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MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings announced the promotion of Becky Mulligan to the newly created position of Chief Restaurant Officer and Stephen Blum as its first Chief Development Officer. The company also announced three executive-level hires, with a focus on enhancing MOD’s strength in franchising, culinary innovation and operational excellence as it continues to expand its store footprint of more than 520 locations system-wide* and deliver an incredible Squad and customer experience.
Becky’s elevation to Chief Restaurant Officer comes as she celebrates a year with the company during which she has led the field operations and operations excellence teams for 440+ owned-and-operated stores. In her expanded role, she will continue to lead all company stores and operations excellence, while taking on leadership for MOD’s franchise business.
Stephen Blum joins the company as MOD’s first Chief Development Officer, tasked with leading all store development activities including real estate, store design, construction, facilities, and portfolio management. Steve brings over two decades of store development experience to MOD, from restaurant brands Panera Bread, Panda Restaurant Group and Au Bon Pain. Most recently, he was senior vice president, real estate, and facilities at Hertz. He will report to MOD’s CEO, Scott Svenson.
MOD has also welcomed three additional leaders and promoted a veteran operations leader, all effective immediately.
Cynthia Richardson joins MOD as Vice President, Franchising. Cynthia will lead the team that supports all franchise, non-traditional and international operations. She comes to MOD after 25 years at 7-Eleven where she implemented consulting services to support franchisees in 17 countries, across 77,000-plus stores. Her expertise across logistics, operations, technology, merchandising, and partner engagement represents a strong addition to the team. Cynthia will report to Becky Mulligan.
Scott Uehlein joined MOD as Vice President, Culinary Excellence and Innovation. In this role, he will oversee the MOD culinary team, including all aspects of menu development and innovation. He brings over three decades of industry experience, having most recently served as vice president of product innovation and development at Sonic. Prior, he spent 17 years at Canyon Ranch Resorts and ILX Resorts leading their food and beverage programs. He is a leadership council member of Menus of Change, a health, wellness, and sustainability initiative co-founded by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health and also serves as the co-chair of the Healthy Menus Collaborative. Scott will report to Mark Shambura, Chief Marketing Officer.
Ben Coarde joined MOD as Regional Vice President, Operations, overseeing the Eastern Region. Coarde previously spent over 14 years with Starbucks, most recently as a regional director responsible for 115 café and drive through locations.
James Holguin, a seven-year MOD veteran, has been promoted to Regional Vice President, Operations, responsible for the Western half of the U.S.
“As MOD continues to scale, we remain focused on our people-first mission, while delivering an incredible and consistent customer experience, centered around our craveable food. We are incredibly grateful for Becky’s leadership and commitment to our purpose over the past year and we all celebrate her well-deserved promotion,” says Scott Svenson, co-founder and CEO, MOD Pizza. “I am equally excited to welcome Stephen, Cindy, Scott and Ben and to congratulate James on a well-deserved promotion. They are all industry veterans who bring decades of experience to the leadership team and who will help us continue to support our people and product as we further our growth trajectory, on and off premise.”


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Shola’s book, “Becoming A Better Man,” has finally been officially issued on June 29, 2022, after much anticipation.
The author, Shola, and his team made the announcement public on their official Twitter handle.
In shola’s words;
You can now preorder my first book titled “Becoming A Better Man” it’s only N5,000 til Saturday, July 2nd, 2022. The price goes up as soon as it drops on Saturday.

domain: news


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…as applications hit record levels
RECORD numbers of farmers in the south-east are applying to convert to organic production.
In the first six months of the year 28 producers applied to join the 90 farmers whose applications to join the Organic Aid Scheme are already being considered.
During a visit to the organic research and demonstration centre, Elm Farm, Newbury, Berks, junior farm minister Lord Donoughue said: "I encourage moves in this direction and fully support the organic sector." *
Lord Donoughue believes there is a trend towards organic farming.


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Search For "milk dairy"
Updated : 6 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh) [India], Aug 21 (ANI): Fourteen people were affected after an ammonia gas leak at a milk dairy unit at Bandapalli in Putalapattu Mandal here on Thursday and have been shifted to hospital.
Updated : 7 months, 2 weeks ago IST
(Maharashtra) [India], July 19 (ANI): Demanding a hike in the procurement price of milk, dairy farmers of the Swabhimani Shetkari Saghtana on Tuesday spilt milk on the roads of Sangli as a mark of protest.
Updated : 11 months ago IST
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 8 (ANI): Amul is maintaing supply of milk and other dairy products for its customers, as usual, even as the nation continues to reel under the 21-day nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Updated : 1 year, 5 months ago IST
New Delhi [India], Oct 2 (ANI): RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Wednesday urged the central government to not sign Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations while cautioning that any such move would cause major unrest among rural India and adversely affect
Washington D.C. [USA], Sept 8 (ANI): While milk has long been seen as a healthy drink for everyone, a new study reveals that it also prevents chronic diseases.
Updated : 1 year, 8 months ago IST
Washington D.C. [USA], July 5 (ANI): Remember how parents always used to count numerous benefits of drinking milk and asked you to have a glass of it! Well, a new study has shed light on the fact that consuming an adequate amount of milk and other dairy products at different stages of life p
Updated : 1 year, 9 months ago IST
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] May 23 (ANI/NewsVoir): MilkLane, a Bengaluru based dairy start-up, launches its first milk product for the retail consumers in the city. The company, which adheres to international quality standards, is promoting and differentiating the new product as 'Toxin and
Updated : 2 years ago IST
New Delhi [India], Feb 6 (ANI): The Central government is formulating plans for the creation of dairy infrastructure in the country, besides implementing the ongoing schemes for dairy development, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Wednesday.


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Economic Information Daily, 4/10/12
Tianjin-based manufacturer of high performance computers, universal servers and storage products Dawning Information Industry (Sugon) recently announced that its Nanjing cloud computing center will complete construction and begin operations before the end of 2012. Dawning has already built cloud computing centers in Chengdu, Wuxi, and Shenzhen, and has additionally begun construction on centers in Chonqing, Harbin and Ningbo. The company plans to set up cloud computing centers in over ten cities over the next three years.
Editor's Note: For more background on this topic, please see "Dawning to Build RMB 400 Mln Cloud Computing Center" MD 8/30/11 issue.


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A guide to investing in lithium, nickel, and cobalt used for electric vehicles as it spurs another gold rush as mining companies scramble for “modern” resources such as lithium (white petroleum as its now aptly called), nickel, and cobalt.
Lithium’s properties include being the lightest metal on the Periodic Table which has the highest electrochemical potential of all metals. Lithium is a soft silvery metal that reacts immediately with water and air. Some analyst predicts that current lithium demand would rise from 16,500 to between 120,000 to 250,000 tons by 2025 to feed the 14 battery mega factories that are developed, mainly in China. Rising lithium prices in the short term are not seen as a threat to the electric vehicle sector, as most large battery manufacturers indicated that they had fixed forward prices when we asked them to comment. Lithium prices are set through direct negotiations, as no terminal or spot market exists for the commodity. Investors should be careful not to get to fixated on sentiment and remind themselves that lithium batteries have been around for some time for use in cell phones and other handheld devices. Batteries for these devices, up till now, make up nearly 90% of demand supplied by the likes of Samsung and LG Chem. Lithium is not a scares commodity, and production capacity should increase over the longer term to keep up with the growth in demand due to electric vehicles. Lithium mining is also not an expensive venture. Lithium carbonate is extracted through an evaporation process from a brine found in salt flats. A risk with lithium is that the biggest deposits are concentrated in South America, especially Bolivia, where a handful of mining companies can control prices.
Commodities that shows a bigger opportunity on the upside include nickel, copper, and cobalt. Analyst comments remained bullish on these commodities at the recent African Mining Indaba, held in Cape Town, South Africa. Although Africa also has lithium deposits, its mostly found in rock and more expensive to extract. These deposits are also better suited for the technical applications such as ceramic and glass industries, than chemical applications such as batteries. Reuters (February the 14th 2017) reports that investors are scrambling for physical stocks in cobalt, a key ingredient for electric vehicle batteries. By adding cobalt to the chemistry of lithium batteries, car manufacturers can gain range. Cobalt is a buy product of copper, where investors are exposed to larger risk and cost if they invest in mining companies, such as Anglo American, Glencore or BHP Billiton to gain exposure in cobalt. Therefore the only direct investment is to buy and stockpile physical cobalt, a process which has a high barrier of entry, excluding smaller investors. A further concern is that most of the world’s cobalt comes from the Eastern Congo, a war-torn region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), close to Rwanda and Burundi, whose rebels also use the region as a springboard for causing trouble. The political environment in the DRC has deteriorated and will not improve soon as the country prepares for elections by the end the decade.
Investors trying to make a mint out of the electric vehicle boom should also keep a constant eye on how technology and battery chemistry change in this new and fast-moving sector, creating new opportunities for certain metals or bubbles for those becoming outdated. Let the history of investing in solar cells not repeat itself for battery investors.
Please leave a comment on your best or worst performing electric vehicle related stock pick below.
Picture – Source NY Times


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, manufacturer of the G-LEC LED Curtain, has taken the first step towards setting up an international sales team with the appointment of Christoph Müssener as sales director. Previously sales manager with Trendco, where he worked with major brands such as Wybron, Avolites, and Radlite, Müssener brings substantial knowledge and understanding of the entertainment industry to the company. Müssener will manage international sales and act as coordinator for the international offices, currently France and G-LEC’s UK representative office at Fourth Phase, London.
Lars Wolf, G-LEC’s managing director, who will devote more time to the development of the company, says: “The G-LEC brand is growing fast. We had a tremendous response at PLASA 2003, plus we are looking forward to showing at LDI next month, and Christoph’s experience and dedication will help us consolidate our growth both in Germany and internationally.”


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Nellcor Adds On Business / Company to buy Puritan
Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, May 23, 1995
Officials said the combination, which is slated to close by September, will produce an undetermined number of layoffs at Nellcor, which has 1,700 employees, and Puritan-Bennett, which employs 2,700.
Nellcor, which makes devices that monitor patients with respiratory ailments, will exchange 0.88 shares of its common stock for each common share of Puritan- Bennett, which provides treatment and therapy products for respiratory patients. The deal is structured as a tax-free pooling of interests.
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The combined company will have $600 million in annual revenues -- $260 million from Nellcor and $340 million from Puritan- Bennett. It will be called Nellcor/Puritan-Bennett and have its headquarters in Pleasanton.
Nellcor's president and chief executive, C. Raymond Larkin Jr., 46, will hold the same position with the new company, while Puritan- Bennett's CEO, Burton A. Dole Jr., 57, will serve as chairman for two years and then step down.
Larkin said the merger will give the combined companies "the
significant leverage needed to compete in the rapidly changing health care environment."
Michael Downey, Nellcor's chief financial officer, said that although Nellcor and Puritan-Bennett make products that are "complementary, with almost no overlap," there are "a number of opportunities for synergies," including the consolidation of plants and other facilities located in the same regions.
He noted that the companies have major plants "very close to one another" in Southern California -- Nellcor's in Chula Vista, Puritan-Bennett's in Carlsbad. Both companies have plants in Tijuana, Mexico, and Nellcor has a research-and-development facility near Puritan-Bennett's headquarters in Overland Park, Kan.
"We're not going to have two corporate headquarters, and we won't need two investor-relations departments, tax departments and legal departments," Downey said. "We both have significant direct- sales operations in the U.S., and will look at those."
Downey said the companies have overlapping operations with combined revenues of $20 million in France, where "we recently acquired a small company that is pretty much competitive with a small company owned by Puritan- Bennett." He said French antitrust authorities may force divestiture of part of those operations, but he doesn't expect antitrust opposition in the United States or elsewhere.
Investors, worried that Nellcor's earnings will be seriously diluted by the deal, pummeled the company's stock in early trading yesterday, driving the price as low as 36 -- down about 13 percent from Friday's closing price of 41 1/4.
But Nellcor executives conducted a series of fence-mending sessions throughout the day with analysts and the company's top institutional shareholders -- several of whom placed anguished telephone calls to Nellcor headquarters -- and the stock recovered most of the lost ground, finishing at 39 1/2, off 1 3/4.
Downey said he told callers that the expected synergies and the ability to offer an integrated product line should permit the combined companies to post higher per-share earnings in fiscal 1996 -- which begins this July -- than Nellcor would have achieved on its own.
He declined to be more specific, but Vivian Wohl, an analyst with Robertson Stephens in San Francisco, said she is adding 15 cents per share to her previous fiscal 1996 estimate of $2.38 per share.
Puritan-Bennett's stock soared 6 5/16 yesterday to 33 1/16. The company was lambasted by shareholders last December for rejecting a tender offer of $24.50 per share from Thermo Electron Corp., a diversified manufacturer based in Massachusetts. The Nellcor offer is worth nearly $35 per share, based on yesterday's closing price.


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Hefty headphones set to hit shelves at the end of May.
Sony has just shown off its spanking new MDR-DS6500 wireless headphones. The new cans are all about home listening, with 7.1 channel surround sound skills and CD quality audio smarts, that despite the fact they’re cable-free.
Sony’s Virtualphones Tech ensures sound is recreated perfectly when watching TV or listening to tunes while you’re kicking back on the sofa. You can even tweak surround sound settings depending on what you’re listening to.
There’s even a sleek charging dock, which takes three hours to fully juice the DS6500s. You get 20 hours of listening before they need another boost.


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|SUBARU OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES PRICING ON 2017 SUBARU LEGACY AND OUTBACK MODELS|
|◾Legacy with Symmetrical All Wheel Drive standard begins at $21,995
◾New Reverse Automatic Braking and High Beam Assist safety technologies
◾All new Outback Touring becomes flagship model
◾Debut of new Legacy 2.5i Sport trim
Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing on the 2017 Outback and Legacy lines. These 2017 models will arrive into retailers during July 2016.
In one of the industry's most competitive segments, the midsize Legacy sedan remains the o...[Read more...]|
|SUBARU TO OFFER LIMITED EDITION SERIES.HYPERBLUE BRZ AND WRX STI MODELS|
|◾Limited to 700 WRX STI & 500 BRZ
◾BRZ receives upgraded SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia
◾Rear Vision Camera now standard on BRZ
◾Exclusive Hyper Blue exterior paint and interior trims
Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. has announced the 2016 Series.HyperBlue limited edition available exclusively on BRZ and WRX STI models. As a follow up to the 2015 Series.Blue BRZ, the 2016 Series.HyperBlue cars feature exterior paint in Subaru's exclusive Hyper Blue with matching interior t...[Read more...]|
|SUBARU ANNOUNCES PRICING ON ALL-NEW 2015 OUTBACK|
| ||◾Well-equipped Outback 2.5i begins at $24,895
◾Bolder design for roomiest, most capable Outback ever
◾Lineartronic® CVT now standard on all models
◾Quieter, more refined ride and new amenities
◾Enhanced Eyesight® system with Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. today announced pricing on the all-new 2015 Subaru Outback models.
The fifth generation of the World's First Sport Utility Wagon®, featuring the roomiest interior...[Read more...]|
|Holden Celebrates 35 Years of Commodore|
|Holden is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its most iconic nameplate, Commodore.
For over three decades, the Holden Commodore has delivered significant advances in vehicle performance, safety and comfort on the way to becoming Holden's longest-standing and most successful nameplate.
Holden Executive Director, Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing, Phil Brook, said Holden was extremely proud of Commodore's success.
'There are not many nameplates in Australia that can lay claim to a ric...[Read more...]|
|JEEP® WRANGLER NAMED SEMA'S ‘HOTTEST 4X4-SUV' FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR|
|Jeep® Wrangler Named SEMA's 'Hottest 4x4-SUV' for Fourth Consecutive Year; Mopar Announces New Jeep Performance Parts and Accessories
◾Jeep® Wrangler recognized as 'Hottest 4x4-SUV' for fourth consecutive year at SEMA
◾New Mopar performance parts and accessories for the Jeep Wrangler have been added to the catalog of more than 300 already available
Las Vegas - The Jeep® Wrangler was recognized as the 'Hottest 4x4-SUV' for a fourth consecutive year at the 2013 Specialty Equipme...[Read more...]|


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First they wanted to ban bitcoin. Now, Russian authorities were mulling a new option for the digital currency’s status in the country—label it as foreign currency.
Russia wants to label bitcoin as foreign currencyIt’s popular knowledge that Russia, particularly the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, is hell bent on outlawing digital currency and anyone who deals in it in the country. But there is a new report indicating that the finance ministry is softening its stance against cryptocurrency.
According to Russian-language Ria.ru, the government now wants to equate digital currencies like bitcoin to foreign currency. This means that the use of bitcoin in the country will still be prohibited, but users can buy the popular virtual currency through exchange platforms and spend it in other countries.
Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Moiseev clarified that the government is still push for the bill that will punish those who use bitcoins and other cryptocurrency in Russia, telling the Rossiyskaya Gazeta: “According to the Constitution… the only ruble issuer [in the country] is the Bank of Russia. Thus, issuing any other currency is illegal.”
“The bill we are now refining specific language to [allow] this kind of [cryptocurrency] purchases with a view to their use outside of Russia,” Moiseev said, according to the report.
The finance ministry has been very vocal in opposing bitcoin, which was outlawed in the country in 2014, although officials believe its underlying technology—blockchain—“has potential relevance… for the development of e-commerce.”
The proposal is expected to be submitted to the State Duma before the year ends.


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Gadgehit.com writes: "As Google’s Android devices become more and more popular, Apple has now dropped support for the internet search giant’s Youtube app, which is one of the most used applications on the device."
lmao apple is greatly threatened by google, its a shame when these companies use to do soo much business together. GOOGLE 2 DA WORLD.
TechSpy is a community of awesome people posting and discussing the latest tech news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Justin Bieber is getting his own line of donut holes thanks to the donut and coffee chain Tim Horton's:
After teasing a collaboration earlier this week, Justin Bieber has revealed a new line of donut holes dubbed Timbiebs Timbits with Canadian donut and coffee chain Tim Hortons.
The limited-edition snack, which will become available in the U.S. and Canada beginning November 29, arrives in three flavors — birthday cake waffle, chocolate white fudge and sour cream chocolate chip — co-created by Bieber. In a promotional teaser posted on Wednesday morning, the Canadian native visits Tim Hortons’ headquarters, where he dreams up a selection of wild flavors in a conference room with the chain’s director of culinary innovation Tallis Voakes.
Apparently Justin loves the chain so this was a natural fit.


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Michael Jordan jersey to sell at Sotheby’s for at least 173 million rubles
The jersey of six-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic champion Michael Jordan is planned to be sold at auction for hundreds of millions of rubles. Reports about it artnet news.
This is a red T-shirt, in which the athlete played his last match in the NBA Finals as part of the Chicago Bulls team in 1998. It is known that the auction company Sotheby’s will be held online from 6 to 14 September. The cost of the lot, according to experts, will vary from at least three to five million dollars (from 173 to 304 million rubles).
According to the publication, a photograph of a basketball player in this uniform was also printed on the cover of the famous sports magazine Sports Illustrated, released on June 15, 1998. On the posted frame, Jordan was captured during the match.
At the same time, in May 2021, another Jordan jersey was sold for a record $1.3 million (79.1 million rubles). The jersey, in which Jordan played for the University of North Carolina team in the 1982/1983 season, became the most expensive item owned by an American athlete sold at auction.
#Michael #Jordan #basketball #jersey #sold #hundreds #millions #rubles


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, and we think that they can be competitive and viable, but they
re going to have to make tough decisions to get there," said Dana Perino.
In other words, the White House was again making clear to Detroit that General Motors and Chrysler aren't going to get billions in emergency aid without making some big changes.
And the same goes for the UAW too.
Last night, the reaction was as expected from those quarters, that no bankruptcy, whether pre-packaged or not was acceptable.
This from an industry where no cars are going to be made for just about a month because so few of them are selling.
I'm not so sure this is going to get wrapped up all nice and tidy before Christmas. Stay tuned.


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Platform Cofunds has appointed Axa Wealth's Andy Coleman as head of sales for its wealth and investor channels.
Coleman, who previously led the sales team at Axa Wealth, starts in January 2012 and will report directly to Cofunds' sales & marketing director Alastair Conway.
"To have secured an individual of Andy's calibre from one of our competitors at a time of such unprecedented industry change is great news for both Cofunds and our clients," said Conway.
Coleman will drive rollout of Cofunds' new products and services, including implementation of its new pricing model next year.
"As we move towards RDR it is vital that a platform can demonstrate significant scale and is able to derive sufficient returns to allow re-investment in its offer - Cofunds is one of the few businesses to do this," said Coleman.
Industry Voice: Scottish Widows pension expert Robert Cochran and economist Andrew Scott discuss the future of employment and income, in episode three of Scottish Widows' podcast series.
What made financial headlines over the weekend?
Follows McVey's resignation
Schroders and Aviva Investors


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The Iconic Music Player Winamp Is Coming Back in 2019
The 21-years-old MP3 player Winamp is coming back as the Audio Mobile App in the next year.
Winamp Player was the most popular with the youth of the 90s. It was popular as a customizable music player to the users.
Alexandre Saboundjian, CEO of radionomy, told this information about the player. He said that the app also offers clouds, podcast and radio streaming services as well as the playlist.
The new version of the Winamp app will be brought to iOS and Android. Already the player has an Android version, but the new version will bring a lot of changes. The new version of Winamp will be available not only in mobile apps but also on the desktop. Saboundjian declined to detail how the new version of the app would integrate with Apple Music, Spotify, or other audio platforms. The new version of the desktop will be named Winamp 6. Initially, The 5.8 release of Winamp will be coming this week to fix some bugs but the fully revamped version of the app, Winamp 6, would be released in 2019.
In 2002, AOL Company bought the Winamp. In 2013, AOL shut down Winamp.com. Then in 2014, the Belgian company Radionomy bought the player from AOL company
Winamp has lost popularity due to the services Video sharing platform like YouTube and audio sharing platform SoundCloud. The last time The player was updated in 2013. Winamp users really are everywhere. It’s a huge number. The player still has 100 million users outside the United States.
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Take Two Interactive, the company that owns Rockstar Games, have added fuel to the rumors of a remastered GTA Trilogy arriving, after revealing plans to release 62 titles in the next three years.
While fans patiently await any kind of news surrounding GTA 6, Take Two and Rockstar continue to keep things under wraps.
It’s now been confirmed that GTA 5 will be coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in November 2021, giving players a next-gen iteration of the game, but many in the community are growing increasingly frustrated.
On May 18, the extent to which Take Two are publishing games became apparent, and of course, this got GTA fans speculating about what could be coming.
Take Two earnings call recap
During an earnings call, the owning company of the popular Grand Theft Auto franchise committed to releasing 62 titles in the next three years, with 21 of those coming before March 31, 2022.
These will be spread across core and non-core titles, and also across multiple platforms – mobile included.
Take Two says it plans to release 62 titles in the next 3 years.
Between April 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022 the company plans to release 21 games, 4 of which are core titles.
In the two year period after this, the company plans to release 19 core games and 4 mid-core games. pic.twitter.com/jIK1xpYCFS
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) May 18, 2021
GTA leaker digs deeper
While GTA 6 news is still sparse, notorious GTA leaker TezFunz took a look at some of the numbers, and what it could mean for upcoming GTA releases.
- Read More: Rockstar dev sparks GTA 6 rumors
Firstly, he noted that there will be six new iterations of previously released titles before March 2022. This, he says, is interesting, alongside the promise of ‘fun surprises’ for GTA III 20th anniversary.”
Of course, this was a reference to promises made by Rockstar when they announced the big Summer Update for GTA Online – and teased more surprises are in the pipeline.
Then, one respondent asked whether it could mean GTA 3 Remastered — and Tez suggested it could actually imply a whole lot more, with “maybe the whole trilogy” being remastered.
Maybe the whole trilogy too.
— Tez2 (@TezFunz2) May 18, 2021
The 20th anniversary of GTA 3 falls on October 22, 2021. If the “fun surprises” noted do wind up being a remastered trilogy, that means news surrounding these unknown projects could be released by that time.
Of course, it’s impossible to tell exactly what is happening right now, but if these rumors are true, we might not have to wait long to find out.


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Don't-Miss Web & social Stories
In this video report, we'll see a demo of how a machine built by Las Vegas-based Robocoin lets you buy Bitcoins with cash or sell them from your digital wallet.
Coinage President Cary Peters, operator of California’s first bitcoin ATM, shows us how it works in this video.
Jules Verne would be impressed, but it's only one step toward an attempt to provide Internet access to remote areas.
You can expect to see as many as 15 new kids of ads in the near future, according to the Wall Street Journal.
You still have to manually flip the security switch for some sites like Yahoo News and Yahoo Sports
Karpeles must answer questions on April 17, a Texas judge ruled.
Most April Fools' Day jokes barely merit a groan, but these ten are worth a smile.
Sellers will still be credited with U.S. dollars to reduce exposure
YahooTube? may be looking at ways to bring established YouTube stars to a new video service of its own.
Texas-based TrackingPoint is now accepting Bitcoin for weapons purchases. It's not the first time you could buy guns with Bitcoin, but it might be the first time you could do it legally.
The plaintiffs have rejected an offer to question the Mt. Gox CEO in Taiwan amid bankruptcy proceedings
Investors welcomed the news, but it could also mean additional record-keeping for people who spend bitcoins like cash.
Vircurex had been trying to pay back losses incurred last year
There's now one less way to connect to Twitter from within Turkey, but the social network isn't yet blocked entirely.
The app, which let people follow artists and play songs, will be removed from Apple's app store Friday
The failed exchange says it found 200,000 bitcoins that just suddenly disappeared.


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Coffee Republic expects a considerable rise in the use of contactless payment devices for small purchases such as takeaway coffee, and is to encourage use of the system across its franchised estate.
The café chain tested the OneTouch system from Barclaycard Business in its London sites recently, to find out how contactless payment performed for purchases of £10 or under.
In coffee service at peak period, the time taken to handle cash or enter a PIN number can make a significant difference to the time needed to handle a queue of customers. By contrast, the card companies of offer contactless systems claim a transaction time of one second.
At Coffee Republic's Canary Wharf and Bluewater outlets, it was found that the option of a contactless payment was taken up by around 20% of all credit-card customers.
The EPOS systems manager for Coffee Republic, Keisha Meade, has reported that the trial showed that customers had a strong awareness of the concept of contactless technology.
"Customers recognise the technology, understand how to use it and are aware of its advantages such as speed and simplicity," she said. "Most of our bars only have one card terminal, so technology like this can really improve throughput."
Meanwhile, Steven ‘Barty' Bartlett, the former Coffee Republic shareholder who set up a shareholder action group and then effectively took over the company two years ago, is to step down as chief executive.
Executive chairman Peter Breach said that Mr Bartlett had achieved his aim, the rejuvenation of the business.
The chain has 16 company-owned stores in the UK, 53 franchised bars and 112 concessions. The group recently conceded that some of the company-owned stores were performing poorly in comparison to the franchised bars.
By Ian Boughton


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A man who spent counterfeit $100 bills at an outlet mall in Leesburg is being sought by police, according to authorities.
The counterfeit money was accepted Jan. 11 at several stores at the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet Mall, police said. The male suspect made purchases from Wilson’s Leather, Claire’s, Stride Rite Keds Sperry and L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex stores using take bills, police said. He also attempted to make a purchase at the Converse Store, but store employees did not accept the cash.
In each successful case, the man made small purchases in order to obtain the most cash back following the transaction, authorities said. The suspect was described as a black male of medium build, wearing dark pants, a stocking cap, and a black-an- white striped lightweight jacket, according to police.
The Leesburg Police Department asked that anyone with information about the identity of the suspect contact Detective Drogin at (703) 771-4541. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the Leesburg Crime Line at (703) 443-TIPS or use TIPSUBMIT from a smart phone or a computer. Links to TIPSUBMIT can be found on the police department’s Web site at www.leesburgva.gov/police, authorites said.


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Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise that the smell of apples permeates the new GoGo squeeZ plant at 8385 Birch Lane.
But given the sheer size of the place — three-quarters of an acre — and given the sterile white walls and stainless-steel piping coursing through equipment like a puree metro system, the aroma proves this plant doesn’t produce gears or nails.
Those are real apples in stacked wooden crates in the receiving bay and bobbing in the rinsing flute. That’s real fruit being injected into green, 3.2-ounce pouches that robot arms pack into boxes to be shipped to stores across the West. Those are real workers under the white coats, hairnets and shoe booties.
The building, which was owned by Micron Technology Inc., had been vacant since its former tenant, MPC Computers, closed in 2008. Materne, GoGo squeeZ’s French parent company, paid an undisclosed sum for the property and invested $85 million to make it capable of mashing 60,000 tons of applesauce and other fruit mixes per year. Since opening in December, Materne has hired 122 workers and plans to ramp up to 284 by the time the plant reaches full capacity in late 2017.
GoGo squeeZ is one of the latest additions to a growing list of food manufacturers choosing either to relocate to Idaho or to expand operations already here. The roster of companies includes some of the largest job creators in recent years, many of whom complement Idaho’s bulwark industry, agriculture.
From 2004 to 2013, the number of Idaho food manufacturers rose 29 percent, to 302. The industry was Idaho’s 11th largest employer in 2014, according to the Idaho Department of Commerce, and it accounted for 18 percent of all foreign exports.
Commerce Director Jeff Sayer, who in addition to GoGo squeeZ has recruited food manufacturers such as Amy’s Kitchen (Pocatello), and Chobani and Glanbia (Twin Falls area), said Idaho is building its reputation as a destination for food manufacturing. His evidence: Idaho’s concentration of such businesses is twice the national average.
“Facts are facts,” Sayer said. “Idaho is a food state.”
GoGo squeeZ has been a hit since Materne opened its first U.S. plant in Traverse City, Mich., in 2008. Its 22 flavors include fruit mixes as well as fruit and vegetable blends and an organic fruit line. They are marketed to parents for health and ease: The pouches contain zero additives and, with a built-in straw and resealable top, make for handy, on-the-go snacks. The company reported U.S. sales of about $200 million in 2014.
As U.S. sales took off, Materne looked for a state to supply stores in the West. The company first looked to apple-rich Oregon and Washington to limit shipping costs, said Boris Salome, who moved from France to manage the Nampa plant. Materne became interested in Nampa after learning it could buy the Micron building not far from the Oregon state line.
“It was proximity to the apples,” he said.
The additional outlet for Northwest apples could come in handy for growers. Washington, the nation’s biggest apple-producing state, is suffering an oversupply of some varieties brought on by a record crop and the recently ended West Coast port slowdown, which hurt apple exports. Idaho’s apple output is just 1 percent of Washington’s, but most of it is near Nampa.
Many of Idaho’s largest food manufacturers similarly spent millions building factories here to be close to the supply chain, said Ethan Mansfield, economist for the Idaho Department of Labor. Glanbia, Chobani and other recent Idaho additions (see the box on D1) made new homes in the state’s dairy center, the Magic Valley. The J.R. Simplot Co. and its Texas-based partner, Caviness Beef Packers, await permit approval for a $100 million meatpacking plant near Kuna that will employ up to 600 workers processing up to 1,700 head of cattle delivered from around the region.
Food processors buying from Idaho’s livestock and dairy industries might as well set up shop in Idaho, Mansfield said.
“(Shipping) gets expensive, especially for a heavy raw product like milk or cows,” he said. “Additionally, the cost of land is relatively cheap here, especially compared with California or New York, two other dairy hot spots.”
A 2013 study compiled by University of Idaho economists found a reinforcing relationship between Idaho’s ag and food manufacturing sectors. In addition to directly employing 9,400 Idahoans in 2011 and totaling $8.5 billion in sales, farmers and processors of barley, wheat, sugar beets, dairy and potatoes supported an additional $4.7 billion in payments to employees and suppliers or from payments received from businesses supporting the sectors. From an employment standpoint, the study found the sectors’ ripple effects supported an additional 31,600 Idaho jobs.
The average Idaho food manufacturing job paid about $40,000 per year in 2014, compared with an average of about $38,000 for all industries, according to the state. Several companies secured the state’s new Tax Reimbursement Incentive by promising to pay higher average wages than the average in the counties where they built or expanded plants.
Amy’s Kitchen qualified for the tax break — which repays up to 30 percent of a company’s sales, income and payroll taxes for up to 15 years — by promising to create 1,000 jobs in Pocatello paying an average of $33,000. Glanbia agreed to create 43 jobs paying an average of $42,000 at its Gooding cheese plant.
Salome did not disclose its average wage, saying only that GoGo squeeZ wages are competitive and that the company offers benefits and training. Before building the plant, the company said it would pay an average wage of $16 an hour.
Workers have benefited from increased demand for their services, Mansfield said.
“Many of these employers are struggling to find qualified workers, and generally a good solution to that problem is to raise wages,” Mansfield said. “I believe that will continue to happen in this industry.”
MAGIC VALLEY BOON
Nearly 6,000 food manufacturing workers in the Treasure Valley earned an average of about $42,200 per year in 2014, or about $1,100 more than the Valley’s average.
Food manufacturing is an anchor industry in the Magic Valley, Mansfield said. There, more than 6,000 workers earned an average of nearly $46,000 last year, 38 percent higher than the regional average of $33,150.
“Wage-wise, food processing jobs aren’t as beneficial to the southwestern region as they are to the south-central, where the economy is less diversified and more heavily dependent on food processing as an economic base,” Mansfield said. “But the Treasure Valley jobs aren’t bad jobs. They are just average jobs.”


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Stenbergs, one of the leading Okuma dealers in Europe since 1970, is another official dealer of Okuma, with whom RoboJob now signed an agreement. The company had already signed an agreement with the world-leading CNC machine manufacturer’s sister company in Australia and New Zealand, and now adds the Scandinavian country to the countries where customers can benefit from the user-friendly loading and unloading systems for CNC-operated turning and milling machines.
Based in Belgium, RoboJob was founded in 2007 by engineers Helmut De Roovere and Luc De Ceuster. With over 25 years’ in manufacturing and over 40 years’ experience in machine building, RoboJob can rely on all the needed know-how to build extremely user-friendly standard solutions that can significantly increase gross margins in the machining industry.
Stenbergs is the official dealer for Okuma in Sweden, with whom RoboJob recently signed a deal in Australia and New Zealand. Stenbergs is known in the Swedish market as a company that focuses on innovation and continuously develops their customers’ productivity and profitability. With an ambition of being competent, innovative, complete and safe they make a perfect match with RoboJob. Sweden will now be added to the list of countries where customers can purchase the RoboJob Turn- and Mill-Assist Series.
While attentive visitors of tradeshows and open houses will have already spotted RoboJob’s flexible automation solutions at several occasions in the Nordics, the agreement with Stenbergs has now also been formalized. This allows RoboJob to further expand internationally, this time in the Nordics, traditionally a market where both businesses and consumers are very demanding when it comes to quality. The fact that a dealer of a globally renowned brand with a strong local reputation has opted for a partnership with RoboJob, demonstrates the trust the company has in the Belgian automation specialist and its products.
Over the past few years, RoboJob has made significant investments in Research & Development, resulting in a range of standard products, which are widely acknowledged as being the most user-friendly, compact and flexible in the market. The Turn-Assist and Mill-Assist are integrated solutions which enable the automatic loading and unloading of turning and milling machines. Both systems can be used for a wide range of dimensions (standard ø 5 to 400 mm) and weights (up until 700 kg).
Jonas Wihlborg, Managing Director of Stenbergs, recognizes the need for flexible automation in the Swedish markets: "Our customers are continuously in the search of new and innovative technology to be able to meet up with competition which is rising from low cost countries. Stenbergs’ customers are typically companies with a long term perspective, focusing on a smarter way to produce. They do so by focusing on more productivity and more spindle hours", Wihlborg explains. "With RoboJob presenting their flexible solutions, our customers can now also choose a very user-friendly, cost effective automation that can be used for small and medium sized series. The HMI and easy-to-use set up is quite extraordinary. Set up time hereby is reduced to only 5 minutes, which encouraged us to go further with RoboJob. The market potential for these products is high and we are very satisfied with the professional way of doing business with RoboJob. Expectations are high and most importantly, our customers already showed big interest."
Helmut De Roovere, co-founder and CEO of RoboJob is more than enthusiastic with the new partnership agreement with Stenbergs: "Although it might appear logical for an outsider, we are thrilled to be signing a new partnership agreement with Stenbergs, one of the leading Okuma dealers in Europe. Only a few months ago, we formalized our agreement with Okuma’s sister company in New Zealand and Australia, and now we can add another Okuma dealer to our list of certified partners. Okuma is a very strong global brand, with an excellent reputation in our industry. The fact that Stenbergs wants to become our partner and link its reputation to that of RoboJob, clearly demonstrates the trust they have in our company and our products." De Roovere believes that the best is yet to come: "I hope this can be the start of a larger partnership, and that in the coming years, more Okuma dealers can see the benefits of our CNC automation solutions. In the end, these allow the customer to let his CNC machines run longer, resulting in a higher productivity and a better Gross Margin overall.
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New York consumer wins Thomasville sweepstakes
August 5, 2013-- Furniture Today,
ST. LOUIS — Fran Stemmler, of Whitestone, N.Y., was announced as the winner of Thomasville's Memorial Day consumer sweepstakes.
The sweepstakes was conducted on Facebook and the winner was selected via random drawing. By virtue of her win, Stemmler was awarded a $10,000 shopping spree in Thomasville's new Westbury, N.Y. store.
"We are very excited to be working with the winner of this amazing Makeover Giveaway. At Thomasville of Westbury, our design team will assist Ms. Stemmler in choosing a range of furniture pieces to redecorate her home," said Dennis McCartin, store manager.
According to the company, room vignettes featured during the sweepstakes campaign illustrated the wide range of products and styles available in Thomasville stores and at Thomasville.com.


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Ivan Drury, senior manager of insights for Edmunds, doesn’t think Jeep will be content with “middle-of-the-pack performance” in the sales race.
One way to make an upward move, Drury said, is to broaden the portfolio with an electrified Compass.
Drury pointed to the success of the top-selling RAV4, which has a diverse slate of offerings, from a conventional hybrid to the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid. On top of that, he said, there are the traditional gasoline models that include the TRD trim for those looking for off-road capability.
The RAV4 Hybrid had its best first half ever, with 86,673 sales, up 65.5 percent from the year-earlier period, Toyota said. RAV4 Prime sales through June rose 5 percent to 10,153.
Drury said the segment demands electrified powertrains.
“Whether it be plug-in hybrid, full-on EV or just a standard hybrid, that’s something that definitely gives a leg up,” Drury said.
“It’s going to add parity because we see so many plug-in hybrids and hybrids in this realm already.”
Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com, said a plug-in hybrid variant would work in the U.S.
“We’ve seen really positive reactions to every [Jeep] 4xe version that has come so far,” Brauer said. “If they wanted to add that component to the Compass, it would only further bolster its competitiveness in that category and extend the time frame of which the car should be capable of strong sales.”


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Now that Apple has unveiled the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and the highly anticipated iPhone X, the attention has already turned towards the future and on what Samsung is going to respond with. In fact, it’s barely been a few months since Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and S8+ hit the market, and already the rumor mill is in overdrive with news on its successors. Samsung is said to have begun working on the Galaxy S9 back in March 2017, and it is being speculated that the South Korean tech giant’s next flagship smartphones will arrive sooner than everyone anticipated before. The announcement on the Galaxy S9 and S9+, apparently codenamed “Star,” is expected to be made in January with a launch date in mid-February. If past is any indicator, we’ll get to see many leaked photos of the two devices as we get close to the launch; however, until then, here’s a Samsung Galaxy S9 concept that we really liked. It makes the Apple iPhone X look really dull.
This new Galaxy S9 concept, made by DBS Designing, takes infinity display to the next level; almost the entire front end is covered by the display of the smartphone. The front and back of the concept both have a flat design unlike the curved display and edges that have become Samsung’s signature design. There is no sign of a fingerprint reader, which might indicate towards a sensor hidden behind the screen, and even the dual camera setup has a different orientation and position. Have a look at the video below that showcases the concept and all its features and let us know what you think.


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“Our topline is doubling year-over-year since inception”
NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 10, 2020
Scibids Technology, the leading self-serve AI software supercharging programmatic campaign outcomes, announced today the launch of its U.S. operation and the appointment of Eric Schwartz as U.S. managing director, effective immediately.
With Scibids, campaign managers leverage the most granular impression-level data in a few clicks and push back customized bidding models into their programmatic buying platforms through native DSP API’s. This process improves KPIs by about 30 to 70 percent while reducing the level of redundant optimization stresses on media traders.
Drawing from their PhD in Machine Learning and background in ad tech and financial markets, respectively, Scibids’ two founders, Rémi Lemonnier and Julien Hirth, built a SaaS platform that mirrors the innovation and sophistication of stock trading.
“Our topline is doubling year-over-year since inception,” said Hirth. “Scibids software is used to optimize hundreds of billions of impressions yearly. Expanding into the U.S. market enables us to offer premium support to our U.S.-based clients and to meet the inbound demand from that market since early 2018 to the present. We were able to validate the market fit and know there is strong interest and ability to gain traction.”
In Summer 2019, Scibids signed global partnership agreements with two leading advertising holding companies and opened offices in London and Singapore.
Scibids has raised $3 million in Series A funding led by IRIS capital, a well-known VC firm in the adtech industry backing up other successes like Adjust or Zeotap.
Based in New York, Schwartz is responsible for all U.S. sales and operations at the company. Eric says it is his mission to make AI-based media buying a reality for programmatic specialists. Before starting with Scibids Schwartz spent five years at MiQ, a leading global marketing intelligence company and one of the most successful in the U.S. among European adtech companies in the past decade. He began as Director of Sales for New York City and rose through the ranks to become Regional Vice President of Brand Solutions, East, by September of 2018. During his tenure, Schwartz led a three-person team that drove $150 million in sales.
Other past experience includes positions of varying executive responsibility for sales and business development at companies, including Solve Media Inc., Yahoo!, Universal McCann and Grey Global Group.
“With the abundance of data made available in the programmatic ecosystem, I knew that AI would be best suited to maximize performance and productivity, so I was on the lookout for a solution. Scibids is just that.” Schwartz said. “It’s really the future of RTB and that’s why I joined. Scibids makes every day media trading more efficient and scalable and we do it in all the trusted DSPs.”
“Eric’s deep experience in programmatic media buying and sales and his grasp of how technology facilitates both, really stood out as we sought someone with knowledge of the U.S. market to establish us here,” said Lemonnier. “In his 12-year career, he’s grown two other successful start-ups from inception and weathered enough challenges in the ad-marketing industry to know how to find opportunity and navigate uncertain times.”
Scibids Technology was founded in 2016 in Paris, France, with the vision of making AI-based media buying a reality for marketers. With offices in Paris, London, Singapore and now New York, Scibids is a venture-backed machine-learning company arming global programmatic companies with AI capabilities. The Scibids AI layer can be synchronized seamlessly with DV360, Xandr, The Trade Desk, Mediamath, and Beeswax programmatic buying platforms. Scibids customers include global agency networks, independent programmatic specialists and in-house digital teams.


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Momentum gathers for capital raising in London, retaining its title as the leading financial capital in Europe
Group Director of Capital Markets, LSEG
London has retained its position as the premier venue for capital raising in Europe – with companies raising £16.3bn through IPOs and follow-ons during Q1 2021, amounting to double the value of the next two largest exchanges on the continent (Dealogic, April 2021). The latest Global Finance Centres Index, which assesses against factors such as business environment, human capital, infrastructure, taxation reputation, and financial sector development, has recognised London as Europe’s major global finance centre, positioned second globally after New York.
In what has been the most active start for capital raising in London for more than a decade, several key themes emerge: gathering momentum for IPOs, notably in the tech and consumer sectors; the continuing high level of international issuer interest in the London markets; and the drive towards a low-carbon economy by investors and corporates.
Despite market challenges of the twin headwinds of COVID-19 and the UK’s departure from the EU, the momentum behind London has continued to grow.
The surge in IPOs
In the first quarter, there have been 25 IPOs in London, raising an aggregate £7.2bn. In terms of the amounts of IPO capital raised, London continues to stand tall as one of the world’s top four venues.
High-growth tech and consumer internet companies accounted for 40% of the capital raised on London’s markets in 2020. That momentum has gathered speed in Q1 2021 with 10 IPOs raising £3.2bn. They include Danish online review platform Trustpilot (£1bn market cap) and Deliveroo, the largest admission on the Main Market since 2013.
Consumer and technology sectors have also been particularly active, including the IPOs of iconic footwear company Dr Martens (£1.48bn capital raised), online auction firm ATG (£300m capital raised), international gifting platform Moonpig Group (£540m capital raised) and ecommerce fashion brand In the Style (£60m capital raised).
A centre for international businesses to expand
London stands out as the world’s leading exchange for international companies. In 2020, 25% of the world’s cross-border IPO capital was raised in London – and the appetite for international companies to tap into London’s depth of investor base has remained strong in 2021.
The new listings exemplify London’s global appeal – for issuers from Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.
tinyBuild, a Seattle-headquartered videogame publisher, raised £154m when it floated on AIM and provided another example of the appeal of London for growing US companies. "We were delighted by the level of investor appetite we have experienced during the IPO process and we welcome our new shareholders to tinyBuild," said its founder and CEO Alex Nichiporchik. “We believe that AIM provides the ideal platform for our growth, whilst helping to increase tinyBuild's profile even further.”
Russian value retailer Fix Price has been the largest Russian IPO in London for nine years, raising £1.25bn in an IPO that attracted strong investor demand. This latest transaction reflects London’s position as the largest listing and trading venue for Russian securities outside of Moscow.
In the fast-growing area of medical cannabis, Australian bio-pharma company MGC Pharma became the first medicinal cannabis-related company to join the Main Market as it seeks greater access to UK and European strategic funds and investors; and in the same market arena, Israel’s Kanabo saw its Main Market IPO over-subscribed.
Approximately one-third of all issuers in London are international, and London issuers operate in over 100 countries around the world.
Financing the green economy
Several companies with a renewable energy and infrastructure investment mandate came to the market in this period – Foresight Group, which received London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark at corporate level on listing, and VH Global Sustainability, which invests in a diversified portfolio of sustainable energy infrastructure assets. Another company to receive a Green Economy Mark upon listing was battery cell developer and manufacturer AMTE Power.
This commitment to supporting the financing of decarbonisation is reflected in LSEG’s own group-wide commitment to net zero emissions targets. In this period, LSEG became the first global exchange group to commit to net zero through the Business Ambition for 1.5C and is a member of the United Nations Climate Change ‘Race to Zero’.
London. Always global
The range and scale of fundraising activity in this first quarter of 2021 is powerful testament to London’s capital markets. At a time of major structural shifts in the global economy, London is open to issuers and investors from around the world as they seek to finance and invest in the opportunities that are emerging.


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The U.S. Ad Market Is On The Rise
Total advertising expenditures for first-quarter 2005 increased 4.4 percent, to $33.5 billion, compared to the same time period in 2004, according to a report released today by advertising and marketing information provider TNS Media Intelligence (TNS). It's the smallest gain since the end of 2003, but spending continues to grow at a faster rate than that of the rest of the economy (and has for 10 of the past 11 quarters). Steven Fredericks, TNS president and CEO, says, "We forecast the full year to be 5.1 percent, so 4.4 for the first quarter isn't particularly horrible." The company will unveil a new yearly forecast on June 28.
"We probably expected a higher number because the first-half forecast was 6.9," Fredericks says. "Advertisers were fiscally more cautious given the mixed economic indicators, wavering consumer confidence,...and consolidation among telecommunications and retailers."
Local magazines led all media categories in percentage growth, rising 26.2 percent to $104 million. Cable TV grew 18.2 percent to $3.5 billion, taking market share from broadcast television. Sunday magazines climbed 14.5 percent to $398 million and consumer magazines increased by 9.5 percent to $4.7 billion. Internet advertising continued to rise, posting an 8.2 percent increase over the previous year to $1.9 billion. By total dollar amount, local newspapers and network television led all media at $5.9 billion and $5.8 billion respectively.
The report shows a growth in advertising spending in most of the 10 top categories by industry in the first quarter compared with the same time period in 2004, with an overall increase of 4.9 percent to $14.3 billion. Direct response led all categories, rising 19.3 percent to $1.5 billion. That was followed by a 12.6 percent increase in media and marketing services to $1.1 billion, and an 11.9 percent growth in restaurants to $1.1 billion. Other categories showing growth include domestic auto (8 percent); telecommunications (5 percent); banking and investment services (2.7 percent); retail clothing and department stores (1.9 percent); and transportation and tourism (1.5 percent). The only areas without growth were non-domestic autos, and the retail home furnishings and appliances category.
"I look at this simply. Products and services need to be in front of the consumer," Fredericks says. "It's not an issue of spending on advertising, it's how much will they be spending. They're spending more than last year. The real question for advertisers is where are they going to be putting the advertising, what media are they going to be going to," he says. "You have to start thinking about Where am I going to get the biggest bang for the buck? Unfortunately, there's not way to track what advertising medium they saw that drove them into a store to buy. It's still an art, as opposed to a science."
Marketers Must Temper Their Behavior
Consumers Still Resist Marketing Attempts


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Apple Pay and Android Pay are preparing to launch in Korea, according to The Korea Herald. “Apple’s executives recently held a meeting with South Korean financial authorities — a move that can be viewed as the company testing the waters,” the publication reports. “Local card companies forecast that Google’s Android Pay is likely to be introduced earlier than Apple Pay.”
- Apple to launch P2P payments and debit card this year?
- Guide introduces how Android Pay works
- Samsung Pay launches in Sweden and the UAE, enters early access in Hong Kong and Switzerland
- bPay contactless wearables enable automatic donations to UK charities
- UK restaurant chains test digital mobile banking receipts tied to customer purchases


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Sony has made an undisclosed strategic funding into African cellular writer Carry1st. As reported by CNBC, the Japanese firm made the funding via its Sony Innovation Fund.
Carry1st relies in Cape City, South Africa, and final 12 months raised $27 million to develop and license new titles.
The corporate has labored on initiatives together with Mine Rescue, Spongebob Squarepants: Krusty Cook dinner-Off, and Ludo Blitz. It has additionally partnered with Riot Video games to launch native servers for Valorant and introduced Name of Responsibility: Cellular to the area in tandem with Activision Blizzard.
Carry1st co-founder and CEO, Cordel Robbin-Coker, mentioned its partnership with Sony remains to be on the “exploratory” stage however hopes the PlayStation maker will purchase into the concept Africa would be the subsequent huge online game market to take flight.
“As giant firms like Sony which have actually sturdy footholds in tier-one and tier-two markets begin fascinated about the place the subsequent billion clients and players are going to come back from, our pitch is that Africa is a main marketplace for that,” he mentioned. “We imagine very firmly that there’s an extremely underrated console alternative in Africa.”
Robbin-Coker mentioned many customers throughout Africa are nonetheless shopping for consoles via grey market sellers, that means there’s a possibility for Sony to chop out the center man and begin making headway within the area.
“Our hope is that we might help [Sony] to broaden the attain of PlayStation within the area and assist them in a variety of the way, together with broader go-to-market methods, in addition to digital funds,” continued Robbin-Coker.
Carry1st is aiming to launch its debut first-party title in 2024 and Robbin-Coker is assured the studio will hit that focus on.


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Thailand’s government is planning to clamp down harder on the import of e-cigarettes, seeking to close potential loopholes in the products’ confusing legal situation.
WHO’s basis for regulation • Political will to regulate • Regulatory proposals in detail • Likely impact of COP6 recommendations • Industry excluded from consultation? • Russia’s political situation and COP6 • Conclusions
Two eminent American scientists have drawn the ire of e-cigarette advocates for suggesting that the products could be a gateway to illicit drugs, with the nicotine in e-liquid enhancing the effect of cocaine.
New data on vaping habits and smoking intentions among U.S. youth will provide further ammunition for those sceptical on e-cigarettes’ public health benefits.
Prison inmates in North Carolina are to be allowed e-cigarettes, following an unusual law-making decision which implicitly gives official recognition to the products as substitutes for tobacco smoking.
Laypeople reading a new opinion paper in the journal Nature Reviews Cancer may be alarmed, but it is important to note that although nicotine can contribute to cancer, on its own the current evidence does not support a direct, carcinogenic link in “normal use”.
A new review of medical and public health research on e-cigarettes concludes that tobacco-style regulation is unjustifiably strict, but also suggests that further research is needed on health effects and the relationship of e-cigs to smoking.
A Swedish court has upheld attempts by the country’s medical products regulator to treat nicotine-containing e-cigarettes as pharmaceuticals, meaning that they must go through a licensing process and cannot be sold in outlets such as groceries and convenience stores.
Recent research on the possible cardiovascular health effects of nicotine and smokeless tobacco have generated fierce rejoinders from advocates of e-cigarettes.
Ten U.S. public health organisations have today asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move quickly on child-proofing of e-liquid containers, and extend its proposed e-cigarette regulations to cover flavourings and advertising.
Vapers are switching away from using e-cigarettes as simulators of tobacco smoking and embracing them as a product category in their own right, according to a new market study.
The first comprehensive report on e-cigarettes in the European Union is now available to all ECigIntelligence subscribers.
E-cigarettes are on the agenda for a host of trade and professional conferences over the coming weeks, reflecting the urgent need for understanding of new regulatory measures as well as the sector’s development and improving scientific knowledge about the products.
More research into the preferences of e-cigarette users has suggested a relationship between their tobacco smoking habits and choice of e-cig design.
A little-noticed provision in the new regulations for e-cigarettes and other products proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to give the agency authority to extend its remit to novel tobacco products as yet uninvented.
The new e-cigarette regulations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will apply to cartridges as well as the e-cigs themselves, but some accessories may be exempt.
The increasing popularity of e-cigarettes is putting consumers at risk of fatal nicotine poisoning, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has warned.
The European Commission is expected to issue technical specifications on the measurement of nicotine intake from e-cigarettes, as member states’ law-makers and the industry prepare to comply with the testing requirements of the EU’s new Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).
The vote in the European Parliament that passed the revamped Tobacco Products Directive will have some e-cigarette manufacturers contemplating the costly and often lengthy process of medicines licensing, in order to compete with larger firms able to afford the advantages that a marketing authorisation could bring.
British American Tobacco (BAT) plans to launch another e-cigarette in the UK next year after identifying the “non-tobacco nicotine market” as a priority.
E-cigarettes appear to be gaining favour among British consumers at the expense of smoking cessation products, with users considering them just as effective.
The European Parliament voted today in favour of revising the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), bringing e-cigarettes under its control for the first time and raising the prospect of further wrangling across Europe as member states attempt to implement its sometimes vague rules.
One county in Utah has imposed new regulations on e-cigarettes in advance of legislation expected from the state government.
An apparently uncontroversial vote in Ohio on under-age access to e-cigarettes highlights one of the thornier problems facing law-makers and regulators dealing with the new industry.


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WASHINGTON - Federal safety officials are intensifying an investigation of front-impact airbags in nearly 900,000 Ford Tauruses and Mercury Sables to see if a defect might keep the airbags from deploying in crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says its investigation stemmed largely from a single high-speed crash in which airbags did not deploy in a 2000 Ford Taurus rental car. The driver was killed, and the front passenger was injured.
NHTSA says it has uncovered 295 other reports to the agency and to Ford Motor Co. from people who claim that airbags did not work in a variety of frontal impacts.
NHTSA upgraded its investigation from a preliminary evaluation to the more intense level called engineering analysis. It covers Tauruses and Sables from the 2000-01 model years. About 896,000 are on the road, the agency says.
NHTSA also says it stepped up an investigation of some 1999 Chrysler group cars to determine if there is a flaw in the transmission-ignition interlock system, allowing them to roll away when parked.
The affected models are the Dodge Stratus, Plymouth Breeze and Chrysler Cirrus and Sebring. About 217,000 are in service.
NHTSA and the manufacturer together have collected 113 complaints about a problem. They include 29 reported crashes with five claimed injuries. The agency says about 1,200 warranty claims could be related to the problem.
NHTSA reports it has opened two investigations to determine if U.S. versions of vehicles that have been recalled in overseas markets also should be returned by owners for repairs.
One involves 1.43 million General Motors cars.
The nameplates involved are the 1996-97 Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire and Grand Am, Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Achieva.
GM of Canada recalled the cars sold there because front airbags could deploy without a crash if the airbag controller got soaked with what NHTSA calls "a significant amount of water."
In the other case, NHTSA says it wants to determine if peeling door handle plating on some 1998-2001 Hondas poses a safety hazard. The affected nameplates are the Accord, Prelude and Insight. About 278,000 are in service.
The agency says 335,000 cars were recalled in Japan after 36 people complained of finger cuts.
American Honda Motor Co. told NHTSA it has received eight complaints in the United States so far.
Here are new defect investigations NHTSA says it has opened.
1998-2003 DODGE DURANGO
Problem: Upper ball joint fails; vehicle goes out of control
Complaints: Four, with 81 claims that joints wore prematurely
Vehicle population: 450,000
2001 FORD ESCAPE, MAZDA TRIBUTE
Problem: Driver seat-belt latch does not buckle or does not stay buckled
Vehicle population: 193,000
1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU, PONTIAC GRAND AM
Problem: Front coil spring breaks, may puncture tire
Vehicle population: 170,000
2002-03 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX
Problem: Brakes fail to slow vehicle adequately on rough, uneven surfaces
Complaints: 45, with five reported crashes
Vehicle population: 20,000


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Xiaomi has concluded plans to unveil four of its latest smartphone devices – Redmi Note 5a, Redmi Note 5a Prime, Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 plus in Nigeria and exclusively on Jumia Nigeria website on March 7th, 2018. The two smartphones, which run on Android 7.0 (Nougat) with an incredible battery life of 3080mAh, are essentially an upgrade of the Redmi Note 5.
Juliet Anammah, CEO of Jumia Nigeria disclosed this saying, “I am confident that Xiaomi’s success in other markets will be replicated in Nigeria – as it was in India and Indonesia – as a result of the depth of their understanding of exactly what the Nigerian customers need as regards the functionality and durability of a smartphone.
Jumia is proud to bring these two new devices to the Nigerian market and will officially be available for purchase during our Mobile Week sales event scheduled to hold March 15th through 25th, 2018. We’re very happy to be the exclusive online distributor of these new smartphones in Nigeria.”
One remarkable attribute of both phones is their picture quality: the Redmi 5a Prime boasts of a 16MP front camera, with f/2.0 aperture on the front as well as a flashlight, while the primary camera for both phones on the rear packs a 13-megapixel camera.
All the devices feature a 5.5’HD screen with a resolution of 720 pixels by 1280 pixels and have a super slim 8.4mm thickness and an appealing unibody metal chassis that gives it a wonderful aesthetic look. They are powered by an Octa-core Qualcomm 435 and use a dual nano sim slot.
The Redmi 5a Prime has a hybrid 32GB ROM and a 3GB RAM while its counterpart, the Redmi 5a houses 16GB ROM and 2GB RAM.
The most notorious feature is undoubtedly the device’s high-spec camera, which allows its users to capture precious moments and fleeting sceneries with ease. A growing trend in the world of tech and fashion that will definitely leave its mark and become a reference for future devices.


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The latest edition of the Home Affairs - ABF Goods Compliance Update contains a number of feature articles covering Cargo Reporting, Import and Export Declarations performance.
From 1st July 2019, tobacco will become a prohibited import. Importers will be required to have a permit for certain tobacco products, including cigarettes, but excluding cigars.
After the federal election in May 2019, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources was renamed the Department of Agriculture.
The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has announced their measures to counter the BMSB during the next Stink Bug season, 2019-2020.
The High Court has unanimously held that persons who have the de facto ability to keep dutiable goods safely, without passing into home consumption before payment, must do so.
On 30 April 2019, the Stink Bug season concluded. Goods shipped from risk countries on or after 01 May 2019 will no longer be subject to the BMSB seasonal measures.
In a step toward commercialising autonomous technology on public roads, a logistics company has begun making deliveries with a driverless electric truck called the T-Pod.
Australia must stay relevant in the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, or Industry 4.0, according to a report to be launched today. It will affect manufacturers, traders and logistics providers.
Importers of food must be aware of Food Control Certificates, which are directions issued by DAWR referring a shipment for inspection under the Imported Food Inspection Scheme.
China just hosted its second BRI Forum reviving silk trade routes within Asia/Europe & adding new links in Africa & South America but it’s unlikely that Australia will ever join in.


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MORAGA — This was the meeting planning commissioners were supposed to get clarifications they needed to decide the fate of a proposed Dollar Tree store.
But after nearly three hours of debate Tuesday night, the retailer’s future in Moraga is cloudier than ever.
The board ultimately delegated the issue to a subcommittee to determine conditions for Dollar Tree’s approval that a majority of the seven-member board could support. Commissioners Bruce Whitley and Dick Socolich were appointed to the subcommittee; the commission hears the matter again Sept. 20.
The Dollar Tree, a retail store in which every item costs $1 or less, applied in July to open in Moraga’s struggling Rheem shopping center.
The application has sparked a heated debate in the small town, where many residents say Dollar Tree is inappropriate for the “semirural” community. Others counter that Moraga cannot pick and choose which stores it wants.
The commission deadlocked Tuesday after a straw poll showed two commissioners oppose the application outright, two support it and the other three are split over conditions for approval.
Responding to concerns about the store’s outward appearance, the town’s planning staff had added several conditions, including stipulations the store maintain a “showroom” rather than a more utilitarian “warehouse” display style, and that the store not block the front windows with shelving.
Whitley asked the matter be tabled again so staff can strengthen store appearance requirements.
Vice Chairman Russell Driver, who earlier had voiced his support for the application, said he was open to that idea. But Chairman Jim Obsitnik said he would not vote for any resolution that tried to govern the inside of a store.
“I don’t think that’s a role that we, the Planning Commission, play, that the town of Moraga government plays,” he said.
The commission formally voted 5-2 to deny the application, but Planning Director Lori Salamack said the board needed to agree on and provide a specific reason for the denial. The commission couldn’t do that, given the multitude of opinions on the application.
Commissioners Stacia Levenfeld and Roger Wycle said Dollar Tree could create an economic problem for the town by decreasing property values or negatively impacting nearby businesses. Saying he visited a Dollar Tree store in a “depressing” neighborhood in Oakland, Wycle said, “If that kind of neighborhood came to Moraga, that would certainly in my mind create an excessive public economic problem.”
Socolich and Commissioner Tom Driver voted to approve the application.
Socolich said the market will determine whether or not Moragans are satisfied with the Dollar Tree.
“The store will be made or not made on the basis of whether or not (the owners) can draw people in there to shop,” he said.
No representative of Dollar Tree attended Tuesday’s meeting.


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RF front-end: at the heart of the turmoil?
Innovation, more than ever, is key to navigating the RF front-end market.
- The total RF front-end market will reach about US$26.9 billion in 2028 with a CAGR22-28 of ~5.8%.
- 5G is improving the quality of service delivered to the user by providing larger network capacity, better radio efficiency, and scalable latency.
- These are challenging times for the cellphone industry. Will emerging markets be the key?
- With the increase in the RF front-end BOM , players are striving for differentiation.
The cell phone market recovered in 2021 following the dip caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, pre-COVID-19 levels have not been reached due to chip supply shortages. Furthermore, in 2022, the smartphone industry was seriously impacted following a global macroeconomic downturn: a market decline with high inflation caused by geopolitical tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions between China and Taiwan. This downturn resulted in consumer hesitancy in purchasing new phones, thus pushing OEMs to enter an inventory correction phase. In addition, the Zero-Covid policy in China further destabilized the smartphone manufacturing industry.
Cédric Malaquin, Team Lead Analyst of RF activity within the Power & Wireless Division at Yole Intelligence, part of Yole Group“Despite these challenging conditions, 5G phone production reached parity with 4G phone production in 2022, though the growth rate was significantly less than the industry’s expectation. 5G’s hype has evaporated; however, at Yole Intelligence, we expect further penetration in the smartphone market as OEMs and MNO s further push deployment of this technology.”
In this context, Yole Intelligence releases its brand-new RF Annual Report, RF Front-End for Mobile 2023. With this report, the company, part of Yole Group, aims to provide a comprehensive view of the RF front-end market from the system level down to the wafer level. It encompasses the ecosystem and technology landscape while providing insight to anticipate technology disruption.
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The RF front-end market leaped forward in 2021, reaching over US$19 billion as an effect of the post-COVID-19 recovery and 5G penetration. But the 2022 calendar year ended flat following the smartphone market decline associated with lower-than-expected 5G penetration. Consequently, the BOM growth engine has been in low gear. As per the moderate smartphone growth expected toward 2028, along with the limited potential for 5G penetration, Yole Intelligence forecasts a mid-single digit CAGR for the RF front-end market, which we expect to reach US$26.9 billion by 2028. Meanwhile, the market opportunity is huge, and new 5G technical features will keep driving RF front-end technology innovations. Mid to long term, there are developments in the pipeline, and investments are being made to prepare for the next growth wave, which will emerge from 5G advanced and the forthcoming 6G.
Cédric Malaquin“In 2021, Qualcomm led the market with its end-to-end approach, followed by Broadcom’s custom PA module offering. Skyworks and Qorvo have similar company profiles with broad RF portfolios serving all market segments, although Skyworks has been more exposed to increased Chinese competition. Murata’s revenue was low, suffering from growing competition for its filters, and it is restructuring its module portfolio. In 2022, traditional players were impacted by the deterioration in the macroeconomic environment. Except for Broadcom, revenues generated by companies in RF front-end-related segments have decreased”.
The Chinese RF front-end ecosystem has been growing, with fabless companies mainly emerging, most taking a share of their local market. Maxscend, Vanchip, and Smarter Micro are the most relevant examples, though Maxscend recently invested in upgrading to a fab-lite business model. In addition, there is a long list of companies with great ambitions and access to financial capital through public offerings on the STAR market. However, not all initiatives will succeed, and we expect consolidation to happen in the mid-term.
To sum up, Chinese RF front-end players are capturing a limited fraction of the market, as OEMs still rely on the leading players for their premium products, but the largest Chinese companies are on their way to catching up with the leaders.
Yole Intelligence’s RF team invites you to follow the technologies, related devices, applications, and markets on www.yolegroup.com.
In this regard, do not miss the 8th Automotive Sensors and Electronics Summit 2023 from February 22 to February 23 in Munich, Germany. Cédric Malaquin will be part of this RF-dedicated event. Register here.
In addition, discover the RF front end market evolution in mobile phones – Live Market Briefing replay here.
- RF : Radio Frequency
- CAGR : Compound Annual Growth Rate
- BOM : Bill of Material
- MNO : Mobile Network Operator
- PA : Power Amplifier


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We knew that the Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen fried chicken sandwich became a quick sell-out. We knew it was a marketing phenomenon that launched the fried chicken sandwich wars. But we didn’t know just how much it meant to Popeyes’ results—until now.
On Monday, Restaurant Brands International said that the Popeyes’ chicken sandwich resulted in a 34% increase during the fourth quarter in same store Popeyes sales.
The sandwich debuted in August, but Popeyes only had enough inventory for two weeks of sales. RBI got a better picture of the sandwich’s ongoing strength in November, when it returned permanently to the Popeyes lineup.
Jonathan Maze, executive editor of Restaurant Business magazine, an industry trade publication, tweeted that he couldn’t find proof of a better quarterly same-store performance.
The closest thing he could find was a 19.8% increase at Chipotle in the third quarter of 2014. One reason for Chipotle’s increase back then was that it was on a growth spree.
Conversely, Popeyes’ jump came on just one product, which easily was the fast food story of 2019, and sent the quick-service restaurant (QSR) world reeling.
Even RBI chief executive Jose Cil sounded a little dazed by the experience on the company’s conference call.
“This has been a very exciting time for the Popeyes team,” Cil said, “and in fact, has been an exciting time for all of us who spent a long time in QSR and have never seen the kind of guest response for a single product launch like the one we had for our Popeyes Chicken Sandwich.”
Cil said that Popeyes’ systemwide sales grew 18% for the full year, and 42% just in the fourth quarter.
“The chicken sandwich has been a great way to introduce many new guests to the brand and our research shows that Popeyes often shoots the top of the list in preference once the guest has tried our products,” Cil said.
But the sandwich wasn’t only what customers bought. Cil said that customers actually spent more on other menu items than they did on the sandwich itself, which retails for $3.99.
That resulted in “very healthy check levels and incredibly valuable awareness,” he said.
Since RBI bought Popeyes in 2017, it has been on an expansion drive, both in the U.S. and in China.
Cil said that it takes between 12 and 18 months to add a new Popeyes outlet. He said development agreements put in place last year will begin to bear fruit in 2020 and beyond.
“In the coming years, we see a huge opportunity for Popeyes to grow from a brand with cult status into a true mainstream player in the U.S., all while maintaining its unique Louisiana heritage,” he said.


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PS4/PS Vita Exclusive Star Ocean 5 Gets New Trailers Introducing the Battle System
Square Enix just released two trailers of the upcoming JRPG Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness.
The two videos introduce the game’s quite deep battle system, and you can check both out below.
Star Ocean 5: Integrity and Faithlessness will be released in Japan for PS4 on March 31st, and for PS3 on April 28th. The western release will also come this year, exclusively for PS4.


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Sweet-toothed Australians were tipped to spend a combined $185.7 million over the Easter long weekend, up 5.2 percent on last year, with chocolate, seafood and short getaways set to boost spend.
Now that the sugar high has abated, for many of us it’s back to work and back to good savings habits – research shows household savings have climbed to their highest levels in three years.
Financially astute consumers are increasingly realising the importance of having a savings buffer in case of emergency, with at least three months’ salary the ideal amount to have tucked away, ING Direct’s latest Financial Wellbeing Index shows.
According to the report, the average Australian household has $11,798 in their savings account – up 21 percent on last quarter and 37 percent more than a year ago.
But it falls just short of our savings goals, the survey found. Based on the national median salary of $70,365, the desired savings buffer is $15,200.
To bridge the gap, survey respondents said they intend to cut back on discretionary spending and follow a stricter budget, with 15 percent planning to take fewer holidays this year, 41 percent following a stricter budget and a third dining out less often, ING Direct reveals.
If you’re among the 29 percent of Aussies who already contribute to savings each payday, then good on you! If you’re among the 21 percent who wants to set a savings goal, here are some simple tips to help get you started.
1. Start at the end
Find a reason to save – a new car, your first home or a holiday – and make it your motivator. If a photo of a tropical island on your computer or phone screen helps you to save for a holiday, do it.
The key is to make saving fun, rather than it feeling like a chore, said financial advisor Deborah Kent, owner of Integra Financial Services.
“But never set a goal that’s too long. Set short-term goals so you can attack it in chunks – it’s more manageable that way,” she said.
2. Watch it grow
Once you’ve decided on a goal it’s time to figure out how to achieve it by putting a savings plan in place. Getting into the habit of making regular savings – even if the amounts are small – can be more effective and motivating than doing so on an ad-hoc basis. Use a site like RateCity to compare savings accounts and consider setting up a scheduled transfer into your saver to take place a few days after your salary goes into your account.
3. Banish bad debts
Debt is a concern for many Australians thanks to a range of factors including easy access to credit cards and a tendency to spend more than we earn, says Paul Clitheroe, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy board.
“A key starting point in getting control of debt is to know exactly what you owe. You’d be surprised how many people don’t have a firm rein on their credit card balance or home loan,” he said.
Give your finances a “health check” and consider refinancing any products that aren’t offering competitive rates or aren’t working for your circumstances. Doing so could free up a couple of hundred dollars to add to your savings plan or help pay down debt.
4. Keep track and reward yourself
Finally, remember saving isn’t about depriving yourself so budget in a small reward whenever you reach a savings milestone so you have something to work towards.


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Fashion students at the Sydney Fashion Design Studio have begun using Epson SureColor F-Series dye sublimation fabric printers in their coursework and in the creation of their graduation designs.
Australian fashion ecommerce site Peppermayo has partnered with Melbourne-based cloud consulting firm, base2Services, to provide its online customers with a more streamlined user experience.
Fashion group Jeanswest has selected global customer experience vendor SDL to deliver enhanced services to its online customers as it looks to accelerate growth internationally.
Having FTTP internet I took a good hard look at what my telephone requirements were.I found I could get Australian[…]
It’s clearly both. Oppo bills itself the camera phone company, Apple spent a lot of time during its iPhone keynote[…]
So what was the root cause of the issue?I wonder why system outage of this big is still happens in[…]
So I wonder what has caused this type of major outage that long?
What are these guys selling?A mobile phone or a mobile camera?


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Samsung Electronics and Toshiba have both unveiled tablets computers at the IFA electronics show in Berlin to rival Apple's iPad.
Both companies claim they can also compete with Apple on content, services and a greater range of devices, according to the Financial Times.
Samsung's Galaxy Tab weighs in at just 380g, has a seven-inch screen and runs the latest version of Google's open-source Android operating system.
Pricing details have yet to be announced for its October release in the UK, but Samsung said it is negotiating with mobile carriers around the world to sell it like a subsidised mobile phone.
Toshiba's Folio 100 also runs Android, which means both can play Flash movies, unlike the iPad, but weighs double the Galaxy Tab at 760g with a 10.1-inch screen.
The company plans to sell directly to consumers, but a 3G option means carriers may also offer the device, which is expected to retail in the UK for £329, also from October.
In contrast, the iPad runs Apple's proprietary operating system iOS, weighs 730g with a 9.7-inch screen, and retails for between £529 and £700.
Sony has also used the IFA show in Berlin to challenge Apple's dominance in the digital media market by announcing its new Qriocity video and music service.


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Weekend: Chance of Precipitation: Fri: 0% / Sat: 0% / Sun: 0%.
Doppler Radar |
Pollen Count |
Video Forecasts |
Weekend Weather Forecast |
Twitter, Facebook activity surge; Trump's talk on 'The Cyber' goes viral
Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey put Facebook execs in political spotlight again.
Customers at 5 Lowe's stores can now leverage Pinterest to sketch out kitchens in augmented reality.
Presidential candidate makes national buy on app
Experts say aquaculture is the only way to feed a world with 2.5 billion more people
Company reportedly working with financial adviser on possible deal.
Elon Musk to outline his ideas for how to establish a city on Mars within a decade.
Yahoo faces several lawsuits in the wake of a massive data breach at the Net media company.
From Twitter to Sling TV, there are lots of options.
The Labor Department is suing the Silicon Valley data company for an alleged pattern of discrimination against job applicants.


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|Sent on:||Thursday, November 8, 2012 10:49 PM|
I'm all for this as well, as an anguished & outrageous victim. I'm wondering why apple hasn't done anything to prevent reuse of lost/stolen iPhones? There is actually an easy way for them to do it and locate the thieves. Maybe they thought this would prove iPhone's popularity and promote sales? Too bad if they really thought this way.
On Tuesday, April 10, 2012, D.A. Gutierrez <[address removed]> wrote:
I'm all for this. I was actually surprised when I found out that this was not the standard already.
Reminds me of when my car was broken into and my satellite radio was stolen. When I called to report it stolen and cancel my service on that unit, they said they don't blacklist devices.
With all the pieces for control in place already it seems like a lazy/greedy industry that needs to be prodded. It's like they're encouraging theft.
On Apr 10,[masked]:38 AM, "Anthony Zeoli" <[address removed]> wrote:
> Thought this was interesting to discuss the pros and cons of. Thoughts?
> Fighting Cellphone Theft With a Database | Police departments, the Federal Communications Commission and the wireless phone industry have devised a plan to fight cellphone theft: the creation of a central database to track stolen phones and prevent them from being used again, Edward Wyatt reports in Tuesday's New York Times.
> On Tuesday, Julius Genachowski, the chairman of the F.C.C., is scheduled to join police chiefs from New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland and representatives of a wireless industry trade group to announce the new plan, which would allow wireless providers to disable and block further use of a device once it is reported stolen.
> The groups are also working with members of Congress to write legislation that would make it a federal crime to tamper with a phone's unique identifiers in an attempt to evade the blocking process.
> Over the last year, roughly one out of three robberies nationwide have involved the theft of a cellphone, according to an F.C.C. summary of the new plan. The thefts have grown most rapidly in urban areas; cellphones are stolen in more than 40 percent of all robberies in New York City and 38 percent of robberies in the District of Columbia, according to the groups.
> Because many smartphone owners use the devices for financial transactions, the phones often contain sensitive personal data. As part of the program, wireless carriers plan to educate consumers on how to remotely lock their phones, delete personal information and track a device's whereabouts.
> Tony Zeoli, Founder
> Digital Strategy Works + Netmix Media
> Web Development & Media & Publishing
> P.O. Box 597, Chapel Hill, NC 27510
> ? [address removed] | [address removed]
> ? [masked]


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PARIS – Pernod Ricard SA said Thursday its half-year profit rose 2.5 percent, but missed forecasts and the world's second-largest spirits group offered a conservative outlook for the full year. Shares tumbled more than 4 percent.
The company said profit rose to 500 million euros ($656.75 million) in the six months through December, from 488 million euros a year earlier. Analysts were expecting profit of 556.6 million euros ($731.09 million), according to a Dow Jones Newswires poll.
Sales grew 7.3 percent to 3.5 billion euros ($4.6 billion), buoyed by the smooth integration of Allied Domecq and fast growth in its premium brands such as Chivas, Ballantine's and Martell. Earnings before interest and taxes rose 14 percent to 865 million euros ($1136.18 million) from 760 million euros a year earlier.
Pernod said first-half profit stemmed from "vigorous sales by all portfolio brands, especially premium brands" as well as synergies from the July 2005 merger with Allied Domecq. All regions contributed, "with a marked improvement both in Europe and in France and the confirmed strong dynamism of the Americas and Asia/Rest of the World regions," Pernod said in its statement.
As for the second half of the fiscal year, Chairman and Chief Executive Patrick Ricard said sales have been strong in January and February.
"This has to do with the Chinese New Year, which saw strong sales in most of our luxury brands such as Ballantines, Martell,'' Chief Financial Officer Emmanuel Babeau told Dow Jones Newswires.
But Pernod Ricard shares fell 4.4 percent to 149.69 euros ($196.62) in an overall positive market.
The company expects 20 percent growth in net profit from ordinary activities, excluding the impact of exchange rates, for the full 2006-2007 financial year "if current business conditions remain unchanged," Patrick Ricard said in the statement.
Babeau said part of this expected growth could come from additional costs synergies as well as marketing synergies after the merger with Allied Domecq.
Some analysts said the full-year guidance was below consensus or suggested they might lower their current full-year estimates.
Babeau said the company did not exclude looking at other acquisitions though in a cautious manner, while "making all efforts to ensure we boost our organic growth.''
Negotiations over the acquisition of Stolichnaya vodka continue, he said, declining to give more details.