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New measures represent big advancements in cannabis policy
Lawmakers passed two key cannabis bills this week. One would authorize the home delivery of cannabis products, while the other would create much-needed locations for adults to consume cannabis outside of personal residences.
HB 1234 would allow both medical cannabis patients and adult consumers to order cannabis products for home delivery. They would be limited to private residences and would not be allowed on college campuses. Deliveries would only be allowed if they are authorized by their local jurisdictions, either through a local referendum or the local governing body. Medical cannabis deliveries would begin January 2, 2020, with deliveries to adult consumers starting the following January.
The other measure, HB 1230, would allow businesses like hotels or restaurants to set aside a location for patrons to consume without violating the law. It would also allow licensed retail locations to sell small amounts of cannabis for use on-site. The emergence of hospitality centers is a big step forward for tourists and other consumers seeking a legal option.
Colorado continues as a leader in cannabis policy, and these bills are yet another step forward. Thanks to all those who helped get these measures through a difficult process. Both are expected to be presented to the governor in the coming days, and many anticipate he will sign both into law.
New rules mark the first statewide, comprehensive framework for on-site use locations
Yesterday, December 20, the Marijuana Control Board adopted rules that allow cannabis retailers to apply for licenses authorizing on-site use of cannabis by adults 21 and over. This is a major step forward for cannabis policy in Alaska and the United States.
The issue of on-site use came to the forefront over four years ago. Since voters enacted the state’s marijuana initiative, the only option for cannabis consumption was private residences. The new rules provide adult residents and tourists with a place to consume that complies with state and local law.
MPP would like to thank all those who provided testimony to the board in support and the many residents and businesses who worked toward a solution during these past several years!
The regulations will next be reviewed by the state’s Department of Law and must be signed by Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer before taking effect. We hope that dispensaries in communities that support on-site use locations will be able to move ahead and prepare for tourist season in 2019 without delay.
Thanks again to all the supporters and those seeking this change in Alaska!
Board seeks public input, with written comments due by November 1
The Marijuana Control Board, which oversees the state’s regulatory system for cannabis, has released proposed rules governing on-site consumption of cannabis at approved locations. Members of the public are invited to review and provide written comments on the proposed rules by 4:30 p.m. on November 1.
A link to the state’s page announcing the proposed rules is available here, and a copy of the rules themselves is here.
Under the proposal, a retailer in a freestanding location could obtain an endorsement to sell adults 21 or over up to a gram of cannabis, which could be consumed at the premises. Products containing up to 10mg THC could also be available, although concentrates would be prohibited. Retailers could provide non-alcoholic drinks and non-cannabis foods. Significant security and access provisions apply, but these seem reasonable.
The proposal would close a significant gap. Currently, adult consumers have nowhere to consume cannabis except in private residences, presenting significant problems for tourists visiting Alaska, who often don’t have access.
Written public comments are due no later than November 1. The board will also hold a public hearing, currently scheduled for December 19 in Anchorage. Those who want to provide comments in person are invited to present them at that time.
If you are an Alaska resident, please consider adding your voice in support of sensible rules for consumers, and help spread the word and forward this message to others in your network!
The regulatory body in charge of marijuana policy in Alaska has just taken steps to become the first state to allow on-site consumption at retail marijuana stores.
Alaska Dispatch News reports:
At the Alaska Marijuana Control Board's meeting held Wednesday through Friday this week in Fairbanks, board members approved 3-2 a proposal to set up rules for on-site marijuana consumption at retail stores.
The proposal includes a draft of specific rules for everything from ventilation and location of these consumption areas to how much marijuana can be used there, and much more. Citizens will have 60 days to comment on the proposal before the draft rules come back to the board, likely at the November meeting.
In November 2015, the board voted to allow on-site consumption at marijuana stores. Alaska Dispatch News reported at the time that the amendment passed to allow such consumption would function "as a placeholder," pending more specific rules. In February, Alaska Dispatch News reported the board abandoned a regulatory project that had been in the works since May 2016. But then, in March, the body decided it would take another stab at it.


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Carl Icahn tells Tim Cook Apple is worth $240/share
Carl Icahn on Monday morning published an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, arguing that the tech giant’s stock is worth $240 per share.
That would be 83.38% higher than today’s opening trades for Apple, and would bump the company’s market cap up to a whopping $1.38 trillion.
Icahn also wants Apple’s board to undertake a push larger share buyback than the $50 billion package that is currently approved (which followed an $80 billion buyback for which Icahn had agitated). From Icahn’s letter:
It is our belief that large institutional investors, Wall Street analysts and the news media alike continue to misunderstand Apple and generally fail to value Apple’s net cash separately from its business, fail to adjust earnings to reflect Apple’s real cash tax rate, fail to recognize the growth prospects of Apple entering new categories, and fail to recognize that Apple will maintain pricing and margins, despite significant evidence to the contrary. Collectively, these failures have caused Apple’s earnings multiple to stay irrationally discounted, in our view.
This is hardly the first time Icahn has told Apple that its shares are severely undervalued. Back in February, he argued that the company’s shares were worth $216 a piece.
This article originally appeared on Fortune.com.

domain: news


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As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, U.S. consumers are being asked to avoid social gatherings and “take refuge” from their homes, and media consumption is ready. Total TV usage has grown by nearly 60 per cent in the latest major crisis in U.S. history that has forced consumers to stay at home, according to Nielsen. The company found that total TV usage had begun to rise in the most affected markets.
For example, compared to a week ago, Nielsen found a 22 percent increase in total TV usage in the Seattle/Tacoma area. TV usage in New York and Los Angeles grew by 8% over the same period. For some groups, the use rate is much higher. Nielsen found that the number of Seattle teenagers who were suspended from school increased by 104 percent during that period.
It is important to make it clear that the total amount of television usage includes viewing traditional live TV, DVR recordings, on-demand and streaming services or other content from any TV, game console or connected device.
But the potential for television could be further enhanced. During the crisis, TV ratings are expected to surge as consumers increase media consumption to keep the message informed and time-consuming.
Nielsen did not officially predict that the COVID-19 pandemic would raise television ratings to levels associated with historical crises. But it does point out that American consumers have traditionally turned to television during major crises.
When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in August 2017, for example, Nielsen’s analysis found that total television usage increased by 56 percent over the period affected compared to the previous period. During the blizzard that hit New York over the weekend of January 23, 2016, the total amount of television used in Saturday’s snowstorm was 45 percent higher than on the previous Saturday.
These are, of course, isolated incidents of limited duration. The COVID-19 crisis is different because it not only affects a region, it will not end in a few days or weeks. At these events, Mr. Nielsen said, customers trapped at home are watching feature films, news and general programming. Streaming usage jumped 61% during that period.
The greater impact of COVID-19 may come from the recent telecommuting workforce in the United States. Nielsen’s previous data showed that employees working on remote smoldering hours monday through Friday watched traditional television three hours more per week, 21 hours, 56 minutes and 25 hours and 2 minutes, respectively, than non-remote workers.
The changes in media consumption associated with the COVID-19 crisis come at a time when U.S. media consumption has reached an all-time high. Before the pandemic, U.S. consumers spent less than 12 hours a day using media platforms, and three-quarters of U.S. consumers were expanding their media choices through streaming subscriptions and TV-connected devices.
Trends in other parts of the world suggest that COVID-19 will allow users to stream more. For example, first installs of Netflix apps increased by 57% and 34%, respectively, in Italy and Spain, according to Sensor Tower. In addition, live streaming on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook and Mixer in Italy grew by more than 66 percent in the first week of February, according to StreamElements, and the number of channels viewed by viewers nearly doubled.


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Scott Van Rixel, an American chocolatier, is trying to do something Western businesses have often failed to accomplish: trademark a common Indian word.
Mr. Van Rixel’s product is called “Bhang: The Original Cannabis Chocolate”—or it will be if the trademark application he filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May is given the green light. Self-described as a “well-established chocolate master” in New Mexico, in the southwestern U.S., Mr. Van Rixel’s newest chocolaty creation is laced with a form of cannabis, or marijuana, that doesn’t give its user a high.
But some are saying Mr. Van Rixel’s trademark attempt rests on rather high hopes. The U.S. Patent office accepts pot-related trademark applications but has never granted one, according to a Wall Street Journal report on a short-lived medical marijuana-specific trademark category. And then there’s the matter of “the doctrine of foreign equivalence.”
The U.S. can “refuse trademark protection to words that, once translated into English, are generic or merely descriptive of the goods to which they apply,” said Rajiv Luthra, founder and managing partner of Luthra & Luthra, an Indian law firm.
In several Indian languages, bhang refers to a preparation of the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, which has been smoked and blended into beverages in India for thousands of years. The substance has even “become synonymous with Holi,” the colorful Indian festival that celebrates spring, says holifestival.org, a site dedicated to the occasion.
“The very intoxicating bhang helps to escalate the spirit of Holi,” the site reads.
Past patent and trademark attempts that have hinged on generic Indian words or goods have run aground under the foreign equivalence doctrine. In 1997, the Indian government successfully challenged a U.S. patent of turmeric as a wound-healing agent because, the government said, the remedy was an Indian discovery. In 2005, the European Patent Office dismissed a patent application for a fungicide derived from the seeds of the neem tree after evidence revealed Indian farmers had been using the tree’s oil as fungicide “for a long time.”
It’s conflicts such as these that the Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology, aimed to avoid with its “traditional knowledge” database of Indian biological and medical practices. In 2006, the Indian government approved providing access to the digital database to international patent offices, according to the database’s Web site.
So far, India’s traditional knowledge database comprises nearly a quarter-million entries. Among them: bhang.
“It is useful in the treatment of orchitis, erysipelas, gout, otalgia, toothache, coryza and cattarh, haemoptysis, mastitis, cough/bronchitis, metralgia, diphtheria, psychosis/insanity/mania,” the entry for bhang reads.
The melting-pot nature of the U.S. may also pose a problem for Mr. Van Rixel. Mr. Luthra said the American’s trademark application could run aground if many of the chocolate’s consumers speak an Indian language, thereby understanding the word’s meaning and mentally translating it into its English equivalent.
“I believe that the registrability of the mark ‘Bhang: The Original Cannabis Chocolate’ would, to a great extent, hinge on the determination of the aforementioned factor [Hindi-speaking Americans],” Mr. Luthra said.
But Mr. Van Rixel, speaking to India Real Time from New Mexico, said his trademark attorneys believe the application won’t be nipped in the bud.
“Because we’re trying to trademark the entire title as a string of words and not simply ‘bhang,’ they said they thought it would be accepted,” he said. “Also, ‘bhang’ is not a commonly-used English word, so I think there are different rules as it applies to that.”
Mr. Van Rixel said the chocolate will be produced in Oakland, Calif., where he has already begun producing T-shirts and baseball caps with the name.
“I think we’ll be protected,” he said. “My trademark would have no value in India.”
– Article from The Wall Street Journal.


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Amit Kohli has been at the helm of Antev for less than two months, but the new chief executive has already devised a strategy for the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company to establish its product teverelix TFA, as the gold standard treatment in its indications.
Those indications include prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, acute urinary retention for men and in women endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Kohli says regulators at both the FDA and EMA have given the company ' a clear pathway to regulatory approval.' He describes those discussions about a single arm non-controlled trial as 'amazing.'
Antev is seeking funding which Kohli says includes an IPO possibly at Nasdaq Europe or US in parallel with trade deals.


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A recovering addict found the light at the end of the tunnel with an unsuspecting source: screen printing. See how it’s now changing lives for many others across the region.
Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can turn things around. That’s what happened to Brandon Swinehart, Co-Founder of SRO Prints, a full-service branding company with a unique social mission.
“We employ and later offer shares of the company to recovering addicts,” explains Swinehart. “We have over 25 years of combined experience in the graphic design, promotional product, and apparel decorating industry. Our screen printing is all done in-house and we are one of the best apparel decorations in the region. Our co-founder, Brandon Swinehart, trained and worked alongside the industry leaders in apparel decorating from California to New York.”
The journey to establishing and building SRO Prints wasn’t an easy one for Swinehart. He was the middle child of 4, and never felt like he fit in.
“I grew up in an educated, upper middle class home with my three siblings and parents,” he explains. “One bad choice after another I somehow found myself an addict and homeless in San Francisco with a lengthy record I had obtained to support my habit.”
Swinehart said enough was enough and decided to change his life and get clean on May 5, 2005. Coming back to grips with his reality, he hadn’t had a job in nearly a decade and didn’t have many skills to offer – just a prison record and bag full of donated clothes.
However, he was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel when he was offered a job at a nonprofit in San Francisco that screen printed shirts. And that’s when he fell in love.
“I became friends with the general manager who was also a recovering heroin addict and soaked up everything I could about the industry like a sponge,” he says. “I’ve worked for and with some of the best apparel decorators in the country, but I still felt like I had something more to offer.”
That’s when he was inspired to team up with his wife and business partner and launch SRO Prints, because he wanted to help other recovering addicts get through the stigma that’s too often attached to them when they struggle with a drug problem.
“I know the fear, frustration, and struggle that comes with rebuilding your life after destroying it for years,” he says. “Sara, my wife, who is not in recovery, saw addiction and recovery in a new light and felt it was our mission to help those who needed a second chance by offering a career and not a job, a place where you are accepted and not judged. We are a tightly knit company with a very high standard of excellence.”
Swinehart credits his wife Sara, the CEO behind SRO Prints, for much of the company’s success. SRO Prints was a finalist for Bad Girl Ventures, now known as Aviatra Accelerators, and Artworks’ Big Pitch under Sara’s guidance. Chase Stein serves as the company’s lead designer and account manager. Swinehart is the COO of SRO Prints and has all the connections in the apparel and promotional products industry.
With COVID-19 hitting the country hard, Swinehart is currently the only employee coming into the warehouse as many of their clients have closed. “We are currently running a campaign to help one of our clients, Over the Rhine Community Housing,” he says. You can learn more about the campaign here.
Swinehart is looking forward to fully opening up SRO Prints again when things return to normal, as they have plans to purchase a 10-color automatic press for screen printing apparel and also setting up a new shop.


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SHANGHAI, Sep 2 (SMM) – The rare earths unit of state-owned China Minmetals on Sunday September 1 paid about 780 million yuan for antimony, dysprosium and terbium oxides inventories formerly held by the now-defunct Fanya Metal Exchange in online auctions.
China Minmetals Rare Earth, as the sole bidder, bought three lots of the minor metal, rare-earth oxides for starting prices set by the Kunming Intermediate People’s Court, according to the e-commerce site that hosted the 24-hour auctions.
The prices are far below current market value.
The auction of about 18,661 mt of antimony was purchased at 29,300 yuan/mt, while the company secured the lots of 148.75 mt of dysprosium oxide at 1.49 million yuan/mt and 4.05 mt of terbium oxide at 3.16 million yuan/mt.
SMM assessments showed that the spot price of 1# antimony stood at 36,500 yuan/mt as of Monday September 2, with that for dysprosium oxide at 1.91 million yuan/mt and that for terbium oxide 3.925 million yuan/mt.


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For Immediate Release
Reno, Nevada. August 1, 2014. Statement from Washoe County Commission Chair David Humke on Nevada becoming a finalist for “gigafactory” site:
“Thursday, Tesla announced that the company has broken ground in northern Nevada on a site that could potentially be the location for the new multi-billion dollar gigafactory. The Washoe County Commission and staff are excited about the many positive economic indicators for our region, and have been promoting the numerous benefits this region offers to industries looking to relocate to northern Nevada. The news yesterday about Tesla is an affirmation of how well this region can compete nationally and internationally to attract these types of economic development opportunities.
“This has been a wonderful team effort by the State of Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Nevada counties, the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), and our business and education partners. We’re excited about the possibility of Tesla coming to Northern Nevada and the potential benefits to our workforce and our community.”


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El Segundo, Calif. — Home appliance manufacturers are looking to increase their market share through acquisitions, new territories and new market segments to take advantage of strong growth in the market, according to a new report from IHS Technology (NYSE: IHS). Worldwide shipments of home appliances are forecast to reach 611 million units by the end of 2014,…
The global market for semiconductors used in major home appliances is projected to grow more than 12 percent in 2013, up from 6.8 percent in 2012, according to a report from IHS Inc.
The global home appliance market is forecast to enjoy solid growth by year-end compared to a marginal increase last year, according to IHS.
TEAC introduces an integrated, sine-wave driver IC for three-phase DC brushless motors, which are used in fan motors for home appliances.


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Dow stocks at 52 week highs include American Express (AXP), Home Depot (HD) and JPMorgan (JPM). There are no Dow stock 52 week lows.
Premarket today, the Dow was indicated to open down -21 points.
Thursday the Dow was up +40.49 (+0.18%) at 22,381.20.
Year-to-date the Dow is up +13.25%.
There were 17 Dow stocks up Thursday.
The Dow stock winners Thursday were led by McDonald’s (MCD) +2.23% and Exxon Mobil (XOM) +0.93%.
The Dow stock losers Thursday were led by Disney (DIS) -1.20% and United Technologies (UTX) -1.14%.
Consumer spending rose just 0.1% in August after a 0.3% gain in the prior month. That matched the forecast. If adjusted for inflation, however, spending fell for the first time since January. Personal income climbed 0.2%, above the 0.1% forecast. The savings rate was flat at 3.6%. Consumer spending slowed in August largely because of fewer sales of new cars and trucks. Auto sales dropped 1.8% last month. Hurricane Harvey may have also been a drag on the economy.
European stocks are mostly higher and Asian markets ended mostly higher.
The national average price of gasoline is down five-tenths of a cent at $2.568 per gallon.
Nike (NKE) reported earnings on 9/26/17 after the market close of $0.57, beating estimates calling for $0.515 per share.
Today’s Featured Dow Stock
American Express (AXP) is up +16.28% year-to-date.
0830 ET Aug personal spending expected +0.1%, Jul +0.3%. Aug personal income expected +0.2%, Jul +0.4%.
0830 ET Aug PCE deflator expected +0.3% m/m and +1.5% y/y, Jul +0.1% m/m and +1.4% y/y. Aug core PCE deflator expected +0.2% and +1.4% y/y, Jul +0.1% m/m and +1.4% y/y.
0945 ET Sep Chicago PMI expected -0.2 to 58.7, Aug unch at 58.9.
1000 ET Final-Sep University of Michigan U.S. consumer sentiment index expected unch at 95.3, prelim-Sep -1.5 to 95.3.
1100 ET Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker (voter) speaks at an event titled: The Impact on Consumers, Banking, and Regulatory Policy. Text: No Q&A.
1200 ET USDA Q3 Quarterly Grain Stocks.


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Welcome back to Intellicast! In today’s news-heavy episode, Brian Lamar and Producer Brian discuss the latest market research industry news and happenings.
Before they jump into the news, Producer Brian goes on a bit of a rant about a new TV show he saw a promo for called The Laundry Guy, and honestly couldn’t believe it. This leads to a deeper discussion about no longer having any new ideas for TV shows.
The guys then jump into some market research news, starting with SurveyMonkey’s newly launched brand and industry trackers.
Next, the guys cover a couple of stories from YouGov. First, a new report from YouGov and The Centre for Economics and Business Research found that UK consumer confidence has reached its highest levels since August of 2018. This led to a discussion on how this data can be correlated to the US and other areas. Second, is YouGov’s new opt-in, cross-device tracker, and data marketplace.
The guys then discuss a new report from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising about how market research budgets’ decline has slowed. They tie this back to the previous story and the impact on the industry.
Brian and Brian then dive into the big acquisition news of Kantar purchasing Numerator for $1.5 billion. They talk about what they hope to see come out of this acquisition.
In the last couple of stories, the guys touch on SampleChain’s rebrand to Research Defender, PureSpectrum’s newly raised venture capital, and the new farmer panel from Alligator and FieldMouse.
The Sample Landscape: 2021 Edition is now available! Download our free report to understand how panels change over time, how the pandemic impacted the sample industry, and much more! Click here to get your copy!
Want to catch up on our blogs? Click here.
You can learn more about EMI’s DIY sample platform, CONNECTOR, and request a demo by visiting our website at www.emi-rs.com/connector/.
Missed one of our webinars or want to get some of our whitepapers and reports? You can find it all on our Resources page on our website here.


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Der Spiegel, one of Germany's most-visited news websites, has reported that the country is on the verge of limiting the sale of video games that feature loot boxes to adults only. The German federal parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to amend the Youth Protection Act with the ruling that video games that contain "buying incentives" or "cost traps" are neither bought nor played by children.
The Youth Protection Act, brought into law some 20 years ago, is potentially changing to address what some see as predatory marketing by games publishers, using modes that encourage the spending of real money on in-game items. These modes include FIFA's long-running Ultimate Team, where packs of unseen players can be bought, and Overwatch, where loot boxes contain new skins and emotes. The proposed amendment needs to be verified by the country's federal council, the Bundesrat, for it to become law.
Loot boxes are already banned in some countries, like Belgium, which told games publishers they couldn't run those services in the country back in 2018 - and if they do, they face a fine of 800,000 Euros. But with Germany the biggest gaming market in Europe, based on revenue, the threat of new restrictions is sure to be a lot more damaging to publishers.
Article continues after the video below
Social Democratic Party of Germany minister Franziska Giffey told Der Speigel: "We want clear symbols that indicate risks such as violence or cost traps."
Also speaking to Der Spiegel, lawyer Julia Maris commented that the amended Youth Protection Act would restrict modes like FIFA's Ultimate Team to players aged 18 and over. "Online games or other applications that use loot boxes or similar in-game offers would probably be classified with an age rating of 18 and over," she said, adding: "If you violate the guidelines, you can face immense fines."
That doesn't necessarily mean that FIFA can't be sold in Germany with FUT as a mode - but the use of loot boxes in the game may have to be disabled by default, in order for it to pass at a lower age rating. There is also no official confirmation that games like FIFA, which has a PEGI rating of 3 right now, will become 18+, as Eurogamer reports that an original statement about loot boxes, or "cost traps", has been amended to remove the line about deactivating these payment options. So, I guess we'll have to wait and see what the eventual outcome of this is. All eyes on the Bundesrat.
Featured Image Credit: EA, Activision Blizzard


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The number of vehicles recalled by automakers in India has crossed one million in the last three years, according to a report released by Autocar... ...http://smartinvestor.business-standard.com/market/Compnews-321759-Compnewsdet-Voluntary_vehicle_recalls_in_India_cross_1_million_in_three_years_report.htm
Fiat-Chrysler confirms a New Jeep Vehicle which will be locally manufactured in India from second quarter of 2017 Jaipur : Fiat Chrysler... ...http://www.cardekho.com/india-car-news/jeep-to-locally-manufacture-new-suvs-in-india-from-2017-invests-280-million-16153.htm
A combination of market fears of a weak monsoon this year along with slackening demand from rural India as a result of slower rural income growth... ...http://www.autocarpro.in/analysis-sales/car-sales-stutter-june-weak-monsoon-fears-slack-rural-demand-hcvs-shining-8768
Auto Tech Review has spotted the upcoming Mahindra Quanto near Mumbai, testing in camouflage. As our pictures reveal, the upcoming Quanto will have... ...http://www.autotechreview.com/news/item/2462-new-mahindra-quanto-spy-pictures-%7C-front-similar-to-xuv-500.html
Two of the seven largest car manufacturers in India , Mahindra and Ford June 2015 car sales have declined. Both of them are hopeful of the coming... ...http://www.rushlane.com/mahindra-ford-june-2015-car-sales-12155574.html
Mahindra xuv 500
The Mahindra XUV500 is Mahindra's...


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TellTale Games on Monday confirmed The Walking Dead: 400 Days will begin rolling out starting tomorrow July 2, first on the PlayStation Network in North America. According to IGN, the in-between offering before Season Two hits later this fall will land on many of today’s major platforms, including PC/Mac, Xbox and iOS.
Unfortunately, Android isn’t noted in IGN’s report, so fans eager to play the adventure game will need to look elsewhere. TellTale recently released a trailer for the upcoming game, showing off a new group of characters and all new locations. It’s unclear how long the single episode will be, but it promises to tell five different stories, so it’ll likely take a good chunk of time.


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It has become a tradition that, days before PlayStation officially reveals what PS Plus games are, French informant Billbill-Kun leaks the information on the Dealabs forum and December 2021 is no exception. You have not been wrong so far and we have no reason to doubt. We’ll see if it’s true.
According to the informant, PS Plus free games in December 2021 will be as follows
- Godfall: Challenger Edition (PS4/PS5)
- Mortal Shell (PS4)
- Lego DC Super-Villains (PS4)
Godfall was one of the PS5 launch games and the existence of a version for PS4 had been leaked months ago. Mortal Shell is a ‘soulslike’ or game inspired by Dark Souls which attracted a lot of attention when it was released in 2020. Lastly, Lego DC Super-Villains is a game that allows us to control tons of villains from DC comics in fun LEGO versions and is the successor to the successful series Lego Batman
Most likely, Sony will confirm what the December 2021 PS Plus games are in the last week of November. We’ll see if Billbill-Kun got it right again. Anyway, there is always room for last minute changes in this class of subscription services.


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KFC is known by many and is a trustworthy brand in many countries mainly due to its early franchising and international expansion. Original 11 herbs and spices recipe.
Reynoldsthe tobacco giant. Brands in May To combat this, the company launched a new initiative with a plan to revamp its packaging, decor and uniforms, as well as expanding its menu. Additionally, beginning in Maya new series of advertisements was launched featuring Darrell Hammond as Colonel Sanders.
Brands, one of the largest restaurant companies in the world. By Decemberthere were 18, KFC outlets in countries and territories around the world. Novak ultimately has foremost responsibility for KFC operations.
Carucci is president of Yum! As of Junethe country is home to 19 KFC outlets. The th store in Taiwan opened in It was the second largest fast food chain restaurant in Taiwan until Mos Burger exceeded the number of branches of KFC in Now KFC is the third largest fast food chain restaurant with stores as of In this regard, about a third of its outlets, operated by several of its Kfc leadership style, have been sold to a newly formed entity—Sapphire Foods India Pvt.
The new entity is owned by a consortium of four private equity funds, led by Samara Capital. The company stated the recipe was no different than that used in any other KFC store.
Nanjundaswamy claimed KFC would adversely affect the health of the impoverished, by diverting grain from poor people to make the more profitable animal feed. It introduced a vegetarian menu that included rice meals, wraps and side dishes and, like McDonald's, served eggless mayonnaise and sauces.
Unnat Varma, marketing director of KFC India, states "The vegetarian offerings have made the brand more relevant to a larger section of consumers and that is necessary for KFC's growth. By —09, KFC operated 34 outlets in India.
The company has been up to a lot of innovation over the past few months with the launch of the first-ever no crust, all chicken KFC Chizza in December The city's dabbawalas, famed for their efficient delivery of office lunches, took on the role of KFC delivery men as part of an innovative marketing campaign.
They supplied specially created 5-in-1 meal boxes to some office-goers instead of their regular dabbas. Its first outlet was in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi.
KFC Pakistan menu consists of burgers, fried chicken, nuggets, fries, rice dishes and drinks. KFC opened its first drive through restaurant in the UK in CEO David Novak blamed a lack of franchisee commitment for its lack of success. By Aprilthe chain had switched to trans fat-free soybean oil in all of its US outlets.
KFC's core product offering is pressure friedon-the-bone chicken pieces seasoned with Colonel Harland Sanders' "Original Recipe" of 11 herbs and spices. In territories that follow the system handed down by Colonel Sanders, such as Canada and the UK, each chicken is divided into nine different cuts 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breast pieces and one keel  however the United States now uses an eight piece cut.
A number of territories, such as Japan, Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Ecuador and Singapore sell fried seafood products under the "Colonel's Catch" banner.Nov 13, · There is more to leadership Web Posted - Tue Nov 13 Prime Minister of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, stated that there are definite deficits present in leadership styles in the Caribbean region. Joann Lublin's "Earning It" features a story about how Cheryl Bachelder changed her leadership style after getting dismissed from a major restaurant chain.
Sociology Test 3.
STUDY. PLAY. Group Leadership: Three Leadership Styles; sociologists also describe leadership in terms of decision-making style. Authoritarian leadership: focuses on instrumental concerns, takes personal charge of decision making, and demands that group members obey orders.
Although this leadership may win little affection. The 7 Leadership Rules of Jack Ma. by Guest Bloggers Ma is found to be rejected by KFC when it came to his home town Hangzhou in east China and He said, “When KFC came to China, to my city 24 people went for the job 23 people were accepted I was the only guy who was not” while he decoded his secret and believes in most powerful quality.
An Inspiring Leadership Style – Google CEO Larry Page February 3, Kurt Blazek Leadership Styles, ReVolve. If your company is looking for a leadership role model, you might look no further than Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page.
KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is an American fast food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with almost 20, locations globally in countries and territories as of December


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A bankruptcy judge in Delaware will rule today whether the winning bid for Gottschalks will prevail, but hopes are not high for a switch in a new direction.
A liquidating consortium won the bid late Monday night in the bankruptcy auction held there.
Chico Gottschalks manager Mike Cirigliano said Tuesday morning, “I”m sad for my employees” in response to news that the apparel retailer is likely to close.
The winning liquidator group also sold off Mervyn”s and Circuit City. Bidders for Gottschalks included a Chinese company that indicated it might keep some stores open.
The Fresno-based retailer issued a press release saying it had “agreed to the proposed liquidation of certain of the company”s assets by a joint venture comprised of SB Capital Group LLC, Tiger Capital Group LLC, Great American Group LLC and Hudson Capital Partners LLC.”
The liquidators will sell off the merchandise, inventory and dispose of furnishings, trade fixtures and equipment.
Cirigliano, the Chico store”s original manager, said he spoke to his employees Tuesday morning, and was awaiting word from the Fresno headquarters. He declined to say more.
“It”s really too early to say anything,” said Chico Mall manager Chris Cullen in response to the news. She indicated the decision was not final until the bankruptcy judge”s ruling is made today.
However, she noted that there may be other opportunities for Gottschalks employees at the mall. “There are always openings at the mall.”
Jobs are often posted on the Chico Mall Web site, and Cullen said she was willing to post any from mall tenants.
Cullen said Gottschalks is the mall”s third-largest tenant, behind JC Penney and Sears.
The lease for Gottschalks” 81,500-square-foot store is not up until 2017.
Opened in 1988, the Chico Gottschalks was the first mall store launched and has about 100 employees.
CEO James Famalette told the Fresno Bee that employees should be employed through the going-out-of-business sales.
Gottschalks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January in hopes of reorganizing its debt. The bankruptcy court gave Gottschalks until the end of March to find a buyer.
Hope surfaced over an interested Chinese company that indicated it would keep some stores open. Famalette told the Bee there could be some follow-up from the company, Shandong Commercial Group. Famalette indicated that the Chinese company had time constraints that made the deal impossible to complete.
Monday night, Famalette released the statement: “Regrettably, liquidation is now the only path for our company. We are deeply disappointed with this outcome and the impact it will have on our employees, customers, business partners and the communities we have served for 105 years.”
Founded in 1904, Gottschalks operates 58 department stores and three specialty stores. It has about 5,200 employees in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Nevada.
Staff writer Laura Urseny can be reached at 896-7756 or lurseny@ chicoer.com.


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S&P 500, Dow up as rising treasury yields boost banks
The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI rose 158.8 points, or 0.61 percent, to 26,405.76, the S&P 500 .SPX gained 3.64 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,907.95 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 6.07 points, or 0.08 percent, to 7,950.04.
Of the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, seven ended in negative territory.
So-called defensive stocks lost ground as rising yields provided investors with an attractive alternative to higher-risk equities. The utilities sector .SPLRCU was the biggest loser, falling 2.1 percent.
The technology sector SPLRCT edged 0.1 percent lower, pulled down by a 1.3 percent decline in Microsoft . The company raised its quarterly dividend on Tuesday by about 10 percent, but Morgan Stanley said the hike was below the company’s 12-month trailing operating income growth.
Amazon.com slid 0.8 percent as European Union regulators looked into whether the largest online retailer was using merchant data to stifle competition.
Among the other components of the FAANG group of stocks, Netflix was also down slightly. Facebook Inc rose 1.7 percent, while Apple Inc and Google parent Alphabet Inc had nominal gains.
In the latest round of tit-for-tat exchanges in the trade dispute between the United States and China, Premier Li Keqiang dismissed talk that Beijing is deliberately weakening its currency to bolster exports.
But trade worries appeared to be easing. “The direct impact of the latest round of tariffs on the economy is likely to be minimal,” wrote Bank of America Merrill Lynch in a research report.
“There may be some tariff fatigue,” Hellwig said. “The worry factor that investors had early in this negotiation process seems to have waned a little bit.”
“China is running out of bullets,” he added.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.17-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.17-to-1 ratio favored decliners.
The S&P 500 posted 32 new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 53 new highs and 58 new lows.
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 6.52 billion shares, compared to the 6.23 billion average over the last 20 trading days.


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Yesterday, Google unveiled its new Google Wallet app. Now, eBay’s PayPal is suing Google and two of its senior executives, Osama Bedier and Stephanie Tilenius—both former PayPal employees—for allegedly stealing trade secrets that eBay was planning to use for its own wireless payment technology.
The lawsuit claims that PayPal and Google had been in negotiations for two years to create a mobile payments system together, but just as the deal was about to be finalized, Google backed out, and Tilenius (who had already defected to Google) hired the PayPal exec in charge of the negotiations, Bedier, who then convinced other PayPal employees to join him.
According to the complaint, Bedier used confidential PayPal information to help develop Google Wallet. He subsequently pitched it to merchants, providing potential partners with comparisons between Google’s and PayPal’s planned products. “In particular… Bedier’s comparisons incorporate PayPal trade secrets, including PayPal’s schedule for deployment, anticipated features, and back-end approach to mobile payment, point of sale, and the benefits of a wallet in the cloud,” states the lawsuit.


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The Blue Geely Initiative, as it's known, was announced at the Guangzhou auto show overnight, and Geely says it will be implemented from 2016 to 2020.
The Chinese company claims the plan will see it it "meet and exceed Chinese government fuel directives to bring average fuel consumption to 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres by 2020". Further, the ambitious brand claims it will "move to sell plug-in hybrid vehicles at a similar price level to its traditional combustion engine range".
Geely claims it will work towards offering further advanced vehicles in the coming years, including hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and metal fuel-cell models, too. Further to that, lightweight materials will be important for the company, and it claims it will "become a market leader" in that regard, as well as "intelligent and connected systems".
Marking the arrival of the Blue Geely Intitiative is the Emgrand EV, a fully electric version of the sedan which is the country's best-selling model - no small feat, given that 23.5 million vehicles were sold in China in 2014 (that's about 22 times more than Australia).
The Emgrand EV is said to be able to travel up to 330 kilometres, and at a 'public fast charger' it can be filled to the buzzing brim in just 48 minutes, or to 80 per cent in half an hour.
A plug-in hybrid version is due in the coming 12 months. That model will pair a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with a bank of batteries to offer up 185kW of power.
Click the Photos tab for more images of the Geely Emgrand EV.


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Nubia Red Magic 6 will come with the highest Refresh Rate seen on a Smartphone. Years ago smartphones were equipped with a 60Hz displays, but now alot of devices are equipped with screens with a refresh rate of 90, 120 and 144 Hz.
Nubia President Ni Fei has announced that the refresh rate of the Nubia Red Magic 6 will reach a new maximum and set a new record. The exact value is not reported, presumably, we are talking about a refresh rate of 160 Hz.
The company previously officially confirmed that the smartphone will receive a Snapdragon 888 SoC, a 4500 mAh battery and 120W ultra-fast charging.
It will receive a unique design and an active cooling system with a fan. Ni Fei added that they not only strengthened the fan, but also made a real breakthrough in cooling technology. An efficient cooling system will be used not only in games, but also in the 120-watt wired charging process.
The Nubia Red Magic 6 will be the first flagship powered by Snapdragon 888 with active cooling.


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Google will release an Android-based software development kit for wearable devices, exec Sundar Pichai said today.
The SDK will be available in two weeks, Pichai said during a talk at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Afterward, a Google spokeswoman said Google is not planning a larger event around the release, but it is indeed happening.
Pichai did not address whether Google will be building its own smartwatch, as many expect. He did, however, note that wearables is a broader category than just the wrist.
The wearable SDK will address how various sensors worn on the body could work in tandem, according to Pichai.
“When we say wearables we think about it much more broadly,” Pichai said. “It’s for partners and developers to figure out. It could be a jacket … with sensors — I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, Google hasn’t released full programmer tools for its existing wearable device Google Glass, though some are available via preview to developers.
As for bringing Android into another venue that’s getting smarter — cars — Pichai said he hoped that instead of cars being hardwired with a particular operating system, the technology would work similarly to Google’s Chromecast for TVs.
If a $35 Chromecast dongle is plugged in, the Cast protocol allows people to bounce what they are watching on their phones onto their big screens. A smarter car interface could offer a similar experience between a driver or passenger’s phone and a dashboard display.
That way, perhaps, people could avoid the silliness of having to match their car’s operating system to their phone’s.
Chromecast itself has been a surprisingly successful product for Google, with widespread popular appeal from the first day it was unveiled.
Pichai said that millions of Chromecasts have been sold in the U.S. — the only place where they are available. The product is about to launch internationally with localized content for various markets, as has been previously announced.
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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Last week, reports started emerging talking about a new device payment plan that Verizon was planning to announce on the 21st of April, and seeing that today is the 22nd, the plans are now live on Big Red's site. With these new plans, qualified customers will have the ability to purchase phones or tablets at full retail price, which much be greater than $349.99, and pay the cost of the device over a 12-month period. How do you know if you're qualified to do that? Details are sparse, but basically it's all in the hands of a Verizon store representative. You'll pay the device back in 12 installments plus a $2 per installment finance charge.
One of the biggest things people are concerned about now, however, is how they can hold on to their very rare unlimited data plans, which almost every carrier has gotten rid of. Verizon confirmed on Monday, however, that users taking advantage of its new Device Payment Plan will be able to keep their unlimited data while upgrading their device.
Currently if an existing customer has an unlimited data plan, they can keep their unlimited data plan as long as they pay the full price for their smartphone and the Verizon Wireless Device Payment Plan is an option available to them.
This new initiative by Verizon is a tad confusing, but basically the Device Payment Plan is a way for users to purchase a newer smartphone and pay it back over 12 months. Essentially correct me if I'm wrong, it's like buying a device on credit, and your credit must be approved for Verizon to allow you to take advantage of the Device Payment Plan.
It is nice, however, that Verizon is allowing unlimited data users to keep their plan while upgrading their devices. Many carriers are looking for any way possible to get people who are grandfathered into unlimited plans off those plans, as they are often much cheaper than the plans currently available.
Are you still lucky enough to have an unlimited data plan? On what carrier? How much is it per month? Let us know down in the comments!


text: Local carmaker Dacia will start building its petrol turbo engine codenamed H4 in the second half of next year, followed by the H5 engine at a later moment, sources with Renault Romania said, quoted by HotNews.ro. The maximum production capacity of the Mioveni plant will eventually reach 300,000 engines – H4 and H5 – a year. “150,000 engines will be built in the first full year of production, and later, when the H5 engine will be assimilated into production, the output will increase to 300,000 a year,” explained the source. The engines will be delivered to the factories operated by Groupe Renault and will equip several models of cars, also the new Dacia models, including the new Logan. The models belong to a new generation of petrol turbo engines with capacities between 0.9 and 1.2 liters, which will be launched in 2012, giving from 90 to 115 HP, Renault sources announced in the past. The commercial names might be TCe 90 and TCe 115, similarly to the present TCe 130 (petrol turbo engine of 1.4 liters and 130 HP). Renault will also use European money for the production of these engines in Romania.


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Makers of the energy drink Red Bull have agreed to settle a class action lawsuit filed against them because, despite claims made in their famous television ad campaign, Red Bull apparently does not give someone wings. Austrian-based Red Bull GmbH, who produce the world’s number one energy drink, have approved a $13 million settlement with consumers in the United States and a process is in place for Red Bull drinkers to claim a refund.
Those who purchased Red Bull products between Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 3, 2014 – and are not currently sporting actual wings – will be able to claim $10 in cash or Red Bull products equaling a $15 value. Consumers who did not retain their receipts each time they bought the drink need not worry; no proof of purchase will be required. As part of the settlement, the company is obliged to ensure that consumers are informed of their rights under this settlement and are made aware of how they will be able to claim their refunds. Red Bull GmbH will also cover the cost of shipping, for those consumers who choose to take the products, rather than the cash reimbursement.
In addition the $13 million settlement, the company will pay more than $4.5 million in legal costs. Red Bull GmbH has denied any wrongdoing but did agree to discontinue its allegedly false claims about the drink’s benefits. In a statement, the company maintained that its advertising had “always been truthful and accurate” but it decided to settle, in order to avoid litigation. For several years, the company’s main marketing slogan had been “Red Bull gives you wings.” Apparently, not only does the energy drink not give you wings but, according to the European Food Safety Authority, provides no more of an increase in performance or energy than the caffeine in a cup of coffee.
Two separate suits were originally filed against the beverage company; one in California and on in New York. Ultimately, the California case transferred to New York and both cases were adjudicated by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Red Bull is not the only energy drink in hot water over allegedly false marketing claims; Three states – Vermont, Oregon and Washington – have filed suits against the Michigan-based company Living Essentials, makers of 5-Hour Energy. Other states are expected to file similar complaints. In this case, the company intends to fight the suits and described them as an attempt at “civil intimidation.” The company has been the target of a Food and Drug Administration investigation since 2012. The investigation is focused on a possible link between 5-Hour Energy and 13 deaths, between 2008 and 2012. The company reported adverse health effects upon consumers of the drink, including heart attacks and convulsions.
At the heart of the matter is the amount of caffeine in energy drinks. Large doses of caffeine have been linked to heart attacks. In 2012, a 14-year-old Maryland girl, Anais Fournier, died after consuming two 24-ounce Monster Energy drinks in a 24-hour period. Her parents sued the manufacturer after the autopsy report cited “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity” as being the cause of her death. Whilst the amount of caffeine in energy drinks is not always specifically stated, the two drinks consumed by Fournier are believed to have contained a total of 480 milligrams of caffeine. An eight-ounce cup of regular Starbucks coffee contains around 165 milligrams of caffeine.
For consumers of Red Bull who discovered that the drink does not give someone wings, a toll-free number has been made available for claim form requests. Call (877) 495-1568. Alternatively, a link to an online form has been created although the page appears, currently, to be under construction. A link can be found at the foot of this article.
Opinion by Graham J Noble


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Verizon Wireless is pushing to get more customers to connect multiple wireless devices like tablets to its network with a new service plan that includes unlimited calls and texts.
The new "Share Everything" plan unveiled Tuesday by the biggest U.S. mobile operator lets subscribers share their data allowance, including calls and messages, with up to 10 wireless devices. Users can connect their devices without paying for additional cellular subscriptions.
Share Everything launches on June 28 and its revamped pricing is expected to spur competition in the U.S. wireless industry. The amount users pay per month will depend on the amount of data they want and the number and types of devices to be connected.
A tablet, for example, would cost $10 per month while each smartphone would cost $40. Tablet users might find the new service attractive, since many prefer cheap or free Wi-Fi wireless connections for use with their tablet.
Verizon's cheaper tablet service option could encourage more U.S. consumers to buy Apple's (AAPL) iPad, Samsung's Galaxy and other tablets.
Verizon's new service might also appeal to families and large groups who use multiple devices.
Verizon rivals such as AT&T (T) and Sprint Nextel (S) might start to offer similar plans, according to some analysts.
Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone Group (VOD). Verizon shares were up a fraction in afternoon trading Tuesday.
RELATED: Sprint's Virgin Mobile Gets The iPhone.


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The time has come, ladies and gents – NVIDIA's Project SHIELD (henceforth known only as SHIELD) is ready for pre-order for users who previously signed up to receive SHIELD updates via email. Everyone else will have to wait until May 20th to secure their own directly from NVIDIA or from NewEgg, Gamestop, Micro Center, or Canada Computers, which teaches us one thing: always sign up to be notified of device updates. Read More
The white LG Nexus 4 has popped up a few times thus far, but now it has found its way into the hands of AndroidAndMe. The new image looks legit to us, so it appears this device is finally going to be a reality. What's potentially much more interesting is the assertion that Android 4.3 is going to be announced along with the new color option on June 10th.
The white N4 reportedly has the same vibe as past white Nexus devices with a white back and black screen surround on the front. Read More
Ah, Google Glass. Though the venerable headset has a lot of potential, it has yet to become something people want to use all the time. If you're a social media addict, a news junkie, or a productivity pro, though, Google's heads-up computer just got a lot more compelling. Today at I/O, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, CNN, Elle, and Evernote pledged to support Glass by releasing official applications - "glassware," as Google calls them. Read More
Archos has been cultivating a reputation for cheap, mostly reliable tablets since long before Android slates were mainstream. Their latest creation isn't all that remarkable: the 80 Xenon is squarely aimed at the iPad Mini, with an 8-inch, 1024x768 IPS screen, a Qualcom 1.2ghz quad-core (Snapdragon S4?) processor, 1GB of RAM, and a price tag of $199.99. Oh, and it comes with unlocked 3G wireless broadband. Wait, what?
Yes indeed, the 80 Xenon is specifically designed and marketed with mobile wireless in mind. Read More
Oh, hi there, Samsung Galaxy Reverb. Haven't seen you around the water cooler in a while. Yeah, I'm doing good too. So what's up? You've got an Android 4.1 update? Shut the front door.
The Galaxy Reverb is a budget phone on a budget network, the kind that we generally expect to be released, promptly forgotten, and never, ever updated to a later version of Android. But lo and behold, several Virgin Mobile customers on both Reddit and Android Forums are reporting that their phones are receiving over-the-air updates to Jelly Bean 4.1.2. Read More
The Galaxy S4 is a beast of a phone, and very likely to be the best-selling Android device in the world this year. It's also pretty bloated when it comes to software: on a brand new, unsullied phone, more than 6GB of internal storage is taken up by Samsung's TouchWiz version of Android. Most markets don't yet have access to a 32GB or 64GB model, and the base 16GB version has less than 10GB of user-accessible storage available. Read More
Sprint's version of the HTC One is about to receive a much-needed OTA update, albeit a relatively minor one, that promises to fix the rather annoying home and back button sensitivity issues that have been afflicting the handset. I commented on this issue in my review of the One, and while I called it minor then, the more I used the phone, the more annoying it become in certain situations - particularly when holding the phone while lying down. Read More
There’s no denying that the switch to Broadcom’s Bluetooth stack in Android 4.2 has created some stressful situations for frequent users of the short range networking technology. The added attention also raised awareness for some features that are woefully lacking in the OS, something that other OEMs have been working to resolve independently. To a round of applause during the Best Practices for Bluetooth Development session, Sara Sinclair Brody announced Google will finally address two of the most popular requests. Read More
The first and most important day of Google I/O 2013 is drawing to a close. If you've just gotten home from a long day at work and don't have time to sift through a mountain of Android Police live coverage, fear not: there's a roundup for that. Here's a concise list of everything that's new and updated in the Googleverse.
If you'd like to spend almost four hours watching Google show off all its new goodies, our Live Blog has the keynote embedded, plus Artem and David's reactions. Read More
The Nexus Q has had a tough life so far – that goes without saying. Things just got a little worse for the handful of us that use (and enjoy) the Q though – Google has seemingly sliced streaming support from the latest Play Music update, further reducing the impact of the Q's admittedly very limited use case.
Some users have actually reported problems with Q streaming dating all the way back to mid-March, and Google today responded to a thread on its Product Forums with the following:
Thanks for taking the time to report this issue.


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The security of mobile payments is a major concern for many consumers. After all, if your phone is lost or stolen, someone could potentially access your financial information.
While mobile payments offer a convenient way to pay for goods and services, they also come with some risks. One of the biggest concerns is security. Because mobile payments are typically made through an app or website, there is a risk that personal information could be accessed by hackers. In addition, if a phone is lost or stolen, it may be easier for someone to access the account and make unauthorized purchases. There have also been reports of fake apps that appear to be legitimate payment apps but are actually designed to steal people’s information.
This article in Forbes describes security issues associated with worldwide advances in mobile payments. One observation made is that mobile phone owners are the most common cause of a security breach. This in turn suggests every country should implement consumer protection laws that mandate mobile wallets implement stronger security measures.
The article also recognizes the benefits of keeping biometrics out of centralized databases but fails to specifically mention the FIDO standard:
“If a thief comes across an unlocked mobile, they can usually buy a certain amount of credit without needing to authenticate and then make purchases themselves. In the United States and Canada, this purchase limit can reach up to $100 while in Europe it is typically $55 (€50).
Many firms have avoided introducing verification for every transaction over fears that it can make mobile banking too cumbersome and risk losing clients to competitors. This paradox is known as ‘safe convenience.’
“We are witnessing a trend where security is an integral part of the innovation process,” explains Igor Pyatnitsky, the Vice President at Nullgravity, a Ukrainian full-cycle product development company. “Banking product development is not about balancing security and convenience, but making convenience safe and vice versa.”
Secondly, while it is rare, cyber-thieves can ‘spoof’ your mobile banking wallet if you add debit or credit cards while using an unsecured public or open Wi-Fi network. Rob Clyde, of the cybersecurity advisory firm Clyde Consulting, found that hackers were able to re-create a fake mobile wallet registration system for which a customer could enter in their card details.
Cybersecurity experts have advised customers to carefully study the logo and spelling of any mobile wallet company before making a transfer to look for fakes.Thirdly, once solely the preserve of the home PC or portable laptop, mobile phones are now becoming increasingly vulnerable to malware themselves.Cyber security firmSymantec SYMC +0% produces an annual report into mobile malware. Its 2018 findings discovered that the number of mobile malware attacks had increased by 54% from 2016 to 2017.
“While the attacks continue to evolve and mature, the same can’t always be said of the device user,” it read,“many users continue to make life easy for attackers by continuing to use older operating systems. In particular, on Android, only 20 percent of devices are running the newest major version.”
The Kaspersky Lab echoed Symantec SYMC +0%’s findings, concluding that mobile banking trojans – which mimic the existing platforms run by banks and are available for download – are some of the ‘most rapidly developing, flexible and dangerous types of malware.’
Once a customer has downloaded what they wrongly believe to be their banks interface and entered in their financial details, a fraudster can use their information to steal their money. Asacub, which is arguably the world’s most successful mobile banking trojan, has infected over 225,000 mobile phones to date.”
Overview by Tim Sloane, VP, Payments Innovation at Mercator Advisory Group


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Motorola 2019 version of Lenovo’s sub-brand Motorola has been released. The Moto Racer has been the subject of many discussions and rumors before. Whether the razor folded or folded, as shown in the pictures that came out earlier, is attractive. The new Moto Racer offers a premium design and packs two screens. One is the main display (when the phone is opened). When the handset is folded, there is a small screen. The main screen of the Moto Racer has very low bezels on the sides.
Motorola Moto Racer is priced at $ 1500 (approx Rs. 1,08,273). Motorola India has confirmed that the Moto Racer will arrive in India soon after launching in the global market. The company has not revealed the launch date of the Moto Racer in India. Moto racers are expected to be expensive in India too. It may cost more than $ 100,000.
Moto Racer Features
The Moto Racer comes with two screens. One is inside while the other is outside. There is a 6.2-inch flexible OLED display when opened. The screen offers a 21: 9 cinemaview aspect ratio similar to some of the previously launched Motorola smartphones. The phone has a 2.7-inch OLED display when folded. It offers the aspect ratio 4: 3. The Moto Racer features a fingerprint sensor at the bottom.
The Moto Racer is one of the oldest iconic clamshell razor phones when it comes to folding unlike the recently launched foldable Samsung Galaxy Fold and Wavey Mate X. When folded, the Moto Racer will shut down completely. Users cannot use the phone. This means that to run the Moto Racer you need to open it like a flip phone.
The display has a 16MP camera outside the Moto Racer. It allows users to click on selfies when the phone is folded. The 16MP camera has several camera features like EIS, Night Vision Mode and more. The same 16MP camera becomes the rear camera when the phone opens. The phone also includes a 5MP camera.
The Moto Racer is powered by a Snapdragon 710 processor. It comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Moto Racer packs a 2510mAh battery paired with 15W quick charging support. Razer runs Android 9 Pi on Software Ground.


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EURUSD: Euro Remains Lower on Friday
The EURUSD pair was 0.3% weaker during the US session on Friday and was trading at around 1.1360 as traders sold the shared currency after weaker than expected inflation numbers.
The euro zone’s CPI inflation slipped to 2.0% year-on-year in November, down from 2.2% in October. This was broadly expected by economists, but the core inflation gauge slowed as well to 1.0% from 1.1% previously, while analysts had forecast this measure to stay unchanged at 1.1%.
Moreover, the unemployment rate also failed to meet expectations and came out at 8.1% against forecasts of a slight improvement to 8.0%.
Additionally, German retail sales surprised on the upside when they accelerated to 5.0% on the yearly basis, up from -2.8% previously.
Later in the day, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams is due to participate in a panel discussion titled "The Global Economy: Addressing a Future Downturn" at the 80th Plenary Meeting of the Group of Thirty in New York. As John Williams is an FOMC voting member in 2018, his speech could spur some volatility on the financial markets.
The main support for the pair is now at 1.1340, where the broken bearish trend line is located. If broken, the euro could decline back to 1.13 and possibly lower.
On the upside, the resistance is at 1.14 and afterward near previous lows and highs at 1.1440.
Analysis and opinions provided herein are intended solely for informational and educational purposes and don't represent a recommendation or an investment advice by TeleTrade. Indiscriminate reliance on illustrative or informational materials may lead to losses.
Everything posted herein is the Personal Opinion of the Author(s) and does not represent a statement made by TeleTrade. TeleTrade is providing this for informational purposes.
03 December 2018, 15:32 Stocks Surge, but Give up Part of Gains on Monday
29 November 2018, 15:06 Dollar Trying to Recover from Wednesday’s Selling
|remaining time till the new event being published|
- China: May industrial output up 5.0%, weakest in 17 years, retail sales rise 8.6% (16-year low)
- France: consumer price index growth slowed to 0.1% in May
- Germany: wholesale price growth slowed in May
- Competitive currency devaluation could prompt global financial chaos - ex-PBOC chief


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Vacancies grow in Santa Maria commercial real estate sector
San Luis Obispo-based Stafford-McCarty Commercial Real Estate recently released a sobering account of the impact that the struggling economy has had on Santa Maria.
As the first to feel the blow of subprime loans, the residential market has been carrying the weight behind the general real estate downturn, but in Santa Maria, vacancy rates have begun to rise in commercial sectors.
Home sales dropped more than 20 percent from 2006 to 2007, the report said, while sales of foreclosed homes have been steadily increasing from two sales in January 2007 to 53 sales in February this year.
To view this column and all other full stories and offerings in the Business Times, SUBSCRIBE for $49.99 today.


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The mammoth writedown follows a $157m devaluation recorded in November as the entertainment giant concedes that it is unlikely to make a return on its $400m investment in the publisher to secure a 21% stake.
Back in 2017, Vice was valued at $5.7bn on the back of a sprawling media empire dedicated to alternative culture which spawned its own TV shows and Viceland cable channel.
A combination of poor ratings and a dearth of digital advertising have served to undermine this business model, with a resultant downward trajectory in its valuation hitting investors hard.
A Vice spokesman said: “Vice will always be there with a megaphone for the people on this planet under the age of 30 who crave independent world-class content.”
Earlier this week Vice launched its ‘masterbrand’ strategy to consolidate standalone brands in pursuit of profitability.


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Almost all keyless car systems vulnerable to relay attacks
Investigation tests keyless car systems of 237 models, finds only three able to fully resist key signal cloning
Almost all cars with keyless entry and go systems are vulnerable to so-called ‘relay’ attacks, according to a new investigation.
Technicians selected 237 cars with keyless entry, and found 230 were susceptible to attacks where a potential thief could unlock and start the car without having the actual key. A further four could be either unlocked or started, while only three models – all Jaguar Land Rover cars – were able to fully resist a keyless attack.
Official Home Office data released last week show car thefts increased by 48.7 per cent over the last five years, while previous research by Auto Express revealed police are logging fewer than 50 per cent of stolen cars as recovered.
Relay theft attacks exploits vulnerabilities in the signals transmitted by wireless keys, which are typically sending a weak signal for their respective cars to recognise. By scanning for and then amplifying these signals, thieves are able – with relatively easily obtainable electronic equipment – to convince the car the key is nearby, gain access and drive off with the vehicle.
Research from the German General Automobile Club (ADAC) analysed by consumer publication Which? found four out of the top five best-selling cars in the UK – the Ford Fiesta, VW Golf, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Focus – were vulnerable to keyless thefts, while the Vauxhall Corsa – the third best-selling car – is not available with a keyless system, and so is impervious to such attacks. Only the Jaguar I-Pace, and the latest versions of the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover, were able to fully resist keyless theft attempts.
The ADAC advises concerned owners that wrapping keyless keys in tinfoil is no guarantee the signals will be blocked from potential thieves’ equipment, as even the smallest gap in the foil could allow signals to escape. Instead, the ADAC advises owners to find out either in their manual, or from their dealer, if the keyless system can be deactivated.
BMW and Mercedes have also added motion sensors to their wireless key fobs, so only generate signals when they key is moving, meaning thieves shouldn’t be able to clone the keys’ signal when they are sitting dormant at home.
Mike Hawes, chief exectutive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said the car industry “takes vehicle crime extremely seriously and any claims otherwise are categorically untrue.” Hawes added that new cars “are more secure than ever, and the latest technology has helped bring down theft dramatically with, on average, less than 0.3% of the cars on our roads stolen.”
Calling car theft “an ongoing battle”, Hawes explained that “manufacturers continue to invest billions in ever more sophisticated security features”, but that “technology can only do so much and we continue to call for action to stop the open sale of equipment with no legal purpose that helps criminals steal cars.”
The manufacturers who responded to the investigation by Which? said they took theft seriously, with several echoing Hawes’ comments that the risk of theft remains low. Which? highlighted that the keyless systems in older Mercedes models can be deactivated by pressing the lock button on the key twice, which Mazda will deactivate its keyless system for free, a service also offered by Peugeot on its new 508.


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Apple on Tuesday released a statement saying it has never worked with the National Security Agency (NSA) to create a "backdoor" for the government. According to a report this week, a spying program called DROPOUTJEEP gave the NSA access to any Apple iPhone, though the documents cited were from 2008; the same program gave the agency access to other devices communicating through GSM as well. Other exploits from the NSA reportedly allowed the agency to hijack Wi-Fi from up to eight miles away.
Below is Apple's statement to TechCrunch in full:
Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone. Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products. We care deeply about our customers' privacy and security. Our team is continuously working to make our products even more secure, and we make it easy for customers to keep their software up to date with the latest advancements. Whenever we heard about attempts to undermine Apple's industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers. We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who's behind them.
The report originated from Der Spiegel on Sunday, and claimed the NSA had a Tailored Access Operations (TAO) unit that is capable of gaining access to foreign computer systems for national security purposes. Additionally, Der Spiegel claimed a separate division within NSA, known as ANT, put information together about hacking consumer electronics, which includes a number of devices and different methods. The reason people suspected Apple had cooperated was Der Spiegel's claim that the NSA could snoop on iPhones with "100% success," suggesting the Cupertino company set up a backdoor.
Since reports began circulating about the NSA, a number of big name tech companies immediately distanced themselves from the agency; Apple, AOL, Yahoo, Twitter, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google and Facebook even requested a global government surveillance reform. Since the alleged document cited by Der Spiegel was dated back in 2008, it's unclear where the program stands now.
In Apple's statement, the company makes it clear it has never cooperated with the NSA, and is constantly improving upon the security of its devices. So while Apple is supposedly working on keeping "malicious hackers" out, the agency could very well be tapping into your device (iPhone or otherwise).
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!
Win an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with the Reader's Choice giveaway!
What's the best phone of 2019? Is it the iPhone 11 Pro, Pixel 4 or OnePlus 7T? What about the best laptop, games console, tablet and more? Vote NOW in the Reader's Choice awards and win BIG in time for the holidays!
Here are the best products from IFA 2019!
Here are the products announced at IFA 2019 that were worthy of our Best of IFA 2019 awards. Also featuring MrMobile's single best product at the show!
It's the season for chapped lips, so you might need one of these lip balms
If you're looking for a good lip balm to keep in your pocket, you may be searching for awhile. There are tons of options to choose from, and they may not always be a perfect choice. Here are some great options to add to your purse or pocket.


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TURNER FUN DAYS A HUGE SUCCESS IN TURNER
July 27, 2022
The Fun Day held this past weekend in Turner turned out to be a huge success! The day began with a FLY IN and Lions pancake breakfast. There were only about 6 airplanes that flew in, but they joined up with others who began registering their cars, trucks, bikes, and tractors at the annual car show. Around 90 vehicles were on hand for the viewing. There were old cars, new cars, restored cars and tractors, and an assortment of bikes, both motor and pedal!
The Big Flat Grocery Store organized the event and they served meals to around 440 people, which included burgers and hot dogs. These...


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Leahy leads investment in Groupon-style mobile start-up
Fifth investment in three months for former Tesco boss
A group of renowned investors led by Sir Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Tesco, has injected £1.5m into Eagle Eye Solutions – a UK start-up built on similar lines to Groupon.
Leahy, the man credited with creating the Tesco Clubcard, led the financing in tandem with renowned City analysts Bill Curry and Iain McDonald, who have previously invested in consumer market leaders such as Metapack, ASOS and The Hut Group.
Each of the key investors will take a direct role in the company. Leahy has already begun networking within the retail industry on behalf of Eagle Eye, while Currie and McDonald will draw on their shared background in e-commerce to offer tailored advice.
This combination of funding and expertise will enable Eagle Eye to develop its leading-edge technology, which sends discount offers to members’ mobile phones while they shop.
Eagle Eye has already recruited a number of experienced business leaders, including Simon Burke, the former chief executive of Virgin Entertainment Group, who has joined as chairman. Furthermore, the company has agreed deals with high-profile retailers such as Comet, Blockbuster and Virgin Active.
Leahy, who has now invested in five start-up businesses since March, said:
“This is an exciting time to get on board with Eagle Eye Solutions, which has expanded its retail partnerships rapidly in recent months. The retail industry is waking up to the huge opportunities that mobile marketing represents and mobile coupons are a vital component.
“Eagle Eye is leading the way in this field and I look forward to playing a part in its positive impact on the market.”
Meanwhile Steve Rothwell, CEO of Eagle Eye Solutions, said: “We are delighted to have secured the backing of such experienced and high profile figures within the industry. Our technology empowers retailers with physical stores to use digital marketing techniques that have worked so well online in the last 15 years.
“This funding round will enable us to accelerate our progress and sign up more retailers more quickly than we could organically.”


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Don’t Fall for Pandemic Cons
Scammers are stealing money with phishing schemes, fake remedies and inflated prices on products that are in demand.
Beware of e-mail messages that claim to come from medical or health care organizations, especially if they include attachments that supposedly provide pertinent information about the coronavirus. Cybercriminals are using these bogus e-mails to trick individuals into downloading malware onto their computers that can be used to steal personal information, the U.S. Secret Service says. Also watch out for:
Non-delivery scams. Avoid paying up-front payments or deposits for high-demand items, such as hand sanitizers or face masks. Some crooks, posing as medical supply companies, take the money and run, the Secret Service says. Some businesses that actually stock the products are selling them at exorbitant prices. In states where the governor has declared an emergency because of the coronavirus, such price gouging may be illegal.
Fake cures. There are currently no approved drugs or vaccines available to treat the coronavirus, but that hasn’t stopped hucksters from promoting teas, essential oils and minerals as miracle cures for the disease. In early March, the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to seven sellers of such products, noting that the companies have no evidence to back up their claims.


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Netflix has dominated the streaming world for years, but the success of The Mandalorian has finally opened the door for someone else to take the crown.
As the battle for streaming supremacy rages on, The Mandalorian put the streaming world on notice as it claimed the top spot in the Nielsen streaming ratings chart for the week of December 14-20, the same week Disney+ dropped The Mandalorian season 2 finale. Notably, it was the only non-Netflix show on the list, and the first time a non-Netflix show has been in the top spot.
- The Mandalorian (Disney+), 1.34 billion minutes watched
- The Office (Netflix), 1.31 billion
- The Crown (Netflix), 772 million
- Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix), 762 million
- Manhunt: Deadly Games (Netflix), 712 million
- Supernatural (Netflix), 684 million
- Virgin River (Netflix), 681 million
- Criminal Minds (Netflix), 651 million
- Schitt’s Creek (Netflix), 597 million
- A California Christmas (Netflix), 581 million
This could open the door for shows and movies on other streaming services and help loosen Netflix’s grip on the market. That’s especially true now that The Office, which was a regular on these charts, has moved from Netflix to Peacock. There’s a big drop between the number 2 and 3 spots on that chart, and that’s where Disney and other streaming services could find their opportunities.
In particular, there could be an opening for all of Disney’s upcoming Star Wars (Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, etc) and Marvel (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, etc) shows. The folks at Disney+ are savvy enough to know that the streaming service needs to produce a lot of high-quality content to make it competitive, and after the success of The Mandalorian the stakes are higher than ever to ensure that the rest of their output achieves similar results. WandaVision, the first Marvel series the company just produced, just started its run on the service. Might it find its way into the top spot on the Nielsen ratings before it’s wrapped? It’s very possible.
As it stands, the streaming charts and the ratings are a mix of new content like The Mandalorian and The Crown and venerated streaming “classics” like Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural and The Office. Disney already has its answer to Netflix’s originals, but there are things it can do about the old standbys as well. For example, it could deliver a big blow if Disney-owned ABC decided to yank Grey’s Anatomy from Netflix in the future.
The bottom line is that if The Mandalorian can not only crack the Nielsen top 10 list but make it to the top, there’s every reason to believe that in a year’s time the streaming charts could look very different as Disney+ rolls out more of its highly anticipated original content.


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After the near-collapse of the ruble on December 16, residents of border town Narva have been heading to Russia to buy goods, especially electronic products.
Ants Kutti, head of the Customs Organization Department at the Tax Board, said there has been a noticeable increase in Estonians traveling to Russia to shop for electronic goods, with television sets proving especially popular.
He said that Russian shops were slow to react to the drastic fall in the ruble and electronic goods became very cheap for Estonian citizens.
According to rus.err.ee, Narva residents are also buying clothes and jewelery en masse.
The turn of events is a reversal to the summer and fall trend of Russians shopping in Narva after the Russian ban on food imports hit home. Russians then flocked to Narva to buy food, as well as other cheaper goods, as Estonian shops offered better prices and selection. Buses transported buyers from St. Petersburg just for a quick shopping trip to Narva.
The ruble plummeted on Tuesday, with each euro previously costing around 50 rubles until November, with the trade spiking at 100 rubles per euro for a short period on December 16, before climbing back down to 75 rubles a day later.
Editor: J.M. Laats


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And it’s perhaps not surprising that Microsoft’s late June Xbox Game Pass content additions include new titles for both console and PC.
Recent Xbox Stories
Microsoft today released four games to the Microsoft Store that rely on the eye-tracking technology built into Windows 10, Tile Slide, Match Two, Double Up, and Maze.
With Project Scarlett around the corner, Microsoft is bringing Backward Compatibility to an end as it looks towards the future of compatibility on Xbox.
Ubisoft launches its own game subscription service but it is actually really expensive.
I signed up for an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription yesterday, and now I feel like I've taken a step into the future.
We know that Halo: Infinite is arriving next year with Xbox One “Scarlett.” But now we also know how much the other Halo games for PC will cost.
Google has been quite open about its Stadia gaming service, and Microsoft’s Phil Spencer promised xCloud details at E3. Nope.
Xbox Game Pass for PC is key to Microsoft’s new strategy for Windows 10 gaming. And there’s a new Xbox app that makes it all happen.
Microsoft introduces the world to its next-gen Xbox Scarlett console. TL;DR: It eats monsters for breakfast.
Xbox's Game Streaming feature is being upgraded to allow users to stream games from their Xbox One anywhere, from any device.
After months of wait, Microsoft is finally launching a next-gen Xbox Elite controller. it builds on customization, durability, and performance of the original.
The next instalment to the Halo franchise brings back the Master Cheif, and it will launch along with Microsoft's next Xbox console in 2020.
Microsoft just announced a brand-new Xbox beta app for Windows 10 that's the key to Xbox Game Pass for PCs.
Microsoft announces a new Flight Simulator, coming in 4K next year.
The Coalition launches new Gears of War, will premier on Xbox Game Pass this September.
Microsoft's new Xbox subscription is the ultimate Xbox package you need to get with your console.
Microsoft now offers a bundle of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold -- meet the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.
Ahead of today’s its E3 press conference, Microsoft has leaked the pricing for its Xbox Game Pass for PC. And it’s extremely reasonable.
Google just announced some big games for its upcoming game-streaming service that launches in November.
Google finally opens up about the pricing plans for Stadia, reveals availability details.
Google is launching a bundle full of Stadia goodies and hardware for the service's initial launch.
Microsoft is reportedly working on introducing revamped Xbox Live profiles, and a new Gamertag system inspired by Discord.
Bungie's Destiny 2 will reportedly be one of the big games available on Google Stadia, and get cross-saving tomorrow.
Yeah, we really have no idea how to explain this one.
Microsoft's E3 conference takes place in a few days, these are my expectations for what the company will announce at the event.
Microsoft quietly had an outsized impact on the WWDC 2019 announcements. Not bad for a company that lost in mobile, eh?
Every June, Microsoft hosts a humongous sales on all things Xbox. This year, it’s called the Greatest Xbox Deals of the Year.


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Summer often makes women ditch their hair length but for those who want to stay away from losing their tresses, there are other options too.
Tanning is inevitable this summer even if you choose to cover up completely or plan to use a sunscreen. But a few simple home remedies like using cabbage leaves or exfoliating with almonds on the affected areas can help in skin lightening
Take extra care of your tresses in summer. Using coconut milk for lifeless hair and undergoing a regular trim for people who are suffering from thin hair, during this season will help, says an expert.
Matte makeup today bears little resemblance to what we saw in the '90s. Gone are flat, chalky, life-sucking textures that turn faces into masks. These new generation mattes are forgiving with lighter textures that still show your skin beneath.
Layers of wrongly chosen makeup can make you end up looking cakey. Get your hands on the right make-up base to look flawless, says an expert.
Start the new year off right by putting a little life back into your skin


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Duane Reade is on a comeback tear.
The metro-New York drugstore chain’s yearlong effort to elevate its image — notorious for lackluster service and overstuffed aisles — is on display at its most ambitious store to date, slated to open today.
The 14,000-square-foot, two-story store — located in Herald Square at 1350 Broadway, across the street from Macy’s — showcases Duane Reade’s first stab at prestige beauty retailing.
As they glide up the escalator to the second floor, shoppers are greeted with an expansive 5,400-square-foot beauty department dubbed Look Boutique. The chain plans to open 30 more renovated or new stores next year, half of which will likely contain the Look Boutique, said Joe Magnacca, chief merchandising officer. A second store, featuring the beauty boutique, is slated to open by early December at Duane Reade’s current Rockefeller Center location, which is undergoing an expansion.
In the Herald Square store, just off the escalator is a circular-fragrance counter filled with department store scents, including Lacoste, Juicy Couture, Usher, Burberry, Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers to name a few. Tester fragrance bottles are tethered to the display, which also serves as the check-out counter for the beauty department.
To the right of fragrance, Duane Reade has broadened its selection of derma skin care — Avene, La Roche-Posay and Lierac — by adding specialty brands including MD Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross, 100% Pure, Rilastil and Borba. Bottles of Borba’s Skin Balance Water are available in a small refrigerated display case. The skin care assortment has been renamed LookRx Healthier Skin Center.
“We used to have skin wellness. Now we service all of beauty,” said Magnacca, explaining the name change from Skin Wellness Center. Magnacca joined Duane Reade from Shoppers Drug Mart, where he helped conceive of the stand-alone luxury beauty boutique Murale.
To the left of the fragrance counter are wall units showcasing new brands to Duane Reade’s beauty mix. They include Too Faced, Pür Minerals and Pop Beauty. Some brands, including Pop Beauty, Borba and Talika, also are found inside CVS Pharmacy’s upscale concept, Beauty 360. CVS has outfitted four stores with Beauty 360 to date and plans to end the year with about 30 units.
Along the perimeter of this Duane Reade store, which is lined with large windows, are 3-foot cosmetics stations featuring brands like Ramy, which will offer brow-shaping services by the makeup artist’s staff for $30. The other stations feature lesser-known lines — Tini Beauty, Global Goddess and Vera Moore — and each will include a makeover chair. The displays are designed to provide flexibility, should a major department store brand enter the mix, said Magnacca.
Buffering the prestige area from mass are a trio of lighted display tables: a rainbow of nail polish shades, the Demeter Fragrance Library, and beauty tools under the retailer’s private label brand, Look NY. The custom-made fixtures and displays throughout the department are unified with lavender signage.
“Beauty doesn’t fall off when you leave prestige,” said Magnacca. “We have not reverted to traditional drugstore shelving.”
The chain’s acting chief marketing officer, Joe Jackman, said, “We live in a trade-up, trade down world,” adding that beauty advisers will make suggestions across the entire assortment. During peak business hours, three to five beauty advisers will man the Look Boutique.
Above the mass cosmetics wall, a header includes a quote from Joan Crawford: “I have always known what I wanted and that was beauty…in every form.”
The store’s professional hair care aisle is lined with salon brands, including PureOlogy, Keratase, Bumble & bumble and a display of Moroccan Oil.
Its pharmacy, one of four locations to include a physician-manned health clinic, is clearly visible from the beauty aisles. To the left of the pharmacy counter is a waiting area with couches and chairs and a sign that reads, “Doctor on Premises.” The openness of beauty to pharmacy within the 9,000-square-foot space nods to the natural relationship between the two categories, said Frank Scorpiniti, senior vice president, pharmacy operations.
Acknowledging Duane Reade’s formidable neighbors — Macy’s and several Sephora stores are nearby — Magnacca said, “We ask, ‘What do they currently carry and what are the voids?’ Why not bring the product to where the people are, rather than bring the people to the product?” The Herald Square store also is a 24-hour location, offering an option when its competitors have closed their doors for the evening. “It’s a big step up for drugstore beauty,” Magnacca said.


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PHOENIX — Consumers in Arizona will be receiving millions in reimbursements this week after a price-fixing settlement was reached by Apple.
Arizona, along with 32 other states and territories, accused the tech company of conspiring with five of the nation’s largest publishers to artificially raise the price of e-books between 2010 and 2012.
In March, the U.S. Supreme Court held Apple liable for all damages.
Approximately $8.6 million of the $400 million payout will be distributed to Arizona consumers.
Payouts will begin on June 21 and are expected to be completed June 24.
Consumers will receive $6.93 for each New York Times best-selling e-book and $1.57 for all other e-books purchased.
Those who purchased e-books through Sony or Google will receive checks in the mail, while Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo customers will automatically receive credits in their accounts.
For more information go to www.ebookslawsuit.com or call 866-686-9333.
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Good riddance, plastic cutlery and straws.
The European parliament voted Wednesday to support plans for the elimination of most uses of single-use plastic, ranging from cutlery and straws to coffee stirrers and plastic plates.
It's a significant step that could encourage other governments around the globe to also commit to reducing the amount of plastics that end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans — but it's not going to be instituted overnight.
In October 2018, the EU voted on the proposal that was overwhelmingly backed by the European Parliament. This week's vote could lead to EU member states implementing a ban by 2021.
Also included are plans to improve the quality of tap water and reduce the use of plastic bottles. The proposal also would "tighten the maximum limits for certain pollutants such as lead (to be reduced by half), harmful bacteria, and introduce new caps for most polluting substances found in tap water," according to a statement.
The new plans would also require plastic bottles to be made up of 25 percent recycled material by 2025.
We've reported previously about large cities banning single-use plastic straws, which pose a serious threat to marine life. Seattle became the first major U.S. city to ban them in July 2018 to avoid dumping more plastic into our planet's oceans.
But the entire EU backing a ban is a major move — and one that could push other areas around the world to follow suit.
READ MORE: Europe bans single-use plastics. And glitter could be next. [The Washington Post]
More on the plastic ban: The EU Just Voted to Completely Ban Single-Use Plastics
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