text:
By Samuel Rubenfeld
February 23, 2022
U.K. sanctions authorities announced Monday they had imposed a fine on payment processor Clear Junction Ltd. for processing 15 transactions to accounts at a Russian bank.
The fine, about GBP 37,000, had been issued in February 2021, according to an enforcement notice issued by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). Clear Junction requested a ministerial review that was completed in June and upheld the decision; an appeal filed by the firm against the decision has since been withdrawn, OFSI said in the notice.
The transactions, to accounts at Russian National Commercial Bank (RNCB) in the spring of 2018, were worth a total of GBP 7,703.68, according to the OFSI notice. RNCB, which was sanctioned in July 2014 by the U.K. and in 2015 by the U.S., is fully owned by the government in Crimea. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and remains in power there.
Clear Junction, which is based in London and has offices across the U.K. and Europe, on Monday issued a long statement on its website describing its latest audit, which focused on sanctions screening. The transactions flagged by OFSI occurred due to a defect in its screening tools, the company said. RNCB is not a partner of the firm, the statement said, and the company took steps to resolve the matter as soon as it became aware of it.
“We recognize that we made a mistake,” the company said. “However, we are pleased to report that we have learned and grown from the experience and have improved our internal methods and procedures. Although the incident took place a number of years ago, we want to keep it in mind as a constant motivation to strive for high standards of compliance within the business.”
Clear Junction had provided a partial voluntary self-disclosure, and OFSI identified additional transactions to accounts at RNCB during its investigation, according to the agency’s notice.
In April 2018, Clear Junction submitted a suspected breach report detailing eight payments made by two individuals to two accounts at RNCB, OFSI’s notice said. The transactions were initiated by TransferGo, a Clear Junction client. The next day, Clear Junction told TransferGo certain banks were subject to sanctions, including RNCB, and payments could no longer be processed, according to the OFSI notice. Nevertheless, further transactions occurred, OFSI said. TransferGo was fined by OFSI in August 2021 over transactions to accounts at RNCB.
OFSI’s investigation identified eight additional potential breaches, one of which Clear Junction showed was the result of a technical issue it has since fixed, the enforcement notice said. The other seven payments, two of which occurred before the April 2018 disclosure and the remaining five in the two months afterward, constituted sanctions violations, according to OFSI.


text:
Getting back into the swing of things post-holidays isn’t exactly an easy feat. Thankfully, Dunkin’s extra charged coffee is here to help.
Just before the new year, Dunkin’ introduced its new Extra Charged Coffee, a brew that features 20% more caffeine than a regular cup. The new beverage can be ordered iced or hot, and it’s infused with a green coffee extract that’s designed to give an added caffeine boost to your daily Dunkin’ order. The best part for those who need a bit of an extra oomph? A medium Extra Charged Coffee is only $2 from now until Jan. 26.
But Dunkin’ isn’t just bringing new extra caffeinated options to the table. If you aren’t quite ready to get that caffeinated yet, you can also try the brand’s two new brews. Dunkin’ Midnight is the brand’s darkest roast and has notes of cocoa. Explorer Batch is a new blend sourced from one of four popular coffee regions and features berry notes.
On the new offerings, Vice President Jill Nelson of Marketing & Culinary at Dunkin’ said in a press release, “Since opening our doors more than 70 years ago, Dunkin’ has served a superior cup of coffee. Now, for the first time in our history, we’re offering the boldest and most diverse assortment of blends and customization options to fuel a new era of coffee at Dunkin’. From the darkest roast in our portfolio to the most caffeinated hot and iced coffee varieties, we are more committed than ever to keeping Americans running on Dunkin’ in 2021.”

domain: news


text:
By Steve Hubrecht
The local restaurant industry, like much of the Columbia Valley economy, has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many local eateries tightening their belts for lean times. That said, more than a few valley restaurants are pivoting to come up with new initiatives and products, some are holding their own during the pandemic, and many have jumped aboard the national Wednesday Takeout Day bandwagon.
The Canada Takeout Day kicked off across the country on Wednesday, April 15, backed by hundreds of chefs and restaurant owners, as well as Canadian celebrities. Indeed the first Takeout Day featured a virtual concert with Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Alan Doyle (Great Big Sea), Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies), Tom Cochrane and others.
How has the fanfare surrounding the Takeout Day translated here in the Columbia Valley?
Most local restaurant owners are giving it a whirl, but almost all point out that, in general, the culinary industry is in rough waters.
Helna’s Stube owners Helmut Kendler and Natascha Kendler-Tacha told the Pioneer last week that they had just done their third Wednesday Takeout night in an effort to increase sales, and they are additionally donating part of the proceeds from their Wednesday sales to the Columbia Valley Food Bank, but that nevertheless business has been quiet.
“We believe that we are facing tough times, especially here in Radium where we were already hit with an extremely slow fall and winter due to (the) hot springs closure and the slow economy in Alberta. Even if the government will re-open the economy by the summer, there will be restrictions attached to it. It will be a challenging summer for all of us in the hospitality industry. People will be cautious and disposable income will be tight,” the couple wrote in an email. “We will also miss out on the European tourists. And then with another usual slow winter adding to that, we are looking into spring/summer 2021 until life will hopefully be back to normal. We better keep our belts tight for the next while.”
Yet there is hope. At least local one restaurant is doing almost as well at this point as at the same point last year, and others have kept afloat by reducing hours and staff, and — especially — by focusing on aspects of their business beyond sit-down dining. Aside from takeout, these include wholesale products and take-home meal kits.
The take-home meal products are perhaps best exemplified by Edible Acres Cafe’s weekend chef boxes, which are a take-home combination of baked goods, dips, pre-cooked or ready-to-cook meals, soups and fresh veggies from the farm. Each week features a different menu of goodies.
“We were not sure if we could pull off being open for takeout full time in terms of having access to the quality ingredients we like to use in all our cooking, and our kitchen is very small so having staff in there able to social distance was not very possible or efficient. Hence the weekend chef box was created,” said Edible’s co-owner Anna Steedman.
The weekend chef boxes — which are now in their third week — are up for order each week at Edible Acres Cafe on Wednesdays (national Takeout Day), although Steedman said that’s mostly a coincidence owing to the time her partner Randy MacSteven needs to be able to put the boxes together for a Friday or Saturday pickup. So far the response has been overwhelmingly great. The first week, the weekend chef boxes sold out within hours of the posting. The next week, Edible Acres Cafe geared up with even more boxes, but once again sold out lightning fast.
“We have a kitchen, a chef, and a love for good food and sharing that food with others,” Steedman said. “I think it gives us a sense of normalcy to have smells coming from the kitchen again.”
While the boxes are doing very well, their catering business has come to a complete halt and Steedman indicated the Edibles/Winderberry team are quite grateful to have a many-pronged business model.
“We are extremely lucky to have the other facets of the business. If the cafe was the only source of income, I think we would be in a much different place. We went from having a wedding almost every weekend and a lot of other farm dinner events planned to just canceling it all. It sure is a crazy time we are in. My heart breaks for all the couples that were planning on tying the knot this summer and fall,” she said. “I think restaurants are doing a great job with all their takeout options. And the community is supporting them. We are making a point of ordering in at least once a week from a different place. I think it is an extremely scary time in an industry that already deals with lots of uncertainty. I fear for those that may not own their location and will not have the means to get back up and running again.”
MacSteven added that one potential silver lining that may come of the pandemic is that hopefully “a lot of places will implement plans for something like this coming along again. It has forced people to increase online presence and get online ordering going.”
From Scratch co-owner Lara McCormack told the Pioneer that From Scratch is not doing Takeout Wednesday and is instead currently open Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m..
“But as a family we have been supporting this initiative, picking up dinner every week from a different restaurant. We are also letting our customers know about Takeout Wednesday and encouraging them to support others in the valley,” said McCormack. “We are open during the weekend as it is when it works best for our family situation at the moment with three children at home with schooling. We are open during this time to connect with our From Scratch community. We are finding that most of our customers look forward to seeing us as much as we look forward to seeing them, plus they enjoy menu favourites (and) having a night off cooking. It also allows us to continue business with (our) suppliers, many of them being small, artisan businesses.”
McCormack added From Scratch’s sales are up and down week to week, and indicated that staying open at the moment is an effort at keeping the business alive in the long run, saying: “We are here to keep going.” On a bright note, From Scratch has been increasing its prepared meals and condiment offerings, something McCormack and partner Adrian McCormack have long wanted to focus on.
“We are holding on with the skin of our teeth when (the restaurant is) open but we are keeping up with wholesale accounts, gradually breaking more ground with our frozen, prepared meals and condiments. It has been our goal to focus on food production and now we have the opportunity upon us. We had to let our staff go, which was the hardest thing as a boss we have ever had to do, but we hope business ramps up to a point that we can bring them back,” she said. “It’s not looking good for the industry as a whole. We are tied in with a lot of other chefs across the nation and we all agree that this is the time to get creative, listen to what customers want, support the local growers and economy, (and) ensure nobody goes hungry in the community, all while working within new guidelines to ensure the safety of staff. I do not see sitting a full restaurant happening anytime soon but as long as takeout continues with some creative additions, we will see a new ‘restaurant landscape’ develop as the normal as we know it is gone.”
Local restaurant Fuze has managed to hold its own during the pandemic, which owner Sarah Adamson chalks up to the fact that Fuze was a takeout-only restaurant for years, up until just a few months ago. Adamson added that Takeout Wednesday has definitely had a positive impact on Fuze.
“We didn’t know about it until the first Wednesday that it started and we were extremely busy and not really ready for it. We had been so short staffed and working so many hours, none of us had read the news,” said Adamson. “When COVID started and everybody shut down, I was unsure what the right thing to do was. I laid off all my staff except for two so that we could ensure safety and social distancing protocol and we did all the hours and work ourselves. Because of this we kept busy with work. I’d say the first two weeks were slow but then they started to pick up again, and for a couple of weeks now we have been so busy, I had to call my staff back to work and help. Our sales numbers this April are similar to last year. This is working for us, because as you know we were takeout only for the past five years.”
She added the timing of the pandemic (and the call for restaurants to offer takeout only) is almost ironic, given that Fuze had been closed all January in order to extend its front area and put in washrooms in order to finally offer a dine-in experience for customers.
“I have been saving money for the past five years to do this project, and it was kind of disappointing how anticlimactic the whole thing was because as soon as we reopened, we had to take away all the new seating and tell customers we were only takeout again. I am grateful that we are still busy, and we are hoping that we can continue to have a good summer, in whatever form we are required to serve our food. We will be ready for it.”
Fuze will be scaling back its opening hours a bit, Adamson said, and won’t be open seven days a week this summer as it was last year, as COVID-19 has thrown her normal hiring and training schedule (which often happens in March) to the wind.
Photo submitted by Ryan Watmough


text:
Suzuki ends partnership with Volkswagen and is attempting to get shares back
Suzuki is officially terminating its partnership with Volkswagen and seeking a return of its shares in arbitration. Suzuki got a bit upset when Volkswagen stated in a report that it could significantly influence financial and operating decisions at Suzuki. Why Suzuki is upset over the truth we have no idea. Suzuki now states it was not given full access to VW technology that is expected. Suzki CEO and chairman Osamu Suzuki stated, “Today, Suzuki terminated the partnership with VW. Suzuki will be seeking the return of its shares from VW in arbitration. I am disappointed that we have to take this action but VW’s actions have left us no choice."


text:
Courier firm in fast lane
ROD and Tracey Lawson, Fastway Couriers regional franchisees and owners of the Northern Rivers depot, are in the perfect position to take advantage of the current explosion in online shopping
With more Australians bypassing traditional retailers and shopping online, there is an increased number of small parcels being delivered direct to people's homes.
"There has been a real increase in residential as opposed to business-to-business deliveries," said Mr Lawson.
"Our residential deliveries have grown at least 30% over the past year."
National Australia Bank figures for the 12 months to November 2012 showed that Australians spent $12.6 billion online, with internet sales making up 5.7% of total retail spending.
In January, chief executive John Donahoe of eBay, the online auction site with nearly 100 million online users and shoppers, singled out Australia as one of its high-growth markets.
Mr Lawson said there was also a rise in the number of micro-entrepreneurs running businesses from home or the local industrial estate.
"The ability to dispatch their products using a company like ours helps these people to run their businesses," Mr Lawson said.
"The larger freight companies don't deliver door-to-door so, if not for us, they would have to line up at the post office to dispatch their goods."
The Lawsons have owned the franchise for the past seven years, in turn employing another 12 franchisees who own the vans that ultimately pick up and drop off the freight.
"We joined Fastway because of the ability to plug into their network," Mr Lawson said.
The Lawsons cover from Mullumbimby and Ocean Shores south to Grafton and inland to Casino and Kyogle, carrying up to 25kg.
Over the years, Mr Lawson has moved some unusual cargo including day-old chickens, yabbies and even a live snake
"It travelled in a very well sealed cardboard box with air holes," said Mr Lawson.


text:
We were very excited to be on ITV News on Sunday night... well Adam was!
He talked about the story behind Joe & Seph's, how we handmake all our delicious popcorn and also focused in on the importance of exports!
Let us know if you were watching :D
Joe & Seph's are a family business who launched in 2010 with a mission to produce the best tasting popcorn in the world.
All of our popcorn and caramel sauces are handmade in London by a small team of pastry chefs.
We have a range of over 50 flavours of popcorn, 10 caramel sauces and are proud to have won 82 Great Taste Awards!
Choose your country
Please note that international shipping is available.


text:
Alcatel’s redesigned low-cost phones get 18:9 TCL screens
Although CES 2018 has almost every electronics company in the world announcing new devices, most phone makers are saving their big reveals for the upcoming Mobile World Congress in February. It’s no surprise, then, that Alcatel didn’t have new devices ready to unveil. But the company did give us a preview of the low-cost handsets it plans to give more details about later this year. The new phones will not only use (parent company) TCL’s screens with 18:9 aspect ratios and feature sleek designs, but also use a simplified naming system. We saw prototypes of the Alcatel 1x, 3v and 5 — which are potential models of the sub-$100, sub-$200 and sub-$300 series respectively.
For a sub-$100 phone, the 1x felt surprisingly luxurious. It has a soft, almost sandpaper-like texture on its curved back that makes it feel like an unfinished pebble. There was also a fingerprint sensor below the rear camera on our preview unit, which is a nice amenity at the price. Beyond those two physical attributes, we don’t know much more about the 1x.
The 3v looked a lot more generic, with a rounded rectangle shape and glossy back. It felt heftier than the 1x, in a good way, and the prototype we saw featured a dual rear camera and a fingerprint sensor. Again, there were no specs beyond the screen brand and aspect ratio, so we can’t tell you how the phone is going to perform.
Finally, the Alcatel 5 is a rectangular phone that’s very reminiscent of the Sharp Aquos phone, except that the Alcatel has a taller bezel up top and doesn’t look quite as sharp. The handset we played with had a nice, subtly ridged texture that helped it feel distinct from the sea of smooth glass and metal handsets in the market.
All three phones we saw were in black, but according to pictures Alcatel provided, the devices could also come in more attractive colors like blue and gold. Although there isn’t much information to glean from our preview so far, it’s nice to know that 18:9 phone screens are poised to become more prevalent, even at lower prices. Alcatel using its parent company’s screens is also interesting as it could mean that TV tech could trickle down to low-cost smartphones sooner. We’ll most likely learn more about whether the new Alcatel 1, 3 and 5 series will be worth your consideration at MWC later this year, but for now this is a promising first look.
Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.


text:
Tickets now available for the 30th Annual Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival
Event has passed
The Harry K Foundation is pleased to announce that tickets for the 30th Annual Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival are now available. This year's event will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center with “First Taste” beginning at 11am and ending with the Awards ceremony at 1:30pm. Dozens of local bakers from Coastal Delaware's finest restaurants will be bringing their best chocolate treats for this year's event.
Local celebrity judges will be on hand to help decide the best in category and the best of the best. There will be nine judged categories that include: Brownie, Cake, Candy, Chocolate Beverage, Cookie, Ice Cream, Pie, Other and Showpiece (non-edible). Ribbons will be awarded for first, second and third place in each category.
Tickets for this fun family event start at $25 and all proceeds from the event will go to the Harry K Foundation in support of their mission to ensure that no child in Delaware goes to bed hungry. For help with tickets call Karen Francis at 302.226.0675 or purchase tickets in person at Atlantic Jewelry, 313 S. Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach, DE.
Purchase tickets online at HarryKFoundation.org.


text:
It would seem Apple has some unfinished business with iOS 8.1, as news has recently come to light that 8.1.3 is now in the works, which means you will have to wait that bit longer for iOS 8.2 to release. This is a good thing because it means there are still some improvements to come, but whether it will be this month or next is another matter.
Several devices have been seen running iOS 8.1.3 and according to Mcann, this is more of a maintenance update and so we can expect to see a few bug fixes, and tweaks to help iOS devices run better. There is also the hope that there will be performance improvements, although that may be wishful thinking.
The next major update as you know is iOS 8.2, which is currently on its second beta, as it prepares to bring a host of new features to the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. However, the biggest reason for iOS 8.2 is the Apple Watch, as the current beta version comes with an SDK to help developers come up with supported Apple Watch apps.
Issues that need to be resolved with iOS 8.1.3 — Some users have said they are still having an issue where Spotlight stops searching in apps, and we know there is still isolated problems with third-party keyboard.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


text:
NHL 22 may not be what every hockey fanatic is looking for, but an added feature should smoothen things out. NHL 22 already has realistic graphics and all-new eye animations that track and react to the action around them. It is confirmed that you will be able to start downloading custom rosters in early December. Spend your time creating an entire roster and share your progress with other users. This game will be launching worldwide on October 15, 2021 for the following platforms: PS4 (PlayStation 4), PS5 (PlayStation 5), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
Originally, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released on Nintendo Switch in March 2020. Ever since then, New Horizons became the most successful Animal Crossing game, where Nintendo sold 33 million copies. What can we look forward to now?
Animal Crossing: New Horizon will air on Friday, October 15, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. EDT. The show should last approximately 20 minutes. In a tweet from the official Animal Crossing Twitter account, it reads, “The #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons Direct will air on Oct. 15 at 7am PT! Tune in for roughly 20 minutes of information about the content coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons in November. #ACNH.”
The anticipated return of the pigeon barista Brewster and his cafe was teased and one thing to note is, October 15, is also the Brewster’s birthday. The Brewster and his cafe will likely be accessible within a museum.


text:
February provided mixed results for retailers as swaying weather patterns and continued concerns over higher energy costs and rising interest rates caused consumers to slow some of their spending. On a year-over-year basis, chain store sales rose by 3.2 percent in February, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, Inc.
ICSC said it was a bit higher than expected, but the softest performance since July 2005 when chain store sales rose by 3.6 percent. ICSC added that February is one of the least important months for chain store sales.
In February, luxury chain store sales which rose by 2 percent, their softest increase since November 2005, according to the monthly survey.
Wholesale clubs and drug chain stores led the way and posted increases of 6.2 and 5.8 percent, respectively. Discount chain stores continued to see gains as sales rose by 2.9 percent. Rounding out the month was: Department stores also saw sales increase by 1.0 percent. On a negative note, apparel chain stores saw sales decline by 1.0 percent.
“February sales were largely in line with our expectations, but clearly depressed by adverse weather,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC’s chief economist and director of research. “Results varied vastly but continued to spotlight how robust consumer spending is. For March, ICSC expects same-store sales to increase by 3 percent on a year-over-year basis, as Easter-related sales shift from March to April.”
ICSC Chain Store Sales Trends is a monthly report on the U.S. retail industry’s sales performance based on an ICSC preliminary compilation of publicly-available sales for 59 chain stores during the month of February.Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine


text:
On Wednesday, October 17th, Canada will become the second country in the world where marijuana is legal on a national level, as Bill C-45, approved by Parliament in June, goes into effect. Adults will be able to possess up to 30 grams of pot and grow as many as four plants of any size per household; otherwise, additional regulations maybe be enacted at the province level.
Americans who are planning to travel to the country in the near future should know that it won’t be a complete cannabis free-for-all – fewer than 200 retailers country-wide will be open for business on Day One. On the West Coast, British Columbia will have just one government-run marijuana store, in the city of Kamloops, to start. On the east coast, Montreal will have quite a few more options, with 12 marijuana shops set to open on Wednesday, and another three to follow by the end of the month. By the end of the year, there will be 20 cannabis stores up and running across Quebec, all of which will be monopolized by the government-run Société Québécoise du Cannabis (SQDC), an offshoot of the government’s liquor store monopoly. While Quebec has handed control over to the local government, other provinces are planning to spread the wealth and issuing licenses to private distributors.
The range in regulations from province to province, city to city, and even municipality to municipality has created some confusion over what exactly is legal, and for whom. While the national law legalize marijuana purchases for anyone over the age of 18, some provinces have increased the age to 19, like British Columbia, while the incoming government administration in Quebec, led by conservative Francois Legault, has indicated they plan to raise the minimum age to 21 and has already banned home-growing, as has Manitoba.
For now, consumption in public spaces will also be technically legal in Quebec, with exceptions, like wherever tobacco smoking is prohibited. However, just as individual provinces have been given certain regulatory powers, so have individual cities, some of which have chosen to ban public consumption entirely. Montreal isn’t one of them; however, five municipalities in which the conservative opposition party controls local councils have enacted bylaws that prohibit public use entirely. Both B.C. and Quebec permit online sales and marijuana delivery through the SQDC website, but only Canadian addresses are allowed and the purchaser must be able to show ID proving they’re of legal age.
One thing that isn’t legal yet is the sale and distribution of marijuana edibles — while the federal law allows people to make their own marijuana-infused food at home, the rules around packaged edibles have not yet been tackled and aren’t expected to be implemented for at least another year. For now, only dried cannabis and cannabis oil will be sold from licensed stores.
“We understand the complexity of edibles and we want to make sure that we have the regulations in place to keep Canadian safe,” said Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, on CTV News.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has already been clear that Canadians who are caught at the border with marijuana could be banned from the country for life, as could those members of the industry who are upfront about traveling to the states on business. While U.S. residents traveling to Canada won’t face the same level of inquiry when crossing the border, returning to the states with legally purchased marijuana is absolutely illegal and not advised.
BrealTV on Facebook
Homeboy Sandman – “Extinction” Prod. by Quelle Chris (Audio)
Agallah & Sadat X – “The Gods Have Arrived” (Album)
Elzhi – “Seven Times Down, Eight Times Up” (Album)
Action Bronson – “Only For Dolphins” (Album)
The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast Ep.91 | Partying In NY, Out Of Body Experience, Biggest Pet Peeves + More
Willie The Kid – “Egregious” Prod. Evidence (Official Audio)
Public Enemy – “What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down” (Album)
The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast Ep. 90 | B-Real Going Shopping, Hardest Cypress Hill Song To Perform
The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast Ep. 71 w Felipe Esparza
Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana at Federal Level up for House Vote in September
MC Eiht Ft. Conway & Dj Premier – “Honcho” (Audio)
Video Showing Texas Toddler Smoking Weed Lands Two Suspects in Jail
The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast| Spooky Shit In New Zealand, Man With Jetpack, Brain Chip + More
Cannabis Use is up in Adults 50 Years and Older
Crimeapple – “If I Don’t See You In Paradise” (Album)
The Dr. Greenthumb Podcast w Mr. Checkpoint
New Music1 week ago
Lyric Jones Ft. Vic Mensa – “Show You How” (Audio)
New Music1 week ago
Dj Babu – #MLVN (Album)
podcasts2 weeks ago
The Dr. Greenthumb Show (Ep.84) ft. Psycho Les
News2 weeks ago
High & Hungry (Orale Mojo Tacos)
News1 week ago
Curren$y & Harry Fraud – “The Directors Cut” (Mixtape)
News4 days ago
Nems – “YKTFV” (Official Video)
New Music1 week ago
Dizzy Wright – “My Hustle Unmatched” (Album)
Sports1 week ago
Michael Jordan Wins Emmy


text:
Americans have long been encouraged to eat less salt, but some scientists say U.S. guidelines are too strict and consuming more salty products would be fine for our health, Peter Whoriskey writes in the Washington Post's "Wonkblog."
Although U.S. dietary guidelines say people should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, the average American actually consumes 50% more—about 3,500 milligrams. But Whoriskey notes that global salt intake is also high: 95% of the world's population eats more salt than is recommended by the U.S. government.
Some experts argue high levels of salt intake across a diverse range of cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds suggest that the natural and healthy level of salt consumption is higher than has long been recommended.
For instance, Niels Graudal, a researcher at Copenhagen University Hospital, calls U.S. warnings on salt consumption "the most radical existing nutrition recommendation."
JAMA: Eating more salt than recommended may not lead to heart disease
Joel Geerling, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, notes that "all over the world, people tend to eat a consistent amount of sodium that isn't super high and isn't really low." "That doesn't happen by chance in biology," he argues.
Geerling has studied the effects of salt on brain activity in mice. "What our work did was put a group of neurons on the map, showing neurons that fire when you take salt out of the diet," he explains. Whoriskey says similar neurons may be what cause humans to eat more salt than is nutritionally required.
Research by Graudal also found that when people eat the low level of salt recommended by many dietary guidelines, the body produces a hormone that may damage blood vessels. "I cannot see why the society should spend billions on sodium reduction," Graudal concludes.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) recently warned that U.S. government guidance on salt consumption is misguided—and potentially harmful. Low sodium consumption is "actually associated with increased mortality for healthy individuals," argues Sonja Connor, president of AND.
An alternative explanation
Although some scientists say the high global levels of salt intake prove that sodium is safe, CDC scientist Mary Cogswell has an alternative explanation: "Our salt taste preferences are based on what we commonly eat and what we're used to," she says.
And Graham MacGregor, a medical professor at Queen Mary University, says that even if humans naturally crave high levels of salt it doesn't mean it is natural or healthy. "Our need for salt is entirely hedonistic—that is, it is a pleasure it kills you," he says (Whoriskey,"Wonkblog," Washington Post, 5/26).
More Daily Briefing stories about salt
Next in the Daily Briefing
Around the nation: May 28, 2015


text:
Listen to this article
Time Inc has decided not to sell itself, ending months of speculation over the future of the publisher of Time, People and Sports Illustrated.
The company has drawn the interest of several suitors in recent months, nearly three years after it spun off from Time Warner, and a number of potential buyers signed non-disclosure agreements to look at Time’s books.
But on Friday, the publisher said it would remain independent and continue to pursue a strategic plan focused on digital growth and cost-cutting measures. Rich Battista, chief executive, said:
Time Inc. is a reinvigorated company uniquely positioned to succeed in the multi-platform media marketplace with an exceptional set of brands and assets, tremendous scale and significant untapped potential. The company is better positioned to capitalize on this potential with its recent shift from a siloed, legacy publishing structure, to an integrated, enterprise platform structure.
John Fahey, Time’s lead independent director, said the board has “full confidence” in Mr Battista and his management team.
Time Inc has struggled as standalone company. Last year, print ads and circulation revenue, which together accounted for 70 per cent of its $3.08bn in total revenue, each dropped 9 per cent. The publisher expects 2017 revenue to dip to $3bn, its sixth straight year of decline. And it carries an additional burden of $1.2bn in long-term debt.
Time had drawn interest from a number of potential buyers including Meredith, the publisher of Better Homes and Gardens and Martha Stewart Living, and an investment group backed by Edgar Bronfman Jr, former chief executive of Warner Music, Len Blavatnik, the billionaire owner of Warner Music Group, and Ynon Kreiz, who ran Maker Studios. However, the Bronfman and Blavatnik group dropped out of the running in March after concluding that there was a “valuation gap” between what the group was willing to pay and what Time Inc believed it was worth.
Get alerts on Fortune magazine when a new story is published


text:
The Mercedes CLA has been a controversial vehicle among some of the German automaker’s biggest fans. It has been called “cheap” and “shoddy” for a number of reasons. Despite such accusations that the CLA is cheapening the Mercedes brand, it is now being declared a commercial success, which means the model likely isn’t going away anytime soon.
The model was originally launched back in April of 2013, and since has picked up 100,000 unit sales. In the United States alone, 27,000 CLAs have been sold, making this the most popular market in the world for the four-door coupe. Among the potential reasons for the model’s success in the U.S. is the fact it’s incredibly cheap compared to any other models the company sells in this market.
Mercedes has revealed some interesting facts about the CLA’s appeal in the United States. The average age of people who drive the car is 45, which is about ten years younger than the average Mercedes driver in the country. Considering that the car has been called a grown-up version of the Mitsubishi Evolution, the car’s youthful appeal shouldn’t be too surprising. Also interesting is the fact that about 80 percent of CLA owners previously drove a vehicle made by another brand.
The haters will likely continue to hate the CLA, despite its commercial success. They will claim that most people don’t know good quality if it were to slap them across the face.
The second most popular region for the CLA is Western Europe, with the United Kingdom and Germany making up the largest markets in that region.


text:
|Fairlee voters endorsed updates to the town’s zoning bylaws and narrowly approved retail cannabis sales during voting yesterday, the Journal-Opinion reported today. |
About two-thirds (116-61) approved the amendments to the zoning bylaws, while cannabis sales were approved 91-86.
There were 178 ballots cast in total. By comparison, 94 voters checked in at the annual town meeting in March. At the time, there were 772 voters on the checklist, according to meeting minutes.
More than 500 voters cast ballots in Fairlee in the 2022 General Election.
Fairlee is now the 74th Vermont municipality to approve retail sales. The Vermont Cannabis Control Board website has a complete listing.
Categories: Local government


text:
Microsoft Studios has revealed new details on the scheduled releases for two of its family entertainment products. Delivering the content in a new and experimental fashion, both Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect Nat Geo TV will be presented as episodes via the Xbox LIVE digital channel as well as at retail stores.
Your kids’ favourite TV programs will soon come to life on with the launch of Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect Nat Geo TV. With these all new two-way TV experiences from Kinect for Xbox 360, your child can now jump inside his or her favourite television shows and engage, interact and learn like never before. Kinect Sesame Street TV and Kinect Nat Geo TV will each cost £29.99 GBP at retail, or 2400 Microsoft Points via Xbox LIVE, for eight thirty-minute episodes. Individual episodes can also be purchased for 400 Microsoft Points.
Both titles will launch on 18th September 2012, exclusively for Xbox 360, and Electronic Theatre will keep you updated with all the latest details on these exciting new interactive entertainment prospects.


text:
Using Debit Cards Can Be Risky
Many of us find it really convenient to pull out the debit card when we're buying something, but that convenience carries risk with it.
The Radio-Television-Digital News Association is reminding us of some places where it's really risky to use your bank card.
The RTDNA quotes a report from bankrate.com about the riskiest places to use it, and it really got me to thinking.
Bankrate.com says the riskiest places are: outdoor ATMs, restaurants, gas pumps and online. I'm sure it's not risky everywhere, but it can be.
Remember, if some crook has your debit card numbers, they can have direct access to your checking account.
With a credit card, meanwhile, the funds come from the card issuer and can be put back in the event of fraud.
I know, it's something else to worry about, but a little caution could keep you and your cash just a little safer.


text:
UK luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin has teamed up with Toyota in an innovative deal to manufacture a ‘cheap’ upmarket version of the Toyota iQ for £20,000, making it the world’s smallest luxury super-mini. The new model, called the Aston Martin Cygnet, will be offered to the company’s existing customers (and those with vehicles on order) by the end of the year, and will go on general sale following an introductory period.
Aston CEO Dr Ulrich Bez told reporters that the car is specifically aimed at Aston owners who currently own a mini-sized car, saying: ‘This concept is akin to an exclusive tender for a luxury yacht. It allows us to apply Aston Martin design language, craftsmanship and brand values to a completely new segment of the market.’
The Cygnet, devised entirely by Aston’s Gaydon design group, led by Marek Reichman, features standard Toyota iQ parts and styling, but with different wheels and tyres. The car’s exterior integrates an all-new Aston grille with the standard iQ lights to striking effect. The stylish, all-leather interior, also designed by Aston, takes the iQ’s existing instrument array and architecture, but adds new colours and stylish trim materials to give it a new look that is ‘much more luxurious than the standard iQ’s.’
I have to admit, coming from a company renowned for high-end, high emission supercars, this sounds like really encouraging news. However, you have to ask, is this a sign of a genuine willingness to embrace sustainable mobility or a cynical ploy to reduce the company’s overall CO2 emissions in the face of stringent European legislation?


text:
Mahindra e2o convoy to travel 5,000 Kms across India
Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles, a part of 16.9 billion USD worth Mahindra Group has kick started the all electric car expedition named as ‘Mahindra Reva Goodness Drive – Kashmir to Kanyakumari’.
This long drive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is carried out by 3 Mahindra e2o cars. The all-electric, zero emission Mahindra e2os being driven to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), covers the entire length of India within 30 days.
The drive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari was flagged off by Mr Arvind Mathew who is the Chief Executive Officer of Mahindra Reva, in the presence of Aravinda De Silva, who is the former International Cricketer from Sri Lanka.
The Mahindra e2o convoy during its journey would pass through 52 different locations within India and shall traverse a distance of 5,000 kilometers. The whole idea behind ‘Goodness Drive – Kashmir to Kanyakumari’ expedition is to demonstrate the advantages of electric vehicles, thereby helping in the manifestation of a clean and green eco-system.
The rally would also propagate a zero emission, zero fuel drive and also showcases the full potential of connected car and helps eliminate the myths regarding range anxiety.
Mahindra is using this expedition as a right opportunity to demonstrate the e2o’s ability to traverse tough and difficult terrain, to accelerate instantly, shortest turning radius of the car as well as the convenience of clutch free driving.
Mr Arvind Mathew who is the Chief Executive Officer of Mahindra Reva during the flag off event said,
Mahindra e2o is the Mahindra Group’s endeavor to offer its customers a clean, smart and economical personal mobility solution and thus redefine sustainable urbanization. To create awareness of the benefits of electric mobility through Mahindra e2o, we are pleased to flag off the Goodness Drive. As a pioneer of electric vehicles and integrated mobility solutions in India, it is our effort to make EVs more accessible in order to build a cleaner tomorrow. By traversing this vast distance, our e2o’s will look to effectively dispel the range anxiety amongst customers and will demonstrate the cars ability to handle difficult terrain. I would like to acknowledge the presence of Aravinda today who other than being an acclaimed cricket star, is also part of the Mahindra family from Sri Lanka
The Mahindra e2o is a manifestation of Mahindra’s vision of ‘Future of Mobility’ which encompasses the ‘5Cs’ framework of Clean, Convenient, Connected, Clever and Cost Effective vehicle technology.
Talking about the car, Mahindra e2o is an Electric Vehicle (EV) that is designed as a mobility solution for a sustainable zero-emissions society and gains high relevance in the face of issues like environmental degradation, pollution related health concerns, climate change, energy security and rising oil prices, all of which plague communities globally. The e2o is manufactured in Mahindra Reva’s state-of-the-art IGBC platinum certified plant in Bangalore. The vehicle can be purchased from authorized dealers or alternatively, a test drive can be booked after talking to the contact center executives.


text:
The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano has given its blessing to their pick of the 10 best pop albums ever made, with Carlos Santana's 1999 masterpiece kicking off the list in guitar swirling style.
'Supernatural' went 15-times platinum and bagged nine Grammy awards including the coveted Album of the Year, and now even the Pope can't get enough. Must be something to do with the catchy collaboration between Santana on Rob Thomas on the hit single 'Smooth'.
Confused Apple customers are finding coins in their MacBooks.
High levels of iron help prevent hearing loss, a study has claimed.
A software engineer has constructed a fingernail-sized engine made of paper and it totally works!
Conspiracy theorists claim that there is a mysterious alien based pyramid in the Antarctic.
Toblerone design shape change angers some loyal chocolate lovers in the UK.0 comments
Britain to experience up to 120 days of snow in coldest conditions in years.
More than 40 perfectly preserved ancient shipwrecks accidentally discovered at the bottom of the Black Sea.
x Share us on Facebook


text:
It’s automation! HP job cuts point to shifting IT skills
HP officials have repeatedly said that automation, not lower labor costs, are the key to increasing margins.
“As we look back over the last five to 10 years, most of the activity in the services organizations as a broad industry statement was focused on the location of jobs, geographic locations of jobs and a lot on labor arbitrage,” said Anne Livermore, the executive vice president of HP’s Enterprise Business, in an HP transcript of Tuesday’s investor call.
“We think the next five to 10 years is all going to be about who can best use technology to automate the delivery of services and that no company is in a better position than HP given our technology leadership to use technology to automate the delivery of services,” said Livermore


text:
Tim Chen wants to buy a house. This shouldn't be a problem: Though only 33 and shopping in the heart of bubblicious San Francisco, the former hedge fund analyst knows almost everything there is to know about personal finance. He's also worth something like $265 million on paper. But Chen, characteristically, wants to consider almost. Every. Option.
"I wanted to test out the process," he tells me, in the midst of a fast-paced yet halting monologue about shopping for, qualifying for, and closing on a home. Short and trim, his button-down and jeans accented by black hair in an unexpected hipster pouf, Chen is quietly intellectual, deeply self-critical, and the sort of conversation partner who struggles to keep pace with his own thoughts. It leads to a lot of elliptical discussions.
It's early October, and Chen and his girlfriend are in the latter stages of buying a single-family house in Corona Heights. As he started this ordinary but complex task, he wanted to really understand the range of financing available to him--so he asked three different lenders to prequalify him for a mortgage. It's what Chen's company, NerdWallet, does: review the strengths and weaknesses of financial products for three million monthly Web visitors.
Founded as a credit card marketing website, NerdWallet aims to become the information clearinghouse for everything financial--a more curated "Yelp for finances," as employees and analysts put it. The firm's credibility rests largely on the same exhaustive trial-and-error process that landed Chen his new home. That attention to every detail, and careful consideration of every possible decision, seems rooted in Chen's deep-seated anxiety about making the wrong choice. It also reflects a terrifying early failure--a layoff that cost NerdWallet a fifth of its employees. Now, Chen's even more determined to never underthink anything ever again.
That obsessive focus has also helped him break into the vast, if fractured, market for financial advice. The competition is led by Bankrate, the $1.4 billion market-cap company that owns sites including CreditCards.com, but which has taken some dings of late. There are other newcomers, including Credit Karma, and old-guard boomer investment houses (Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab). There are Millennial-focused robo-advisers and wealth managers (Wealthfront, Betterment); lead-generating sites focused on mortgages or stocks (Lending Tree, The Motley Fool); personal budgeting advisers or insurance specialists (Mint, Zenefits); health data providers (WebMD); and tons of websites and magazines with personal finance advice, including this one. Not to mention that for decades, every major bank and insurance company, from Citi to Prudential, has tried to push the idea of a financial supermarket.
NerdWallet's approach certainly fits a post-financial crisis world facing demands, particularly from Millennials, for financial transparency. The company's appeal rests on its Yelp-like breadth of information, and its efforts to shine a light into some dark and cluttered corners of the money universe. Mercator Advisory Group analyst Alex Johnson praises its "spectacular transparency," and consultant Jo Ann Barefoot, a former deputy Comptroller of the Currency, says NerdWallet is "out in front on the whole issue of evaluating and rating and creating access to feedback on financial companies, which is a massive trend." Indeed, NerdWallet claims it can be "a source of truth" for pretty much any financial question, with "financial" defined broadly: What sort of earthquake insurance should you get if you live in California? What's the best sort of online loan if you want to open a second location of your business? Which credit card stands the best chance of yielding free seats to Maui?
Type one of those questions into Google, and you'll likely find a NerdWallet article written by one of its 70 staff writers. Or go directly to the site and find lists of NerdWallet's favorite travel credit cards, or recommendations of no-fee checking accounts, or rough quotes for car insurance by ZIP code. You can submit almost any other question about your finances, and await a response from NerdWallet's network of advisers. Chen's on a quest to anticipate every single one of those questions--and to have a clear, unbiased, logical answer for you. "It's just a waste," he says, "when people don't find the right answer--and no one is benefiting. Not the person who's fumbling around, not really any financial institution. Everyone loses, and it's stupid, and the internet should have fixed this a long time ago."
Of course, if it had, Chen wouldn't be running a consistently profitable business that investors currently value at $520 million. The company has 285 employees, with plans to hire an additional 135 by the end of this year, and annual revenue projected to clear $100 million by then. In early 2015, Institutional Venture Partners led the company's first outside financing, a far cry from the $800 that Chen used to start the company. "NerdWallet's still a medium-stage company, but with late-stage financials," says IVP partner Jules Maltz. "It's a little bit like the seventh grader who can dunk a basketball."
And like any precocious adolescent, NerdWallet has weathered some fierce aches along with its success. "It's constant growing pains, but it's different growing pains," says Jake Gibson, Chen's childhood friend and co-founder.
Those pains are not immediately evident today--the Market Street headquarters in San Francisco is brimming with the usual signs of startup achievement: the nap room, the foosball table, the dogs trotting after their owners, the endless parade of catered lunches and gourmet-yet-gluten-free carbs.
Less usual are the office's Soviet-size signs, exhorting employees to "Relentless Self-Improvement" and to prioritize "Consumer Company Team Self." Assembling for the Monday-morning all-staff meetings means having to pass NerdWallet's "fail wall," spotted by cheerfully bright Post-it notes marking mistakes serious and trivial, professional and personal. ("Forgot anniversary." "I did not secure a profitable exit for my last group of investors." "My first year out of college, I made $10,000." "I have overly aggressive timelines, because I am impatient.") Chen has at least four up there. It's a daily reminder of the many challenges facing NerdWallet's mission to be all things financial to all people. Or as Chen repeats, "We just keep iterating."
Searching for Answers
The self-proclaimed nerd met his co-founder in Atlanta, at the local math-and-science magnet school. Chen's parents, computer scientists who left Taiwan to study at the University of Oklahoma, had just moved the family from Houston, and Chen and Gibson bonded over teenage pursuits both nerdy and not: math and engineering clubs, "hanging out at the mall, doing things that are borderline illegal," Gibson recalls. After college, they both wound up in New York City, in finance, and in apartments on the same Murray Hill intersection.
Those quickly became dark days. Gibson survived a purge of JPMorgan Chase's trading businesses, but Chen was fired by his hedge fund in December 2008. "Half of my friends who had been working in finance were unemployed," Chen says. "We would go to Dave & Buster's in the middle of the day, because what else was there to do? They have half-price tickets on Wednesdays."
Eventually, Chen, who'd wanted to be an entrepreneur since his Stanford days, recovered the dream for family reasons: His older sister, whom he had followed to college, asked him for advice on which new credit card to get. His parents, around the same time, wanted his advice for buying into a mutual fund. His expertise was in trading tech and media stocks, not picking credit cards or retirement funds, but a quick online search quickly disgusted him--why wasn't there a better-designed, transparent, unbiased website that would answer his family's questions without trying to push a specific product on them?
Cue a lot of trial and error, a year spent subsisting on Subway sandwiches and Domino's pizza, some low-level recruiting of his other college buddies, and a Christmas week spent in a Starbucks, manually entering all the information he could find on the nation's then-7,400 credit unions into an Excel spreadsheet. "I spent six months trying to build a credit union tool, and only got 10 links out of it," he confesses on the fail wall.
Still, the marketing side of the credit card business was a lucrative launch pad. Banks pay steep finder's fees to partners that bring them the best customers, since what those consumers will spend every year far exceeds those fees. According to COO Dan Yoo, NerdWallet earns anywhere from zero to "hundreds of dollars" for every person who comes to its website, clicks through, applies for a credit card, and is approved. That business still accounts for the vast majority of NerdWallet's revenue. About 5 percent of people go from reading to buying a product; while the clickthrough rate has held steady, overall traffic has tripled in the past three years.
Chen was hardly the first to discover this source of revenue. "The base case was Bankrate 2.0," says Shiyan Koh, a Stanford friend of Chen's who now runs NerdWallet's business operations. Like Bankrate and Credit Karma, NerdWallet is benefiting from banks' willingness to flood the internet with money, creating rivers of funding for the third-party companies that bring them business. The likes of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citi spent a projected $7.2 billion on digital advertising in 2015, making financial services the third-largest industry spender, according to eMarketer, which estimates that industry total digital spending will rise to $10.9 billion in 2019. "Banks really didn't fully anticipate this shift to digital shopping for credit cards or other products," says Mercator's Johnson. "It left the whole field open as to who would be the unbiased information provider."
And Bankrate, while still dominant, has had its struggles, ranging from a creaky website design to an accounting scandal that cost $15 million to settle with the SEC last year. That's left NerdWallet room to position itself as an honest broker for cards and other products, including checking accounts, insurance, mortgages, and online loans. The company gets paid on a percentage basis for some of those products, like the loans.
Where NerdWallet is trying to set itself apart is in the presentation, breadth, and transparency of the bank products it shills. While the company accepts money from big banks, it still points out the less attractive features of some of their products. Not all the time--on its website, many credit cards only have "pro" analysis, with no "cons" listed--but it's made more than a token stab at providing independent information along with the sales links. And Johnson argues that this devotion to objectivity and transparency actually makes it more valuable to the banks that pay its bills. "NerdWallet stands out," he says. "It's very nice, very clear; some of their competitors are busier. It helps them attract users, which is ultimately what any bank is going to care about."
Indeed, with its "newsroom" of staff writers around the country, NerdWallet is as much content creator as financial company. The company's journalistic endeavors are also the secret behind its fast growth--it can flood Google with a lot of professionally written news articles instead of buying SEO or paid marketing. It means that when you type in What's the best cash-back credit card? search results will likely produce NerdWallet citations first. And by hiring journalists to write stuff that many high-profile news companies would and indeed do publish (USA Today and Time Inc.'s Money.com among them), NerdWallet boosted its visibility and its credibility. "Most consumers want to know that they can trust somebody who is not beholden to one financial institution," says Yoo. "They're worried that they don't know the right answers and they're going to make a mistake. We want them to have the confidence that they're making a good solid decision."
While NerdWallet is benefiting from widespread distrust of the old financial establishment, Chen's motivations are simpler and broader: He absolutely loathes not having the right answers. "There are so many things I've done the stupid way," he says, "just brute forcing my way through, and then I turn and look and ask, 'Why in the world didn't someone tell me not to do that?' I just want to help people break out of that."
There's more than a little of the lonely, awkward teenager still peeking through Chen's designer sneakers and unfailing if sometimes stiff courtesy. "I have immigrant parents; they didn't teach me a lot of things," he says. "In my first finance job, I didn't know how to play the game. And in my current situation, it's the same thing. It's like, 'Why didn't someone just tell me what to do last year? It would have saved so many headaches for so many people.'"
Stumbling up the learning curve is a familiar experience to entrepreneurs of all backgrounds, although many would gladly swap their problems for Chen's: NerdWallet's growth is what occasionally threatens to outstrip his ability to manage it. As Koh puts it, "Tim has this great belief: 'Yeah, you're smart. You'll figure it out. You can do anything for a little bit of time.' But when you have 250 employees, it's a lot harder to say, 'Hey, smart people, go figure it out.'"
Chen and Gibson also had a fairly narrow definition of "smart" in the company's early days; the default was to recruit people with their sort of experience, who might have spent much of 2009 playing arcade games in Times Square while waiting for callbacks from big-bank headhunters. "Many of our early employees came from professional services and financial services, where you try to hire the same kind of person--the overachiever who is very performance-oriented," Koh says. "Building a company is totally different."
By summer 2013, about four years into NerdWallet's existence as more than a collection of spreadsheets on Chen's laptop, he says he became increasingly aware that his "hire smart people; let them figure it out" philosophy meant a fifth of his small company wasn't playing well with others. He'd instituted a very traditional management style: businesses organized by silos, with each silo leader responsible for his or her team's success. That structure soon led to some winner-take-all tactics among NerdWallet's different units.
According to Chen and his lieutenants, one executive in particular aggressively staked out content partnerships and projects that didn't fit into his idea of the company culture, and "treated conversations as things that had to be won, versus joint problems to be solved," Koh says. (That manager declined to comment.) Then, Chen says, the executive started hiring subordinates who compounded the culture-fit issue: "The first signal," he says, "is when your hirers start hiring people, and you're like 'Really?!' And what gets even worse is the second one, then the third one."
He tried bringing in management coaches to work with senior executives. He sought advice from other tech entrepreneurs. Finally, Chen realized, he was going to have to take more drastic action. "It's extremely gut-wrenching," he says, but it's also "the nature of startups. When you make mistakes, it affects other people and it's really terrible."
By December 2013, Chen finally let the ax fall, firing 11 employees--20 percent of his work force. It was two days after the holiday party. Then he had to tell his remaining staff what had happened. He's still visibly uncomfortable addressing groups--"He's not a 'Go charge the mountain!' leader," Koh says--but this meeting was particularly terrible. Hands shaking, voice shaking, more pale than Gibson had ever seen him, Chen got up to tell his employees that a bunch of their colleagues had been let go. His performance didn't get high marks: "He's just a bad speaker," says Maggie Leung, the ex-CNN journalist who runs NerdWallet's newsroom. As Gibson recalls, Chen tried "to give a reassuring speech about 'This is my fuckup. Now it's our responsibility to get better at this.' It was brutal."
That meeting was an inevitable turning point. Spurred into action, Chen set out to ensure he wouldn't make the same mistakes again: He hired more executive coaches; established a formal performance review; and, in March 2014, hired Yoo, LinkedIn's head of business operations, as chief operating officer. Yoo essentially replaced Gibson, though the co-founders call their split mutual and amicable; Gibson remains an adviser.
Perhaps most dramatically, Chen radically changed the company's organizational structure. Instead of silos, he fashioned a matrix, which contains a more horizontal--and more complicated--reporting structure that requires near-constant communication among NerdWallet's leaders. While that eased the company's old growing pains, it's created some new ones. Just ask NerdWallet executive Christina LaMontagne: "Sometimes the management team feels that we're in our own way."
She had a first-hand view of that last year, as the company developed, and then dropped, a health care project despite widespread customer interest. A former health care consultant and venture capitalist, LaMontagne joined the company in 2013 as its "entrepreneur in residence," in charge of what could be NerdWallet's most promising business: solving the complexities of health insurance, for both employers and their employees.
It's hard not to root for what NerdWallet could do here, if it can actually do it: While you might not need yet another way to pick a credit card, you absolutely do need help figuring out which health care plan to pick, how much you might spend on top of that, and whether you've been overcharged on one of those ridiculous "explanation of benefits" missives.
LaMontagne has helped the company develop tools to address those problems, including an advice section that responds to readers' questions; a tool that ranks and assesses the best health care plans by state; and a medical-advocacy service that deciphers customers' bills and argues with insurance companies on their behalf. NerdWallet says the service (for which it doesn't currently charge) has saved some 1,000 customers a total of $250,000 so far. "There isn't really a lot of good content out there about where your health meets your money," LaMontagne says. If, for example, "you have diabetes, our content can help you get ahead of what your costs will be for the year. Or, if you're pregnant, we have guides on the type of financial decisions new parents need to make."
For much of last year, she focused on launching a service for employers. The subscription-based program, which NerdWallet piloted with about 10 businesses, would have helped their employees manage the health care enrollment process.
That service attracted unexpectedly strong interest from "some of the largest companies in the world," including Silicon Valley tech giants, says LaMontagne. Yet by early December, as this article was going to press, NerdWallet had abandoned the pilot to focus more on its direct-to-consumer products.
Ditching or postponing new services is par for the course for expanding startups. But even in early October, customer interest notwithstanding, LaMontagne seemed to be bracing for disappointment. "In a different type of organization," she said then, practically vibrating with suppressed frustration, "we would be going full force. We have such a smart, intellectual group that there is a little bit of analysis paralysis."
That's a charge Chen readily cops to. "I'm not the greatest communicator naturally," he says. "The strategy part [of running the business] is actually the super easy trivial part. It's the organizational communication that's super hard." It's a strange admission for a CEO whose company mission statement includes "healthy relationships, hard conversations," but it's characteristically NerdWallet: transparent, glaringly self-critical, not always comfortable.
It's hard not to wonder if some of these conversations might be more comfortable with a more natural communicator at the top--or at least someone who hasn't written that his goal as a CEO is to "make myself obsolete." But Chen, whose employees regularly dub him the "conscience" of his company, plans to stay for the duration. Yoo claims that he could have sold NerdWallet and been "generationally wealthy"; instead, Chen's trying to finish closing on one house, while contemplating a responsible financial future with his girlfriend. His wealth as majority owner of NerdWallet might be mostly on paper right now, but he confides, as his personal success becomes more real, "I'm really afraid that my kids are gonna turn out to be some really fucked-up people. I want the company to do well. But at the same time, there is absolutely no upside of becoming filthy, stinking famous or well off."
And then there's his second, correlated big long-term fear--one that many entrepreneurs might recognize: "Just being a shitty CEO." It all comes back to a fear of not finding the right answers, like "setting the wrong direction and not being able to figure out what's impeding our growth," Chen says. "It's a new thing every two months. It's like, 'You better solve this thing, because something else is gonna pop up two months from now,' and it's just like this constant game of whack-a-mole. Experience helps, but sometimes, man, it's really hard."


text:
'Yes Scotland' independence campaign prepares £7m marketing drive
The "Yes Scotland" campaign is planning a multimillion-pound marketing drive to encourage the public to vote for Scottish independence in September's referendum.
Alex Salmond: first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, the pro-independence campaign is getting ready to launch a £2.5m outdoor ad campaign next month. Further bursts of activity will take place around the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July, and in the weeks leading up to the 18 September vote.
It is reported that the pro-independence campaign, led by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, will spend up to £7m on a combination of print, cinema and digital advertising.
During the official campaign, which begins on 30 May, both pro and anti-independence camps are limited by a campaign spending cap of £1.5m.
A spokesperson for the pro-UK Better Together campaign has accused the Scottish Government of using public funds for the political campaign – a claim it denies.
He said: "The SNP have already spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money on billboards and advertising agencies. They have shown that no budget is too big when it comes to using our money to pay for propaganda for their independence campaign."
A Yes Scotland spokesperson said: "We are working hard to achieve a Yes vote so that Scotland's future is in Scotland's hands. In terms of donations received, we have made it clear that we will publish further details in due course."
Last month, it was revealed that Yes Scotland director of marketing Ian Dommett was to leave his post.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
Latest jobs Jobs web feed
- Regional Corporate Senior Executive - Volunteer Fundraising (Home Based) Cancer Research UK £25000 - £29000 per annum + Car + Excellent benefits, Nationwide
- Regional Corporate Executive - Volunteer Fundraising (Home Based) Cancer Research UK £20000 - £24000 per annum + Car + Excellent benefits, Nationwide
- ACCOUNT DIRECTORS - Integrated/ATL/TTL/BTL/SP/Shopper/Retail - London - up to £50k Judi Patton £40k-£50k plus excellent benefits, London (Central), London (Greater)
- Digital Delivery Manager Cancer Research UK £35000 per annum + excellent benefits, London
- BTL AGENCY ACCOUNT HANDLERS - integrated, shopper, sales promotion, retail, digital Judi Patton £22K-£55K, London (Central), London (Greater) / London (East), London (Greater) / London (North), London (Gr...
- Client Partner The Great & The Good £80000 - £90000 per annum + significant benefits, London


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the Dallas Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Dallas Mavericks sponsors could reach larger audience
Experts expect the Mavs’ big win last season to spill into the 2011-12 season, equating to higher ticket sales and increased sponsorship levels.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he’s always open to selling sponsorships.
He declined to comment on current sponsorship and ticket sales or on the financial impact the National Basketball Association lockout may have had on the club.
“The Mavs will have more interest from sponsors,” said Todd Jewell, a sports economist at The University of North Texas. “They will make more money because of the championship but will lose some of that impact because of the lockout.”
The NBA franchise is ranked as sixth most valuable team in the NBA at $438 million, according to Forbes.
The Mavs’ total revenue was roughly $150 million in the 2009-10 season.
Spurred on by the championship, the team’s revenue for the 2010-11 season has been projected to rise 10 percent to 15 percent to $165 million to $172 million, said Matt Balvanz, director of research for Chicago-based Navigate Marketing, a firm that measures valuations of sports franchise.
With a 20 percent decrease in the number of home games reduced to 33 instead of 41 games, total revenue is projected to be between $140 million and $150 million for this shortened season, he said.
“This projection assumes the Mavericks will make another deep playoff run this season,” Balvanz said.
Sponsors will reap benefits
Mavs sponsors will have opportunities to capture increased audience and brand exposure through higher fan interest in the team this season, said John Alper, vice president of sales and marketing with New Jersey-based Legends Hospitality Holding Company LLC.
Legends recently acquired Conventions Sports & Leisure International Inc. and CSL Marketing Group LLC.
Legends is partially owned by the Dallas Cowboys.
“The Mavs are in a good spot,” Alper said. “There is certainly a positive impact on sales. The team’s popularity in the market is tremendous and the championship win will enhance the relationship with fans.”
The Mavs recently signed a five-year deal with Colorado-based Gameday Entertainment LLC to manage the team’s merchandise operations.
Merchandising had previously been handled by Center Operating Co., the managing company of the American Airlines Center and a joint partnership between the Mavs and the Dallas Stars.
Back to basketball
With the playoffs back on the calendar, the most exciting — and profitable — part of the NBA season may lie ahead for Mavs again, Jewell said.
“Cuban has to be excited to get back to basketball,” Jewell said. “The shortened season will help the Mavs prepare for the playoffs, where the teams want to play and make the majority of their money.”
Candace covers commercial and residential real estate and sports business.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- John Wiley Price arrested, pleads not guilty to bribery charges
- Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo heading to Dallas' Cotton Bowl
- Work halts on reported Tesla Gigafactory site in Nevada
- The Tesla Model X starts production soon as factory gets $100M redo
- Why Dallas was named No. 3 travel destination in the U.S.
- A look at the businesses mentioned in john Wiley Price indictment
- High-speed rail could travel 68 times a day from Dallas to Houston
- New Jersey tech firm moving headquarters, 1,200 jobs to Allen
- Jesse Ventura wins $1.8M verdict against 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle
- John Wiley Price's FBI arrest stuns DFW business community


text:
Michael Barr, the Federal Reserve vice chairman of supervision, said on Tuesday that inflation is “far too high” and predicted that the US economy would soften after a report announced inflation could be slowing.
“I think that if that's the case, we are going to see significant softening in the economy,” Mr Barr told Congress, although he declined to offer a specific forecast for how high the unemployment rate may rise.
Later he added: “There is not a recession right now — we're in a period of slower economic growth.”
The Nasdaq and S&P 500 rose slightly on Tuesday after a report was released on the producer price index, which is seen as a measure of wholesale inflation. The PPI rose 0.2 per cent in October, the report said, lower than previously estimated.
And a consumer price index report last week said that inflationary pressure was slowing.
Pressed by John Kennedy, a senator from Louisiana, about predictions from economists such as Jason Furman and Lawrence Summers that unemployment would need to rise substantially to bring down inflation, Mr Barr said he does not have a precise forecast, though the unemployment rate will be an “important factor” in setting policy.
Mr Barr is also a monetary policymaker with a permanent vote on Fed interest rate decisions.
He said a weakening outlook for the economy was another risk to the financial system.
Since March, the Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate from near zero to a range of 3.75 per cent to 4 per cent, including four straight increases of three quarters of a percentage point.
Rate increases are likely to continue into early 2023, though they are projected to slow their pace amid some promising signs that inflation pressures have begun easing.
Still, the tighter financial conditions engineered by the Fed pose risks for banks, Mr Barr said.
“A weaker economy could put stress on households and businesses and, thus, on the banking system as a whole.”
Reuters contributed to this report


text:
Will loosened pandemic restrictions bring more jobs to Chattanooga?
Chattanooga, TN – Gestamp in conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Economic Development announced a $94.7 million investment in Chattanooga along with the creation of 260 new jobs.
Operations at the Hickory Valley Road and Ferdinand Piech Way plants will be expanded over the next five years.
Capacity is projected to increase at these plants due to new electric vehicle production, with the expansion being done predominately for Volkswagen.
The Gestamp plants specialize in steel stamping and welded assembly that supports Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz electric vehicle production.
“So we have had some great opportunities with our customers in the southern US region as Volkswagen is launching their electric vehicle with our new hot stamping technology we are built to be able to produce automotive components that are lighter and safer than previous versions of the components,” said John Cloutier of Gestamp.
Both plants will have retrofitting, weld assembly, and robotic updates applied during the new expansion.
This is Gestamp’s third Chattanooga expansion in 10 years; with an employee count reaching 1200 after starting with 200 initially.
“Tennessee is known as a global leader in automotive manufacturing, and it is because of companies like Gestamp that our state’s automotive industry continues to grow and excel. Gestamp’s third expansion in 10 years shows their commitment to Chattanooga and confidence in Tennessee’s skilled workforce,” said Gov. Bill Lee
TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe also congratulated Gestamp for the creation of 260 new jobs, while acknowledging the presence of auto suppliers in Tennessee at 900 strong.
Despite imposing pandemic restrictions that have hurt the local economy, Hamilton County Mayor Coppinger expressed his excitement for the Gestamp expansion.
“I could not be happier to learn of yet another Gestamp expansion! Gestamp is an important supplier to the southeast automotive industry and the fact they have chosen Enterprise South as their expansion focus is an important decision that has a significant impact on local families and business.”, said Mayor Coppinger.
Tennessee is showing signs of economic recovery, with a 42.2 percent increase in new entity filings for the 2020 third quarter compared against 2019.
However, unemployment numbers are up in Hamilton County.
In October, Hamilton County’s unemployment rate saw a one-point jump from 5.7 to 6.7 percent.


text:
Yet supply-chain problems aren’t the whole story. Even aside from bottlenecks, the economy’s productive capacity has been limited by the Great Resignation, the apparent unwillingness of many Americans idled by the pandemic to return to work. There are still four million fewer Americans working than there were on the eve of the pandemic, but labor markets look very tight, with record numbers of workers quitting their jobs (a sign that they believe new jobs are easy to find) and understaffed employers bidding wages up at the fastest rate in decades. So spending does appear to be exceeding productive capacity, not so much because spending is all that high but because capacity is unexpectedly low.
Inflation caused by supply-chain disruptions will probably fall within a few months, but it’s not at all clear whether Americans who have dropped out of the labor force will return. And even if inflation does come down it might stay uncomfortably high for a while. Remember, the first postwar bout of inflation, which in hindsight looks obviously transitory, lasted for two years.
So how should policy respond?
To squeeze or not to squeeze, that is the question
I’m a card-carrying member of Team Transitory. But I would reconsider my allegiance if I saw evidence that expectations of future inflation are starting to drive prices — that is, if there were widespread stories of producers raising prices, even though costs and demand for their products aren’t exceptionally high, because they expect rising costs and/or rising prices on the part of competitors over the next year or two. That’s what kept inflation high even through recessions in the 1970s.
So far I don’t see signs that this is happening — although the truth is that we don’t have good ways to track the relevant expectations. I’ve been looking at stories in the business press and surveys like the Fed’s Beige Book, which asks many businesses about economic conditions; I haven’t (yet?) seen reports of expectations-driven inflation. Bond markets are essentially predicting a temporary burst of inflation that will subside over time. Consumers say that this is a bad time to buy many durable goods, which they wouldn’t say if they expected prices to rise even more in the future.
For what it’s worth, the Federal Reserve, while it has stopped using the term “transitory,” still appears to believe that we’re mostly looking at a fairly short-term problem, declaring in its most recent statement, “Supply and demand imbalances related to the pandemic and the reopening of the economy have continued to contribute to elevated levels of inflation.”
Still, an unmooring of inflation expectations is possible. Given that, what should policymakers be doing right now? And by “policymakers” I basically mean the Fed; political posturing aside, since, given congressional deadlock, nothing that will make a material difference to inflation is likely to happen on the fiscal side, inflation policy mainly means monetary policy.
I recently participated in a meeting that included a number of the most prominent figures in the inflation debate — a meeting in which, to be honest, those of us still on Team Transitory were definitely in the minority. The meeting was off the record, but I asked Larry Summers and Jason Furman, a top economist in the Obama administration, to share by email summaries of their positions.


text:
ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H.B. Fuller (NYSE:FUL) announced today that the company received a Best Innovator China 2015 Award in the Innovating through Chinese M&A category. This award recognizes H.B. Fuller, a global leader in industrial adhesives, for its work to fast-track engineering adhesives innovation in the automotive, electronics, solar, wind, MRO, appliance and heavy machinery markets from China to the rest of the world following the company’s acquisition of TONSAN Adhesive, Inc. in 2015.
With TONSAN, H.B. Fuller is helping manufacturers unlock new design possibilities and gain access to global channels. H.B. Fuller now delivers more choice and value to customers looking for a high level of collaboration through TONSAN’s established manufacturing relationships in China and H.B. Fuller’s global expertise and supply networks.
“For nearly 130 years, H.B. Fuller has been partnering with customers to innovate and solve some of the world’s biggest adhesion challenges. With the addition of TONSAN, a leading Chinese engineering adhesive innovator, we are committed to leveraging our global reach, technical expertise and market knowledge to support our growth around the world,” says Pat Trippel, senior vice president, H.B. Fuller. “Working together, we will respond to changing market demands, develop breakthrough adhesive technology and improve customers’ product performance.”
Since 2003, A.T. Kearney has conducted the Best Innovator program in more than 15 countries around the world, and 2015 marks its second year in China. The award program aims to increase the innovativeness of participating companies through better understanding and sharing of innovation best practices. “Most multinational firms acquire companies in developing markets, especially in China, to tap into their domestic customer base and sell products into that country. H.B. Fuller’s acquisition of TONSAN is a very rare case where a global firm bought a local entrepreneurship team for its innovative products and R&D capacity, and not for its market share or reach. Furthermore, the local team built a competitive start-up and its R&D technology now has become the core innovation of the mother company,” says Dan Starta, managing partner at A.T. Kearney, Greater China.
About H.B. Fuller
For nearly 130 years, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. With fiscal 2015 net revenue of $2.1 billion, H.B. Fuller’s commitment to innovation brings together people, products and processes that answer and solve some of the world’s biggest challenges. Our reliable, responsive service creates lasting, rewarding connections with customers in engineering adhesives, packaging, hygiene, electronic and assembly materials, paper converting, woodworking, construction, automotive and consumer businesses. And our promise to our people connects them with opportunities to innovate and thrive. For more information, visit us at http://www.hbfuller.com and subscribe to our blog.
About Best Innovator China 2015
After more than ten years conducting the Best Innovator program in many countries around the world, and the first successful China edition in 2014, A.T. Kearney conducts the program in China again. Best Innovator is designed to increase the innovativeness of participating companies through providing feedback on how their innovation achievements and internal practices compare with best practices. At the same time, it also honors those that serve as an example for their unique and successful innovation in China with an award. The program intends to recognize not only innovation achievement, but also the management practices that lead to sustainable innovation success. For more information, visit https://www.atkearney.com/en_US/web/best-innovator-china/welcome.
About A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors to the world's foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and grow advantage on their most mission-critical issues. For more information, visit www.atkearney.com.
Kimberlee Sinclair Global Communications +1 651 236 5823 firstname.lastname@example.org
Source:H.B. Fuller Company


text:
Foodpanda is offering Summer Festival discounts up to 50% & prices cheaper than regular deals at restaurants nationwide
The #KhaanaWithParosi campaign won hearts all across the world, and an award in Singapore.
Renowned doctors and rheumatologists from across the country discuss symptoms and treatments of Ankylosing Spondylitis
The brand shows us how important it is to acknowledge those working tirelessly through Eid to get us the food we love
Celebs, philanthropists and students tied little pledges up to help the neki tree blossom with promises of good deeds
Hong Kong's City university stands 4th among the world's top 50 universities under 50 years of age this year.
Planning a vacation during the Eid holidays? Make sure you pack these travel accessories in your bag
The Honor 10 phone holds a 5.84-inch notched display, AI Camera & color-changing design
Customers who pre-book the device will be able to buy it at a discounted price of Rs53,499, and will also get a gift box
We spotted Bilquis Edhi, Anoushay Ashraf and Ayeza Khan in Dolmen City Mall supporting Surf Excel's neki campaign.
The neki tree grows as people pin up their pledges of practicing and encouraging good deeds this Ramazan
The brand offers maintenance free batteries for automotives and deep cycle batteries for UPS systems.
We're permanently adding cold chicken sandwiches, khattay aaloo and saucy hot wings to our Iftar menu.
The film, shot in Lahore, Dubai and USA, emphasises the need of sharing and connecting with each other across the globe
Book a car by selecting mode of finance, calculating EMI and filing application on Suzuki Finance Arrangement Program
The McDonald's deal is available on foodpanda for Rs750
Chinese automotive group introduces heavy duty commercial trucks with multiple safety features in Pakistan
FAW’s J5P-360 Prime Mover has been gaining attention and popularity owing to its design and on-board technology.
Strings performed, retro fashion was the call of the day, and everyone was nostalgic by the end of the show
Daraz HBL ShopFest starts 9th &10th May, 2018 on Daraz app & website with up to 70% exclusive discount for HBL users
The black box holds goodies and vouchers encouraging subscribers to build a habit of sharing and donating


text:
WASHINGTON -- Lives and property are at greater risk because auto recalls and investigations of safety defects have been put on hold during the partial government shutdown, safety advocates said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has furloughed employees who investigate safety complaints and order carmakers to recall vehicles. The public can still file safety complaints through the agency's website, but no one has been investigating them since the shutdown began over a week ago. Investigations previously underway have been halted.
Manufacturers can still voluntarily recall vehicles, but major recalls are typically negotiated between the government and automakers.
The safety administration oversees nearly 700 recalls every year, affecting 20 million vehicles, said safety advocate Joan Claybrook, who was the head of NHTSA during the Carter administration. For every NHTSA workday lost to the furlough, an average of three recalls covering 80,000 vehicles are delayed indefinitely, she said.
"Safety is being undermined," Claybrook said. "If unsafe cars are on the highway, if the agency isn't operating so it can't put out consumer alerts, if it can't finish up a recall notice that it wants to publish or negotiate with an auto company they want to do a recall, that puts the public at risk."
"And that could go on and on," she said. "Who knows where this is going to end."
NHTSA is required by law to halt ongoing auto investigations during the government shutdown, Transportation Department spokeswoman Meghan Keck said. "Automakers can continue to publicize their own recalls and consumers can continue to submit concerns through our SaferCar.gov site, which we will pursue once the shutdown is over."
Gloria Bergquist, vice president the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said at present "it's just a matter of days ... and auto companies are still looking out for the best interest of their own customers."
"Automakers, like consumers, believe NHTSA provides an important function and should be fully funded," she said.
Some safety research paid for by federal gas and diesel taxes is still being carried out by the agency, she said.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wildlife workers in boats struggled unsuccessfully Wednesday to coax nearly four dozen pilot whales out of dangerous shallow waters in…
A person behind a generous Instagram account left thousands is tips for servers in recent months at restaurants in Michigan, Utah and other states.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey worried aloud Wednesday that the next generation of possible military recruits is…
Recordings of 911 calls from the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre were released Wednesday.
Dozens of online subscription businesses have popped up offering to ship boxes of different goodies within a given niche or theme, like…
The man charged with killing a Transportation Security Administration officer and wounding two other agents and a civilian during a shooting…
Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker was killed by impact and fire in a crash, according to an autopsy released Wednesday.
Two skydivers were killed Tuesday night after colliding in the air over Arizona.
The U.S. trade deficit fell in October, helped by a jump in overseas oil sales that lifted American exports to an all-time high.
Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a…


text:
Not long ago, it was expected that General Motors would sink a pile of cash into upstart electric automaker Rivian. Instead, GM held its horses while Amazon plunked down a $700 million investment in the Michigan-based company. Now, Ford Motor Company is filling GM’s shoes, offering up half a billion dollars and announcing a co-developed […]
The post Ford Teams Up With Rivian, Greases the Wheels With Half a Billion Dollars appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Author: Steph Willems


text:
The Sony Xperia Z, codenamed the Yuga, and the Xperia ZL, which this piece of speculation tags the Odin, have come out a little prematurely through press shots. Both phones have been something of a hot topic off late, and their specs widely rumored and debated several times over. Now we have a glimpse at the models, even if we can’t be certain which label goes where.
The Xperia Z was rumored towards the end of December, to be headed for the upcoming consumer electronics show. The alleged feature list had a 1080p display stamped in bold and the device made waves in the tech world. It would be one of the highest displays we’ve seen on a phone and was to join the likes of the Oppo Find 5 and the ZTE Grand S.
A quad core chip was subsequently speculated to be under the hood, while an Adreno 320 GPU was said to give the phone its processing power. Among the talk there was also 2GB of RAM and a likely serving of Jelly Bean. No image was released then, and we had only to go by the little tidbits, such as its 5-inch screen, that we heard from various corners of the Internet.
The Xperia ZL or the Odin (then also labeled the Xperia X) had its share of interesting features. It came with many handles and it was revealed that the phone would probably be launched in different markets under slightly altered labels such as the L35a, L35h and L35i. 32GB of internal memory was thrown into the mix, along with 4G LTE connectivity.
The device was also to have a high-end screen with a 1920 x 1080p resolution. There is supposed to be a 13MP camera on the back panel, fast-becoming an industry-leading standard, as we’ve seen in recent times. It is to have auto focus capabilities as well as LED flash. Just like the above-mentioned smartphone, the Odin was said to receive 2GB of RAM and a quad core chip, which we heard would operate at 1.5GHz.
There’s no concrete news about the Sony Xperia Z and the Xperia ZL, and the two images that were found in the inner recesses of Sony’s web site by Engadget are all that we have of them at the moment. Luckily we won’t have to wait too long for something official to crop up, what with the CES so close now.


text:
We can see many of the game’s playable features, and its arrival on the consoles is also confirmed.
The presentation of the new open-world survival game developed by Fntastic was highlighted by impressive realistic graphics for a promising MMO that will take us to a post-apocalyptic America plagued by zombies after a horrible pandemic.
The management of resources will be the engine to push us to explore dangerous areas where we will feel constantly haunted.
The company has shown different gameplays of The Day Before since its presentation. We had one focused on its combat and an extensive video to enjoy its fantastic visuals. The game is often reminiscent of The Division, and The Last of Us and its developers have promised that the game will look even better when it hits the market.
On this occasion, Fntastic has released a new trailer in which we can appreciate many of the activities that will take place in the game’s day-to-day. The trailer shows much of his exploration of a classic in the zombie genre, an abandoned shopping mall. The setting, both indoors and outdoors, is still incredibly well recreated.
We have also been shown some of the essential elements of its gameplay, such as crafting objects and the construction and improvements of buildings. The trailer closes with its release date, June 21, 2022, for PC, in addition to adding versions for current and past generation consoles, although there is still no confirmed date.


text:
Digital Managing Editor Shawn Skipper recently had the opportunity to pursue a bevy of upland birds on a trip to Mexico. Get an inside look at his hunt with this gallery.
The firearms industry isn’t really known for being small—walk into any gun shop and you’re going to find product offerings from any one of hundreds of companies from around the globe. So, sometimes, hunters and shooters never cross paths with certain products—even products from companies that are well worth tracking down. Among those companies is Mexico’s Aguila Ammunition.