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Despite the rising number of tea-based cocktails popping up on bar menus across the country, this is the first time that tea and spirits have been fused into a single product. Noveltea’s current range includes two alcoholic tea blends – Earl Grey gin, pairing two British icons, and mint-tea rum, inspired by Efferoth’s trips to Morocco – and the duo are developing a third, oolong-based variety that draws on Asian tea culture. They developed their products via their university’s start-up package for graduates with great business ideas and, since launching in department store Fenwick last September, have sold more than 10,000 bottles and had their Earl Grey blend promoted by behemoth John Lewis as its Gin of the Month.
As we move into summer-party season, innovative twists on traditional drinks such as these from Noveltea could make for some sizzling sales figures. And it’s not just the UK market that will be raising a glass to the trend – both China and India are seeing similar shifts in their tea-drinking habits, and venture capitalists are keeping a keen eye on opportunities to invest.
Image: Courtesy of Noveltea
Content: courtesy of Flavour Feed


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Figures released by TIGA the number of creative staff in studios grew from 8,888 to 9,224 in 2012, ending a three-year decline in employment.
Annual investment by studios also rose from £411 million to £427 million between 2011 and 2012.
The research is based on an extensive survey of UK games businesses conducted by Games Investor Consulting and published by TIGA, the trade association representing the games industry.
The results will be published in the forthcoming report Making Games in the UK Today. A Census of the UK Developer and Digital Publishing Sector.
Figures also show the number of jobs indirectly supported by studios rose from 16,250 to 16,864; studio numbers rose from 329 to 448; direct/indirect tax revenues generated by the sector for the Treasury increased from £376 million to £400 million; annual investment by studios rose from £411 million to £427 million; and the sector’s contribution to UK Gross Domestic Product increased from £912 million to £947 million.
Dr Richard Wilson, CEO of TIGA, said: “The UK economy may be on the verge of a triple dip recession but the recovery in the UK games development sector has taken off. Employment, investment and start-ups are up. The games development industry is growing again.”
He said the growth was due, in part, to the increasing prevalence of mobile and tablet devices which have created a growing market for games. Studio were, he claimed, being set up to meet this demand.
But he added there were other factors. “The closure of big console based studios has been followed by an explosion of small start-up companies and the advent of Games Tax Relief, which TIGA was instrumental in achieving, is already stimulating growth.”
Games Tax Relief, which comes into effect in April, will reduce the cost of games development. TIGA says it has contributed to inward investment by major international games companies including Activision Blizzard, Gree, Konami and Microsoft in British studios in 2012.
“Jobs and investment in the games industry are set grow further once Games Tax Relief comes into effect from April 2013,” Dr Wilson said. “The UK games industry suffered badly during the last four years without Games Tax Relief: developer headcount and investment levels remain below the 2008 peak. Additionally, start-up studios are vulnerable. At least 21 per cent of start-ups in 2010 – 12 have already gone under. Our challenge now – and TIGA’s top priority – is to help build sustainable independent games development and digital publishing businesses. TIGA will do this by delivering services that improve developers’ access to finance and which enhance their commercial skills.”
The news has been welcomed in the industry. Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director at videogame company Rebellion, said: “The UK games development sector is back on track. Mobile and internet based gaming provide opportunities for growth; we have access to a highly skilled and creative workforce; and TIGA’s Games Tax Relief will give a further boost to employment and investment from April 2013. The UK has everything to play for.”
The news comes as Chancellor George Osborne says he will be forced to reveal a downgraded growth forecast and a £8 billion borrowing overshoot in this week’s Budget.

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Porsche is coming to an end to the long history of its most famous brand, 911, according tomedia. On Friday, local time, the last generation of 991 911 cars left the assembly plant, bringing the final chapter to the end of the generation. The 911 Speedster, the most eye-catching model in the 911 series, is a limited edition model that showcases the latest generation of the 911, the 992, and is starting to catch on.
The car bowed all the way since the 2011 problem and began to rewrite the performance rules of 911.
Consumers then saw unusual variants such as the popular 911 R and the incredible 911 GT2 RS (which held a lap record at the New North circuit).
Since 2011, Porsche has produced a total of 233,540 991 cars, and the latest 911 will have great market potential.


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Ken Vernon is Vice President of Marketing at Telligent where he guides strategy and execution of go-to-market strategies. Beginning in 1995, at his firm McMann & Tate, Ken was an early adopter of online marketing technologies for enterprise business-to-business and business-to-consumer clients. Since then, Ken has been instrumental in the online success for a blue chip list of clients. Joining Telligent in late 2007, Ken has utilized his passion and experience in online marketing, search marketing and social media to help Telligent expand its online presence and execute successful programs. Ken may be reached at email@example.com.
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Shell confirmed at West Gate Express
Global energy company Shell with Coles Express has announced its latest location at MAB’s West Gate Express development in Port Melbourne.
MAB General Manager – Commercial and Industrial, Richard Johnston said “The opportunity arose for fuel suppliers to select the best site along the West Gate Freeway and we are delighted that Shell has chosen West Gate Express.”
With Shell now secured, MAB is now in a position to offer West Gate Express’ remaining four fast food tenancies to the market. The leasing agent for the development is Jones Lang LaSalle’s Director of Retail Leasing, Jaycen Willox.
“Not surprisingly, with Shell confirmed, the site’s high exposure and direct access to 160,000 vehicles on the West Gate passing each day, West Gate Express is seen as a valuable and highly strategic addition to any retail network,” said Mr Willox.
“Initial discussions have been very positive with one of the two drive-through tenancies already close to being secured. I would expect that if the fast food market is able to meet the expectations of such a premium site, we will be looking at a fully leased facility in the very near future.”
Located at the West Gate Freeway / Cook Street off-ramp, the architecturally designed service station will provide a striking entry to Melbourne.
“We have been working closely with the City of Melbourne and government authorities to ensure the development complements its strategic location adjacent to the West Gate Freeway,” said Mr Johnston.
West Gate Express will service inbound commuters, the wider Port Melbourne area and the future population of Fishermans Bend.
Construction of the service station is expected to commence in late 2012.
West Gate Express is at the eastern most corner of MAB’s Expressway Business Park.
“Expressway has been a great success,” said Mr Johnston “It was sold out quickly and we expect construction to be completed by September this year.”


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Although we know very little about Telltale’s upcoming new IP, the little we hear makes us excited.
“I’ll say we’ve spent a lot of time experimenting over the last decade with how powerful a storytelling tool interactive can be and when we thought about building something from the ground up that gave us absolutely everything we could dream of as storytelling tools,” said Bruner.
“The right kind of story, the right kind of setting, the right kind of people involved, everything.”
Bruner added that the idea of finally creating a new IP rose “organically” within the studio.
“It’s probably the most ambitious thing the company has ever done but we feel like we’re ready for it. We’re very excited to talk about it, but we can’t say much more right now. But it is the perfect thing for us.”
The full interview is through the link and it touches on how Telltale has a “story first” approach to game development, and what changes the new CEO will bring to one of the busiest development studios in the industry.


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Global sporting brand Puma has announced it will open its first Forever Faster flagship store in New South Wales at Westfield Chatswood.
It follows the launch of its debut Forever Faster store at Melbourne Central in May this year.
The 194sqm retail space will encompass Puma performance, sportstyle and accessories as well as its premium offering ‘Select’.
Customers will be able to browse and purchase goods across a range of sports including running, football and motorsport.
Puma Oceania GM Paul Gautier is thrilled to accelerate the brand’s Australian expansion.
“We’re thrilled about the opening of our second ever Forever Faster flagship store in Sydney, which features the best of Puma’s products and makes our new brand mission of being the fastest sports brand in the world tangible for our consumers.”
“With the opening of this state-of-the-art store we are taking the next step in Oceania to implement our new global retail strategy and look to roll out several stand alone full price retail stores in Australia and New Zealand.”
Puma has rolled out its Forever Faster stores in multiple global markets including Shanghai, Dubai, Moscow, Mexico City and Cape Town.


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Should the UK continue to allow overseas buyers to take control of its technology firms? It’s a burning question at a time when commercial products like computer chips increasingly underpin critical national infrastructure in defence, energy and health.
In a globalised economy, cross-border business acquisitions have become routine. But the national security implications of some of them have prompted the UK government to launch a review.
Amid a backdrop of wider worries of state-sponsored cyberattacks, the government’s litany …
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Italian computer manufacturer Olivetti looks set to release two Android 4.0 tablets, both sporting NFC. The OliPad Tegra 3 will have a 10-inch screen and an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor while the 8-inch OliPad Graphos will feature a fingerprint scanner and a Wacom digitizer for stylus support, according to Notebook Italia.
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Service Management Group (SMG), a global customer experience, employee experience and brand research partner to more than 500 brands, has been hired by YUKAI Resort to identify customer expectations, uncover key drivers of customer satisfaction and advance the customer experience across the organization.Read Full Story
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Financial Highlights for Quarter Ended December 31, 2019
Revenue at $5,586 million, +6.4% YoY
Constant currency revenue growth: +6.
Ontrack—the Global Data Recovery Pioneer, Now Supports PPA Members With Special Pricing
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Infor Cloud Solutions to Connect Siloed Applications and Reduce Manual Processes
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Trustpilot, the leading global consumer review platform free and open to everyone, announced four promotions to strategic roles within the organization.
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“We’ll continue to be different, because it works. We promise our clients we’ll help change the way they do business.
Big data is becoming more important in many businesses. The global market for big data was $189 billion last year and is expected to explode by 2022.
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Posted on January 18th, 2008 by Chris Heath
President George W. Bush’s administration is considering online Zantac an individual cipro flagyl tax rebate of up to
800 dollars cialis back pain as a short term measure to help boost the generic cialis online sagging US economy, a media report said Friday.
read generic viagra more | digg story
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66% of American Adults Support U.S. Federal Cannabis Legalization
Washington, Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New Frontier Data, the authority in data, analytics and business intelligence on the worldwide cannabis industry, releases its 2020 U.S. Election Special Report: Shifting Cannabis Sentiment & Consumption in partnership with global law firm Dentons and international business advisory firm FTI Consulting. The report builds upon a survey of over 5,000 current and potential cannabis consumers in the U.S. providing an at-a-glance comprehensive assessment of American voters’ current key political proclivities and priority issues to impact upcoming elections and the North American cannabis industry.
“If all cannabis legalization measures pass on November 3rd, more Americans will reside in states with legal adult-use cannabis than states where cannabis remains completely illegal,” said New Frontier Data Founder & CEO Giadha A. DeCarcer. “This expansion would offer new and existing consumers security and confidence in easily obtaining cannabis products, and is a giant step forward in legitimatizing a burgeoning industry as it moves into the mainstream market.”
“2020 is still an important year for cannabis ballot initiatives,” said Eric Berlin, a leading cannabis attorney who helps lead the global and U.S. Cannabis groups at Dentons. “While stay-at-home orders precluded live signatures required by several states’ ballot laws, we still expect that several states will further legalize cannabis in this coming election, including New Jersey and Arizona legalizing for adult use.”
Other key findings from the report include:
- 50% of potential consumers in illicit and medical-only states said they would try cannabis if adult-use was legalized in their state.
- Cannabis consumers are divided between political parties, with roughly 40% identifying as Democrats and 30% as Republicans.
- 53% of cannabis consumers intend to vote for Biden/Harris while 32% intend to vote for Trump/Pence.
- Nearly 50% of consumers aged 18-54 say cannabis legalization is a “very” or “extremely” important voting issue.
- 36% of consumers rank cannabis legalization as one of their top five issues determining how they will vote.
- Nearly 50% of consumers in illicit markets name cannabis legalization among their 5 most important voting issues.
“Cannabis legalization may well prove to be one issue that benefits from both COVID and the 2020 election,” noted Elaine Carey, co-leader of FTI Consulting’s Cannabis practice. “However, any pro-cannabis momentum from a party shift is still somewhat contingent on the outcome of certain key Senate races.”
The 2020 U.S. Election Special Report: Shifting Cannabis Sentiment & Consumption is available for immediate download at no cost at: www.NewFrontierData.com/electionreport
To register for the corresponding free webinar What is At Stake November 3rd? An Analysis of Cannabis Legislation, visit www.NewFrontierData.com/election
For up-to-date election coverage, visit the New Frontier Data 2020 Election Resource Center: www.newfrontierdata.com/2020-election/
About New Frontier Data:
New Frontier Data is an independent, technology-driven analytics company specializing in the global cannabis industry. It offers vetted data, actionable business intelligence and risk management solutions for investors, operators, researchers and policy makers. New Frontier Data’s reports and data have been cited in over 80 countries around the world to inform industry leaders. Founded in 2014, New Frontier Data is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices in Denver, CO and London, UK.
New Frontier Data does not take a position on the merits of cannabis legalization. Rather, its mission and mandate are to inform cannabis-related policy and business decisions through rigorous, issue-neutral and comprehensive analysis of the legal cannabis industry worldwide. For more information about New Frontier Data, please visit: https://www.NewFrontierData.com.
Media New Frontier Data +1 844-420-3882 ext. 3 email@example.com


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Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) has struggled during the so-called retail apocalypse. The chain never found itself in the same dire straits that some of its rivals did, but for a period it was reasonable to wonder if Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) was going to be able to take a meaningful piece of its business. That's still a risk, but it's much less of one since Wal-Mart spent $3.3 billion buying Jet.com.
That deal was incredibly rich -- probably more than the company had to pay to buy a money-losing start-up with around $1 billion in sales -- but Wal-Mart got something very important for its billions: Jet.com CEO Marc Lore. The serial entrepreneur, who previously sold Quidsi to Amazon, now runs Wal-Mart's entire digital operation.
That's very good news for Wal-Mart shareholders, as Lore has injected start-up thinking into a mature company. That has already shown some payoff for the company, as it reported a 63% gain in online sales in Q1 2018, which the company said was mostly organic through Walmart.com.
What has changed at Wal-Mart?
Before Lore came on board, Wal-Mart was a bricks-and-mortar retailer that also had a website. It used store-first thinking that crippled its efforts to grow its digital presence.
As the new e-commerce boss, Lore made the public change of scrapping the company's $50-a-year Amazon Prime knockoff, ShippingPass. That program, despite being half the price of Prime, wasn't working, and Lore made the bold choice to offer free shipping on any order of eligible items over $35.
That deal may not entice many Amazon customers to switch, especially because Prime has over 50 million eligible items while WalMart.com has only about 2 million. It will, however, give Wal-Mart's customers a reason to use its website rather than Amazon.
The biggest change Lore has made, however, is a top-to-bottom overhaul of how Wal-Mart thinks and how it organizes its operation. He had worked, with the support of CEO Doug McMillon, to revamp the company's supply lines and change its in-store system to facilitate shipping online orders, in-store-pickup, and store-based returns for online orders.
"We're transforming to become more of a digital enterprise," McMillion said during the Q1 earnings call. "The change is starting to be visible to our customers as they use online grocery, Walmart Pay, Scan & Go at Sam's Club, and our Walmart app to skip the line when using our pharmacies and financial services in our U.S. stores."
Why is this important for Wal-Mart?
While Wal-Mart was never in danger of going out of business if it hadn't addressed its digital problem, it would have struggled to grow. By offering a viable alternative to Amazon, the company quite simply raises its ceiling, giving it more customers it can reach.
That's something Amazon has clearly noticed, as the online leader recently lowered the price of Prime for lower-income customers from $99 a year to $5.99 a month with no long-term commitment. The program requires a valid electronic benefits transfer card to qualify for the discounted membership, and it certainly seems like a way to counteract Wal-Mart's efforts.
This won't be easy
The presence of Lore, who has shown he knows how to take on Amazon, gives Wal-Mart a chance, but it's not going to be a steady ride. Offering free shipping may win customers, but it hurts margin. Amazon has shown a willingness to make that sort of sacrifice, and if Wal-Mart does the same, it may suffer short-term pain to build long-term success.


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The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has issued a special gazette notification lifting the maximum retail price (MRP) imposed on eggs.
The order came into effect at midnight on Tuesday (July 25).
Pursuant to the communiqué, the Gazette Extraordinary No. 2328/05 dated April 19, 2023, through which a controlled price was announced on eggs, has been rescinded.
On April 19 this year, the CAA stipulated that a white egg be sold at Rs. 44 and a brown egg at Rs. 46. Further, the MRP for a kilogram of white eggs was set at Rs. 880 and the MRP for a kilogram of brown eggs at Rs. 920.
However, the price controls proved ineffective, as the shortage of eggs prevailed in the market while the vendors continued to sell eggs for higher prices at their discretion.
The president of All-Ceylon Egg Producers’ Association attributed the shortage to the maximum retail price imposed on their products, adding that they are able to sell an egg at Rs. 50 once the price controls are lifted.
Against this backdrop, Trade Minister Nalin Fernando revealed on Tuesday that eggs imported from India would be sold at Rs. 35 per egg at all Lanka Sathosa outlets and Rs. 40 per egg at supermarkets.
Accordingly, the State Trading (General) Corporation has taken measures to supply imported egg stocks to Lanka Sathosa outlets and supermarkets from today.
Meanwhile, a group of All-Island Canteen Owners’ Association members had staged a protest in front of the main office of Laugfs Gas PLC, demanding expeditious reduction in LP gas prices. A tense situation ensued as the Laugfs Gas representative arrived at the scene to discuss the matter with the protesters.
Minister Nalin Fernando said the Cabinet of Ministers would be informed of the Laugfs Gas PLC’s failure to take measures to slash the prices.
Litro Gas Lanka has, however, slashed the prices of domestic LP gas on four consecutive occasions this year. Following the price revision announced earlier in July, the price of a 12.5kg cylinder now stands at Rs. 2,982.


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The blockchain ecosystem is built on decentralisation, and a new form of brands are getting built on top. Tyler Scharf explores the emergence of decentralised ‘headless’ brands, how traditional brands like adidas and Nike are getting involved, and whether this new model of branding is future or fad.
Marketers will regularly compare a brand to a living organism. A brand is a voice, a brand is a promise, a brand is an identity. Brands are curious, elusive creatures that have evolved with humanity as each new technological primitive has transformed our value systems.
It then appears curious why so called ‘headless brands’ are emerging in the blockchain ecosystem. Headless brands remain driven by a clear narrative, but they are implemented by the community from below, rather than executives at the top. If brands are living organisms, why are we taking off their heads? Is this yet another novel crypto experiment that will inevitably fail? Can headless brands succeed where living organisms would fall?
The primary value proposition behind a headless brand is that brand assets can be decentralised for shared ownership of intellectual property (IP). In other words, 10,000 people could own a piece of IP to have the right to make content with Mickey Mouse, rather than just one organisation: Disney. This provides an opportunity for a mutual relationship between brands and the communities which follow them. Fans could leverage a brand’s IP to build their own initiatives, while brands gain increased distribution as more and more people see those assets. Think of a McDonald’s franchise, but you can put the Golden Arches on much more than just a restaurant.
It could be argued that this is the logical next step for brands, whose recent decades have been characterised by an era of seamless supply chains. Seizing advantage, entrepreneurs segmented consumer needs into virtually every niche imaginable, imported products from around the world and imparted their own branding on top.
Meanwhile, fresh social media platforms (Instagram launched in 2010) augmented the twin instincts of individuality and creativity as rapidly-spreading smartphones brought news feeds into everyone’s pockets. Suddenly, there were a lot of niches to fill. Dropshipping became the internet’s favourite get-rich-quick scheme as the internet became bombarded with ads explaining how to make six-figures on Shopify, which had reduced opening your own ecommerce store to a matter of clicks.
Then came NFTs. Instead of having to monetise indirectly through endorsements and spinoff products, NFTs give brand creators the tools to transform their social value into economic value directly. This new paradigm gave rise to the de-collab model, in which NFT collections grant IP brand rights to their community members, letting them leverage the brand reputation of their broader communities in aid of their own creative initiatives.
“Brands will need to let their fans contribute.”
— Rosalind Bull, brand strategist
“This unlocks the next age: the age of the builder in the broadest sense,” says Rosalind Bull, who led brand strategy for leading blockchain companies like Coinbase and ConsenSys. “Customers are also contributors. Brands will increasingly need to let their fans contribute and help build them.”
On April 9th, 2022, Andy Nguyen launched his restaurant Bored & Hungry to a 1,500 strong crowd queuing up for a smashburger. With a brand built on the Board Ape Yacht Club, Nguyen catapulted himself into the hearts and minds of NFT enthusiasts, all for the cost of $268,000 on a Bored Ape.
That said, the difference between a digital asset and a big marketing outlay is that the former is not a one-time spend. Unlike a billboard, Nguyen’s Ape will last forever. “At adidas,” explains Ben Mayor White, who led the German company’s iconic web3 activation, “we acquired Indigo Hertz, adidas’s Bored Ape, which was the first time the brand had acquired a digital asset.”
“The result could be seen as a net positive marketing spend, which never happens: the company acquired a digital asset that brought in revenue,” he emphasises, adding that the Ape is no less effective as a traditional brand figurehead either. “Adidas features Indigo Hertz on products, in adverts, and as a comms tool; normally that would be a cost to an athlete or celebrity. It was a one-time payment for a very agreeable star for the brand.”
The ‘headless’ aspect of the brand composition lies in the freedom to distribute the brand IP in ways their owners see fit. “Brands will need to be much more composable in the future, whilst being clear on what’s fixed about their brand, and what’s flexible for people to play with,” Rosalind emphasises, adding that the balance is a difficult one to strike. “It still has to look like a collection. Community ownership greater than the individual parts is what incentivises contribution.”
For now, NFT brands have largely kept a strong influence over the creative direction, driving the core narrative of what the brand represents. Meanwhile, creators and entrepreneurs have happily used a brand’s existing reputation to spring into cultural relevance; the Yacht Club comprises initiatives from consumer products and Nguyen’s restaurant to festivals and music. The brand is “the muscle behind the hive brain of the community” as Luca Netz, CEO of NFT brand Pudgy Penguins, noted at the NFT Paris conference earlier this year.
However, start unpacking the implications of this association between brand and community initiatives, and it’s not so simple beneath the surface. Brian L Frye, a copyright law professor at the University of Kentucky, warns that NFT brands risk diluting the brand value over time. “It’s possible to get the same brand being used for multiple businesses in the same space.”
On the other hand, Thomas Pan, an NFT marketing consultant, notes that this interplay could also underpin a positive marketing platform for brands that want to spread across the consumer ecosystem. “Early examples of this are already happening,” he says, noting that “Nike and adidas are providing broad IP and commercial rights for their collections whilst protecting the core brand (for example, you wouldn’t be allowed to work with Puma).”
As for the risk of brand dilution, Ben suggests that those kinds of “brand rivalries” can actually attract attention to everyone involved, as is common in sports like UFC and Formula 1, where both individual figures and the sports themselves have risen in profile. He acknowledges that this wouldn’t necessarily compensate for longer term brand risks, particularly given how few restrictions are placed on IP owners by today’s NFT brands, but it indicates the opportunity for brands that play their cards right.
It begs the question, how much control can brands afford to lose over their IP? Consider Apple, known for its tightly-controlled brand image, which licences its hardware to filmmakers on the condition that the characters who use them on screen are unequivocally ‘the good guys’. A hard-earned brand image pays dividends, but NFTs could be a master stroke in the right context.
NFTs can grow a brand’s entire pie.
Perhaps though, we are looking at headless brands the wrong way. Rather than headless brands, the correct term could be octopus brands: many arms enabling one head. Jeremy Goldman, one of the creators of Yuga Labs' IP licence for their CryptoPunks collection, argues that NFT IP assets can inspire waves of creativity “to create new, expressive works” which are nonetheless tied more obviously to the original IP. He alluded to comic books, where at the conferences “in between the juggernauts of official franchises are aisles and aisles of fan fiction, none of which is licensed, but they are embraced because they drive ticket sales for the real collections.”
In a world where licensor and licensee are brought ever closer, it is possible to draw parallels with individual brands and influencer marketing, where the most successful figures ride to fame on the back of their partnerships as much as their own work. For example, YouTube’s biggest star, Jimmy Donaldson, known by his username MrBeast, deployed his brand through his MrBeast Burger virtual restaurant: he licensed his image rights and marketing support, whilst the restaurants cooked and delivered items from a specially-designed menu. Using NFTs to take those kinds of brand partnerships to a higher, and more flexible, level, feels like an obvious next step.
Indeed, Goldman’s suggestion is that by making it possible to licence unofficial upstarts with official licensors at scale, NFTs can grow a brand’s entire pie, as well as making it easy for revenue from that fan fiction to be shared with the original franchise. Whether this will result in a more fulfilling relationship between brands, communities and audiences, or more confusion on the part of the consumer, is yet to be seen. Headless brands are still early primitives, but their foundations already exist.
“It was a one-time payment for a very agreeable star for the brand.”
— Ben Mayor White, Web3 Strategist, adidas


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A recent report by GSMA has revealed that 5G will overtake 4G in 2029 to become the dominant mobile technology.
The report reveals that the rollout and adoption of 5G technology have been faster than that of previous mobile network generations.
As of January 2023, there were 229 commercial 5G networks around the world, and over 700 5G smartphone models have been launched, including more than 200 in 2022.
The technology has continued to see a growing adoption across countries in the world, due to the deployment of new networks and cheaper devices. Throughout 2023, some 30 new markets will launch 5G mobile services, importantly, many of these will be developing markets across Africa and Asia, making 5G a truly global technology and taking the total number of connections to 1.5 billion by the end of the year.
As 5G adoption continues to scale, the monetization imperative will grow. Awareness of the technology is high, but a significant share of consumers still do not see a reason to pay a premium to upgrade from previous generations. GSMA Intelligence survey
evidence states that around 50% of people see 5G as predominantly a speed upgrade rather than something genuinely new compared to 4G.
This has led to increasing competition and price pressure, which can be seen in the form of retail prices for 5G tariffs that are often on a par with those for 4G (or at a small premium).
However, the number of connections on legacy networks such as 2G and 3G has been predicted to continuously decline in the coming years as users migrate to 4G and 5G resulting in more network shutdowns.
To date, operators have announced plans to shut down 96 2G networks and 107 3G networks around the world. In the coming years, operators will shift their focus to driving 5G adoption, following significant capital outlays. The technology has already become mainstream in several markets, notably South Korea and the US, where 5G now accounts for more than 40% of total connections.
Meanwhile, Investors King understands that while the rest of the world races to deploy the next-generation 5G technology, Africa still lags behind the rest of the world in the adoption of the 5G technology.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the rollout is expected to follow a phased approach, differing from the rapid population coverage seen in more advanced markets. The implementation of the fifth-generation network in the region will likely take time, allowing for infrastructure development and gradual adoption.
Some of the reasons for this delay include the unavailability of the 5G spectrum, uncertainty over auction dates, and high investment for 3G/4G networks.
Also, some of the continent’s biggest telecoms companies such as MTN and Safaricom are creating space for the growth and expansion of 5G infrastructure, but the low penetration of 5G devices, which is unaffordable to many, has hampered the spread of mass adoption.
Nigerian Autotech Startup, Fixit45, Secures $1.9 Million for East Africa Expansion
Nigerian autotech startup Fixit45 has successfully secured $1.9 million in equity and working capital to fuel its ambitious expansion plans into East Africa.
The funding round, spearheaded by Launch Africa Ventures, witnessed significant participation from notable investors, including Soumobroto Ganguly and Dave Delucia, alongside a diverse group of angel investors.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Fixit45 underscored the significance of this capital infusion as a substantial stride towards broadening its footprint and influence within Africa’s thriving automotive aftermarket industry.
The company revealed that these funds have been earmarked to fuel its strategic expansion initiatives, with a particular emphasis on fortifying its automotive repair business.
Fixit45 also shared its unwavering commitment to enhancing its spare parts distribution capabilities through its online-to-offline platform, xparts.africa. With a keen eye on the East African market, Fixit45 has set its sights on Kenya and Uganda.
Co-founded by visionaries Chioma Ahueze-Okochukwu, Goodluck Ikporo, and Pankaj Bohhra, Fixit45 offers a unique platform that empowers car owners to seamlessly connect and engage with a vast network of aftermarket stakeholders.
This extensive network encompasses automobile service providers, specialized technical teams, spare parts suppliers, and end-consumers.
Pankaj Bohhra, one of the co-founders of Fixit45, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “This funding represents a pivotal moment for Fixit45. We are profoundly grateful to our investors for their faith in our vision and our unwavering commitment to revolutionizing the African automotive aftermarket sector. With this capital infusion, we are well-positioned to advance towards our expansion objectives.”
Fixit45’s strategic move into East Africa holds the promise of ushering in transformative developments in the automotive industry across the region.
As the company intensifies its efforts, the future of automotive repair and spare parts distribution in East Africa appears poised for a remarkable evolution. Stay tuned for more exciting updates as Fixit45 continues to make waves in the autotech sector.
Payday’s $3 Million Seed Round: From Hope to Headaches
Six months after securing $3 million in a seed round led by Moniepoint, Nigerian fintech startup Payday finds itself embroiled in controversy and uncertain about its future.
Founder and CEO, Favour Ori, confirmed that the company is actively engaged in discussions with potential buyers.
In March, reports surfaced that Moniepoint was in talks to acquire Payday, with an expected deal closure within three months. However, the deal fell through, reportedly due to Moniepoint’s board’s lack of enthusiasm. Despite this setback, negotiations to sell the company continue.
Payday faced a wave of negative publicity in August after suspending access to customer accounts following fraudulent activities that resulted in customer losses. The company was accused of misappropriating customer funds before acknowledging the account restrictions.
Internal issues further marred the company’s reputation, especially after Payday implemented contentious salary reductions for some Nigerian staff in July and failed to issue promised stock options to affected employees.
This led to dissatisfaction and several employee departures.
Payday’s COO, Ogechi Obike, also departed, citing goal misalignment and clashes with Favour Ori.
Accusations arose that Favour marginalized Obike in crucial meetings and decision-making processes.
Favour Ori’s management style came under scrutiny, with allegations of impulsiveness and a lack of transparency.
Employees claimed that he hired top talent but stifled their input, resulting in customer disruptions, including difficulties creating virtual cards and accessing accounts.
Amid these controversies, Favour Ori has reduced his involvement in the company, focusing on external work with GitHub while the co-founder, Elijah Kingson, is employed at Revolut.
Payday’s future remains uncertain, with the potential sale of the company and the need to regain customer trust and employee satisfaction hanging in the balance.
The company faces the challenge of restoring its reputation and stability while navigating a tumultuous period in its young history.
Meta Announces Upcoming Business Verification and Innovative Features for WhatsApp
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, on Tuesday announced plans to commence verification of businesses on WhatsApp.
Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s Vice President of Business Messaging, shared the exciting news.
Meta’s aim is to bolster user trust through platform-granted verifications, signify the legitimacy of businesses and assure users of their authenticity.
To attain this coveted Meta verification, businesses must substantiate their credibility to Meta, reaping rewards such as a verified badge, enhanced account support, and safeguarding against impersonation.
Srinivasan further elaborated on the forthcoming features, stating, “For businesses interested in signing up, Meta Verified will offer additional premium features. These include the ability to create a customized WhatsApp page that can be easily discovered through web searches, as well as multi-device support, enabling multiple employees to efficiently respond to customer inquiries. We plan to initiate testing of Meta Verified with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before extending it to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform in the near future.”
In addition to the verification system, Meta also unveiled another exciting feature called “Flows.” This innovation will empower businesses to provide a comprehensive range of services without requiring users to leave the chat.
Srinivasan explained, “With Flows, businesses will have the capability to offer rich menus and customizable forms to cater to diverse user needs. We aim to make Flows available to businesses worldwide through the WhatsApp Business Platform in the coming weeks.”
This strategic move by Meta not only bolsters the credibility of businesses on WhatsApp but also introduces user-friendly features that are expected to enhance the overall user experience.
As Meta continues to invest in evolving its platforms, business owners and users alike can look forward to an increasingly innovative and secure WhatsApp environment.
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Last week, Chanel was accused of plagiarising Mati Ventrillon, a small Fair Isle knitwear brand based in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. Ventrillon, who runs the brand, took to social media after noticing that some designs in the house’s Metiers d’Art show bore an uncanny resemblance to her own. “Endorsement or plagiarism?” she asked on her brand’s Facebook.
“Earlier this summer two Chanel staff visited Fair Isle and bought some of my stock garments with the understanding that the garments were for research,” she went on to say, explaining the situation. “I specifically said that I was going to sell it to them for the reputation of Chanel house (sic) and because I would not expect them to copy my design… Little (did) I know.”
In the wake of these accusations, which subsequently garnered support on social media, Chanel has promptly and admirably issued a full apology. “Chanel will credit Mati Ventrillon by including the words ‘Mati Ventrillon design’ in its communication tools to recognise her as the source of inspiration for the knitwear models in question,” reads the press release.
Endorsement or plagiarism?Earlier this summer two Chanel staff visited Fair Isle and bought some of my stock garments…
“Chanel recognises that this situation resulted from a dysfunctionality within its teams and has presented its apologies. Chanel also recognises the heritage and know-how of Fair Isle,” it goes on to say. “Chanel wishes to emphasise that the house is extremely vigilant in terms of its respect for creativity, whether its own or that of others.”
Since the apology, Ventrillon has taken to social media to extend thanks to those who supported her, as well as to Chanel who she describes as “very open and helpful throughout the process”. “They immediately apologised and said they were going to look into the situation,” she writes. “…with their apology and by crediting the design they have shown respect and support of small artisans.”


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Samsung is expanding its foray into virtual reality with the promise of a VR movie studio in New York City.
Marc Mathieu, chief marketing officer of Samsung Electronics, announced the initiative at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, a move that could mean big things for VR in the film industry.
More than 30 VR projects are being showcased at Sundance this year, and with the backing of a large company, VR movie production could see a big increase soon, the report noted. Samsung is jumping into VR production at a time when no major film studios openly working on VR movies, and if there’s any success, we could see other major companies following suit.
See also: How virtual reality will grow in 2016
Along with its new studio, Samsung also announced a year-long partnership with the Sundance Institute.
"At Samsung, we are making VR more accessible by partnering with the best in the industry to deliver a growing library of engaging, rich content," Mathieu said in a statement.
One of Samsung’s hurdles for getting into the VR movie business is that virtual reality still hasn’t hit its stride. Many devices have yet to reach the commercial market, and some are asking for a pretty hefty price, such as the $599 Oculus Rift.
Samsung has its own virtual reality headset, the Gear VR, which uses the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+ and Note5 phones for its display. The Gear VR will undoubtedly be Samsung's focus, which runs apps downloaded from the Oculus Store or Milk VR store. At only $99.99, it’s a much more accessible piece of hardware than some other VR headsets, especially if you already own one of Samsung’s compatible phones. The question is whether Samsung’s bet will really take off.
There’s a chance that if virtual reality movies succeed, they could change the way we interact with films in theaters. Potentially, having a 360 degree view of a movie could even eliminate the need for the big screen experience — but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves just yet.


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McDonald’s blamed a slowing global economy for disappointing quarterly earnings on Monday, warning that declining consumer confidence and rising costs will be a drag on profits this year.
The world’s largest restaurant chain by revenues reported a rare drop in its quarterly earnings, with sales growth slowing around the world. The results failed to meet expectations from Wall Street analysts and shares of McDonald’s closed down 2.88 per cent to $88.94.
The results overshadowed the start of tenure of new chief executive Don Thompson, who has promised anxious investors that the company’s leadership transition will be smooth. Second-quarter net income fell 4 per cent year-on-year to $1.35bn, or $1.32 a share, and revenues were flat at $6.9bn. The consensus earnings-per-share forecast was $1.38.
“As you can clearly see, we are operating in a more difficult global environment,” Mr Thompson told analysts.
The majority of McDonald’s sales come from overseas, making it more vulnerable to the impact of a stronger dollar. In the US, the company continues to cope with stubbornly high unemployment, along with the prospect of rising beef costs due to the prolonged drought.
“Signs of deceleration, notably in the US, have started to materialise,” said Sara Senatore, restaurant analyst at Bernstein Research.
McDonald’s executives pointed to austerity measures in Europe and slowing economic growth in China as points of weakness.
“In China, consumers are reacting with greater caution as the economy has slowed,” Mr Thompson said. “We have seen this particularly in our tier-one cities where we are more heavily concentrated.”
Peter Bensen, chief financial officer of McDonald’s, said that the protracted nature of the downturn has caused structural shifts in the way people eat.
“It is really starting to constrain consumer behaviour,” Mr Bensen said. “In several of the markets there [Europe], the eating out market is just simply declining and people are staying at home. And the magnitude of the issues in Europe are having ripple effects around the world.”
Economic headwinds have tended to benefit McDonald’s, as consumers trade down to its relatively affordable fare. However, the company is facing tougher competition in the US from Burger King and Wendy’s and an increasingly strong rival abroad in Yum! Brands, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
McDonald’s has thrived in recent years by adding higher-end and healthier options to its menu, but Mr Thompson said on Monday that the company would refocus on value to bring in more customers.
“We have to crank up our messaging …just a little bit more to appeal to some of these consumers who have less confidence in the overall economy and therefore, reduced their disposable spending,” Mr Thompson said.
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IBA bakery show attracts more than 79,500 visitors
October 13, 2009 By Bakers Journal
IBA bakery show attracts
more than 79,500 visitors
More than 79,500 trade visitors came to the IBA show from Oct. 3-9, where they discovered innovations and new developments presented by 1,059 exhibitors from 55 countries.
Oct. 13, 2009, DUSSELDORF, Germany
– More than 79,500 trade visitors came to the IBA bakery show from Oct. 3 to
9, where they discovered innovations and new developments
presented by 1,059 exhibitors from 55 countries.
This vote of confidence has further strengthened IBA's status as a leading international trade fair for the bakery sector.
"IBA 2009 is going extremely well indeed," said Peter Becker, president of the German Bakers' Confederation. "Before the fair, the initial forecasts were somewhat subdued, but the quantity and quality of the visitors has far exceeded all our expectations. This fair has raised the bar. All through the event there has been a definite air of confidence and a willingness to invest. IBA 2009 has reflected the unlimited dynamism that there is in the baking trades. It is the most important innovations powerhouse for the next three years, and one that will drive the market forward."
IBA is the home of bakers from all over the world, a claim which underlines the event's unique status internationally. Visitors came from all continents to this world market for baking. Around 55 per cent of the total number of visitors were from outside Germany. On the 123,000 square metres of exhibition space at IBA, baking businesses large and small were able to find everything and anything relevant to the sector, from sales concepts to take-away products, ice cream and coffee.
Also in the spotlight were energy-efficient oven and refrigeration technology and improved raw materials. 91.4 per cent of those surveyed stated they thought this comprehensive product portfolio was "excellent to good."
"The range on show at iba covers the entire spectrum of products and services for bakers, confectioners, caterers and coffee-shop owners," said Dieter Dohr, managing director of GHM, Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH.
"At this international platform visitors were able to gain in-depth orientation in the market and experience first hand the competition between the ideas that will shape tomorrow's market. Everybody there was able to taste, smell and see this exciting, seven-day contest, and take home a wealth of new ideas to consider. A particularly fascinating part of the fair, for many visitors, were the machines for industrial production, fully assembled and in working order – each day there were live demonstrations of their capabilities. You don't find this type of presentation anywhere else in the world."
The next IBA takes place Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 2012, at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany.
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If Google has any say, driverless cars could soon be making their way to a highway near you. These cars have already been manufactured, taking the intelligence of home computers to a whole new level. Through the software in these vehicles, there is no need for a steering wheel, gas pedal or brakes. Many people are excited about this new technology, but there are also many concerns about what this will mean for the future of transportation.
The first models of Google’s driverless cars had no steering wheel, gas pedal or brake installed. Unfortunately, California’s DMV was not too thrilled with the absence of these parts and has stated they will not allow driverless vehicles that have no ability for a human to take control. While Google firmly states there is no reason for these parts to be included in the models, they will comply with the California DMV and have added temporary steering wheels and pedal systems to their models.
As of now, the latest Google vehicles are made to resemble smart cars and only hold two passengers. Since California will not allow these test cars on the roads unless the driver has the ability to monitor the operation and take over complete control of the vehicle, Google is continuing to tweak their models, to comply with all DMV rules and regulations. Each state may end up having their own rules, however, so it will be interesting to see if the federal government overtakes oversight of this issue to permit interstate travel.
As further research is done, it is hoped these vehicles will soon be on roads all across the country. The current model of vehicles only go around twenty-five miles per hour. It is planned that these vehicles will eventually have the ability to top those speeds.
There is plenty of time for Google to continue working with its software programming, so its vehicles are in top shape. The latest prototypes will not be seen on roadways for at least two years. Google is making sure to comply with all regulations, by incorporating new devices in their models, so these new options can be thoroughly tested.
One of the biggest concerns that many in the computer industry are having are how safe and secure the software operating the cars will be, and measures taken to ensure that they are hacker proof and spyware proof. There is a legitimate concern about this, as this could take hacking to a whole new level. Imagine being able to hijack these driverless cars and operate them remotely? You could conceivably cause an accident or even kidnap the person in the actual car itself. However, many measures are being taken, including specialized software to protect against malware and viruses, and especially hacking. Security is one of the biggest concerns in the development of these vehicles, and consumers should be aware of the precautions that are being undertaken.
If you are interested in learning more about these prototypes, be sure to check out Google’s latest news. Many are amazed at this new technology and what it will mean for drivers in the near future.


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The companies Uber Eats, Didi Foods and Rappi lead the delivery market in Mexico, according to a report from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The first food delivery apps in Mexico arrived in 2016, starting with Uber Eats, which covers 100 restaurants in Mexico City, followed by Rappi (from Colombia).
For 2017, the market share was divided between Uber Eats, Rappi, Postmates and Sin Apron (Spain).
But Postmates focused its efforts on the United States and discontinued its services in Mexico in 2019.
That same year, Didi Food (China) entered the Mexican market.
Sin Apron left in October 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and strong competition from Uber Eats, Didi Food and Rappi.
Currently, according to the USDA, Uber Eats leads the market with a total of 47,267 users and 35,000 affiliated restaurants.
For its part, Didi Foods has a total of 24,188 users and covers 34 cities in Mexico.
In the third position, Rappi has 23,754 users and also offers grocery delivery, pharmacy delivery, cash delivery, and Rappi Favores, where the user can request special business deliveries off the platform.
In general, the development of electronic commerce in Mexico goes hand in hand with the increase in internet users and the improvement in internet connectivity.
According to the National Survey on the Availability and Use of Information Technologies in Homes (ENDUTIH) 2020, Mexico has 84.1 million internet users and 91.8% of the population has a smartphone.
Likewise, according to a study by the Mexican Online Sales Association (AMVO), the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of e-commerce in Mexico, as more consumers turned to online platforms instead of in-store purchases.
Mexican consumers turned to online shopping during the pandemic to avoid crowds and infections in physical stores.
Consumers also began to appreciate the convenience of finding out-of-stock products, comparing prices, and home delivery.
In 2020, online sales represented 9% of retail sales in Mexico.


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Taco Bell today launched a red wine through its website at TacoBell.ca that attracted immediate attention.
The Toasted Cheesy Chalupa has six-month aged cheddar baked right onto the shell, and now, it’s got its very own fancy-pants wine to go with it.
It’s a 2018 Jalapeño Noir Red, available online only for $25.00 and it has already sold out.
SOLD OUT thru https://t.co/qogDEKPnL8 – Restock in consideration so hold tight – Still available at 677 Upper James St, Hamilton and 4804-4812 Yonge St Unit 101, Toronto on UberEats
— Taco Bell Canada (@TacoBellCanada) September 16, 2020


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Electroneum team keeps investing time and efforts in their Instant Payment System which is being developed to minimize waiting time while paying a bill at the restaurants or any physical shop. ETN Vendor API system Integration to the ePOS systems will eliminate waiting time for blockchain transaction confirmations and will engage payments instantly.
Today is the day when Instant Payment system will be tested, ETN team informed its users that Electroneum wallets and mobile miner will not be accessible during that time.
We’ll be testing our Instant Payment system tomorrow (Monday) between 10am and 1pm. You won’t be able to access your #Electroneum wallets or mobile miner during that time. We’ll let you know when we’ve finished.
— electroneum (@electroneum) September 9, 2018
How Electroneum Instant Payment System works
The Vendor API system provides instant notification that a payment has been made. ETN API has webhooks for ecommerce, allowing its servers to “PUSH” notification to an ecommerce shop via a URL provided by the vendor (in a similar style to a Stripe credit card integration). It also has a “PULL” notification for ePOS systems behind a firewall, allowing them to poll our API gateway asking if a payment has arrived.
The vendor does not get the cryptocurrency instantly, but Electroneum system acts as a trusted 3rd party to ensure the ETN or other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin is sent (their patent covers ETN, Bitcoin and other cryptos). The vendor knows the payment is sent and will make its way to the blockchain, so they can allow instant checkout – and the customer can walk out of the store with their cup of coffee or checkout online etc.
See how system works on youtube.
Electroneum states that their instant payment system and vendor API are nearly ready for trial in the real world.


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Apple, Google app store practices stymie competition, Japan trade report says
According to a recent report by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, limitations applied to developers marketing their wares through proprietary app stores run by Apple and Google are a hindrance to smartphone app industry competition.
The ministry's report on app store practices includes data from a survey of app developers conducted in collaboration with the Japan Fair Trade Commission, reports Nikkei. Results show Apple, Google and other brands with smartphone app store platforms undermine competition by asserting control over their respective distribution channels.
While not in violation of Japan's anti-monopoly law, practices like restricting acceptable payment methods and limiting app pricing to preset tiers inhibits competition, the ministry report found. Apple's 30-percent levy on all iTunes and App Store sales — commonly referred to as the "Apple tax" — was mentioned by name, with some participants in the study group arguing the practice is an abuse of Japan's laws.
Pricing freedom is another developer gripe. In Japan, Apple mandates app prices be rounded to the nearest ten yen denomination, a policy enacted to simplify the purchasing experience for consumers — and likely bookkeeping for accountants. The company applies identical restrictions to App Stores in the U.S. and other international locales.
Finally, the ministry report questions Apple's refund practices. As it stands, when a user insists on a refund, the app developer must stump not only for its take of the original sale, but also the 30 percent commission taken out by Apple.
Japan's FTC plans to investigate the issue and "may choose to conduct on-site inspections if there is sufficient suspicion of regulation breach," according to one unnamed official.
Apple jumpstarted the app economy with its launch of the App Store for iPhone in 2008. Preloaded on every iOS device since then, the store has become a vital piece of the iOS experience. Though Apple benefits from the ability to offer its customers a vast universe of apps, the developer community was arguably most impacted by the App Store's introduction.
With the App Store, independent developers have equal footing with large studios and even established companies, all of whom are marketing their wares to millions of captive users.
Coincidentally, Apple last month published a webpage touting the company's contributions to the Japanese economy, including revenue generation and job creation related to the App Store ecosystem. Specifically, some $9.6 billion was paid out to 532,000 Japanese developers in 2015 alone.


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Scientists in the U.K., the country that gave the world Viagra, have been at it again.
This time, researchers at biotech firm Futura Medical have figured out how to implant an erection-boosting gel into condoms. What is more, Futura says European regulators are on the brink of approving the condoms, meaning they could be on the shelves by the end of the year.
Consumer goods powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser will be selling the product, which has been licensed to its Durex brand. The condoms have been through clinical trials, which means a group of lucky volunteers got to take some home, engage in a spot of how’s your father, then fill out a questionnaire. The chosen few agreed the condoms gave them a firmer, larger erection than usual.
The product currently goes by the catchy name of CSD500, but the marketing geniuses at Durex will likely come up with something snappier.
Durex’s share of condom sales in the U.S. has always lagged way behind the rest of the world, but Reckitt will be hoping CSD500 helps it penetrate the U.S. market. Stop giggling at the back.
Analysts agree that a submission for approval in the States is likely to follow the European green light.
[Read on over the jump.]


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BALTIMORE — Jimmy’s Famous Seafood started a fund to help local restaurants keep their doors open.
On Friday, they had a special gift for Locust Point's Serenity Wine Bar.
Nneka Bilal opened up shop in June 2019 and they are the only self serve wine bar in Baltimore City.
“Our motto is pour your own pleasure,” Bilal said. “We have our wine system so people can literally come up and pour a taste of something. A half glass or a full glass so you can sample stuff before you commit to a whole bottle.”
Like so many restaurants they’ve struggled because of the pandemic.
John Minadakis, the Co-Owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood started the Famous Fund a few weeks ago.
In that short period of time they’ve raised over $400,000 to help Baltimore restaurants.
Now, the Famous Fund is a non profit organization that's focused on helping as many people as possible.
T.J. Smith is the spokesperson for the Famous Fund.
“We’re not dealing with franchises,” said Smith. “We’re dealing with individual restaurants where many have come up with family. Others, people have put their money together, blood, sweat, and to get their restaurants off the ground and they were vibrant restaurants pre-pandemic.”
OJ and Chanda Brigance of the Brigance Brigade made the call that the Famous Fund was donating $8,000.
And OJ continued the surprise by typing out another surprise with his eyes.
“We know that times have been tough but with your faith grit and hard work the best is yet to come,” Brigance said. “Chanda and I want to personally donate an extra $2000 to the fund. Thank you, thank you so much.”
The outpouring of love the famous fund is showing won’t fix everything, but it buys the businesses a little more time to get to the other side of the pandemic.
“To be able to keep some staff on, be able to pay our rent and utilities for a few months it means a lot,” said Bilal. “Being open a year and a half I wasn’t ready to shut the doors.”


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Bangladesh expands AEO scheme to speed up Customs checks
Most of the containers landed at Bangladeshi ports can soon be delivered directly to the ...
In response to the forthcoming mandatory verification of the weight of containers, the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) has suggested the creation of an accreditation scheme for known shippers, along the authorised economic operator model.
Speaking at the final day of the TOC Container Supply Chain conference in London today, GSF secretary general Chris Welsh told delegates the organisation was working with a number of national governments on “how we develop an accreditation scheme for the calculation method”.
Under the new Safety of Life at Sea (Solas) amendments adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last year, shippers must have the declared weight of their container verified by either actual weighing, or demonstrating the calculated weight of the containers – the weight of the cargo plus the tare weight of the box itself.
“We are trying to develop a traceable, audit-based system that would warrant the establishment of a national database of known shippers,” Mr Welsh said.
“This would provide governments with a traceable source, an assurance that the system is audited and a method of dealing with people who get it wrong.
“And there will be major benefits to other stakeholders in the supply chain which have visibility into the database, particularly for shipping lines, and I think it could potentially lead to real improvements in supply chain standards.
“And it has commercial spin-offs, such as leading to fewer delays and more efficiency – it could help us move toward the digitisation of shipping documents and getting paper out of the system.”
Mr Welsh added that the process of building a model accreditation scheme had begun and he hoped it would be completed within the next six months.
However, it has its opponents. Paul Hamilton, assistant secretary at the dockers’ section of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), continues to press for the mandatory weighing of containers as the sole method of verification.
He told delegates: “We want all containers to be weighed, as you cannot put a price on safety. The calculation method seems complicated and we have requested further clarification, and we will lobby national governments for independent spot checks to be performed.
“If the calculation method fails, then mandatory weighing must become law,” he added.
Others expressed doubt that the GSF scheme could become a reality internationally.
“Let’s face it, most containers are loaded in China, so if there is a problem of misdeclared weight it begins there, and I just do not see how you can enforce such a scheme across all the hundreds of thousands of exporters there,” one forwarder told The Loadstar.


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- New software updates from Apple and Microsoft bring big changes to their video calling applications.
- Other novelties hope to help us better manage work-life balance.
- Updates are a sign that the way people use their computers has fundamentally changed over the past year.
The world may be opening up again, but remote working is here to stay for many people. It’s the sentiment that apparently shaped the new updates coming to Windows and Mac computers later this year.
Apple and Microsoft are both introducing new features that dramatically improve conference calls and the way we deal with work-life balance, updates that will come as the majority of working Americans continued to work remotely in 2021, according to Gallup.
Some of these new features are a response to remote working, but they are also a sign that the two largest operating systems are seeing a fundamental change in the way we will use computers to work and communicate.
Microsoft unveiled Windows 11 Thursday, its first major Windows update in six years. The free update will bring a slew of cosmetic changes to Windows PCs this holiday season, but closer integration with its Teams video chat app is one of the biggest updates. With Windows 11, Teams will install right into the taskbar so you can start a text chat, video call, or voice call without having to launch the app.
Apple also announced big changes coming to FaceTime at its Global Developer Conference earlier this month. This includes some
-similar features, such as grid view for group calls and the ability to link to join FaceTime conferences from any device, marking the first time Apple has extended FaceTime beyond its own products.
The iPhone maker is also launching a new feature called SharePlay that lets you watch movies and TV shows in sync with someone else via a FaceTime call – a feature that surely would have been appreciated over the last year. year, because many have sought to co-watch shows with friends and family.
But videoconferencing is only one aspect of working remotely; there is also the actual work. Apple’s macOS Monterey update and Microsoft’s Windows 11 will both have new tools to help us better separate our digital work lives from our personal affairs. Windows 11, for example, will allow you to create separate areas called Desktops suitable for different themes like work, personal, or games.
Apple is launching a new Focus mode that allows you to block notifications based on your activity on all devices. This means that no Facebook notification during the working day and no
alerts after 6 p.m. if desired. Such features could be particularly useful as American workers grapple with burnout, especially in the past year or so. A survey by Insider and SurveyMonkey that surveyed 1,093 American workers at the end of April found that about 60% of those polled felt at least somewhat exhausted. Almost half of those polled who said they felt a bit exhausted said this had happened in the past few months.
The launches also come at a time when there is a desire to continue working remotely even after the pandemic. A national survey conducted in April 2020 by GetSummary found that 43% of those surveyed said they wanted to continue working remotely more often in the future.
Yet software updates are just the latest example of how tech companies are adapting their products to long-term behavioral changes. New laptops that debuted at the annual CES show in January feature technologies meant to improve video calling and security, such as sophisticated microphones and sensors that could lock your device while you’re away.
It is possible that many of these features have arrived on Windows and macOS, whether there has been a pandemic or not. But what is certain is that over a year of working remotely has changed the way we use computers both professionally and personally. Now we have a feel for the trends that big tech companies think are here to stay.


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RIM stock surges up on IBM rumours
Stock in Research in Motion was up five per cent following a report that IBM is interested in some of the company’s assets.
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TORONTO — Stock in Research in Motion was up five per cent following a report that IBM is interested in some of the company’s assets.
According to the Bloomberg news agency, the U.S. technology giant made an informal approach about the possibility of acquiring RIM’s enterprise division, which operates a network of secure servers used to support its BlackBerry devices.
However, the report indicated nothing had come of the approach and that no talks between the two companies were underway.
When asked about the story, RIM said it does not comment on rumours and speculation.
Meanwhile, the Waterloo, Ont.,-based company received good news on the legal front Wednesday when a U.S. judge overturned a $147.2-million patent infringement verdict in favour of Mformation Technoligies Inc. The case involved software for managing mobile devices.
On the Toronto Stock Exchange, RIM shares were up 38 cents at $8.10.
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Canadian consumer confidence surged to the highest in more than three years amid rising optimism over the outlook for real estate and the economy.


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The cheese manufacturing group – which produces brands including Babybel, Boursin and the Laughing Cow – has worked with agency Y&R to create an updated ad to promote Leerdammer Toastie slices, which launched in May.
The 20-second spot will run from 21 October to 24 November alongside a PR campaign, according to Leerdammer senior brand manager Ralph Hobbelen.
"We are now fine tuning the activity, but it will include reaching out to magazines with competitions, engaging with bloggers, and an on-pack activation giving a money back guarantee," said Hobbelen.
The new ad brings together creative from Leerdammer’s ‘Incognito’ campaign, first aired in September 2012, with an additional push for the brand’s Toastie slices, which, according to the ad, have a richer, creamier recipe for melting when heated.
The ad shows a man visiting a supermarket sample counter in a range of disguises, to get more tastes of Leerdammer, and includes the strapline "Try Leerdammer, love Leerdammer".
Bel UK marketing director James King said: "The launch of Leerdammer Toastie earlier this year is part of our strategy to encourage new, complementary usage occasions that will bring incremental growth to Leerdammer and to the natural slices category as a whole.
"As the weather turns colder and hot snacks of course become more popular, the time is right to raise awareness of Leerdammer Toastie with this fresh burst of TV advertising."


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Chinese New Year Dishes for Luck and Prosperity
In any culture, ringing in a new year is cause for celebration. In Chinese culture, that is especially true. This year, with Chinese New Year’s Eve (Friday, January 24th), a whole host of Bay Area restaurants launched specialty menus in honor of Year of the Rat.
“In Chinese culture, rats are a sign of wealth and surplus,” says China Live founder and executive chef George Chen. “Those born during the Year of the Rat enjoy sophisticated opportunities and are popular in social interaction.”
Now through February 8th, everyone—whether they were born during the Year of the Rat or not—can enjoy sophisticated dishes in celebration of this exciting time.
Nian gao at China Live
Dishes aren’t the only things on display during China Live’s Chinese New Year celebrations. In addition to serving specials like red seafood dumplings and red bean mochi, the Chinatown destination will host lion dancers, baijui tastings, and free dumpling workshops. Stop for the show and stay for the traditional Chinese New Year dish nian gao, a glutinous rice cake cooked with Lap Cheong sausage and garlic chives (you also can’t go wrong with the steamed whole fish). – 7X7 Magazine (01.29.20)


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From the state Attorney General:
"Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today issued an urgent warning to holiday shoppers and gift card holders that KB Toys, Inc. -- which operates at least six Connecticut stores -- has declared bankruptcy and will be closing for good.
Blumenthal said the company has acknowledged that as many as 12 million gift cards -- some of which were sold as recent as Monday -- remain unused and could soon be worthless.
KB, which is operated by Prentice Capital Management LP, has filed for Chapter 11 and is headed for liquidation. The company operates 277 stores nationwide, including stores in Meriden, Trumbull, Danbury, Waterbury, Milford and Westbrook.
KB is seeking to continue to honor gift cards, credits, returns and coupons, but Blumenthal warned consumers to take advantage of such options immediately because they may be time-limited.
KB Toys expects to continue the liquidation sale until Feb. 9, but stores could close sooner.
"Today we issue an urgent warning to KB consumers and gift card holders: cash in the cards now," Blumenthal said. "Even as KB seeks to do the right thing -- honoring cards, coupons and credits -- bankruptcies are unpredictable and unsafe for consumers.
"The KB closing reinforces the consumer warning of the season: cash may be crass -- but it's forever. Buy with your hearts, but also your heads."


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Greenpeace has used a 12-metre tree trunk illegally cut from the Amazon to condemn Europe’s role in deforestation. The protest in Brussels sought to pressure the European Commission to ban illegal timber imports. A vote on proposed legislation is expected in three weeks. Greenpeace says the EU’s lack of strict laws against unregulated tree-felling makes Europeans accomplices in illegal logging.
Activist Sebastian Risso said: “It is vital that everyone in the market accepts his responsibilities. The EU is also responsible, as the main consumer. It has to stop illegal wood from being sold to Europeans.”
The environmentalists say the EU, as the world’s biggest wood importer, should insist that all timber products on the European market are from legal sources and well-managed forests. They say it would help stop the destructive impact of illegal logging on the world’s climate, biodiversity and native people living in forests.


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SEC Chair Gary Gensler has sent a warning to businesses on the topic of “AI-washing,” or making false artificial intelligence-related claims, likening it to the greenwashing phenomenon that has been the target of SEC enforcement activity.
At a conference on Tuesday hosted by news outlet The Messenger, Gensler said that securities laws bar phony claims and require companies to give “full, fair and truthful” disclosures.
“Don’t do it,” he said. “One shouldn’t greenwash and one shouldn’t AI wash.” Making unfounded AI claims to the public about one’s AI technology and capabilities can lead to an enforcement action, he said, and the attendant compliance remedial undertakings many such actions include.
“Don’t do it. One shouldn’t greenwash and one shouldn’t AI wash.”Gary Gensler, Chair, SEC
He went on to say that any AI use cases that break the law will not be treated differently than other financial crimes.
“Fraud is fraud,” he added. “A human that is using a model that is defrauding the public, depending on the facts, is likely going to hear from us.”
Truly, AI washing can tarnish a company’s reputation, as one can wonder what else the company is exaggeratiing and how well its technology is functioning – never mind how well the business understands its own tools.
AI is cool
Over the last year, given the interest investors and consumers have expressed in the emerging technology, companies have dived in, too. Nearly 200 members of the S&P 500 cited AI during their second-quarter earnings calls, the highest total since at least 2010, according to data reported by FactSet.
But as Gensler pointed out on Tuesday, AI has been used in finance for years, with insurance companies using it for claims processing and financial institutions employing it to detect credit card fraud and ensure compliance rules to combat money laundering.
The undue attention to it is borne of several new developments in creating longer textual items and images and in processing and creating data more quickly than ever, with advancements being announced on an ongoing basis.
In April, four US agencies issued a pledge to enforce their laws and regulations to monitor AI and enforce the principles of fairness, equality and justice in the rollout and use of such products and services.
At the conference, Gensler made his remarks in response to an audience question and didn’t elaborate on the SEC’s areas of focus. An agency representative didn’t respond to a request for comment to the WSJ.
He mentioned the SEC will sort through the public comments it is receiving on the proposed rule regarding conflicts of interest in the use of predictive data analytics by broker-dealers and investment advisers.
FTC and other agencies
In February, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a blog post advising companies to monitor their claims regarding their use of artificial intelligence (or AI).
According to the agency, companies relying (or purporting to rely) on AI can get themselves in trouble with the FTC by exaggerating the claims of their products, overpromising and underdelivering, and not properly accounting for reasonably foreseeable risks to consumers.
The FTC continued to issue public statements about AI claims and technology use, showcasing its watchful eye on developments with the use of this technology and saying it will not hesitate to use its enforcement authority to penalize conduct it views to be unfair or deceptive.
In April, four US agencies issued a joint pledge to enforce their laws and regulations to monitor artificial intelligence (AI) and enforce the core principles of fairness, equality and justice in the rollout and use of such AI products and services.
The FTC, Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission outlined their commitment after noting how often automated systems present themselves in our daily lives, thereby affecting civil rights, fair competition, consumer protection, and equal opportunity.
A sound understanding of what AI is and, more importantly, what it is not, is essential here. According to Investopedia’s definition: “AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems”.
Some high-profile applications include basic web search engines (Google and Bing); the recommendation systems used by companies such as Amazon and YouTube; assistants like Alexa and Siri; self-driving cars; and generative tools like ChatGPT and AI Art. That’s a wide field and a broad definition.
Transparency in AI use is key when it comes to any representations about AI capabilities. Clearly disclosing to customers not only the use of AI but also how and why it’s used is crucial. Falsely claiming to use AI to enhance a product’s or service’s appeal is a short-sighted move that can jeopardize a company’s reputation, erode customer confidence and harm future sales.


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Everyone’s favourite games console manufacturer (except Sony, perhaps), is opening up another channel of content for its Wii.
Nintendo have announced WiiWare, letting people purchase and download original games software.
Nintendo have offered a service to download reworked classic games – Super Mario Bros, etc – to the Wii since last November. Indeed, earlier this month they announced that 4.7m of these classic games had been downloaded already.
WiiWare will attempt to get legions of small software developers to create compelling, less-expansive games, without them having to be concerned with the hassle and cost of creating games on disk.
Nintendo expect the first WiiWare content to arrive early 2008 – so coders, get coding!


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June 25, 2012 | by Natesh Sood
Even though Samsung is having a tough time keeping up with mounting demand for the Samsung Galaxy S III, President Mobile Communications, Shin Jong-kyun, believes the device will surpass 10 million sales in July. In addition, Samsung reveals it is working closely with mobile component suppliers in order to ramp up production and meet carriers’ needs.
The onslaught of the Galaxy S III began on May 29 when it launched in the European market, and by the end of July, the Galaxy S III will be available through 300 different carriers across 147 countries. Samsung is definitely putting itself in a good position to meet the 10 million mark by giving consumers a variety of options to purchase the Galaxy S III.
It’s hard to pinpoint where the Galaxy S III stands at this moment in terms of sales, but the Samsung exec fully believes it will reach the 10 million milestone by July — after two months of its launch.


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A disgruntled man shot a saleswoman in a Russian sex shop after she refused to refund him money for impotence tablets that failed to work.
According to Russian media, the police said that the man shot and wounded the woman in rage.
On Christmas Eve, the man walked into the "Intim" shop in a Moscow suburb, according to law enforcement sources telling Interfax news agency.
He then demanded a refund for the tablets he had bought there a day earlier, reports News.com.au.
However, when the shop assistant refused to give him back his money he shot her with a pistol.


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Palit is expanding its business into the SSD sector with the release of its UVS and GF-S series SSDs.
The UVS series SSD is powered by a Phison S3111-S11 controller paired with TLC NAND. Sequential read and write performance is rated at 560MB/s and 470MB/s respectively, while random read and write is rated at 290MB/s and 340MB/s.Manufacturer Palit Model UVS10AT-SSD120 UVS-SSD256 UVS-SSD480 UVS-SSD512 Capacity 120GB 256GB 480GB 521GB NAND Planar TLC 3D TLC Sequential Read 560MB/s 560MB/s 525MB/s 525MB/s Sequential Write 375MB/s 470MB/s 465MB/s 465MB/s Random Read 280MB/s 270MB/s 290MB/s 290MB/s Random [...]
There has been numerous leaks already on the upcoming Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti, but a recent leak from Videocardz provides practically confirmed specs, launch date, and pricing information about the upcoming cards.
In the slide above, we can see that the GeForce GTX 1050 will ship with 640 CUDA cores, 2GB GDDR5 memory, and a 75W TDP. It’ll begin shipping October 25 at $109. The GeForce GTX 1050 on the other hand will ship with 768 CUDA cores, 4GB GDDR5 memory and carry the same 75W TDP as the GTX 1050. It’ll also ship on October 25, but for $139. In comparison to previous leaks, pricing here appears to be even lower than we previously [...]
NVIDIA today introduced two new high-performance GPUs, the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 650. These new gaming GPUs deliver the exceptional performance and power efficiency of the award-winning NVIDIA® Kepler™ architecture at price points that will allow more gamers to experience the richness of next-generation PC gaming.
The GeForce GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 650 GPUs set a new benchmark for high-performance, remarkably-priced gaming when paired with the incredible line-up of topDirectX 11 games, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Assassin’s Creed [...]
The NVIDIA® Kepler™ architecture, which has revolutionized how PC games are played since its introduction in March, powers the new NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 660 Ti GPU, which is available today starting at only $299.
Delivering truly game-changing performance for the most demanding PC games played at the gamer’s preferred resolution of 1080p, the GTX 660 Ti is a dramatic upgrade for anyone playing on previous-generation graphics technology. The GTX 660 Ti is 41 percent faster on average than the GTX 560 Ti from 2011, and 58 percent [...]
NVIDIA today launched the third GPU based on its next-generation Kepler™ graphics architecture, the GeForce® GTX 670, which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance, power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers, starting at $399 USD.
Engineered from the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680 — NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line, single-GPU — the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch-long frame. It outpaces the closest competitive product in gaming performance by upwards of 45 percent,(1) while consuming approximately 18 percent less [...]
SHANGHAI–(Marketwire – Apr 28, 2012) – GEFORCE LAN/NVIDIA Game Festival 2012 — NVIDIA today announced the GeForce® GTX 690, the world’s fastest consumer graphics card1 — with a bold industrial design to match.
Powered by dual Kepler™ architecture-based GeForce GPUs, the GTX 690 is meticulously designed — inside and out — to deliver the most refined, elegant and smooth PC gaming experience possible.
The surprise announcement was made by NVIDIA CEO and co-founder Jen-Hsun [...]


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The rate of mobile penetration in Nigeria has grown so large and wide, that advertisers can’t help but spread news of their products through SMS messaging. The messages, as we all know,are usually constructed to come in form of free gifts, card offer sand marketing promotions.
The downside to this is that fraudsters are also using the same method to send legitimate-looking messages.Thereby, making it hard for people to decipher what is legit from what is not and this can often lead to more serious misuse of personal information and identity theft.
The good news is that the spam phenomenon of a thing will soon be put in the past with the recent introduction of TrueMessenger app. Right from the same vendor of TrueCaller, the app works just like TrueCaller by putting a name to any number and it has the ability to filter and block spam text messages.
At long last, mobile users can now identify unwanted numbers,block or avoid messages from them and stop worrying about anonymous numbers.


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Coronavirus is the latest virus that have the world worried and its epidemic is constantly growing and causing more and more financial disasters .
But no one felt the financial disaster of coronavirus as much as Corona beer company as they have reported that they have lost over 170 million dollars in the first 2 months of 2020 .
The Corona beer company’s management are asking government and medias to help people understand that Coronavirus has nothing to do with Corona beer and no one from the company is contaminated with coronavirus and no corona beer contain coronavirus .
But some financial experts have a different opinion ” Coronavirus may harm the company’s finance initially but they’re smart enough and invest their money and effort on a smart advertising campaign , they’ll end-up capitalizing and earn even more from coronavirus’s fame ” .
The coronavirus and Corona beer’s future are really unclear now , but time will tell if in the next few months Corona virus can turn the table or lose more because of unfortunate naming .