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After a two-year sales plunge in New York City commercial real estate, signs are emerging that a bottom could be near.
Brokers are optimistic that more deals will take place in 2018, pointing to an expected economic boost from the new law cutting corporate taxes, as well as an uptick in signed contracts in the fourth quarter, which could lead to an increased number of deals completed this year.
In addition, property values, a lagging indicator that usually falls after sales and the number of transactions drop, appear poised for a decline, according to a broker, with the average price per square foot already falling in Manhattan—a harbinger of what could be to come citywide.
Expectations of stabilizing sales in commercial real estate come after an accelerated slide. Sales fell 33% to a five-year low of $31.3 billion in 2017, according to Ariel Property Advisors, a brokerage that tracks sales in all boroughs except Staten Island.
In all, sales of properties including development sites, office towers, and residential rental buildings have dropped more than 50% since the most recent peak in 2015, according to reports.
While brokers and analysts aren’t calling for a vigorous bounceback, they do think the worst is coming to an end.
“I am not sure we are turning a corner in terms of transactions, but it’s hard to believe 2018 is going to be lower than 2017,” said Shimon Shkury, president of Ariel.
Since 2015, the gap between bids and the prices sellers wanted has widened, and many sellers decided to wait, analysts said. New developments added to the supply of luxury condominium and rental apartments, putting pressure on landlords to lower prices and offer concessions.
This year, some brokers are expecting the number of sales to stabilize and possibly increase, with prices per square foot declining slightly or remaining steady. However, fears of spikes in borrowing costs as a result of higher inflation could temper those prospects. Concerns over inflation already have caused turmoil, helping send stock market indexes tumbling.
“There is this perception that higher interest rates immediately mean property values go down,” said Barbara Denham, senior economist with ReisInc., a commercial property data analytics firm. “Right now perception seems to be driving everything.”
Generally, a low-interest-rate environment is regarded as good for real estate because of the availability of cheap money to finance deals.
But even in a period of rising rates, the pace at which they rise and the reasons they go up matter, said Bob Knakal, chairman of New York investment sales for real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.
“If [interest rates] are going up because of tangible traction in the economy, GDP growth is strong, jobs are being created at a very good rate, then that is a healthy thing,” Mr. Knakal said, who was among the first to warn about the slump that began around the end of 2015. “If there is that same good activity in the economy, I am going to bet operating incomes are going to be higher.”
Rising interest rates tied to inflation can be good for the commercial real-estate market, Mr. Shkury said. “If we have a building in an inflationary period and rents are going up faster than expenses, then that asset value will appreciate,” Mr. Shkury said. “If anything, in an inflationary period, real estate should benefit over time.”
The drop in commercial-property sales over the past few years is different from past cycles, Mr. Knakal said. The corrections in the past were triggered by more or less external events such as the credit crunch that preceded the 2007-09 recession or the dot-com bubble bursting in the early 2000s. The current adjustment was “self-inflicted,” caused by prices getting too high and too much supply coming onto the market, he said.
Large transactions were especially infrequent last year. The number of transactions larger than $100 million dropped by 52% to 38 and totaled $11.6 billion, according to Ariel. In 2016, $23.5 billion of these large deals were completed.
Manhattan below 96th Street struggled with a steeper decline in sales than Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, falling 37% from the previous year to $17.6 billion, according to Ariel.
Average prices per square foot of properties sold continued to rise, a pattern seen in previous corrections, Mr. Knakal said. The citywide average price per square foot of properties sold increased 2% to $544 last year, and in the outer boroughs, it increased 7% to $406, according to Cushman & Wakefield. But in Manhattan, which is usually a leading indicator of what will happen citywide, the average price per square foot dropped 4%.
“It takes 18 months to two years before it becomes common knowledge that the market is in a correcting state,” Mr. Knakal said.
Courtesy of wsj.com and credit to Keiko
How I Did 110 Transactions A Year With NO Assistants…And You Can Too… Get My Case Study Now>> https://www.myinvestmentservices.com/gift/
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Google has rolled out an iPhone app for its nascent Google+ social networking platform.
Available for iOS 4 and above, the app works with the iPhone 3G/3S and iPhone 4.
Announced by Google’s Vic Gundotra, the iPhone Google+ app will be joining its mobile Android counterpart, which has already racked up an impressive amounts of downloads (listed at 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 installs).
As expected, the iPhone friendly version of Google+ isn’t all that different from the standard desktop iteration, but does offer:
* Optimized support for blocking unwanted messages in Huddle.
* Improved support for attaching photos to a post.
* Various bug fixes and performance improvements.
It remains unclear if Google+ – which launched on June 28th and is still officially in beta mode – will be capable of posing a clear and present danger to Facebook.
Nevertheless, Google+ seems to be holding its own, as it has already managed to attract over 10 million active users.
Interestingly enough, recent reports seem to indicate that Mountain View plans on expanding its Google+ user base by luring celebrities and their accompanying fans to the rapidly expanding social networking site.
“They [definitely] seemed to be very interested in having celebrities,” said Brett Schulte, a Hollywood consultant and organizer of social-media gatherings known as Tweet House.

domain: news


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IBC2017: The potential for 5G to provide a catalyst for market disruption is strong, according to experts speaking at IBC.
While 5G will improve download speeds and streaming for consumers, it could also open the door for serious industry disruption, delegates to the inaugural ‘C-Tech Forum round-up: 5G’ track heard.
IBC2017 Consultant and Conference Producer, Ton Brand, said: It was my brief to bring together the telco industry and the broadcast industry for the first time ever at IBC2017. Now it has become clear what 5G will be – and most importantly what it won’t be – it is a good time to talk about opportunities and also challenges raised by the technology.”
”5G solves the delivery piece, the last mile which has been an issue in the past – it’s a big threat” - Ton Brand
Interestingly however, from the challenge point of view, 5G could provide the opportunity for disruptive entertainment market entries or consolidations, according to Brand.
“The threat isn’t 5G itself, at all, it’s from the likes of Google and Facebook, who could jump on the bandwagon.
“Imagine what those companies could do once they have fast downloads to your phone. Facebook is already bidding on American football, they made a bid on cricket in India.
“They have the user base, they have the cash to spend, and if they can get NFL and stream it globally, they probably will. 5G solves the delivery piece, the last mile which has been an issue in the past – it’s a big threat.
“The other big potential threat to traditional broadcasters is the way in which TV viewing habits are changing, and migrating to the mobile. Adding 5G into that mix could accelerate that trend further.
Brand said that the industry is beginning to see the opportunity in 5G.
“That’s in terms of how it helps bringing multiple feeds to your device, for example, as well as the opportunity to use 5G for content production purposes, instead of satellite uplinks.”
The first 5G specification will be completed in early 2018, which means the first standards-based networks will begin to be deployed between 2019 and 2020.
“As we have seen with previous network rollouts, it will be a gradual rollout based on business case,” said Brand.
“And as with 4G, high demand metropolitan areas will be enabled first, and then deployment will widen out. This process could well take several years, out to 2025. In terms of handsets, the first chipsets will ship in 2019, so it’ll be six months or so before consumers have 5G phones in their hands.”
Peak network data rates will reach 20 Gbps download and 10 Gbps, offering a 20x improvement over even IMT-Advanced 4G.
Other 5G improvements are expected to include mobility support up to 500 km/h, and support for 1 million devices per square kilometre.
While the higher bandwidth offers a reasonable uplift in data speeds, the denser network architecture should mean operators need to upgrade fewer basestations, cutting rollout costs and increasing deployment speed.
For broadcasters, the potential benefits include faster uplink speeds, but also more niche uses.
Brand said: “There was discussion around potentially using 5G technologies to replace RF microphones, for example, which would theoretically make them more reliable, and better quality. However, applications like this will have to wait until chipsets are available, so it’s a little down the track.”


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|By PR Newswire||
|April 28, 2014 06:22 AM EDT||
DUBLIN, Apr. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5jzdw9/carbohydrase) has announced the addition of the "Carbohydrase Market by Applications, Type, Source and Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2019" report to their offering.
Enzymes, used as processing aids, are the key differentiation factors for industrial manufacturers and a great source of product innovation and differentiation. The market for carbohydrase is expected to experience a growth of 6.6% from 2013 to 2019. The estimation is a result of regular research and developments in the industry, with widening application of carbohydrases, which are mainly involved in the conversion of carbohydrates to simple sugars.
Carbohydrase has major applications within the food and beverage industry, in dairy, baking, alcohol production, brewing and others, thus making it the type of food and beverages enzyme having the widest usage. China and the U.S. are important players in this market due to the extensive demand in industries.
The segments of the carbohydrase market include geography, applications, types and sources. The market includes the applications such as food & beverage, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and others. All functions of carbohydrases in every application have been considered in the study and the market has been segmented based on the same. The growth rate of carbohydrases may go higher in the next five years with regular research and development in the field, and with the launch of new products that have different applications.
Key Topics Covered:
2 Executive Summary
3 Premium Insights
4 Total Addressable Market
5 Market Overview
6 Carbohydrase Market,By Geography
7 Carbohydrase Market, By Application
8 Carbohydrases: Grain Processing Market Overview
9 Carbohydrase Market, By Type
10 Carbohydrases Market, By Source
11 Competitive Landscape
12 Company Profiles
- AB Enzymes Gmbh
- Advanced Enzymes
- Amano Enzyme Inc.
- CHR. Hansen Holding A/S
- Dyadic International, Inc.
- E.I. Dupont De Nemours & Co. (Dupont) Msds.
- Royal DSM
- Specialty Enzymes
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5jzdw9/carbohydrase
Media Contact: Laura Wood, +353-1-481-1716, [email protected]
SOURCE Research and Markets
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The 4th International Internet of @ThingsExpo, co-located with the 17th International Cloud Expo - to be held November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA - announces that its Call for Papers is open. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the biggest idea since the creation of the Worldwide Web more than 20 years ago.
May. 30, 2015 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,807
T-Mobile has been transforming the wireless industry with its “Uncarrier” initiatives. Today as T-Mobile’s IT organization works to transform itself in a like manner, technical foundations built over the last couple of years are now key to their drive for more Agile delivery practices. In his session at DevOps Summit, Martin Krienke, Sr Development Manager at T-Mobile, will discuss where they started their Continuous Delivery journey, where they are today, and where they are going in an effort ...
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FIFTH ANNUAL BABY FAIR AT
Nashville, TN (June 12, 2001) -- 100 Oaks Mall Nashville will host its Fifth Annual Baby Fair on Saturday, June 23rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Baby Fair, which will feature prize giveaways, exciting contests, informative guest speakers and educational booths, will be held on the north end of the mall's second level. Local radio stations 103 WKDF and 104 The Core will be on hand to broadcast a live remote from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and to register shoppers to win great prizes.
More than 200 prizes valued at over $5,000 can be won including baby cribs, comforters, dressers, a rocking chair and ottoman, a car seat, a safety gate and a stroller. Also up for grabs are a savings bond, gift baskets and tons of other prizes.
Shoppers can win some of these great prizes by taking part in the friendly competitions going on that day. The contests will involve everything from seeing which moms and dads can change diapers the fastest to who has the cutest baby photo. There will even be a contest to determine which expectant mom has the largest belly.
Guest speakers from Baptist Hospital and Nashville Parent will also be on hand to speak about topics pertaining to parenting and prenatal health and to answer shoppers' questions.
"We hope all parents and parents-to-be join us in this informative and exciting celebration," said Andrew J. Groveman, Senior Vice President of Belz Enterprises. "The Baby Fair has always been an enjoyable event for both children and parents."
Located at 719 Thompson Lane in Nashville, Tennessee, 100 Oaks Mall offers the finest shopping experience with key tenants such as Off 5th - Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet, Reebok and Burlington Coat Factory. Built by Belz Enterprises in 1967, 100 Oaks Mall is the second enclosed mall to have been built in the Southeast.
100 Oaks Mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
With headquarters in Memphis, Tenn., Belz Enterprises is
a multi-faceted real estate development company with more than 25 million
square feet of property, including more than 40 shopping complexes, ranging
from community shopping centers to regional malls, as well as industrial/warehouse/distribution
facilities and developments, office parks and corporate campuses, hotels
such as The Peabody Hotels in Memphis and Orlando, and residential developments.


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Didi delisting could provide a silver lining for IPO investors
Bad news abounds in the Chinese investment landscape these days, with Didi Global (HAVE I GOT) – Get the DiDi Global Inc. in turn the chopping block last week.
“Chinese cybersecurity regulators have asked senior carpool market leader Didi Global to prepare plans for delisting from the New York Stock Exchange, media reports,” said Alex Frew McMillan of TheStreet in Real Money. “Such a move, motivated by data security concerns, would raise questions about the viability of any US listing for a Chinese company that holds personal data about customers.”
McMillan points out that with Didi shares trading 42% below their listing price on June 30, a departure from the NYSE could offer investors a way to get their money back.
For Didi, two options are currently on the table:
- Privatization, priced at or above the listing price of $ 14, to avoid shareholders’ lawsuits; or a re-sale in Hong Kong
- A delisting in New York, with investors likely to receive shares at or at a discount from the current US price.
“Didi’s shares flopped within days of its largest US IPO (at $ 14 per share) by a Chinese company since Alibaba Group Holding’s record IPO at the time. . (BABA) – Get the report from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. in 2014, ”noted McMillan.
Besides Softbank (SFTBY) , Uber (UBER) – Get the report from Uber Technologies, Inc. is the second largest external shareholder with an 11.9% stake. Tencent Holdings, Chinese video game maker and operator of WeChat applications (TCEHY) holds 6.4%.
Days after the IPO, China launched a data security investigation at Didi Global and prevented it from signing new clients as its app was pulled from Chinese app stores.
The little-known Chinese Cyberspace Review Bureau, established to oversee a review mechanism that came into effect on June 1, 2020, has been tasked with reviewing the overseas list of any companies with personal information on more than a million customers, ”McMillan said. .
“These rules, however, were not published until after Didi’s offer. Didi followed the proven overseas listing method that has satisfied Chinese securities regulators for years, ”he added. “This had not appeased cybersecurity regulators, who did not have a review system in place but” suggested “the company delay its offer, an option it deemed unpleasant given the preparation work and investor expectations surrounding the offer. “
Today, the Cyberspace Administration of China actively oversees the activities of Chinese tech companies and is particularly concerned about the potential for data leaks when foreign investors hold large stakes in a Chinese tech operator.
“All foreign tech listings with a million or more customers must receive formal approval after a cybersecurity review,” he added.


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Lady Jailed For Stealing Boxers, 15 Bras In Kaduna
A 24-year-old girl, Linda David, has been sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by a Kaduna Magistrates’ Courtroom on Thursday, for stealing underwear valued at N115,000.
The Justice of the Peace, Ibrahim Emmanuel, sentenced David after she pleaded responsible to the cost and begged for leniency.
He nonetheless gave her an possibility of N40,000 wonderful and warned her to desist from lifetime of crime.
In accordance with him, the judgement would function a deterrent to those that would wish to bask in such prison act.
The defendant was charged with a one-count cost of stealing underwear.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo instructed the courtroom that David dedicated the offence on Might 12 at Trinity Grocery store alongside Ahmadu Bello Manner Kaduna.
In accordance with Leo, the defendant went into the grocery store and stole 20 pairs of panties, 20 items of boxers and 15 bras all valued at N115,000.
He said that the defendant was caught and handed over to the police by the safety officer of the grocery store who observed she had hidden a number of the stolen objects beneath her garments.
The prosecutor added that the offence contravened Part 217 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017.


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COAST CITIES — Every year, thousands of Parisians dress in white and gather for what can be best be described as an impromptu picnic. The idea has since been exported to locations like New York City and Montreal. And now locals will get a taste Oct. 18 with the San Diego debut of Dîner en Blanc.
As the story goes, the flash-mob supper was born in Paris in 1988. After being abroad for several years, François Pasquier held a dinner party to reconnect with old friends. So many people wanted to come to the party that he asked them to meet at the Bois de Boulogne dressed in white, so they could all find each other. Today, as many as 15,000 people convene at public spaces in the city for Dîner en Blanc, and the idea has spread to 20 cities across five continents.
San Diego was chosen to host Dîner en Blanc because it’s a “food-driven city,” among other reasons, according to Meredith Bell, director of business development at H Events, the main organizer behind the event.
“San Diego boasts an active populace that cares a lot about food,” Bell said. “That’s why it was picked.”
For those interested, here’s how it works: There are 1,000 tickets, each going for $25, available. Sign up on a waiting list online at sandiego.dinerenblanc.info. Beginning in early October, invitations will be released, with preference going to those who have attended previous Dîner en Blanc events.
Upon purchasing a ticket, guests can select one of three pick-up locations throughout San Diego. On the day of the event, guests will meet at the pickup location and a shuttle will take them to site of Dîner en Blanc, meaning the location will remain a mystery until arrival.
Attendees are asked to dress entirely in white and bring a picnic basket of food, as well as a white table, chairs and any other necessary items. As the event date nears, gourmet dinners and fine wines can also be purchased in advance online.
When the event concludes a few hours later, guests pack up all of their belongings, leaving no trace of the night behind.


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Entries in 'evolution' (9)
Codemasters has stepped in to save recently shut Driveclub developer Evolution Studios.
The team behind Driveclub wants to keep on working together, following the news of the studio's closure.
The creator of MotorStorm and Driveclub has closed its doors.
It seems one of Sony’s Paris Games Week announcements has been revealed ahead of time.
After its protracted and troubled launch, Drivelub’s developers have said that the PS4 racer will be supported by the studio for at least another year.
Elements of Evolution’s PS4 racer Driveclub have had to twice be completely rewritten in the run-up to today’s expected launch of the free PS Plus Edition.
Several members of Driveclub and Motorstorm developer Evolution Studios have departed in order to set up their own venture.
Driveclub developer Evolution could be about to lose half of its staff.
The studio behind troubled PS4 racer Driveclub has suffered what is understood to be a significant number of layoffs.


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NVIDIA’S chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang has been talking about his companies short and long term financial outlook, he provided some insight into the quad core future. NVIDIA expects to bring in around $4.7 and $5billion in revenue during 2013, with a lot of revenue from its mobile chip unit projected to tenfold by 2015 up to a giant $20 billion. Huang also expects Android tablets to run a full 50% of the market in the near future, claiming that the Tegra chips can currently be found in 70% percent of all slates running Google OS and around half of all Android running smart-phones.
While at the moment NVIDIA is actually developing its quad-core mobile processors which according to the exec should appear in tablets later this year although quad-core smart-phones will most likely be next year. At this moment Huang is very comfortable with NVIDIA’S position in the mobile processing world targeting only Qualcomm as competition.


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Bitcoin, Or Bitcoin Cash? - ForbesBitcoin Cash is a proposal from the BTC mining pool and the Bitmain mining group on august 1st to carry out User Activated Hard Fork(UAHF).
Bitcoin Cash vs. Dash: Which Will Fulfill Satoshi's Vision
Help, I Just Sent Bitcoin Cash to a BTC Address! Can I GetEarly cryptocurrency investor and ardent Bitcoin Cash supporter Roger Ver is known for using his social media presence to stir the pot, and he lived up to that.
Industry leaders comment on which will dominate the market: Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash.
Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Information, Review
Get a constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos just for you.Cobra said he has no plans to sell or refocus the site around Bitcoin Cash.
Bitcoin Cash | The initial cryptocurrency | Bitcoin Cash
Coin Dance | Bitcoin Cash Block Details
Wink & a Bitcoin: Roger Ver Offers Reddit $100k to AppointAll the latest Bitcoin news, presented by Roger Ver and Corbin Fraser of Bitcoin.com. If you want weekly updates on all the latest bitcoin cash news.After the separation of Bitcoin Cash from the Bitcoin network last year in August 2017 during the first hard. a BCH supporter and Reddit user.
What Is Bitcoin Cash? Here's Why You Should Be Wary of
A hack of bitcoin cash fueled early speculation the Bitcoin Civil War was heading to a criminal place, but the hack was more complex.
How to Cash Out Bitcoin & Other Cryptocurrencies to Fiat
5 Ways to Buy Bitcoin with Cash or Deposit (Any Country)
How to Buy Bitcoin with Cash [11 easy steps] | Dark Web News
A minority of Bitcoin miners will be forking on August 1st, 2017 to create a new chain called Bitcoin Cash.
Last week, I received a message on Reddit offering to split my coins for me.Bitcoin Cash is being held up by miners in large quantity in wallets.
Buy bitcoin and ethereum with credit card | Coinmama
Bitcoin Cash Definition | Investopedia
Bitcoin Cash (BCC) : Everything You need to know about


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Fiat 500 Dealers Not Allowed To Haggle Prices
Chrysler Group LLC is asking dealers to avoid haggling when it comes to the Fiat 500. They hope that this policy will make young customers more comfortable when buying the hatchback.
“The pricing is the pricing,” said Laura Soave, head of the Fiat brand in North America to Bloomberg. “The younger generation doesn’t haggle. They don’t feel comfortable with it. They hate the experience.”
Fiat dealers have been told not to advertise the new 500 under the suggested retail price and the company has limited their dealerships in order to avoid competition. Still, some folks will drive state to state to get a deal, so this tactic might not work that well for those that are hard pressed to find a deal.
The cute little Fiat 500 has been a big hit all over the world since its launch. In fact, the automaker has sold around 500,000 vehicles since 2007, which is truly incredible.
Buyers can choose between two transmissions, an automatic and a manual. The latter is clearly the best as it will be able to make the best use of the small 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Not to mention the fact it will be able to get sensational mileage. That being said, the automatic will likely prevail in the United States, as American drivers would rather move to Iraq than shift their own gears.
It’s hard to tell where Fiat are getting this information from, but as a graduating college student, haggling is a part of life and enjoyable if done right. This marketing tactic seems a bit odd to say the least. If one can get a Ford Fiesta for cheaper than the 500, why not go for it?
The new Fiat 500 will start at $15,500 for the base model and Fiat announced recently that they plan to bring the convertible, electric and Abarth versions to the United States.


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The new Renault Twingo is officially on sale in the UK now, with prices starting from £9,495. Three versions will be available - Expression, Play and Dynamique - with a choice of two engines.
Order books for the new Lexus RC F are open now, with prices starting at £59,995, while a light-weight RC F Carbon edition with CFRP body panels will also be available for £67,995.
The first official pictures of the new Kia Sorento have been released today, ahead of the car's official debut at the Paris motor show in October.
The first official pictures of the new Hyundai i20 have been released ahead of the new car's world debut at the Paris motor show later this year.


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According to a screenshot provided by MicroCenter and leaked online, there are some good news as well as some bad ones. The good news is that there are four new Apple laptops waiting to be released on the market in the coming Tuesday, but wait, that is not all. Another good thing is that the 2.26GHz Intel Core2 Duo Apple MacBook price will drop to $799.
Wipe that grin off your face because here come the bad news: no specifications of the four new laptops are provided, but the really bad news is that the price of the new Apple laptops will range from $1,799 to $2,299. These prices can be compared to the Alienware laptops that range from $799 to $1,799, giving the same performance at a lower cost. Well, that’s a real party crasher isn’t it ? We’re only left with the vague hope that the prices on the new Apple laptops will drop and in time, and they will, just like the 2.26GHz MacBook dropped to $799, and basically any other price in the IT industry.


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The Taco Bell breakfast war raged on this week as McDonald's followed up its free coffee push with a new marketing campaign for the McGriddle in hopes of edging out the infamous Waffle Taco.
A recent Citi Research survey interestingly found that consumers prefer Taco Bell's new 14-item breakfast menu over the McDonald's one 33 percent to 24 percent.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
"The initial indications are positive for Taco Bell," Citi Research analysts wrote
in a report. "While this development is clearly not a positive for McDonald's, it is still early and it may be possible for both McDonald's and Taco Bell to continue to grow at breakfast at the expense of other competitors."
Taco Bell unveiled its new breakfast menu, which features such creations as the Waffle Taco, A.M. Crunchwrap, and Cinnabon Delights, last month with a wave of advertising targeting its top competitor — McDonald's.
The chains traded social media barbs on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram over the last few weeks, with Taco Bell going after Ronald McDonald and McDonald's using the Mexican restaurant's iconic Chihuahua mascot in one of its Twitter ads.
In what appeared to be an attempt to lure back customers, McDonald's then announced it was offering free cups of McCafe coffee from March 31 to April 13, and now it seems the chain has launched a new McGriddles campaign.
The campaign includes new commercials and an interactive website, which playfully showcases how the pancake/muffin hybrid
helps out in different life situations.
"You know it's a McGriddles Morning when the dog drools enviously at you . . . and you don’t even have a dog (Once you get a McGriddles, you'll get it)," one of the blurbs reads.
"You know it's a McGriddles morning when your boss promotes you. To his own position (Once you get a McGriddles, you'll get it)."
Urgent: Assess Your Heart Attack Risk in Minutes. Click Here.
© 2016 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


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Fintech iKhokha has entered the PSL fray by sponsoring former PSL champions and title challengers SuperSport United.
The official long-term sleeve sponsor, iKhokha is looking forward to integrating its brand with the club and its supporters.
“We are excited to announce our partnership with SuperSport United as an official sponsor moving forward. As a fintech that supports small businesses, we understand the importance of teamwork and determination - values that are integral to the success of SME businesses and sporting teams alike,” says iKhokha CEO Matt Putman.
Considering the brand ethos of both parties, it’s a partnership which makes sense.
While Matsatsantsa is known as a progressive, trendsetting football club, iKhokha is rewriting the rule book by making it easier for anyone to accept card payments. By teaming up, both brands will stay true to their forward-thinking identities.
“The partnership between iKhokha and SuperSport United represents a perfect match of shared values. We are thrilled to support a football team known for its drive and ambition - qualities we live and breathe every day in our quest to help entrepreneurs to start, grow and manage their businesses,” says Graeme Cumming, Chief Growth Officer at iKhokha.
Indeed, there’s already a clear synergy between the brands, both of which are geared towards helping others succeed, be it in business circles or on the football field.
“Like iKhokha, SuperSport United has shown our capacity to empower and enable young, promising talent to achieve significant success,” says SuperSport United CEO, Stan Matthews.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with iKhokha as our sleeve sponsor, and look forward to helping iKhokha reach their business objectives by utilising our partnership, platforms and players as strategic marketing levers,” he says.
With the PSL season already in full swing, iKhokha is relishing the opportunity to make an immediate impact. The payment provider is eager to bring more value to SuperSport United and its supporters with payment solutions that make it easier for small businesses to succeed.
Find out more about SuperSport United’s latest sponsor by visiting www.ikhokha.com.


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It's the question everyone's been eager to have answered since news broke that Microsoft was acquiring Bethesda and parent company Zenimax Media last year, and now Xbox head Phil Spencer has clarified Microsoft's stance on exclusivity for future Bethesda games.
Speaking as part of tonight's lengthy Xbox and Bethesda "roundtable" event, Spencer chose to address the issue directly. "I see it in the community, I listen to the podcasts and all the questions," he said, "so I'm going to try and be as clear as I can because I just think it's fair."
"Obviously I can't sit here and say every Bethesda game is [an Xbox] exclusive, because we know that's not true," he explained. "There's contractual obligations that we're going to see through. We have games that exist on other platforms and we're going to go and support those games on the platforms they're on. There's communities of players - we love those communities and will continue to invest in them - and even in the future there might be...either contractual things or legacy on different platforms that we'll go do."
"But if you're an Xbox customer," Spencer continued, "the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists. And that's our goal, that's why we're doing this, that's the root of this partnership that we're building - and the creative capability we'll be able to bring to market for Xbox customers is going to be the best it's ever been for Xbox after we're done here."
The takeaway, then, is that games currently available on other platforms shouldn't be affected by Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media, nor will pre-existing exclusivity deals, such as the timed exclusivity windows previously announced for Deathloop and GhostWire: Tokyo on PS5. Future games, however, will be exclusive "where Game Pass exists", currently meaning Xbox consoles, PC, and any platform capable of accessing the service via cloud.
And while there was little in the way of news for anyone hoping to learn more about those future games during tonight's roundtable, Microsoft and Bethesda have now confirmed more will be revealed during a special showcase event scheduled for this summer.


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KUCHING: Sarawak Farmers’ Organisation (SFO) and Green Valley Dairy Sdn Bhd have forged a joint venture to set up a factory to produce halal mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk.
The parties will also join hands in the rearing of the livestock, production and commercialisation of buffalo products.
Construction work on the cheese factory project in Maragang, Lawas, northern Sarawak is expected to be completed by mid-2024.
The cheese products are due to hit the market at the end of 2024, according to Sarawak Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom.
The factory targets to produce 5,000 litres of buffalo milk a day, out of which 20% of the milk extracted will be used for cheese production.SFO chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, who is also state Deputy Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, and Green Valley Dairy chief executive officer Dr Raja Imran Shah signed the joint venture agreement witnessed by Rundi here last week.
Rundi said the Sarawak government is supporting the SFO initiative with an allocation of RM15mil to acquire assets to jump start the joint-venture project. SFO members are drawn from 28 farmers’ organisations, which represent some 174,000 farmers state-wide.
Green Valley Dairy seeks to attract 500 new participants for the joint-venture buffalo farming project by 2025, and to increase the buffalo population by 1,000 heads every year via artificial insemination processes and other advanced technologies.
The company aimed to develop Lawas and Limbang, which borders the rich sultanate Brunei, as collection, processing and packaging locations for buffalo products by working closely with the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department and local universities.
According to Rundi, there are currently 7,000 buffaloes being reared by 600 families, predominantly in Lawas and Limbang districts.He said it is important for Sarawak to improve on its self-sufficiency level for buffalo products, currently at between 12% and 14%, to 30% by 2030.
Rundi said the success of the buffalo breeding and cheese production project in Lawas would enable the authorities to replicate it in other areas in the state.
“At the moment, we also have private investors and farmers making efforts in the breeding of sheep in Temudok, Sri Aman. This is also a joint venture.
“It is pertinent for Sarawak to increase its self-sufficiency level of livestock, as the country is importing about RM60bil and RM5bil worth of livestock and its subsidiary products respectively every year,” he added.
On agricultural products, Rundi said the Sarawak government wants to set up as many agro parks as possible, with the deployment of modern technologies to increase food production and quality in line with its target to be a net food exporter by 2030.
Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had said recently that the state aimed to open 405ha to build agro parks in various places including the Bintulu and Kuching regions that are near to the ports, to ensure export-oriented food production.
The agro parks, said Johari, would be similar to industrial parks and be equipped with the latest digital infrastructure and subdivided with anchor companies.
They will help the small producers by acting as wholesalers and move their agricultural products to the market.


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Sixth flight of Interstellar Technologies MOMO rocket. First flight using the MOMO v1 design bringing various improvements over MOMO v0.
It reached an apogee altitude of 99 km.
The trajectory is unavailable. Check back for updates.
Hokkaido Spaceport, Japan
7 rockets have launched from Hokkaido Spaceport, Japan.
Interstellar Technologies – ISTECH
- Abbreviation: ISTECH
- Administration: President: Takahiro Inagawa
- Founded: 2005
- Country: JPN
Interstellar Technologies, Inc. (Japanese: インターステラテクノロジズ（株） Hepburn: Intāsutera Tekunorojizu (kabu)) is a Japanese NewSpace company. It is a rocket spacelaunch company developing the MOMO launcher. Its stated goal is to reduce the cost of access to space. In 2017, it became the first Japanese company to launch a privately developed space rocket, though the launch was unsuccessful. The company plans to complete a rocket by 2020 that would be capable of launching small satellites into orbit.


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SA#BlackFriday – A study in online and in-store shopping
─── BLAINE JONES 12:26 Fri, 26 Nov 2021
Internationally there is an even split between online and in-store purchases, but in South Africa online shopping’s still lagging behind.
3% of sales are done online and 97% are in-store. This is according to Jarred Deacon, Head of growth for PayFlex, a buy now pay later fintech company.
He says from a supply chain perspective it does become challenging to provide the same value as international markets do. He says with Black Friday sales there is constant growth in sales and a massive increase.
Deacon says traditionally Black Friday is focused on income earners, and since Black Friday is so close to the Festive season period, many people prefer purchasing gifts in advance for the December Period.
He says it provides the opportunity for people to buy now and get a good deal instead of having to wait for Christmas and pay more.
“Black Friday is a good opportunity to purchase your gifts and get a good deal now rather than having to go to the shops on Christmas where the shops are generally overcrowded.”


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Android and iPhone users will no longer send messages via Facebook. Instead, they will have to download the standal...
Android and iPhone users will no longer send messages via Facebook. Instead, they will have to download the standalone app Messenger if they want to continue chatting with their friends. While Facebook users will have to shift its messaging feature to another mobile app, Windows Phone, Paper, iPad, and desktop users can still use Messenger as usual.
Facebook rolled out the Messenger switch in Europe a few months ago, and since it saw great engagement, the social network decided to apply the same decision globally. Facebook told TechCrunch that users would reply 20% faster on Messenger, and both Facebook and Messenger would become better apps if there aren’t multiple versions of mobile chat.
Originally, to chat on Facebook, mobile users would use the smartphones' apps and converse using the Messages tab. Now, to download Messenger, the Messages tab opens a notification that asks users to move to the Messenger app. If iPhone and Android users don't switch to Messenger, Facebook chat will stop working eventually.
Messenger is seen as a simpler and quicker way to chat. For the experience to be more fun, Facebook has also added a recorded video sharing with which users can take selfies and send them with a tap. The social network reckons more photos, audio clips, and stickers are sent using Messenger, creating an even better messaging experience.
With 200 million users sending 12 billion messages a day, according to TechCrunch, Facebook wants to set up a separate app, and not develop a code for an app within an app.
The change is inevitable, but not all users will be happy with Facebook's decision. On one hand, the social media giant wants to provide a better user experience for its users, but on the other hand, users will clutter their interface with another app, which is frustrating.


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Uber's self-driving truck division, Otto, linked up with beer company Anheuser-Busch and the state of Colorado to transport its first load of cargo that consumers will be able to buy from brick-and-mortar store shelves.
The truck used cameras, lidar sensors, and radar to keep of track of obstacles and other motorists while traveling on the 120-mile route between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs. While the truck's computer was doing its thing, a driver was in the truck, outside of the driver's seat, monitoring the rig's autonomous movements. Otto claims the drive required zero interaction from the human driver inside the cabin.
51,744 cans of Budweiser were delivered on the trip.
Otto claims that with its self-driving technology, other motorists can feel assured that its trucks driver safer and more efficiently than those with a human behind the wheel.
Last week, The Drive reported on Uber's CEO, Travis Kalanick, comments on and predictions about the future of self-driving trucks. "It’s going to take a while before all those trucks are autonomous everywhere it needs to go," Kalanick said. The CEO also explained that he believes Otto will primarily work to sell retrofittable self-driving hardware kits with which truck owners can modify their own rigs. These kits would likely still require a driver to be inside the confines of the rig without maintaining control of its actions.
Beer delivered by a truck that drives itself surely doesn't help knock down the "lazy, beer-drinking American" stereotype. It's cool and all, but seriously. What's next? Beer can-to-mouth via drone delivery?
Actually, that sounds kind of great.


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March 12th will mark the 108th anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts when Juliette Gordon Low registered 18 girls in Savannah and began a movement that is now 1.7 million girls strong. The GS Birthday Week patch program was developed to help Girl Scout Daisies through Ambassadors (grades K-12) reflect on what it means to be a member of the world’s largest organization for girls.
Throughout the week Girl Scouts will have the opportunity to celebrate the organizations long history of building girls of courage, confidence, and character through a variety of programming provided by both Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines. Girls can celebrate the founding of Girl Scouts by inviting non-Girl Scout friends to a Girl Scout event such as a troop meeting or by hosting anniversary celebration full of traditional Girl Scout songs and games. Troops are also encouraged to reflect on the achievements of Juliette Gordon Low through sharing their favorite quote or examining what life was like for women in 1912.
Girl Scouts has a long legacy of civic engagement and female advocacy and Girl Scout Week 2020 will take on an extra special meaning as we celebrate the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage through our theme of Rally the Vote! Through Rally the Vote! and the Girl Scout Birthday Week patch program, Girl Scouts will be able to gain a deeper appreciation for the women who braved the way for everyone to be seen as equals.
Girl Scouts is proud to offer every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader) the opportunity to accomplish big things while developing important skills in a safe and supportive all-girl environment. Girls discover self-empowerment, adventure, and leadership all while going beyond their comfort zone to explore new interests and pursue their passions. And girls are in great company when they join the largest girl-led Movement in the world as half of all U.S. businesswomen were Girl Scouts, 75 percent of current female senators were Girl Scouts, and nearly all women who have flown into space were Girl Scouts
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines offers girls once-in-a-lifetime experiences all while having fun in a safe, girl-only, and girl-led environment. Girl Scouts is open to all girls in K-12. To learn more or join a local troop, visit www.nccoastalpines.org or call 800-284-4475.


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(AP) — TransUnion shares were up more than 9 percent this morning after the credit rating company's initial public offering raised $664.8 million.
Chicago-based TransUnion sold about 29.5 million shares for $22.50 a share, near the high end of its estimates. Its shares were up 9.3 percent this morning to $24.59. They traded as high as $25.14 earlier.
The shares are trading under the symbol "TRU" on the New York Stock Exchange. Advent International and Goldman Sachs are retaining majority control of TransUnion after the IPO.
Related: Cahill—How TransUnion was milked by its private-equity owners
TransUnion provides consumer reports, risk scores and analytics to businesses, while consumers use TransUnion to view their credit profiles and manage personal information. It reported $1.3 billion in revenue in 2014, up 10 percent from the year before.
The company is one of the three largest credit reporting agencies in the U.S. along with Experian and Equifax. All three are now publicly traded.
According to IPO tracker Renaissance Capital, TransUnion is the fifth-largest U.S. IPO of 2015. Three of those five have come in June.
Earlier this month TransUnion said it expected to price its stock at $21 to $23 per share. The company said it will use the proceeds of the IPO to buy back debt.


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Wal-Mart scales back German plans
By FWi staff
AMERICAN retail group Wal-Mart, which owns Asda in the UK, has scaled back expansion plans in Germany, reports The Times.
Wal-Mart had planned to launch 50 new stores by 2002, but will now open only two German branches this year.
The group is thought to have abandoned its targets for the year after, putting a question mark over its European growth strategy, says The Times.
CLICK HERE to receive FWis FREE new daily email newsletter to keep up-to-date with the latest on foot-and-mouth and other farming-related stories
- 12 new Asda stores to open, FWi, 04 October 2000
- Asda Wal-Mart cost plus for pigs, FWi, 25 February 2000
- Wal-Mart deal worth 80m to farmers, FWi, 16 June 1999
- The Times 23 April 2001 page 21


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Within hours of restaurants calling Zomato’s new food quality policy one-sided, the delivery platform has stepped up communication with its partners to signal peace and prevent any hasty action. Fearing a ban based on customer complaints, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) president Kabir Suri had earlier raised industry concerns in his conversation with Zomato co-founder Mohit Gupta.
In a day of fast moving developments, Zomato said late on Friday that it was pushing the implementation of the new food quality policy to May 3 from April 18. The food delivery platform has also invited feedback from restaurants on the framework of the policy by April 22. To assuage restaurants’ fears of a ban, the company said that cases relevant to the policy framework were rare (0.001 per cent). "However, these rare issues, if not addressed, can hurt customer trust and reputation of restaurant establishments in the long term," it added.
Zomato added that it would work closely with its restaurant partners to establish the genuineness of any complaint received. Post that, only in case of an instance where suitable resolution is not offered within a reasonable time, the restaurant may temporarily be disabled from the platform, it explained.
"The disablement will be in consultation with the restaurant management and will only be applicable till necessary remedial actions are undertaken and verified through a FSSAI approved hygiene and safety auditor," the company told restaurant partners in an email that Business Standard has reviewed.
“While the intent of the policy is good, the way Zomato is trying to implement it is a matter of concern. It could turn out to be a draconian move for budget restaurants and small cloud kitchens on the platform,” said Pranav Rungta, head of the Mumbai chapter of NRAI.
“How will Zomato really ascertain if the complaint is genuine through a customer support executive sitting in a call centre and looking at a photo of the food shared by the consumer,” he asked. “We can take the responsibility of the food till it leaves the restaurants. After that a mix up may happen at the delivery executives’ end or even after it reaches a customer,” added Rungta.
There’s already a dispute resolution mechanism in place where customers can register their complaints on restaurant food quality with FSSAI and an aggregator does not have the power to investigate such issues, he argued.
According to QSR brand Samosa Party, there have also been instances in the industry when a competitor tried to deliberately sabotage a restaurant by posting about quality issues on social media or cooking up fake reviews.
“It is our mission to convince people that the belief that dirty is tasty is wrong, especially in the savouries segment we play in. One does not have to come at the cost of the other,” said Diksha Pande, co-founder of Samosa Party.
Zomato had earlier listed out presence of hazardous foreign objects in the food like insects and sharp objects like glass, serving pre-packaged food, non-vegetarian food instead of vegetarian, wrong type of meat and rotten food as examples of severe food quality issue.
“Such a policy will hurt the small pocket-friendly restaurants like us the most. Our customer base, such as students, often raise complaints to get refunds,” said Rajat Jaiswal, co-founder of Wat-a-Burger.
“70 per cent of customer complaints turn out to be fake on the aggregator platforms. If restaurants are penalised, why not penalise a customer who registers a fake complaint,’’ asked Jaiswal.
This is not the first time that food delivery platforms are clashing with restaurant partners on quality issues. In 2018, food aggregators Zomato and Swiggy had delisted over 10,000 restaurants after FSSAI observed that more than 30-40 per cent of food businesses on the online platforms did not possess valid licence. The delivery platforms had also come out with programmes that required restaurants to get a list of hygiene and standards audits done by third-party firms on the basis of which they were rated on the platform.
‘’The restaurants had opposed those programmes as we had to shell out a lot of money for those ratings. The aggregators were ultimately forced to roll those plans back," NRAI's Rungta said.


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BUKU Ship Announces $5M Investment by Pando Ventures and Names Ken W. Muir as Chief Executive Officer
LEHI, Utah --BUKU Ship, the leader in intelligent AI Powered shipping solutions, announced today it has raised $5 million in Series A funding, led by Pando Ventures, following the appointment of Ken W. Muir as Chief Executive Officer in August, 2021.
Muir, 52, is a software veteran with over 25 years of experience leading both public and private companies. Muir was the former CEO of GWAVA which he led to a very successful acquisition in 2016 by Micro Focus, a $4B public company. Muir has held numerous positions including Chief Technology Officer of a $1B public company, VP & General Manager of a leading Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Business and Chief Revenue Officer. Muir is a distinguished alumnus of the University of Utah College of Engineering and a PLD graduate of Harvard Business School.
Additionally, BUKU is announcing that David Field, former executive from DHL has joined the BUKU team as Chief Revenue Officer and Bryce Romney, former Vice President of Product at SwipeClock has joined the team as Chief Product Officer. Field has over 20 years of sales and sales leadership experience in the logistics industry, having worked for a large multinational logistics organization to thriving startups. Romney brings deep SaaS product expertise building highly valued scalable solutions for the enterprise as well as the SMB markets.
"BUKU is disrupting the eCommerce shipping market providing the most complete and innovative software shipping platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) built into its core,” said Ken Muir, CEO of BUKU. “From click to ship, BUKU provides online sellers with all the tools they need. Including discounted postage rates, Shopping Cart Rate Intelligence for both domestic and international shipping, easy to use dashboards, analytics, billing reconciliation, returns, parcel tracking, and protection. Together, with our team of industry proven leaders and our partnership with Pando Ventures, BUKU delivers a powerful combination that can address any online seller’s shipping needs, enabling them to focus on their core business.”
“BUKU brings world-class solutions to the rapidly growing eCommerce shipping market,” says Rob Hennefer, Partner at Pando Ventures. “We’ve been incredibly impressed by the BUKU team and the results they’ve achieved in such a short time. We’re excited to be a part of the BUKU story.”
Additional funding will support BUKU’s platform expansion and further their AI capabilities providing real-time shipping intelligence. Additionally, BUKU’s astonishing growth has been without investment in marketing and branding. This investment will ignite BUKU’s Sales and Marketing and drive exponential market penetration and customer acquisition.
About BUKU Ship
BUKU Ship exists to help online retailers with all their shipping needs so they can focus on what matters most, creating and selling their product. Our innovative SaaS platform and our team of industry experts ensure that from “click to ship” all aspects of online shipping are taken care of for our customers. BUKU is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, and was founded in 2018. To learn more, visit www.bukuship.com.
About Pando Ventures
Pando Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Salt Lake City and founded in 2020 by Scott Carman and Rob Hennefer. Pando invests in scalable software and technology businesses in the non-coastal western states.
Source: Business Wire


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Hyundai will bring in the Alcazar facelift by mid-2024 while the updated Tucson and electric version of the Creta are also expected in the second half of this year
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is poised to roll out a new lineup of vehicles in the due course of 2024, featuring a blend of new SUVs across different segments. Among these, two will be powered by internal combustion engines one will be a zero-emission SUV. Let’s explore each of these upcoming models in a detailed manner.
1. Hyundai Alcazar Facelift:
Following the updated Creta’s launch a few months ago, the South Korean auto major is gearing up to unveil the facelifted Alcazar by the middle of this year as part of its mid-life refresh. Its exterior design is expected to align closely with the upcoming Creta’s aesthetics and it has already been spotted a couple of times on public roads.
Additionally, similar technologies such as Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are anticipated to be integrated into the Alcazar’s equipment list, enhancing its safety and convenience features. However, no mechanical changes will be made while the overall proportions will remain the same.
2. Hyundai Tucson Facelift:
Hyundai unveiled the mid-life update for the Tucson globally a while ago with its Indian launch scheduled for sometime this year. The updated model will feature revisions to its exterior and interior, enhancing its visual appeal and just like the forthcoming Alcazar, it will be a mid-cycle update. While specific details remain undisclosed, it’s expected that the existing 2.0L petrol and diesel powertrains will be retained.
3. Hyundai Creta EV:
According to reports, Hyundai is set to launch a new midsize electric SUV based on the Creta by the end of this calendar year or in early 2025. This five-seater will enter a competitive market, facing off against contenders such as the upcoming Maruti Suzuki eVX, its Toyota electric SUV sibling, Tata Curvv, top-spec variants of the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV400 and the MG ZS EV.
Expected to utilize a battery pack sourced from LG Chem, the Hyundai electric SUV is projected to offer a driving range exceeding 450 km. In addition, the single electric motor could be the same as the unit found in the base-spec Kona Electric.


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Significant growth in retail media has created fragmentation across the industry that is holding retailers, brands and agencies back from reaching their full potential with retail media, according to a media release from Criteo.
In response, the commerce media company has formally launched Commerce Max, its self-service, demand-side platform (DSP), in an effort to provide brands and agencies a single point of entry to retail media inventory onsite and across premium publishers offsite.
Criteo says it had been market testing the offering since 2022 with Best Buy and media investment company GroupM, an exclusive Alpha partner. During this period, Commerce Max enrolled 10 retailers including Best Buy, Macy's and Shipt. Criteo says retailers who have completed campaigns have more than doubled conversion rates on average when running both onsite and offsite advertising through the platform.
“Our focus is enabling all commerce-driven companies to buy and sell to audiences engaged in shopping,” Megan Clarken, CEO at Criteo, said in the release. “The process has to be frictionless, and it has to solve for fragmentation. With today’s launch, we’re equipping our clients with the right tools to cut through and connect in a more unified retail media ecosystem that ultimately creates more unity across the broader advertising marketplace.”
"Through Criteo, we now have one point of entry to a pivotal retail media network, all within a single platform — Commerce Max — that applies the same KPIs to retail media as those we use for our programmatic buys,” said Billy Dyer, club team shopper marketing lead at Unilever. “Combining onsite and offsite targeting enables us to focus media spend across a broader part of the shopper funnel while finding the most suitable audiences wherever they are.”
Now in general availability, brands and agencies across the globe can use Commerce Max to access data and inventory across multiple retailers and marketplaces as well as leverage closed-loop measurement.
In addition, Criteo’s partnership with Integral Ad Science allows brands and agencies to measure viewability and invalid traffic on a retailer’s site across all ad formats, including native and sponsored products, by 2024.
The second component of Criteo’s latest launch is the company’s expansion of its core monetization technology and solution suite, Commerce Yield. The suite marks the next phase in the development of Commerce Yield and aims to equip retailers with the means to tap previously “unattainable demand” by facilitating the integration of marketplace and in-store monetization technologies, per the release.
The suite provides retailers and marketplaces with a complete media toolset, but also serves commerce companies such as automakers, movie theaters, transportation services and airlines.
Commerce Yield combines Criteo’s former retail media platform with several solutions derived from recent strategic acquisitions, including:
Commerce Yield Marketplace: Through Criteo's acquisition of Mabaya, a sponsored product ad platform in Europe, Commerce Yield Marketplace aims to help monetization officers integrate marketplace tactics and formats.


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Yeonjun: Great news for MOAs! One of the members of TXT was selected as the new ambassador of the popular Privé Alliance brand. Yeonjun will not only be an ambassador, but will also be a creative designer for the new collection that Privé Alliance will launch in the second half of the year.
Yeonjun of TXT became the new ambassador of Privé Alliance. Brand he had been working on baekhyun from EXO. In addition to being the ambassador, he will also be part of Creative designer for future collaborations with the brand.
MOA remains very excited about the recent Privé Alliance announcement, confirming that TXT’s Yeonjun will participate with the brand as an ambassador and designer, completely proud of the Korean’s achievement.
Yeonjun was currently an MC for the music show Inkigayo and is on tour with TXT in the United States with their ACT: LOVE SICK tour. The announcement of him as a brand ambassador made his fans completely happy. Those who are very curious about his work.
TXT’s Yeonjun Is The New Ambassador Of Privé Alliance, Brand Reported
Through a statement on their official Twitter page, the Privé Alliance brand announced TXT’s Yeonjun as their brand ambassador. He news that he made all the fans of him too excited.
In the statement, Privé Alliance spoke with emotion about the collaboration that they would have with Yeonjun, one of the rising stars who has drawn a lot of attention for his unique style, being a fashion influencer for the new generations.
Similarly, they praised the versatility of Yeonjun to carry different styles of clothes without losing elegance at any time. Ensuring that his style is perfect for the brand and they couldn’t wait to show the collaboration they did with him. You can see the statement here:
The Privé Alliance x Yeonjun collection already has a release date, when will it come out?
Privé Alliance x Yeonjun It will be a five-piece collection with styles designed by TXT’s Yeonjun himself. This collaboration plans to be a refreshing and modern style for the brand that they assure fans will love. This collection will be released on August 12 this year and can be purchased online.
So far, Yeonjun is expected to work with the brand from August to December this year. In which different collections of the brand will be launched. On the other hand, they expect Baekhyun to rejoin the brand as soon as he is discharged from the military in 2023.


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Targeting to cover a bigger urban population, Food Management And Trading Company Ltd (MTF), a government undertaking enterprises, has launched the distribution of induction at reduce prices.
Started two weeks ago, the company is selling Media brands Induction the prices of Rs.4000.00 with the reduction of Rs.800.00 in each induction. Nara Bahadur Basnet, sales officer of Bagmati Province Office in Maitighar, said that the company has been selling 230 pieces daily. The prices include the 15 percent of VAT. According to Basnet, the original price of induction was Rs.4700.00 with VAT.
“We still have a good stuck of inductions and we are planning to bring infrad and other e-cooking devices to supply in subsidies prices,” said Basnet. “The Number of numbers of people, who have been visiting our stall, has increased,” said Basnet.
As soon as the company has started to sell the induction in subsidy, private sector companies have also started to reduce the prices.CG has already announced the reduction of 20 percent in its induction brand.
The popularity of induction cooktops has skyrocketed in recent days. This has come after the government started campaign to promote electric cooking in Nepalese households to limit the use of LPG.
This campaign has been brought to light in an attempt to transition the nation into energy independence and make use of green energy. This campaign was also promoted by Minister of Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal.
Along with government sector, the companies like CG have massively mobilized its outlet to sell induction throughout the country with 20 percent reduction. CG is now selling its 2000 Watt induction at the cost of Rs.3720.00.
As its popularity soars, many people are looking for the best induction cooktops that are currently available in the market. Along with purchasing through visiting the stalls, dozens of online shopping centers are offering the induction and other electric cooking appliances in subsidy rates.
Powered by a 2,100-watt motor, Philips HD4928 is based on electromagnetic induction technology. This cooktop delivers high heating efficiency, ensuring that your food is cooked with less energy consumption and at a faster rate. Not only does it come with a feather-touch panel but also has a 0 to 3-hour timer that works well with a wide range of dishes. This Philips induction cooktop is perfect for Nepalese households with 6 preset menus and a high-quality glass panel.
Crompton is one of the rising electric appliance brands in the country. The Crompton Insta serve 2000 induction cooktop could be a good choice for your home as it heats up efficiently while consuming less energy. Marked at 2000 watts, this induction cooktop weighs 2 kg 340 g and has a dimension of 30 x 20 x 13 Centimeters. It can be easily found in the market at the approximate price of Rs. 5000.
This Prestige induction cooktop is powered by a 1,900-watt motor and comes with an intelligent computer control procedure that automatically manages the power consumption based on the menu selected. It has a feather-touch control panel and supports different local menus. This Prestige induction cooktop is a high-performance and featured-packed option that is a perfect fit for Nepali kitchens.
Among all the induction cooktops we have mentioned, this comes as the best budget-friendly induction cooktop. Although the features and efficiency are not as brilliant as the previously mentioned ones, this does the perfect job for decent use for a family kitchen. This Pigeon cooktop comes with an 1800-watt motor and an elegant design. It has dual heat sensors that help in faster cooking. Its feather-touch panel is user-friendly and includes one-touch access to 7 different local menus.
Baltra Electric Infrared Induction Cooktop 2000W BIC 121 Sensible. Baltra Electric Infrared Induction Cooktop BIC 121 Sensible is powered by a 2000W motor which provides steady heat for easy cooking at home. This induction cooktop is suitable for all metallic and non-metallic cookware. Some of the features that are available in this stove are a digital display, automatic power-off, and adjustable power control as per the cooking needs, shockproof body, and feather-touch button operation. Besides this, it is eco-friendly and radiation-free. It also comes with a 1-year warranty and costs around Rs. 4000 in the market.
Similarly, wide variety of made in china brand induction and electric cooking appliances are available in Kathmandu The prices ranges from Rs.2500.00 to 4000.00. Although Chinese are cheaper, they are not sure. Made in China is dominating the rice cooking sector.
Although the Ministry is yet to come up with a guideline, induction are reaching the large numbers of kitchen of Kathmandu Valley and other urban city. Given the growing market, some private houses have already stated to assembling induction.
Field report by Madan Poudel
VOL. 16, No. 19, May.26, 2023 (Jestha,12. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75
VOL. 16, No. 18, May.05, 2023 (Baisakh 22. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75
VOL. 16, No. 17, April.21, 2023 (Baisakh 08. 2080) Publisher and Editor: Keshab Prasad Poudel Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75


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No matter who you ask, they will have some opinion on data privacy. Whether it’s when we hear of a data breach at Equifax, or the unauthorized use of personal information on Facebook, the issues of data privacy and data protection are part of our daily lives.
While these issues aren’t the primary concern for most of us on a regular basis, they become significant when either of two things happens:
- Someone tries to use our individual data without our permission, such as knowing what products we use when we search online; or
- Someone hacks into a database that may and steal the personal information of thousands of people.
When either of these events occurs, it gets our attention. And, unfortunately, these events are happening with greater regularity and to more people.
With data privacy a growing concern, we wonder what to expect in 2020.
If we were to try to categorize all the data privacy trends under one heading, it would most likely be an attempt to better regulate how private information is used. This includes continued efforts by state and federal governments, as well as governments around the globe, to provide rules for greater protection and more rights for individuals concerning their personal data or information, and how it’s used by others.
States continue to introduce or pass new data protection laws
Consumers will continue to hear about how their data is used. Alexa and her relatives made many consumers uncomfortable with the collection and use of their private data. This type of new technology will compel more states to consider greater data privacy and protection legislation.
A major reason why there isn’t a comprehensive federal act to address privacy concerns is that there is too much ground between the two parties [states and the federal government] to come to a consensus and pass comprehensive legislation.
One of the key sticking points to federal legislation is whether an individual should have a private right to action to sue companies for data breaches and misuse of their personal information, or whether those injured in a data breach (or by the illegal use of information) are required to depend on the government to bring suit.
A second major dispute in any federal legislation is that of state law preemption (the doctrine that federal law is controlling over laws enacted by the state concerning the same subject ). However, this won’t be a concern if there’s no national privacy act that supersedes state legislation.
Because of the lack of cooperation and bipartisanship in Congress, individual states will be tasked with finding legislative or regulatory solutions to address their citizens’ privacy concerns.
When this happens, state laws will undoubtedly have similar but conflicting language in their privacy statutes. This will result in confusion for the customer and companies that legally use or hold individuals’ personal information.
In light of the fact that data is not a stationary or inanimate notion, consumers will have questions concerning their rights and the extent of protection under state laws, while businesses, especially those located in several states, will have difficulty determining how to comply with the various standards in each jurisdiction.
In 2018, California took the lead in passing domestic privacy legislation. The California act had several detractors and shortcomings in the interpretation of application and actions that must be taken in light of the new rules, and still faces challenges in 2020. Several other states, including Maine and Nevada, enacted less-comprehensive, but significant, data privacy legislation. In addition, the states of New York, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington considered data privacy acts last year.
California’s act, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), was used as the template for several other states. The CCPA went into effect in June 2018 and was amended last fall to take full effect on January 1, 2020.
The CCPA created new consumer rights concerning access to, deletion of and the sharing of personal information collected by businesses. The act also requires the state attorney general to adopt corresponding regulations with input from the public to further the CCPA’s objectives. The regulations promulgated under the act would establish procedures to enforce consumers’ new rights under the CCPA and provide businesses with guidance for how to comply.
Massachusetts’ privacy bill was modeled closely on the CCPA and would have a significant impact on businesses if passed. The Massachusetts bill contained a consumer data privacy bill with a broad private right of action. The proposed law, An Act Relative to Consumer Data Privacy (S.120), would have allowed a consumer to bring a lawsuit against any violating business or service provider, no matter what the actual losses.
However, last month, the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure voted to table the comprehensive consumer data privacy bill until a future legislative session.
The proposed Washington Privacy Act passed overwhelmingly in the state Senate but failed in the house. This was partially because of disagreements as to how the statute would be enforced and its facial recognition provisions. Nonetheless, the bill’s proponents said they would push the legislation again this year, and a new version of the act was proposed in late January.
Last spring, the Texas legislature amended the state’s breach notification law and created a new privacy council. House Bill 4390 was originally designed as a comprehensive consumer privacy bill known as the Texas Privacy Protection Act; however, the legislation was amended multiple times in the Texas House and Senate to water it down to just the two actions.
The update to the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act concerns only the breach notification requirements in the TITEPA. The amendments provide clarification by further defining the timeline to disclose a breach of system security and requiring disclosure of certain information to the Texas attorney general for breaches impacting at least 250 Texas residents.
Plus, the Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council will study and evaluate laws in Texas, other states, and relevant foreign jurisdictions that govern the privacy and protection of information, and make recommendations to the state legislature on specific statutory changes regarding the privacy and protection of personal information.
Likewise, New York’s proposed data privacy legislation failed to garner requisite support last year and faced a substantial lobbying effort to stop the bill cold.
Despite these setbacks, this state legislative activity has continued to kindle an increased demand for a federal data privacy law.
Other data privacy trends
In considering trends beyond the main idea of increased statutory and regulatory protection of data, any new state privacy laws will result in new and significant business challenges, especially for organizations with multistate operations.
This trend will manifest itself in the difficulties companies will experience attempting to comply with increasingly tough privacy laws across geographies and industries. The result will mean increased pressure on data privacy and compliance efforts within companies. Another result of this trend will be the increased cost of compliance.
Another trend is that an increasing number of companies will come to the conclusion that a single privacy strategy is the only effective way to move into the future.
A similar trend is that we will see privacy and cybersecurity functions become more integrated. Experts say that this is really more of a continuing trend rather than a new one. Nonetheless, businesses can expect to see their privacy and security functions in closer coordination.
The impact of increased and more abundant data privacy regulations is that they are an even more significant driver in increased cybersecurity measures, as new regulations mandate that companies ensure their data is secure, and enforce greater diligence with the potential for penalties in the event of a breach.
One of the conclusions that can be drawn from this legislative activity, and one of the most significant trends in 2020 is that privacy will become a business differentiator. That means that the health and reputation of a business will now in large part factor in its ability to protect individual personal data and to guard against potential data hacks.
Consumers themselves support this notion, as more than 80% of those surveyed say that they have become increasingly aware of how businesses are using their personal information, and 75% admit that they have become less likely to trust companies with their personal information over the past year.
Data privacy is becoming a significant factor in the buying process for many consumers.
Given the number of high-profile data breaches that continue to make the news, as well as this increased push for data privacy legislation, businesses and consumers alike are much more concerned with protecting personal data.


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It’s no secret that ongoing economic problems are putting many businesses in a tight spot. This especially applies to small businesses; however, large companies are far from immune to it.
Many tech giants, for instance, are making headlines for laying off their workers as a means of reducing overhead expenses. Between inflation, the supply chain, and other relevant factors, business isn’t booming for these companies as it used to be.
Unfortunately, layoffs come during a time when people are most in need of their jobs. As prices rise, having to leave their jobs puts Americans in an incredibly vulnerable position of wondering what comes next.
This is especially the case for many people who worked for Netflix, as reported by Newsmax.
Major Problems With Netflix
Netflix is currently making headlines for scrapping nearly three dozen workers in its animation department. This comes on top of another 450 employees that the streaming service let go of just earlier this year.
As it turns out, this goes hand-in-hand with Netflix losing hundreds of thousands of subscribers on a monthly basis. This is causing serious problems and forcing the company to strategize about new ways to get subscribers back.
1899 – from the creators of DARK – coming soon to Netflix. pic.twitter.com/0oGFXkRSOt
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) September 15, 2022
In light of how things are going, Netflix is having to consider how it can cut its losses and increase its gains. Some reports note the streaming service will soon offer an option that lets people access Netflix for a reduced rate, but with ads between content.
On social media, however, there’s been an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the idea of Netflix bringing ads to its content. In fact, Netflix has been widely praised for not having ads on its shows and movies, unless other competing platforms like Hulu and HBO Max.
Time Will Tell
Collectively and despite documented losses, Netflix’s current subscriber base is still in the 220 million zone. By the time this year’s third quarter comes to a wrap, the streaming service is projected to gain roughly one million subscribers.
Time is ultimately going to determine how long it takes for Netflix to get ahold of things and return to its former glory.
The streaming platform’s continued layoffs may help the company, but it certainly hurts workers who were dependent upon these jobs to feed their families.
"More than 39,000 workers have been let go in the U.S. tech sector alone as of August, including employees at industry titans like Peloton, Shopify, and Netflix."https://t.co/lpzM35xvVL#TheGreatResignation #career #layoffs #jobsearch #recruiter pic.twitter.com/XZFAKA2Drz
— Walrath Recruiting (@WalrathRecruit) September 6, 2022
Netflix has made no mention of when it plans to end the trend of layoffs or even begin hiring or re-hiring workers. All things considered, it appears the streaming service is operating on a case-by-case basis.
What are your thoughts about all the problems that Netflix is having? Do you believe the company is going to be able to eventually turn things around for the better? Feel free to share your thoughts about Netflix with us in the comments area.This article appeared in The Conservative Brief and has been published here with permission.


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Twitter will soon release updates aimed at curbing harassment. The announcement was made by the company’s Vice President of Engineering, Ed Ho, who admitted that that the company “didn’t move fast enough” to curb harassment on the social media service. He added that this week, the company will release fixes for muting, blocking and stopping repeat offenders from creating new accounts. He also promised to keep users updated with the changes that are being made, and asked them to send in their feedback.
A company spokesperson told VentureBeat, “We’re approaching safety with a sense of urgency. As such, we will be rolling out a number of product changes in the coming days and weeks – some will be immediately visible, while others will be more targeted to specific scenarios. We will update you along the way and continue to test, learn and iterate on these changes to evaluate their effectiveness. You can expect to see meaningful progress in this area.”
This isn’t the first time that Twitter has taken steps to curb trolling and harassment. Back in 2015, the company allowed users to export their block list and share them with others, to make the medium safer.
Making Twitter a safer place is our primary focus and we are now moving with more urgency than ever. — Ed Ho (@mrdonut) January 31, 2017
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The latest iOS released by Apple is the Apple iOS version 9.3. As soon as the version was released, many users started to download it and update their iPhones and iPads. On updating their devices to the new iOS, a problem showed up. Whenever any link was being encountered by the user on almost any platform or app in the updated iOS, the device crashed or hanged instantly. Moreover, at times this crash remained for a long time before it got fixed, and started off again with the next encounter with any type of link.
Afterwards, a fair number of reports were launched staying complaints about Apple’s latest iOS bug. Initially, Apple did not respond to the issue but as the number of complaints rose, the company made a quick and effective decision. They stopped the iOS 9.3 update and in a few days launched a new version of the iOS 9.3, the iOS version 9.3.1. This new version is actually the corrected version of the iOS 9.3 and nothing more. The users who had already updated their iPhones or iPads to iOS 9.3, can now update their iPhones and iPads via iTunes, since they cannot do it from the links available on the devices update section.
On the other hand, users who had not updated their devices to iOS 9.3, now have no need to install the iOS 9.3 and then get iOS 9.3.1. As stated earlier, the iOS 9.3 has been plucked away from the market and replaced with iOS 9.3.1. The new Apple devices, i.e., the iPhone SE and also the 9.7 inch iPad Pro comes in built with iOS 9.3. These users need to update to iOS 9.3.1 in order to get flawless service from their devices.


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Just ahead of the new iPad launch in couple of hours, the first third-party retailer of the new iPad is finally enters in the market with an exclusive offer for the users who have missed out the chance to pre-order their device on the time. Yesterday, we have published our detailed guide on how to get the new iPad 3 on the launch day, with some strategic moves on the launch day. Many users have liked it, as we have pin pointed all the main issues. However, later this morning, Walmart has finally issued a statement on the internet that the device is finally in the market with the new iPad stock, and they will start selling the new iPad couple of hours before the official Apple’s retail stores.
Walmart has announced that they are going to offer the new iPad on their stores with a “limited supply”, and will begin offering the new iPad in stores at 12:01 AM local time at its 24-hour stores in the United States. Now, according to the Walmart statement, it is clearly noted that the third-part retailer is about start selling the new iPad eight-hours before the Apple’s own retail stores across the first nine countries. On the other hand, people are going crazy, and have start lining up in front of the Apple’s Retail Stores to get their hands on the device, while many of the users have joined the line to sell out their position in line for some extra money on the internet.
While, there are still no words from the other third-party retailers who are officially listed by Apple to be carrying the latest generation iPad stock by the launch day. It seems that this time Walmart going to overcome by other retailers sales with offering the new iPad exclusively eight hours before the official launch by Apple in the retail stores.
Quick Update: Walmart has finally begun offering the new iPad on their stores by 12:01 AM – local time, as the users around the Walmart Stores finally able to get the new device on their hands, a bit quicker than those who are lining up in front of the Apple Retail Stores.


text: New legislation by the European Union regarding genetically modified (GM) products is now in place. It seems certain that the moratorium that had blocked the approval of new varieties for a period of five years will be lifted, judging from statements by European Commissioner Franz Fischler. The European Union will soon be opening its gates to a new technology in agricultural production with unknown repercussions and of questionable necessity. Products containing genetically modified organisms will have to be marked as such, so in theory at least, customers will have a choice. However, once GM crops are cultivated, no one can guarantee the purity of conventional and organic crops. Even those who for whatever reason decide to grow GM crops will be bound to the firms who supply them, and if a problem arises, they will not be able to back out. So perhaps the very concept of choice is utopian. Pressure from the US might not have led to complete acceptance of GM products, but it has clearly had a great effect. The main purpose of the new EU legislation is allegedly to protect consumers, and ensure the right of choice, since food containing GM organisms must be labeled as such. However, the cultivation of GM varieties alongside conventional, and particularly organic, crops will be a problem and not merely a hypothetical one. In many areas of the US, where mainly GM crops are grown over huge areas, neighboring conventional crops have been contaminated. In fact, conventional producers have been sued by GM seed producers for «using» their property. Nevertheless, Fischler insists that this problem is not important and has said there is no justification for using it as an argument to create fresh obstacles to the approval of GM products. Fischler has even said that no member state will be able to reject GM crops, or make even part of its territory off-limits to them. Austria, which has declared certain zones free of GM crops, will no longer have the right to do so, according to Fischler. The EU, in submitting to the rules of a free market, has therefore given the go-ahead to GM products, obviously prompted by a desire to remove yet another prickly issue from its relations with the US, which had taken recourse to the World Trade Organization over the issue. Problems are sure to arise, however, when GM crops are grown alongside conventional and organic farmland, when pollen from GM plants is blown over the fence and contaminates conventional crops. The European Commission and Farm Commissioner Fischler suggest that the cost of protecting crops from contamination be met by the producer who is last on the scene. For example, if people decide to grow organic crops in an area where GM crops are already being grown, then they will have to assume the task of protecting their own crops. Austria, Belgium and Portugal have opposed the Commission’s suggestions, while Britain, Spain, Sweden and Ireland agree that it is time to give approval to new varieties of GM crops in the EU. In reality, the question of contamination could actually overturn the entire rationale of EU legislation, since if GM varieties are mixed with conventional or organic ones there will no longer be any point in making a distinction between them. According to Manolis Kambourakis, a researcher at the National Farming Research Foundation (ETHIAGE), there are no topical studies on the likelihood of contamination under the conditions that prevail in each separate member state. He said that if other crops are contaminated by GM seeds, the results are irreversible. «Genetically modified varieties are not a pesticide that we can decide to stop using if we don’t like its effects. Once these organisms are released into nature, they will stay there,» said Kambourakis. Seed contamination Another issue that is still pending but on which EU legislation is soon to be drafted is the possibility of GM seeds becoming mixed with conventional seeds. The issue is being studied by the EU’s Permanent Seed Committee and not at ministerial level, as is the rest of the legislation on GM organisms, meaning in effect that staff members of member states’ ministries are being called upon to decide on the issue. The Commission’s proposal is that accidental contamination of conventional seeds by GM seeds be considered legally acceptable for up to a total of 0.3-0.9 percent, according to the species, and for varieties of GM seeds that have not been approved by the European Union. Seeds are at the bottom of the food chain and it is clear that if they are mixed before they are sown, they will result in GM crops without the farmers even knowing about it. A survey by Greenpeace has shown that the slightest contamination of seed supplies means thousands of GM plants in the fields that no one knows exist. Obviously this also means that there can be no limit to the spread of GM crops that are not approved.


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Spooky season has officially arrived and Carvel is celebrating with a scary-good new 'Hocus Pocus Shake.'
This Halloween season, Carvel teamed up with Freeform to celebrate the network’s annual '31 Nights of Halloween' movie lineup. One of the movies included is Disney’s 'Hocus Pocus,' which serves as the inspiration for Carvel's latest creation. The new Hocus Pocus Shake starts with Carvel's signature vanilla soft serve blended with OREO Cookie pieces, and then topped with whipped cream and Halloween sprinkles. Naturally, the shake is also served in an exclusive 31 Nights of Halloween X Hocus Pocus limited edition cup. As Carvel's Chief Marketing Officer Nicolle DuBose explains, "Carvel fans look forward to our holiday specialty shakes and we are thrilled to bring even more Halloween excitement to our shops this year with our Freeform collaboration."
Image Credit: Carvel


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Kanye West and Ray J Reunite at Candace Owen’s Film Premiere : #Kanye #West #Ray #Reunite #Candace #Owens #Film #Premiere CelebSurgery
Credit: Getty Image / Jason Davis / Stringer
The premiere for Candace Owens’s film The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM was momentarily upstaged by the reunion of Ray J and Kanye West, with the former being Kim Kardashian’s ex lover in their highly-publicized sex tape, and the latter being her estranged husband.
The aforementioned overshadowing of the film’s premiere was apparently staged by Candace Owens herself, as a derisive jab at Kardashian according to unnamed sources via TMZ.
It’s hardly Owens’ first shot at Kim, having leaked a voicemail earlier this week from Kardashian to Ray J in which she called Whitney Houston “an old hag,” who Ray J was dating at the time it was sent.
Ye reportedly arrived at the Woolworth Theater in Nashville two hours after the scheduled arrival time, and posed for pictures with Kid Rock and Ray J himself.
As wild and awkward as this reunion may be, this is unfortunately a comparably tame and innocuous story involving West in recent weeks, with the rapper donning a White Lives Matter shirt at Paris Fashion Week, which he considered funny, and going on a tirade of antisemitic posts on social media – resulting in his accounts getting banned from a number of platforms.
West’s long-running and multi-billion dollar partnership with sports brand Adidas is also in jeopardy following the release of footage of Ye making some sort of weird power play towards Adidas employees by forcing them to watch pornography on his phone as some sort of metaphor for how Ye felt the brand had been treating him.
The footage is speculated to have been filmed in roughly the same timeframe that the Yeezy brand terminated its partnership with Gap clothing stores, and you get the sneaking suspicion Ye isn’t done making headlines quite yet.


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You have made a difference!
At CBWOQ’s April women’s conference and again at CBOQ Assembly in June, dozens of you heard our invitation to join with Defend Dignity in urging Starbucks to put filters on its Wi-Fi. You signed petitions.
Today we’ve just learned that Starbucks has affirmed its commitment to ensuring their coffee shops are family friendly, safe locations for people of all ages.
The beverage and food services retailer announced July 15, 2016 that they are “in the process of evaluating a global protocol” to address the safety of their public Wi-Fi service in all company owned stores. Starbucks says they are participating in ongoing discussions regarding the implementation of broad-based solutions to “remove any illegal and other egregious content.” In the meantime, they have indicated they will stop any behaviour that interferes with customer experience, and have confirmed their commitment to ensuring their stores remain safe and welcoming.
In agreeing to filter out harmful, sexually violent images from their public Wi-Fi, “Starbucks is putting the safety of children first,” says Glendyne Gerrard, Director of Defend Dignity. Defend Dignity is one of organizations that partnered with CBWOQ on advocacy efforts during the 2015 Pan Am Games. “Once completed, they will join McDonalds and Tim Horton’s as leaders in the food services sector in Canada for having good filtering software on their public Wi-Fi.”
“We encourage Starbucks to quickly implement the necessary filtering, so that children stay safe and predators are stopped,” added Gerrard, noting that while many parents use safety measures at home to protect their children from Internet dangers, parental control safeguards can be easily bypassed by children when using Starbuck’s unfiltered Wi-Fi service, immediately exposing them to Internet dangers.
In addition to the possible harms to children, adults may also access and freely view pornographic material in Starbucks stores, thus exposing other customers, including children, to unwanted sexually explicit images. Also, sexual predators can access child pornography through the current open Wi-Fi in Canadian Starbucks stores.
“Today’s Internet pornography is misogynistic and violent, fuelling rape culture and desensitizing the viewer,” says Gerrard. “Because Internet pornography is easily accessible and available, it consequently poses one of the biggest threats to our children’s online safety.”
Defend Dignity acts as a catalyst for individuals and organizations to end sexual exploitation in Canada. In March 2016, they launched their Family Friendly Wi-Fi campaign to convince the proprietors of public gathering places to filter their Wi-Fi service. CBWOQ joined Defend Dignity’s efforts in April.