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Every Tuesday and Friday, WTR presents a round-up of news, developments and insights from across the trademark sphere. In our latest round-up, we look at spoon-bender Uri Geller giving his permission to use a Pokemon after a two-decade dispute, Spin Master signing a licensing deal with Warner Bros, Dr Reddy’s picking up brands from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, and much more. Coverage this time from Trevor Little (TL), Bridget Diakun (BD), Jonathan Walfisz (JW) and Tim Lince (TJL).
AAFA issues tips on how consumers can spot fakes – To coincide with Cyber Monday, and in advance of the Christmas holiday shopping season, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has issued advice to help consumers to shop safely and ensure they are purchasing authentic products. Its safe shopping checklist is designed to help consumers ensure they are purchasing legitimate products, offering such tips as asking whether the online marketplace is an authorised retailer of the brand, identifying who is selling the product (and where it is coming from), scrutinising reviews and scouring the product listings for such red flags as misspellings or references to ‘replica’ or ‘inspired’ brands. Steve Lamar, president and CEO of the association, reflected: "Counterfeits directly threaten American ingenuity and American jobs. Further, counterfeit products unnecessarily put consumers in harm’s way. There is no incentive for counterfeiters to follow safety regulations regarding chemical management, flammability, or choking hazards. In the past, marketplace 'red flags' were easier to detect and consumers could elect not to buy the items in question; however, constraints of online shopping boost the likelihood of consumers unknowingly purchasing fakes. This is why AAFA has prioritised safe authentic shopping as part of our brand protection efforts." (TL)
Spin Master signs licensing deal with Warner Bros – Spin Master, a Canadian toymaker, has signed a global licensing agreement with Warner Bros Consumer Products that allows the company to develop products based on the Wizarding World franchise. The financial terms of the agreement were not made available, but the toys are expected to be on shelves by next autumn. Last month Spin Master agreed to purchase Rubik’s Brand, the owner of the Rubik’s Cube, for $50 million. (BD)
CNIPA highlights the role of IP in alleviating poverty – Gan Shaoning, deputy head of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, has spoken about the importance of intellectual property rights in helping poverty alleviation. At a press conference, Gan explained that the IP authorities have launched website services to facilitate access to, and the utilisation of, IPR information resources in poverty-stricken regions. CNIPA, in partnership with WIPO, has also established 51 Technology and Innovation Support Centres nationwide. Turning to particular rights, he explained: "Geographical indications bear the public interests of specific regions. Compared with developed regions, poverty-stricken regions normally have more abundant GIs resources." With that in mind, Gan explained that CNIPA has launched 21 projects to promote GI applications in poverty-impacted regions since 2019. In this way, Gan concluded, GIs can play a role in alleviating poverty. (TL)
Dr Reddy’s picks up brands from Glenmark Pharmaceuticals – Dr Reddy’s has entered into an agreement with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals to acquire the following brands: Momat Rino (for Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan), Momat Rino Advance (for Russia), Momat A (for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan), Glenspray and Glenspray Active (for Ukraine). Included in the agreement are the trademarks, dossiers and patents for the territories mentioned. (BD)
Sycamore Partners to pay $540 million for some of Ascena’s brands – In the latest divestiture by Ascena Retail Group after having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier in the year, the Wall Street Journal has reported a $540 million agreement with Sycamore Partners that will see the changing hands of the Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant, Loft and Lou & Grey brands (subject to approval from the bankruptcy court). The company has already sold its Justice and Catherines brands out of bankruptcy, for approximately $90 million and $40.8 million respectively, as online-only businesses. (BD)
Clarivate acquires Hanlim IPS – Clarivate has acquired South Korean IP service provider Hanlim IPS Co. Clarivate states that by joining forces with Hanlim IPS, it is strategically positioned to address the rapid growth in IP demand in South Korea and meet the needs of customers in other jurisdictions looking to file in the country. Jeff Roy, president, IP Group, Clarivate, said: “Combining market leading solutions and global footprint of Clarivate with deep understanding of local customers, leading South Korean capabilities and excellent talent from Hanlim IPS means we can better support customers to significantly accelerate innovation both in South Korea and worldwide. Asia is an important hub for innovation, and by joining forces with Hanlim IPS we are better positioned on our mission to be a trusted, indispensable partner to innovators worldwide.” (TL)
SFERRA Fine Linens acquires Pratesi – SFERRA Fine Linens, a luxury linens and home lifestyle company owned by the Dallas-based private investment firm Highlander Partners, has announced the purchase of “ultra-premium Italian-luxury linens brand” Pratesi. SFERRA is looking to reintroduce Pratesi into the marketplace through international channels, as well as a newly developed Pratesi website that will allow for a better, and easier, connection with its customer base. It has been a common trend for buyers to push their new brands in e-commerce as the coronavirus keeps people at home and retailers face the pressure of paying for, oftentimes pricey, physical locations. Jeff L Hull, President and CEO of Highlander, indicated that the company was on the lookout for more deals. “We are very excited to be the steward of two iconic Italian luxury brands in the bedding and home category,” said Hull. “We believe SFERRA and Pratesi combination has the potential to become the preeminent luxury linens provider globally. We are looking forward to continuing to implement a selective “buy-and-build” investment approach and finding complementary M&A opportunities for this business in the luxury goods category.” (BD)
Legrand signs up with Anaqua – Anaqua has announced that France’s Legrand will move to its AQX platform. Legrand, a manufacturer of electrical and digital solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential markets, opted for Anaqua when replacing its previous IP management system. A press release form the service provider notes that the company will leverage Anaqua’s AQX software to streamline its IP management lifecycle, from idea capture through prosecution to portfolio management and monetisation. “We are excited to be working closely with Legrand to provide them with an integrated IP management system that will support and enhance their global innovation and operational excellence,” said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. “Anaqua is honored to welcome Legrand to our client community. Their joining reflects our continued growth as a global IP management provider and our industry expertise in the European region.” (TL)
Arcadia’s brands could soon be up for grabs – Arcadia, which owns Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, has gone into administration, according to the BBC. The retail group, like many others, has struggled throughout the pandemic and it failed to secure extra funding to pay its debts. The administration will give it a bit of breathing space while a buyer is sought out for all parts of the business. Fashion retailer Boohoo has been identified as a potential buyer for some of Arcadia’s household brands such as Topshop. It would not be the first time Boohoo bought out struggling brands having already acquired Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen and Coast. It would not be a surprise if there was an auction for Arcadia’s brands as well as its trademarks and consumer data, given the potential to acquire recognisable brands with strong equity. While no doubt stressful for the staff involved at Arcadia, the situation is a potential opportunity for online retailers to build up their brand portfolios. (BD)
US Customs sends Christmas shoppers counterfeit warning – The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has warned holiday shoppers to heighten their vigilance for counterfeit goods. This year, CBP seized 26,503 shipments containing goods that violated IP rights, estimated to be worth nearly $1.3 billion. CBP executive director John Leonard said: “What these goods would cost if they were legitimate shipments, legitimate items is over $36 million. To give you a sense of how busy those officers are right there at that hub in Cincinnati in a normal 24-hour span, they’re working almost 200,000 individual shipments each day.” (JW)
CJEU rejects 3D mark for wine bottle shape – Brasserie St Avold met with the news last week that they could not register the 3D shape of their wine bottle as a trademark. The brand first applied for the EU trademark in March 2018 as a 3D mark for the shape of a dark bottle with a label. This application was rejected by the EUIPO. Brasserie St Avold appealed the decision and took it to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) where it was again found that (translate from French by Google Translate): “The shape of the dark coloured bottle, crowned with a cap, would be usual in the beverage industry.” Furthermore, while the bottle came with a more unusual white label, the CJEU found that the public would still be more likely to rely on the words on the label, than the position of the label itself. With the appeal lost, the EU wine industry can sleep soundly in the knowledge that – for now – rather traditional wine bottle shapes are still not protectable as trademarks. (JW)
EURid updates post-Brexit ‘.eu’ treatment – EURid, has provided an update on a recent change agreed with the European Commission with respect to ‘.eu’ domain names assigned to UK registrants. The Brexit withdrawal agreement provides for a transition period until 31 December 2020, during which time UK-based organisations could continue to be able to hold and register a .eu domain name. With all eyes on 21 January, EURid has announced that, on 21 December 2020, all UK registrants who have not yet demonstrated continued compliance with the eligibility criteria will be notified of the risk of forthcoming non-compliance with the .eu regulatory framework. On 1 January will then notify all UK registrants and their registrars that their domain name is no longer compliant with the ‘.eu’ eligibility criteria and is ‘suspended’ until 31 March 2021. A day after that deadline, on 1 April, they will be notified that their domain name has been moved to the ‘withdrawn’ status. On 1 January 2022 such domains will be revoked and placed back into general availability. EURid’s Brexit Notice page has been updated with full details. (TL)
BrewDog CEO writes trademark case was one of his biggest mistakes – In a candid LinkedIn post, BrewDog CEO James Watt wrote about the 10 biggest mistakes he’s made while running the craft brewery business. Notably, at number two was the 2017 trademark dispute between the Lone Wolf bar and his brand. He wrote: “We had a trademark dispute in March 2017 with a bar called Lone Wolf, which is also the name of our gin brand. We took legal action against them on the name. This was a mistake on my behalf: there was never going to be any confusion between their bar and our gin, and I was completely wrong to take action.” At the time, the legal action was considered as trademark bullying and Watt accepts it wasn’t the kind of move he wanted associated with BrewDog. As he continues: “I very quickly and publicly admitted the mistake, stopped the legal action and covered their costs and in addition we invited them to Ellon to make a special batch of gin together as an apology. I was definitely in the wrong here and the mistake hurt. Lesson learned.” (JW)
Uri Geller gives Pokemon card blessing – Spoon-bending magician Uri Geller has ended a two-decade legal rift with Nintendo by retracting a ban on using a Pokemon that appeared to use his name. According to The Gamer, the Pokemon ‘Kadabra’ has the Japanese name ‘Yungerer’, which reads “very closely” to ‘Uri Geller’. On top of that, Kadabra is pictured bending a spoon – an apparent reference to Geller’s famous spoon illusion. In 2000, Geller sued Nintendo and requested that Kadabra never be used on Pokemon cards. That request has been followed for the past 20 years. However, following recent media interest, Geller has confirmed that he has not given Nintendo permission to use Kadabra with its original name and image. “Due to the tremendous volume of emails I am still getting begging me to allow Nintendo to bring back Kadabra/Yungeller, I sent [...] a letter to the chairman of Nintendo giving them permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide,” he says. (TJL)
Free-to-attend Brand Strategy China event takes place next week – WTR has unveiled the programme for the fifth annual Brand Strategy China event, which will provide attendees with a series of talks delivering practical, actionable takeaways for professionals tasked with protecting the integrity and maximising the value of their brands across Greater China. This year, the free-to-attend event will be held as a dedicated virtual programme comprising four sessions spread across two half days next week (10 and 11 December) and timed to facilitate evening attendance from US-based trademark professionals. All sessions will be bilingual with simultaneous English and Mandarin translations. Among the confirmed participants are experts from 3M, Amazon, Chanel and Richemont. To secure your place now, free of charge, click here.


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They say man’s best friend is a dog and they have a reputation for keeping people safe in all sorts of circumstances.
Now pooch power has helped keep smokers in the Cumnock area safer, after Trading Standards Officers worked last week with Consumer Protection dogs to seize over 7000 illegal cigarettes from a shop in the town.
Thanks to a tip off from the public, Boo, a 2 year old Labrador/Wire Haired Pointer cross, gave tobacco cheats a fright, working with officers to sniff out the huge haul of illegal cigarettes which pose a real threat to the health of anyone who smokes them.
The cigarettes Boo found were a mixture of counterfeit and imported product, which didn’t have standardised packaging or the legally required UK Govt health warnings.
Some, known as “illicit whites”, are produced by criminals abroad specifically for the black market. Such products are particularly dangerous for a number of reasons:-
- Firstly, they may contain far higher levels of toxins than genuine cigarettes, making them a much higher health risk for users.
- Secondly the sellers can buy them more cheaply than normal cigarettes, undercutting prices offered by other law abiding retailers, while funding the activities of criminals.
- Thirdly they are not liable for the normal tax (around £2000 for this particular batch) which would normally go to the UK treasury, so the sellers are cheating the whole country of revenue.
East Ayrshire Council’s Trading Standards Service is committed to protecting consumers from potentially harmful products of every kind, while making sure that law abiding retailers, who take care to sell only legal products, can trade in a fair environment.
In this instance it was thanks to the actions of responsible members of the public that this crime was detected. If you suspect that fake products are being sold, please email email@example.com to help keep everyone safe from crime and danger. Find out more about our Trading Standards Service

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SOLON, Ohio -- Giant Eagle wants to build a larger Giant Eagle supermarket and a GetGo gas station within the Solar Shopping Center here, the Twinsburg Sun reported. The company’s proposal was introduced late last month by Brad Kowit, a real estate consultant with Kowit & Passov Real Estate Group, located in Cleveland.
To make it happen, Caplan Perlick Ltd., which owns the Solar Shopping Center, would have to demolish the center's southern wing, which now contains a Subway quick-service restaurant, and about half the wing that currently contains Giant Eagle, which spans about 50,000 square feet.
A new state-of-the-art Giant Eagle—reaching roughly 90,900 square feet—would be built on a 3.4-acre parcel just south of Solar. The land would become part of the shopping center. The half of the existing Giant Eagle wing that would remain standing would get a new facade under the plan, the report stated.
In November, voters rezoned the parcel from office to retail in the hope that a new Giant Eagle would be constructed there. Giant Eagle also wants to put a GetGo gas station somewhere within the Solar Shopping Center. Existing zoning doesn't permit gas stations, so a rezoning would be necessary, according to the newspaper.
Giant Eagle Offers foodperks! Discounts With GetGo Gas


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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,950 Bubba Bull Plush Toys.
The CPSC said that certain Bubba Bull (Style 45541) Plush Toys with date code 1945 are involved in the recall. The date code is printed on a white tag on the plush toys. The Bubba Bull plush toys are brown with off-white bull horns. Mary Meyer is also printed on the seam label.
If you own one of the recalled plush toys, the CPSC recommends that you take them away from small children and contact Mary Meyer for a free replacement. Once customers return the plush toy or prove its destruction, the company will replace the toy with a Bubba Bull plush or another plush toy of equal price.
The CPSC said that there has been a report of an eye detaching from the plush toy but no injuries have been reported.
Independent specialty toy stores across the country sold plush toys as well as www.MaryMeyer.com from December 2022 through October 2023 for about $24.
©2023 Cox Media Group


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Jordan Gogos’ debut fashion show at Australian Fashion Week attracted local celebrities, social media influencers and well-known stylists from across the nation and we’re not surprised.
Despite the rainy weather outside Sydney’s Carriageworks, where Fashion Week was being held, Gogos’ show treated guests to flashes of bright colour and towering painted objects propped up monolithically on the runway.
Gogos founded ‘Iordanes Spyridon Gogos’ in 2019 as a conduit for community-making and co-design.
According to Marie Claire, Gogos’ fashion designs seek to explore notions of gender fluidity and sustainability with a contemporary practice-led approach. And that’s exactly what his fashion show had on display.
Working closely with 25 different artists and brands, Gogos created technicolour patchworked coats, corseted strapless dresses and silky suiting. All were made from using deadstock materials, and items sourced from the community centre Reverse Garbage, which encourages reuse of materials in order to reduce waste.
“A lot of the pieces are quite size inclusive, because we’ve done a lot of corseting which could fit the skinniest person for the largest of persons,” Gogos told Marie Claire.
It’s no surprise then that the models Gogos selected to walk down the runway at his debut fashion show were also of all genders and different body sizes.
“The people on this runway are not usually on runways,” Gogos noted of the models, which were a mix of friends, collaborators and people who he met as recently as three weeks ago after reaching out to express their admiration.
“[This show] represents what Sydney is, what we actually are, who we actually engage with and who is in fashion and who are the people walking on the street.”
With such an innovative and inclusive approach to fashion, we can’t wait to see what Gogos has in store next for the Australian fashion industry.
Source: Marie Claire.


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Bethlehem, PA — Registration is under way for the 68th Annual Production Conference of the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA), to be held April 14 through 16 at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square and the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, PA, the organization reports.
The Basics and Beyond Seminar, “Using Dairy in Confections,” features technical sessions led by experts from The Pennsylvania State University extension program; Ferrara Candy Co., Inc.; Mettler-Toledo; The Hershey Co.; Ingredion, Inc.; Sensient Colors, LLC and others. Topics include developing and implementing a foreign material prevention and detection program, high-potency sweeteners in confectionery, using dairy flavors and fruit and fruit ingredients in candy formulations, global food coloring regulations and PMCA committee updates.
In addition, NCA Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Laura Shumow will present a regulatory update for the confectionery industry.
The Tuesday evening keynote address by Big Tree Farms, Inc.’s Frederick Schilling will explore the concept of sustainable transformation.
In addition to the seminar program, registrants have access to more than 100 exhibitors on the show floor, live confectionery demonstrations, a special exhibit titled “From Cow to Candy,” and the reception and banquet. PMCA members also can register for the pre-conference golf tournament.
Registration is available online at pmca.com, by mail using the downloadable form or in person.


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iPhone 5 pre-orders double previous record, top 2 million
Because demand for the iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply, some pre-orders will be delivered to customers in October, the company says.
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Apple Inc. said pre-orders of its iPhone 5 topped 2 million units in one day, more than double the sales record set by the previous model of the device.
Because demand for the iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply, some pre-orders will be delivered to customers in October, rather than September as previously planned, Cupertino, California-based Apple said Monday in a statement.
Apple had previously said it would start shipping the iPhone by Sept. 21 in several countries and reach 100 by the end of the year.
Analysts have predicted that more than 30 million iPhones, including older models, will be sold by the end of September. iPhone sales account for more than half the company’s revenue.
Shares of Apple were up less than 1 per cent at $694.88 in premarket trading on Monday. They closed at $691.28 on the Nasdaq on Friday.
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Sales in the first quarter of 2016 rose 15.8 per cent from the opening three months of last year, according to the Toronto Real Estate Board.


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Europe’s leading Laurel nursery report on an excellent IPM Essen. Laurica Plants celebrated 30 years as an exhibitor at Europe’s leading plant event.Director Marian Maenhoudt commented ‘ IPM was a fine show for us. This year we met a lot of customers from the UK, Germany, France, Holland…. and even Belgium! At the show we discussed about the 2014 selling season where many clients were satisfied with their plant sales levels.’
‘Spring 2015 is close by and we expect strong sales of our material to continue. On our stand we showed the main lines and also some bigger specimens. When showing the plants together with a nice special or big plant in a garden centre, it makes people dream about their tree, growing up, getting that big…. it’s all about perception!’
‘At the show, our customers can pick out the sizes they like to remember when ordering. The visual option at IPM makes buying easier than on paper or a screen! We now look forward to a new selling season, where we can once again offer high quality plant material at a competitive price!’
Europe’s premier laurel nursery have new owners. Elie and Sybiel Devisch have recently taken over the family run business in Jabbeke, Belgium. This retains full control for the Devisch family business which was established in 1968.
The Laurica Plants nursery will be managed by Elie Devisch and his wife, Marian Maenhoudt. This includes sales to wholesalers, garden centres and landscapers.
The Lauretum is where the bigger specimens are grown within the company’s showpiece! These older trees can be sold or rented out. The contacts for this are Sybiel Devisch and partner Tom Dierickx.


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Samsung may have to reassess the build of its handsets, starting with the Galaxy Note 20, if the EU continues to roll out environmental plans that impact the way smartphones are being manufactured - and even their design.
Apple was first to feel the effects of the EU's goal to reduce waste with the EU's decision to have all manufacturers conform to the USB-C standard. The tech giant uses its own proprietary lightning cable, which - aside from being an annoyance - creates more waste than is necessary.
And now Samsung is next in line as the European Commission is drafting a plan that will require electronics manufacturers to ensure that batteries in their products can be easily replaced.
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Right now, Samsung - along with a slew of other smartphone makers - glues its batteries into its devices. As such, they can only be repaired by a trained professional who knows what they're doing, ruling out the general public and owners of the phones in most instances.
The regulations wouldn't just be applicable to phones, but all sorts of other electronics, like tablets, and headphones.
The logic is that consumers will be able to hold onto their phones longer if they can easily replace their own battery, generating less waste, along with the standardisation of ports which will eliminate the need for Lighting to Micro USB adaptors in Europe, which also results in less waste.
The leaked EU proposal is only at the draft stage for now, but places the responsibility of minimising e-waste squarely on the shoulders of smartphone manufacturers, and having them produce easy-to-repair devices.
Samsung is going to have to cast its mind as far back as 2014 to the Galaxy S5, which was the last time the company made a phone with a battery that wasn't glued in place. And with the way the wind is blowing, everyone else is going to have to follow suit.
Source: Tom's Guide


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Problems faced by the Cafe and Coffee market have forced innovation in the UK branded coffee chain market with drive-thrus, smaller format coffee shops, neighbourhood locations and delivery has helped the sector weather the Covid-19 storm.
And there is positive news for the sector as the number of sites have grown by 3.5% to 9,540 stores and there was a better than expected £1.3bn sales rebound in 2021, representing 43% growth over the last 12 months, according to the latest report Project Café UK 2022.
It revealed that the UK’s £4.4bn branded coffee shop market has regained 87% of pre-pandemic market value and also predicts it will exceed 10,500 outlets by 2026.
And this confidence in the coffee shop and cafe market is continuing, with new openings in the pipeline. Greggs is opening its largest new café in Primark, Birmingham, while Boston Tea Party is set to open its latest site in Torquay.
In December, Leon, which was purchased by forecourt operator EG Group last year, unveiled plans to more than double the pace of its store rollout programme, with more than 50 restaurants to be opened in the next year. This followed the success of its first Drive-Thru in West Yorkshire.
This week, Pret revealed positive sales in the City financial districts, with the latest Bloomberg Pret Index, showing its transactions are now at 78% of pre-Covid-19 levels, as banks have called staff back into the office.
While the trends remains positive operators are still finding new channels of distribution to appeal to customers.
Esquires Coffee, the growing UK franchise coffee chain, says it expects to see a sustained interest in ‘click and collect’ services to ensure customers can enjoy professional barista-grade coffee without the worry of crowded areas.
A number of operators invested in beverage delivery due to the pandemic. Costa Coffee now works in partnership with delivery operators including Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber, while Greggs offers click and collect or delivery through Just Eat.
And there is also the drive-thru market, which is seeing growth. According to the Project Café UK 2022 the UK drive-thru market now comprises 578 stores, with market leader Costa Coffee adding 75 locations since 2020 for a total of 275 and Starbucks operating 270 sites.
And Mintel’s latest Coffee Shops UK – 2021 report says that the penetration of coffee shop drive-throughs grew by six percentage points to reach 25% of customers in 2021.
This shows that consumers are changing their buying methods. Mintel says that the proportion of coffee shop consumers purchasing drinks in-store fell by four percentage points year-on-year as consumers continue to have a greater range of takeaway options than they did before the pandemic.
Empowered by digital devices and a deeper awareness of consumer choice, 33% of consumers were most likely to visit a coffee shop that allows them to customise an order, Mintel says.
Carlo Platia, CEO of Feed It Back says: “As the country continues to get back to some level of normality with people returning to work and offices the outlook is positive for café and coffee shop operators. But there are challenges ahead for all operators with VAT expected to increase to 20% in April 2022. There is also the impact of Brexit, labour shortages, the rise in the cost of living and the chances of more outbreaks of Covid-19.
“With competition in the market being so strong it is important for operators to know what their customers want and react to the changing situation. It will become ever more important moving forward for café and coffee outlets to respond to feedback and changing consumer demands.”
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(Victorville) – You may have noticed all of the construction work going on at The Mall of Victor Valley lately. Major retailer jcpenney is expanding and moving into the location that was Forever 21, and Macy’s will be opening in 2013. To prepare for these big events the Mall today announced new plans to completely remodel all four major entrances.
All four entrances will be redesigned using sleek glass storefronts and travertine stone. The project also includes new walkways, complete with new landscaping and additional seating.
“The remodel of our four entrances will enhance our shopper’s experience at The Mall of Victor Valley,” said Liz Hewson, Property Manager, The Mall of Victor Valley. “The new entrances will be modern and inviting – a perfect welcome to the expanded jcpenney when it opens later this year and as we get set to welcome Macy’s in 2013.”
Construction started May 14th on the freeway facing entrance located nearest Sears on the south end of the shopping center. For an estimated six weeks, while the entrance will be accessible during construction, shoppers are encouraged to park in lots 4 and 5 to avoid the construction site. The Mall of Victor Valley retailers will remain open during the construction. The final entrance will be completed in late September, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
The new enhancements are designed to complement the existing anchors at the 544,000+ square foot shopping center, with a retail mix that includes Bath and Body Works, Vans, The Children’s Place, Victoria’s Secret, as well as Barnes and Noble.
For more information visit The Mall of Victor Valley’s website: http://www.themallofvictorvalley.com/


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During an apple’s journey from tree to packhouse to market, speed and careful handling are essential for delivering a fresh, undamaged fruit. That’s why the fresh produce industry—until recently, many aspects of the grading, sorting and inventory packing process was done by hand—has embraced automation.
Compac, a leader in post-harvest sorting technology, has been working side by side with growers and packers around the world to provide and maintain equipment that ushers produce to market at peak freshness and quality. And the company, like the farmers and distributors who use its equipment, is retooling its operations. The goal: less manual work, more-responsive service.
In the past, the New Zealand-based firm reacted to customers’ requests for repairs when equipment went down. That evolved into a proactive service model in which Compac could alert customers to maintenance needs before a breakdown occurred. Now, the company is preparing for the next step: advising its customers on ways to keep production lines running efficiently and cost-effectively.
‘Every Minute Counts’
Customers eagerly embraced the efficiency of automated produce packing and grading throughout the past decade—sometimes too eagerly, says Darrell Smithson, Compac’s vice president of global services.
“They were often less mature in operating this sophisticated machinery,” Smithson says. “They’d run the machines until they went down, thinking that if a part failed, they would just get another one.”
The problem was that while grading, sorting and packing machines were down—and while customers waited for Compac technicians to fix the problem—produce sat idle, ripening or aging past its peak of flavor. “Every minute counts,” Smithson says.
A Proactive Service Culture
Compac started using Predix ServiceMax in 2017 to change its service culture from reactive to proactive—and to help its customers indeed make every minute count.
“Reactive maintenance doesn’t work when you have trucks turning up with hundreds of bins of fruit to be processed,” Smithson says.
Before ServiceMax, Compac technicians had strong connections with customers but couldn’t get 360-degree views of their packhouse needs—or advise them on preventive maintenance that could prevent down time.
“We thought, how can we maintain that one-to-one intimacy while giving service techs a way to share their knowledge with everyone else?” Smithson says. “We weren’t operating in a way that was scalable. We needed a system that would smooth out the experience.”
The beauty of using field service automation, Smithson says, is that Compac didn’t have to trade good customer relationships for automation. It was a culture change internally, Smithson admits, but when service techs realized that they could draw on records of past service appointments to give customers advance notice of critical maintenance, techs saw the value of automation. And even customers who relied on their favorite techs came to like the idea of calling a service center to get comprehensive recommendations for keeping their equipment in good health.
“Reactive maintenance doesn’t work when you have trucks turning up with hundreds of bins of fruit to be processed.” — Darrell Smithson, vice president of global services, Compac
Fixing the Break-Fix Model
Smithson doesn’t want to stop at proactive service. He’s brainstorming ways to improve the overall efficiency of customers’ packhouses by analyzing the data that Compac’s machines collect. The company’s software and hardware systems can track day-to-day performance and identify conditions that get in the way of optimal sorting, grading and packing. Smithson wants to integrate this data with ServiceMax, allowing techs to share it easily with customers.
“We could tell a customer that they’re not grading fruit as quickly on one lane as they are on others,” Smithson explains. “Perhaps we’d see that the lighting was failing on that machine or there was too much dust, which meant the image of the fruit wasn’t fully illuminated.” At that point, Compac can suggest that a technician be dispatched to check out the problem.
Smithson sees this capability as the future of service. “We’re examining the performance of the whole customer system, so that they can run every line better.”
Click here to read the latest full issue of Field Service. Images courtesy of Compac.


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Mobile device maker ZTE has announced its new flagship device, and it’s going to feature a somewhat unique form of biometric security. The ZTE Grand S3 will be one of the first smartphones in the world to use eye-scanning biometric technology for user authentication.
That technology comes by way of EyeVerify, a biometrics company specializing in technology that scans the unique pattern of veins on a user’s eye. The relatively new company was given a “Rookie of the Year” award at last year’s CES – also winning an award for “Technology Innovation” – and went on to be selected for Wells Fargo’s inaugural Startup Accelerator in August. This month, the company struck a deal with Digital Insight, a digital solutions provider for the financial services sector, to implement its technology into that company’s mobile apps.
Clearly that momentum didn’t let up, now that ZTE is betting on the technology for its flagship device. While other platforms have gestured at using video scanning for user authentication – as in Android Lollipop’s “Face Unlock” feature – few have deployed it as seriously as the more traditional fingerprint scanning systems on many new smartphones. But ZTE appears to be compelled by the security that EyeVerify’s system offers. Speaking in a press release, ZTE Mobile Devices CEO Adam Zeng Xuezhong said the “ZTE Grand series of smartphones is focused on offering the most secure devices in the market for business users worldwide,” and asserted that “with EyeVerify’s leading solution, the ZTE Grand S3 represents an unbeatable option for smartphone privacy.”


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News for the Hospitality Executive
|By Ted Evanoff, The Indianapolis Star
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Jan. 23, 2004 - Elegant hotels in Indianapolis already put chocolate on the pillows.
And if that's not enough to satisfy late-night cravings, room service will deliver meals any time.
So managers of upscale hotels are taking in stride plans for a 23-story Conrad at Illinois and Washington streets.
Scheduled to open in spring 2006 with 234 rooms decked in marble and light wood, the Conrad would be Downtown's fourth luxury hotel.
But upscale hoteliers aren't thinking about dressing up their own buildings in preparation for additional tony competition.
They say the Conrad's European five-star reputation can draw a new wave of wealthy travelers to stay -- not just in the new tower, but also in Downtown's established luxury hotels.
"We'll continue to offer the service, history and ambience our guests have come to expect," said Michael Scholl, director of sales and marketing at the 99-room Canterbury Hotel, regarded as the city's most expensive, with nightly rates of $220 to $1,575 before discounts.
Even pricier rates are anticipated at the new hotel, which is expected to open under the probable name Conrad Indianapolis.
The city's Metropolitan Development Commission signed off on the project Wednesday, handing the deal to the City-County Council for final approval.
The $100 million construction project entails putting up a new tower on the site with $24 million worth of public assistance.
Known as a small and posh chain in Europe, Belgium-based Conrad is a luxury brand pioneered by Hilton Hotel Corp. of Beverly Hills, Calif.
Hilton Hotel was founded by entrepreneur Conrad Hilton, who spun off the European operations years ago to Hilton International, which markets 15 luxury hotels in Europe and Asia under the Conrad banner.
The Beverly Hills company now is run by Stephen Bollenbach, a longtime hotel executive.
A former Holiday Inns and Marriott executive, Bollenbach was an associate of New York celebrity investor Donald Trump in his casino and hotel ventures, and later led Walt Disney Co. in its 1995 acquisition of television and media network ABC/Capital Cities.
Bollenbach recently engineered a joint venture between Hilton Hotel and Hilton International, opening the way for his California firm to bring the Conrad brand into the United States. It is building a Conrad in Miami and looking for opportunities in other cities. It also has bought the Waldorf Astoria in New York and recast a section of it as the Waldorf Conrad.
"The strategy behind Conrad is to establish a luxury presence with the brand," said Marc Grossman, Hilton Hotel senior vice president for public affairs.
When Bollenbach set out to expand the Hilton Hotel chain, Hilton officials scouted Indianapolis several years ago for a site. They came across local developers interested in building a Downtown luxury hotel in conjunction with city development agencies who wanted an upscale hotel.
Hilton Hotel dropped plans for a conventional Hilton and agreed to manage a Conrad for a fee without taking ownership of the building.
The owner is a joint venture created for the project by two Indianapolis developers, Mansur Real Estate Services and majority owner Kite Development.
"This hotel will fill another piece of the puzzle," said Kite Partner Tom McGowan. "We were responsible in terms of determining the size of this project."
The Conrad would be unique to Indianapolis. As a five-star hotel, garnering the highest quality travel industry rating, the new hotel would draw an upper-crust clientele now accustomed to luxury spots such as the Four Seasons.
Indianapolis has a trio of four-star facilities, all Downtown. The 615-room Indianapolis Marriott Downtown opened in 2001. The 424-room Omni Severin was opened in 1983 and renovated in 2001. The Canterbury opened under that name in 1984 and was freshened recently.
"The Conrad is another tier up for the market," said the Canterbury's Scholl. "There aren't that many of those in the United States. I don't think it would be bad for our hotel. It'll open up our market to another segment of visitor. Conrad can pull a lot more international guests into our city."
"We'll benefit from more inventory," said Chris Ratay, Omni Severin marketing director. "We think anything they bring will help attract the clients we want for this city."
No construction alterations are on the table at the established hotels. The Omni already distinguishes itself with a towering waterfall, tables laden with fresh flowers and elegantly adorned rooms. The Canterbury is decorated like a fine mansion and ensures quality service by making sure three and sometimes four employees are on duty for each guest.
Indianapolis architect Greg Jacoby, a partner at Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, the firm overseeing design, said the new hotel will make its own statement.
Enter from the Washington Street entrance and a magnificent wooden staircase will lead to a grand ballroom. Marble of various hues imported from China, India and Italy will coat the floors, set off by light woods like teak imported from Europe.
"We were not trying to come up with some hip and modern design," Jacoby said. "The hotel is supposed to last for a very long time."
Comparing prices and amenities of three Downtown hotels rated four stars by AAA. (Room rates listed here are for single adult rooms with a Sunday, Feb. 1, check-in and a Monday, Feb. 2, check-out).
Marriott Indianapolis Downtown
-- Floors: 19
-- Rooms: 615
-- Room rate: $189 to $229
-- Floors: 12
-- Rooms: 99
-- Room rate: $135 to $225
Omni Severin Hotel
-- Floors: 11
-- Rooms: 424
-- Room rate: $279 The Waldorf Towers (A Conrad hotel in New York City)
-- Floors: 14
-- Rooms: 180
-- Room rate: $369*
* Single-room price as quoted on hotel's Web site in last week of January.
SOURCE: Prices from hotelsbycity.com
-----To see more of The Indianapolis Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.IndyStar.com.
(c) 2004, The Indianapolis Star. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. MAR, HLT, IHG, DIS,


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Digitimes sources: Chromebook sales are low, could stay low for another two years
According to unnamed sources speaking with the Digitimes, Google’s Chromebook sales have reportedly been worse than Surface sales coming in at 500,000 units, which gives Chrome OS a little less than a grueling 1% share of the notebook market.
The unnamed source said that Chromebooks could struggle gaining any ground against Windows-based notebooks for at least two years because Google “will still need some time to integrate” Chrome and Android in order to broaden the Chromebooks’ appeal for customers.
These are rumors and could possibly change after Google’s I/O event in May where the search giant usually unveils its big plans for the year. With the Chromebook Pixel being “for what’s next”, Chrome OS could have a big part to play in Google’s I/O announcements.


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Retailers, consumers and prices
Check out the the bad and the good of the severe weather last month.
Squarely in the good camp was sporting goods retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods, which posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit on strong demand for cold weather gear.
Last week, U.S. retailers posted their best monthly sales performance in February since just before the recession started in 2007 as fewer discounts helped them weather record-setting snow.
Also in the basket:
Retail Stocks Reach New Highs (WWD, subscription required)
(Reuters photo: Employees of a New York restaurant shovel snow in February)
Check out the strong earnings results from several companies in the consumer sector.
PepsiCo reported a rise in fourth-quarter earnings in line with expectations, stronger-than-expected sales and maintained its full-year outlook. The maker of Pepsi drinks and Frito-Lay snacks said the volume of snacks sold rose 1 percent, while beverage volume fell by the same amount.
Check out Coke’s quarterly profit.
Coca-Cola reported a fourth-quarter profit that matched Wall Street’s expectations as strong volume in China, India and Brazil offset a decline in North America. Lower costs and market share gains in both the carbonated and noncarbonated segments helped too.
Coke’s growth in the developing markets — fourth-quarter volume rose 7 percent in Latin America and 11 percent in the Pacific region — helped offset a 1 percent volume decline in the closely watched North American market. Volume was up 1 percent in Europe.
Check out how hard it is to figure out how well the economy is progressing, based on the earnings of consumer goods companies.
Toymaker Hasbro had a stellar fourth quarter, handily beating Wall Street’s expert forecasts, and said it expected its streak to continue in 2010. Hasbro got a lift from toys tied in with the hit “Transformers” movie and is expected to get even more help from characters such as Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird under a 10-year deal signed last month with the Sesame Workshop.
Check out the better-than-expected results being served up by food companies.
Chocolate maker Hershey posted a quarterly profit above analysts’ expectations, said it was on target to meet its 2010 earnings forecast and boosted its dividend. The company also said it would boost advertising to try to sell more candy, including Almond Joy and York peppermint patties.
Meanwhile, Archer Daniels Midland, one of the largest processors of corn and soybeans, saw its profit slip 2 percent, but the results still topped analysts’ forecasts, and Pepsi Bottling also topped Wall Street’s view as productivity improvements offset a dip in sales. Fruit and vegetable producer Dole Food reported a higher fourth-quarter profit and paid down debt.
Apparently not Chico’s FAS. The mature women’s chain, which operates Chico’s, White House/Black Market and Soma Intimates chains, has made major strides in making its merchandise more fashionable in the past year, and has been rewarded with stellar results in the third quarter and shares that are up eightfold in the last year.
The move towards trendier– dare we say, sexier – clothes helped sales this autumn rise 13.3 percent and allowed the chain to win market share while rivals such as Talbots and Clearwater Coldwater Creek continued to struggle. (A year and a half ago, U.S. gold medalist Michael Phelps’ mother Debbie boasted that her Olympics’ wardrobe at the Beijing Games came from Chico’s.)
Check out Macy’s disappointing fourth-quarter forecast.
Apparently, the Thanksgiving Day Parade may be the highlight of the quarter.
The department store chain operator forecast fourth-quarter profit below analysts estimates and its shares fell Wednesday morning.
The retailer also expects same-store sales to drop 1 percent to 2 percent in the quarter. While that is less of a decline than the full year, it is also off a pretty easy comparison. Same-store sales fell 7 percent in the year-earlier fourth quarter, when the country was waist deep in a recession and credit crunch.
Check out the mixed messages about the U.S. economy from the various consumer earnings.
Like any other earning day nowadays, it’s pick your poison on whether you want to focus on the good news or the bad news when it comes to whether the economy is improving.
Sure, we should have expected that. After all, the cosmetics maker said two weeks ago that its fiscal first-quarter profit would be “significantly higher than previous guidance” due to a variety of factors.


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When was the last time you looked closely at your cable TV bill? If it's been a while, chances are you're paying more than when you signed up for service.
As Consumer Reports reveals, the price hike could be due to a slew of confusing, costly fees that quickly add up. But there might be help on the horizon.
How much do you pay your cable company? Look closely at your cable bill and you might be surprised to find fees you never heard of, driving up the cost: Broadcast TV fee, regional sports fee, set-top box or rental fees, and many more.
Add it all up and according to a Consumer Reports report, the average cable subscriber pays nearly $450 in customer-imposed fees every year.
"These fees are hidden," said Jonathan Schwantes of Consumer Reports. "Consumers are confused by them. Most importantly they're getting worse and they're expensive."
So, how can you cut those pesky fees? If you guessed cutting the cable TV cord, you're right. A good quality digital antenna costs around $35 and can tune in local TV stations for free.
Streaming services on your smart TV or streaming device might charge a monthly subscription fee, but that's it. And relief might be on the way from Washington.
"Congress passed a law, last December, that does three basic things," Schwantes said. "Number one, it requires cable companies to disclose at the point of sale, meaning right when you're going to sign up for service of what your total overall price is going to be, including all fees, taxes. Number two, if you don't like it, you have 24 hours to change your mind and cancel, without any penalty you can get out of that deal. And number three, you no longer will have to pay for equipment that the cable company gives you, like a Wi-Fi router, even if you don't use that router, you no longer have to pay for it."
The bill will take effect later this year and if you're thinking of cutting the cord but worried about not being able to watch your favorite news team here at ABC7, Consumer Reports has some buying advice for digital TV antennas.
For more information, visit advocacy.consumerreports.org/research/2019-cable-fee-report/ and advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CR-Cable-Bill-Report-2019.pdf.
All Consumer Reports material Copyright 2020 Consumer Reports, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not-for-profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumerreports.org
Consumer Reports: Relief from hidden cable bill fees
More TOP STORIES News


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This is the Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important?
1st Gear: China Badly Wants Into The Canadian Oil Market
The CBC says the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) has reached a deal to buy Nexen Inc., a Calgary oil and gas firm, for $15 billion. It's the largest overseas transaction that China has ever attempted and you can bet this is not going to go down quickly or easily. China is offering a 61 percent premium on the closing price of Nexen stock. Although Nexen officials said they thought everything would go smoothly, the Canadian government will have the final say. In particular, the deal will require the federal government's sign-off in Ottawa under the Investment Canada Act, which requires some foreign takeovers of Canadian companies to pass the "net benefit test" of being deemed a useful contribution to Canada's economy.
If you've heard the name Nexen before, it's probably in relation to the company's Long Lake oil sands project in northern Alberta. It's never come close to the promised capacity, due to a whole bunch of design glitches. Nexen actually is an international powerhouse when it comes to energy production, and just 28 percent of its output comes from Canada. CNOOC is China's third-biggest energy company but probably its highest-profile one. You might remember the uproar that happened in 2005, when it tried to buy Unocal.
2nd Gear: Finland, Here We Come
Christopher Duplessis and Alex Kihurani are trying to become the first All-American team to compete in World Rally Finland in nearly 40 years. They are trying to raise $10,000 in order to land funding, and are doing a Kickstarter-type campaign. While there's a big Ford Racing logo on their video, they say they plan to use it to cover world racing fees. The Finland stop on the World Rally tour is insanely popular, with 10 percent of the country showing up to watch. This would be the first U.S. team to enter since 1973. There's lots of swag for any one who donates and if you don't want to contribute, the team also wants your Facebook support.
3rd Gear: NHTSA Probes Fires In Jeep Grand Cherokee
Reuters says federal officials have opened investigations into the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2009-2010 Dodge Ram 1500 — the automaker's two best-selling vehicles in the United States. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, which Chrysler re-launched last year amid a lot of hoopla, is being investigated for a potential power steering hose failures that could lead to under-hood fires. The probe involves 106,800 Grand Cherokees. NHTSA also is investigating potential rear differential failures that could lead to rear wheel lock-up and loss of vehicle control in about 230,000 Dodge Ram pickups. Chrysler says it is cooperating.
Meanwhile, VW is recalling 83 of its 2012 Beetles because their tires don't meet federal safety requirement. The tires could end up being overloaded and under-inflated, increasing the risk of a crash. VW said it would replace the tires for free.
4th Gear: GM, Ford Shares Hit New Lows For The Year
The Associated Press reports that shares of General Motors and Ford hit new lows for the year on Monday, amid fears the European market crisis will hurt both companies. GM briefly dipped to its lowest price since the company re-entered the stock market in 2010, after its federally sponsored bankruptcy. That can't be good news for CEO Dan Akerson, who can't wait to get the Treasury Department out of his hair. Shares of Toyota, Honda and Nissan also fell in U.S. trading. Ford is scheduled to report its first quarter results on Wednesday, while GM will report its numbers next week.
5th Gear: Bowling Green Cracks Down On Distracted Driving
Northwest Ohio reports on an effort to ban distracted driving in Bowling Green. The state of Ohio is already set to ban texting and driving, but the new law in Bowling Green would go much further, banning eating, drinking any beverages, gazing out the window and even changing radio stations, if the actions take a driver's attention away from the road. The actions could result in a $25 ticket. There already are concerns the ordinance is too broadly written, but some safety advocates say extreme measures may be what's needed to keep peoples' eyes on what's in front of them..
6th Gear: What The BMW M6 Gran Coupe Might Look Like
Car and Driver came up with a rendering of what to expect from the BMW M6 Gran Coupe, which is supposed to arrive in the United States in 2014. So far, camouflaged versions are the only ones that have been running around. It predicts the M6 Gran Coupe will get M-specific wheels, aggressive fascias with bigger intakes up front, and M5/M6 hardware underneath. To the magazine, that means a 560-hp twin-turbocharged V-8, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and rear-wheel drive. It also thinks a carbon-fiber roof panel, like those on the M3 and M6 coupes, is a possibility for the M6 Gran Coupe. But BMW isn't saying yet whether that's in store.
Inside BMW's Olympic Pavilion [Automotive Addicts]
How Six Small SUVs Match Up [Cars.com]
Sauber Is Silent On Volkswagen Rumors [Crash]
Chrysler Wants A Deal To Invest In Detroit Plant [Automotive News, sub. required]
NY GM Site Clean Up Workers Aren't Happy At Non-Local Help [Watertown Daily Times]
Peugeot To Make Light Vans For Toyota [Bloomberg]
In keeping with our new discussion system, here's a place for you to own the floor. We're asking each day what you think about an issue that comes up in TMS.
Today, we'd like to hear what you think about Bowling Green's proposed crack down on distracted driving. Some people might think it's a Nanny State, but those of us who've gotten stuck behind people whose heads are bowed in the texting position wouldn't mind handing out a few tickets ourselves. Thoughts? Remember there's no right answer or wrong answer. It's Neutral.
Got tips for our editors? Want to anonymously dish some dirt on a competitor? Know something about a secret car? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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This year will be a transformative one for personal computing, with tablets outpacing notebook PCs, thanks in part to the growing popularity of touch-based devices, according to stats from NPD Group.
Mobile PC shipments will grow from 367.6 million in 2012 to 762.7 million by 2017, driven by touch-enabled form factors, the analyst firm said in its latest PC shipment forecast. Tablet shipments will jump 67 percent this year alone to 256.5 million, while notebook PC shipments will likely drop 10 percent over the next four years.
"The mobile PC industry is undergoing significant change this year," Richard Shim, a senior analyst with NPD DisplaySearch, said in a statement. "The rapid rise and establishment of white box tablet PCs (tablets made by small local brands, mainly in China) is putting pressure on traditional notebook PCs. These low-cost tablets are reaching further into emerging regions where notebook PC penetration rates have remained low, resulting in cannibalization by tablet PCs."
White-box tablets made up one-third of tablet shipments in 2012, a number they are expected to maintain in the next few years, NPD said.
A bright spot for notebook PCs are those with touch capabilities, shipments of which will grow 48 percent year over year in 2014, NPD said. Those features will largely be seen in ultrabooks, the MacBook Air, and other slim notebooks. Premium, ultra-slim notebooks will make up about two-thirds of touch-enabled notebooks this year, NPD said. That will grow to 80 percent by 2017.
Intel's move to require touch in its third-generation, Haswell-based ultrabooks "will also help adoption," NPD said.
What hasn't helped adoption is Microsoft's Windows 8 platform. "Thus far, Windows 8 has had a limited impact on driving touch adoption in notebook PCs, due to a lack of applications needing touch and the high cost of touch on notebook PCs," Shim said. "Form factors aimed at differentiation from standard clamshell notebooks will help to drive consumer adoption of touch-enabled notebook PCs, starting in the second half of 2013."
That includes hybrids, sliders, and convertibles.
Last month, Gartner found that worldwide shipments of PCs, tablets, and mobile phones are expected to total 2.4 billion units in 2013, a 9 percent increase from last year. Shipments of these devices are forecast to grow even further by 2017 to reach more than 2.9 billion units. But over the next few years, the mix of these devices will "significantly change," as consumers increasingly choose tablets over PCs, the research firm said.
Despite such forecasts, meanwhile, BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins made headlines recently when he suggested that tablets will be a thing of the past in the next five years.
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The December issue is our favorite issue to produce. Thanks to the holiday season, the impressive nature of consumer products always reaches a deafening pitch. We actually get to focus on those end products, and not just the technology that makes them possible.
This month, you will find some of the latest wireless gadgets peppered throughout the pages of Wireless Systems Design. From the most innovative wearable-wireless products to this season's slew of robotic toys, we have worked tirelessly to make you aware of the true impact of wireless technology on some varied—albeit fun—application areas. You may even get an idea or two for last-minute holiday presents.
For our more sensible-minded readers, we've even included items like a new optical lens and an antenna-based credit-card replacement device. This gadget hails from the U.K.-based Optical Antenna Solutions (OAS) (www.opticalantennasolutions.com), with collaboration from scientists at Warwick University. The optical antenna is so precise that it can search for a signal on just one wavelength of light. While gathering that signal, it claims to be 100 times more efficient than any other optical sensor of its kind. The result is a device that significantly reduces credit-card fraud, while allowing consumers to make secure purchases using devices like mobile phones.
How exactly does this credit-card-free, point-and-pay technology work? OAS' device picks up at the point when a credit card would normally be handed over to a cashier. The antenna is inserted into the mobile phone to be read as part of the infrared port. Instead of a credit card being swiped, the antenna is pointed toward an infrared port located on a cash register. The user enters a personal security code on the nine-digit keypad. The OAS antenna then captures the light signal, which carries the data required to authorize the transaction. The data is exchanged with the cash register. Once the information is confirmed, the mobile phone and the infrared reader on the cash register give a virtual 'handshake' via the two infrared ports. The transaction is complete, and an electronic receipt is issued as proof of purchase.
In Korea, live trials of the antenna—also applicable in PDAs and printers—are currently underway. Further trials are planned for Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Whoever said IrDA—the infrared standard upon which the OAS optical antenna is based—was dead? Send me your thoughts at [email protected] In the meantime, from all of us at Wireless Systems Design to all of you, here's wishing you a happy holiday season and a prosperous and successful New Year. :)


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On 31st Dec. 2021 and when such a volatile market was not expected, Infinity Galaxy correctly predicted the calm before storm and on 7th Jan. 2022, it was also reported that the whole determining factors of bitumen price are in line with each other and the only unknown factor can be the effect of COVID-19 in the world.
During the last week, vacuum bottom competed for between 2-28% between the refineries and due to growth of the base price of vacuum bottom up to 10%, the competitions led to the surge of rates in the market. Some of the buyers failed to place an order as they were expecting no significant change of rates in other markets. At the same time, the progress in nuclear negotiations between Iran and Europe, dollar devaluated more against Rial and one US dollar was traded about 270,000 Rial so it affected surge of bitumen prices in addition to the factor of refineries’ competitions. Singapore and other main bitumen producers of the world also increased their bitumen price as a result of the jump in crude oil price and till the time of preparing this article, crude oil touched 85.15 US dollars while in the first week of January 2022, it was around 79 US dollars.
Marine transportation is experiencing a calmer situation although it is heard that frequent waves of GRI implementation will continue till mid-2022.
The buyers in east Asia and especially in India believe that local purchase of bitumen is more economical but the fact of production limitation of the local refineries will lead to a surge of prices and long deliveries and these countries should normally have a balance between their local consumption and imported cargo otherwise their import or local production will be in troubles. Indian importers expect no change of bitumen price by IOCL on 16 January and if it comes true, the “Delivery Crisis” will rise as they face a considerable gap with global rates and an increase of rates in the local market will be expected accordingly.
As such a storm was not predicted by the buyers and they could not purchase sufficient material, now some of them are looking for lower prices with lower qualities to fulfill their commitment but it should be taken into consideration that delivery of non-Iranian bitumen is more critical due to issues of supply of VR by their countries of origin and their delivery of older commitments is still pending.
Within the next week, more surge of prices is expected and FOB Bandar Abbas of drum packing will exceed 415-420 US Dollars per ton and if the crude oil gets stable in the range of 84-86 US dollars, the market situation will become the same as the time before the outbreak of Omicron when the bitumen rates touched its highest peak within the last 5 years.
This article was prepared by Razieh Gilani, the sales manager of Infinity Galaxy (www.infinitygalaxy.org).


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With the holiday season just around the corner, frozen food brand Stouffer's announced they are launching a merchandise store.
On Twitter, Stouffer's announced that beginning Nov. 17, pasta lovers will be able to get their hands on merchandise like a "Hunger Attack" insulated fanny pack, a "Mac & Cheese Is Self-Care" T-shirt, and a "Live. Laugh. Love. Lasagna" tee.
❤ this tweet to be the first to know when Stouffer’s NEW merch store launches on November 17th! pic.twitter.com/QdSFLaWYFs
— Stouffer’s (@stouffers) October 23, 2020
Other items for sale will include sweatshirts, blankets, and mugs.
To purchase these items, they'll be available at ShopStouffers.com.


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Behind Louis Vuitton new bag campaign
Robinson Louis Vuitton Cup update after seven races SAN FRANCISCO, July 29, 2013 Just two matches remain in the Louis Vuitton Cup round-robin matches, but Emirates Team New Zealand has now won nine races in nine starts , which gives the team the option of advancing to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final or choosing its opponent for the semifinal round. With skipper Dean Barker back on the helm after Saturdays breather, on Sunday the Kiwi team grabbed the lead on the first reach leg against Luna Rossa Challenge and never looked back. Emirates Team New Zealand led by 7 seconds at the first turning mark, 35 seconds at the second turning mark and 1:35 at the third turning mark on the way to a 3:20 victory. After Sundays victory, Emirates Team New Zealand exercised its option to skip the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals and advance straight to the final. That decision ensures a semifinal match between Luna Rossa Challenge and Artemis Racing. Artemis Racing first day of sailing on the Big Blue. (Photo: Sander van der Borch/Artemis Racing) Barker told a press conference in San Francisco on Sunday that the team had thought about how to use the time between the end of the round robins and the final.
Louis Vuitton tops 2013 global luxury brand list
HSBC calculated that Louis Vuitton’s operating margin fell to 42 percent from 44 percent between 2011 and 2012. RELIEF Sales growth at LVMH’s fashion and leather goods division, of which Louis Vuitton makes up 75 percent of sales, doubled in the second quarter to 6 percent from 3 percent in the previous three months on a like-for-like basis. “It is a relief that there is an improvement in the second quarter and that the margin (at LV) stopped deteriorating,” said Zurich-based Andrea Gerst, who helps run the Julius Baer Luxury Brands fund with 417 million euros ($551.92 million)under management. Referring to Louis Vuitton’s performance regionally, Guiony said trading in Asia was “flattish,” in the United States “in the mid-single digits” while in Japan and Europe, it was “a bit higher or a bit lower than double digit.” Guiony added that the bulk of Chinese demand today was from tourists and estimated overall Chinese demand for the brand to be in “mid-single digits” terms. Analysts estimate that growth in the global luxury goods industry will slow down to around 6-8 percent in 2012, or about twice the level of global GDP growth depending on estimates, compared with 10 percent growth last year. Luxury investors and analysts said they expected trading to continue to improve in the second half of the year, partly thanks to the return of Chinese customers, the world’s biggest buyers of luxury goods. “We expect a slow but steady recovery of Chinese luxury demand because of the underlying appetite for luxury and wealth creation continuing,” Gerst said.
Louis Vuitton Cup enters new phase
Barthelemy Island Wednesday, 31 Jul 2013 10:15am EDT LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA announced that it has acquired Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France from majority owner Adventurous Journeys Capital Partners (AJ Capital Partners) and others. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located on the island of St. Barthelemy in the French West Indies, Hotel Saint-Barth Isle comprises 39 rooms, suites and villas. It also includes the Isle de France Spa and the Las Case d’Isle restaurant. Latest Developments for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA Acquires Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France on St. Barthelemy Island
Neglect is the one thing that ruins good Louis Vuitton handbags tires. The Best Anime VideoThere are several anime films and series that are popular. Rover wants to swimUnofficially, I see a fair number of dogs swimming in Lake Anza in Berkeley, but I think that it’s technically not allowed. Diego was born in the town Lanus, but raised inVilla Fiorito a town just on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Because of the new new engineering applied to this processor you are able to run multi-tasks without problems, needless to say with the massive assist of RAM which provides torque to this monster laptop. Those days are go @#% es when an individual was only look for a black or white Louis Vuitton handbags. How much does the average book cost and howeasy is it to get a hold of? Because it is so true!
The Swedish team has been fighting the clock to be ready to race in time. Launching their second AC72 so late, Artemis Racing to date has only managed six days of training on their new boat. And at present their helmsman Nathan Outteridge says they are still on a steep learning curve in terms of how hard they can safely push their boat, noting how difficult it is to sail cautiously: “The only way to sail these boats is hard and fast. The moment you take your foot off the throttle is when it’s going to bite.” Both teams are planning to get more training in over the weekend ahead of Tuesdays first race. Iain Percy, Artemis Racing skipper, Iain Percy commented on how it is going: Personally, its been one of my most enjoyable weeks of sailing. Weve learned so many things at such a fast rate. But to say that were ready to go would absolutely not be the case Our competitors launched their boat nine months ago. We launched our boat nine days ago.
LVMH shares jump as Louis Vuitton calms worries
The French design house has a history of very fine taste in celebrities, such as Uma Thurman who launching the famous Louis Vuitton Manhattan handbag; Scarlett Johansson and even the timeless Kate Moss. Notably, most recently their advertising campaigns have been lighter. ## Even better this time, they snatched up Academy Award nominee Michelle William, famous for her role in the movie My Week with Marilyn. The innocent girl with a dash of sexiness matches perfectly the pattern of celebrities the Louis Vuitton design house has chosen over the years. Williams innocent and flawless beauty was photographed by Peter Lindbergh, with mysterious, dark romantic make-up that is hard for blondes to get away with, but under the hands of the one and only Stephane Marais with her solid reputation as an extraordinary fashion make-up artist they managed to rock the look. Marais says “makeup is part of custom.
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Check out the vid to see what the big to do is about the SyFy flick and watch omg! Insider for more of the latest in entertainment news. More Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Gucci were the top three global luxury brands of 2013, with Fendi and Coach entering the top 10 for the first time, a study said Wednesday. The 2013 BrandZ Top 100, a ranking of the most valuable global brands compiled by research firm MillwardBrown, found luxury firms struggling with the need to balance exclusivity with attracting new customers through use of social media. “On Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media platforms, brands across the luxury spectrum mediated the tension between the exclusivity that protects brand desirability and the inclusivity needed to attract new customers,” it said. The survey said luxury brands had become more “accessible, collaborative and experimental”. After a modest purchase, for example, a firm might send a thank you note on twitter while a couture fashion customer might receive an invitation to an exclusive show. Handbag firm Coach owed its position at number 10 on the list to its presence in China where it added 30 stores by the end of 2012, taking its total there to 69.


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Jacksonville, Fla. – More than 4,000 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products are being recalled due to undercooking.
The recall is on Wayne Farms LLC Chefs Craft ready-to-eat grilled chicken breast made between August 1st through August 29th.
It includes 9 lb cases of "Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets with case code 22121, and 22.5 lb cases of "Fully Cooked Flame Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets" with case code 22423.
These items were shipped to retail stores in Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and North Dakota.
As of Friday, there have been no reports of any illnesses.
Consumers with questions can contact Wayne Farms LLC at 1-800-241-3110.


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The actress attended Schiaparelli's Spring/Summer 2024 show in the French capital
Zendaya is taking Paris by storm!
On Monday, the actress, 27, attended the Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2024 show at Place Vendôme during Paris Fashion Week where she debuted a new eye-catching hairstyle.
The Euphoria showed off her new short, choppy bangs and super-straight locks for the stylish outing. But it wasn't only new new 'do that was commanding the attention of the crowds — she also opted for a dramatic all-black ensemble featuring a high-neck top and a ruched satin skirt with a long train. The look was accessorized with a pair of black pointed pumps and sheer black tights.
Zendaya wasn’t the only famous face in attendance at the show, with her Euphoria costar Hunter Schafer and singer and actress Jennifer Lopez also among those showing their support for the fashion house.
Schiaparelli has been one of the Dune: Part Two star’s go-to brands recently. She also opted to wear an avant-garde piece from the designers at the Comic Con Experience São Paulo in Brazil last month. The look originally debuted during Schiaparelli’s Spring 2024 Ready-to-Wear show.
Zendaya's monochrome ensemble consisted of a classic tuxedo shirt, white heels and a long skirt boasting a three-dimensional lobster, which was inspired by Dune.
This isn't the first time Zendaya has turned heads during fashion week in the French capital — in October she arrived in style for the Louis Vuitton show in a jaw-dropping white gown.
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Zendaya wore the floor-length dress with an oversized double-zipper detail down the front to sit front row at Nicolas Ghesquière's presentation for the iconic fashion house.
In addition to gold zippers, the dress was embellished with an oversized buckle detail on the strap and finished with a short train. The star completed the look with white heels and Bulgari jewels.
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Read the original article on People.


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Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day Is Returning in 2024 to Give Away One Million Scoops Worldwide
Mark Tuesday, April 16 in your diary — that's when the ice cream brand is scooping up freebies this year.
Mark your calendar: if you like free ice cream, as everyone should, then you have a date with a Ben & Jerry's store in April. Each year, the dessert brand chooses one day per year to give everyone a treat without paying a cent. In 2024, that day is Tuesday, April 16.
If there's one thing this chain loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. But, to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, on Free Cone Day it loves giving away free scoops just as much.
The occasion is exactly what it sounds like: a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually since 1979 until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons — returning in 2023 for the first time since 2019, and now backing it up in 2024.
Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store (which is most stores) between 12–8pm. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period.
Free Cone Day is happening in both Australia and New Zealand — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores. Last year, the brand gave away 970,000 scoops around the world, with 180,000 of those Down Under. This year, it wants to top one million free scoops globally, and also beat its Aussie and Aotearoa figure.
In Sydney, you'll be hitting up Manly, Bondi Beach and Parramatta, for starters. Melburnians have St Kilda, Flinders Lane and Burwood East stores to choose from, while Brisbanites can head to South Brisbane.
In Western Australia, Fremantle, Hillarys and Northbridge Scoop Shops are taking part. Ben & Jerry's also has stores in some Hoyts cinemas — so you might be able to join in when you're seeing a movie, such as at Hoyts Norwood in South Australia.
Across Australia, these four spots aren't on the list, sadly: Adelaide Oval, Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Zoo and Healesville Zoo.
Over in Aotearoa, options for a free ice cream include Commercial Bay and Ponsonby in Auckland, plus Cuba Street and the airport in Wellington.
Free Cone Day runs from 12–8pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at Ben & Jerry's Australian and New Zealand stores. Head to the brand's website for further details.


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Chicago’s Revolution Brewing ended 2019 as the top-selling craft brand family in Illinois off-premise retailers, according to market research firm IRI.
The distinction was the product of a war of attrition in the state, where craft dollar sales declined 9% in off-premise retailers, the firm reported. As such dollar sales of each of the top seven brand families declined last year.
Nevertheless, Revolution narrowly edged the United States’ top-selling craft brand, Molson Coors’ Blue Moon, as well as Leinenkugel’s, which is also owned by Molson Coors, Anheuser-Busch’s Goose Island, Heineken’s Lagunitas and Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams.
Although Revolution’s off-premise dollar sales in Illinois declined $288,406, to nearly $12.2 million, the company still managed to gain market share, giving it a 10.4% share of the Illinois craft beer market last year.
“Even though we were down slightly, we picked up seven tenths of a point of market share,” Revolution Brewing chief financial officer Doug Veliky said. “It was not us surging. We’re pretty, pretty big here in Illinois, and we have amazing distribution. And there’s only so much more distro-wise for us to gain, but we’ve been able to kind of maintain that in what’s been a scary time for craft to be down 9%.”
As for Illinois’ other top-selling brands, each saw their dollar sales erode by at least $1 million, with Leinenkugel’s suffering the steepest decline at more than $3.3 million.
Nevertheless, Revolution’s year-over-year volume declined about 4,000 barrels to 81,000 last year, which Veliky attributed to “a combination of the draft market and our far away from home markets.”
“But our off-premise has been very strong and especially strong here locally,” he added.
Although Revolution sells beer in nine states, 82% of its volume is sold in Illinois.
“We’re very heavily concentrated on home,” Veliky said. “And then if you count Milwaukee and northern Indiana, and a little bit of southeastern Michigan, which is like 90 miles away, if you add those, we’re talking over 90% of our business.”
2019 was also a year of big internal change for Revolution. In November, the company parted ways with long-time chief commercial officer Donn Bichsel Jr., who has since launched 3 Tier Beverages, a Chicago-based sales and marketing consulting firm.
Unifying The Hero Family of Brands
Helping Revolution’s climb in Illinois craft was its Hero family of brands, which make up two-thirds of the company’s sales. Those brands include flagship Anti-Hero IPA, which accounts for half of Revolution’s total business, Hazy-Hero, Every Day-Hero and the League of Heroes variety pack.
For 2020, Revolution is revisiting the messaging behind the Hero brands in an effort to “better unite them as a family of brands for different occasions and experiences,” Veliky said. That effort includes wrapping wholesaler trucks and purchasing billboard space.
“We’ve always looked at them as different year-round beers, and we’re bringing them together to make our messaging and communications around them a little easier, a little more straightforward,” he added.
Anti-Hero was the top-selling craft SKU in Illinois last year, as well as the top-selling single-serve craft brand in the state, according to IRI.
Veliky credited Hazy-Hero IPA, Revolution’s juicy New England-style IPA, with helping the company finish strong in 2019. Hazy-Hero, after launching in September, added 450 points of distribution within a month. The brand is now on pace to be one of Revolution’s top three brands by the end of 2020.
If Hazy-Hero is to become a top-two brand, it will have to leapfrog Revolution’s League of Heroes variety pack, which is the top-selling variety pack and the No. 1 craft can 12-pack in Illinois, according to IRI.
Part of that push will include the addition of 19.2 oz. single-serve cans of Hazy-Hero and Every Day-Hero, Revolution’s session IPA, both of which Veliky said will be line priced with the company’s existing 19.2 offerings, Anti-Hero and Fist City pale ale.
In Chicago, where beers are legally allowed to be consumed on the trains from the city to the suburbs during certain times, the 19.2 oz. single-serve offerings have been popular with the commuter crowd, Veliky said.
“It’s just like a ritual that so many people grab a 19.2 can in Chicago on their train ride back home, especially on Fridays,” he said. “And then same with people coming into town for like a sporting event or concert or the train stations or we move a ton of 19.2 cans through there.”
Refreshing the City Series of Brands
In addition to changing its messaging around the Hero family, Revolution is also refreshing the branding of its City Series of beers — Fist City pale ale, Rev Pils and Cross of Gold golden ale — that are sold exclusively in the Chicagoland area.
Veliky said the company wanted to give the City Series “a slightly more modern look” and feature more Chicago-centric storytelling, with taglines such as “Brewed Only in Chicago” and “Classic Styles for any Session.”
“A lot of breweries would just kill these brands and say, ‘You know, we could just jump on the next trend,’” he said. “We’re instead going to double down on it and invest back in the brands. These are the beers that employees are grabbing from the employee beer area the most. These are brands we love, and we’ve just, we’ve never done any real marketing.”
Additionally, Cross of Gold is moving from 18-packs to 15-packs, which are beginning to hit retail shelves now. The move to a 15-pack for Cross of Gold is an effort to get the brand line-priced with Every Day-Hero, which is also sold in 15-packs and is the third-fastest growing craft SKU in off-premise Illinois retailers.
Rosa Reformulated as Low-Alc, Low-Calorie Offering
Revolution will also launch Rosa Fina, a 3.8% ABV, 95-calorie hibiscus lime beer, in 6-packs in May. Rosa Fina, which is a reformulated version of Revolution’s Rosa brand, a hibiscus ale that checked in at 5.8% ABV, will start in Revolution’s seasonal program with the potential for more, Veliky said.
“It’s definitely something that could turn into a year-round if the reception dictates that it would be successful,” he said.
Rosa Fina, which could play well with health conscious and active lifestyle consumers, will be as close as Revolution comes to playing in the alternative alcohol space. Veliky said the company has no plans for hard seltzer, kombucha or even non-alcoholic beers.
“We don’t have anyone in this brewery, from our owner to our brewmaster and beyond, we don’t have anybody asking to do these things,” he said. “So if there’s just there’s no passion behind it, we don’t do it.”
Re-upping with the White Sox
In other Revolution news, the company has renewed its sponsorship deal with the Chicago White Sox, which was first struck in 2018, for two years.
“It was super easy to decide that but we both wanted to continue on,” Veliky said. “We both thought it was a big win, and the team is getting very good, so we’re hoping that that continues to be a good opportunity to get our be in front of a lot of new fans.”
For the 2020 season, Revolution’s taproom at Guaranteed Rate Field will increase from eight to 12.


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New Study Finds That Legal States Have Lower Rates of Cannabis-Impaired Driving
by Chane Leigh
A new study on cannabidiol (CBD) products across the country has shown that a considerable amount of the available products would have problems with the legal cannabis potency regulations. The study found that around 27% of the products had differences in their ‘potency vs potency claims’ and it found that those same products would not pass the standard for products permitted to be sold.
Leafreport partnered up with Las Vegas’ Canalysis Laboratories in order to check whether CBD products contain as much as they claim to. The results displayed that 10 out of 37 products did not contain as much CBD as they have stated.
The researchers rated the CBD stated on the label against that measured by technicians from Canalysis Laboratories. The cannabis industry experts agree that 10% invariance is an acceptable amount and that good-quality CBD products are expected to contain 90-110% of what is stated on the label.
The study also found that the products which tested best were from popular and reputable brands as opposed to the lesser-known companies which performed more poorly. Fortunately, most of the products will likely contain more CBD than what is advertised.
Lazarus Naturals, CBDistillery, cbdMD, CBDfx, and Green Roads are some of the brands which yielded the best results. These brands also provide the accuracy and transparency of their products and their company.
“Actually, when we conducted the study, we expected to see worse results. We thought we would see a lot of products that have a larger variance than 10 percent, which is the acceptable variance. Most of the products really had an acceptable variance, except for ten. So for us, we find that the market has matured and that brands really do take care to be conscious of the CBD in their products” said Leafreport.
Despite yielding dominantly promising results, having 27% of the products with unacceptable variances is still cause for concern. Especially if the consumer is new to the market, or has a limited knowledge base on cannabis brands and products.
The cannabis industry is notorious for its lack of transparency which is why Leafreport is on a mission to change that and to educate cannabis consumers. The CBD industry has already come a long way in terms of the quality and quantities of cannabinoids in the products. Many brands have even taken to sending their products for third-party testing in order to assure their quality and accuracy.
Third-party lab tests are performed by unaffiliated and independent laboratories, which provide objectivity. These tests are important for confirming the potency, accuracy, and safety of the product being tested. The most common and important tests done on CBD products include a cannabinoid profile test and a potency test. These tests will identify how much of what cannabinoid is in the plant in comparison to the label.
These tests are important because a product with less CBD than claimed is likely to be less effective, a product containing too much more could bring on unwanted effects and these tests help make sure that consumers are getting their money’s worth.
Many Americans wrongly believe that the CBD in products is regulated by the FDA. At this point in time, the FDA still needs to produce the manner in which they will regulate CBD businesses and the FDA has only approved Epidiolex thus far. The FDA wants research to be done in order for them to approve more cannabis-derived products.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you stick to buying from reputable CBD brands, in order to assure the quality and accuracy of the product you’re purchasing. Leafreport also urges consumers not to be seduced by lower prices from unknown or new brands. It is for your benefit to rather pay a little extra for quality and accuracy.
Smoking cigarettes can impact one’s oral health by putting them at a higher risk of developing the likes of cancer, gum problems, tooth decay, and complications after oral surgery, according to the Better Health Channel. Does smoking cannabis pose the same risks? Unfortunately, it seems that oral health is put at risk regardless of what…
Cannabis is being increasingly chosen as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication, specifically those like opioids that are intended to reduce pain. Cannabis has been shown to effectively block pain, and recent research confirms that it reduces the need for opiate pain killers among cancer patients. These patients arguably have the most to gain from cannabis,…
Cannabis prohibition started back in the early 1900s in America. States in the east were among the first in the nation to support prohibition. Lawmakers of the time limited public access to cannabis for strictly medical use back in 1914. By 1927—a decade before cannabis was outlawed federally—the state of New York had outlawed cannabis…
Have you ever experienced that dreaded “cotton mouth” after smoking a joint? If so, you are not alone. Cannabis, depending on the chosen strain, may reduce saliva gland production. Because of this, the body produces less saliva and the mouth becomes drier than the Sahara Desert! But does this mean that cannabis dehydrates you? This…
Some folks absolutely love moon rocks and others want nothing to do with them. I’m not talking about rocks from our moon—I’m talking about cannabis moon rocks. These mega-balls of THC have started trending in recent years, but many members of the cannabis community still don’t know what they are or what they’re designed for….
Thailand left its war on drugs in the past, the Texas GOP platform raised some questions, and a new study revealed how…
Medical cannabis has been legal in the state of Rhode Island since 2006. Now, recreational cannabis will be legal too! Once Gov….


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Power Nigeria Sponsorship is a Way of giving back to the country
The 2018 Power Nigerian exhibition and conference that held at Landmark Centre, VI, Lagos between from September 25 to 27 was indeed a convergence of key players in the entire power value chain in the country. The three-day event which brought together a wide range of key stakeholders from power manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and distributors, to thousands of visitors from across Nigeria, neighbouring countries and other parts of the world, offered an participants and stakeholders the opportunity to deliberate on the latest trends in the industry, interact and learn about the investment potentials in the sector.
The 2018 edition of ‘Power Nigeria’ also welcomed some of the longest standing exhibitors such as Skipper Seil, Schneider Electric, among others. For these companies, their annual presence at the event is a testament to their strength and leadership in the sector. As industry experts, manufacturers and service providers converged to chart the way forward through the Power Nigeria Agenda, participants were also provided with free, educational CPD-credited sessions that was designed to improve their knowledge and skills.
The Exhibition Manager at Informa Group had earlier hinted that the establishment appreciates the importance of bringing the industry together every year to interact and see the potential the power generation investment will offer to participants.
Orient Energy Review (OER) in a chat with an Executive of the Skipper, Mr. Anietie Udoh, revealed that the company has come a long way as a global brand. He noted that the company has been around for 15 years, describing the Skipper Nigeria Limited experience in the country as being worthwhile; stressing that the business recorded growth and expansion, resulting in the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Ikorodu. Udoh told OER that Skipper was at the 2018 edition of Power Nigeria to showcase their latest range of industry products and services.
According to him, Skipper, in her 15 years of operating in Nigeria has remained committed to being part of the solutions for the nation’s power problems. Adding that the company has also allowed its growth and expansion to positively impact the country, by way of job creation, introduction of innovative products and services that best address the power need in the country.
He said, “Business has been good, we have also expanded our scope. At the initial stage when we came into Nigeria, it was mainly on the sales aspect of the business, but currently our business has expanded. We have ventured into EPC – Engineering, Procurement and Construction. We are also into power generation.
“At the moment, we have ventured into renewable energy. We are working with Kaduna and Taraba State governments in energizing their hospitals and street lighting through solar power.
Speaking further, Udoh attributed part of the strides Skipper has so far attained to the friendly environment Nigeria offers to investors, good policies and availability of skilled labour, among others; Adding that the company’s decision to be a major sponsor of the ‘Power Nigeria’ was just a way of giving back to the country.
He also stated that, the company in its support for the Nigeria’s Local Content Law, aimed at building the Nigeria’s economy, now carries out in-country manufacturing of its goods; Adding that the factory employs over 50 Nigerians.
“We have taken from the Nigerian government, what we want to do is to give back to the government and the people of Nigeria for opening their doors to us to invest in the country’s power sector. In our Ikorodu factory, we manufacture fibre cross arm. It is handled by our sister company – GTA and it employs over 50 Nigerians.
Speaking on the benefits of the annual event to the power sector, Udoh said, ‘Power Nigeria’ is a very fruitful event, because every year, it brings various players in the entire power value chain together in Nigeria. They come around to exhibit their products, network, gain more knowledge about the investment opportunities in the country. In fact, a lot companies find it convenient to invest in Nigeria. Before now, most companies only engage in sales of their goods but today we have many participating in-country production.
Udoh observed that despite the challenges faced by the nation’s power sector, that it has maintained a steady growth. “Government has invested a lot of money in the sector towards the attainment of stable power supply in the country. And I can say that power has improved tremendously than what it used to be in the past.”