text:
Samsung’s Galaxy A-series was quite a hit in 2019, and now the brand is working out to carry the momentum in 2020 with its new mid-range devices. We already have the Galaxy A51 and A71 out in the wild, however, there are many more devices to come. On a side note, the company is also working in several new devices to succeed in the very succesful M-series which is an “entry-level” category of Galaxy smartphones. Back to the point of Galaxy A-series, Samsung is working on new affordable offerings in the form of Galaxy A31 and A41. We’ve heard close to nothing about these two devices so far, but a new leak surfaced to bring them to the headlines.
The Galaxy A31 is expected to debut with a 48MP main camera alongside a 5MP macro shooter. It represents a noticeable upgrade from the A30’s 16MP + 5MP camera combo. Things are even more exciting with a 5,000mAh battery. The Galaxy A41 will also offer a 48MP main shooter leading a triple-camera combo. Unfortunately, there are no details about the other two sensors. When it comes to the front-facing snapper, we are expecting a 25MP snapper. Unfortunately, we have no clue if these smartphones will feature a waterdrop notch or a punch-hole solution.
Gizchina News of the week
Thanks to a leaked picture of the Galaxy A41’s battery, we also know the exact capacity of the upcoming device. We have to say that the amount of 3,500mAh isn’t impressive for a mid-range smartphone nowadays. According to rumors, the handset will charge via 15W fast-charging. The same speed of the A40.
Other rumors indicate that both handsets will come with 64GB base storage. That means that we’ll probably have high-end units with 128GB storage if you pay more. Both of them will also come with microSD card support, something that is very traditional among Samsung handsets. Under the hood, both smartphones should boast an Exynos chipset accompanied by, at least, 4GB of RAM for multitasking purposes.
Unfortunately, there are clues pointing to the potential release dates for the A31 and A41. We’ll keep you updated with more details once they start to come.


text:
A pair of U.S. senators have introduced a new bill to promote recycling beverage containers—and it explicitly includes marijuana and hemp drink bottles as one of a handful qualifying categories.
The “Original Recycling (OR) Bottle Act,” filed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), is modeled after legislation enacted in their home state. It would require that beverage bottles and cans be eligible for recycling after consumer use, and provides that individuals receive a minimum refund for returning them to stores.
While cannabis remains illegal under federal law, the bill specifically includes drinks “containing marijuana or hemp” as one of just five “category of beverage” distinctions that the recycling program would cover, alongside water, carbonated soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and “all other non-alcoholic beverages (excluding dairy milk and plant-based milk, infant formula, and liquid meal replacements).”
Legalization advocates say that the legislation’s recognition of the growing cannabis beverage category sends an important signal.
“Senators Wyden and Merkley both have the foresight to know that we need to think past a prohibition-mentality when it comes to dynamic policy solutions facing other problems in our world,” NORML Political Director Justin Strekal told Marijuana Moment. “Normalization of marijuana reform demands that we incorporate this whole new legal industry into the context of escalating ecological urgency of addressing climate change.”
Many states have already established generally similar programs for bottles and cans. To incentivize recycling, the new legislation calls on retailers to pay at least 10 cents per beverage container received from distributors. Consumers would then pay that minimum value when they purchase the drinks, and then they’d be entitled to a refund when they return a container to a store. Finally, distributors would be required to retrieve the containers and pay back the retailers who collected the bottles and cans from consumers.
Distributors that don’t recover at least 75 percent of their bottles or cans would have to give up any unredeemed beverage container deposits they received to the Environmental Protection Agency, which would then in turn use that revenue “for marketing and outreach related to the bottle bill program,” according to a press release.
The senators behind the bill say their goal is to reduce plastics pollution.
“By taking the Oregon Way nationwide, this legislation will do more than sweep the garbage under the rug,” Wyden said. “It will ensure an all-hands-on-deck effort to clean up our roadsides, beaches, and rivers to protect the health of our planet and families.”
Merkley added that “plastic production is a major driver of pollution accelerating the climate crisis.”
“An America with the creativity to invent a million uses for plastic has the creativity to design better alternatives,” he said. “Our kids’ health and futures depend on America solving this problem.”
Marijuana and hemp beverages are also included in Oregon’s state-level drink container recycling law that the new federal bill is modeled after.
On a related marijuana-and-environmental note, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) announced last month that cannabis and beer companies would partner in a joint venture that involves using carbon captured during the alcohol brewing process to grow marijuana plants.
Separately, it was recently reported that Colorado cannabis businesses are the top supporters of the state’s highway cleanup initiative, accounting for about two-thirds of sponsorships.
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

domain: news


text:
The 2013 Easter Fashion Stroll, sponsored by the City of Cape May, the Washington Street Mall Merchants and the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May, prevailed even though light showers threatened to dampen the day mid-way through the judging. But both the judges and the participants braved on. Mayor Edward Mahaney, Jr. presided over the event. Prizes were awarded according to age, gender and Easter attire and all donated by the Mall merchants and surrounding businesses.
- Things to Do


text:
by Donna Martinez
Former Senior Writer and Editor, John Locke Foundation
Hang onto your seats, everyone. Tired of your grocery bill going up and up each week? Inflation is the problem we face today, but a recession could be the problem we face tomorrow. Retired NC State economist Mike Walden says a recession could be coming later this year. It all depends on how successful – or unsuccessful – the Federal Reserve is at trying to tamp down inflation.
Professor Walden describes the Fed’s task as “a thin wedge there to navigate through.” At Monday’s virtual Shaftesbury forum, Walden explained what to watch for, and what it could mean to your wallet and your family.
Click below to watch.


text:
The offsite moderators for Facebook may have user information that might make some Facebook users uneasy. This and more in today’s Daily Wrap.
Sometimes it’s difficult to catch everything that hits tech media in a day, so we wrap up some of the most talked about stories. We give you a daily recap of what you missed in the ReadWriteWeb Community, including a link to some of the most popular discussions in our offsite communities on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ as well.
Some Facebook moderation is performed by an external vendors. The employees of these vendors may have more information on Facebook users than some people expect. Beyond the flagged content, the moderators can see, in some cases, the user’s name and other identifying information.
From the ReadWriteWeb community:
jdavid_net — the problem is if facebook truly is a social utility, then, it becomes part of the infrastructure of human inter relationships.
Nick Stamoulis — It’s doubtful that the average Facebook user thoroughly understands Facebook’s privacy policies. Most probably haven’t even bothered to read it. Facebook is a “free” service, and it’s obvious that you are giving up something to use it. Really, it’s pretty simple. If in doubt, don’t share something on Facebook.
More Must Read Stories:
Ah, the Internet. The once magnificent and glorious tool has transformed from being a fast-paced information highway to that place where we all admit, rather begrudgingly, that we spend too much time on. Alone. We love the immediate answers, the idea of relying on Google as one aspect of our “external brain”. We crave instant gratification. We make important decisions (such as impulse buys) without a second thought. We are turning into Internet speed fiends, and we are doing it alone. (more)
Just in case it wasn’t clear Google is going into the business of selling airline tickets. It’s starting small with Cape Air, an independent New England-based regional airline. (more)
You no doubt are somewhat cynical about service level agreements (SLAs), those little-reviewed documents that promise the level of service from your hosting provider. Little-read that is, until something goes awry. Enter SingleHop, a Chicago-based provider that is trying to make a name for itself by actually delivering a solid “Bill of Rights” for customers and promising to pay when they don’t meet their SLA. It is an interesting idea. (more)
Pinterest is the new home to images from around the Web. Artists, interior designers, fashionistas and excited brides-to-be are using Pinterest to organize and curate their aesthetic. Among the photos of vintage duffle bags and cheese plates, word-only images have begun to pop up. Toronto-based developer Adam Rotman saw the opportunity and jumped on it. His new site, PinAQuote.com, offers users a way to grab text they see somewhere on the Web and turn it into a sharable image for Pinterest. Drag the PinAQuote bookmarklet into your bookmarks bar, which works well in Firefox or Chrome. (more)
Email is dead, according to some high profile figures.
Meanwhile, email use continues to grow steadily, and by some estimates nearly 80% of all business data can be found in email. Yet, even many of email’s greatest fans believe that after nearly 40 years of evolution, email has pretty much settled into its final form. I think they’re wrong – we have only seen the beginning of what email can do. (more)
The premium advertising platform Facebook launched last week, which includes an increased emphasis on mobile, is getting mixed reviews from industry professionals.
“Bottom-line- this is gonna fail because People don’t want to recommend an ad,” said Natalie L. Petouhoff, a senior analyst at Forrester Research. “They want to recommend a product, service or company that they have had an amazing experience with. (Or they want to share great content.) That expression of joy, surprise, wonderment… is a natural thing that people share with each other.” (more)
To say that journalism has changed in the last few years is putting it mildly. Those that watch the news industry and have a concern for its future are all too the familiar with the statistics. Dramatic drops in print advertising revenue are followed by layoffs, pay cuts and even the occasional closure of an institution that have informed the public for generations. Meanwhile, an entirely new digital news ecosystem is slowly emerging on the Web and mobile platforms, even if not everybody has figured out the best way to monetize it yet. (more)
One of the recurring themes last week at the O’Reilly Strata Conference in Santa Clara was the idea that skill with machine learning and analytics could trump domain expertise in getting results.
The argument goes something like this: Given the right data set, a data scientist with no domain expertise can out-perform experts that have been working in the field for decades. For example, providing weather insurance or marketing strategy. (more)
What do you do when you have a treasure trove of valuable data that developers would love to get their hands on? Release an API and let them create applications for you. That is precisely what sports network ESPN did today by announcing its Developer Center replete with multiple APIs for programmers. Developers can tap into ESPN’s reservoir of data on athletes, teams, media, stats and research to create sports apps with rich data for fans across the world. (more)


text:
Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram shop setting coming soon
It ought to before long be simpler to go through cash by means of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg reporting four new shopping highlights. Coming soon to the online media stages: Shops on WhatsApp and Marketplace, Instagram Visual Search and Shop Ads.
Shops on WhatsApp will permit clients to visit with organizations prior to purchasing something from them. Shops on Marketplace will allow vendors to set up an online store directly on Facebook with on-location checkout. And setting up your shop once will empower it to work across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Zuckerberg said.
Peruse more: Facebook and Instagram presently let you conceal likes. Here’s the manner by which to do it
Instagram Visual Search will then, at that point assist you with discovering items dependent on pictures you like, while Shop Ads will “customize the shopping experience and guide you toward a Shop’s curated assortment,” the CEO said.
Shops in Marketplace will be accessible just in the US for the present, while Shops in WhatsApp will be going to “a few nations,” Facebook said. Shop Ads is going to the US, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Recently, Facebook additionally reported its new live sound rooms highlight, similar to Clubhouse.
Always contact cratslist for advertisement


text:
One date, one new trailer
A couple of independent titles have had announcements in recent days.
Soul Axiom from Wales Interactive, which was previously slated to launch in October, has had its release date bumped to September 29 for both North America and Europe. The game will launch for US$14.99/€14.99/£11.99, with the 15% discount available for those who downloaded its event preview during E3 last year.
Twisted Fusion, the Kickstarter-backed game from Lewis Pugh (disclaimer: Lewis has appeared on at least two episodes of Radio Free Nintendo) has a new trailer out which confirms the game will launch in October. The four minute trailer gets into the game's backstory.


text:
Gujarati daily Sandesh came up with 3D edition in Ahmedabad last week. Apart from the regular newspaper, a 16-pages supplement, showcased advertisements in 3 dimensional views for which special glasses had been provided with the feature. The newspaper had come up with 2.5 Lac copies in the market for that day.
The newspaper claimed that this is the first 3D edition in the Gujarati newspaper domain. Parthiv Patel, Managing Director, The Sandesh Ltd, stated, “This is just a step forward in our endeavour to provide better mileage and opportunities to our business associates and offer a new experience to our readers.”
The edition carried 3D advertisements from diverse segments of the industries such as real estate, telecom, healthcare, consumer durables, FMCG, retail outlets, jewelers, hospitality etc.
Meanwhile, Devanshu Gandhi, MD, Vadilal Industries, the leading advertiser, stated, “Being in the food industry, it is important that our product shots are excellent and appealing to the consumers. Sandesh’s 3D feature gave us an opportunity to highlight our ice creams such that the reader would feel that it is served right in front of them.”
Also, Uday Bhatt, CMD, Galaxy Group of Companies, remarked, “It was like presenting the customer with a 3D model of our scheme through the feature.”
The Sandesh Limited is a listed and public limited company with Head Quarter at Ahmedabad. Till 1984, Sandesh was a single edition newspaper published from Ahmedabad. Then under an expansion programme new editions were launched from Baroda, Surat, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in 1985, 1989, 1990 and 1998 respectively.
Stuart Bowden talks about purchase journey, the revised version of Cannes Lions, Wavemaker Indiaâ€™s performance and a lot more
Emery says everything that Unilever CMO Keith Weed says has a touch of genius. He also talks about his expectations from Cannes, WPP without Sir Martin Sorrell and his love for Mindshare India.
In an interaction with exchange4media, PC Musthafa, CEO & Co-Founder iD Fresh Food shares how the brand deals with competition and marketing strategies followed by them.
Varun Raina, Marketing Manager, Airbnb India speaks to exchange4media about the successful #LiveThere campaign and how Bollywood helps them connect with its young consumer
He is the man behind India's most rewarded and talked about campaign at Cannes 2018, 'Blink to Speak. Read on to find out how he conceptualised the idea and led the team that created the campaign.
Facebook-owned Instagram introduces IGTV, a new app to upload long-form vertical videos, intensifies competition with YouTube.
Piyush and Prasoon Pandey will be the first Asians and first from WPP to be deemed with this honour tonight at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity


text:
Quick-change artist Betabrand
October 13, 2016 Updated: October 13, 2016 5:21pm
As San Francisco’s Betabrand prepares to launch its ironic Silicon Valley Fashion Week? for the second year in a row — watch as robots, exoskeletons and a llama outdo last year’s drones! — it’s worth noting that the irreverent online clothing company might never have launched had its founder grown up watching cable TV.


text:
The 2006-2007 crop marketing year is approaching the halfway mark. Prices and demand for Washington apples continue to be strong as we move through a successful marketing year. It is interesting to compare the difference between this year and the less than successful 2004 crop just two years ago. The 2004 crop of 105 million boxes returned about $300 million less than the 2005 crop of 100 million boxes. So far, this year looks to hold even better returns with about a 96-million-box crop.
As next year’s crop begins to grow, we will face numerous issues, including immigration law, which will greatly influence our ability to deliver a quality product. The 2006 crop will be the fourth year in a row that the apple industry has been able to consistently deliver a good eating experience to the consumer both domestically and in the foreign markets. The emphasis on health and nutrition worldwide has positively affected the eating habits of our customers. Other factors in our favor are the smaller crop in Europe, as well as the recent freeze in California. Of all these factors, I firmly believe the most important one is the consistent quality of Washington apples delivered to the consumer.
As we enter the growing season, one of the prime considerations for growers is to grow only premium fruit that will return a profit margin to the farm. This sounds great in theory but in practice is extremely difficult to accomplish. The Washington grower traditionally measures production by the number of bins per acre. For years, California growers have measured production by the number of packed boxes per acre. That measurement is really what counts. Pest control in the production area and a financially sound grower community are two basic influencing factors on the quality of fruit grown and packed boxes per acre.
Because we export about a third of the apples we grow in Washington State, market access is very important to our export program. The importance of this is shown by the loss of shipments this year to Taiwan with two codling moth strikes, and the phytosanitary issue in Indonesia that has resulted in loss of market there also. As of January 14, Taiwan was down some 42 percent (2,319,200 boxes last year to 1,331,260 boxes this year), and Indonesia was down 67 percent (503,380 boxes last year to 165,840 boxes this year). Pests are being used as artificial barriers in many of our markets to protect their local growers in countries such as South Korea, China, Australia, and Japan. With the increasing use of phytosanitary issues for trade barrier purposes to artificially protect domestic industries, it is important to have an effective unified voice at the federal level. Only the U.S. government can negotiate with another country on market access issues.
Dr. Mike Willett, Northwest Horticultural Council vice president for scientific affairs, and other industry members are working on the production area pest problems. Also involved is Dr Jay Brunner, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension director, who is working on the transition from organophosphate chemical use as Guthion is phased out in the next several years (deadline 2012). Both of these efforts by these organizations will require widespread industry support and involvement to be successful. The success of these efforts is essential to the production of quality fruit, market access, and financial well-being of the industry.
All of these issues point out the need for a cohesive industry that works together. We need a united front at the local, county, state, and federal levels in order to receive the attention to industry issues that will be required. At the state level, the efforts of the Washington State Horticultural Association in joining with 23 other agricultural groups to present a joint legislative agenda to the state legislature this year is a commendable first step. At the national level, the U.S. Apple Association and Northwest Horticultural Council form an effective team. The Hort Council, the Apple Commission, and the U.S. Apple Export Council (which represents all other states for export) have joined in a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on noncompetitive issues in the export arena.
It seems the pressure is on. March is the month to start pest control in the orchard, retailers are enforcing their own restrictions on pesticide use, and the deadline for phasing out organophosphate chemicals is approaching fast. Washington State needs to be proactive before government regulations go into effect. Working together quickly and efficiently is the best solution.


text:
Cricket: it's what's for dinner.
Social entrepreneurship, the creation of new ventures with a social purpose, takes many forms, from clean energy start-ups to initiatives aimed at improving early education. Several new social ventures are taking a different tack and hoping to push along a nascent trend, promoting the eating of insects as good for the planet and for people.
"There's no question insects are the most environmentally sustainable way to eat meat," said Laura D'Asaro, a co-founder of Six Foods, a new venture formed to make food from insects.
D'Asaro ate her first insects—fried caterpillars and termites—in Tanzania, and says she loved the taste immediately. "They're very high in vitamins and minerals. Four crickets have as much calcium as a glass of milk, and more iron per gram than beef. The potential is huge."
Insects have been eaten in various parts of the world for centuries. A United Nations report on edible insects issued in 2013 pointed to estimates that "insects form part of the traditional diets of at least 2 billion people." But people in Western countries have not exactly embraced this culinary tradition.
"It is safe to say that most are reluctant to even consider eating insects and, moreover, that they perceive the practice to be associated with primitive behaviour," the report concluded glumly.
(View more: Get ready to eat...insects)
With the world population expanding, however, Westerners may be persuaded to reconsider their aversion to six-legged creatures. For one thing, they require much less feed to produce meat. "Crickets are twice as efficient in converting feed to meat as chicken, at least four times more efficient than pigs, and 12 times more efficient than cattle," the U.N. report found.
Insects are even more efficient when it comes to water consumption, and they produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than livestock. As for body fat, forget it. A cricket is about 60 percent protein, according to Rose Wang, a co-founder of Six Foods. That's leaner than a CrossFit addict.
(Read more: New Zealand lamb goes to pot in China)
The Clinton Global Initiative has taken notice. That organization partners with Hult International Business School to administer the annual $1 million Hult Prize, which starts with a challenge to college and graduate students to develop solutions to a global issue.
In 2013 the challenge involved sustainable food, and the winning team, from McGill University's Desautels MBA program, offered up a plan to promote better insect farming practices for insect consumption in developing countries.
"By growing, processing, and selling edible insects, Aspire Food Group (The McGill Hult Team) will empower urban slum communities, offering them better access to an efficient, sustainable source of protein and nutrients," the team says on its website.
(Read more: )
Other entrepreneurs are producing flour and other insect products for human consumption. "Recipe Ready Mealworms – $12/100g BACK IN STOCK!" blares the website of World Entomophagy, a start-up created by a group of University of Georgia graduates aiming to drive the growth of the edible insect industry.
Little Herds, a nonprofit in Austin Texas, aims to educate that community about the environmental and health benefits of eating bugs. Its founder, Robert Nathan Allen, is also involved with World Entomophagy.
Insects are an acquired taste, no doubt. But to hear these entrepreneurs tell it, once consumers get past their assumptions about eating bugs, they will find a tasty new food source.
They may be right. Six Foods, for one, makes "chocolate chirp cookies" to serve at events where team members are promoting their venture. (Their first product, though, will be a savory "chirp.") At a recent U.N. conference, the cookies were passed around the room—and audience members clamored for seconds.
—By Kelley Holland, Special to CNBC. Follow her on Twitter @KKelleyHolland.


text:
Bricks are a common element in homes and businesses, but they’re a rarity in most other industries, said Michael Schulze, an analyst with FBR Capital Markets.
That’s partly because they’re expensive, and partly because the market for them has shrunk.
Bricks can be found on every home or office building and retail outlet.
There’s even a brick truck that travels across the country to deliver bricks to buyers.
But a new brick-wall construction project in Philadelphia is the most recent example of a major company building an entire building from scratch using recycled materials.
The project is called Brickspace, and it’s the first of its kind in the U.S. It took eight years to build, with nearly $5 million in financing from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which is building the new office space.
The company says the project will create more than 200 jobs.
What’s the deal?
The project will have a small office for the employees.
They’ll be able to take their desks, desks and laptops wherever they want, and they’ll be given space for storage and other things.
The office space will be on the first floor of the building, and a second floor will be for the space that’s being used for the office.
That second floor is called the “brickspace.”
It will include an elevator, a parking garage and a loading dock.
The building will also include a kitchen, a meeting room, a lounge, and offices for the building’s two retail tenants, a bike shop and a fitness center.
It’ll also have a rooftop garden that’s connected to the rest of the space by a path that leads to the parking garage.
The entire project will cost $6.2 million, with a $2 million payment from the bank for the construction.
Why is this a deal?
Brickspaces are becoming increasingly popular.
A recent report from CB Insights estimates that a $1,000 investment in a Bricksspace will pay off more than $300,000 in annual savings.
And the company says it will employ 10 people.
What else will the space include?
Bickspace will include a lounge for employees to relax and enjoy a beverage while they work, an outdoor kitchen, and outdoor seating.
And while the company is currently building a second floors office building, it says it’s also working on a third floor.
And as the project grows, it’ll also add more offices.
How much does it cost?
Bayspace is building a $4 million office space for $2.7 million.
The second floor of that building is expected to cost about $4.6 million, and the third floor is expected cost about the same.
The third floor, however, is expected have a retail tenant and a bike-share bike rack.
The retail space is expected be available in early 2019.
Where can I buy one?
Browsing the site is an easy way to see how BricksSpace compares to other brick-and-mortar projects.
The site is currently available on Google Maps.
And you can find a Google map listing the site on the company’s website.
How long will it take?
Backspace says the total cost of the project is $5.3 million.
What are the benefits of building a brick- and-mortars?
Because brick-furniture is relatively new, Bricks Space’s construction will be different than other new projects.
It won’t be able, for example, to use traditional materials such as plywood or aluminum.
The main advantage of Bricks Spaces project is that it’s not just a typical brick-based project, said Schulzing.
“Instead of using steel and concrete, it’s going to be a completely renewable resource,” he said.
And because the company can reuse the materials, it can also recycle waste that comes in the form of debris or graffiti, he added.
Why isn’t there a similar project in California?
Billspace is working with other companies to create a similar concept.
“They’re trying to come up with new solutions,” Schulzes said.
“And I think they’re really excited about the opportunity to make a brick house in the future.”


text:
Canadian AM startup part of 10 chosen for Stanley Black and Decker accelerator “Techstars”
Devin JonesAdditive Manufacturing Additive Manufacturing Startup
NanoQuan is primarily focusing on the soft materials space with rubber-like and other flexible material suited for wearable technology.
Canadian additive manufacturing company, NanoQuan, has partnered with Stanley Black and Decker in a effort to continue research and production on their patented nano technology that aims to reshape the way we think about 3D printing.
In focusing on a “multi-physics’ dispersion-mixing technology” NanoQuan is actively working on introducing enhanced electrical conductivity, tensile strength, thermal conductivity into what are traditionally static 3D printed objects.
“We’re making next generation functional plastics by leveraging nano technology,” said NanoQuan CEO Ryan Gerakopulos.”The way we’re doing that is through proprietary technology for mixing nano materials into plastic, which that allows us to modify the properties of plastics beyond its current capabilities.”
The partnership with Stanley Black and Decker is part of an ongoing initiative for the tool and storage company to work with start-ups on their recently announced additive manufacturing accelerator, aka Techstars Class 131. NanoQuan is amongst the first 10 start-ups selected will and given $20,000 in funding in exchange for 6% of the company’s common stock. Additionally NanoQuan will have access to a range of 3D printing resources available at the Stanley Black & Decker’s advanced manufacturing centre in Connecticut
In terms of practical applications, NanoQuan is primarily focusing on the soft materials space: your rubber-like and other flexible material. Gerakopulos notes specifically the field of wearable technology; different sensors embedded in performance wear for athletes are a prime example. Then there’s your next-generation gaming console, the rise in popularity of virtual reality and what NanoQuan points to as haptic technology.
“Think about the ability [in VR] to modulate motion in your hand and have that correlate to some function in a gaming system. Our materials are dealing with a more intuitive function on that side of things,” Gerakopulos said.
By using nano technology in a pre and post AM printing processes, NanoQuan is able to change the physical makeup of an object at the molecular level. In the past, one of the inherent problems facing nano materials throughout the AM process was its inherent tendency to clump within the original host mixture. According to Gerakopulos this clumping has “blocked the uptake of nano-fillers’ beneficial properties and performance.” NanoQuan is solving that problem through their use of what they call a Carbon Nanotube Dispersion Solution.
“They see that additive manufacturing is going to be a big part of the future of manufacturing and they want to be apart of that,” Gerakopulos said. They think if they’re not paying attention and mindful of new developments, it’s going to be really disruptive to the industry.”


text:
The first batch of Ford Transit Connect taxis in New York City are now in service.
The initial units are part of the first order for the Turkish-built vehicle in the city following the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission’s approval of it for use.
Over 400 of the new taxis are destined for the Big Apple and Ford said total orders for the models across the United States are fast approaching 1,000 in its first year on the market. The new taxi market in the US averages about 6,000 units. Big US sedans including the iconic Checker have been replaced in recent years by SUVs and minivans though the Ford Crown Victoria is still a common sight.
“Taxi operators are realizing the Transit Connect Taxi is a great vehicle and there’s a good reason – they helped us develop it,” said Len Deluca, director, Ford Commercial Trucks. “During product development, we visited cities across the US speaking with taxi owners, operators, drivers and city officials on the key product attributes they wanted in a taxi.”
Other cities where taxicab company operators have ordered Transit Connects include Los Angeles, Chicago, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Tampa, Orlando, Hartford and West Haven.
The new Ford model has also been approved by governing agencies in Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston – cities that require taxis to meet certain requirements.
The vehicle also has been approved for use at Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and at San Francisco International Airport by the SFO Airport Commission.
Ford offers the model with an engine preparation package for conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied propane gas (LPG).


text:
Интернет смеется над ребрендингом NRG
Интернет смеется над ребрендингом NRG ⚡⚡⚡ Игровые и киберспортивные новости, аналитика, обзоры, репортажи на WePlay! Самые актуальные новости!
NRG Esports had been building up to its new rebrand for about a week prior to yesterday's reveal. Unfortunately, the curiosity and excitement they had built for days largely just faded away after they showed off the new brand in a video.
On Twitter, the clip received mostly ridicule as fans complained about the production quality, the new colour and the logo. The American esports organisation dropped its traditional black and red colours for a neon green that will definitely make them stand out more.
The low-budget video features NRG Esports players including Nairoby "Nairo" Quezada and Mason "Symfuhny" Lanier in a mock fight inspired by Anime. In it, the players reveal a new neon green hoodie with the redesigned NRG Esports logo on it. The word "unapologetic" that was printed on a sleeve also happened to be misspelled.
Even though the video led to a lot of laughs and has most likely already become a meme, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it will help with brand awareness since people could be talking about it for a long time. There were very few cases of outrage and there were also many that just shrugged the changes off. After all, the players and what the organisation stands for hasn't changed.
NRG Esports might have been looking for colours and a logo that would set them apart from most esport brands and in this they have succeeded, but their presence might also lead to a lot more jokes in the future.


text:
The electric light commercial van showed its strength and power by towing over 338,500 pounds, or over 150 tons, and setting a new Guinness World Record in June, as reported by Electrek.
Engaging the vehicle’s high-power mode, which provides short bursts of energy, the feat proves that the 3.5-ton electric van can perform well beyond its official towing weight of 286,000 pounds, or about 130 tons.
Introduced in September 2022, the eDaily line consists of electric versions of the company’s best-selling gas-powered models. The company describes its electric commercial vehicles as having the “same robustness, power, [and] load capacity with zero emissions.”
The eDaily van features as many as three 37 kWh battery packs with an electric motor capable of up to 188 horsepower and 400 Netwon-metres peak torque while offering the same drivability, cargo space, and range as the gas-powered model, according to an IVECO press release.
“Electric means the future, and we want to make electrification accessible to all our customers,” said Alessandro Massimino, the head of marketing and product management for IVECO’s truck business unit.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, IVECO made a name for itself in global transport as a leader in the development and production of commercial and passenger transport vehicles.
Established in 1975 when five companies across Europe combined their assets, IVECO has since expanded across the world with a solution-driven line of professional transport vehicles. The company has held its place as a leader in the industry by staying at the forefront of vehicle innovation.
The gas-powered Daily and similar cargo vans are often used for package delivery in the UK and abroad. With the growth of convenience companies such as Amazon and the rise of online shopping, the increasing number of delivery vehicles required to meet demand dramatically impacts air quality, especially in large cities.
According to Scientific American, planet-warming polluting gases from delivery vehicles could grow by 32% if business continues as usual, with worsening traffic congestion adding about 11 more minutes to the daily commute.
IVECO seeks to address part of this problem by offering electric vehicle options that don’t require companies to make major changes to their routes and services while saving on maintenance costs. The company supports customers through every aspect of the electric transition with guidance on charging solutions and usage integrated into the consumer experience.
While the eDaily vehicles are currently only available in the UK, the company’s global market has the potential to facilitate increased adoption of electric commercial vehicles around the world.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.


text:
“Super! Super! Super! Biggest Sale Ever!”
“Black Friday All Weekend!”
“Everything on Sale. Yes, We Mean Everything!”
Stores throughout Lake Elsinore Outlets had slogans and bargains ready for the customary post-Thanksgiving retail crowds. Unfortunately for them, intermittent showers dampened the public’s enthusiasm for the annual shopping spree known as Black Friday.
Rather than the usual stampede to capture heavily discounted items, business at Southwest Riverside County’s largest shopping emporium north of Temecula remained steady, but comparatively light.
“I just came here to get some more jeans,” said the 30-year-old Santa Cruz resident Billy Palmer, who was visiting and shopping with his mother from Murrieta. “I don’t usually come out on these Black Friday things. It’s usually chaotic.”
Friday also marked the kickoff of a shuttle sponsored by local businesses that runs from Lake Elsinore Casino to the Outlets and returns with stops at a building housing a brewery and winery, and downtown.
Through the first couple of hours after its rounds started at 11 a.m., no one had boarded the bus, which is being operated by the casino with support from the Outlets, Craft Brewing Company and La Rebelde Winery.
Yet, the lack of patrons failed to dent the enthusiasm of Craft proprietor Kirk Medeiros.
“I’ll be happy if we just get one customer,” said Medeiros, who hopped on the bus with his son, Nicholas, to distribute fliers advertising the service.
He believes the concept, billed as “Shop, Drink and Play,” will become popular once the word gets out.
“If this is the kick-off to something that can prosper, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “We know it’s going to take a while to grasp.”
He expects more businesses will want to get involved with the shuttle, which is scheduled to run each Saturday through the holiday season.
“It’s going to be a good thing,” Medeiros said. “We’re starting off with Saturdays and we are hoping for it to pick up so we can do it on Saturday and Sunday.”
For information on the shuttle, visit www.lakeelsinoreoutlet.com.


text:
BlackBerry has acquired Secusmart GmbH, which offers voice and data encryption and anti-eavesdropping solutions for government organizations, enterprises and telecommunications service providers.read more
A Canadian-made robot is attempting to hitchhike across the country without supervision from its human creators.read more
Toronto's Bnotions has launched an app that allows you to control your Tesla from your smartwatch.read more
When two tech titans struck a landmark agreement this week, BlackBerry CEO John Chen was both happy and sad.read more
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission this week announced that it will host a meeting with telecommunications and broadcasting distribution companies to discuss the practice of charging additional fees to customers who wish to receive paper bills.read more
In today's digital economy, Canadians live in an increasingly connected world where access to the Internet is essential to create jobs, realize economic opportunities, and link Canadians to online services as well as far-off family members and friends.read more
Apple's quarterly earnings are out and while the numbers are strong, they weren't enough to lift the firm's stock, which remains stagnant in afterhours trading.read more
BlackBerry this week announced that it has named Marty Beard as Chief Operating Officer.read more
Pinterest is entering the e-commerce space and it's using Ottawa's Shopify to do it.read more
This week Netflix and Walt Disney Studios revealed a multi-year licensing deal.read more
The City of Vancouver is going to become a venture capitalist.
The city, which says it's not satisfied with the accessibility of financing for local startups, is going to create a "Vancouver Entrepreneur Fund."read more
Apple this week brought iTunes Pass to Canada.
Compatible with iOS 6 and up, iTunes Pass helps customers who use iTunes gift cards to purchase songs, apps, and books from Apple without connecting a credit card to their Apple ID. It also allows for exact amounts, unlike gift cards, which are only available in certain denominations.read more
Celebrating the grand opening of its new 500-employee office at One Market in downtown San Francisco, Visa announced the launch of a new product called Visa Checkout.
Visa Checkout, which is a complete overhaul-slash-replacement of V.me, heralds "the future of commerce," according to Visa, offering a way to pay online and via mobile that is "simpler than any other option."read more


text:
For marketers, the Super Bowl is played off the field during commercial breaks and, increasingly, on social media.
The 2015 Super Bowl was the most discussed ever on both Facebook and Twitter, with about 65 million people talking about it on Facebook and 28.4 million tweets sent between kickoff and a half hour after the game.
It’s not just brands with costly ads to support getting in on the social media game, either. Plenty of non-advertisers are attracting eyeballs with “game day” posts on social. With that in mind, Marketing had Antelope, which tracks the way consumers interact with brands for the likes of Shoppers Drug Mart and McDonald’s and agencies like Sid Lee and Publicis, crunch the numbers and compare the most popular posts by both sponsors and non-sponsors.
Digging through Super Bowl posts also revealed how quickly Facebook is catching up to YouTube in online video, according to Antelope founder and president Daniel Robinson. While Robinson said YouTube “still remains the king for seeding and spreading Super Bowl ads,” he said marketers should pay careful attention to Facebook’s growing role in online video.
Budweiser’s “Lost Dog” spot, for example – the most popular ad on both channels – got over 950,000 Facebook shares and ended up with 28 million views on Facebook, which was more than YouTube.
Here’s a look at how both Super Bowl sponsors and non-sponsors fared on social media this year.
Pepsi was front and centre as the presenter of the Super Bowl halftime show and it was likewise all over social. In Canada it started with a post on game day essentials – chips and Pepsi – and ended the night with a shot of a case of Pepsi and a Patriots jersey on a plot of grass. The latter pulled in 50 shares and almost 1,700 likes and served as a lesson in planning – the brand clearly had two photos ready to go before the winner was called. In the U.S., the brand posted a photo of a Super Bowl-type ring complete with a Pepsi logo to promote the half time show, pulling in 184 shares and almost 10,000 likes.
With its investment in the Super Bowl (including an ad created for the Canadian market ad), it’s no surprise Budweiser was also very present on social. One of its most popular posts (81 shares, 276 likes) put the game front and center, looking more like an ad for the broadcast than a beer. On Twitter, Bud Light played off its Bud Light living proposition, showing a guy in a raft floating on the hands of a crowd at a raging party. In the U.S., a post containing the brand’s U.S. Super Bowl ad brought it a massive online audience, pulling in 28 million views on Facebook alone.
The Super Bowl may be huge, but Roll Up The Rim To Win is bigger (at least according to Tim Hortons). The coffee brand used game day to point out that it’s giving a higher number of prizes than the number of Canadians watching the Super Bowl. The tweet received almost 400 retweets and 475 favourites.
— Tim Hortons (@TimHortons) February 1, 2015
In Canada, President’s Choice advertised during the Super Bowl on CTV. On Facebook, the brand prepped its social fans for the game by sharing a list of recipes for party snacks. The post received 48 likes and 41 shares.
Toyota’s main social strategy was to use the platform to give a sneak peak of it’s Super Bowl spot. Rather than play off something that happened in-the-moment during the broadcast or even something to do with one of the teams, the brand simply uploaded its TV spot. Lack of creativity aside, Super Bowl TV ads drew huge views all last week and straight through the game. The brand’s Canadian spot drew 34,000 views on Facebook, plus 179 likes and 14 shares. That’s actually better than the brand’s U.S. spot fared when posted to Facebook Sunday–it drew just 14,000 views.
Like Toyota, Doritos posted its Super Bowl ad Sunday night. But despite all the fanfare of the brand’s “Crash The Super Bowl” contest, the winner didn’t draw a lot of attention. A Facebook post showing the Doritos spot in Canada drew just 2 reshares and 23 likes. By comparison, a post about Doritos ketchup chips from Jan 28 pulled in 62 shares and 735 likes.
Telus scored big on Facebook by doctoring a photo of two helmet-wearing birds in Seahawks and Patriots colours. The post collected 900 likes and almost 250 shares, but it also became a hotbed for customer service complaints – the post is covered in comments about recent service outages, including blackouts that allegedly occurred during the game. The same creative fared better on Instagram, where it pulled in 120 likes and no negative comments.
Molson Canadian may be a hockey beer, but it wasn’t about to miss a crossover opportunity. The brand pointed out on Facebook that four NHL games followed the Super Bowl, making Feb. 1 the “Best. Sunday. Ever.” By doubling down on its sports fandom, it pulled in 2,474 likes and 322 shares.
Banking is all about the numbers, which is exactly the approach RBC took to Super Bowl social. The brand tweeted out a piece of creative (based on a Huffington Post article) that charted the number of pounds of chips, avocados and other snacks people consume on Super Bowl Sunday. Just one question, RBC: Why not kilograms?
Beer and auto brands are all over the Super Bowl on social, but it was a bit surprising to see the Yorkdale shopping mall get in on all the sport fandom. On Instagram, Yorkdale remained on-brand and lifestyle oriented, but still got into the Super Bowl spirit with a photo of a game day manicure.


text:
All around the world, coronavirus is the biggest news. If you have travelled by air recently, especially international, there is a sense of trepidation in the air and all around, you see eyes peering at you suspiciously from behind masks. A faceless mass of people is all that we see.
And then you land in India, there is no sense of worry or panic; its life as usual. The feeling is that the virus is far away in China and hence no need to worry as such. The stock market is behaving as though there is no tomorrow and it has to make new highs every single day. So why is it that the market is not worried while the rest of the world is?
The Indian market is simply basing its assumption on the past; when the SARS had struck, the disease was contained and China bounced back super fast. The market feels that this is something which is China-centric and it will be contained; there with no impact here as such.
But somewhere, is the market being too myopic and not looking at the short term economic impart, especially when we are already reeling under a slowdown? China is India’s third largest trade partner and China’s share in the world trade has risen from the under 4% during SARS to 16% now and that’s a huge impact if China’s slowdown prolongs.
Till now, the impact was muted as factories, seasonally, cut or stop production in till first week of Feb to celebrate their lunar new year. But today, China announced that the new year leave is now further being extended till 17th Feb and there are murmurs that it could get extended further.
Electronic companies in India are already running low on raw material inventory and so is the pharmaceutical, auto parts, chemical units. So if imports do not come soon, these sectors will have no option but to slow down their production too.
China has about $60 billion worth trade with India, which obviously cannot be replaced over the next few months. Manufacturers will have no option but to wait for few more months instead of start producing in an uncertain policy environment.
The die-hard optimist Indian feels that once summer comes calling, all the virus will disappear as it did during SARS.
For now, one does not know the long term impact but in the short term, if production remains shut in China, the entire global supply chain will be affected. A pandemic will put economic recovery on the back foot. We do have the advantage of the lower crude price but if discretionary spending itself takes a hit, the lower prices will not help mitigate that loss.
We can only hope and pray that the optimism which India has does turn out to be true ….a further slowdown at this juncture is not what we need.


text:
Carmen Regalado was named territory sales manager at Perko.
Her responsibilities will focus on sales to OEM and aftermarket accounts throughout most of the Midwestern states.
The Miami-based company serves boaters and boatbuilders, as well as many non-marine industries.
Previously with Johnson Pumps, Regalado has experience in manufacturing, purchasing, production control and working trade and dealer shows.
“Carmen brings a diverse skill set to the job. She'll make a great addition to our team,” Perko sales vice president George Bellwoar said in a statement.


text:
Systems Union, (SU) the UK's largest independent application software vendor, has shocked its reseller network by admitting the technical component delivery of its Captiva project will be delayed for at least another nine months.
SU specialises in mid range applications and is best known for Sun Accounts which it has sold in more than 180 countries. Captiva is a major rewrite of a Windows screen scrape Cobal based product to a full 32bit C++ code base and was originally slated for release last autumn.
In January this year, Systems Union said Captiva would be available as a phased release starting in spring, but now it has said the main technology improvements will not be available until the third quarter of 2000.
Jim Simpson, operation director of R&D at SU, admitted the main problems centre around performance and reliability.
"We found there are elements we could have done better. Some server and client communications components, the business rules engine and transfer mechanisms are the main areas requiring a degree of rewriting," he said.
When available, the technology components will be included in release 5.1. However, Simpson stressed that some of the functional components are being delivered in version 4.26. The business rules engine was bought a year ago from Spanlink and is regarded as a core part of Captiva as it allows automatic error trapping.
Recently, SU has been sweetening its 200 plus reseller channel by stressing performance improvements it has achieved using Microsoft SQL Server as the database engine and running an upgrade programme for those users moving to the full Microsoft server platform.
But, it is understood the load times seen in recent demonstrations are completely unacceptable and resellers like Eclipse and Touchstone are actively looking to other mid range vendors.
One, who preferred not to be identified, said: "They're stretching our patience to breaking point. We can't wait any longer, customers want product that takes advantage of all Microsoft's servers. We don't believe they'll deliver."
However, Simpson says reaction depends on geography.
"They're not at all worried in Eastern Europe, Asia and the Far East - in fact they prefer our existing software because it is proven and stable. Of course we're disappointed, but our business partners are sticking with us. They're pretty sanguine in the UK," he said.
SU competitors take different views. Neil Robertson, managing director of Great Plains Software UK, said, "Some SU resellers have come over to us saying they don't believe the technology will be delivered. Another year is a long time in this business."
Asked if Great Plains is benefiting, Robertson added, "It's a very competitive market, but we're getting a 40 per cent conversion rate and have added around 1,000 customers in the UK this last three years. But we're not writing them off just yet."
Yash Nagpal, managing director of Navision UK, added, "SU has some very loyal resellers but there is a limit to what they will accept. With customers looking for extra functionality, now is the time to look to new technology."
To comment on this story email [email protected]
IBM and Technical University of Munich team demonstrate how Shor's algorithm, which can't be cracked by conventional computers, can be solved quickly with quantum computing
Hubble Space Telescope finds superflares from young red dwarfs could strip away planetary atmosphere
Younger stars are 100 to 1,000 times more energetic than when they're older
Two of the big four supermarkets will use the system to control sales of restricted products
PUBG news and updates: November's Update #23 to bring new Skorpion pistol and changes to blue zone visibility
Genuinely useful side-arm coming to PUBG in Update #23


text:
Anthony Romano, former chief executive officer of Charming Shoppes, has been appointed ceo and a director of Philadelphia-based Destination Maternity Corp.
He succeeds Ed Krell, who is stepping down after 12 years with the firm. He joined as chief financial officer in 2002 and has served as ceo since 2008.
Romano, a veteran of Ann Inc., stayed on as president and ceo of Charming Shoppes after its sales to Ascena Retail Group in May 2012 and remained with Ascena until March 2013. A certified public accountant, he began his career with Ernst & Young and rose to the post of of executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Ann Inc., then Ann Taylor Inc.
Arnaud Ajdler, chairman of Destination Maternity, commented that, under Krell’s stewardship, the company “made important progress, strengthening management, enhancing operations, improving financial performance and increasing shareholder value.”
Krell said, “After leading the team that significantly strengthened the company over the past six years as ceo, the board and I decided that this was a logical time for a change in leadership at the company and a logical time for me to pursue other opportunities.”
Ajdler said Romano “brings to Destination Maternity both extensive knowledge of retail operations and a demonstrated ability to lead and influence the creative side of the business. His passion for understanding and connecting with customers will support our efforts to deliver exciting product assortments and excellent shopping experiences.”
Destination Maternity last month opted not to make an offer to acquire U.K.-based Mothercare plc after earlier expressing interest in a combination with the maternity chain.
Between its own stores, including units operating under the Motherhood Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Destination Maternity brands, and leased departments, Destination Maternity operates 1,901 retail locations in the U.S. and Canada. It also has 77 international franchise locations. In the nine months through June 30, sales were $394.9 million. Year-to-date net income fell 29.1 percent to $13 million, or 97 cents a diluted share.
Madonna turns 59 today, marking another year of show-stopping, one-of-a-kind bold looks from the singer. To celebrate, we took a look at the superstar's most memorable fashion moments. Here, Madonna sits front row at Versace's spring runway show in 1995. See more exclusive photos from the #wwdarchive on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Cédric Dordevic)
WWD asked a handful of creative directors to evaluate the September covers of leading women's fashion magazines. How do they think the covers this year compare with years gone by, and what do they say about the current status of the publication? Link in bio. (GIF by @hypebreast)
"Stephen King is such a master, but I don't like being scared - there's enough that's really scary. How about the morning's news?" says Holland Taylor in an interview with WWD. See what else the actress said about starring in the TV adaptation of King's thriller "Mr. Mercedes" on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery)


text:
The Android engineers over at Google must be having a busy day today. After rolling out the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OTA update for the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus 7, and releasing the new Nexii devices, Google has also released the factory images of Android 4.2 for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10.
The company along pushed Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to AOSP. This means that developers can start working on integrating Android 4.2 in their ROMs.
There is a bad news, though. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean will not be available for the Nexus S and the Motorola XOOM. Both these devices will remain on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and will not be supported henceforth in future AOSP releases.
Apart from all this, Google has also made the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean SDK and NDK available for download for app developers. Last, but not the least, Google also updated the Device Art Generator to add support for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10.


text:
It might not have felt like Christmas, with the thermometer reaching 50 degrees, but Grove City's Town Center again was turned into a holiday wonderland Dec. 2.
The annual Christmas Celebration included the holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony, seasonal music, live reindeer and the chance for youngsters to have their picture taken with Santa Claus.
Young and old alike could take care of some holiday shopping at a Secret Santa shop in the Grove City Welcome City and Museum and the Mistletoe Market.
More than 20 vendors participated in the market, held in City Hall and at Town Center businesses.
Danielle Lowe of Columbus was offering customers materials to make their own pearl pendant or ring.
They could choose an oyster -- guaranteed to contain a pearl -- and a pendant or ring in which to place the jewel.
"It's amazing that something so beautiful could come out of an oyster, which is kind of ugly," Lowe said.
"I love watching people's reaction when they open their oyster and find out the color of their pearl," she said. "It's like a scratch-off lottery ticket, except you know you're going to get a prize."
Lowe started her business, Danielle's Pretty Pearls, about three months ago. She gets her oysters from a pearl farm in Japan.
The Mistletoe Market was the third time she has participated in a craft fair. Lowe also holds pearl parties in person and via her Facebook page.
"I always donate a portion of my sales at any event or party to a charity chosen by whoever's hosting the event," Lowe said. "I like to say I'm selling 'pearls for a purpose.'"
At the Mistletoe Market, Lowe was donating a portion of her proceeds to the event's Secret Santa Shop.
While Lowe was participating in her first Mistletoe Market, Linda Neff of West Jefferson has been involved for so long, "I remember when the market was held in a tent outside."
Lowe and her partners, Donna Tyst and Rick Sargent, were selling a variety of hand-knitted items, from hats to mug rugs.
The mug rugs, which serve as a decorative place to set a mug, cup or glass, are among the most popular items she makes and sells, Neff said.
Another popular item is a bowl cozy.
"They're microwave safe and it allows you handle a bowl of soup after you've heated it up in the microwave oven," Neff said. "Or they're good for a bowl that's ice cold, too."
Neff participates in both the Mistletoe Market and the Wine and Arts Festival each year in the Town Center.
"The best part is just meeting the people," she said. "I love the Mistletoe Market especially, because families come in together and it's just so festive."
Crocheting is a relaxing pastime for Neff.
"It's something I can do while I'm watching TV," she said. "It's soothing."
She especially enjoys making crocheted hats, she said.
"There are so many patterns to work with," Neff said. "And you really don't know exactly how it's going to turn out until you're finished."
Outside, ice sculptor Greg Butauski created Santa and teddy-bear sculptures from blocks of ice he had shaped using a chain saw and die grinder.
It was far from freezing when he began, but Butauski said that was no problem.
"The biggest problem you have is the wind and the sun," he said. "Unless the temperature's in the 70s, that's what you have to worry about."
Butauski owns Rock on Ice, whose team of artists are able to create sculptures from pumpkins, cheese and sand, among other materials, in addition to ice.
"The thing about ice sculpting is that it's quick," he said. "You don't have time to fool around. It's not like making a sculpture out of granite or wood. As long as I don't have to worry about wind or the sun, I'll get an ice sculpture down in about 45 minutes."
He became interested in ice sculpting while a student at the University of Akron.
"I lived in a dorm that had a lot of culinary arts students," Butauski said. "The first time I watched someone doing an ice sculpture, I knew it was something I wanted to do. I can't describe what it was that grabbed my attention -- it just did.
"I had been an engineering student, and I immediately switched to culinary arts," he said. "My parents weren't too crazy about that."
Rock on Ice personnel create sculptures at hundreds of events each year, Butauski said.
"People are really interested in the process," he said. "They want to know how we do it. In a way you're putting on a show for them."
A steady stream of youngsters lined up with their parents to visit Santa Claus at the George Edge Music Park.
Grove City resident Jason Johnson brought his children, Lillian, 1, and Shane, 5, to the Christmas Celebration.
"They loved visiting with Santa," Johnson said. "It was Lillian's first time to meet Santa and she was pretty excited. Her eyes were wide."
The Christmas Celebration is "a wonderful family event," he said.
"With the tree and all the decorations and the parade, it gets you into the spirit of Christmas," Johnson said.


text:
First the great maple syrup heist, now this: Police in Canada have sniffed out a large-scale cheese-smuggling ring involving a serving police officer, an officer who resigned this summer, and an American accomplice. Cheese is a lot cheaper in the US than it is in Canada, and officials believe the trio bought at least $200,000 worth of the American stuff and sold it to Canadian pizzerias and other restaurants for a profit of $165,000, the Toronto Sun reports.
The men have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling, and other violations of customs law. Smugglers bringing cases of cheese across the border can make up to $2,000 a trip if they can find a buyer, reports the CBC. "We get all our stuff legit," says one pizzeria owner who was questioned by police. "We thought it was a joke at first. Who is going to go around trying to sell smuggled cheese?"


text:
The Workroom has created an identity to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. The logo will be used to support a programme of events throughout the year celebrating the achievements of molecular biology in the UK.
The new look, which includes revised colours, illustration guides, graphics and a bespoke typographic styling, aims to strengthen Duolingo’s brand identity across its expanding product line.
New regulations coming into effect on the 23 September 2019 will require public sector websites and apps to be accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.
The Design Museum is hosting its first exhibition dedicated to sound design, as the under-explored sector comes into its own.
This year’s set pieces explore the future of sustainable materials, the possibilities of AI and how climate anxiety can be channelled into something more positive.


text:
Lexmark International Inc. swung to a loss in its third quarter and slashed its forecast for the year as the company, which recently said it is exploring strategic alternatives, saw revenue fall sharply.
Lexmark also forecast revenue to decline 4% to 6% in the fourth quarter from last year. Earnings for the final quarter expected to be $1.05 to $1.15 a share on an adjusted basis. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a 1% uptick in revenue and adjusted earnings of $1.24 a share.
For the year, Lexmark estimates revenue to be down 3% to 4%. On an adjusted basis, earnings are expected around $3.42 to $3.52 a share, a drop from the company's July forecast of $3.55 to $3.75 a share
Last week, the maker of printers, enterprise software and hardware said it is working with investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to explore strategic alternatives, including a possible sale, as its price share doesn't fully reflect the value of the company.
Tuesday, Chief Executive Paul Rooke said that the third quarter was challenging and that the company continues to focus on growth as it looks at its alternatives.
Lexmark reported a loss of $15.2 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with a profit of $34.7 million, or 55 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding restructuring charges, acquisition adjustments and remediation-related costs, earnings were 57 cents a share, compared with 96 cents a year ago.
Revenue dropped 7.3% to $851.1 million.
In July, the company had forecast earnings for the third quarter of 51 cents to 61 cents a share and $911.79 million to $930.21 million in revenue.
Since 2010, the Lexington, Ky., company has gone on an acquisition spree, snapping up a number of software assets, as it tries to lessen its dependence on the fiercely competitive printing business and move more toward services and software in an increasingly digital workplace.
The company, like others in the technology industry, has spent years wrestling with a maturing hardware market; unlike many of its competitors, it has worked to stick to its core business and add software around it. That approach is different from peers such as Xerox Corp., which have diversified further afield with new offerings, such as outsourcing.
Shares closed Monday at $35.37 and were inactive premarket.
Write to Anne Steele at Anne.Steele@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires


text:
The company is said to follow the new trend that has been adopted by Apple for the new iPhones and Google for the Pixel smartphones - no headphone jack. Besides that, we can expect black, blue and gold as well there's also a possibility of a Burgundy Red which looks like the one in the cover image header above.
Australian lawmaker proposes to partner on floor of parliament
The answer from Ryan, who was sitting in the public gallery alongside marriage-equality advocates on Monday morning, was a beaming "Yes".
At "CES 2018" in January in the US, Samsung is likely to unveil a folding "Galaxy X" and new Galaxy S9 with the fastest-ever processor, reports have said. If you still remember, the Galaxy S8 was rumored to come in a violet/purple shade but didn't. "In North America, Samsung was the driving force in the quarter due to its new flagship products". A recent rumor also mentioned that the smartphone will be making its first appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Tyrod Taylor injures knee during Bills' loss to Patriots
But he could miss time, and maybe the Bills won't rush him back. Taylor has started 11 of the Bills' 12 games this season. The severity of Taylor's knee injury is unknown.
There, the device showed off its extremely slim bezels on the side and relatively thin forehead and chin, which come as no surprise considering that the A-series usually gets the tweaks debuted on Samsung's flagships a year later. A dual rear camera is expected for the device, which means a small change in the back. Samsung phones have a lot of different ways of unlocking them like pin, password, fingerprint sensor, iris scanner and facial recognition. The purple color option never arrived for the S8 but who knows, maybe Samsung will replace the most common color options with something unique for its next release. However, a source suggests that the Galaxy S9 fingerprint sensor won't be integrated into the display. It's believed that the Galaxy S9 will be available in the same sizes as the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with 5.8 and 6.2-inch screens.
UGA's Natrez Patrick arrested for DUI, marijuana-related charges
He was arrested on October 5 in Athens on a misdemeanor charge of possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana. For Patrick, this is the third time he has been arrested since enrolling at Georgia three years ago.


text:
Poland: Chinese cabbage prices up
The situation in the Chinese cabbage market in Poland has shown positive price trend since the beginning of 2018, reports Fruit-Inform referring to FreshMarket.
According to international experts, Chinese cabbage prices grew by 12-14% in the country over that period. Now domestic growers offer their produce at PLN 1.3-1.7/kg (EUR 0.31-0.41/kg), while at the beginning of January Chinese cabbage prices did not exceed PLN 1.5/kg (0.36/kg).
Market players link this trend with several factors. Firstly, Polish exporters resumed their shipments to the foreign markets. Secondly, many growers started to ship their produce from CA-storage facilities.
As a result, Chinese cabbage prices grew by 21-24% as compared with the same period of 2017. Moreover, Polish growers said of further intentions to raise their prices, referring to active sales in the external markets.


text:
Because tortilla sales continue to increase, Kyle Armstrong, sales manager, J.C. Ford Co., La Habra, CA, pointed out, it’s putting stress on producers and equipment. “We’ve developed new systems to help the tortilla producers deliver the volume the market is demanding with the consistency that is needed,” he said.
To meet consumer demand, producers are producing greater varieties of tortillas. In response, equipment companies must develop continuous processing technologies that allow operators to easily change from one variety to another with the touch of a formulation management button.
Caleb Reyes, regional sales manager for corn products systems, Heat and Control, Inc., Hayward, CA, noted, “Tortilla processors are installing equipment systems to produce ever-higher capacities. They are also struggling to maintain prices despite rising ingredient costs, and this means those equipment lines and their control systems must provide highly
Whether producing flour or corn tortillas or even tortilla chips, producers can choose from a variety of new systems designed to improve efficiency, accuracy and product quality as well as reduce downtime and maintenance.
For the most part, tortilla producers still use older dividing technology, Mr. Campbell said, noting that the bread and bun industry was in a similar position 25 years ago. “Now the largest and most profitable bakers use new extrusion-style technology,” he observed. “So tortilla producers need to recognize that it is inevitable, and if they want to compete, they must improve the efficiency of their divider/rounder operations.”
The throughput of AMF’s new KX-T continuous divider/rounder is equal to that of two older divider/rounders at less than half the cost, Mr. Campbell said. “Portion accuracy is better, and it does not require major rebuilds on the divider every two years like European-style divider/rounders,” he added. “The KX-T is available in multiple-pocket configurations from four to six to eight and even nine pockets.”
Casa Herrera, Pomona, CA, also offers extrusion dividers with up to nine ports, but Ron Meade, the company’s CEO, spoke eagerly about newer, more robust PLC systems that provide much greater real-time feedback on tortilla lines. “The human-machine interface features are getting friendlier all the time,” Mr. Meade said. “The troubleshooting features are a tremendous benefit and help detect fuse failures and other internal electrical issues that had to be diagnosed through time-consuming inspections by a plant maintenance engineer in the past. This capability dramatically reduces downtime for a production line.”
Although flour tortillas can be die-cut or hand-stretched, most wholesale producers rely on tortilla presses, which use heated platens to flatten dough balls. However, the heated platen on a press can warp or deflect over time, and tortilla producers often have to shim the press to ensure the tortillas’ diameters remain in spec.
After two years in development, Casa Herrera’s Genesis 52 flour tortilla press comes with a new hydraulic system and controls and doesn’t require shimming, according to Mr. Meade. “We control the speed of the cylinders, the gap of the pressing plate and the individual 4-corner adjustments on the fly, with the touch of a button,” he said. “To my knowledge, we are the only manufacturer that offers this feature.”
The hydraulic system uses linear transducers on cylinders to allow repeatability and exact location of the press platen, and operators can adjust any of the four corners of the 52-in.-by-52-in. press by 1/1,000th of an inch. “We can accomplish changes on the fly that would typically create a period of downtime,” Mr. Meade observed.
He also noted that this is the largest press the company has manufactured, and in the past, Casa Herrera had been reluctant to build a press of this size because of its inherent problems and need for shimming. “Through some research and development, we were able to come up with something we feel was a real enhancement to anyone running tortilla presses,” Mr. Meade said.
Lawrence Equipment, South El Monte, CA, recently introduced divider and press enhancements created in part to improve the producer’s capacity to make a wider variety of products while keeping waste at 1% or 2% and without compromising speeds, according to Glenn Shelton, vice-president of sales and marketing. A patent-pending vacuum head design allows producers to quickly replace a pressing plate so it can be better optimized for the products they want to make. Lawrence has also developed a Mega press with an extended infeed to accommodate two prepress programs simultaneously.
J.C. Ford introduced a press that incorporates its “no shim” system for making quick, easy adjustments to individual tortillas or areas of the press pattern, according to Mr. Armstrong. “This system uses a series of jacking bolts located in the frame above the top platen that are used to apply pressure to different areas of the press platen, making the product under it slightly larger or smaller,” he said. “With this new system, the manufacturer can easily produce a wide array of consistent products.”
Its press also uses continuous pressing technology, enabling a simpler loading system that incorporates all the equipment needed for various patterns. “This allows the manufacturer to make quick changeovers without the need to remove/install additional equipment or parts.” Mr. Armstrong added.
As for corn tortillas or chips, producers desire increased throughput with greater consistency, according to Mr. Armstrong. “Product thickness is crucial for producing quality product,” he said. “Varying thicknesses will change the end product drastically. For fried chips, it will affect the blistering in the oven, which then changes the characteristics after the fryer and eventually the bag presentation because of varying density. For table tortillas, it will change the way the tortilla separates in the oven and can cause too much or not enough puffing. Also, product that is too thick or heavy can affect the bottom line, and increased ingredient costs make it more important than ever to not give away more than the consumer is buying.”
To this end, J.C. Ford recently introduced its Cam Force sheeter with automatic thickness control (ATC) system. “This new sheeter uses an eccentric roller positioning system that gives the operator greater control over the roller gap,” Mr. Armstrong explained. “The Cam Force sheeter is also available with an optional ATC system that uses lasers to monitor the product thickness and then automatically adjust the roller gap accordingly using servo motors.”
Heat and Control’s most recent high-speed, high-capacity corn tortilla production lines can produce up to 8,000 dozen per hour, according to Mr. Reyes. The line — which includes a masa sheeter, feed conveyor, toaster oven, conditioning conveyor and controls — produces consistent-quality tortillas and maintains high operating efficiency, he noted. “Additionally, being able to rely on one supplier for an integrated line reduces equipment compatibility and service delays for processors,” Mr. Reyes said.
To increase market share, he said several tortilla producers are offering fried tortilla products such as tostadas, tortilla chips and even taco shells. Heat and Control’s small- and high-
capacity frying systems produce tostadas and chips using the same fryer. “Again, the advantage is production flexibility, increased sales and the ability to spread equipment and operating costs over several product lines,” Mr. Reyes observed.
Lawrence’s new state-of-the-art 6-row corn tortilla line produces uniformly baked, soft corn tortillas from corn masa at 51% moisture. It can produce up to 5,800 dozen per hour with a fully automatic counting stacking, vision system and stack indexer, Mr. Shelton said.
To obtain high efficiency and consistent product quality, processors need to communicate with the production line. “We have developed a line monitoring platform called Information That Matters that provides real-time data on equipment control points, key performance indicators and notification of faults via smartphone or computer,” Mr. Reyes said. “This gets the right information to the right people so equipment adjustments or repairs can be made very quickly to maintain high overall equipment effectiveness.”
Also, the tortilla industry, like many industries, understands the need to lower energy costs. Earlier this year, J.C. Ford released its first all-infrared oven that is designed to use less gas at the burner and retain more of the heat that’s been generated. “This is all in an effort to reduce gas usage and therefore the cost to produce products,” Mr. Armstrong said.
STACKING FOR PACKING.
High-speed lines can produce tens of thousands of tortillas per hour, yet packaging has often been a bottleneck to operations. However, with the addition of automated quality control and counter/stackers, plants can increase packaging rates and reduce labor.
Kevin Pearson, vice-president, Arr-Tech, Yakima, WA, said that despite its automated systems’ ability to reduce labor in packaging rooms by up to 50 to 70%, the biggest return for producers is the fact they can increase production on their makeup equipment. “Another benefit is much greater product hygiene because you don’t have people touching every stack, so the risk of contaminating product goes way down,” he said.
Arr-Tech’s stacking towers feature linear servos, which use magnetic force so there is no metal-on-metal contact or material wear. “We have worked diligently to develop our systems so that operators using standard preventive maintenance don’t have a lot to worry about as far as breakdowns or excessive maintenance,” Mr. Pearson said. “We use pre-lubed, high-quality bearings. We don’t use roller chains; it’s all timing-belt drive systems, which last and last and last.”
Producers have a lot to consider when looking to improve the accuracy, efficiency and output of their flour and corn tortilla lines. That’s because today’s equipment is designed to require less maintenance and give processors greater flexibili


text:
Essential Miami restaurant Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill will be the latest restaurant to join the new Empire Stores complex in Dumbo, following the recent openings of Cecconi’s and VHH Foods. After an initial “early summer” estimation, the opening has been pushed back to August, but new renderings reveal what to anticipate.
CetraRuddy Architecture shows the 11,000-square-foot clubstaurant — it’s now managed by the same company that owns SushiSamba — will have a Miami feel, with bright colors and low lighting, helped along by views of Manhattan’s skyline and the Brooklyn bridge in the background.
Menu items at the Miami and Vegas locations range from Argentinian to Korean influences, reflecting the mixed heritage of chef Timon Balloo, who is Chinese-Indian from Trinidad. It will likely include raw preparations (crudo, sushi), open-fire grill items (beef short ribs, lamb chops a la carte), and small plates from the kitchen.
Sugarcane first opened in Miami in 2010, scooping up a best new restaurant semifinalist nod from James Beard in 2011. Stay tuned for more.


text:
(LEBANON, Pa.) — NEWS: The Gem Miner’s Holiday, the Mid-Atlantic’s premium bead, mineral, gem and jewelry show, from the Mid-Atlantic Gem and Mineral Association (MAGMA), will be hosting its 12th annual Fall show at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center, Nov. 16 and 17, 2019, 80 Rocherty Road, Lebanon, PA 17042.
This Holiday event offers visitors the specimens and displays of a traditional gem and jewelry show, as well as specialty items perfect for holiday gift-giving such as textiles, honey, a regional winery, and arts and crafts products.
Visit www.gem-show.com for updates, admission discounts and additional information.
Friend us on Facebook and take advantage of our Groupon offering: www.facebook.com/gemminersshows
The expanded show areas include a Gem Mine experience for younger rockhounds: Bootlegger Bo’s Gem Mine, run by our youngest ever exhibitor! Soldier Solutions will be selling patriotic hats, T-shirts, sunglasses, and even coffees and BBQ sauce in support of its Veteran run partners. The Gem Miners Shows are proud of Soldier Solutions Operation Companion helping pair Veterans around the country with trained service dogs. We hope to have a visit from a Companion!
The Central Pennsylvania Rock and Mineral Club will also be a source of educational information and demonstrations.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Handicapped accessible and free parking. Admission is $5 and free for children under 12.
Gem Miner’s Jubilee and Holiday Shows are a yearly exhibition and sale of some of the finest products & collectibles of Earth’s treasures. The Holiday Gift Show in November and a three day show in August provide an opportunity to meet source dealers bringing the highest quality materials available.
More information: www.gem-show.com
*PHOTO link for media: www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-1031s2p-Mushuganah3-jewelry-300dpi.jpg
Related link: www.gem-show.com
This version of news story was published on and is Copr. © eNewsChannels™ (eNewsChannels.com) – part of the Neotrope® News Network, USA – all rights reserved. Information is believed accurate but is not guaranteed. For questions about the above news, contact the company/org/person noted in the text and NOT this website. Published image may be sourced from third party newswire service and not created by eNewsChannels.com.


text:
New Pokemon Spin-Off Games Unveiled By Nintendo Insider
2022 will apparently see the release of a few Pokemon derivative games. Nintendo and Game Freak are set to release later this month PokÃ©mon Legends: Arceus, a brand new and ambitious Pokemon game for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED. It is not clear what exactly these games are, but the source suggests Detective Pikachu may be on the menu.
The information comes from Nintendo insider and leaker Samus Hunter, who notes that the fallout will extend beyond console and mobile platforms as well. Unfortunately, this is about the breadth of the report, which is light on the salient details.
“New spin-offs are also coming to mobile and console, I don’t rule out that we may see some Detective Pikachu– related stuff “, Samus Hunter said on Twitter. “These are The Pokemon Company’s general plans as of today, in the weeks / months to come I’ll try to keep you posted. I’ll be talking about Nintendo in the next few days.”
As you can see, Samus Hunter suggests that whatever these spinoff games are, we won’t be hearing from them in the immediate future. However, the leaker believes a new Nintendo Direct is coming soon. If this is correct, there is a possibility that we will hear about these games then, but probably only if it is after the release of the above. PokÃ©mon Legends: Arceus because Nintendo won’t want to distract Pokemon fans until the latest installment is out in the wild.
That said, take everything here with a grain of salt. This is not all completely unofficial, but while accurate it is also subject to change. At the time of publication, none of the parties involved have commented on any of this. If that changes, the story will be updated.
For more coverage on Pokemon – including the latest news, rumors, leaks and speculations – click here or, alternatively, check out the few links below:


text:
COVID-19–Related Trafficking of Medical Products Reported
By: Priyanka Oza
October 1, 2020
Categories: AAMI News, Clinical, Early Career, Education & Academia, Executive , Government, Health Technology Management, HTM Professionals, Individual Contributor, Manager or Director
Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, incidences of organized criminal activity related to substandard and falsified (SF) medical products represent a public health risk, according to a research brief published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Seizure and interception of SF products have been reported across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, the agency stated.
In the brief, COVID-19-related Trafficking of Medical Products as a Threat to Public Health, UNODC analyzed the implications of various incidences worldwide and proposed solutions involving strengthened regulatory frameworks and better oversight during the manufacturing and distribution of medical products. When a vaccine for COVID- 19 becomes available, the focus will shift from trafficking of personal protective equipment (PPE) to vaccines, thereby further jeopardizing efforts to protect peoples’ health.
Restrictions on the movement of goods imposed by governments worldwide due to the pandemic have increased the demand for PPE products in a short period. “Organized criminal groups have adjusted to the opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic to exploit the vulnerabilities and gaps in the existing health and criminal justice systems,” stated Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, in an April 2020 report.
Criminal groups adapt to changing landscapes faster than law enforcement authorities, hindering efforts for adequate investigation. An absence of reports from SF medical products globally during COVID-19 indicates a need for more collaboration and cooperation among national agencies.
“Criminal groups are defrauding procurement agencies and customers by offering SF PPE. In March 2020, Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) coordinated Pangea Operation XII, which targeted illegal online sales of medical products. Law enforcement agencies and healthcare regulatory authorities from 90 countries worked together to arrest 121 criminals and seize more than $14 million of potentially dangerous pharmaceutical products,” UNODC wrote in its report.
The emergence of the pandemic has seen data compromise frauds, including phishing, scamming, and business email compromise, through the manipulation of corporate websites, in order to convince purchasers that firms are genuine. In many data compromise frauds, there is no intention to supply medical products; it is simply a scheme to deprive the buyer of the purchase price.
The dark web marketplace, Monopoly Market, has banned its vendors from supplying COVID-19–related medical supplies and has prohibited the use of the pandemic as a marketing tool. However, according to UNODC, risks remain and are predicted to increase as a transition occurs from the current containment phase to the diagnostic and testing phase of the pandemic for the healthcare supply chain, pharmaceutical industry, and PPE industry.
The UNODC report included information on the following:
- More than 3,300 thermometers were seized while being trafficked in Thailand.
- A shipment of thermometers seized in Italy did not meet EU regulations.
- A fraud inquiry related to SF ventilators has begun in Russia.
The increase in rates of medical product trafficking reduces legitimate stock for its intended market, stated UNODC. If agencies unintentionally use funds allocated by the national public health budget to buy SF products, stockouts (shortages of in-demand medical products) will occur. These shortages create opportunities for medical traffickers, fueling a vicious cycle that negatively affects people’s health and safety. The nature of such crimes, due to the consumption of SF medical products, makes it hard to collect and analyze evidence.
Increasing manufacturing capacity for PPE and vaccines, for example, reduces the opportunity for scams and trafficking; however, that is not easily accomplished given the advanced infrastructure required to produce such products. More time is needed to build a safe supply chain, and according to UNODC, criminal groups exploit this time gap through the selling of SF products.


text:
Digital sales generate 55% of HSN’s overall sales, and the retailer is looking to new platforms, such as Facebook Live, to acquire customers.
More e-retailers this year plan to offer the free shipping that consumers increasingly expect.
More than 92% of e-retailers say they’ll offer consumers free shipping on orders during the holiday gift-buying season, up from about 85% that said the same last year, according to survey results released today by Shop.org, the e-retail arm of the National Retail Federation trade group.
That news comes as FedEx Corp. says it expects to deliver more than 260 million packages worldwide between Thanksgiving and Christmas, up 12% from a year ago. FedEx says shipments from online retailers will account for a large portion of that volume.
Consumers cite free shipping as a primary incentive to shop online. 74% of online consumers responding to a holiday survey from consulting firm Accenture in September said the biggest incentive for shopping online is free shipping, and 59% said they’d do most of their holiday shopping online this year.
That’s good news for e-retailers, who are heading into the season more optimistic than they were at this time last year. 68% of e-retailers in the Shop.org survey say they expect online sales will increase 15% or more from last season. A year ago, about 64% said the same. The findings are based on responses from 51 e-retailers to a survey conducted in late September and early October.
Retailers are also eager to get holiday sales rolling, even though consumers think they’ll find the best deals if they wait until Thanksgiving weekend. More than half of e-retailers, 53%, say they plan to start their holiday marketing and promotions by Oct. 31, up from 40% that said the same last year, according to the Shop.org survey. Another 37% say they’ll start by mid-November.
However, the results of a survey of more than 3,000 online shoppers released today by comparison shopping site PriceGrabber reveals consumers think the best deals will come later in the holiday shopping season. 29% of respondents say they’ll find the best deals after the Thanksgiving holiday, while 28% say they’ll find the best deals on the day after Thanksgiving, commonly called Black Friday. 28% of respondents expect to find the best deals in December, and 15% say the best deals will come the Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as Cyber Monday. More than half of the consumers in the PriceGrabber survey, 52%, say they expect to spend $500 or more on gifts for the holidays.
“There’s no question consumers are eager to hit the web this holiday season, and online retailers are prepping by optimizing their sites, beginning their marketing and promotions early and planning plenty of free shipping promotions,” says Fiona Swerdlow, head of research at Shop.org.
More than half, or 56%, of e-retailers in the Shop.org survey say they’ve allotted more budget for free shipping promotions this holiday season from last.


text:
Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Mobile, west of Gulf Shores beaches, will celebrate the 25th Anniversary Season of Magic Christmas in Lights starting the Friday after Thanksgiving 2020.
The nighttime display of holiday lights features more than 1,100 set pieces, 3 million lights and 15 scenes set out in a walking tour path throughout the 65-acre garden estate. A new scene has been created to enhance the display in its Silver Anniversary.
The show will open at 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, lighting up the grounds nightly from 5-9 p.m., through Dec. 31.
A Gulf Coast tradition, Magic Christmas in Lights has become a must-see for visitors from the local area and beyond. Families enjoy strolling along the paths together, taking holiday photos, drinking cocoa on Live Oak Plaza and visiting Santa Claus in Magnolia Café.
Magic Christmas in Lights is a made-in-Alabama attraction. Each year, the set pieces for the holiday lights are designed, welded, painted and lamped on site by members of Bellingrath’s staff. Three employees work full-time all year on the light display.
The Southeast Tourism Society selected Magic Christmas in Lights as a Top 20 Festival & Event winner for November 2020. In December 2018, the show was included in USA Today’s top 10 list of “Best Botanical Garden Holiday Light Displays in America,” which was compiled with readers’ online votes. The display was also selected to the American Bus Association’s “Top 100 Events of 2016.”
Magic Christmas in Lights also includes choral performances on the Great Lawn on weeknights during the first three weeks of the season. In addition, the historic Bellingrath Home, which will be decorated in full holiday finery, will be open for guided tours each night until 8 p.m. The home, built in 1935, features the Bellingraths’ original antique furniture and collections.
Guests are sure to find that perfect holiday gift in our fully stocked gift shop, open until 9 p.m. nightly. Guests may also have their photos taken with Santa Claus in the Magnolia Café each night from 5:30 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23.
Snacks and hot cocoa are available for purchase at the midway point of the tour on Live Oak Plaza. The Magnolia Café will have extended hours from 4-8 p.m. during the season.
The gardens will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s days.
Plan your holiday 2020 visit to the Alabama/Florida Gulf Coast and reserve your family’s favorite beach house or condo. If you wish to bring everyone to the beach for the holidays, consider a 5+ bedroom house, where you will find luxurious homes with amenities such as multiple kitchens, elevators, private pools, and up to 20 bedrooms.


text:
The LaFerrari is already on the streets, and that means people are now trying to sell them 'used' at a huge markup. This one in Germany is listed at 2.38 million Euros, or about $3.24 million USD. Is it for real?
SEMCO GmbH in Munich claims to be selling the car. It's listed with 200km on the clock, which is easy to believe. It's also listed with a combined economy of 11L/100km (about 21MPG), which is hard to believe.
CarScoops points out that you can buy a LaFerrari from the factory for about $1.77 million, though that's easier said than done. According to its commemorative plate, this is car number one of 499, which does not actually designate it as the first LaFerrari.