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For the past couple of years, Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s choice for a holiday offering was the nostalgic piece “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” For 2017, artistic director Sally Boyett decided on a change and a new production of “A Christmas Carol” was born.
Adaptations are not new to the company, which, in August, gave the world premiere of “Alice and the Book of Wonderland,” adapted by Boyett and resident director Donald Hicken.
“We had so much fun with ‘Alice’ that Sally thought we should try to do ‘A Christmas Carol,’” Hicken says. “Our adaptation is quite faithful to Charles Dickens.”
The many characters in the book will be played here by an ensemble of 14. And, as was the case with the company’s “Alice” production, projections, some on a large screen upstage, will be employed to generate extra atmosphere.
For all the stagecraft involved in this world premiere, the words are most important to Hicken.
“I hope we got all the textures of the book,” he says. “Its message of compassion and generosity was important to Charles Dickens, especially at Christmas. But he really wanted that message to be carried through all year.”
“A Christmas Carol” opens Saturday and runs through Dec. 31 at Annapolis Shakespeare Company, 1804 West St., Suite 200, Annapolis. Tickets are $30 to $48 (higher opening night). Call 410-415-3513, or go to annapolisshakespeare.org.
Another theater company in Annapolis is well-known for its production of Dickens’ classic, but this year is opting to pick up the story of George Bailey instead.
The Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge brings the holidays to the Annapolis state Nov. 30 with “Melissa Etheridge: Merry Christmas, Baby.” She’ll perform songs from her holiday album, “A New Thought for Christmas,” including “Merry Christmas Baby,” "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “O Night Divine.” 8 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. $90-$110. marylandhall.org.
You’ve got to be a bit crazy to get into the water this time of year, and that might be part of the appeal of the annual Blue Friday Community Paddle at Sandy Point State Park.
From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. dozens of enthusiasts will be on stand-up paddleboards, outriggers, surf skis and kayaks will brave water temperatures in the 40s — wetsuits are highly recommended.
Organized by Capital SUP, $20 donations to participate will go to Live Water Foundation, which will go toward the creation of the Live Water Va'a (outrigger) training program for adaptive athletes. A $5 raffle also will benefit the fund. Sandy Point State Park is located at 1100 East College Parkway next to the Bay Bridge.
Inclement weather will change the location to Capital SUP in Annapolis. For more information, visit capitalsup.com or call 410-919-9402.
If there’s Christmas music, holiday shopping has to be right around the corner. Westfield Annapolis, Arundel Mills, Marley station malls and big box stores around the county will be open early.
Saturday, the little guys make their stand with Small Business Saturday in downtown Annapolis.
Annapolis offers free three-hour parking at all meters and the Calvert Street garage at 19 St Johns St. A free shuttle is available from city-owned parking garages.
Businesses offering special sales, food and entertainment include Cindy Loo Hoo's Boutique, 125 West St., food and drinks all day and shop from local designers.
At the pop-up shop at 186 Main St., Annapolis author Katie Yackley Moore will be signing copies of her new book, “Happy Broken Crayons” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The book is an essay about motherhood, life and imperfection.
As “Dunkirk” proved this summer, tales from World War II can still resonate at the box office. Gary Oldman is the latest actor to take on the role of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour.” The fate of Western Europe hangs on Churchill in the early days of World War II. In theaters Friday. For more movies, visit capitalgazette.com/entertainment/
Compiled by Rick Hutzell. Got an event you want to share? Enter it at events/capitalgazette.com/events/new


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Guess who’s coming to DVD?
BURBANK, Calif. — A definitive collection of films starring a legendary Hollywood golden couple will be featured in an anthology of films from Warner Home Video.
"Tracy and Hepburn: The Definitive Collection," features nine remastered favorites starring award-winning duo Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, including:
"Woman of the Year" (1942);
"Keeper of the Flame" (1942);
"Without Love" (1945);
"Sea of Grass" (1947);
"State of the Union" (1948);
"Adam’s Rib" (1949);
"Pat and Mike" (1952);
"Desk Set" (1957), and
"Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner" (1967).
The 10-disc collection includes two films never before released on DVD ("Sea of Grass" and "Keeper of the Flame"), as well as a plus a bonus disc featuring an intimate tribute to Spencer Tracy moderated by Katharine Hepburn.
"Tracy and Hepburn: The Definitive Collection," will be available for a suggested retail price of $59.92 on April 12. "Sea of Grass" and "Keeper of the Flame" also will be available as single-disc DVDs for a suggested retail price of $19.97 each.
Walgreens names chief customer experience officer, promotes three executives
DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens announced several executive appointments Monday, which included naming a former United Airlines executive to the post of chief customer experience officer.
The drug store chain said that effective Jan. 24, Graham Atkinson — former president of United Airlines’ Mileage Plus — would be responsible for developing and leading the company’s loyalty strategies, with a specific emphasis on the customer experience, as Walgreens’ SVP and chief customer experience officer. Atkinson will report to Greg Wasson, Walgreens’ president and CEO.
“With Graham’s 20-year career in marketing, customer experience, sales and operations at United, he brings valuable insight into driving customer loyalty both through marketing programs and in a complex business where employees are the true ambassadors for the brand,” Wasson said. “We look forward to that perspective, as we continue to develop our approach to loyalty in our stores and across our organization.”
In line with the announcement, Walgreens also said it was boosting its leadership roles, naming current SVP e-commerce Sona Chawla to president of the e-commerce division. Chawla will help Walgreens expand beyond its brick-and-mortar reach, Wasson said.
Meanwhile, Walgreens’ corporate VP accounting and controller was promoted to SVP accounting and controller. “Under Mia’s leadership, the company has continued a standard of excellence in finance and accounting stewardship as well as embarked on the largest accounting organizational transformation in Walgreens history,” said Wade Miquelon, EVP and CFO. “Her financial acumen, critical analysis and careful decision-making are essential to the ongoing success of the company’s financial departments.”
Robert Zimmerman, who as VP corporate development for Walgreens lead the company in such key transactions as the Duane Reade acquisition last April, has been named SVP and chief strategy officer.
“[Zimmerman’s] keen insight and thoughtful counsel are critical to the continued evolution of our business strategy,” Miquelon said.
The appointments come at the heels of the drug store chain’s annual shareholders meeting, in which Walgreens unveiled several innovations that will be implemented in 2011 and beyond.
Sears Holdings unveils year-end outlook
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings released its year-end outlook for the fiscal year 2010 ending Jan. 29.
For the full year, the company expects a net income of $210 million, with a fourth-quarter income expectation of between $370 million and $450 million, offsetting the company’s past two quarterly losses.
The company also posted up-to-date comparable-store sales for both its Sears Domestic and Kmart stores.
For the quarter-to-date, comparable-store sales for its Sears stores were down 5.3%, with Kmart stores seeing an increase of 3.4%.
For the year-to-date comparable-store sales, Sears saw a decline of 3.8%, with Kmart seeing a 0.8% increase.

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Bethenny Frankel Says She's 'Really Happy' with Boyfriend Paul Bernon: 'I'm a Lucky Gal'
The Real Housewives of New York City star, 48, spoke to PEOPLE on Wednesday night at the grand opening of the new Godiva Café in New York City, where she gushed about her relationship with the real estate developer and film producer.
“I’m a lucky gal,” Frankel said. “It’s been good. Things between us are really nice.”
Frankel and Bernon have been dating since last fall and went Instagram-official with their romance in December while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. The two have been spotted on luxurious vacations since, including a trip to Playa del Carmen over the New Year holiday. And though he lives in Boston and she in NYC, the two have been making the long distance work.
“We’re together a lot,” Frankel said. “I have a really good balance in work, life, love. I’m really happy.”
That’s a big change from what RHONY fans are currently seeing on the hit Bravo show, as Frankel works through the pain after the death of her on-off boyfriend Dennis Shields. Last August, the businessman was found dead of a suspected overdose in his Trump Tower apartment. He was 51.
In addition to that loss, Frankel has also been battling a variety of health complications.
Asked how she’s feeling now, Frankel said “much better,” stressing, “my health is getting back in order, so I’ve been taking a lot of time to myself.”
“There’s been lot of mommy time,” Frankel said, adding that Bryn has joined her on a few work trips as well. “It’s been good.”
“Bryn knows him and loves him. They’re very, very similar people,” she said. “He’s incredible. He’s a beautiful human being inside and out.”
Also “incredible”? Frankel’s Skinnygirl Jeans line. The collection has expanded since she launched it last January, releasing several new collections and expanding from retail stores like Macy’s to the Home Shopping Network.
“I’m really loving connecting with the customer,” Frankel told PEOPLE of her clothing empire. “It’s really a brand for every body, every woman. There hasn’t really been a brand designed by women, owned by women. All the big brands are owned by men and designed by men. So I think it’s really resonating with women.”
“[Customers say] it’s the most comfortable pair of jeans that they’ve ever put on,” Frankel continued. “Everyone loves them because they feel like sweatpants but they look skintight. It’s amazing. The larger sizes sell out first. It’s amazing. Everyone’s unleashing their inner Skinnygirl.”
Frankel herself unleashed her inner chocoholic at the Godiva Café opening.
“I always say: I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like chocolate,” she told PEOPLE at the store’s soirée.
The property, located in the heart of the Big Apple at 560 Lexington Avenue (50th & Lex), is the first American café for the brand. It features a sweet and savory menu of grab-n-go items like salads and sandwiches, specialty beverages, sweet treats, and signature items — like The Croiffle, a fresh-made buttery croissant pressed into a hot waffle and filled with ingredients like cheese, egg, or chocolate.
By the end of 2019, 10 more cafes are slated for opening in the Northeast. The larger plan is to expand the model to 2,000 locations worldwide.
“I love Godiva — I think they’re an amazing brand,” Frankel said. “I love that they’re branching out into cafés. You don’t have to only come here to buy chocolate — you can have a cheeseboard, you can have a salad, you can have a really decadent hot chocolate. It’s so luxurious.”


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YOVO, the world’s first blockchain mobile phone network has that confirmed it will be moving its headquarters to Malta, with an investment of €20 million and a team of thirty members. With this mobile network company, you will be able to buy your tokens with over 40 different types of crypto currencies.
Richard Skaife, the CEO & CO-Founder of YOVO, said that they will be serving their mobile network service from their head quarters to millions of digital currency users. Furthermore, he added that they will take part of the growing blockchain community in the Maltese islands.
YOVO will be releasing their global product in June. YOVO clients will then be able to pay and manage any mobile services through their digital currency. Furthermore, they can even earn money.
At the time of the launch YOVO will be working with Stellar Blockchain, which is the fastest protocol that connects customers throughout the globe. Commencing with just over 130 countries, the company said that they plan to spread over 200 countries within the next year.
Satisfied with YOVO’s decision to move to Malta, Silvio Schembri, the Junior Minister for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation said that it is clear that, blockchain operators are looking for legal stability and certainty. He added that, as the Government of Malta, that is what they plan to do.
Undeniably, the increase of such companies relocating to Malta will contribute highly to the economy and enhances the island’s position in the Blockchain sphere. In a report done by 99Bitcoin, Malta ranked as the friendliest country for Blockchain.


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The close of the second quarter of 2021 brought about a flurry of merger and acquisition and financing activity in the augmented reality industry, headlined by the acquisition of Ubiquity6 and JigSpace’s new multimillion-dollar funding round.
The week in AR news also saw activity in partnerships, including Viber getting closer to Snapchat AR and the US Army making progress in testing its military-grade HoloLens 2 from Microsoft.
Finally, a marketing promotion featuring Megan Thee Stallion for Cash app may serve as a muse for the presentation of future smartglasses to consumers…
Discord Acquires AR Cloud Startup Ubiquity6
The herd of augmented reality cloud startups that emerged in 2018 have been hunted to near extinction, with Google-backed Ubiquity6 the latest to move from an independent entity to a wholly-owned asset.
On Monday, the company revealed that it has been acquired by Discord, the seemingly ubiquitous chat platform for gamers.
Keep reading for more details on the deal and to find out what happened to the rest of the AR cloud’s Class of 2018…
REALITY BITES: Multinary, an AR startup led by PrimeSense founder and former Magic Leap Israel general manager Tamir Berliner, emerged from stealth with a $28 million seed funding round, reportedly the biggest ever for an Israeli startup. PrimeSense licensed its depth-sensing technology to Microsoft for use in the Kinect before Apple acquired the startup and integrated the same tech into the TrueDepth camera for iPhones and iPads. Taking cues from its Apple and Magic Leap pedigree, Multinary is keeping its product a secret for now.
JigSpace Closes $4.7 Million Funding Round
The startup JigSpace, which was among the first apps to support ARKit and LiDAR for iPhone augmented reality apps, has capitalized on its early mover status by innovating within the space.
On Wednesday, JigSpace closed a $4.7 million Series A round of funding, led by Rampersand with Investible, Vulpes, and Roger Allen AM participating as well.
Continue reading to learn how JigSpace will use the funding and how it has benefited from Apple’s AR ecosystem as well as Snapchat’s AR platform…
REALITY BITES: Nextech AR has completed its acquisition of Threedy.ai, a startup specializing in AI-assisted 3D modeling for e-commerce. In conjunction with the deal, Nextech issued more than 3.8 million shares worth a total of $9.5 million.
Snapchat’s AR Lenses Find a New Home in Viber App
On Wednesday, Rakuten Viber flipped the switch on an update that brings Snapchat’s popular AR Lenses to many users of its Viber messaging and voice communications app.
Viber users will now have access to 30 Lenses at launch for augmented video messaging and photos created in the app, but the selection will expand over time, with Rakuten Viber planning to add 50 to 70 Lenses per month, resulting in up to 300 Lenses by the end of the year. Viber will also offer Lenses sponsored by other brands, with the World Wildlife Fund, FC Barcelona, and the World Health Organization among the early adopters.
REALITY BITES: Startup VividQ closed a seed funding round totaling $11 million. The funding will help the company expand its technology, which is capable of turning traditional LCD displays into AR displays without the need for wearable accessories.
US Army Shares Photos from HoloLens 2 Army Edition Testing
It’s all fun and games until the technology is actually put into use and you realize augmented reality is now part of Death Star.
That’s what some AR insiders may be thinking once they get a look at the latest modified HoloLens 2 images released by the US Army.
Keep reading to see the military-grade HoloLens 2 in action and learn more about its current development status…
REALITY BITES: Chinese automotive AR company Raythink has closed a Series A round of funding worth “tens of millions of yuan.” The financing round was led by Meihua Venture Capital, Qianhai Master Fund, Yecao Venture Capital, and Dongfang Fuhai. The company will apply the funding toward research and development and expanding production capacity.
Cash App & Megan Thee Stallion Show How to Make Smartglasses Cool
No, Jack Dorsey’s Cash app isn’t about to launch an augmented reality device (er, I don’t think…), but its latest outing is about as close as we’ve come to full confirmation that the wearable AR age is upon us.
The popular payments app loved by the clout-chasing and the famous alike, which is owned by Square, recently rolled out a flashy new marketing video (see below). And while AR isn’t the star, it’s worth unpacking the major cultural cues contained in the spot.
Continue reading to learn how culture and celebrity may be the key to making smartglasses mainstream…
REALITY BITES: WXR Fund closed this week with $5 million in funding. The only fund of its kind, the WXR Fund invests exclusively in women-led enterprises in AR and AI, with more than 50% participation from investors who are women.
Every Friday, Next Reality reviews the latest headlines from the financial side of augmented and mixed reality. This weekly Market Reality column covers funding announcements, mergers and acquisitions, market analysis, and the like. Check out previous editions of Market Reality for more news you may have missed.


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Like real currency, cryptocurrencies are a medium of exchange which can be used to purchase goods and services virtually. Elon Musk, for instance, announced early this year that Tesla would be accepting cryptocurrencies in exchange for Tesla products, making it the first major automaker to do so. Cryptocurrencies are attractive for several reasons: there are little to no transaction fees, anyone is free to use cryptocurrency without getting approved by a bank and international transactions can be carried out quickly, ideal in a globalized world. Black markets love them too. Our focus is on bitcoin as it is the largest and most established cryptocurrency in circulation.
Supporters of bitcoin emphasize that it is completely deregulated and independent from central banking systems, which may raise an eyebrow or two, especially with Jerome Powell and Janet Yellen. Those who are bullish on bitcoin also tend to be bearish the U.S. dollar. For example, Figure 1 shows the explosive rise in bitcoin against the surge in U.S. money supply since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, the number of bitcoins that in circulation is capped at 21 million and about 18.5 million are in circulation today, or nearly 90% of the total. Bitcoin is software. It is stored and transacted using distributed and decentralized blockchain technology; technology that chains together blocks of information (i.e., massive databases). Bitcoin miners are rewarded with coins by running computationally-intensive algorithms to complete blocks of transactions.
Figure 2 shows estimated electricity demand associated with the creation and maintenance of bitcoin bounded by high and low scenarios depending on the efficiency of technologies used. The best estimate for bitcoin’s annual electricity demand amounts to about 150 TWh, which is about 0.1% of total annual global electricity generation. This is a negligible draw on a global basis. However, environmentalists have raised concerns about the resulting emissions associated with cryptocurrencies. Had all this bitcoin electricity usage been generated with coal as feedstock, total CO2 emissions would amount to about 135 million tonnes, or about 0.4% of the global total. This is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 30 million standard cars. With this, it is no surprise Elon Musk reversed course and recently suspended taking bitcoin payments for its vehicles. Perhaps, Elon and Greta Thunberg can now get along.
FIGURE 1 | U.S. Money Supply and Bitcoin Value
FIGURE 2 | Bitcoin’s Estimated Electrical Demand


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Vail’s best businesses honored Friday night
Vail, CO Colorado
BACHELOR GULCH ” The Vail Valley Partnership has announced the winners of its 2007 Vail Valley Success Awards. The winners were honored Friday night at the group’s annual banquet, held this year at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch.
“From the live auction to the champagne toast to the beautifully-decorated ballroom, the night was spellbound,” Vail Valley Partnership Board of Governors Chairman Greg Repetti said. “More impressive, however, was seeing the entire community come together to support and honor top-performing Vail Valley businesses. It is these best business practices that make us a world-class destination.”
Nearly 100 nominations were submitted last fall, and judging was done by a group made up of executives from other Colorado chambers of commerce and local businesses. Applicants were judged on criteria including service to customers, contributions to the local community and overall accomplishments in the past year.
The winners are:
– Small Business of the Year presented by East West Partners: Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea Company.
– Nonprofit of the Year presented by Open Hospitality Partners: First Descents.
– Business of the Year presented by Comcast: East West Partners.
– Entrepreneur of the Year presented by Vail Valley Partnership: Phoebe Amidon, Simply Massage.
– Marketing Campaign of the Year presented by Denver Newspaper Agency: Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.
– Green Business of the Year presented by Alpine Bank: Green Limousine.


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It was recently announced that RIU Hotels & Resorts will be opening a two-tower project in Toronto’s Financial District! The spanish company has resorts around the world, and this will be their first in Canada.
The project is expected to cost approximately $100 million and will be part of the Riu Plaza line of urban resorts. The towers are nearing the end of the design phase and is scheduled to open in 2021.
The mixed-use buildings will feature 350 hotel rooms, meeting rooms, a gym, bar & restaurant, and the upper floors will be residential. It has not been announced whether RIU will be partnering with a local developer and/or sales company to manage the residential portion of this development.
This “is a big step forward in our commitment to expanding the Riu Plaza hotel line in the world’s key cities, establishing the RIU brand beyond more traditional vacation destinations,” says Luis Riu, CEO of RIU Hotels & Resorts. “We hope this hotel attracts RIU customers around the world to discover the city of Toronto with us, and also hope that the loyal customers we have in Canada decide to discover our urban product. This project means a new drive to raise awareness of our brand within and beyond the country.”
The press release issued by RIU lists a few of Toronto’s main attractions, including the CN Tower, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Toronto International Film Festival, and mentions that Niagara Falls is nearby.
The release also mentions the Thousand Islands, which is a grouping of 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River, but we wouldn’t exactly consider this close to Toronto. It’s about a three-hour drive, but definitely worth seeing if you like boating!
A project like this is an example of Toronto taking another step towards becoming a more prominent world-class city. Canadians are very familiar with RIU because of their highly regarded resorts in places like the Bahamas, Panama, Spain, Morocco, Maldives, and many other tourist destinations.
We are eager to see how many residential units are included, what the price point is, and how quickly they sell. We’re also interested in who ends up buying the luxury residential units. Will it be business professionals from overseas who need a place to stay when in Toronto? Maybe athletes or celebrities that frequent the city?
We’re looking forward to watching the development progress!


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Mercedes is already well on its way to having a complete lineup of electric vehicles. It already sells the EQA, EQB, EQC, EQV and the EQS will soon join them in a few months’ time, followed by another few models within the next two years; the creation of a complete EQ lineup that offers EV alternatives to traditional models is well underway.
This puts it in a great position to achieve its stated goal of selling only electric vehicles come the year 2030. And it plans to increase the speed with which it will transition from ICE to EV, according to statements made by a company official to Automobilwoche.
The source says Mercedes will soon announce the introduction of additional platforms for its electric vehicles. These are expected to be rolled out in 2024, along with Mercedes’ own proprietary operating system, which could be a replacement for today’s MBUX or just a new version of it.
Mercedes has widely embraced electrification, offering not only electric models, but plug-in hybrid powertrain options for most of its core models. However, these may be dropped as well come 2030 because after that year the manufacturer doesn’t want to have a single ICE vehicle in its lineup.
But will Mercedes simply stop building ICE even if there will still be demand for it? We’re pretty sure move to electric only won’t be applied everywhere the same. In other words, while Mercedes may achieve its goal of selling only EVs after 2030 in Europe and North America, it may prolong the transition in other markets where buyers will still be looking for gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Audi, for instance, is a manufacturer that has announced it will stop developing new internal-combustion engines after 2026 and that it will cease selling them after 2033. However, there is a small asterisk there, or a rather large one that announces Audi will still sell ICE in China and possibly other markets after 2033; Mercedes will probably adopt a similar strategy.
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One of the next major releases coming to Stadia is Far Cry 6, and ahead of launch, pre-orders for the game have gone live. Also new this week, updates for a few titles on Google’s service, the arrival of crossplay in Bomberman, and more.
Stadia Changelog is a weekly series on 9to5Google where we round up some of the Stadia news that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to talk about. This includes a roundup of which new games were released on Stadia during the week, which games saw updates and patches, new games either confirmed or speculated for the platform, and more. Come back every Friday and don’t forget to check out Bandwidth, our weekly look at the rest of the cloud gaming world including GeForce Now, Luna, and more.
Table of contents
New Games now on Stadia
After two weeks of no new games, Google this week added Blue Fire to Stadia. The game is currently free to claim for Stadia Pro subscribers, too.
A Dark World Awaits – Travel through the perished world of Penumbra to explore unique areas filled with diverse enemies, sharp 3D platforming challenges, quests, collectibles, and more.
As of this week, Google has added 48 games to Stadia in calendar year 2021, well on its way to the promise of at least 100 titles added this year.
Ubisoft+ in Europe
If you’re a Stadia user in Europe, good news! This week, Google and Ubisoft have officially expanded support for Ubisoft+ outside of the United States to countries in Europe and also to the United Kingdom.
Far Cry 6 is now up for pre-order on Stadia
While the game was delayed quite significantly to October of this year, the latest installment of Far Cry is still on its way. Far Cry 6 is set to arrive on Stadia day-and-date with other platforms and, now, pre-orders are open for the game.
Alongside pre-orders opening up, gameplay was shown off in an official video and a new trailer for Far Cry 6 was released to the Stadia YouTube channel.
Watch the world of Yara come to life now – with the first look at Far Cry 6 gameplay, featuring all-new weapons, gear, and other franchise first elements. Far Cry 6 arrives October 7, 2021.
Stadia can take notes
Rolled out silently this week, Google Stadia now supports custom player notes so you can better tell who a specific username belongs to. You can learn more about the feature here.
Bomberman gets crossplay
Super Bomberman R: Online recently expanded to more platforms after a year of exclusivity on Stadia. Now, the good news has finally arrived. Konami officially announced that the game now supports cross-play between Stadia, Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. Plus, the Fall Guys character has just been added!
Facebook buys Crayta creators
Just today, Unit2 Games announced that the studio had been acquired by Facebook Gaming. This is the studio that published the temporary-exclusive Crayta last year. For the time being, this won’t affect the game.
Uno: 50th Anniversary
Ubisoft released the Uno: 50th Anniversary add-on for Stadia players today this week. The $2.99 expansion adds a new draw-four coin and a new card design, too.
It’s time to celebrate the golden anniversary of the popular card game with UNO 50th Anniversary! We’ve put on our black-tie best for such an occasion. Featuring all the fast-paced fun and unpredictable twists you love and based on the stunning physical edition of the game. It’s time to celebrate in style! Main Features: Gorgeous, velvety black cards to dress your cards in the very best. The exclusive 50/50 card and an elegant, special gold coin. Toss the coin to decide who has to draw four extra cards! Will YOU be the first to clear your hand and claim victory?
Hundred Days v1.0.5
A collection of updates arrived for Hundred Days, the winemaking simulator now available on Stadia. Versions 1.0.3 through 1.0.5 were released over the past few days, bringing a series of fixes and tweaks. You can see the full changelog here.
Games coming to Stadia
As has been the case a lot lately, quite a few new games were announced and/or spotted as coming to Stadia in coming months. Google and Ubisoft officially announced that the following would be coming to Stadia soon, though only one has a release date that you can find here.
- Assassin’s Creed III Remastered
- Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue
- Child of Light
- Far Cry Blood Dragon
- Far Cry 4
- Far Cry Primal
- Rainbow Six: Seige
- Rayman Legends
Google also announced that Ys IX: Monstrum Nox would be arriving on July 6.
Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R was spotted as coming to Stadia on the game’s website.
Beyond that, quite a few games were rated for Stadia, strongly hinting they’ll arrive on the platform. These include:
- Paw Patrol: Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay (ERSB)
- Ice Age: Scrat’s Nutty Adventure (USK)
- DreamWorks Spirit: Lucky’s Big Adventure (PEGI)
Ubisoft also announced the Watch Dogs: Legion of the Dead title update for Watch Dogs: Legion. The update is rolling out first on PC as a playable alpha, but may expand to other platforms over time. As our friends at StadiaSource pointed out, the official website mentions both Stadia and Luna by name. Steep was also spotted in a similar fashion as a potential new arrival on Stadia.
This Week’s Biggest Stadia News
- Stadia referral promo offering controller coupon and exclusive avatar
- Rainbow Six: Siege and more coming to Stadia as Ubisoft+ expands internationally
- Stadia gains the ability to save notes about your friends
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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A state-of-the-art entertainment and leisure complex is set to open in Tunbridge Wells next year in the former BHS unit of the town’s flagship shopping centre.
The new attraction will feature a range of family-friendly activities including go-karts, a bowling alley, cinema and virtual reality arcade, all located over three floors at Royal Victoria Place.
It comes more than six years after BHS collapsed in 2016, leaving the mall site derelict.
The company behind the project is Elite Leisure Collection, owner of One Media, publisher of The Times, which says that even half full, the new attraction is expected to draw more than 1.5 million visitors to the city center each year.
Inside the attraction, which will operate seven days a week from 10 a.m. to midnight, will be the latest in modern leisure attractions.
A 230-meter go-kart track, originally planned for North Farm, will be one of the main attractions at the as-yet-unnamed downtown complex.
The newest eco-friendly electric karts will race over two floors in the former retail unit, with more than eight racers competing at any one time.
Bowling alleys, a boutique cinema and an arcade featuring the latest virtual reality games will also be in the new recreation facility, as will laser tag, mini-golf and a host of food and drink options.
The £9million project, which is set to breathe new life into Royal Victoria Place, has been welcomed by the town’s MP and leader of the Council.
Hearing about the plans, Greg Clark said, “This is fantastic news for the city. Very often young people in particular tell me that there is not enough to do in Tunbridge Wells and if it gets the green light it will provide entertainment for all ages.
“It should also be a magnet attracting visitors from further afield and providing much-needed customers for all the other shops and facilities at the top of the city.”
Cllr Tom Dawlings added: ‘The plans for leisure activities in the former BHS store in the area are particularly exciting, with go-karts, a cinema, bowling, mini-golf, laser tag and an arcade at the cutting edge of technology.
“It will be something for the younger age groups well into the evening. It will provide an additional boost to the top of the city, alongside the opening of the Amelia Scott, coworking projects at City Hall, the acquisition of the former abandoned cinema site and the growing interest in many former vacant retail businesses. local.”


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January 6, 2017
by Laurie Guevara-Stone
First-time corporate energy buyers such as 3M and future-focused mobility moves by Toyota are just the tip of the news that made waves last year.
July 3, 2012
by Sasha Radovich
Sixty upstream companies (those from mine to smelter) have reported increased awareness of and less skepticism about implementing supply chain due diligence.


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The Seeing AI is Microsoft’s latest app for iOS, which helps users with visual impairments to hear what they cannot see, making it “the talking camera” as Microsoft likes to call it.
This revolutionary app allows users to point towards an object, text or barcode and get instant audio description of what they see. Seeing AI also has a face recognition feature that can recognize facial expressions and tell you if they look happy, sad or angry. Microsoft has gone out of their way to make shopping easier for the visually impaired. With the help of this app they can scan barcodes and get an audio with the product description. You can additionally use it to read books and recipes.
One of the most useful features of the Seeing AI app is the money recognition tool. The app can distinguish between different bills and coins, making it easier to shop. How do you know if you have a good focus on the object you’re trying to scan? This intelligent app tells you which direction to move the camera to better capture the object.
Take a look at how Microsoft have showcased their Seeing AI app:
What Makes the Seeing AI App Special?
The main competitive advantage is the processing speed of the app. You can hear the result in just a few milliseconds. Microsoft has revealed that this app uses the same technology that is used in self-driving cars and drones. This makes the app accessible fast and in areas with slow or no internet connection. To access full scene description or handwriting recognition you need to connect the app to the cloud.
Microsoft has taken a big step in artificial intelligence, focusing on solving big problems in healthcare. The first prototype version of Seeing AI was released in March and is now available in the US and Canada, only for iOS users.
Have an idea for a revolutionary app? Contact the app development gurus and begin creating your app today!


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Destinus' hypersonic rocket cargo drone is eco-friendly.
The founder of Russia's answer to SpaceX, Mikhail Korkorich, says that his new company Destinus is building a hydrogen-powered, zero-emissions, transcontinental cargo drone capable of hypersonic Mach 15 cruise speeds.
The Hyperplane will use liquid hydro for propulsion, keeping emissions to a minimum. It will be able to blast cargo between Europe and Australia in just a couple of hours, a far cry from the suborbital shipping services offered by other companies.
Korkorich explained that this would be done using a first-stage air turbo rocket engine, and then activate its second stage, a rocket engine, to accelerate to hypersonic speeds of Mach 13 to Mach 15 at mesospheric altitudes of more than 50 km (160,000 feet), when air resistance is substantially decreased.
The Hyperplane, at least in its current iteration, is a fully autonomous machine. It takes off from regular airport runways and cruises at subsonic speeds toward the coast. Then, once it reaches the water, it switches to supercruise mode and accelerates to hypersonic speeds. The whole trip takes just a couple of hours, making it the fastest way to ship cargo across the continent.
Korkorich says the Hyperplane's unique selling point is its ability to move cargo at a much lower cost than traditional planes – and with much less noise. By flying way up in the mesosphere, he says the Hyperplane will generate "10 times less" sonic boom noise than conventional planes. This means the Hyperplane can transport high-value cargo – fresh fish from the Mediterranean, for example – at the same cost as traditional planes, but with much fresher food.
The company has opened offices in Spain, France, Switzerland, and Germany, and has raised significant funding to get started. However, it will need even more funding to build, which may be challenging given that airlines are notoriously hostile to new competitors. (Via)


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Put away that Rolex, because there's a new conspicuous consumption totem on the block.
A June paper(opens in a new tab) from the National Bureau of Economic Research looking at, in part, common predictors of wealth, found that owning an iPhone is a strong sign that someone is in fact straight ballin'. Or, at least "high-income."
"We measure cultural distance between two groups as the ability to infer an individual's group based on his or her (i) media consumption, (ii) consumer behavior, (iii) time use, or (iv) social attitudes," notes the study abstract.
The paper, by Marianne Bertrand and Emir Kamenica, has some interesting details. For example, while in 1992 using Grey Poupon Dijon was 62.2% indicative of being high income, by 2016 that fanciest of mustards had been replaced by the iPhone.
Specifically, owning an iPhone was 69.1% predictive of being high income.
"Knowing whether someone owns an iPad in 2016 allows us to guess correctly whether the person is in the top or bottom income quartile 69 percent of the time," wrote the researchers. "Across all years in our data, no individual brand is as predictive of being high-income as owning an Apple iPhone in 2016."
What a proclivity for spreading Grey Poupon on an iPhone says about your wealth was not addressed by the researchers.
And yeah, iPhones are expensive. A 64 GB iPhone X costs $999. Does that, however, mean everyone who owns an iPhone is rich? Definitely not. Even so, according to Bertrand and Kamenica, it's a pretty good sign.


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We have patiently been watching New Balance’s rollout of the 1906R silhouette, which kicked off with a release from thisisnverthat last month. Now, the shoe is coming in in-line colorways, like the jet black pair seen here.
New Balance’s fresh 1906R silhouette is still in its early staged of rolling out to stores, with a number of collaborations lined up for the coming months. However, the brand has slowly unveiled more and more in-line colorways of the retro-styled model, mimicking the excellent hype-building slow release strategy they’ve employed for new styles in recent years. This week, we got an early look at a new standard-issue pair of the 1906R, dressing the shoe in a jet black mesh and suede upper. The stitching stands out in a grey tone, while the silver-lined ‘N’ logo and tan-colored midsole complete the look.
NEW BALANCE 1906R ‘BLACK’ RELEASE INFORMATION
New Balance’s upcoming Black colorway of the 1906R silhouette has not yet been announced for release, though they are expected to arrive in stores in the coming months. Dressed in jet black with a tan midsole, pairs will likely be available directly from New Balance’s website along with select retailers for $150. Check out the official images below for a better look, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more NB release news.
New Balance 1906R
Release Date: 2022
Style Code: M1906RK


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With so many fantastic festivals being held in Australia in 2013, Valued Opinions’ poll finds out which one’s set to be the most popular.
A Valued Opinions survey reveals whether Australians are full of Christmas cheer.
A recent survey conducted by Valued Opinions, a online surveys company, seems to show that the nature in which people interact on social networking sites is completely dependent on their age and gender. Have a look at our infographic below and see where you fit in.
The Smartphone App Usage showcases the behaviour of smartphone users throughout the UK, US and Australia. Valued Opinions, an online surveys company, recently carried out research that discovered that there were real differences in how users use and purchase their apps. Have a look at our Infogra


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Pollock’s Toy Museum, the oldest Toy Museum in the UK and small toy shop operating out of London’s Scala Street, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to rescue it from permanent closure.
Country-wide lockdown restrictions and social distancing measures have forced the doors shut on the almost 200 year old toy museum for most of the past year. Reliant on income generated by visitors to the museum and its small shop, the measures have seen Pollock’s Toy Museum lose some £15,000 in income over the year.
“Therefore, our first target on this crowdfunder aims to recoup this loss,” said the team via its support page at Crowdfunder.co.uk.
“We have had to furlough our small staff and we are struggling to pay our bills, We are concerned that our overheads will go up (the return of business rates and staff coming off furlough) before healthy footfall returns.
“This amount will help us stay open for the next year until things stabilise after the pandemic.”
Dating back to the 1850s when the printer Benjamin Pollock created printed toy theatres, a hallmark of the Pollock’s name, the Toy Museum has managed to avert immediate danger by raising an initial £15,000 via the crowdfunding site.
The team has since opened up a stretch goal for the museum in the hope of ‘securing a future for the business and what the museum has to offer visitors’ as the country continues to face uncertainty around lockdown easing and a return to normality.
“All money raised with our stretch target will go into securing the buildings and making sure we can keep our doors open even if we have low visitor numbers or have to limit numbers for social distancing,” the team said.
“We also have a long term aim to build a public programme of events and opening our print studio for open-access use and educational, printmaking workshops.”
With 21 days left on the campaign, Pollock’s Toy Museum has so far raided just over £17,000.


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This is the crypto industry’s chance for #NotYouToo.
As the tech industry struggles with its copiously documented gender gap, women in blockchain and cryptocurrency say they are determined to prevent the crypto industry from repeating the mistakes made in other industries.
“So far, it seems to us that the major players in the crypto and blockchain industry are not taking a more enlightened approach to avoid the diversity problems that have plagued the tech industry in general,” according to a statement by the four co-founders of the which launched in April. “Not only do we want to educate women about the industry and how to get involved, but we want to elevate the voices of women who are doing cool things in the sector, especially those who are using blockchain for social impact.”
Less Likely to Hold Senior Roles
, of New York, and the AnitaB.org Institute, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based nonprofit that advocates for women in tech, both report the tech industry overall is enough women or holding the women it does have. Women are “three times less likely than technical men to be in senior roles,” reports AnitaB.org, and “56 percent of women technologists leave companies by mid-level.” Catalyst finds that women of board members of information technology companies, compared to 17 percent of consumer brand companies and 16.9 percent of financial services companies.
Women are rare enough in the Crypto industry that their relationships enhance their power. Simply by raising their own voices and presence a bit more they can change the dynamic.
Similar statistics have yet to be collected for the cryptocurrency and blockchain categories, but preliminary reporting by indicates that in one investor’s portfolio of 67 companies, women accounted for just 17 percent of the employees at companies that even had women; a third of the companies had only male employees.
Yet, there is a small but promising countertrend of women asserting their qualifications as company founders, conference speakers and influencers in the emerging industry. The more women entering the industry now, the more will become founders and leaders.
“Now is the best opportunity for women to enter the industry,” says Alice, founder of Through the Changing Glass, a blockchain consulting firm based in Chicago. “The is not in debate. The issue is how to put it into action.”
She tells ThirtyK the crypto industry is more open to gender equality, partly because the current generation of leaders is steeped in diversity awareness and partly because of increasing evidence that across most industries. “When women say, ‘This is who I am,’ men say, ‘That’s awesome! I had no idea,’” says Hlidkova.
Women are still so scarce that each one has a disproportionate effect on attracting other women and in product development, says Hlidkova. “Women are rare enough in the industry that their relationships enhance their power,” she said. “Simply by raising their own voices and presence a bit more they can change the dynamic. “
Looking to Boost Participation
That women were not often in speaking roles at last sparked much discussion. But what happened when the conference rented a Miami for a party generated enough criticism to change industry conversation to action.
Pivotal Roles at IBM
There have been a few signs of progress.
Women are calling out the industry, determined to prevent history from repeating itself. “We need to make sure this phase of technology doesn’t go the way of the internet, with everything happening in one place, one demographic deciding how this stuff gets built out and how we use it,” said Emma Channing, CEO of startup consultant , at a February gathering of women, as quoted in .
Two women – Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president of global industries, platforms and blockchain, and Donna Dillenberger, blockchain development lead, have pivotal roles with ’s blockchain initiatives.
The and tech media are and related issues closely, well aware of the heightened awareness generated by the #MeToo movement and gender pay equity research and advocacy. Groups, such as the online , are forming so women can mentor, sponsor and advocate for each other.
About 250 people attended the first conference held in late April at the University of California in Berkeley. Also in mid-April, the featured an all-woman panel on women in blockchain.
Advocates for metrics and accountability are rapidly emerging. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it, “ says Francesco Rulli, founder & CEO of Italian artificial intelligence company , which in 2013 started supporting digital education for Afghan women. “There are any number of metrics that can be used to ensure a gender-inclusive culture. Each company can select and adapt them as needed. Simply put, it’s less about any one yardstick than the process of discernment, of making the effort to understand one’s colleagues.”


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The insurance industry, after the trade market, is another sector where it is hard to predict the next big paradigm shift. Given the tentative stability and natural catastrophes, insurance companies often stand on a trembling ground and confront massive challenges, even when it comes to adopting seamless and intuitive digital solutions such as Artificial Intelligence in Insurance. According to PwC's 20th CEO survey conducted in 39 countries, the greatest concerns that loom over the 95 CEOs of the insurance sector today are the subdued premium rate, mild interest rates, shifting consumer behavior, slow economic growth, need for regulations and technological innovations and blazing market competition. Let's delve into the idea of introducing artificial intelligence in insurance, and how it impacts the current legacy processes. This shows how the insurance industry is struggling to comprehend and leverage digital advancements.
Big data is disrupting the retail industry, ushering in a new era of hyper-targeting and hyper-personalization. Just as the Internet disrupted traditional retail storefronts 20 years ago, the era of big data is now upending conventional retail marketing models that relied on demographics. A wealth of structured and unstructured customer data creates the potential to understand customer intent in real time and target customers for instant sales. For many retailers, however, the true potential of this data remains untapped with no practical application. Retailers lack the capability and expertise to analyze this data fully and then translate findings into action.
The digital age is termed the age of networked intelligence. Digital is not entirely new in the business ecosystem, but the increased interest is caused by the high rate of (r)evolution in digital technologies at present. Developments in analytics and big data provide organisations with new capabilities to re-engineer business process for better and efficient service delivery, as data is readily available, to the right people, in the right format, at the right time – elements of quality information. The advancements in mobile technology and widespread internet adoption have also given the customers new ways and options to research and purchase their desired products, so the business technology trend is plunging into the digital space. Digital technology has changed the way we live our life, both in public and private.
The'always on' digital age in which we live means consumers now expect companies to be able to communicate in a fast, accurate and relevant manner. The challenge for mortgage lenders is keeping pace with this technological change to ensure they remain competitive. It is with this in mind that companies are pushing technology boundaries. New digital advancements are being reported every week in the media, from Santander's '30 minute' online remortgage application, which is enabled by Hometrack's AVM, to Habito's artificial intelligence-based mortgage advice service. The purpose of both these offerings essentially, is to streamline the mortgage application process and reduce the time to offer.
Should banks wait for technology to advance before deploying a bot? We find out if bots are ready to be bankers . . . Chatbots are slowly and steadily taking over the Digital World, however, the big question is – Are Bots ready for Banking? It is one thing to use a bot to shoot out a tweet and another to entrust your money to a chatbot to transfer funds. Let's find out if chatbots are ready to handle the high-stakes world of managing people's money.


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Slim Chickens set to make second appearance in Lubbock
New store set to open January in South Lubbock
After about a year of being in business, Slim Chickens will soon open its second location in South Lubbock.
The new Slim Chickens restaurant will wrap up construction at 98th Street and Quaker Avenue at the end of December and is planned to open in early January.
Slim Chickens made its Lubbock debut December 2014 at 5508 Fourth St., where chicken and waffles, tenders and wings sales have been doing good, according to Chris Wilson, Lubbock Slim Chickens franchisee.
"I've been very pleased with it," Wilson said. "What (customers) really like is the freshness of it. Everything is cooked fresh."
Slim Chickens' first Lubbock location was built in an old Taco Bueno restaurant.
Wilson said the new restaurant is being built from the ground up and will feature the true look of Slim Chicken restaurants found throughout the U.S.
"This will be the first one that Lubbock gets to see what it's actually supposed to look like," Wilson said. "The new one it's red brick on the bottom and it's got gray slate siding all around it and galvanized metal roof. I'm really looking forward for people to see that one."
Wilson said he joined the Slim Chickens brand because of their quality product and the simplicity of its business.
"I really liked the simplicity of their menu and their focus on quality," he said. "With everything being fresh, we keep a lot of product coming through that back door to insure that we always have fresh product to serve. It really stands out when you go to eat there you can tell."
Slim Chickens' menu includes chicken tenders, buffalo wings, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, salads and wraps. Along with 12 different dipping sauces.
"We make all of our own dipping sauces," Wilson said. "People should really branch out and try them all because they are really good."
Greg Smart Slim Chickens chief marketing officer, said Lubbock has been a great fit for the franchise and is excited for Slim Chickens' second location to open in Lubbock.
"I had the chance to spend some time in Lubbock and getting to know Chris and opening that restaurant I've been pleasantly surprised," Smart said. "We determined Lubbock is a great environment for Slim Chickens. Our brand we focus on southern hospitality and a family-feel quality product. We felt that was going to work well in Lubbock, and so far so good."
Wilson said more Slim Chickens in the area can be expected.
"Our territory is about a third of Texas," Wilson said. "We started here in Lubbock, I've been in Lubbock for a long time and love operating in this town."
Follow Denise on Twitter


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The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured Nigerians that there will be no increase in the price of petroleum during the Yuletide.
Recall that there was a rift between the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association over discrepancies in ex-depot prices of petroleum products.
However, the NNPC assured, in a statement, that the ex-depot petrol price of N133.38 per litre and pump price of N143/N145 per litre will not be altered.
It said there is sufficient stock of petroleum products to ensure ceaseless supply and distribution of products across the country during the festive period.
“The NNPC has the full commitment of all downstream stakeholders, including petroleum marketers and industry unions to cooperate in achieving zero fuel scarcity this season and beyond,” the statement read.
“We enjoin motorists not to engage in panic buying or indulge in the dangerous practice of stocking petroleum products in jerry cans at home.
“The Petroleum Products Marketing Company and NNPC Retail Limited are fully geared up to ensure that motorists enjoy uninterrupted access to petrol throughout the nation.’’


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French Bakery Products Company to Be Featured at LVEDC Annual Meeting
By Colin McEvoy on March 7, 2016
The French bakery products company building its first American manufacturing facility in the Lehigh Valley will be among the featured presentations at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation‘s (LVEDC) 2016 Annual Meeting.
Norac, a manufacturer of natural bakery snacks that employs more than 3,700 worldwide, plans to build a 79,160 square-foot facility at 4200 Braden Blvd. in Forks Township, establishing 62 new jobs over the next three years.
Julien Caron, president of the subsidiary Norac Group USA, will be a featured speaker at LVEDC’s 2016 Annual Meeting, which will be held March 22 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
“The Lehigh Valley has been experiencing a growing trend of overseas companies choosing the Lehigh Valley as their entry point for the Northeastern U.S. market, so in many ways, Norac is the perfect company for us to highlight at our annual meeting,” said LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham. “We’re very pleased that Norac has chosen to build its first American facility right here in the Lehigh Valley.”
Plans for Norac’s new facility were announced March 4 by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf. The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team in collaboration with LVEDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development‘s (DCED) Office of International Business Development (OIBD).
“The collaborative efforts of the Governor’s Action Team, the Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development and our local economic development partner Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation exemplify that we can have a government that works on all levels,” Wolf said.
Cunningham agreed that Norac is an excellent example of the important partnership between the state and LVEDC when it comes to international business recruitment. LVEDC and DCED officials embarked on a business development tour through Western Europe last summer to attract foreign direct investment, or companies abroad locating within the United States.
“We’re seeing now that the results of that tour are bearing fruit,” Cunningham said. “International recruitment has long been a priority for Pennsylvania, and the OIBD has the largest network of overseas offices of any other state.”
J.G. Petrucci Inc. was also heavily involved with the project and provided the site, flexibility, and expertise that was integral in the bringing Norac to the Lehigh Valley.
Under the brand Bakerly, Norac USA is introducing a natural alternative to traditional bakery snacks for supermarkets across the United States, featuring delicious French inspired recipes with no preservatives and no additives. Its product line includes chocolate and strawberry filled crepes, chocolate croissants, mini-brioches with chocolate chips, and more.
Norac USA received a funding proposal from DCED that includes a $186,000 Pennsylvania First program grant, $124,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits, and $27,900 in WEDnetPA funding for employee training, according to the state. The company was also encouraged to apply for a $2.4 million low-interest loan including $1 million from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority.
The Lehigh Valley has been experiencing a growing trend of foreign direct investment in recent years. Eight of the Lehigh Valley’s 19 major business attraction/expansion projects last year, or 42 percent, were from international companies.
In addition to Norac, they include Safran, a French aerospace company that established a wheel and brake repair facility in Lower Nazareth; Primark, an Irish fashion retailer that built a distribution center in Bethlehem; Fuling Plastics, a plastic flatware manufacturer that built its first American facility in Upper Macungie; and Nihon Kohden, a Japanese medical device manufacturer that opened a facility in South Whitehall.
“Internationally-based companies are often most comfortable finding a place in the American market in proximity to companies from their home countries,” Cunningham said. “The Lehigh Valley’s location on the East Coast, proximity to New York City, and availability of talent and technical support from professors at places like Lehigh University and Lafayette College are attractive assets.
Additionally, food and beverage processing has been identified as one of the Lehigh Valley’s four targeted industries based on our unique mix of economic assets. This includes our central location, well-developed transportation infrastructure, agricultural products for food processing, and the availability of water and sewer capacity lines.
Summit Highlights Resources Available to Lehigh Valley Manufacturers
There are a lot of resources out there for Lehigh Valley manufacturers trying to grow or expand in the region, including various loans, grants, tax credits, and technical [...]Continue to Next Page


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Azuki has been making waves this collection, renowned for its unique profile images that have become a staple in the crypto community, has witnessed a staggering 47% price increase in just the past month. From a floor price of 3.7 ETH a month ago, Azuki has soared to a commendable 5.3 ETH.
A Closer Look at Azuki’s Meteoric Rise
Opensea data reveals that Azuki’s floor price has surged by 33% in the last 7days. With a market cap exceeding $90 million and a current price tag of 5.5 ETH Azuki is undeniably a force to be reckoned with in the NFT space.
Launched in early 2022, the Azuki collection boasts 10,000 unique NFTs, predominantly in the pfp format. These aren’t just any profile images; they’re generative NFT avatars inspired by anime-style artwork, exuding a distinct artistic flair. The initial minting saw 8,700 Azuki NFTs fly off the virtual shelves at 1 ETH each in a Dutch auction that concluded in a mere 4 minutes!
Origin of the Garden ⛩ pic.twitter.com/oN4rY2b72d
— Azuki (@Azuki) September 7, 2023
Azuki’s Price Journey: Peaks and Valleys
Currently, the Azuki collection is held by over 4,219 unique owners. However, its price journey has been a rollercoaster. After its launch, the floor price skyrocketed to an all-time high of 31.8 ETH in April 2022. But by May, it had plummeted to 8.3 ETH. Despite these fluctuations, the price remained above this floor for a significant duration. It was only in July 2023 that it dipped below, touching a low of 3.55 ETH in August. But as we’ve seen, the past month has been bullish for Azuki.
Elementals: Azuki’s New Venture
In June 2023, Azuki unveiled its latest collection, Elementals, comprising 20,000 NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This collection was introduced via a Dutch auction, with each NFT starting at 2 ETH. Chiru Labs, the innovative Web3 startup behind Azuki, envisioned this as an expansion of their original anime-themed project. Existing Azuki NFT owners were gifted an Elemental, with half the supply reserved for public sale.
However, it’s worth noting that July 2023 saw a dip in Azuki’s floor price, which some attribute to the Elementals collection’s perceived mismanagement. Critics also raised concerns about the team holding a whopping 20,000 ETH with seemingly little progress over the year.


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Mobile and social game publisher Gameloft has today announced the launch of Line Let’s Golf, the first golf game available on the Line mobile messaging and game platform. The free-to-play game sees players given the chance to challenge their friends across golf courses in many different locations, and under different weather conditions.
As players continue to play Line Let’s Golf, they’ll unlock new characters, costumes and power-ups to increase their golf skills. Gamers can compare their stats with others on the weekly leaderboards, with the entire game offering one-touch controls.
“With the launch of our first game on the widely popular Line Game platform, we hope to connect players more than ever worldwide,” said Alexis Gresoviac, Gameloft Vice President, Japan and Gameloft K.K. Managing Director, in a company release. “Line Let’s Golf provides a fun and casual gaming experience to all generations, with a wide appeal to the Japanese market.”
As of March, games on the Line platform had crossed more than 100 million downloads, with 55 percent of those game downloads (at the time) coming from outside of Japan.
“We are proud to announce that through a great partnership with Gameloft, a leading global game publisher, we have added another hit game to the growing audience of LINE Game platform,” added Ryo Morikawa, President of Line. “This collaboration allows us to offer an immersive gaming experience to Line Game users across the world.”


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After a year of rapid growth in Sweden, with several new top brands signing up for its services, Future Ordering now plans for international growth. In line with the growth plan, the management team is strengthened with Charlotte Darth and Krister Nilsson.
Charlotte joins to head up company strategy and growth. With many years of experience in leading growth and transformation, Charlotte will focus on growing the business globally by replicating the success stories from the Nordic market.
Krister has extensive experience of building, scaling, and managing
tech companies in all phases, among others as COO of Spotify.
He joins to build, operate, and deliver a scalable ordering platform.
“It is now time to level up and enter the next phase of our journey.
I am very happy to see two superstars like Krister and Charlotte join
our stellar team. It is proof that we are building something strong
and attractive”, says Andreas Stormvinge, CEO and co-founder
of Future Ordering.
Trusted by the most innovative restaurants in the world


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Foreign businesses have called on the government to allow foreigners to take a full 100% stake in Thai businesses on List 3 of the Foreign Business Act (FBA), saying it will help lure foreign investment while the pandemic continues to deter activity.
After meeting with Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit yesterday, Stanley Kang, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Thailand (JFCCT), said the JFCCT has proposed the ministry help review the liberalisation of service businesses on List 3 under the FBA, particularly those relating to digital adoption and innovation services, by permitting foreigners to hold 100% ownership in the next three years.
He said foreign businesses have greater advancements in technology than those in Thailand.
The FBA has three lists of activities where foreign participation may be prohibited or restricted.
Activities on List 1 are designated as "businesses not permitted for foreigners to operate due to special reasons". Foreign companies are completely restricted from engaging in these activities.
Activities on List 2 are designated as "businesses related to national safety or security, or affecting arts and culture, traditional and folk handicrafts, or natural resources and environment". Foreign companies may only engage in these activities with prior cabinet approval.
Activities on List 3 are designated as "businesses in which Thai nationals are not yet ready to compete with foreigners".
Foreign companies must apply for and obtain a foreign business licence before taking part in these activities.
The JFCCT also asked the Commerce Ministry about the progress of ongoing free-trade agreement talks between Thailand and trading partners, particularly for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Thai-EU FTA as well as the free trade pacts between Thailand and key Chinese provinces and Indian states to boost bilateral trade and investment.
The chamber also asked Mr Jurin about policies to restore tourism following the pandemic, a further relaxation of state quarantine measures and measures to strike a balance between health and safety and economic opportunity, as well as border trade development.
The JFCCT also called for logistics improvements to support Thailand connecting with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, particularly through container supply and shipping route development.
Thosapone Dansuputra, director-general of the Business Development Department, said the JFCCT has proposed the ministry permanently remove some businesses in each sector on List 3 as appropriate after a three-year suspension.
"Foreign businesses are allowed to hold a 100% stake in Thailand if sponsored by the Board of Investment or agreed upon under free-trade agreements," he said.


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Microsoft has all but tipped its hand that it's working on a dual screen Windows device that industry insiders are referring to as codename Andromeda. Andromeda is a "pocketable" device that is expected to signal a new category effort for Microsoft, one that will define new usage models for a Windows PC. The device is rumored to have a wrap-around hinge that splits what looks like two large smartphone sized displays of 6 to 7 inches or so. A render concept from Austrian designer David Breyer reportedly details Microsoft's device to a tee, based on recent Microsoft patent filings.
In addition, other PC OEMs like Asus have teased dual-screen devices recently. At Computex this year, Asus unveiled their Project Precog PC, a laptop-sized dual screen device that is comprised of two displays and no keyboard, with the bottom display functioning as a keyboard or tools/work surface, depending on what mode it's in. In addition, I've personally met with more than one major PC OEM that is surveying market interest in a dual display Windows device, but again in convertible laptop form factors.
Microsoft's concept is pocketable, however, in what seems like an effort to blur the lines between smartphone and a highly mobile PC form factor, accompanied of course with pen stylus input. In addition, Microsoft Surface Chief, Panos Panay, hinted hard at Andromeda with a recent tweet.
Do you think they got the resemblance right?
— Panos Panay (@panos_panay) June 28, 2018
If that doesn't come right out and say it, I'm not sure what does. Apparently LG Display could be offering their capabilities to Microsoft here as well.
It's difficult to speculate what will become of Andromeda, in addition to the early concept designs of OEMs looking to enable new Windows PC platforms with multiple contiguous displays that adapt to user requirements, tools and use cases. Andromeda may well launch Microsoft back into the mobile market again. And multi-display PC laptop designs could be the next evolution of the convertible PC. From what I've seen so far, these multi-display designs are lining up to hit this year, actually. So I don't think we'll have to wait long to find out.


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Apple has announced a new $100 billion buyback program and is increasing its quarterly dividend after exceeding analyst expectations in its second quarter.
The company said during a quarterly earnings report that it would spend $100 billion to buy back its stock, in a new program that will return money to investors as Apple stock price goes up. Apple will also raise its quarterly dividend by 16% to 73 cents per share in its largest jump in six years, the Associated Press reports.
Apple is set to buy back stock starting in the June quarter, and said it had bought back $23.5 billion of stock during the March quarter, Reuters reports.
Revenue for Apple’s March quarter stood at about $61.1 billion, an increase from $52.9 billion last year, according to Reuters. The company, which was expected to earn $60.8 billion, sold 52.2 million iPhones, falling just shy of the projected 52.3 million iPhones.
Apple stock, which had recently fallen due to widespread concern about demand for the iPhone X, shot up 3% in extended trading hours after closing at nearly $170.
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Did you know that carpet is the biggest air filter inside your home? If you said yes, you know something most people don’t know.
According to a recent study of 1,000 U.S. consumers, 96 percent of people do not know that carpet in the home traps contaminants and dust from the air, making it a huge contributor to indoor air quality.
Who better than Rug Doctor to educate people on the connection between deep cleaning one’s carpet and having a healthy home?
In order to grab attention and get people talking about how to improve the quality of the air they breathe inside the home, a cheeky and unexpected advertising campaign from Rug Doctor tells consumers to “do it at least once a year.” Deep clean their carpets, that is.
The campaign, created by Dallas-based ad agency The Loomis Agency, will educate consumers on the importance of deep-cleaning carpets and rugs at least once a year.
“A key benefit of today’s carpet is that it hides the dirt. We want to start a conversation about why you might want to clean your carpet even if it doesn't look to be dirty,” said Jan Valentic, the new chief marketing officer at Rug Doctor.
“Have you ever seen sunlight streaming in through your windows and looked with horror at all the dust and who knows what flying around in the air? That stuff gets trapped in carpet fibers. By deep cleaning your carpet at least once a year, you extract what collects deep in the carpet fibers—enabling the carpet to serve its role as a terrific air filter. Similar to replacing air filters in your furnace, we are recommending that you deep clean your carpet annually, too,” she added.
The advertising highlights the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urges consumers to deep clean their carpet at least once a year to remove trapped dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander, pesticides, and debris. Given that many consumers have wall-to-wall carpeting in bedrooms and family rooms, the EPA suggests that a regular cleaning regimen will help keep air clean and healthy where kids and adults live, sleep, and play.
view more - Creative
Advertiser: Rug Doctor
Creative Agency: The Loomis Agency
Categories: Home, Cleaning Productslbbonline.com, Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:50:31 GMT


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Dow, DuPont merge into chemical giant
Post date: Dec 17, 2015 8:39:06 AM
Dow Chemical and DuPont have agreed to merge in a $130 billion deal, the companies said on December 11.
The deal, which is likely to face intense regulatory scrutiny, allows the new company - to be called DowDuPont - to rejig assets based on their diverging fortunes.
About 18 and 24 months after a merger, DowDupont will be spun off into three independent, publicly traded companies-an agriculture company, a material science company, and a specialty products company, the statement said.
"This merger makes so much strategic sense", said Jonas Oxgaard, an analyst with Sanford Bernstein, before the deal was officially announced. "They're not underperforming as companies, but there are things they could do better". "Each of these businesses will be able to allocate capital more effectively, apply its powerful innovation more productively, and extend its value-added products and solutions to more customers worldwide", said Edward D. Breen, chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont.
Combined pro forma 2014 revenue for specialty products was approximately $13 billion. DowDuPont would be headquartered in Midland, Michigan, and Wilmington, Delaware. The transaction, the statement said, is expected to save $3 billion over the two years after the transaction is closed.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2016, with the segmentation taking place up to two years later. DuPont expects to record a pretax charge of about $780 million, with approximately $650 million of employee separation costs. DuPont shareholders will receive 1.282 DowDuPont shares for each of their shares.
Read more: The Oceanside Post http://oceansidepost.com/2015/12/17/dow-dupont-merge-into-chemical-giant.html


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Things are tough all over. But now things are getting tough even for McDonald's Corp.
The No. 1 fast-food chain
Shares fell in morning trading.
To be sure, the hamburger chain is coming up against tough year-ago comparisons, but the concerns go deeper than that.
As the economy tanked, McDonald's was able to thrive as people pared back on spending. A Snack Wrap or some Chicken McNuggets didn't seem like such a big splurge. And the breakfast business could always be counted on, with people picking up their McMuffins and coffee on their way to work.
But as much as some glass-half-full pundits would like to believe the economy has turned around, jobs are still hard to come by, and there doesn't seem to be a big turnaround on the horizon.
What's more, competitors have been picking up their game, adding their own low-price menu selections and eating into McDonald's market share.
And cooking at home has become more attractive, as grocery stores have been locked in fierce competition for shoppers, and slashing prices. Read about Kroger's results.
After years of consistent growth, November's results show that things won't be as easy for McDonald's.
-- Angela Moore, U.S. commentary editor


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Cray delays earnings, goes quiet
- Todd Bishop
Is it good news or bad news that caused Cray Inc. to delay its third-quarter earnings report last week? Or something in between? Nearly a week later, the Seattle supercomputer maker still isn't saying why it made the decision -- leaving investors scratching their heads.
Contacted this afternoon, a spokesman for the company declined to comment beyond the bare-bones announcement issued by the company last Thursday. Whatever the cause, it appears to have been unexpected, because Cray had announced the earnings release date just two days before announcing the postponement.
Shares of Cray, which had been trading above $7 before the delay, closed today at $6.22.
Previously on TechFlash: Cray wins supercomputer contract valued at $60 million.
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App, App and Away! - The Massive Growth of Mobile Applications
Everyone is well aware of the massive and continuing rise in the use of mobile phones and tablets to access the internet - the chances are high that you are reading this news story from a mobile device right now. In fact, this year was the first time that mobile users exceeded desktop users in number. As the number of users increases, the mobile website continues to evolve, with one of the most significant developments being the rise in the use of applications (apps).
Figures released by Morgan Stanley research show that the global number of mobile internet users rose from around 1.5bn in 2013 to 1.8bn in 2014. During the same time period, the number of desktop users increased much less sharply, from 1.6bn to 1.7bn. By extrapolating on the most recent growth figures, it can be predicted that mobile web users will vastly outnumber those accessing the internet from a desktop.
With this increase, the use of mobile apps has also grown incredibly quickly. The same study shows that, in 2013, mobile web users spent around 80% of their online time using mobile apps, a figure that had increased to 86% just a year later. In light of these figures it is clear that, for m-commerce businesses, using a creative mobile application to represent them online should be given serious consideration.
The Brick technology web development company offer smart, practical and contemporary mobile applications designed to show your business in its very best light. Our creative and programming teams work in seamless harmony to design, build and implement your unique and bespoke mobile application, which will integrate perfectly with all major devices and platforms such as Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, JAVA, Symbian and iPhone.Contact our superlative web development company today to find out how we can help your business take advantage of the ever-growing demand for creative mobile applications. Call us on 01254 277190 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.


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One of Britain’s largest supermarket chains has said it will cut the price of petrol and diesel for customers amid soaring energy costs.
Asda announced on Friday that it was cutting the price of unleaded petrol by 5p per litre and diesel by 3p per litre.
This means drivers will pay on average £1.74 for a litre of unleaded and £1.85 for diesel when filling up at Asda’s 323 petrol stations across the UK.
The supermarket has reduced its fuel prices by 9p on unleaded and 7p on diesel since the start of the week, with a cut of 4p per litre a few days ago.
Prices at the pumps reached a record 183.2p for petrol and 188.8p for diesel per litre earlier this year.
AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “Asda’s price move is impressive, in effect cutting 10p a litre off the UK average price of petrol. That’s potentially a fiver off a tank for those filling up this weekend, compared to the artificially-high prices on too many major retailer forecourts and in too many towns.”
“First, it was a few dozen small independent forecourts showing up the big boys. Now, Asda has called them out with on average a fiver off the cost of a tank of petrol.”
The latest UK pump price averages had petrol at £1.84 per litre on Wednesday.
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M&C Saatchi Melbourne has continued its exponential growth, appointing two industry heavyweights amidst the challenges of COVID-19 to form a robust leadership team alongside Managing Director, Michael McEwan and Executive Creative Director, Emma Robbins.
Mike Hyde has joined the business in the role of Head of Strategy, while Jayne Brady has joined as Business and Operations Director. Having both been appointed in April in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, they have joined McEwan and Robbins to lead the Melbourne business.
McEwan, who joined the business in December 2019 says of the appointments: “Emma and I were looking for partners with an entrepreneurial drive and a strong heart.
“First and foremost, Jayne and Mike are both leaders with incredible experience in building brands with data and media thinking at their core, and they’re also wonderful people. Building a new team and a creative culture in an environment where we’re physically apart has been a challenge like no other. However, COVID-19 has created the conditions for us to do both, and somehow deliver it at a speed I’ve never experienced.”
Whereas COVID-19 has been challenging for the industry, M&C Saatchi Melbourne has grown significantly in 2020, building on its existing partnership with Lexus, while also working closely with the Victorian Government.
“The four of us are of like-mind, but most importantly, really like and respect each other. Each one of us brings something that compliments the mix. I’ve known and respected Mike’s planning and creative brain for a long time, and Jayne is equally amazing. I feel like I’ve known her forever too, even though I’ve never actually seen her below the shoulders. I’m looking forward to driving and evolving M&C Saatchi’s culture and future with these three for years to come – everyday the agency grows more in some way.” says Robbins.
Hyde will lead the strategy team with over 20 years of experience, joining from Cummins&Partners where he was Head of Brand Strategy. The highly respected and experienced integrated strategic thinker has won multiple effectiveness and creative awards for clients ranging from Four’n Twenty to Schweppes to Public Transport Victoria, Defence Force Recruiting and many more in between.
“I knew what I was in for with Emma and Michael having worked with them before. There’s a real drive behind what we are doing. With CX, media and connections planning capability in-house, we’re building something special at M&C Saatchi Melbourne and we’re backed by a formidable national team. ” says Hyde.
After almost 14 years at AJF Partnership, Brady brings a wealth of experience from her years as a member of the AJF Partnership management team, and leading many of the agency’s high-profile accounts.
“I’m delighted to have joined M&C Saatchi, especially this team in Melbourne. I could never have envisaged a more interesting start to a new role. In a world where we are not physically together, there’s a unique bond across the entire agency team.” says Brady.
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The Avid Collective MD reveals his life pre-adland. As exciting as it is, it's not international playboy spy & Lothario.
SenateSHJ has launched a new digital, data and insights capability designed to help clients tackle the growing complexity of communication challenges. SenateSHJ Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) will combine the firm’s existing Digital and Insights functions to create a Trans-Tasman capability focused on digital communication, and the generation and use of data to improve communication. […]
Creative technology platform Bonzai has announced the launch of BrandStory – a new premium mobile ad format. BrandStory offers triple the ad space and 2.8 times greater time in view than single scroll ad formats, addressing the surging demand from brands worldwide for more real estate to drive real results by seamlessly intertwining awareness, exploration […]
B&T went through the looking glass this morning, with editor-in-chief David Hovenden (above) appearing on Channel 7’s The Morning Show to get the general public involved in our search for Australia’s Greatest Ad. Hovenden chatted with Kylie Gillies and stand-in host Matt Doran about what makes a great ad and showcasing some of our favourites […]
Two Australian-born technology providers have joined forces to bring more power and choice to marketers in Australia and New Zealand with mobile messaging that is more local, cost-effective, and integrated. It’s a partnership that sees two Australian software companies come together to deliver a world-class mobile-first solution for marketers building data-driven, personalised, omnichannel campaigns. While […]
Zitcha and Broadsign have teamed up to integrate the Broadsign out-of-home (OOH) advertising platform with Zitcha’s retail media platform. The collaboration empowers retailers to maximise and monetise in-store digital display networks and enables advertising partners to easily view and book available in-store inventory and review campaign performance alongside the retailer’s other media channels. With the […]
Today, 7-Eleven has announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the popular Sydney-based anti-resort wear label Double Rainbouu. Dropping tomorrow, December 1, just in time for summer, this limited-edition capsule will infuse the fashion brand’s rebellious spirit with a distinctly iconic 7-Eleven flavour. The unisex collection features five must-have styles comprising two signature Hawaiian shirts, a peaked cap, a bucket hat […]


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The third annual instalment of the British Beauty Council’s gala week of face-to-face and digital events will throw light on issues like circular beauty, beauty product formulation, advances to social media influence, plastics use, edible beauty and more.
More broadly, British Beauty Week aimed to, “raise awareness of the industry, galvanise the business and creators across the sector and celebrate the power of beauty,” British Beauty Council CEO Millie Kendall O.B.E told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.
“The industry has historically faced a lot of bias,” Kendall said. "We have been thought of as the industry that’s mainly about fluffy stuff girls like. Not taken seriously, economically and socially. Our impact on communities and our innovation and forward thinking business leaders have not been a focus for brand Great Britain. A lot of focus is on music , fashion and film, which rightfully deserve global acknowledgment, but our industry has led the way in so many ways from Yardley, to Body Shop, Vidal Sassoon, John Frieda, Charlotte Tilbury, Pat McGrath."
“...But we have surpassed the first hurdle of being recognised as an economic superpower. Now we need to remind the public why they were so desperate to get a haircut after COVID or have their roots done or wear a lipstick again once we took the face masks off," she said.
Solid foundations: A big-up to beauty
The week, running from September 5-11, 2022, will feature, “workshops, giveaways, offers and talks” that include a Plastic Solutions Summit and a programme to recruit beauty ambassadors into schools.
“Many people have in the past underestimated the power of beauty,” Kendall said in a statement. “But if the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that our industry is at the heart of every community. It brings people together, it boosts confidence and wellbeing, and it provides an enormous contribution to the UK’s GDP. This is all something to celebrate.”
The British beauty sector was worth £28.4 billion (€33.7bn) and contributed 1.3% to GDP in 2018, according to the British Beauty Council – equivalent to the economic output of a city like Manchester or Glasgow.
British Beauty Week will feature an Innovation Hub focused on ramping up investment, which Kendall emphasised was part of a broader and longer term effort to drive investment toward British beauty players up and down the supply chain. “It’s moving in the right direction but it’s not a short term project, as is with many of the initiatives we undertake.”
Applications open until August 15
She said the British Beauty Council had received “an overwhelming number of applications” to take part in its third beauty jamboree, asked to submit applications to create "engaging" public initiatives at the event, but noted criteria had to be met first to win committee selection.
The Council said participation was open until August 15 to “brands, retailers, salons, charities and e-commerce platforms of all sizes to create engaging initiatives to demonstrate to the public, business leaders and policymakers the power of beauty”.
Successful applicants would be able to parade British Beauty Week assets and gain promotion via dedicated social media coverage and other media channels.
With sustainability moving front-of-centre of all beauty activity, Kendall previously said it was greater supply chain transparency and simpler messaging that could have significant impact in the industry.
“There needs to be some sort of unification of standards across the sector,” she said. “Consumers want clearer information on ingredients and supply chains, and we are not communicating that clearly enough. It’s about establishing industry-wide standards and ensuring only meaningful certification schemes are used.”
In 2020, the British Beauty Council established the Sustainable Beauty Coalition to push forward on such issues that would feature in this year’s British Beauty Week.
A force in beauty advocacy
The British Beauty Council was founded in 2018 to champion the British beauty industry and its workers – 88% of whom are women. Its campaigns and advocacy helped direct £500 million (€592.6m) toward the sector in government support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its 2022 roadmap highlighted its current focus on industry growth after previous campaigns drilled into the British beauty industry’s economic, social and cultural value. This included emphasis on policy and influence; talent and growth; and environmental, social and governance.


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The U.S. agency responsible for protecting consumers in financial matters is thinking about applying existing electronic banking laws to cryptocurrencies. The goal is to safeguard people from fraudulent activities involving digital currencies. The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Rohit Chopra, mentioned that they are considering extending the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) to cover private digital currencies. This move aims to provide guidance to the market on how these laws would apply to prevent errors, hacks, and unauthorized transfers in the crypto space.
The EFTA, established in 1978, currently protects consumers during electronic fund transfers, such as those using debit cards, ATMs, or bank accounts. Its purpose is to minimize consumer losses arising from unauthorized transfers. Financial institutions are required to inform consumers about their liability for unauthorized transfers before the first electronic transfer occurs.
This decision by the CFPB comes at a time when there has been a significant increase in hacks on crypto platforms, exceeding 150% year-on-year. The move also coincides with the ongoing trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of FTX, who is accused of fraudulent use of customer funds.
Chopra also mentioned that the CFPB plans to issue orders to large technology companies to gather information about their practices related to personal data and private currency issuance. Furthermore, the agency will investigate non-bank entities offering payment platforms.
Chopra proposed that the Treasury’s Financial Stability Oversight Council should categorize certain crypto activities as “systemically important payment clearing or settlement activities.” This suggests a broader regulatory approach to address the potential risks associated with cryptocurrency activities.


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It's time for Apple to hold its quarterly financial conference call and reveal last quarter's numbers. The January conference call is always the most important one of the year as it covers the all-important holiday shopping season that just ended.
All signs have been pointing to Apple having a very good quarter as far as the iPhone and iPad are concerned thanks to the 5s and new iPad Air. If Apple hits it out of the park, its stock could jump after hours. The average analyst estimate is an earnings of US$14.32 per share and a revenue of $57.9 billion.
You can listen to Apple's financial conference call live here at 2PM PT/5PM ET or follow it here at TUAW during the same time as we report on it live.
In other news:
As part of the 30th anniversary of the Mac celebrations last week, Tim Cook tweeted that Apple employees were treated to a performance by OneRepublic on Apple's campus. He later tweeted a picture of employees in the quad listening to the band.
On Saturday more than 100 members of the original Mac team gathered in De Anza College's Flint Center where Steve Jobs first introduced the Mac 30 years ago. Three moderated panels were held to discuss the conception of the Mac, the engineering of the Mac and the third-party software developers who coded apps for the Mac.
Jobs' first public demonstration of the Mac has been released online. The video has been virtually unseen since 1984. The demonstration was held at the monthly general meeting of the Boston Computer Society. The story of the video is as interesting as the video itself, which was tracked down again by Time's Harry McCracken.