a bit like cruise control, but instead of keeping your car at a fixed speed, it lets you drive normally but prevents you from going faster than your set speed limit. The second — and, frankly, more interesting — technology is traffic sign recognition, which shows you right on your dashboard the most recent passing restrictions, speed limit signs and other information.
You can see the technology in action in the video below.


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The Chief Executive of the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), Emma McClarkin has given her take on the Budget.
McClarkin said, “Pubs, brewers and beer drinkers will be toasting the Chancellor today for a range of business-boosting measures.
“Pubs pay 2.5% of Business Rates despite accounting for only 0.5% of rateable turnover – an overpayment of £570m. Cancelling the rates multiplier and cutting rates for pubs by 50% for one year is a much-needed boost to our sector in its fragile recovery.
“The 50% cut to business rates alone will save pubs £169 million. However, the cap of £110,000 per business is a huge dampener and means a significant number of pubs will not benefit from the relief at all. The multiplier freeze will save English pubs £32 million.“
McClarkin went on, “The announcement that business rates revaluations will happen more frequently is also welcome, as is the one year improvement allowance. However, we remain concerned that for the longer term the inherent unfairness of the business rates system for pubs has not been addressed.
“The Chancellor’s decision to freeze beer duty instead of the RPI linked increase he had planned is to be warmly welcomed. It will save £177 million and secure 9,000 vital jobs across the country. Clearly, the Chancellor listened to the 134,000 people who signed the Long Live The Local petition calling on him to support pubs and brewers in the Budget.“
McClarkin continued, “Pub goers will also be toasting the Chancellor today for announcing a 5% lower duty rate on draught beer worth £62 million. This is great news for our local pubs and recognises the crucial role they play in our economy and society.
“However, the overall beer duty rate in the UK remains amongst the highest in Europe. It is vital for Britain’s brewers, a world class homegrown manufacturing success story, that the overall beer duty burden is reduced – not just duty on draught beer in pubs.
“Beer is a low-strength product and breweries have invested heavily in developing a range of innovative, exciting and great tasting low and no alcohol beers. We therefore welcome proposals to reduce duty on lower-strength products as part of the proposed modernisation of the alcohol duty regime to better incentivise the consumption of lower-strength drinks.
“Overall, this has been a good Budget for pubs as they recover from the pandemic. The measures announced today will help pubs and breweries play a leading role in levelling up the economy and building stronger, more vibrant communities throughout the country.”


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UPDATE 1-Toyota to launch compact hybrid in January -Nikkei
* New Aqua model to get just under 40 km/l in Japan
* To cost about 300,000 yen less than Prius
* Toyota says cannot comment on product plans (Adds company comment)
TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp plans to launch a compact hybrid car in January with listed mileage of just under 40 km/litre (94 mpg), giving it the best fuel economy among gasoline-electric cars, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.
The vehicle, called the Aqua, will use the same powertrain as Toyota's Prius, the paper said without saying where it got the information. The Prius gets 32 km/litre in Japan.
Toyota said it could not comment on product plans.
The car is likely to sell for around 1.7 million yen($22,000) in Japan, about 300,000 yen less than the Prius, and will target younger drivers and women, the daily added.
The world's biggest automaker, which dominates the hybrid field, has said it would launch about 10 more gasoline-electric models by 2015 and offer a fuel-sipping option across its entire line-up by around 2020.
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Defelice Bros. Pizza, Heart-shaped pizza’s are back for Valentine’s Day.
It’s part of a special Valentine’s Day fundraiser for the American Heart Association.For the last 33-years, $1.00 from every heart pizza sold goes to the American Heart Association.
The pizza’s can be topped any way you like and all 8 area shops will be selling the pizzas this weekend, “We get an overwhelming response from this. Most Pizzerias say Super Bowl Sunday or Halloween or whatever, but this is by far our most popular,” said Defelice Bros. Pizza Owner, Dominic Defelice.
You can get your hands on the popular pizza starting Sunday, February 12th and they will be on sale through Valentines Day.


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The Nebraska Examiner's Jacob Fischler reported this past week that "the U.S. Senate easily passed a resolution Thursday to repeal a Biden administration rule allowing for beef to be imported from…
Late last week, Aime Williams and Justin Jacobs reported at The Financial Times Online that, “China has purchased less than three-fifths of the US goods projected under the ‘phase one’ trade deal that paused a tariff dispute between the two countries a year ago, posing another challenge for the administration of Joe Biden in its relations with Beijing.”
The FT writers indicated that, “According to analysis from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Beijing has purchased just 58 per cent of the US exports expected under its projections, based on data to the end of last month.”
China has bought $23.5bn of the agricultural products covered by the deal, compared with an expected first-year figure of $36.6bn.
Looking ahead, Bloomberg News reported last week that, “As the pact enters its second year, all eyes are on whether a new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden will try to renegotiate the deal.”
Meanwhile, Lingling Wei and Bob Davis reported in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal that, “Looking to reset the troubled U.S.-China relationship, Beijing is pressing for a meeting of its top diplomat with senior aides to President Biden to explore a summit between the two nations’ leaders, according to people with knowledge of the initiative.”
The Journal article also stated that, “It isn’t clear whether Mr. Biden’s choice for U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, will push for enforcement of the Phase One deal or press for a new round of negotiations.”
In more narrow reporting regarding agricultural purchases, Reuters writers Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton reported last week that, “China’s soybean imports from the United States in 2020 rose by 52.8% from a year earlier, customs data showed on Wednesday, though the stepped up buying likely fell short of what was needed to fulfil last year’s trade deal between the countries.
“The world’s top soybean buyer last year brought in 25.89 million tonnes of the oilseed from the U.S., its second-largest supplier, up from 16.94 million tonnes in 2019.”
Ag exports near 2017 levels ($24 billion)--far from targets but a good recovery from trade war. 2021 may be better yet based on sales to date. China needs protein meal and calories for meat and dairy production. https://t.co/rvmcXor9oW— JoeGlauber--IFPRI (@JoeGlauber1) January 21, 2021
The Reuters article explained that, “Besides the push to meet the trade deal, soybean imports also rose as China rapidly replenished its pig herd after it was decimated by the deadly African swine fever during the last two years.”
And a separate Reuters News article last week reported that, “China’s grains imports soared to record highs in 2020, customs data showed on Monday, after tight domestic corn supplies pushed prices to multi-year peaks, driving demand for cheaper imports.
“China, the world’s top agricultural market, bought a record 11.3 million tonnes of imported corn last year, including 2.25 million tonnes in December alone, according to General Administration of Customs data.”
“China also imported a record 8.38 million tonnes of wheat, against a quota of 9.64 million tonnes,” the Reuters article said.
In other news impacting Chinese grain demand, Reuters writer Dominique Patton reported on Thursday that, “A new form of African swine fever identified in Chinese pig farms is most likely caused by illicit vaccines, industry insiders say, a fresh blow to the world’s largest pork producer, still recovering from a devastating epidemic of the virus.
“Two new strains of African swine fever have infected more than 1,000 sows on several farms owned by New Hope Liuhe, China’s fourth-largest producer, as well as pigs being fattened for the firm by contract farmers, said Yan Zhichun, the company’s chief science officer.
“Though the strains, which are missing one or two key genes present in the wild African swine fever virus, don’t kill pigs like the disease that ravaged China’s farms in 2018 and 2019, they cause a chronic condition that reduces the number of healthy piglets born, Yan told Reuters. At New Hope, and many large producers, infected pigs are culled to prevent the spread, making the disease effectively fatal.”


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The newest Coca-Cola Creations flavour, K-Wave, is now available in Thailand. It is about time for Coca-Cola to turn K-Pop into an actual flavour. This zero-sugar drink pays “tribute to the world of K-Pop, offering fans a chance to savor the effervescent taste of their favorite entertainment genre.”
According to sodaseekers, “a promotional video found on Coca-Cola’s website includes lines from songs by BTS, Stray Kids and NMIXX.”
Coca-Cola Creations K-Wave is set to delight K-Pop fans worldwide. We have seen how Coca-Cola has tapped into K-Pop but has yet to unveil its interpretation of how K-Pop tastes. The Coca-Cola Creations K-Wave is another manifestation of how the beverage giant leverages culture to inspire its next flavour.


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FoundrSpace’s #BusisnessAsUsual campaign will give members exclusive access to a wide variety of business kits to local businesses in the wake of COVID-19.
June 10, 2020 – FoundrSpace announces #BusinessAsUsual, the new virtual memberships to support local businesses and members. With the help of our community members, FoundSpace is playing its part in the recovery and wellbeing of Rancho Cucamonga and the Inland Empire’s business community.
The membership packages aim to aid local businesses’ efforts in the wake of COVID-19. Membership includes access to business kits ranging from graphic design to digital marketing.
Additional perks include free 1-on-1 business coaching and up to 80-90% off on limited marketing and design services.
FoundrSpace brings digital socialization to the community through dedicated weekly virtual meetings, 1-on-1 Business consultations, including financial and business development strategies.
“Society’s trusted rules and ideas of work, media, and consumption have turned upside down in a matter of days,” said Kenni Roberson, co-founder of FoundrSpace.
“The lines between freelancers, company employees, and people who work at home will be blurry very soon, and many companies are being forced to adapt and pivot into flexible models. Instead of sitting on our hands waiting and hoping for things to get back to normal, we wanted to take the initiative and operate as if today is the new normal, and do our due diligence in helping the community in the process. If people are being forced to change the way they work and live, odds are their needs will change too.”
#BusinessAsUsual is one of many ways FoundrSpace is innovative during unpredictable times. For more information, please visit www.foundrspace.com.


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Over the last week Shaw Direct has been quietly and slowly rolling out new firmware – version 06.22 – for the company’s HDDSR 605 and HDPVR 630 direct-to-home satellite receivers.
The update began with a select group of Shaw Direct customers last week, however, it has only been in the last few days that the majority of Digital Home readers received the new firmware.
In the last five years, the amount of high definition programming on television has exploded but unfortunately the storage capacity of many HD PVR’s has remained virtually unchanged.
To deal with the problem, companies like Bell TV have resorted to offering consumers the ability to connect an external hard drive (EHD) to their HD receivers. This updated FAQ, first published in January 2009, answers many of the commonly asked questions we get at Digital Home surrounding external hard drives for Bell Satellite TV.
In 2010, television set-top boxes in the United States consumed approximately
27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual output of nine average (500 MW) coal-fired power plants, according to recent research by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The researchers estimate that the amount of electricity required to operate the approximately 160 million set top boxes and costs households more than $3 billion each year and results in 16 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Canada’s number two Direct-to-home satellite television provider Shaw Direct announced today that its new dual tuner high definition PVR will arrive in stores on September 1st.
Features of the new Shaw Direct HDPVR 630 include: dual tuners; a 320GB hard drive; component video and HDMI outputs; Ethernet and eSata port; and MPEG-4 decoding.


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FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - Pessimistic expectations showed by British manufacturers three months ago seem not to have materialised, and the sector appears more resilient about the global economic slowdown, as we can conclude from the latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey.
Demand has continued to grow, with a balance of +11 reporting increasing orders in the three months to January, although the growth is expected to slow over the next three months, with a balance of +4.
Total order books showed a balance of +2 in January, the same as in December. Demand has been fuelled by overseas orders, showing a balance of +10 companies reporting increases in foreign orders, while domestic orders posted a weak -1.
Growth in manufacturing output showed a balance of +8, and the outlook for the next three months posted a balance of +9. Nevertheless the economic sentiment continues negative, with a balance of -18.


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Chinese prefer to buy their Armani online
Friday 10 September 2010
The Chinese e-commerce market continues to grow as Chinese consumers prefer to shop online.
E-commerce retail sales in China have more than doubled in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period a year earlier. The total value of sales in the first half of 2010 is thought to be around 211.8 billion yuan (€24.6 billion) according to the annual report on China's internet market released by Alibaba.
Young urban Chinese are the driving force behind China's rapidly expanding internet retail industry which is estimated to have a total yearly turnover of 3.8 trillion yuan (€441.2 billion) by the Ministry of Commerce. A survey by Chinese online auction site TaoBao found that 70 percent of its customers are aged between 21 and 30.
Out of the 142 million Chinese internet shoppers which constitute one third of the country's total online population, the majority prefer buying luxury goods online than in a store. This is attributed to favorable online prices and the ease at which purchases can be made according to the 2009 China Luxury Forecast.
The most popular luxury brands among China's rich were Vuitton, Armani and Cartier according to the latest edition of the Chinese Hurun business report.
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Americans are now facing the highest inflation in 30 years. People are even starting to talk about the “misery index” again — and I haven’t heard that term since the Carter administration. Unfortunately, inflation hits low and middle-income Americans the hardest. You can bet that Speaker Antoinette and President Asterisk aren’t feeling the pinch. Maybe that’s why they’re not acting very interested in the problem. But the rest of us are sure interested.
Inflation isn’t a simple matter to control. It is a complex issue that is affected by many factors.
Whenever the government lowers the value of our money, inflation […]
Read the rest of this story here: thebluestateconservative.com
The Biden Regime and Globalists Don’t Want You Owning Precious Metals
Look around. Things aren’t the way they should be. Between Pandemic Panic Theater, Ukraine, food shortages, and a push for Central Bank Digital Currencies, everything you’ve spent your life building and protecting is in jeopardy.
Precious metals are historically the most reliable and safest hedge against economic turmoil. With the Biden regime and globalists enhancing the chaos, it’s important for patriotic Americans to take control of their financial future.
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Fill out the form here and we will schedule a precious metals consultation with Our Gold Guy, Ira.
Schedule a Precious Metals Consultation Today:


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If you were waiting to buy the new 2024 Chevy Blazer EV, you may have to wait a little longer. Chevy is already halting sales of the highly anticipated electric Blazer over glaring software issues.
Chevy pauses 2024 Blazer EV sales
After opening order requests for the 2024 Blazer EV in early September, Chevy is halting sales less than four months later.
Chevy confirmed it was temporarily pausing sales to fix the software quality. “We are aware that a limited number of Blazer EV owners have experienced several software quality issues,” Scott Bell, VP of global Chevy, told Automotive News.
“Customer satisfaction is our priority and as such, we will take a brief pause on new deliveries,” Bell said.
Chevy said the stop-sale was non-safety-related and affected a limited number of vehicles, although no specifics were mentioned.
The company is working to fix the issues, including infotainment glitches and, in rare cases, charging at public DC fast charging stations.
The news comes after several early reviews highlighted major software issues while testing the new electric SUV. Edmunds reported 23 different issues in less than two months.
A separate report from Kevin Williams at InsideEVs detailed “one of the most catastrophic road trips” he’s had after the electric Blazer left him stranded.
These reports come despite MotorTrend crowing the Chevy Blazer EV as its 2024 SUV of the Year.
Chevy launched the Blazer EV this summer. Although GM initially said starting prices would be around $45,000, the base 1LT trim was dropped, and the 2LT FWD became the entry-level model. The 2LT is expected to roll out next year, but prices have yet to be announced.
The 2024 Blazer EV RS AWD, starting at $60,215, was the first to launch. It will be followed by the 2LT AWD, starting at $56,715. Both trims feature up to 279 miles EPA range.
Things are going from bad to worse over at Chevy. The news comes after GM confirmed the Blazer EV and Cadillac Lyriq, two of its top-selling EVs, will temporarily lose eligibility for the $7,500 tax credit.
The only model that will qualify is the Bolt EV, which is being discontinued (in its current form) anyway. GM has pushed back several EV initiatives, including the production of the Equinox, Silverado RST, and GMC Sierra Denali EVs.
GM will be at a significant disadvantage with the Ultium-based Bolt not due out for another two years (at least).
The American automaker was already topped by Hyundai and Kia in EV registrations in Q3, and now it looks like the brand could fall further behind.
Source: Automotive News
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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a13 – 20 percent faster than the older version
12 megapixel ultrawide selfie cam- centre stage comes to new iPad
Apple is bringing the base-level iPad up-to-date with a few new modern features. That being said the iPad still looks like it always has with large bezels and a home button.
Still, it now has a 12-megapixel selfie camera, a Truetone display and the A13 Bionic chipset so it’s 20 percent faster than the iPad from last year.
Since the new iPad has a better selfie camera it’s also able to use the new Centre Stage feature that Apple announced alongside the latest iteration of the iPad Pro. This feature allows you to move around your room while the camera tracks you.
More to come…


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The global economic downturn is supposed to curtail spending across the globe, but someone must have forgotten to send that memo to Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney.
(Coleen Rooney: One Bentley and gold necklace are never enough.)
According to the British tabloid NEWS OF THE WORLD, Rooney and his wife, Coleen, dropped 300,000 GBP (pounds) on Christmas gifts for each other. Making the purchases even more stratifying are that Rooney and his wife bought luxury watches for each other from the same high-end jeweler, the Chesire-based store Cottrills.
“They wanted to surprise each other but ended up secretly going to the same shop,” a Rooney friend said. “It wasn’t until Christmas morning they realised what had happened. They loved their presents. … They wanted to buy each other a special gift and thought it was symbolic they had the same idea for their first Christmas as a married couple.”
If that doesn’t make you nauseous for both for its sugary rhetoric and its price tag — Wayne Rooney’s Panerai watch sold for 80,000 GBP while Coleen’s diamond-encrusted Rolex went for 70,000 GBP — this will get you for sure: Coleen’s other present was a second Bentley … identical to her first, just in the newest year’s model and a different color.
Of course, Coleen Rooney also scored a white gold necklace that set Wayne back an untold pretty penny, pushing the total of their gifts well above the 300,000 GBP threshold.
(Admit it: You’d buy her two Bentleys, too.)
Yet that’s not the only Manchester United splurging that went down in the aftermath of the club’s recent victory in the World Club Cup championship in Japan. Three different United stars all bought brand new Bentleys — Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and goalie Edwin van der Sar — each laying down 200,000 GBP for the new Bentley Speed. That’s 750,000 GBP of business that a single Bentley dealership did within the United locker room alone.
If you weren’t already getting the picture, here’s the money quote from what NEWS OF THE WORLD calls “an Old Trafford source”:
“The credit crunch doesn’t mean anything to these guys. If there is a new supercar out there they just have to have it.”
Yes, we’d say that’s a fair assessment. Now, if only GM could trade its Chevy ownership for a stake in Bentley …


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Is $5 billion spent on a company’s headquarters really money well spent? In the following article about the construction of the Apple’s new Mothership it seems as if those who remain are still worried about not disappointing Steve Jobs. Has Apple lost its edge?
Amid all the fanboy anticipation, though, Apple has also taken some knocks for the scale and scope of the thing. Investors urging Apple to kick back more of its bounty to shareholders have questioned whether the reported $5 billion in construction costs should have gone into their own pockets instead of a workplace striving for history. And the campus’s opening comes at a point when, despite stellar earnings results, Apple has not launched a breakout product since Jobs’ death. Apple executives want us to know how cool its new campus is—that’s why they invited me.
Read more here.