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Indian crypto exchanges will now have to report any suspicious activity related to buying or selling of cryptocurrency to the Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND). File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The story so far: On March 7, to further tighten the loosely regulated crypto market, the Finance Ministry said that all virtual digital assets (VDAs) will come within the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
What is the PMLA?
The anti-money laundering legislation was passed by the National Democratic Alliance government in 2002, and came into force on July 1, 2005. The PMLA was showcased as India’s commitment to the Vienna Convention on combating money laundering, drug trafficking, and countering the financing of terror (CFT). The law was aimed at curbing the process of converting illegally earned money into legal cash. The Act empowered the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to control money laundering, confiscate property, and punish offenders.
Editorial | Belated, but essential: On bringing all trade in virtual digital assets under the PMLA
In July 2022, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha, in response to a query on cases registered by the ED, that “till March 31, 2022, the ED recorded around 5,422 cases, attached proceeds to the tune of ₹1,04,702 crore (approx.), filed Prosecution Complaint in 992 cases resulting in confiscation of ₹869.31 crore and convicted 23 accused persons under PMLA.”
What does this move mean for crypto?
The gazette notification by the Ministry brings cryptocurrency transactions within the ambit of PMLA. This means that Indian crypto exchanges will have to report any suspicious activity related to buying or selling of cryptocurrency to the Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND). This central agency is responsible for receiving, processing, analysing, and disseminating information related to suspicious financial transactions to law enforcement agencies and overseas FIUs. In its analysis, if the FIU-IND finds wrongdoing, it will alert the ED. Under Section 5 and 8(4) of the Act, the ED has discretionary powers to search and seize suspected property without any judicial permission.
Why is the government tightening the legislative grip on digital trade?
For a little more than a decade, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFT) and other digital assets enjoyed a regulation-free environment. But, in the past couple of years, as the use of digital assets has gone mainstream, regulators have turned hawkish. The value of all existing cryptocurrency is about $804 billion as of January 3, 2023, according to cryptocurrency price-tracking site CoinMarketCap.com. That is about twice the GDP of Singapore in 2021. In India, according to a survey conducted by crypto exchange KuCoin, over 10 crore Indians have invested in cryptocurrencies.
Separately, according to a report by blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, illegal use of cryptocurrencies hit a record $20.1 billion last year. Transactions associated with sanctioned entities jumped over 1,00,000-fold, making up 44% of last year’s illegal activity.
What tools can be used to track money laundering via crypto transactions?
Tracking money trail in cryptocurrency transactions may require new tools and approaches as such transfers differ fundamentally from traditional banking channels. FIUs may be familiar with Know Your Customer (KYC) or Customer Due Diligence (CDD) norms. But the technological nature of VDAs presents a new challenge in gathering information. This requires the intelligence unit to broaden its intelligence framework.
The Egmont Group that facilitates cooperation between FIUs to prevent money laundering recommends the analysis of crypto wallets, its associated addresses and blockchain records, and hardware identifiers like IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity), IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) or SEID (Secure Element Identifier) numbers, as well as MAC addresses.
What about regulation in other countries?
According to PwC’s ‘Global Crypto Regulations Report 2023’, a large proportion of countries are at various stages of drafting regulations around crypto. Most countries have already brought digital assets under anti-money laundering laws. Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and Malaysia have legislations on regulatory framework. The U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada have initiated plans on regulating. So far, China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have issued a blanket ban on cryptocurrency. The EU is also preparing a cross-jurisdictional regulatory and supervisory framework for crypto-assets. The framework seeks to provide legal clarity, consumer and investor protection, and market integrity while promoting innovation in digital assets.


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(NEW YORK) In the midst of his super secretive gig with Oscar de la Renta, John Galliano exited a Paris courtoom today with another small victory towards his road to redemption. The news? The French Labor Relations Court ruled that they were qualified to hear the designer’s side of the story, which is bound to come out in his $15 million lawsuit against his former employer Christian Dior and namesake label John Galliano. This is just the first step in what will undoubtedly be a long battle. Galliano’s lawyer, Chantal Giraud-Gaver, said it could take years due to a back-up of cases at the court.
How will Galliano handle all the legal fees? According to the report on his income, which was made public in the case, Galliano was paid an annual salary of $1.3 million at Christian Dior, a percentage of the brand’s sales, plus additional compensation totaling up to $906,400. And how much did it cost to maintain his eccentric style? A clothing allowance of $38,850 and a grooming budget of $77,700. As for his namesake brand (yes, there’s more!) the designer received $2.6 million a year and a clothing allowance of $90,650. These numbers don’t even include other consulting fees he raked in. We’ll let you do the math.

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A strike of 12,000 writers in Hollywood under the jurisdiction of the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) is resisting the corporate greed of the large film and television studios. The strike is now in its second week, and is continuing to gain momentum.
Already, the strike has had a considerable effect on the industry, with production of some top-rating programs, such as 24, postponed indefinitely. Other programs, like Desperate Housewives, have been delayed and have run out of scripts. The potential economic impact on California, which is dominated by Hollywood, is considerable.
Strikers are demanding a share of subsidiary revenues from so-called new media — the digital broadcasting of programs. Studios currently scoop all revenue from advertising that runs alongside online broadcasts of programs. While writers, directors, actors and producers receive a small sum from other subsidiary outlets, such as DVD sales, they have been excluded from the residual payments from internet broadcasts.
In other words, when consumers buy an episode of their favourite TV program from iTunes, stream TV content onto their mobile phone or download a movie from Amazon, the production studios refuse to pass on any percentage of the profits to the workers involved in the production process. It's estimated that studios will earn US$2 billion over the next two years on internet downloads.
In response, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has asserted that writers already receive some payment from digital downloads, with a representative quoted in the November 8 Hollywood Reporter as saying that writers were asking for "future, non-existent revenue" that would strip the industry's ability to develop economically.
Although the WGA negotiates for writers only, the outcome of the strike will have an important impact on future negotiations with other industry unions, such as the Actors' Guild of America. AGA-negotiated contracts expire in June 2008, with another wage battle expected then. Writers are not just acting on their own behalf, but in the interests of all workers in the entertainment industry.
WGA has already made a major concession to the studios — initially, the union demanded a doubling of residual payments from DVD sales as well as royalties from digital media, but
retracted this demand on November 4. WGA has also expressed concern over the drop in unionisation in the industry — in the mid-1980s, 95% of hired workers were covered by WGA, but this has dropped to 55% with outsourcing to other entertainment companies (such as animation) and so-called reality TV (which has less demand for screenwriters) being big factors.
Hollywood remains deeply divided economically. A recent WGA study of members on the US west coast found that 48% were unemployed. By contrast, CBS President Les Moonves made $24.5 million last year.
Hundreds of prominent actors have pledged their public support to the strike, refusing to cross picket lines. Actor Jenna Fischer, from The Office, explained her reasons for striking in her Myspace blog on November 7, citing the high rate of intermittent unemployment in the industry. She explained that many successful shows, such as ABC's Lost, had ceased showing repeats on TV at all, replacing this with ad-supported streaming videos on their websites.
"If you're a Lost writer, or actor, or director, or a teamster, that's no residuals at all for that show, and that's a big pay cut. We all count on the extra income ... as it can help us through a slump in our career. It is our safety net. In 10 years I may need those residual checks to cover my electric bill. You never know. Hollywood is a fickle town."
She pointed out that if "everything is rerun on the internet, the current union contracts say the studios don't have to pay us a dime."
Writer/director Joss Whedon, creator of the cult success Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has publicly supported the strike — attending the picket line outside the headquarters of Fox Network despite the fact that his newly commissioned series on Fox, Dollhouse, is affected by the strike. In a post on Whedonesque.com on November 6, he commented on how gratifying it has been to see actors from Buffy on the picket line supporting the writers.
Not all members of the industry have supported the strike. WGA issues a statement on November 9 condemning comedian Ellen DeGeneres for continuing to produce her show without her writing team. "When shows refuse to stand with us they create huge revenue streams for the companies and that prolongs the strike for the thousands of staff and crew members who are noble enough to honor our picket lines. We find this situation hurtful to those people ... The writers did not cause this strike. The companies' greed caused this strike and it could end tomorrow if they were finally willing to negotiate a fair deal."
[Visit <http://www.fans4writers.com> for more information about the strike.]


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HTC has been around the smartphone business since the Windows Mobile days. It’s still one of the top brands to consider when looking for a smartphone even here in our country. However, how many of you actually know what HTC stands for? Funny, I didn’t know either before writing this article (it’s High Tech Computer by the way).
In order to revitalize the HTC brand, HTC Corp. hired the services of the charismatic Robert Downey Jr. as their new spokesperson and to star in their new campaign “œHere’s To Change”. According to HTC execs and RDJ, the new direction they’re aiming for the HTC brand is “œanything you want it to be”.
HTC could simply mean “œHold This Cat” or something as absurd as “œHipster Troll Carwash”. Check out the campaign video, it’s brilliant.
HTC is still one of the brands that I like when it comes to mobile phones. They just don’t have the marketing power like other brands do but this move can easily put them back into the map. It will surely bring buzz and wider brand recognition. Kudos to HTC for bringing RDJ on board.


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Narrow your search
Keeping up with its recent tradition of Super Bowl ads that tug at your heartstrings, Budweiser's "Lost Dog" spot follows one lost puppy's long journey home.
Glowing ghosts on roller skates and a techno remix of the game's music -- here's how Bud Light made the life-sized Pac-Man maze light up in its Super Bowl ad.
Crave's Eric Mack traveled to a fictional town for an in-person demo of a push-button, remote-controlled beer delivery drone. Now for the FAA to get onboard with commercial use.
The latest update to the app features a new interface, quicker performance, and a discount on certain books and magazines.
This week's CTIA Enterprise and Applications conference provides developers with an opportunity to connect with carriers and handset manufacturers.
Soon .com, .net, and .edu will be joined by .whatever-you-want. Expect the new Net domains to bring confusion and trademark hassles, along with business opportunities.
Researchers at UC Davis say that silicon, the most common metalloid and a known booster of bone-mineral density, is highly "bioavailable" when consumed in beer.
The annual football extravaganza will have fewer ads from tech companies than in the past--but then again, they still haven't regained the momentum they had during the dot-com boom.
Though they work in the same field of social application-based advertising, the two partner to bring BuddyMedia's analytics to SocialMedia's clients.
Called 'BuddyBrain,' the set of client tools provides more detailed data on ad campaign success than social-network platforms typically offer.


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Constellation Brands, Inc. (STZ) Shares Bought by New Mexico Educational Retirement Board
New Mexico Educational Retirement Board grew its position in Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,571 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board’s holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $3,788,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in STZ. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands by 153.1% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the period. Cerebellum GP LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $134,000. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 3rd quarter valued at $153,000. Calton & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 4th quarter valued at $153,000. Finally, MPS Loria Financial Planners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Constellation Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at $157,000. 75.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
In other news, Director Barry A. Fromberg sold 2,005 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.42, for a total transaction of $441,942.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,790 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,531.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 15.59% of the company’s stock.
Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 5th. The company reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.13. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 22.55% and a return on equity of 22.04%. The company had revenue of $1.98 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.87 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. research analysts anticipate that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current year.
Constellation Brands declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Friday, January 5th that allows the company to buyback $3.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 23rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $2.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. Constellation Brands’s dividend payout ratio is 22.66%.
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on STZ. Vetr raised shares of Constellation Brands from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $238.15 price target for the company in a report on Monday, February 5th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, February 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $275.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Susquehanna Bancshares set a $207.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 1st. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $255.00 target price for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $237.77.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION NOTICE: This news story was originally reported by The Cerbat Gem and is the sole property of of The Cerbat Gem. If you are accessing this news story on another domain, it was stolen and republished in violation of US and international trademark & copyright law. The original version of this news story can be accessed at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2018/02/14/constellation-brands-inc-stz-shares-bought-by-new-mexico-educational-retirement-board.html.
Constellation Brands Company Profile
Constellation Brands, Inc is an international beverage alcohol company. The Company is a producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Italy. Its segments include Beer, Wine and Spirits, and Corporate Operations and Other. It is a multi-category supplier (beer, wine and spirits) of beverage alcohol in the United States.
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ).
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified a Yokohama Tire Corp. product as the baseline tire casing for retreaded products, according to Yokohama.
The company said EPA will use the RY617 steer and all-position tire as the benchmark product for retreaded tires seeking EPA SmartWay certification.
“We are excited that the EPA has designated the RY617 steer and all-position tire for their verification program as the benchmark casing for retread technologies,” said Rick Phillips, Yokohama director of commercial sales. “That means all retread solutions will be measured against a target number for rolling resistance on our casing. This is an important and necessary initiative by the EPA to incorporate retreading into the SmartWay program. It has been instrumental in helping the trucking industry become more fuel efficient and we are very glad to have our casing represent the benchmark.”
According to Yokohama, EPA sent a letter to media and other tire companies describing the newly-defined test casing as “an American-made Yokohama Super Steel RY617 in size 295/75R22.5. It will be used for all treads with conventional-width tires used in dual configuration.”


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Professional Fighters League And Legends Expand Strategic Partnership PFL announces Legends as exclusive global e-commerce provider Multi-year deal will see Legends produce PFL branded products and memorabilia
PFL wraps breakthrough third season with thrilling championship event
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced Legends Global Merchandise will become the exclusive e-commerce provider for the PFL. Under the multi-year agreement, LGM will operate the league's online shopping experience and create an assortment of officially licensed products for all consumer segments, including shirts, sweatshirts, hats, hardlines and memorabilia. Earlier this year, Legends made a strategic investment in the PFL. The partnership includes Legends supporting PFL's growth and business operations across sponsorship, ticketing and hospitality and training facility development. The expanded partnership will give Legends exclusivity on PFL e-commerce. Today's announcement comes after a strategic partnership was announced between PFL and Legends in August to create and execute premium, unique experiences and opportunities for sponsors, partners, and fans. Legends will utilize all its internal data analytics capabilities to generate insights into the PFL consumer, allowing for personalized and targeted experiences. As part of the agreement, Legends made an investment in PFL for an ownership stake.
"As PFL continues to pioneer the future of the sport for fans around the world, we're excited to expand our relationship with Legends as our exclusive e-commerce partner," said PFL CEO, Peter Murray. "Together, we'll collaborate on best-in-class branded products and memorabilia which will be available globally in a premium online shopping experience."
"This is a very strategic initiative for us as Legends Global Merchandise is the leader in e-commerce and specifically MMA e-commerce and merchandising," said Dave Moroknek, President, Legends Global Merchandise. "We are thrilled to be associated with the PFL as we expand our partnership throughout the entire Legends organization. We have set our sights on working closely with the PFL to deliver the best merchandise with the best customer experience to the fans of the PFL."
PFL just concluded its tremendously successful third season last week as six fighters earned world championships and $6 million in prize money at MMA's biggest event on October 27. The league has seen 100 percent audience growth in 2021 and added leading brands its blue-chip sponsorship portfolio, with more world-class talent and events coming to MMA fans across the globe next year.
Professional Fighters League has quickly established itself as the No. 2 MMA company in the world. With the addition of world-class talent – from elite fighters to established business executives – and partnering with industry-leading brands such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, GEICO, DraftKings, BetMGM, Upper Deck, CarParts.com and Socios, the PFL continues to accelerate its global expansion.


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April 2017—Due to political conditions in this small Balkan country, it is challenging for many Kosovo businesses to create new partnerships within their own ethnic community—let alone to build trust with a business from a different region or ethnic community.
USAID has been working continuously to facilitate such partnerships since 2012.
In 2004, a year that marked clashes between Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian majority and ethnic Serbian minority, Goran Jocić, then 22, started his own wood processing company out of a small workspace in his parents’ house. Over the years, his talent in woodwork earned him a strong reputation in the north of the country mostly dominated by Serbs.
However, it wasn’t until he was invited to Kosovo’s first countrywide wood industry convention in October 2016 that he was able to connect with the country’s largest distributors in the south.
“At the convention, I realized that my products were very competitive with what is being produced in southern Kosovo,” Jocić explains. “That gave me the confidence I needed to take the plunge and start expanding my business for export.”
USAID’s EMPOWER Private Sector project, which helped organize the convention, connected Jocić and two other wood processors from northern Kosovo with the southern wood processor PSA Germany, who was looking for subcontractors to help fill an order of cutting boards for export to Germany.
Based in part on the promise of this new partnership, Jocić recently signed a lease on a new 1,000-square meter factory space where he will nearly triple his current staff to fulfill the growing demand for his products.
As a result of these partnerships with southern distributors—in addition to two new greenhouses he received this year from the EMPOWER project—farmer Jovan Milovanović, from northern Kosovo, has been able to double his production over the past year.
“Before, I could only grow enough vegetables for my family to sell at the local green market,” says Milovanović. “Now my vegetables are being sold in supermarkets all over Kosovo.”
In the coming year, Milovanović will take his business to the next level by selling his tomato seedlings to other local farmers so they can collectively grow a commercial quantity for southern exporter Fresh. To do this, Milovanović and other farmers will partner with Agrocenter, a local produce collection and cooling center, to ensure that their tomatoes maintain their quality and freshness while awaiting export.
Agrocenter owner Zlatko Sekulić initially built the cooling chamber to store his own apple crop for export, but with support from USAID, he expanded the facility to meet the storage and calibration needs of 60 local family farms in addition to other apple farmers from southern Kosovo.
“With this new facility, I can meet my initial goal of being the primary collection and export center for all of Kosovo’s apple production, as well as help other farmers in the north to move into commercial production,” Sekulić beams.
Southern distributors are welcoming collaborations with northern producers and putting national economic interests before ethnic divisions. One such southern distributor is Xhevat Zymeri, owner of Fresh, who says that “Kosovo citizens should overcome barriers from the past and join forces to support Kosovo-made produce over foreign imports.”
The five-year USAID EMPOWER Private Sector project, which is also funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, has been working since July 2014 to stimulate large-scale job creation by elevating the competitiveness of Kosovo firms in the growth-ready sectors of apparel, wood processing, ICT, renewable energy, tourism and metal processing. To date, the project has created over 1,700 new jobs across Kosovo, with plans to create a total of 5,000 new jobs by July 2019.
Last updated: April 26, 2017


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According to a new comScore report, Apple’s iPad is the number one tablet for surfing the Internet.
Worldwide, the iPad makes up 89 percent of all tablet web traffic, with an astonishing 97 percent share in the United States.
Additionally, in Canada, the iPad accounts for 33.5 percent of all non-computer web traffic, which includes traffic from smartphones such as the iPhone. In Brazil, 31.8 percent of non-computer web surfing is done with Apple’s tablet.
With more Honeycomb-based Android tablets coming out this year, as well as HP’s webOS-powered TouchPad, the iPad is about to gain some more competition, but these numbers prove what many have been thinking — it is going to be super difficult for anyone to catch up with Apple in this market.
Article Via Mac Rumors


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According to VentureBeats, sources close to the matter have confirmed that Google has signed on to buy Twitch – a video game livestreaming website.
This was also rumoured back in May, and supposedly ‘Twitch investors who participated in past rounds are pleased that they will be getting significant returns that are multiple times the amount they originally invested.”
Twitch allows its users to livestream their gameplay over the internet to anyone who wishes to watch. You can stream from PC, and more recently from your PS4 or Xbox One.
In the same way YouTube spawned its own batch of celebrities, Twitch is doing the same, with hundreds of thousands of people following the various channels at any one time, with viewing hours increasing each year.
With the popularity of livestreaming games, and eSports competitions offering up millions of dollars in prize money whilst millions of people watch, it would be a natural step for a big company like Google to come along and invest.
Google and Twitch are yet to comment on the matter, but as soon as anything is confirmed we’ll let you know.
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Recently the payday lender Wonga was forced into administration blaming a surge in historical compensation claims as the reason for its collapse. These claims suggested that lenders had never properly checked their customers could afford to pay the loans back.
Stevens listed some of the concerns held by the credit industry.
A “reverse burden of proof” during claims that meant firms must prove to the ombudsman that they carried out suitable affordability checks with old loans, rather than consumers proving that checks did not take place. Cases that go to the ombudsman cost lenders £550 irrespective of the outcome, even though the average short-term loan was usually less than that.
Banks offering overdrafts did not face the same rules on affordability that credit companies did with loans.
The financial ombudsman was allowing claims linked to loans that were too far in the past, and should have been timed out.
Claims management companies were trying to dodge regulation by city watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) by claiming they were under the same jurisdiction as solicitors.
“Flood of claims.”
He argued that CMCs were also sending out a flood of claims before regulation under the City watchdog took effect next year.
But he admitted there was little that firms could do in the meantime to protect themselves from these claims and that they would “never get sympathy”.
However, former chairman of the CMC’s trade body, the Professional Financial Claims Association denied the claims saying: –
“The way to eliminate CMCs and claims is to treat consumers fairly, and get the sale right in the first place.”
He argued that credit firms were responsible for their own lending practices.
“Claims were often complicated and required research, so it would be difficult to drop them all on a company at once.”
He added that it “would be hard for a CMC to avoid regulation by pretending to be something else.”
What the Financial Ombudsman Service said: –
According to the FOS, The Financial Ombudsman Service, each case was considered on its merits. There was guidance on when a claim would be regarded as too old to be considered. In general, a consumer can make a claim for compensation up to six years after the loan was sold.
However, they can also make a claim regarding a more historic loan, up to three years after they knew, or could reasonably have known, that they had good reason to make the complaint.
Credit Firms, however, say the FOS is leaning too much in favour of claimants when allowing claims, when companies no longer have the documentation from such a long time ago.
Others argue that there is no excuse for failing to keep the records for longer.
The FCA profiles typical payday borrower.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) ran a survey entitled ‘Financial Lives’ . The survey revealed that 3.6 million people (7% of UK adults) are borrowing from friends and family. That is more than the 3.1 million (6% of UK adults) who took out high-cost credit such as payday loans.
The FCA also laid out a typical profile for consumers borrowing from payday lenders. This showed the average age of a payday borrower was 35 with 62% being male and 38% female. There average income was below the national average of £26,370 at £20,400. 76% had no savings and the average for the remaining borrowers was just £177 worth of saving. 68% struggled to pay bills and had an average household debt, excluding mortgages, of £4,700.
Bank of England figures suggest slow growth in borrowing.
The Bank of England’s figures show that borrowing, in July, has seen its lowest annual growth since an 8% increase in August 2015.
Borrowing from sources such as credit cards, personal loans and overdrafts increased by 8.1% annually in August, down from 8.5% growth in July. However, within the 8.1% annual growth in consumer credit in the latest figures, growth in personal loans and overdrafts was at its weakest since December 2014. Growth in credit card borrowing has remained “broadly stable” for the past 18 months.
The bank say the figures show signs of increased caution for households. The August hike in interest rates has seen annual growth in consumer credit weakened to its lowest levels in three years.
Annual growth in consumer credit is now “well below” a peak of 10.9% seen in November 2016.
Conditions for borrowers getting tougher.
Recent figures, however, suggest conditions for borrowers are getting tougher.
The number of balance transfer credit card deals on the market which have an introductory zero-interest period has fallen to its lowest level for years.
This could make life harder for credit card borrowers who rely on shifting their debt from one interest-free credit card deal to another.
The findings could spell higher costs for people in persistent debt. They may be used to jumping from one 0% deal to another when their initial interest-free period ends.
Interest-free balance transfers are a way to make the cost of debts cheaper. They allow people to move old debts to a new card, with 0% interest for a set period. This helps to keep the cost of the debt down. Although any fees for transferring the balance need to be weighed up.
Borrowers should also aim to clear their balance before the 0% initial period ends – after which time the cost of the debt could rocket.
Debt Charity say consumer confidence slipping.
One Debt Charity, said: –
“With consumer confidence slipping over the summer against a backdrop of uncertainty caused by Brexit, it’s perhaps not surprising that credit growth has continued its downward trend.”
“We must keep an eye out for issues arising out of emergency borrowing to ensure lending remains affordable and sustainable in the long term.”
Credit card market adapting to economic pressures.
According to one finance expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk: –
“It’s clear to see that the credit card market is adapting to economic pressures and growing scrutiny regarding consumers with persistent debts.”
“Credit card providers have diluted their enthusiasm to offer table-topping interest-free balance transfer offers over the last few months. Resulting in the number of deals with this feature falling to a record low of 87, down from 101 in June.”
“If lenders continue to tighten their interest-free offers, the cost of persistent debt will only escalate further. This could result in customers paying out more in balance transfer fees, time and time again.”
“These fees are on the rise, up from 2.04% on average in January to 2.2% today.”


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A deal to prevent TikTok from being banned in the US has been plunged into peril.
The Chinese firm ByteDance had reached an settlement with Oracle and Walmart that was designed to allay nationwide safety considerations, however Global Times, a newspaper backed by the Chinese state, has prompt Beijing is unlikely to give its approval.
Under the plans, a brand new US subsidiary can be tasked with operating TikTok, a video streaming app that is immensely common with youngsters.
But the newspaper’s editorial denounced a requirement that 4 of the 5 board seats of this firm should be held by Americans, with just one reserved for a Chinese nationwide.
“It is clear that these [terms] extensively show Washington’s bullying style and hooligan logic. They hurt China’s national security, interests and dignity,” the article warned.
Another paragraph added: “If the reorganisation of TikTok under US manipulation becomes a model, it means once any successful Chinese company expands its business to the US and becomes competitive, it will be targeted by the US and turned into a US-controlled company via trickery and coercion.”
This is not the solely risk to the TikTok deal, which requires approval from regulators in each Beijing and Washington.
While ByteDance says it’s going to proceed to personal 80% of the TikTok Global subsidiary, Oracle has stated that the Chinese firm will not have a direct stake in the enterprise.
US President Donald Trump has stated that he will not approve the deal until he is happy that Oracle and Walmart have “total control” over TikTok – and warned he is ready to scrap it.
“If we can save it, we’ll save it, and if we can’t we’ll cut if off,” he advised reporters. “We have to have total security. That’s the only thing, very important, we have to have total security.”
The US Commerce Department had proposed to ban all downloads of the TikTok app in the US from final Sunday, however this measure was delayed by one week to give the corporations time to finalise the deal.


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How risky is it to fly?
According to one airline executive, there’s only a very small chance of catching COVID-19 while on an airplane, as long as certain precautions are taken. This quote comes as airlines are hoping to boost consumer confidence in flying.
JetBlue Airways president Joanna Geraghty made the comments about the risks of catching COVID-19 at the Skift Global Forum, Bloomberg reports. The forum, which was held online this year due to the pandemic, is a conference focused on the travel industry. Not surprisingly, the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the airline industry was often the topic of conversation.
According to Bloomberg, Geraghty referenced a study by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health at the conference. She explained that, based on the study’s research, the risk of catching COVID-19 on an aircraft is less than 1%, as long as passengers and crew members wear masks and HEPA air filtration systems are used.
The Harvard study is reportedly still ongoing, however.
Geraghty also discussed the impact the pandemic has had on business travel compared to its impact on leisure travel.
“About 80 percent of JetBlue’s passengers are leisure travelers, a ratio that has stood it in good stead during the pandemic, as business travel has all but collapsed,” she said. “Leisure and friend- and family-visit travel have fueled the U.S. airline industry’s nascent recovery. Airlines, such as American, United and Delta, which staked much of their revenue on high-dollar business travelers, have begun to pivot to capture more leisure traffic. JetBlue has added more than 30 routes in recent weeks.”
Previous studies have shown conflicting results for the risk of infection COVID-19 poses on airplanes. In late August, a group of German researchers determined that the chances of being infected by the virus on a flight were small, although still possible. However, another study determined that the risk of catching COVID-19 on longer flights "is real and has the potential to cause COVID-19 clusters of substantial size." Neither study mentioned the impact of using masks and air filtration systems.


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Groundbreaking global campaign to launch 'Dan and Phil Go Outside' #DAPGO
On Thursday 3rd August, in a global announcement, Ebury press announced the acquisition of Dan and Phil Go Outside from Dan Howell and Phil Lester, the authors of last year’s worldwide publishing phenomenon, The Amazing Book is Not on Fire and launched the websitewww.danandphilgooutside.com
To support the global announcement, Ebury Press and Dan and Phil launched a brand new website application on August 5th a first-ever cover ‘hacking’ tool application at the centre of the campaign www.danandphilgooutside.com/createacover. The concept for the ‘create an alternative cover’ application tool is to hack the cover using the book font, a images of Dan and Phil, and a background image – including the option to upload your own background image, write your own text and change the image of Dan and Phil. There are five alternative Dan and Phil cut outs to use, and five background images. Once designed, the alternative cover can be downloaded or shared directly on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
Clarissa Pabi, Senior Marketing Executive at Ebury Publishing tells us what it was like working with Dan and Phil on the global campaign to launch 'Dan and Phil Go Outside’ . It included a brand new website including a first-ever cover ‘hacking’ tool application.
‘Dan and Phil are at the cutting edge of culture, and when you work with them you are constantly inspired to come up with iconoclastic and forward-thinking ideas that become cultural talking points. Their YouTube channels and strong social media presence puts them at the intersection between emerging digital technology, gaming and entertainment, so when we work together we try to bring those elements out in our campaign.
We knew that social media, creativity and interactivity needed to be at the centre of the 'Dan and Phil Go Outside' book campaign and we wanted to ensure that this campaign was innovative and genuinely engaged their audience in a new and exciting way – as this is what both Dan and Phil and their audience expect from us. Inspired by Dan and Phil's originality, quirky humour and book cover design, I thought that a web application, which allowed their audience to hack and customise their cover to create sharable images, would allow us to do something that had never been done before in publishing. It would also simultaneously enable their audience to showcase their own creativity and individual humour and spreading the excitement about the new book through word-of-mouth online.
After discussing and refining the application idea with Dan and Phil, the entire process of actualising the idea and building the application was iterative and collaborative. I worked closely with an incredible external development team to build the app, advanced further by the legal and digital insight within Penguin Random House.
The process took an intensive 2 months of hard work, but the response has been absolutely incredible. To see the application result in the book's hashtag trending, and outdoing the Olympic Opening Ceremony, is a true testament to the importance of timing and the cultural significance Dan and Phil have globally. I've loved seeing their audience's creations and I'm absolutely delighted that they are as excited as we are about the book. #DAPGO!'


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There’s a staircase in the Bronx, New York, that has quickly gained notoriety after its display in a recent movie about a clown turned criminal in Gotham City, and the stairs have quickly become a top New York City tourist destination.
Because of this, residents in the Bronx have become increasingly frustrated with the uptick of disruptive tourists. Burger King knows how annoying clowns can be, and they want to put a happy face on all Bronx residents.
To make Bronx residents forget about the annoying tourists, at least for a little while, Burger King is partnering with Uber Eats to give them a free Whopper sandwich.
Starting January 7, the same day the movie comes out on DVD, anyone that lives in the vicinity of the iconic stairs and in the Bronx can get a free Whopper delivered to their home using code KINGSTAIRS on the Uber Eats app through January 12.


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If you are a football fan who went to college in the 1990s or early 2000s, you probably spent a good deal of time playing the EA Sports “College Football” video game series. I played the 1993-1996 versions for days at a time.
The company stopped producing the annual release with the 2014 edition. One of the big reasons was the complaints of players who appeared in the game not being able to receive any compensation for their appearance or likeness being used. EA Sports is bringing the game back, and the company and the new NIL rules have mitigated the issue of player compensation.
Mike Rothstein of ESPN reported that EA Sports is allowing players the option to appear in the game. From Rothstein:
Details — such as how much an athlete will receive and the structure of payments — are still being finalized, but the EA Sports representative said the goal is to be “as inclusive and equitable as possible.” On the OneTeam website, the company stated that if the influence of individual sales couldn’t be figured out — including for video game licensing — then “revenue will be divided equally among the athletes included in each licensing program.”
The opt-in ability removes some of the obstacles faced in producing the new version of the game. The college football game is expected to return in 2024. It’s always been a great way to get more familiar with the attributes of players who could eventually enter the NFL, aside from being an exceptionally entertaining diversion.


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American produce growers preparing to harvest crops are warning of a devastating impact on fruit and vegetables after the U.S. Embassy in Mexico announced a halt to visa interviews for seasonal farm workers. Slaughterhouses also may face labor shortages.
In Australia, growers say the country may face shortages of some fruits and vegetables because of travel curbs, with the nation traditionally using overseas workers for one third of seasonal farming jobs. Kiwifruit pickers are in short supply in New Zealand. And in Canada, travel limits threaten meat processors that rely on temporary foreign workers to fill chronic labor shortages.
“There won’t be anyone to harvest the crops,” said Robert Guenther, senior vice president for public policy for the United Fresh Produce Association, which represents U.S. growers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. “It will be devastating to growers and ultimately to the supply chain and consumers. They won’t have the food.”


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The NFL’s goal is to make the whole issue go away by taking back control of the story. There is no sign it has succeeded.
6 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The National Football League has announced its new policy to punish players who “take a knee” during the national anthem and fine their teams. The announcement came after the league spent close to two years sitting on the bubble of a brand crisis, which began when Colin Kaepernick first took a knee in October of 2016 to protest police violence in the African-American community. The question now is, what effect this latest move by the NFL will have on its brand? Will the new policy quiet the debate and ease the tension, or throw more fuel on a long-simmering fire?
This dilemma comes with big dollar signs attached: the NFL has been valued at over $25B and the average NFL franchise at $2.5B. The Dallas Cowboys, at $4.8B, is the most valuable sports team in the world.
To get at some answers, I spoke to experts in marketing, PR, and IP valuation about how the kneeling penalty policy will affect NFL brands from two perspectives: brand health (regard of the public) and brand economics (how reliably these franchises can continue to drive profits). A number of them chose to speak anonymously.
“The two most powerful forces in marketing are narrative and momentum,” according to Jeff Rosenblum, co-founder of marketing agency Questus. “Unfortunately for the NFL and its players, they’ve lost both on this topic.”
When the issue of on-field protests first arose, the NFL was caught flatfooted without a ready response. President Trump’s high-energy tweets threw the whole issue into a crisis state, still with no response from the NFL. “They were outmaneuvered by Trump,” said one marketing expert. The NFL’s goal is to make the whole issue go away by taking back control of the story. Unfortunately, the new rules seems destined to do the opposite, for several reasons:
- There’s no grounding in values or beliefs. The announcement referenced respect for the flag and then went straight to rules and punishments with no expression of core beliefs that might resonate even with those who disagree with the policy.
- There’s no data. “Why was there no underlying data and analysis to validate their decision-making?” asked Larry Weber, chairman and founder of communications agency Racepoint Global. With no research or other insights as a justification for the decision, “it comes across as a reactionary decision to the President’s demagoguery,” he said.
- There’s no middle ground. The NFL tried to throw a bone to everyone but allowing invisible protest in the bowels of the stadium will still anger the “respect the flag” camp but, inevitably, will not satisfy the players.
- There’s no league unity. By allowing teams to impose their own penalties, the NFL invites a varied patchwork of responses and expression of team values. “The NFL missed an opportunity to deepen connections with its fans by controlling the narrative and building positive momentum,” Rosenblum told me.
There’s little doubt then the controversy will continue. Cameras will scan the sidelines to see who is missing. Team owners will deliver varying viral soundbites. We’ve certainly not seen the last of on-field player protest. Some will surely kneel while others will creatively explore the fine print of the new policy for new forms of expression. Raised fists? Linked arms? Turned backs? Post-It notes on their foreheads? There is no telling.
The continuing controversy will only spell more risk to the health of a brand that has already had to weather a non-stop series of crises of domestic abuse, animal abuse, drug abuse, murder, suicide, DeflateGate, SpyingGate, BountyGate and the ongoing issue of concussions and overall player health and safety. The #TakeAKnee issue may be that last straw for many fans. “I can’t tell you how many friends and colleagues have said, ‘OK, I’m done now,’” one marketing leader told me.
Let’s start by acknowledging that football is still by leaps and bounds the most popular and profitable sports franchise in the country. That’s not likely to change any time soon. Sunday Night Football remains the king of prime-time TV, even with the much-debated decline in ratings.
On the other hand, the timing of the NFL’s announcement is puzzling and probably unwise. We are in the midst of the upfront media season, a frenzy of negotiating and purchasing TV advertising time. From a revenue perspective, there may have been no worse time to launch a new salvo into the long-simmering issue. Advertiser who fear further ratings declines or consumer backlash may spend less on the NFL.
In the era of the social media-powered consumer, advertisers have plenty of reason to fear such a backlash. Consumers and interest groups have grown savvy in their use of social media as a lever to drive action by hitting businesses in their wallets. Brands have faced a near constant stream of #boycotts, often related to advertising. Keurig, for example faced massive consumer pressure to pull advertising from Sean Hannity’s program on Fox News. Immediately after pulling their spending, the brand then faced an even more furious wave of #boycotts from Hannity supporters.
Any prolonging or increase in the level of consumer static raises the probability of advertisers shifting their spending to other venues less likely to incur brand risk. And just as some fans may be feeling at the limits of their allegiance, advertisers may also view the ongoing controversy as one more reason to second-guess their level of investment in a sport that faces challenges from evolving media consumption, growing competition from soccer and sports and the lingering concern around player concussions.
The ultimate impact of the kneeling policy to the NFL and team brands will depend upon their actions going forward. They will need to do a better job of presenting a unified set of league values, moderate their response to the inevitable protest and regain control of overall narrative of their sport.
We’ll all be watching.


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Hyundai Motor Group Plans to Invest $16.5 Billion in S.Korea EV Business | Investing News
SEOUL (Reuters) -Hyundai Motor Team explained on Wednesday it designs to devote a whole of 21 trillion received ($16.54 billion) through 2030 for the growth of its electric motor vehicle (EV) small business in South Korea.
The South Korean vehicle team, which residences Hyundai Motor Co and Kia Corp, strategies to annually build 1.44 million models of EVs in South Korea by 2030.
The 1.44 million models of EV manufacturing quantity in South Korea would account for about 45% of a mixed global EV production capacity of 3.23 million EV units in 2030, the car group stated in a assertion.
Reuters noted very last week that Hyundai programs to create a new EV manufacturing plant in the U.S. condition of Georgia.
The Atlanta Journal-Structure documented the South Korean organization would spend $7.5 billion in Ga and retain the services of 8,500 https://www.ajc.com/information/hyundai-motor-predicted-to-formally-announce-ga-ev-plant-future-7 days/477JE55GSFDLTAISS7QYEXKTXA people as element of its programs to create a new manufacturing unit.
Very last yr, Hyundai Motor Team claimed it designs to spend $7.4 billion in the United States https://www.reuters.com/enterprise/autos-transportation/hyundai-motor-spend-74-bln-us-by-2025-2021-05-13 by 2025 to make EVs, update output services and more its investment in sensible mobility answers – technologies to enhance unique modes of transportation in cities.
(Reporting by Heekyong Yang Modifying by Jacqueline Wong and Kenneth Maxwell)
Copyright 2022 Thomson Reuters.


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Should the customers stay in their car or head to a waiting room during service?
It’s not the most detrimental decision a shop will make, but it’s a clear operational choice that brands have made.
Some major brands market sitting in the car as a part of their business model, while other shops always have customers step out and into a waiting room— sometimes before driving into the bay.
It could depend on the layout of a shop or the resources available. But is one preferable over the other? Two experts offer their thoughts.
Peter Barram, the founder of Integrated Services, Inc., falls in one camp. He says he’s always had the customer stay in the car.
“First and foremost is communication with the customer,” says Barram, who worked at Oil Can Henry’s before founding ISI. “They are right there. Minute you pull that air filter out, they're right there.”
There can be efficiencies gained when the customer is ready to drive the car in and out of the bay. And the customer will see that the techs working to do things as quickly as possible. That can go a long way to develop trust between a shop and a customer.
“Your customers time and perception is much faster when they're involved,” Barram says. “We’re all about serving quickly and properly, but the perception of the customer is very important.”
In addition, modern point-of-sale software can run smoothly on moveable or mobile devices, making checkout another efficiency gain.
It might be the customer’s preference, too.
Steve Isom, executive vice president of operations for Stonebriar Auto Services, says that the customer experience should be considered.
“There are some customers that have strong feelings one way or the other,” he says. “If they have a dog or kid in the seat, it makes it easier for them to stay in.”
Get Out and Stretch
Shops are making big investments in waiting rooms, and they can make for an excellent customer service tool.
They let drivers get out, stretch, get a snack and relax while the technicians do their thing.
Having customers leave their vehicles also opens up opportunities for some added services, like a quick interior vacuum or trash pickup.
Many brands have adopted or are developing video or photo interfaces, so that customers can see the progress on their vehicle from the waiting room.
But just as always, certain situations might make it better to have customers leave the car with the techs.
“When you're in a hot humid area, or very cold, having a customer waiting in the car when the car’s not running could become uncomfortable,” Isom says.
There’s really no absolute right answer in this case. It could depend on the services a shop offers, where it’s located or what a crew’s workflow is like.
Shops have to decide whether they’re able to do only one or the other— or be ready to do both.
“Personally, doing both sides,” Isom says. “I think the best is a hybrid where the customer gets to go where they’re comfortable.”


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Facebook still wants to turn your News Feed into an online shopping tool.
Its latest effort to turn into an e-commerce giant is a new ad format that lets brands pair their commercials with collections of images and product listings in the same post.
When clicked, the images lead to a catalog of a given retailers' items hosted within Facebook. But users will be directed off the platform if they actually want to buy something.
Facebook has been trying to get people to shop through its site(Opens in a new window) for years with features like buy buttons, in-platform stores and chatbots. It's even launched its own Craigslist competitor.
Most of these projects have failed to gain much traction.
The idea with this new ad type — which Facebook is calling "Collections" — seems to be to parlay some of the massive success the company has had with mobile video advertising into e-commerce.
"Three in four consumers say that watching videos on social media influences their purchasing decisions, which is why we designed collection," a spokesperson wrote in a blog post.
Facebook also hopes that fast-loading product catalogs will do for shopping what its Instant Articles did for news — streamline the sometimes clunky and inconsistent process of browsing third-party sites by roping it into the mobile-friendly reaches of its walled garden.
Tommy Hilfiger and Adidas are among the first brands to use the format.


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Maser Condo Sales and Piper Pre-School Celebrate the Holidays
Many thanks from the Maser Condo Sales Team and Piper Pre-School to those who joined us on Saturday, December 1st for the annual Main Street holiday festivities!
We gave out 300 free hot dogs, 300 bags of popcorn and hundreds of handmade ornaments. Our co-sponsor Piper Pre-School also handed out free goodies, and our friends at Little Prince on Main Street made a special holiday dessert.
Every year the event gets better, so we’re already looking forward to next year.
Thank you Santa Monica!


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Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Brighton store could lose its licence over sales to street drinkers
A hospital consultant faces losing his secondary income as an off-licence owner after his store staff were accused of fuelling a gang of street drinkers with super-strength alcohol.
Wahid Ibrahim could lose his licence to sell alcohol next week as a council review decides on his suitability to remain as the owner of B&W Stores in York Place, Brighton.
The review is the first in Sussex to be brought by fellow retailers and residents who say they are fed-up with a gang of up to 20 street drinkers fuelled by super-strength lager bought at B&W becoming involved in antisocial behaviour, threatening traders and fighting in the street.
Mr Ibrahim told The Argus yesterday that he was being unfairly “targeted” by council officials, and that ten employees would lose their livelihood if the shop was to close.
Police say that the store sold alcohol to an under-15 in October during a police operation, while in March last year Mr Ibrahim was spoken to by police officers after a street drinker was sold alcohol while drunk.
In May, a man holding two cans of Special Brew was arrested following a brutal assault of a fellow street drinker with baseball bats and a knife.
Most shockingly, in recent weeks staff at Pixies Nursery in Ditchling Road found two naked street drinkers having sex on the grass outside St Peter’s Church at 10.30am, preventing the nursery from taking children outside to play.
Beata Wetkowska, owner of Lovely Look salon in York Place, said: “A few months ago there was a fight involving a bottle and they smashed my window and it cost me £250 of my own money to replace it.
“They sleep outside here and use next door’s empty shop door as a toilet. We sometimes have to wash our front step in the morning because they have been there too.”
Matt Henry, who opened One Eyed Jacks gallery next door to B&W in October, said he had to call police up to three times a day, had witnessed at least eight fights including violent incidents with baseball bats, and had been assaulted himself.
He said “The intimidation grinds you down and it has had an enormous effect on my business and my quality of life.
“For a gallery, people want to stop and look at my window before deciding to come on in but when there are five or six people rowing and shouting outside, everybody just wants to get away as quickly as possible.”
Mr Wahid, who is a private gynaecology and obstetrics consultant, said his shop voluntarily stopped selling super-strength alcohol at the start of July but street drinkers still gathered around St Peter’s Place.
He said: “It is an endemic social problem. They are blaming the whole problem of Brighton on B&W. Why don’t they go after Special Brew manufacturers, where is AA? “If they can’t buy super-strength alcohol in London Road they will just go somewhere else.
“I am not here trying to make a big profit, I am just trying to make ends meet and pay my employees, but they want this place boarded up and ten people unemployed.”
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LG has used the quiet before the CES 2018 trade show madness to announce its new ThinQ televisions will come with Google Assistant built in. That means functional voice controls of the TV and more.
In the new ThinQ OLED and Super UHD TV lines LG will pack in a powerful Alpha 9 processor capable of supporting Google Assistant.
That means these TVs will be controlled via voice, say to turn off or change channel. But beyond that they will also act as a smart hub for the home meaning you’ll be able to control smart home gadgets, too.
Why is this useful? Imagine watching TV and turning up the heating to stay cosy without getting up or even touching your phone. Or perhaps you want to go into cinema mode – just turn down the room’s smart lights using your voice.
Other examples of what the smart assistant can do include the ability ask the TV to “search for the soundtrack of this movie”, “turn off the TV when this program is over”, “show me all the movies this actor has starred in” or “show me yoga videos”.
What’s the catch? LG says that the Google Assistant, which allows for smart home controls, will only be available in certain countries. Presumably that will include the UK where the Assistant is already widely available.
Expect to hear more on the LG ThinQ televisions and what they offer once they get shown off at CES 2018 in the coming days.


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Almost four years after the acquisition of Fred Segal by entrepreneur Jeff Lotman, founder of Global Icons, FashionnNetwork.com talks to the executive about the major challenges of 2023 and the brand's expansion.
Founded in 2016, Boy Smells is the brainchild of Los Angeles-based duo Matthew Herman and David Kien, two profiles who came from the fashion industry. FashionNetwork.com met the duo to understand their success story.
The world's second-biggest fashion retailer has reported headline sales for the latest quarter up 10% year on year, which slightly beat analysts’ expectations of a 9.5% rise in the three months to November.
Meta Platforms Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told employees that WhatsApp and Messenger would drive the company's next wave of sales growth, as he sought to assuage concerns about Meta after its first mass layoffs.
Three years after opening their first store in the Santa Ynez Valley, founders Pearson McGee and Spencer Turnbull have just opened their first pop-up store in Los Angeles, in Culver City's Platform shopping center.
Brushing off higher prices, affluent spenders are continuing to splash out on luxuries including $10,000 handbags and high-end perfumes, trading updates from Hermes, Kering, and L'Oreal showed on Thursday.
French luxury group Hermès said on Thursday that it enjoyed a strong Q3 with sales up 32.5%. Sales reached €3.136 billion in the three months to the end of September, with strong growth in all its business lines.
The luxury house is launching a line of bags with Italian manufacturer La Compagnia delle Pelli, which will manage production and global distribution. Licensing agreements have also been signed for a homeware line.


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Firefox maker Mozilla has announced a wide-ranging new program aiming to discover the scope and depth of tracking services used by Facebook parent company Meta.
Led by Rally, Mozilla’s privacy-first data-sharing platform, The Facebook Pixel Hunt will be conducted together with The Markup Team, an American non-profit data-driven journalism organization, covering the ethics and impact of technology on society, as well as Mozilla volunteering users.
To help the two organizations, users need to install Rally (which you can do on this link), and then sign up for the Facebook Pixel Hunt on this link. After that, it’s business as usual. They surf, the data gets generated, collected, and sent to the two companies for analysis.
Mozilla launched Rally in June 2021 as an extension for the popular browser that aims to raise awareness of the value of people’s data.
The data that gets created through the use of the extension will be used to support various studies. Among the first ones was a study by Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy’s on news and misinformation about politics and Covid-19 on digital services, and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business study on how people consume news and the impact ads have on the consumers.
The Markup, however, will be the first time Rally’s partnered up with an organization that doesn’t come from academia.
According to AdWeek, Rally product lead at Mozilla, Ted Han, said in a statement that the world cannot wait on platforms to “do the right thing, especially when so much depends on it”.
“This partnership seeks to lead the way in providing new and critical ways of illuminating the reality of the internet, led by the people who make it. This partnership comes at a time when the consequences of fragmented awareness have never been more stark.”
At the time of increased risk of identity theft, protecting one's online data has never been more important. Internet users are often advised to be careful who they share their personal information with, to use strong authentication methods whenever possible, and to connect to the internet via VPN in order to encrypt the communication channel.
Facebook has often been criticized for the way it handles user data, with one of the bigger incidents happening between 2013 and 2016. Back then, it was uncovered that the company provided British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica access to user data, without their consent, for the purpose of political advertising, ahead of the 2016 US presidential elections.
- You might want to check out our list of the best proxies right now


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Business owners on lower Government Street are concerned Victoria council’s decision to move the downtown cruise ship shuttle bus stop two blocks north will hurt their already struggling shops.
Pre-pandemic, the majority of gift, art, sweets and retail stores in the area relied heavily on cruise ship passengers for revenue – many shops have struggled to hold on the past two years.
Valeriya Zakreski, who owns Artina’s Jewellery, said they’ve always depended on tourist traffic over the summer months.
“This season allowed us to make enough money so we can be alive next season,” she said.
Between 25 and 50 per cent of their annual revenue came from cruise traffic pre-pandemic, Zakreski said. For the last two years, she and many nearby operators have hoped and dreamed cruise ships would come back to Victoria.
On April 6, the first ship is set to dock at Ogden Point, but passengers looking to come downtown won’t be dropped at the same spot. Instead of bringing them past the Inner Harbour to the corner of Government and Fort streets, the shuttle will stop two blocks north at Yates Street.
The decision is in line with the city’s strategic plan and council’s commitment to transform Government Street, between Humboldt and Yates streets, into a pedestrian-priority area.
Cruise passengers will be driven along Dallas Road from Ogden Point to Douglas Street, where the bus will turn left then later branch off onto Blanshard Street, turn left onto a newly reinstated two-way View Street and head to Government before turning right and stopping at Yates Street.
Mayor Lisa Helps said the James Bay community has long asked the city to create different routes to and from Ogden Point. She also doesn’t believe the new dropoff point will prevent tourists from visiting lower Government Street shops.
“They have wonderful businesses and cruise ship passengers having to walk 140 metres to their front door shouldn’t dissuade those passengers from shopping at their businesses,” she said.
Sandy Black, who owns Merchant Quarters General Store at Government and Humboldt, said regardless of the distance he still thinks the city is making a mistake.
“When you look at it as a sort of guest experience, which I think Victoria should be looking at this like, people come off the cruise ship and want to see the crown jewels – the Empress, the Inner Harbour, the legislature, et cetera. Instead, what we’re doing is plunking them in the middle of retail land way up the street,” he said.
Both he and Zakreski noted many people who take cruises are older and may have health problems or difficulty walking very far.
“A lot of people may not even have an opportunity to get down to see this,” Black said.
Their concerns are represented in a motion from Couns. Stephen Andrew and Geoff Young, set to go to council Thursday (Feb. 10), that recommends Government Street remain open to cruise ship buses for at least one year.
Asked Tuesday whether she thinks there is any wiggle room on the issue, Helps said “absolutely not,” voicing a belief that business owners’ fears will be alleviated come cruise season.
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Summary For investors, the growth of the public real estate market has created more opportunities to access attractive potential returns with the added benefit of moderating portfolio risk. REITs own office buildings, shopping centers, seniors homes, industrial...
There is a new world order when it comes to REITs – and investors should be venturing outside Canada to capitalize fully. That’s the message from Harvest Portfolios Group, which has shone a light on the breadth and depth of the sub-sectors that make up the global REIT...
Nike’s online business is booming, CEO says “digital is here to stay”
Nike is a holding in $HBF #Brands
The Unprecedented Rise of Zoetis Inc (now commanding a market cap of 76.55B and a float of 474.72M)
Zoetis is a holding in $HHL #Healthcare #Animalhealth
Merck announced the expansion of its high-potent active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) production capabilities and capacity at its facility in the US
Merck is a holding in $HHL #Healthcare


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Jordan Brand will be releasing a brand new Air Jordan 8 “Mushroom” colorway as part of their Summer 2020 lineup.
Dressed in a Light Orewood Brown, Black, Mushroom, and Muslin color scheme. No leaked photos have surfaced, but this Air Jordan 8 is expected to look similar to last year’s women’s-exclusive “Mushroom” Air Jordan 4.
Air Jordan 8 Mushroom Release Date
Look for the Air Jordan 8 “Mushroom” to release on August 22nd at select retailers and Nike.com. The retail price tag is set at $190 USD.
Color: Light Orewood Brown/Black-Mushroom-Muslin
Release Date: August 22, 2020
(Mock-up by House of Heat of what to expect from this “Mushroom” Air Jordan 8)


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20th Century Fox and Fox Home Entertainment are taking the viral campaign for the summer sci-fi thriller Prometheus to new heights, with the Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD debuting today. The official Prometheus Twitter account posted a new photo earlier today, that displays "newly discovered findings from Weyland Industries." Take a look at the photo and read on for more information regarding this extended viral campaign.
As you can see from the tweet above, these 'answers' can supposedly be found on the Blu-ray release. As you may recall, we reported in June that the Prometheus end credits revealed the WeylandIndustries.com/Timeline website and the cryptic date 10/11/12. Since this date is the first day of New York Comic-Con, it seems some answers may be found there as well. Stay tuned for any updates regarding this innovative Prometheus viral campaign.


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Despite the ramp of Blu-ray drives, DVD burners will continue to be the leading volume product until 2012, a recent IDC study indicates.
Overall PC market growth, driven by portable PCs, will give the worldwide CD/DVD market a moderately positive outlook in 2008 and lead to increased demand for slim drives. However, as the PC market's adoption of DVD burners becomes saturated and increasingly commoditized, Blu-ray adoption will accelerate in 2009 and Blu-ray drives will become the majority of the total market value in 2012.
"DVD burners will remain the bread-and-butter business for ODD vendors," said Wolfgang Schlichting, research director, Removable Storage at IDC. "Despite Blu-ray's win over HD-DVD in the format war, Blu-ray drive adoption will be limited in 2008 because of their high price and only moderate consumer interest."
Slow Blu-ray acceptance has also been reported by several analyst groups lately. Stand-alone Blu-ray player unit sales dropped 40% from January to February in the US, and saw only a 2% increase from February to March, according to NPD's Retail Tracking Service.
Blu-ray disc (BD) won the format war over HD DVD, but similar to DVD and DVD burners, Blu-ray will need a three- to five-year ramp to reach mass-market volumes. New, more affordable BD-ROM drives will lead the way for the BD format's adoption.
But until theat time, DVD burners continue their race to become a commodity market. Aggressive volume manufacturers will continue to drive down the price, pushing technology leaders out of the mainstream optical disc drive (ODD) market.
More than 100 million Blu-ray drives will ship worldwide in 2011, IDC forecasts.


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New "Laser" AJ4 rumored for January.
2019 will mark the 30th anniversary of the iconic Air Jordan 4 silhouette which means Jordan Brand will be releasing a ton of classic and all-new colorways over the course of the next 12 months. This will reportedly include a new "Laser" Air Jordan 4.
As seen in the IG post embedded below, the latest "Laser" Air Jordan 4s come equipped with a black leather upper accompanied by a hint of red on the tongue, white midsoles and a gum outsole.
Jordan Brand has released multiple "Laser" Air Jordan 4s over the years, including two different colorways that dropped in 2005 and one that dropped as part of the brand's 30th anniversary in 2015.


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Over the years, countries with strong manufacturing traditions risk becoming driven by cost, economies of scale and output. Portugal is not one of them — while goods exports have risen over the past decade to hit $67bn in 2019, ‘Made in Portugal’ has become synonymous with quality, innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship among in-the-know consumers. Big contributors include family businesses whose willingness to adapt has seen them thrive for generations.
Portugal now excels in sectors not historically associated with it, such as technology and pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, traditional industries, such as textiles and machinery, are reinventing themselves — blending old know-how with the latest techniques.
Agrifood is another example: food represents more than 10% of the country's goods exports, and some of the most exciting exporters are in the Ribatejo region to the north-east of Lisbon.
Take the Sugal Group: one of the world’s largest tomato producers, it supplies brands and supermarkets in more than 70 countries which benefit from the family business’s vertically integrated operations. “We are not just a tomato producer, we are also farmers,” says chief executive João Ortigão Costa. “The production process starts in the fields by choosing the right seeds and variety for each customer and product.”
Its innovation centre works closely with farmers to adopt techniques requiring less water, less fertilisers and, in the future, less machinery. “Together, we are bringing this sector into the 21st century,” says Mr Ortigão Costa.
In 2012, he had the foresight to start production in Chile, making Sugal the only large tomato producer with significant production in the northern and southern hemispheres. “We are the only one that can harvest crops and supply its customers twice a year. It also means we are able to react to our partners’ needs more rapidly,” he adds.
Another sustainability leader from Ribatejo is Mendes Gonçalves, a condiments producer whose Paladin brand reaches more than 30 countries. The chillies for its piri-piri sauce are grown in an agroforest regenerative system with 8000 trees. “In the coming years we will take further steps to produce more food in this way,” says chief executive Alexandra Mendes Gonçalves.
The company’s mission is to become a reference for the ‘food of the future’. “That means having a positive impact on society and environment, reducing food waste, and delivering an on-trend product,” she says. The company sources nearly 90% of its raw materials from Portugal, only turning to foreign markets for items which not locally available. “We are very proud of our Portuguese origins and we fully believe that a good quality ingredient will influence our final product,” says Ms Mendes Gonçalves.
Its focus on tailor-made solutions means it has 1700 different products, and its R&D department is constantly experimenting. According to Mr Ortigão Costa, as a small country with an export-focused agrifood industry, this persistence is the key to success: “The only way we can compete is through quality. That can’t be imposed. It’s something that we work on every single day.”
This article first appeared in the February/March print edition of fDi Intelligence. View a digital edition of the magazine here.


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Airtime in Europe
22 May 2017 12:50
Airwave are delighted to announce the first installation of a multi-currency enabled Airtime service at the Relais Du Louvre in Paris.
Located in the French capital’s First Arrondissement district and within a stone’s throw of the Louvre and Nôtre Dame, the Relais Du Louvre enjoys a globally iconic location.
Not resting on their laurels, the hotel’s management look to provide a world-class experience inside the hotel. With this in mind, Airwave was tasked to provide a video-on-demand service to cater for a cosmopolitan clientele. The natural choice was the award-winning Airtime platform, offering a cloud-based movie streaming service.
Airtime is currently installed in thousands of rooms across Europe but until now, has used GBP to service all transactions. The recent update, enabling almost all of the world’s currencies, adds extra convenience and flexibility to the service.
Airtime is available on most recent Samsung smart and Philips android hospitality TVs and can be retrospectively installed (multi-currency can also be retrospectively enabled).
For more details and a free demonstration, contact email@example.com, www.airtime.cloud or call 0845 555 1212


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Carl’s Jr to open soon in Armstrong Creek
BURGER lovers in Geelong and surrounds will soon have a new option to choose from, with the region’s first Carl’s Jr store set to open its doors in the first week of July.
Located in the Armstrong Creek Town Centre, the Carl’s Jr outlet has created about 80 jobs in Greater Geelong and the Surf Coast.
Carl’s Jr Armstrong Creek franchisee Mark Creelman held a VIP night on Thursday last week to give the lucky invitees a first bite of the Carl’s Jr menu ahead of the opening.
City of Greater Geelong councillor Cr Ron Nelson officially opened the store.
“It’s fitting that Carl’s Jr has chosen Armstrong Creek as the location for its first store in Geelong,” he said.
“Currently home to around 20,000 people, Armstrong Creek will eventually house 55,000 to 60,000 people.
“Firing up a grill and serving customers is a great way to start out your career, and I want to thank Carl’s Jr for creating jobs for young people as they start their working lives.”
There are several Carl’s Jr stores in metropolitan Melbourne and one in Ballarat, as well as across Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
Founded in the United States in 1941, the chain now has more than 3,000 stores worldwide.


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On January 5, a California superior court judge ordered Safeway to pay nearly $10 million as part of a legal settlement. Several dozen government agencies brought suit against the supermarket chain for illegally disposing of hazardous waste in landfills. The waste came from cleaners, aerosols, hair dyes and other products sold in Safeway stores. Just […]
String lights and beaded garlands have been hazards for multiple years
Unsafe chemicals can result in fines, product recalls and damage to brands
As retailers increasingly respond to public demand to sell products that contain fewer toxic chemicals, a group of corporate and NGO leaders today released a new tool to establish common benchmarks intended to inform and hasten market movement toward safer chemicals.
HealthyStuff.org report offers consumer tips for a safer Halloween Washington, DC – Heavy metals and other additives are commonly found in Halloween costumes and accessories, according to a new report released today and available at HealthyStuff.org. The non-profit group tested 44 costumes, 40 accessories and 21 decorations and party favors. Their testing found toxic chemicals […]
Today, press reported that a new “deal” on the Chemical Safety Improvement Act was scuttled at the last minute, prompting Senator Vitter to state he would start over with the original version of the bill (S.1009) next year.
Ten toxic chemicals to be banned in furniture and children’s products This week, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled legislation to ban ten toxic flame retardant chemicals from use in upholstered furniture and children’s products. His bill would also create a process to examine and regulate other similar chemicals. Flame retardants are often added to foam […]
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation that would phase out chemicals known as PBTs, a class that is the most dangerous to pregnant women, children and the environment. The “Protecting America’s Families from Toxic Chemicals Act” would empower the Environmental Protection Agency to identify and phase out PBTs within five years. The bill also identifies 22 known PBTs to expedite their phase out for non-essential uses.
– Health and Environment Advocates Gather Petitions Online and In Stores this Week – Washington, DC – Health advocates and Walgreens customers are joining together this week in calling on the nation’s largest pharmacy chain to sell safer products. Today, they are launching a “Week of Action” to press Walgreens to respond to a campaign […]
Washington, DC – The nation’s number three health care company, Kaiser Permanente, today announced it will effectively ban controversial chemical flame retardants from the furniture it buys for its hundreds of facilities across the country. Kaiser is the first health system in the nation to take this step, throwing $30 million in annual purchasing power […]


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Univs need to attract best talent to make India research hub: Niti CEO
Kant further said that there is a need to give more autonomy to universities, and also need to create ecosystem for high quality research.
While addressing an event organised by industry body FICCI, the Niti Aayog CEO said that the government has taken many reform measures in the last two years.
"We have opened up online education sector and we are making efforts to strengthen existing accreditation system," he said.
Kant said branding is not about advertising, it is not also about marketing.
"Branding is about creating great product. It is not possible to create great brand without creating great product," he noted.
The Niti Aayog CEO also lamented that although India has
903 universities, only three Indian institutes featured in the top 200 universities of the latest QS World University rankings.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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It is a free service where consumers can securely register their home, mobile or fax numbers for free to reduce unsolicited telemarketing calls.
For important updates on issues affecting the Do Not Call Register.
Be on the alert for scammers during tax time.
Be wary of callers pretending to be from well-known companies or government agencies, claiming there’s a problem with your account or device and wanting remote access to fix it. It‘s probably a scam.
Have you received a call threatening to disconnect your phone service, claiming to be from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) or another government agency? Be wary – this is a scam.
For the latest Do Not Call Register news and updates.
Online retailer The Wine Group Pty Ltd has paid $204,240 in infringement notices after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found it breached multiple spam and telemarketing laws.
The ACMA has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from Gold Coast-based investment property and financial services marketing firm MarketSolve Pty Ltd after it was found to have made telemarketing calls to phone numbers listed on the Do Not Call Register (DNCR).
Information Support Australia Pty Ltd (trading as Super Information Team) has paid an infringement notice of $102,120 and will be subject to an independent review after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found it breached telemarketing rules.
Follow us on social media or sign up to receive newsletters from the ACMA


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The Brexit outcome has created a lot of uncertainty and the long-term implications on the incentive travel business are unknown. Members of the Society for Incentive Excellence (SITE) from around the globe share their perspectives on how the decision may impact the industry in the short term.
“It is critical that our industry maintain a keep calm and carry on approach in order to minimize any potential impact on incentive travel programs and other business events,” cautioned Paul Miller, SITE past president and managing director, Spectra DMC headquartered in London. “The democratic process has taken place and should be respected regardless of the outcome and which side of the debate you sat. Britain will work through this and will find a way to work with the EU and vice versa. It’s really business as usual and, in fact we are already seeing an increase in RFPs from both the US and Europe.”
Travel experts predict that, in the short term, travel between Europe and the U.K. is not expected to change, at least until the breakup is formally negotiated over the next two years. Over the past year, Britain has enjoyed a surge in international visitors, especially from the U.S. and Canada. Industry experts are already projecting uplifts for the UK’s inbound business due to a weakening pound and preliminary findings by IATA suggest that international arrivals will increase as “a weaker pound has raised the attractiveness and affordability of the UK relative to other destinations.”
“Incentive travel and motivational events exist to reward and motivate individuals and teams to create business growth and ROI for global brands and organisations of all types. Our industry sector relies on our global workforce and the SITE Great Britain chapter based in London, a city where we speak over 230 languages, reflects this diversity. Being responsible for the European Business Tourism market and having lived and worked in 2 other European Countries, I want to emphasise that this referendum is based on political choice and trade with Europe and the rest of the world remains as important as ever,” stated Barbara Jamison, head of business development, London & Partners and immediate past-president SITE Great Britain.
“The UK is a significant source market for many Asian countries and the referendum results have undoubtedly created a level of uncertainty for the Asian region,” commented SITE president Rajeev Kohl, joint managing director, Creative Travel Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India. “The concerns are the potential shift of outbound British groups away from long haul destinations due to the cost implications brought about by the severe depreciation in the British Pound. There is also the potential impact on suppliers’ bottom line for groups already contracted for the near future. Having said this, we do find that British travellers tend to be very resilient and, after a period of adjustment, we should see a degree of normalcy return.”
Mary MacGregor, corporate vice-president event solutions, BI Worldwide said that BIW is taking a wait and see approach as there is uncertainty on how customers and the markets will react. “In the short term, we will work with our customers who have contracted programs in the UK to identify ways they may be able to gain savings to their budgets based on the favorable exchange rate. For the long term we’ll watch for impact to inter-Europe travel and border control protocols that may affect our customers with dual or multi-European destinations.”
SITE board member Jennifer Glynn, managing director, Meeting Encore Ltd. in Canada shared a similar perspective. “Brexit brings opportunity for some groups to get better value on their programs due to the exchange rate and the expected economic downtown. As a result it may increase incentive programs considering UK in the near future. Programs that are already secured are definitely taking advantage of the decrease in the British Pound and are putting down larger deposits. The flipside is a lot of international companies do have business in the UK and have taken a financial hit as a result, so they may not consider programs in the UK as a result.”
“The Brexit decision does not change London’s position as a pre-eminent destination for business events. It is one of the world’s most desirable cities in which to live, work, grow a business or hold an international event and is one of the most connected cities on the planet, with an un-paralleled cultural offering, offering a great breadth of unique event spaces and hotel accommodation,” added Jamison.


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Verizon introduced a new, redesigned My Fios App Jan. 17, one that makes use of Facebook Messenger as a customer service and engagement tool and enables customers to further and more easily improve their home Wi-Fi network performance, according to a news release.
Now available to all customers, Verizon began rolling out the new MyFios app earlier this month. When linked to the Fios Quantum Gateway router, end users can assess the performance of all devices connected to their Wi-Fi networks.
WiFi and Messenger Integration
The touch-driven Wi-Fi Analyzer will then resolve problems automatically or recommend users take specific action(s) to do so, thereby improving their Fios Internet over Wi-Fi service, management highlights.
Integrating Facebook Messenger as a Fios customer service and engagement tool is another major addition in the new MyFios App. Fios customers don’t have to launch an app to contact Verizon customer service reps as a result. They can use Facebook Messenger to start chatting with a rep immediately.
In addition, a new user interface makes it simpler and easier for Fios customers to pay bills and view mobile device activity, as well as contact Verizon customer support, management points out.
Features, such as the ability to pay a bill, manage Wi-Fi connections and use SmartCam, have been retained in the new app. More than 60 percent of all Fios customer interactions occur via one of these DIY channels, Verizon notes in today’s news release.
Finally, the new My Fios App links to Fios Mobile, via which Fios subscribers can use their smartphones or other connected, mobile devices to watch live Fios TV and VOD content, as well as stream video stored on their home DVRs.
“Like everything we do, these App enhancements are a direct response to customer feedback,” said Miguel Quiroga, head of digital for Verizon Fios. “For example, ‘How can I improve my Wi-Fi speeds’ is one of the most common questions we get from customers, so we’ve put the ability to do this right in the palm of their hand with the new Wi-Fi Analyzer tool.”


text: Press Release – Hasbro and Disney Extend Marvel and Star Wars Partnership Latest News February 21, 2020 In a new press release, Hasbro has announced that they have extended their licenses for both Marvel and Star Wars from Disney. Details of the deals have not been made available. They are simply listed as multi-year licensing agreements. As expected, these deals give Hasbro access to characters from movie, TV, and comic properties for both brands. Check out the full press release below. Hasbro and Disney Extend Strategic Merchandising Relationship for Marvel and Star Wars Franchises Agreement Extends Hasbro’s Global Toy and Game Licensed Merchandise Rights PAWTUCKET, R.I. & BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 21, 2020– Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) and The » Continue Reading. The post Press Release – Hasbro and Disney Extend Marvel and Star Wars Partnership appeared first on The Toyark – News.


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Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus user reports indicate wider global rollout of One UI 2.0
We already reported that some Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus users in Germany and the US had started receiving the update for One UI 2.0, but now it seems there is a much wider rollout occurring. A megathread on Reddit has been keeping a watch over which countries have users reporting availability of the update, and there is a list of countries that can expect the Android 10 upgrade later than February.
For instance, owners of either the Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9 Plus in Argentina may have to wait until April before they can update their flagship smartphone. April has also been listed for Brazil, while S9 series users in Hungary, France, and Spain might have to wait until March. However, there have been conflicting reports on the Reddit thread from Hungarian and Spanish owners stating they have already received the One UI 2.0 software, so it may depend on carrier or unlocked status.
Users in the following countries have already reported receiving the update to their Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus: Germany, UK, Romania, Latvia, Italy, Australia, Netherlands, USA, Bulgaria, and Belgium. The newest reports from redditors claiming to have installed One UI 2.0 include Slovenia, Spain, India, Switzerland, Portugal, Serbia, and Greece. You can check the updated list for your country or region here.


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Downtown Milwaukee is adding another coffee house to its lineup as Starbucks will open a new store inside the new Northwestern Mutual Commons building at 720 E. Wisconsin Ave.
The company has job postings for the location here. There's also a small sign with the company's logo at Cass and Wisconsin.
The location will have public access off Mason Street as well as an entrance just above the elevated, landscaped area off Wisconsin Avenue.
The store will be the seventh located in Downtown Milwaukee.


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U.S. equities climbed, led by technology and communication services, Friday as inflationary pressures continued to reverberate through markets.
The S&P 500 rose 0.7% in a second day of gains after a slide Wednesday on higher-than-expected consumer prices. Johnson & Johnson gained after saying it will split into two companies. And Lordstown Motors slid after announcing production delays. Treasuries fell.