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Though LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball have yet to make their official debut for Lithuanian basketball team Vytautas Prienai, their official jerseys will soon be available to purchase exclusively over at Amazon.
According to Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports, the Lithuanian team has already shipped approximately 500 game jerseys, half LaMelo jerseys and half LiAngelo, to an Amazon warehouse in the U.S. and is expected to ship more to deliver late in the first week of January. So far other details regarding how much the jerseys will cost have not surfaced.
The Ball brothers are slated to make their Baltic League game debut on January 9, 2018. Vytautas Prienai recently revealed the numbers that LiAngelo and LaMelo will wear for the club when they make their season debut — LaMelo will be sticking with the #1 he wore at Chino Hills High School while LiAngelo will wear the #3.
In case you’ve missed it, check out our exclusive interview with LaVar Ball.


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01/10 Update below. This post was originally published on January 07
iPhone 15 prices are going up, not down, as widely expected, according to the latest leaks. In a move that is sure to shock cash-strapped Apple fans.
Writing for HowToiSolve, prolific anonymous leaker LeaksApplePro adds credence to claims last week that Apple will “aggressively” price iPhone 15 models. The big difference is that aggression was assumed to mean lower iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus pricing to reverse underwhelming sales. Instead, LeaksApplePro says Apple will simply make the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 UItra more unattainable.
Flat-edged iPhone 15 Ultra concept based on leaks
“If sales of the iPhone 14 Plus have been so bad, what does Apple plan to do with the iPhone 15 Plus so that the same thing doesn’t happen? The answer is simple: nothing,” explains the leaker. “Apple will launch the iPhone 15 Plus alongside the other 3 models, and it will be unchanged from what is already expected. The price will be the same, the size will be the same, and so on. What Apple will do is provoke more sales by raising the price of the iPhone 15 Pro.”
If correct, this move will shock iPhone fans who have already dealt with major price rises internationally, and LeaksApplePro believes these changes are now set to impact US customers as well.
“It’s something that was expected last year and that Apple decided not to do, but rising production costs, inflation and shrinking profit margins are already starting to take their toll,” the leaker adds.
01/09 Update: LeaksApplePro has contacted me to warn that iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Ultra price rises are unlikely to be limited to the US. Explaining that previous iPhone price increases internationally are “due to currency fluctuations, not because Apple decided to just make them more expensive in those countries.”
In short: Apple may not see the price increases it has made in Europe, Asia, South America and Australasia as price increases at all. This despite the strength of the US dollar pushing prices for the iPhone 14 range in those countries up by 10-20%. Consequently, a calculated price increase, as LeaksApplePro claims, would come in addition to the price adjustments for currency fluctuations.
To put this into context, there was a €170 ($182) average price increase for iPhone 14 Pro models in Europe, so a planned circa €100 ($107) increase for the iPhone 15 Pro would leave the average European buyer (who has waited two release cycles to upgrade), paying close to $300 more for an iPhone 15 Pro than an iPhone 13 Pro. Even spread over the cost of a 2-year contract, that starts to bite.
01/10 Update: Further iPhone 15 leaks have broken over the last 24 hours, and perhaps the most head-turning is news from Economic Daily News revealing that the iPhone 15 range has already entered ‘machine trial production.’
According to the report, this is being undertaken by Foxconn, Apple’s primary assembly partner, and is happening earlier than for recent iPhone generations. EDN states that this is because Apple is looking to reduce the gap between the mass production time of iPhones across China and India this year.
“In previous years, the mass production time of the two places was about six to nine months apart. Last year, it was shortened to two months, and this year it will be shortened to a few weeks,” the report claims.
Assemblers use machine trial production to introduce the device’s specific design to their supply chain and factory floor (known as ‘New Production Introduction’ or NPI), helping them to ascertain the production needs.
Given the iPhone 15 lineup will make core design and material changes — Dynamic Island for standard models, titanium chassis for Pro models and the USB-C for all models, to name but a few — it is perhaps no surprise that Foxconn wants to nail down the mass production process ahead of time.
The most interesting aspect for potential buyers is that this news also means that Apple has finalized the design and feature set for all iPhone 15 models. Moreover, once production at any scale begins, it becomes next to impossible for assemblers to stop details leaking from the factory floor and Leak Season is truly upon us.
Apple iPhone 15 Ultra is tipped to have dual front-facing cameras – concept render
If correct, it would be a ruthless way for Apple to deal with what many saw as the biggest problem with the iPhone 14 Plus: its value proposition. For just $100 more, iPhone 14 Pro buyers get higher quality build materials, a better camera system, a superior screen (with Dynamic Island), and faster performance. Spread over a 2-3 year carrier contract, the additional spend is negligible.
In many ways, this is classic Apple: fix the problem, but only on its terms. iPhone 14 Plus models were not overpriced, iPhone 14 Pro models were underpriced. It also aligns with the company’s broader strategy of making Pro versions of its iPad, MacBook and Mac significantly more expensive than standard models.
The result is pricing that would create a $300 price gap between the same size of Pro and non-Pro models:
Given the lock-in of Apple’s ecosystem and the rumors of eye-opening upgrades for the iPhone 15 Ultra (including a titanium chassis and dual front cameras), the appeal of the range as a whole should hold. Moreover, many would argue that only Apple could solve a sales problem by increasing prices.
Well played, Apple. Well played.
More on Forbes

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Lawsuits may be filed as early as 3pm (EST) on Friday, the lawyers have said. Several retailers could be targeted, following independent lab tests for bromate in private label bottled water brands they sell.
The warning follows recalls on some waters in New York, including one from the Wegmans retailer and also the Food Club brand, because they contained bromate above the legal limit in the US.
Long-term exposure to bromate may increase consumers' risk of cancer, according to the US government's Environmental Protection Agency.
After Wegmans, BeverageDaily.com revealed last week that more recalls were planned and the problem was suspected to have come from a common source, Springbrook Springs.
Wegmans was first alerted to a problem by independent lab tests, which claimed to have found bromate levels in the drink at 27 and 28 parts per billion (ppb). The FDA maximum is 10ppb.
Ross Getman, a lawyer and the man behind the independent lab tests for bromate in water, said tests were also done on a range of brands and that several retailers had been informed of a potential problem.
He said lawsuits would be justified if some took no action before Friday. "A full month [for them] to conduct independent sampling is quite enough."
Any lawsuits filed could see bottled water firms embroiled in a similar battle to the one currently being fought by other soft drinks firms over allegations of benzene residues in drinks.
Wegmans, in pulling its Food You Feel Good About Spring Water, has publicly warned other retailers they may find a problem with bromate in waters produced by the same supplier.
FDA scientists have been working with firms to investigate the problem.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) refuted suggestions that its members' products were unsafe this week. "The current system of bottled water regulation provides consumers with outstanding bottled water safety, quality and public health protection."
It said it supported Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards and that the recent recalls proved that the current regulatory system protected consumers. "Consumers can remain confident in making bottled water their beverage of choice."
Guidelines on how to avoid bromate in water have been published by the International Ozone Association.


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LONDON (Reuters) - Ladbrokes urged the British government on Thursday to rethink plans to increase the rate of tax levied on its profits from high stakes gambling machines that will cost UK bookmakers around 75 million pounds a year.
The rate will rise to 25 percent from 20 percent in a year’s time, Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne said in his budget statement on Wednesday, responding to the spread of fixed-odds betting terminals in betting shops that critics say are highly addictive.
The surprise rise in tax on the gambling machines, that now account for a large part of total revenues generated in their shops, has hit shares in bookmakers hard.
“We will be pressing for an urgent review of a tax that seems to be based on the commercial success of a product not on any strategy or basic taxation principles of equity between competing sectors,” said Ladbrokes spokesman Ciaran O‘Brien.
Market leader William Hill said on Thursday the tax hike would cost it 22 million pounds a year, raising its initial estimate of the impact from 16 million.
The increase is expected to cost Ladbrokes around 20 million pounds a year and have more of an effect on its bottom line as it remains more reliant on its betting shop chain than William Hill which has expanded its online business.
Shares in Ladbrokes fell a further 4.5 percent on Thursday to 134.1p while William Hill lost 1.4 percent to 346.6p.
Bookmakers are frustrated that the government cut taxes on bingo in the budget while punishing them. They already face an additional 300 million-pound bill from a new tax on online gambling that is due to take effect in December.
The budget announcement led to a number of analysts’ downgrades in the sector.
“Ladbrokes is most affected given the dominance of UK retail in its business mix. We see a dividend cut as unavoidable at this point and we reiterate our ‘Sell’ recommendation,” said James Ainley of Citi in a research note.
Gamblers can spend up to 300 pounds a minute on the fixed odds terminals, more than 33,000 of which have been installed in shops around the country over the past decade.
Bookmakers recently introduced warnings to try to prevent players from running up rapid losses but say there is no evidence to support claims that the machines are leading to an increase in problem gambling.
Writing by Keith Weir; Editing by Kate Holton, Greg Mahlich


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It's one of the interesting insights I got when catching up with Royal Caribbean CIO Bill Martin. Royal Caribbean has had iPads in the suites on some of its remodeled cruise ships for the past year. The iPads let guests order room service, make reservations for events on and off the ship, watch movies from the onboard movie library, and receive customized offers for onboard spas and restaurants.
Clearing content from those iPads is critical -- who knows what pictures a guest might leave on one of them, right? I had assumed that the remote data wipe would happen over the air, or at least through a docking station in the room. However, it's difficult to access areas such as photos and notes, even using the cruise line's Airwatch mobile device management software, Martin says. IT looked into just turning the camera off, but "a person, if they know what they're doing, can turn it back on," he says.
[ Is IT really on board with BYOD? Or just bowing to pressure from users enamored of their iDevices? Learn Why Apple Is IT's Arch Frenemy. ]
Plus, Royal Caribbean wants to make sure it wipes each iPad clean. And there isn't a lot of time to get it done. When a ship pulls in, 3,000 to 6,000 people come off and the crew has nine hours or less to get it ready for the next several thousand guests.
Thus the swap-out, which the cleaning crews do as part of their "very, very well defined" process for refreshing rooms, Martin says. The "used" iPads are taken to an onshore IT office, where they're completely re-imaged. It's an efficient operation, but "it's also why long term we'll get out of the hardware business and make this an app," Martin says. That is, in the coming years most people will just get these services using an app on their own device.
Here are some other insights from Martin:
Apple doesn't pretend to be a conventional enterprise IT vendor, so Royal Caribbean doesn't have a lot of interaction with Apple even on a high-profile project like this one. The support Apple offers "is good, but it's relatively limited," Martin says. Instead, Apple will often suggest a third party to work with. "That's helped a lot, because they do point you to really good people who know what they're doing," he says.
2. iPads Are A Short-Term Strategy
"Our next phase is to put this on the user's device," Martin says. "So many people have these now. And we're starting to see other mobile devices come into the picture, not just Apple's."
Guests have liked the in-room iPad because it's an easy-to-use tool to help them manage cruise activities -- a "nice pane of glass that is incremental to the experience," Martin says. But what people will increasingly want is to use their own devices, be they iPads, Kindles or other popular Android tablets. So Royal Caribbean is developing a tablet app that does everything the ship-owned iPad does, on multiple devices.
3. Royal Caribbean Needs More Mobile Development Talent
Martin has been relying on outside developers for tablet apps and development. But the company is "going to have to bring some of that in house," he says, so that it doesn't have to contract outside for every project and can call a vendor's bluff when needed.
4. Tablets Change The On-Ship Bandwidth Demand
With the iPads, Martin's team needed to upgrade the on-ship network to increase the bandwidth and make wireless available everywhere on the ship. Guests can take their room iPad with them around the ship, so if they want to watch a movie on it by the pool, IT needed to make that possible.
5. Guests Will Expect To Be Connected
The iPads connect to the ship's internal network, not to the Internet. Providing Internet access is challenging on a ship because it requires a satellite connection, which is slow and expensive. Guests pay up to 75 cents a minute on most cruise lines, which Martin knows "in 2013 sounds ridiculous." He also knows that tablets and smartphones will only increase the demand for Internet access, and the next generation of guests will just expect connectivity on ship.
So Royal Caribbean is working to improve the on-ship Internet experience on two fronts. By mid-year, it expects to have bundled conventional satellite capacity so it can offer flat-rate access. Royal Caribbean will also test the new O3B satellites, which promise fiber-type speeds. "If all the other bandwidth efforts are evolutionary, this is revolutionary," Martin says. "This means no matter where you are in the world, you can be connected to extremely high-speed Internet access. That is where we want to be." Those satellites have just launched, and Martin plans to test the service on-ship as soon as this summer, on its two newest and largest cruise ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.


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Ok, so exactly how excited are you to see Marvel’s THE AVENGERS? We are literally jumping up and down in our seats right now in anticipation. The closer we get to release date, the more our anticipation grows, as do the studio approved photo leaks. One such leak has two new photos to show y’all.
The first (above) is of Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) walking somewhere – all with a case of the “serious action face.” The second (below) is of Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) checking out something on a computer screen back at headquarters. Is it footage of death and destruction? Is it CCTV? Is there a 50% off sale on Criterion blu-rays again? We won’t know what they are seeing until Marvel’s AVENGERS opens on May 4th.


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Budget 2023: Vision for India’s logistics future decoded
The latest Indian Budget has brought some cheer to the supply chain industry in India. Boosting the capital investment outlay by 33% to Rs. 10 lakh crores in the Union Budget 2023-24, with a focus on infrastructure, will surely fortify India's place in the global supply chain.
This is an excellent move towards India's goal of becoming a $ 5 trillion economy by 2025, since the logistics industry is an essential part of our country's economy, employing 22 million people. The budget had multiple key highlights that point towards government's firm resolve to push logistics industry and support it to become globally competitive.
- A 75% hike in allocation for Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) as compared to last year.
- Prioritization of 100 crucial transport infrastructure projects.
- Simplify taxes, reduce compliance, and create infrastructure Finance Secretariat.
- Investment in digitization and automation to develop smart warehousing.
- Strong emphasis on green and sustainable practices with the aim of achieving net zero carbon emission by 2070.
- Focus on improving first and last mile delivery.
These are great initial steps and continuing this momentum and support will go a long way in improving India’s positioning in the global logistics performance index. Currently, India ranks at a dismal 44th rank in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI).
The logistics industry is growing at a healthy rate with a projected CAGR of 15.5%. The other initiatives by the Government of India, including Make in India and the growth of e-commerce through Digital India, will be reliant on excellent logistics service to be successful.
The biggest hindrance in India’s global trade costs is the high logistics cost. While the global average is around 8% India’s logistics costs hover around 12-13% of GDP rate. There were three major initiatives and announcements done in the past, and the Union Budget seems to focus on successful implementation of those.
NLP – National Logistics Policy – The overarching principle of launching the National Logistics Policy is to enhance economic growth, increase employment and improve the competitiveness of domestic products in local and global markets. It will provide a single window-e-logistics market, promoting seamless movement of goods across the country.
Gati Shakti - Gati Shakti seeks to improve the first and last mile delivery, which is a major roadblock for MSME’s and e-commerce startup’s across India.
ULIP - Unified Logistics Interface Program aims to create a technology backed framework that can help unify the communication between various stakeholders. It will help improve visibility, cut down delays and transport costs and enhance efficiency, providing greater reliability and ease of doing business.
As a freight forwarder, we believe that there are a few things that the government and industry should focus on going forward to support and propel logistics growth further in India.
Indian warehousing sector has seen an increase in the CAGR rate of around 15%. The institutional investment in the sector too has seen an increase, however there are a couple of problems that are hampering the quick growth of warehousing. Finding and acquiring land that is easily accessible is proving to be difficult, with various state laws complicating it further.
Cold storage Infrastructure
There is a need for reliable and strong cold storage infrastructure. Right from warehousing to transport to containers and everything in between needs a major impetus. With the growth of quick commerce, pharmaceuticals and consumables, this is one sector that needs to be world class. Apart from the infrastructure, there is a need for skilling the ancillary industries as well.
Dedicated Freight Corridors
With nearly 60% of Indian goods being transported by road, it is important that we reduce this time and make it a safe option. Investing and developing dedicated freight corridors will cut down the transport time, make it safe and well equipped with the services and facilities necessary for drivers and cleaners.
New Age Technology in Supply Chain
Logistics industry has been a slow mover when it comes to accepting and implementing new age technology, however with the digital push, global changes in the logistics industry and the government’s push for ULIP, it is time for logistics industry to implement new age technology to be competitive at the global level.
Skill development in the areas of warehouse management, handling equipment and cargo, monitoring cold storage, driving, handling compliance, implementing new age technology in logistics and managing transport hubs will go a long way in developing an efficient system across the country.
We believe the logistics outlook is positive and growth oriented. As an industry, it is time to seize the opportunities, voice our needs in a more unified way and focus on making Indian logistics as one of the most competitive global industries.


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Blockchain: More than a buzzword
By Andre Boysen
rom data breaches to identity theft, to statesponsored hacking and crooks stealing real ad revenue with fake users, the integrity of our digital lives was thoroughly tested in 2016. Moving into the new year, it seems the scenario corporations and governments face with regard to more data breaches is not if but when. Never before has consumer data been so openly under threat. And yet, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. With billions made vulnerable, a conversation has begun that places consumers at the centre of privacy and cybersecurity improvement initiatives. We don’t need a study to show that more and more of our lives are taking place online—that is the natural trajectory of the digital age. Our digital and real world identities are quickly becoming one 4
and the same; it follows that as our dependency on online services increases, efforts to defend user experience, security and privacy must empower the consumer to claim absolute ownership over their digital assets—just as we do in the real world. At the same time, service delivery organizations want to deliver on the long-promised vision of omnichannel service delivery but with a more cohesive and pleasant customer journey.
Enter blockchain Blockchain has emerged as an important tool in the fight to develop sound security measures for digital identities in a digital world. The technology is more than a trendy buzzword. Not only has its impact already been immensely disruptive in the financial services sector, but companies and governments worldwide have also begun to consider blockchain in strategies looking to empower and protect consumers’ digital assets. This is an important step in improving the January/February 2017


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CVS, one of the 21 pharmacy partners participating in the Biden administration’s COVID-19 Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, reportedly has pushed back its launch date to today. About a million doses are being sent to select pharmacies across the country in an effort to ramp up vaccinations for persons 65 and older.
As health experts recognize the importance of the retail pharmacy program, a LeadingAge told McKnight’s Home Care Daily that vaccinating older adults remains a challenge. Policymakers need to include “providers of care in the home and community, such as home healthcare and hospice workers, in plans for how to vaccinate homebound older adults and people with disabilities,” who have difficulty participating in a retail pharmacy program.
“The lack of coordinated distribution at the federal level,” the spokeswoman said, “leaves other older adults who are not in prioritized categories vulnerable.”
A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis recently found that most older adults have not yet been vaccinated.


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On eve of Apple iPad mini launch, Sharp says IGZO devices set for surge
Japanese manufacturer bets big on IGZO display technology, which it says can triple battery life in smartphones
IDG News Service - Sharp said Tuesday that mobile devices using its new IGZO display technology, which can triple battery life while offering higher touch sensitivity, are about to surge.
The company decline to provide specific details, but Sharp executive Masami Ohbatake told reporters in Tokyo that the two devices already announced with the technology would soon be joined by many more. In recent weeks, Sharp has announced a smartphone and a small tablet for the Japanese market that have screens employing IGZO, named after the indium gallium zinc oxide semiconductor on which it is based.
The tablet has a 1280 by 800 pixel, 7-inch IGZO display. It has drawn attention ahead of an Apple press event set for Tuesday in the U.S., which is widely expected to announce a smaller version of the iPad tablet with a screen of about the same size. Sharp is a known supplier to Apple, and some rumors have said the new "iPad mini" will use IGZO technology.
IGZO can be used to make screens with smaller pixels than current screens, drawing less power and providing greater accuracy. Sharp says its new Aquos Phone Zeta, scheduled to go on sale by the end of this year, can last two days on a single charge of its 2,320mAh battery under normal usage. Its Aquos Pad tablet, to go on sale in early December, can play video back for 10 hours without a recharge.
Sharp, which is struggling through a management crisis as it tries to finalize an investment deal with electronics giant Hon Hai, is betting big on IGZO. The company is increasing production of display panels for mobile devices that use the technology as part of its shift away from large TV panels, where price competition is much more severe.
The company, which sells few phones abroad, is a major manufacturer of domestic models under its "Aquos" brand, though it has recently lagged behind local rivals such as Fujitsu and Kyocera as well as foreign competitors like Apple and Samsung.
- Path Selection Infographic Path Selection Infographic
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- Preparing Your Infrastructure for the Hyperconvergence Era From cloud computing and virtualization to mobility and unified communications, an array of innovative technologies is transforming today's data centers.
- How WAN Optimization Helps Enterprises Reduce Costs If you wanted to break down innovation into a tidy equation, it might go something like this: Technology + Connectivity = Productivity. Productivity...
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Back in December 2011, one teen became the unlikely role model for millions of teen girls and women from all corners of the world when her makeup tutorial went viral. Today, Cassandra Bankson is officially a model.
She dreamed of being a model when she was just a little girl, but her serious skin condition made it impossible for her. She was diagnosed with cystic acne when she was just 14.
Moreover, it put her through hell with kids at school, who would humiliate and bully her daily, as if striving to come up with new insults every time they saw her.
Forced to hide her scarred skin, she Cassandra became an expert in applying makeup and, one day, thought of making a YouTube tutorial to show other girls in a similar situation a possible way to cope with their problems.
That video, which you can also find embedded at the end of this article, is now sitting comfortably at over 40 million views. It also landed her a modeling gig, which, in turn, brought her straight to the New York Fashion Week 2012, the NY Daily News writes.
“The pretty 5-foot-11 teenager seems so poised, it’s tough to believe she is making her debut on the runways. Even tougher to believe: Until recently, Bankson, who suffers from severe cystic acne, was so ashamed of her looks, she stopped going to class to avoid the bullies,” says the publication.
When her makeup tutorial went viral, modeling agencies started banging on her door. Cassandra has worked with Range Rover, Bebe, Shekhar Rahate, Hourglass and, right now, is under contract with Boy Meets Girl.
“It feels like a dream to be here during Fashion Week,” Cassandra says.
Not only is she seeing her modeling dreams come true, but she’s also able to report a 70 percent improvement in her skin condition, after finding a new dermatologist and a new treatment.
“I am a different person from who I used to be because I’ve got so much more confidence now. I used to sit back and let acne ruin my life,” she says.
“But it got to the point where I needed to do something to get myself out of the rut,” Cassandra adds.
Right now, Cassandra is hoping to be able to move to NY to pursue her modeling career.


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Nintendo hasn’t shown its hand fully yet, it seems.
Nintendo’s E3 2018 showing was solid, but entirely unspectacular. True to their word, Nintendo decided to show off not much that wasn’t coming this year- and what is coming this year was all stuff we already knew of. The result was a Direct that, to anyone expecting literally any surprise, must have been disappointing.
Addressing these concerns, Nintendo’s President Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview (via Go Nintendo) that Nintendo is a company that loves to surprise its fans, and that there are many more announcements that it will announce in the months and weeks ahead. Which, really, should not come as news to anyone- Nintendo, after all, makes announcements through the year, instead of just at E3, via its Nintendo Direct broadcasts. That kind of thing is what keeps the Switch constantly in the news, and hype for it constantly going. Indeed, Fils-Aime made sure to note that the pacing of news and releases will drive the Switch and its momentum forward in the coming weeks.
Given Nintendo’s penchant for making major game announcements during its Directs, and often for announcing a game just months or even weeks before it is due out, I see no reason to not take Reggie at face value here. As for what these games and announcements might be? That’s anyone’s guess, after all.


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The numbers show that the recession continues to bite in the High Street. The 2009 survey from the Local Data Company has shown that the proportion of empty shops has risen, with 13% of the Macclesfield premises vacant. That's worse than the national average of 12% and much worse than comparable Wilmslow (5%) and Altrincham (6%).
The Government’s skewed planning system has seen supermarket giants squeeze the life out of towns and now almost every high street in Britain is an identical collection of chain stores and coffee shops. Macclesfield still has a centre with real character thanks to individual local businesses. It's vital that in any redevelopment these are enabled to survive and grow.
The Liberal Democrat vision is to stop this decline and rebuild vibrant local high streets. This requires a level playing field that allows small and large businesses to flourish alongside
each other. It won’t happen without government action. That’s why we have developed a
range of plans to ensure that high streets remain at the heart of our communities.
• Ensuring a long term future for the Post Office by developing new services
such as a PostBank
• Direct help for businesses by reforming business rates, reducing
employment taxes as soon as possible and cutting red tape
• Providing fair access to credit by getting the banks to lend again and
creating a more diverse financial infrastructure
• Creating a fairer marketplace by ensuring sustainable retail development
and taking a more localised approach to competition
As Nick Clegg says:
“Our high streets have borne the brunt of this recession, with boarded up shops scarring towns and villages across Britain."


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The hype leading to CES 2015 looks to have started. Sony late last week released a teaser video called “Welcome to the New World.” The video reveals extremely little but there may be a few hints sprinkled through it.
The video opens with a shot of an extremely thin device. Another shot of a girl licking a lollipop could be a hint about Lollipop. The splashes of colour could be hints that new device colours are coming to join or replace Sony’s iconic purple hue. Or are they hints at new displays, perhaps WQHD?
Perhaps Sony is readying a new ultra-thin WQHD device powered by the latest Android version. With the recent confirmation that Sony is readying a series of Xperia Z4 devices, perhaps a Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra phablet will be unveiled at CES 2015.
Check out the Sony teaser video for yourselves and let us know what you think the company is hinting at.
CES 2015 runs from January 6 to 9, 2015. Perhaps all will be revealed in mere weeks.


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Sony has announced that it will be releasing an Academy Edition of Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 5, which includes all previously released DLC for the title.
The re-release is scheduled to hit stores September 25 and contains all post-launch DLC, including the Complete Pack (Car Pack, Course Pack, Special Paint Pack, and Racing Gear Pack), Car Pack 2, Car Pack 3, Course Pack 2, and the Nissan GTR.
“GT Academy has captured the imagination of many Gran Turismo fans,” said series creator Kazunori Yamauchi. “It is exciting to watch what Lucas Ordóñez, Jordan Tresson, Jann Mardenborough and Bryan Heitkotter in the USA, are achieving in their new racing careers with Nissan.”
“People can now see that it is possible to make the switch from being a fast gamer to become a real racing driver. We wanted to mark the tremendous success of GT Academy with the very latest version of GT5.”
Will you be buying this re-release? Let us know in the comments below.


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The world’s first approval for cultured meat will spark a ‘new space race for the future of food’, experts say.
The comment comes after Just Eat announced it will sell its cultured chicken to consumers in Singapore. It will make its commercial debut under its GOOD Meat brand. Further details of which have yet to be announced.
Elizabeth Derbes is the Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs of The Good Food Institute (GFI).
In a statement sent to PBN, she said: “The Singapore Food Agency has long been in the vanguard of global regulators in its study of cultivated meat…
“Its careful consideration of the best approach for regulating cultivated meat, poultry, and seafood products.
“We’re confident that SFA’s safety standards for these groundbreaking foods [are] carefully calibrated to ensure consumer safety.”
‘The future of food’
Moreover, GFI Executive Director Bruce Friedrich added: “A new space race for the future of food is underway.
“As nations race to divorce meat production from industrial animal agriculture, countries that delay their investment in this bright food future risk getting left behind.”
Friedrich also said whichever government manages to rid the need of living animals for meat production will have ‘bragging rights until the end of time’.


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WCTV reports that a gentleman who went to the pump to fill up his vehicle had his credit card charged over $81 billion for his trouble. $81 Billion Gasoline Bill
Juan Zamora recently topped off his tank for his weekly commute and he thought he’d put in 90-dollars worth of gas.
Then, he received an automated call from his credit card company checking a pre-authorization at a gas station for the amount of 81-billion, 400-million, 836-thousand, 908-dollars.
Zamora says he was told the company used the merchant number and not the dollar figure from the pump.


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Tobacco buyers at some of the country’s auction floors are reported to have started shunning top grade leaf, a development which has surprised the floors’ operator, AHL Group.
AHL Group reports in its latest tobacco market update that the top leaf grade tobacco, which was selling before, is now being shunned by the merchants on the auction market.
“This is very strange and the reasons for this development remains a mystery,” reads the market update from AHL Group, in part.
The development comes at a time buyers have been accused of favouring growers on contract tobacco while offering low prices to non-contracted farmers, especially those selling flue cured tobacco.
During the week under review, the average price is reported to have dropped slightly while rejection rate on burley auction market is said to have risen from 17 percent in the previous week to 27 percent last week.
“This pushed growers to protest and disrupt the market temporarily on Thursday at the Lilongwe Floors,” AHL Group, in the report says.
The Limbe floor, which was scheduled to close by last Friday, failed as growers continued to deliver tobacco to the market on the final day and the sales have been extended to next week.
The market, where a total of 143.7 million kilogrammes of all tobacco types worth US$256 million has been sold so far at an average price of US$1.78 per kilogramme, is expected to generate about US$300 million from the sales from all types of tobacco.


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The tourist industry in Thailand is predicted to enjoy a faster-than-expected recovery of foreign visitors, prompting analysts to name CENTEL and ERW as top pick stocks.
Daol Securities (Thailand) maintains an “Overweight” rating on Thailand’s tourism sector for three key reasons: 1) Most countries, especially in Asia, which accounts for about 69% of total tourist arrivals in Thailand in 2019, have lifted Covid-19 restrictions, and that will boost international travelers to Thailand; 2) Thailand is expected to open its border fully once Covid-19 declares as endemic, which could happen as soon as early October; and 3) China is likely to reopen the country in 4Q22.
Daol’s optimistic stance on the tourism industry has led to an increase in the projected number of international visitors from 6 million in 2022 to 10 million, and from 18 million to 22 million in 2023. This would bring the total number of tourists to 40 million in 2024, the same as it was before the epidemic.
The analyst’s top recommendations for the tourist industry are CENTEL (TP: THB50.00) and ERW as both companies are poised to benefit from a quicker-than-anticipated rebound in hotel business and also because Thailand is about to enter its high season for tourism.


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FMOD has made its end-to-end audio solution FMOD Studio free for indie developers whose yearly revenue is less than $200,000.
The company said it wanted to make licensing simpler for small studios and creators who use the software, which has been designed to streamline game audio creation and maintenance.
"Great news for indies! In an effort to make licensing simpler, FMOD Studio is now free for commercial use without yearly limits," wrote FMOD on Twitter. "Release as many games as you want as long as your overall yearly revenue is less than $200,000."
Extra legal documentation explains that qualifying creators must be working on a project with a development budget of less than $500,000. For more information relating to FMOD, check out the full End User License Agreement right here.


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The Pedal Pub is now up and running in Cape Coral and it’s bringing new people to visit downtown Cape Coral businesses.
Morgan Cote brought the Pedal Pub to Naples a year and a half ago. Now her eyes are set on downtown Cape Coral.
“What we’re trying to do is bring all the businesses together and create a fun local safe atmosphere,” Cote said.
The megacycle fits up to 15 people. Riders bring their own drinks and it stops at two or three bars per tour.
“I’ve seen the concept in bigger cities and it makes me feel good seeing something like that come to Cape Coral and give us that big city feel,” Corksoakers owner Bob Mulroy said.
The Cape is currently in the process of overhauling Southeast 47th Terrace.
“I think it looks beautiful. I think it will really increase foot traffic,” Mulroy said.
Mulroy said the improvements along with the Pedal Pub will bring even more business to the area.
“I think it gives us some exposure to people who may not have come down this way,” he said.
The bike has been operating in Cape Coral since October. Cote said it’s already bringing new people to discover Cape Coral.
“I’ve gotten a lot of people from Naples that do it up here because the stop options are a lot more, its a lot more fun up here,” Cote said.
The Pedal Pub plans to expand to downtown Fort Myers next year. If you’re interested in booking a tour, you can visit their website by clicking here.
Copyright 2018 WBBH/WZVN (Waterman Broadcasting). All rights reserved.


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The Nutcracker opens for an excited audience
Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:43:10 GMT —
It's time once again for sugar plum fairies to dance in your head, because this year's holiday production of The Nutcracker kicked off Friday night.
No matt how old you are, The Nutcracker takes it's guests into a magical place of sugar plum fairies, orange slice and gumdrop princesses.
"This is a gift we've been given and it's a very special that we give it away, as well . We feel very blessed to be a part of all of this , " said Vicki Mclean, Lone Star Ballet Director of Dance.
But for the production to come off smoothly, there's a lot of preparation that goes into the production.
"We have been in rehearsal since about October 12th, around then, mid October until this week when we opened. We rehearse basically every night, most of us are there five nights a week to six nights a week , " said Josh Bates, Circle of Excellence of Lone Star Ballet.
"We have 140 people in the cast . A nd so what I have to do is break up that group of people into various rehearsal times , " said Mclean.
The Nutcracker was revamped in 2007, and this year, fans of the ballet will notice new costumes, and even an added scene.
"Some of the parts that are new this year, we have princesses for the sweet scenes. So there's an orange slice princess, a gum drop princess, peppermint and candy cane. So I'm an orange slice princess, and we have pretty new tutus."
The people with The Lone Star Ballet say pulling off this production is a lot of work, but feel lucky to be able to put a smile on so many faces with it.
Both young and old agree, escaping to The Nutcracker's world of make believe is a sweet treat.
You can get your tickets for the show by calling Panhandle Tickets at 378-3096.


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Small beer for World Cup Germans
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has shown no pro-German bias . . . and business is bleating.
Germany is investing billions of euros to stage the 2006 World Cup that is expected to be the biggest yet in business terms, but the honour of hosting the event has failed to impress German companies, which are crying foul at being squeezed out by big foreign players.
It was a matter of national pride for Germany when the country won the right to stage the event - but hopes of using it as a showcase for Germany folded when FIFA president Sepp Blatter banned everything from German cars to German beers and handed the "official provider" licences to foreign rivals.
A couple of German companies such as Adidas have managed to get some of the World Cup action, but for the most part Germany has been left with the small-scale stuff.
German troubles started when it was announced that German beer would not be available at cup games because Anheuser Busch, the huge US brewer, had won the rights. Then BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen found Hyundai would provide official transport.
And there won't even be a sizzling German bratwurst grilling to golden perfection in the grounds; McDonald's will be providing the food, and burgers and fries, not sausages, will be the order of the day.
Outside the stadiums the situation is the same. In the public places of the 12 host cities, the winning sponsors have the right to pitch their products exclusively when matches are on.
Of the major German companies, only Deutsche Telekom, Continental Tyres and Adidas have gained a foothold, paying millions to FIFA as co-sponsors of the event expected to bring 3 million visitors to Germany.
But Coca-Cola, Toshiba, Yahoo!, Gillette and MasterCard are paying the lion's share to FIFA - and expect the lion's share of ad opportunities.
"There won't be any German products on sale in the marketplaces of the towns where matches are being held," said Niclas Stucke, president of a trade association for fairs.
German troubles started when it was announced that German beer would not be available at cup games.
"You can get Coca-Cola, American beer and McDonald's but that will be it. German products will be locked out."
With the German economy still in a desperate slump, many saw winning the right to host the tournament as a chance to revive it.
Modern world cups are more than just a festival of football. The host nations get not just the prestige of hosting the tournament, but a boost to their economy. In Germany, for example, this was predicted to be around EUR6 billion ($A10 billion).
For retailers, World Cup business is forecast to turn over more than EUR1.6 billion worldwide.
That compares with EUR1.2 billion in Japan and South Korea in 2002 and around EUR1 billion in France four years earlier.
German businesses impressed by the figures in play thought they could make the most of being on their home turf. But many that have spent a lot supporting sport over the years now say the World Cup has been a raw deal.
"A lot of breweries support sports . . . but the minute there's a little money to be earned, they're left out in the cold," Hermann Winkler, president of the state of Saxony's sports federation, said about Anheuser Busch's reported EUR40 million exclusive beer deal.


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A rintintin of rappers came through Reebok's suite at the Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash in Atlanta recently. ...
Check the sexy Alysha Nett in the latest Spring/Summer 2013 lookbook for Only NY.
HUF and Incase have your iPhone 5 cover needs covered. Check the triple pack inside.
Vans announced the winner of its high school custom sneaker comp, giving away 50K to...
Although we'd love to hold them in our arms forever, it's time for us to let our flaming Summer Bay colab ...
Traveling shoe show Sneaker Pimps is donning the lei and putting on a big event in Hawaii.
Losers ironically toasted to success at the launch of their third collection in Melbourne recently.
Published: Jun 12th, 2013How many dudes you know paint Dunnies like this?
Published: Jun 12th, 2013The latest great Le Coq Sportif colab dropped Down Under recently and we've got a few snaps from the launch.
Published: Jun 12th, 2013We had a couple of Sneaker Freaker T-shirts kicking around so we decided to get a lamp shade made!
Published: Jun 12th, 2013Globe delivers some nice shots of their upcoming Summer 2013 Lookbook.
Published: Jun 11th, 2013We're helping Japanese sneaker brand Losers toast to their new collection by giving away a stack of great prizes.
Published: Jun 11th, 2013The first ever Loaded Sneaker Swap Meet went down in Auckland town and was a real fine time.
Published: Jun 9th, 2013Sneaker Con is heading back to Miami for some summer loving and it's going to be their biggest show yet!


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You Searched For "supply chain disruptions"
Getting ready for the ketchup effect
Clogged bottle Shanghai will drain & vessels carrying pent-up cargo arriving at destinations will become problematic
Sam Ruda steps down, Beth Rooney is new Director of Port of NY & NJ
Rooney brings more than three decades of experience to the role and was Department Deputy Director for last three years


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When we talk about the game-changing impact that mobile technology is having on the way we work, it’s easy to look at the statistics and marvel. For example, a survey by AT&T and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council found that mobile technologies save small businesses “a staggering $67.5 billion a year.”
But the real value of mobility for small businesses hits home when you hear the personal stories of small-business owners who have integrated mobility, or in some cases completely migrated to a mobile way of doing business.
Kathy Heeter, a licensed massage therapist and owner of the Massage Studio on Main in Ottawa, Ohio, recently shared her smartphone story with LimaOhio.com. While some small business owners like to dip their toes in the water when it comes to mobility, Heeter has gone whole hog and is actually running her business from her mobile device.
When Kathy Heeter switched to exclusively using her cell phone for her business, the amount of business she had doubled.
She used to miss calls on her landline. If the caller didn’t leave a message, she’d potentially lost a client. Now, if people call and don’t leave a message on her mobile phone, she can just call them back.
Heeter, a licensed massage therapist, opened The Massage Studio on Main in Ottawa on March 6 and has since used her smart phone to access her business’s website, schedule appointments, text clients, deposit checks, process clients’ credit cards and more.
For some small businesses, mobility’s main benefit is its ability to make operations faster, more responsive and less burdensome, and ultimately help the business realize more profits.
“It helps them fill up their schedule and bring more income to their business,” said Amy Sealts, executive director of the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce.
Two other small business owners interviewed by LimaOhio.com talk about how they’ve increasingly relied on their mobile devices for work. Heather Liening, owner of photography company Xpressions by Heather in Lima, says she uses her cell phone for work and doesn’t have a landline. This makes sense when you look at larger societal trends, given that many households are also eschewing landlines in favor of cell phones.
For small business owners who are still unsure of how mobile technology fits into their organization, perhaps “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” as FDR said. Samara Lynn, writing about small business mobility for PCMag.com, put it best:
“Whether it's mobile point-of-sale solutions or VPN services or custom applications, the only limit to making your business mobile-friendly (and mobile-powerful) is your willingness to adopt new mobile technology and services.”


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Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), the world's leading aluminum beverage and aerosol packaging supplier, will make a strong appearance at the Aerosol Dispensing Forum (ADF) & Packaging of Perfume, Cosmetics & Design (PCD) in New York Sept. 17-18, 2019, with an exciting portfolio of innovative aluminum aerosol can shaping and printing solutions.
Ball Corporation News
BALL CORPORATION: Ball and Cu Boulder Introduce Game-Changing Aluminum Cup to Collegiate Sports Fans
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) and the University of Colorado Boulder today announced a partnership to introduce Ball's infinitely recyclable aluminum cup to collegiate football fans at CU's Folsom Field during the 2019 football season.
Ball Reports First Quarter Results
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) today recognized its five most sustainable manufacturing plants of 2018, identifying those that demonstrated leadership through significant efficiency improvements, team safety and wellness enhancements, promotion of metal packaging's sustainability credentials, and engagement in their local communities.
BALL CORPORATION: Ball Corporation to Present at Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Global Agriculture and Materials Conference
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), one of the world's leading suppliers of metal packaging and aerospace technologies, will speak to the investment community at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2019 Global Agriculture and Materials Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday, Feb. 28.
In its debut on the list, Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) was named the top company among America's Best Employers for Diversity by Forbes magazine for 2019.
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) will announce its fourth quarter 2018 earnings on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019, before trading begins on the New York Stock Exchange.
BALL CORPORATION: Ball Corporation Agrees To Sell Chinese Beverage Can and End Manufacturing Facilities
Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) today announced an agreement to sell its metal beverage packaging facilities in China to ORG Technology Co. Ltd
Ball Corporation's (NYSE: BLL) board of directors today declared a cash dividend of 10 cents per share, payable Dec. 17, 2018, to shareholders of record as of Dec. 3, 2018.
BALL CORPORATION: Ball to Expand use of Wind Power in Findlay, Ohio; Create Additional Local Sustainability Scholarships
Ball Corporation (NYSE:BLL) and One Energy Enterprises LLC announced plans today to build three additional wind turbines to provide power to Ball's Findlay, Ohio, beverage packaging plant.
BALL CORPORATION: Ball Intends to Cease Production at its Beverage Packaging Facility in San Martino, Italy
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) announced today that it intends to cease production at the company's San Martino, Italy, facility at the end of December 2018 and only after due negotiation with the trade union.
Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), one of the world's leading suppliers of metal packaging and aerospace technologies, will speak to the investment community on Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, during its investor field trip in Broomfield, Colorado.


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The United Kingdom’s first Chick-fil-A just opened at The Oracle, the Reading mall which Chick-fil-A leases space from, but less than two weeks after opening Chick-fil-A announced that it will be closing in six months. Due to protests and boycotts in the U.K. led by a local LGBTQ advocacy group against Chick-fil-A’s stance on same-sex marriage, The Oracle has said that it’s “the right thing to do”when it comes to getting rid of Chick-fil-A from their mall.
On the 10th of October, Chick-fil-A opened its first branch in the U.K. at The Oracle shopping center. Less than two weeks after opening; however, Chick-fil-A was experiencing protests and boycotts led by Reading Pride, a local LGBTQ activist group that opposes the restaurant’s stance on same-sex marriage.
In 2012, Dan T. Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s chairman and chief executive, said that Chick-fil-A believed in “the biblical definition of the family unit.”  Over the years, reports have also surfaced of Chick-fil-A donating money to Christian organizations such as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Paul Anderson Youth Home, and the US Salvation Army.
Although Chick-fil-A says that they never intended to stay in the U.K. very long, they were “pleased” with how business was doing. “We have been very pleased with the lines since opening Oct. 10 and are grateful for customer response to our food and our approach to customer service,” the company said on Saturday. “We mutually agreed to a six-month lease with the Oracle Mall in Reading as part of a longer term strategy for us as we look to expand our international presence.”
6 Months to Leave
On October 18 The Oracle expressed their wishes for Chick-fil-A to close up shop at their mall. “We always look to introduce new concepts for our customers, however, we have decided on this occasion that the right thing to do is to only allow Chick-Fil-A to trade with us for the initial six-month pilot period, and not to extend the lease any further,” The Oracle said.
— Reading Pride UK (@Reading_Pride) October 14, 2019
Reading Pride fully supports The Oracle’s decision, taking to Twitter to state their approval. “We are staunchly opposed to Chick-fil-A setting up shop in the UK and certainly in Reading,” the group tweeted. “The chain’s ethos and moral stance goes completely against our values, and that of the UK as we are a progressive country.”
- ^“‘Guilty as charged,’ Dan Cathy says of Chick-fil-A’s stand on faith.” Biblical Recorder – News journal for North Carolina Baptists, 21 Oct. 2019, brnow.org/News/July-2012/Guilty-as-charged-Dan-Cathy-says-of-Chick-fil-A. (go back ↩)
- ^“First Chick-fil-A in U.K. to Close in 6 Months Amid Protests.” N. Y. Times, 21 Oct. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/world/europe/chik-fil-a-uk-lgbtg.html. (go back ↩)
- ^“First UK Chick-fil-A to close in LGBT rights row.” BBC News, 21 Oct. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-50094551?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook. (go back ↩)


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Pecans are joining other nuts such as pistachios that are surging in popularity. The supply is projected to grow, potentially doubling by 2027, according to the American Pecan Council.
In the last decade, product introductions featuring pecans have increased by 54% and line extensions featuring the nut have gone up by 141%, according to the American Pecan Promotion Board.
“It’s a bit of a triple play: Flavor, health, and sustainability. Consumers appreciate the flavor profile with its distinct buttery notes. The health benefits are also well received with its antioxidants, vitamins, as well as good macros for a nut,” Sophia Bischof, technical sales manager at chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut. “Lastly, pecans are grown in the southern U.S., and [it is] a reliable crop that is quite resistant to extreme weather.”
The U.S. currently produces 80% of the world’s pecan crops. There are more than 1,000 varieties.
“Pecans are not only rich in iron but also in other micronutrients; thus, the increase in pecan production for domestic consumption would help to improve such indicators,” researchers said.
The rise of the pecan began in 2010, when the market in China began to boom, leading to increased prices for growers and an acceleration in planting by existing and new producers, according to Lenny Wells, a professor and pecan extension specialist at the University of Georgia’s Tifton campus.
Discoveries about its health benefits pushed producers to use pecans as a snack food rather than just in desserts and pies, resulting in a 36% increase in domestic consumption between 2016 and 2021, according to American Pecans.
Increased snacking behaviors since the pandemic also contributed to the rise of the nut, a healthy alternative to processed foods, according to Wells.
Growth in global markets
Those hoping to expand pecan-based products might face some turmoil, though. Pecan prices have not recovered since tariff issues arose with China in 2018, Wells said.
“This, along with COVID and the huge influx of nuts from Mexico into the U.S., have severely cut the price that growers receive for their product,” he added. “At the same time, input costs have risen dramatically, putting enormous downward pressure on profit potential for producers.”
However, there is still potential for growth both domestically and abroad. In the U.S., there are “large swaths of the country that have never really seen or tasted a fresh pecan or even know what a pecan is,” said Wells.
He pointed to the European Union, India and the Middle East as places with the greatest potential for market growth overseas.
Chris Durso, a marketing manager at Cibo Vita/Nature’s Garden brand in New Jersey, works with their research and development team on new products and flavor profile development.
“Pecans appear to be gaining popularity thanks, in part, to their high magnesium content — a mineral that has also seen increased popularity with the rise of electrolyte supplementation,” Durso said. Our “team is constantly working on new flavor profiles and products. We’ve found pecans to be versatile and receptive to a lot of applications, from savory to sweet.”


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- Chobani launched Fair Trade Certified versions of all of its 32-ounce, multi-serve Greek yogurt tubs, including Whole Milk Plain, Low Fat Plain, Non-Fat Plain, Strawberry Blended and Vanilla Blended. These are the first dairy products to get the certification, the organization said.
- Chobani worked with Fair Trade USA to develop a special certification program for U.S. dairy farms and cooperatives. It grew out of Chobani’s Milk Matters campaign, launched in 2019 to determine an agricultural production standard for the dairy industry that considers product traceability, supply chain transparency, safe and non-discriminatory work conditions for employees and internal compliance systems. This standard is now available for dairy companies seeking Fair Trade certification.
- Consumers are paying more attention to brands' stances on social, economic and environmental issues and opting for products that offer benefits beyond nutrition. Third-party certifications offer shoppers a higher level of trust and transparency compared to self-made claims, helping companies cut through the deluge of sustainability-focused marketing and branding consumers face.
Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya grew up on a dairy farm in Turkey and worked on a farm in New York after immigrating to the United States, so he has unique insight into the long hours and hard labor that goes into production. Adding the Fair Trade certification to some of the brand’s yogurts is his way of elevating an industry that has faced ongoing challenges, while obtaining better support for dairy workers.
“Fair Trade USA’s certification — the first-ever in the U.S. dairy industry — will help our dairy farmers build on their hard work to raise farming standards, take care of their workers, many of whom they consider family, ensure the well-being of their animals and their land, while giving consumers greater peace of mind that the dairy they buy demonstrates a commitment to positive economic, environmental, and social pillars,” Ulukaya said in a written statement.
Fair Trade USA charges buyers a small premium for certified products that goes into a Community Development Fund. The fund is used to support democratically selected projects and on-farm investments to enhance working conditions and more. Prior to this program for dairy, the certification was primarily focused on commodities including coffee, cocoa and textiles.
It's been a difficult last several years for the dairy industry. There have consistently been drops in the number of dairy herds in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. The Farm Bureau reported last February the largest annual decline in the number of licensed dairy operations since 2004. Stats from 2020, released by USDA this February, showed the decline continuing with the number of dairy operations falling another 7.5%. In late 2019 and early 2020, two of the largest milk processors, Dean Foods and Borden Dairy, filed for bankruptcy. Depressed milk prices, high input costs and sluggish demand for dairy products all contributed to the industry’s decline. Plant-based dairy has also dealt a tough blow to the dairy industry as consumers swap cow’s milk for alternatives, including almond milk and oat milk.
A Fair Trade certification on dairy products may pique consumers' interests, bringing them back to the dairy aisle to support companies with positive social and economic policies.
Getting this certification is no small feat, even for a major CPG company like Chobani. The process takes six to nine months to complete. Applicants must complete a series of modules incorporating Fair Trade USA’s agricultural production standards, which aim to ensure product traceability, supply chain transparency and compliance monitoring.
The certification effort may be worth it for dairy products, however. Millennials are particularly interested in products produced using ethical standards, according to research reported by Food & Wine. Even during the pandemic, consumers across the board are showing more appetite for products from brands that take a leading role on social and environmental issues, according to research from the Consumer Brands Associaton. This should bode well for Chobani’s new line of Fair Trade Certified yogurts and may help them stand out in the crowded yogurt segment.
Consumers are more concerned about the environmental impact of their diets than ever, according to a TetraPak Index 2019 study. The dairy industry has been the target of substantial scrutiny about its environmental footprint in recent years, leading some consumers to cut the category from their diets completely. To that end, Fair Trade USA is working to expand its new dairy-focused certification with an environmental component that will address some of the unique aspects of dairy production. The effort could go a long way toward regaining consumers’ trust and approval.


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Homestay management service Hostmaker has added three new European cities to its roster as it continues its global expansion following a $15million funding round last year.
It will be launching in Florence, Cannes and Madrid this month in Italy, France and Spain – three countries it is already active in.
Hostmaker offers hospitality services for homestays and has grown 400% year-on-year since it was founded in 2014 by former hotelier Nakul Sharma.
Over the last three years, it has expanded into four markets. Including the addition of Lisbon in November as well as the three additions, it is launching in four markets in four months.
It is targeting property landlords and primary and second-home owners with its service that offers housekeeping, photography, pricing reviews, guest relations and listings on popular booking platforms.
Sharma said: “We have continued our fantastic growth from previous years into 2018, and we are delighted to be able to announce these latest expansions. We will be rolling out the full service in the coming weeks and look forward to welcoming new customers and team members to Hostmaker.
“This is an exciting time for the company and we are rapidly developing the Hostmaker brand across Europe, which shows our model is working, and we are growing responsibly.”


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The percentage of e-commerce sales in Egypt in terms of volume of retail trade amounted to 0.4% in 2016, according to a report by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The report noted that e-commerce sales out of total retail sales in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) reached 1.8%.
Moreover, the MCIT report stated that China ranks first in terms of its share of e-commerce in the retail sector, boasting 18.4%, followed by South Korea with 12.1%.
The United States came third with a share of 8.2%, followed by Russia with 3%, and then Brazil and India, each with 2.5%.
Next on the list came Indonesia with 2.2%, Argentina with 1.7%, and then Malaysia with 1.2%.
Although still in its infancy, Egypt’s e-commerce market has had some early successes since the first e-commerce sites and internet businesses were established in Egypt in the late 1990s.
For example, Otlob, an e-commerce business established in 1999, pioneered the concept of online food regulation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. e3050, founded in 2004, is reported to be the first e-retailer in Egypt (electronics). Other examples include sites such as freedaysegypt.com (tourism), tahriracademy.org (online education), and alborglab.com (health), as well as in the media sector with advertising-based Arabic news portals Masrawry, Egypt’s first and most popular news site (1999), and sports news site FilGoal (2001).
In 2015, there were an estimated 450 e-commerce websites in Egypt. In the multi-category online retailers and e-marketplaces, the top two e-marketplaces in Egypt for several years were established regional players Souq (United Arab Emirates) and Jumia (parent company Rocket Internet). Currently, Souq and Jumia, which entered the Egyptian market in 2011 and 2012 respectively, are the main e-commerce companies and have played a major role in helping to grow the industry in Egypt. Yaoota, Egypt’s first search engine price comparison site for online shopping, was founded in 2014. On the basis of its search results data, Yaoota reported that Souq and Jumia garnered 60-70% of the total visits to e-commerce websites in 2015, with the remaining 30-40% of visits distributed among remaining e-commerce players. Souq was purchased by e-commerce giant Amazon in March 2017.
In Egypt, there is a proliferation of Egyptian e-commerce companies and growth in the local market, particularly in niche markets. In recent years, the Egyptian e-commerce market has shown dynamism, with a growing rate of new e-commerce startups, though the survival rate or rapid, sustained growth of many of these startups in many cases is tenuous and prone to high turnover. Online grocery shopping is growing among small-scale grocers. Established in 2014, knockmart.com is a unique Egyptian online supermarket chain, which has grown rapidly to become one of the largest of its type in the region and is the first comprehensive shopping experience in Cairo that delivers groceries and household goods.


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The Milwaukee 7 economic development partnership has awarded its second round of funding from the Capital Catalyst venture capital fund.
The $1 million venture fund was started with a $500,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and $500,000 from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. It provides loans and grants totaling $50,000 to $125,000 to early stage companies, to be used for tasks like product development, market validation, new equipment, marketing and sales assistance. The fund is targeted to advanced manufacturing and technology companies.
MEDC, which administers the fund, said it approved $453,333 in loans and $76,666 in grants to four Milwaukee-area startups in the fourth quarter of 2018: Motivo Inc., La Pavia Beverage LLC, Vivid Microscopy LLC and MRH Products Inc. Read the full story here.


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Volkswagen Group Spanish subsidiary Seat plans to launch a subcompact SUV/crossover by the end of 2017 as part of its effort to be sustainably profitable, a company source said.
Few details are known about the model but it is expected to be underpinned by parent Volkswagen Group's MQB architecture. Seat's recently face-lifted Ibiza subcompact hatchback is based on the group's older PQ26 platform.
Seat plans a family of different sized SUVs to profit from the popularity of such models, which earn higher margins than hatchbacks. The brand’s first SUV, a compact-sized model, will go on sale next year. A midsize SUV could go on sale by 2020 based on the the 20V20 concept unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March.
Seat CEO Juergen Stackmann told Automotive News Europe in an interview published earlier this month that launching a small crossover was on his to-do list: "It's our next priority since crossovers are the trend," he said.
Stackmann said the there is no final decision and no fixed timetable for the small SUV's launch but a company source said it could come within two years. "Next year the compact SUV hits markets and a year later you can expect to see the smaller SUV," the source said.
The SUV would compete with the Renault Captur, the segment's top-seller in Europe, along with newly launched entries such as the Fiat 500X.
IHS Automotive forecasts that Seat will sell 43,000 of the small SUV in 2018, its first full year of sales.


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The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is officially underway, yet many people haven’t recovered from some of last year’s storms. Meantime, tornados have torn up swaths of several U.S. states in the past few weeks, and floodwaters have wreaked even more damage.
Across the U.S. and elsewhere, tornados, flooding and fires have destroyed homes, sometimes entire communities. Victim after victim describes the trauma.
Preston Black in Oklahoma says a tornado threw his trailer home several meters into the air. His parents, wife and children were all inside. Then, he saw his wife in the debris.
“To see her like that. … It was awful,” he said. “The worst thing I could ever see.”
She survived. But they lost everything they had.
Last October, Hurricane Michael destroyed entire towns in Florida. Some people are still living in tents. Janelle Crosby lives in a trailer home full of health hazards.
“Rats. Critters. It’s disgusting. Mold. This they put up to try to contain the mold. It was pink, it’s now black.”
Natural disasters affect everyone differently. In California, Gwen Oesch found that the immediate impact of loss can’t always be anticipated.
“I didn’t realize how much my home means to me,” she said, with a sigh.
Solace in numbers
When a community is hit by a disaster, it can be less traumatic than an individual disaster like an accident, according to Dr. John Lauriello, a psychiatrist at the University of Missouri Health Care.
“I think there’s a shared understanding of the trauma, which I think can be very, very helpful because people feel like it wasn’t just them. It occurred to their community and, therefore, the community is going to work together, and the rebuilding will happen together.”
In Missouri, universities are housing people whose homes were destroyed by massive flooding and a tornado. Darrell Bonner says he’s grateful for a place to stay.
“It’s a blessing living here. A lot of financial burden has been let loose a little bit. There’s hope. There are people out there willing to help,” he said.
Crosby says in her Florida community, people share whatever they have.
“We just all take care of each other. It’s hard, but like I said earlier, if one of us has generator gas, or if we have propane, we all get to cook that night. If not, we get out here and make fires on the grill and cook.”
For children, routine key
Psychiatrist Laine Young-Walker at the University of Missouri Health Care says the sooner parents can get their children back into a normal routine, the better off they will be.
“They thrive in and survive on structure and routine,” Young-Walker said. “So when a natural disaster like this happens and they get displaced, they’re not in their home anymore, their school is closed, they’re not able to go to the school. They don’t have that structure. They don’t have that routine and that consistency. And it can cause a lot of stress for them.”
If schools are destroyed, Young-Walker suggests finding ways to do class work.
Last year, a teacher turned her California home into a classroom when her students’ school was destroyed by fire. Eight-year-old Eleanor Weddig thought it was better than school.
“I love it. It’s like more comfortable than our classroom, the chairs are cushy, that’s one thing that I like. And anyway it’s a house so it’s, like, more fancy and stuff and she cooks us great lunches. Like every lunch I love,” Eleanor said.
Californian Gwen Oesch credits community support with helping people who had lost their homes during the wildfires.
“It’s almost like a therapy thing, you know?” she said. “We’re all in the same place, and dealing with the same thing. We’re talking about the people who lost their homes and how sad it is. But, you know what? We’re resilient.” (VOA)
The pandemic brought about a global boom of entrepreneurship in 2020. Thousands of small businesses launched in the UK last year, and many were very successful. Some businesses started as passion projects, while others aimed to fill a hole in the pandemic market. Services and products, like at-home workouts, popped up all over social media from new and exciting businesses. The pandemic left many Brits financially unstable and scared for the future of their career. Launching their own business gave them something to focus on again and a small amount of income.
The Financial Times reported that the number of registered companies in the UK increased by 30% in 2020. As the world returns to normal, it will be interesting to see how these new businesses approach the post-pandemic world.
Follow NewsGram on Facebook to stay updated.
If you have just set up a new business, here are some essential marketing tips to get the ball rolling:
Exploit social media
Social media is one of the most effective marketing platforms available. You can connect with a global audience for free and market your product or service to them. Post consistently and use high-quality imaging to catch your audience's attention. Engage with potential customers by replying to direct messages, comments, shares and likes. Use a few platforms to maximise your exposure and create a strong brand identity.
You can connect with a global audience for free and market your product or service to them. | Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
Network as much as you can
Networking is a vital part of business, and you can do it on and offline. Use sites like LinkedIn to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and those in different industries. Reach out to them directly and ask about their company or role. You might be surprised by how much you can learn from one conversation. Once in-person events return, you should look to make the most out of meeting people in your industry. You might find brands to collaborate with or a mentor to learn from. Make sure to hand out your business cards at the event so people can get in touch with you in the future.
Networking is a vital part of business, and you can do it on and offline. | Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
Create a blog
You need to be an expert in your industry. Create a blog and share your journey of learning to be a business owner. You can share your expertise and why you started the company, which other entrepreneurs can read and learn from. Your knowledge and experience might be extremely helpful for those just starting out. Use a range of marketing techniques to launch your business into the next phase.
Use a range of marketing techniques to launch your business into the next phase. | Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
(Disclaimer: This article is sponsored and include some commercial links)
One of Indias fast growing Direct To Consumer (DTC) beauty and personal care brands, MyGlamm, launches its national TVC around the message 'All Natural #NoNasties today with actress Shraddha Kapoor, who is also an investor in the brand.
Kapoor who has a great millennial and Gen Z connect introduces 'My SUPERFOODS Kajal' which has No Parabens, No Mineral Oils, No Nasties while still being long-lasting and smudge-free and made with the goodness of nature. This is followed by many girls trying applying the kajal with confidence and while highlighting the ingredients Avocado Oil, Goji Berries, Vitamin E and Sunflower Seed Oil.
Commenting on the campaign, Apratim Majumder, CMO, MyGlamm says "Women have been telling us about what they want from their beauty products for a while now. Wikimedia Commons
The brand focuses on creating quality products that are high efficacy made with all-natural and no chemicals in the formulae. his campaign follows the #TellMyGlammWhatYouWant campaign where women logged in to tell the company what they wanted from their beauty products. It aims to establish a beauty democracy by giving consumers the power to tell the brand what they want thus changing the entire experience of how women buy beauty products in India.
Commenting on the campaign, Apratim Majumder, CMO, MyGlamm says "Women have been telling us about what they want from their beauty products for a while now. We have been innovating to serve those needs with products. When they told us that they want a kajal that is not only long-lasting and smudge-proof but also takes care of their eyes, we knew we had to do this. The campaign is about telling everyone out there who told us they need a kajal that cares, MyGlamm Superfoods Kajal is here for you! The campaign debued on MyGlamm's social channels- YouTube & Instagram on September 16. (IANS/ MBI)
Keywords: India, Direct beauty brands, My Glamm national, girls, kajal, confidence ingredients, Avocado Oil, Shraddha Kapoor
Phishing attacks targeting organisations rose up considerably during the pandemic, as millions of employees working from home became a prime target for cybercriminals. A large majority (83 per cent) of IT teams in India said the number of phishing emails targeting their employees increased during 2020, according to a report by UK-based cybersecurity firm Sophos on Monday.
"It can be tempting for organisations to see phishing attacks as a relatively low-level threat, but that underestimates their power. Phishing is often the first step in a complex, multi-stage attack. According to Sophos Rapid Response, attackers frequently use phishing emails to trick users into installing malware or sharing credentials that provide access to the corporate network," Sophos' Principal Research Scientist, Chester Wisniewski said in a statement. The findings also reveal that there is a lack of common understanding about the definition of phishing. For instance, 67 per cent of IT teams in India associate phishing with emails that falsely claim to be from a legitimate organisation, and which are usually combined with a threat or request for information.
The findings also reveal that there is a lack of common understanding about the definition of phishing. | Pixabay
As many as 61 per cent consider Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks to be phishing, and half of the respondents (50 per cent) think threadjacking - when attackers insert themselves into a legitimate email thread as part of an attack - is phishing. Most of the organisations in India (98 per cent) have implemented cybersecurity awareness programmes to combat phishing. Respondents said they use computer-based training programmes (67 per cent), human-led training programmes (60 per cent), and phishing simulations (51 per cent).
Four-fifths of Indian organisations assess the impact of their awareness programme through the number of phishing-related tickets raised with IT, followed by the level of reporting of phishing emails by users (77 per cent) and click rates on phishing emails (60 per cent). All the organisations surveyed (100 per cent) in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata say they have a cybersecurity awareness programme in place. This was followed by Chennai where 97 per cent have such programmes, and then, Bengaluru and Mumbai at 96 per cent each. (IANS/ MBI)
Keywords: programmes, organisation, emails, phishing


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News Briefs for December 15, 2014December 15, 2014
•Beam Suntory is planning to open a new visitor experience, including a small distillery, in downtown Louisville’s 4th Street entertainment district next year. The Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse will include a working distillery, a bottling line, tasting room and retail space. The company says it will complement the visitor experience offered at its Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Kentucky. The multimillion-dollar investment will be located in 4,300 square feet on the street level beneath the company’s Louisville office. Beam Suntory joins a number of other Bourbon marketers investing in Louisville’s tourism scene recently, such as Heaven Hill Distilleries, which last month celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in the historic Whiskey Row district, as well Brown-Forman’s $30 million distillery and visitor center for Old Forester Bourbon on Louisville’s Main Street set to open by fall 2016.
•Diageo has officially launched its new Haig Club single grain Scotch brand nationwide in the U.S. market. Developed in partnership with soccer star David Beckham and British entrepreneur Simon Fuller, Haig Club is produced at Scotland’s Cameronbridge Distillery, using select whiskies from refill, American oak and rejuvenated casks. The super-premium entry, which is packaged in a signature blue bottle, retails for $70. The launch is currently backed by a global campaign, featuring a TV spot directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie.
Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s free Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Lenovo-owned Motorola, today announced the Moto G5 in India at a price of Rs. 11,999. The phone will be an exclusive to Amazon India and only the 3GB of RAM variant is launched in India, clubbed with 16GB of internal storage.
The Moto G5 flaunts a 5-inch FHD display with a pixel density of 441 PPI. Under-the-hood, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, which is an octa-core chip clubbed with 3GB of RAM. The internal storage in the phone is 16GB, which can be further expandable up to 128GB via a dedicated microSD card.
Motorola has added a 13MP camera sensor at the rear side of the phone with support for PDAF and dual LED flash. The Moto G5 comes with a 5MP wide angle front-facing camera. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
The Moto G5 also boots Android 7.0 Nougat OS and is armed with a 2800mAh battery. The phone will be available to purchase starting tomorrow at 12:00 AM in Amazon India. Amazon Prime customers will get Rs. 1000 cash back as Amazon Pay balance and HDFC credit card holders will also get additional Rs. 1000 off. Amazon is also bundling a 16GB microSD card with the phone for early buyers.


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Sandy wipes out Rockaway Skatepark
As New Yorkers attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy in the wake of superstorm Hurricane Sandy -- which claimed 38 lives in the city and wreaked an estimated $50 billion in havoc -- skateboarders along the city's Atlantic coast lost one of their longtime go-to spots.
A shorefront fixture along Queens' Rockaway Beach at 91st St., Rockaway Skatepark essentially ceased to exist after being pounded by Sandy's heavy rains, sustained 80 mph winds, and high-tide storm surges topping 12 feet.
"Rockaway got wrecked," 5boro Skateboards founder Steve Rodriguez told ESPN.com via email yesterday.
Assembled in 2004 by the American Ramp Company, the prefabricated sheet-metal setup wasn't the most cherished of the Big Apple's skateparks. But the 12,300-square-foot facility was free and located right on the beach, and it's slated for a complete concrete makeover.
"Rockaway II, as we have been calling it, was designed by Site Design Group," said Bill Minadeo, VP of global business development for California Skateparks, which will head up construction. "We are planning on beginning construction in April [or] May [of next year]. [We're] in the process of creating shop drawings and some design updates. Looks like our demo work is already complete."
Minadeo added that the new design will be dominated by transitions. "I believe that directive came from the local skate-surf community," he said. "The idea is to have a flow-type park pretty much right on the beach. The size and location of the park will remain on the same footprint of the original prefab park."
According to the City of New York Parks & Recreation website," all NYC parks, playgrounds, beaches, and recreation centers remain closed until further notice due to hazardous conditions."


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The GSMA’s ‘State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2023’ has revealed that the adoption of mobile money services worldwide is growing at a faster rate than previously anticipated.
The report, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, shows that the number of registered mobile money accounts increased by 13% year-on-year from 1.4 billion in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2022.
Daily transactions exceeded the amount predicted in 2021, reaching $3.45 billion in 2022, and the total transaction value grew by an impressive 22%Year-over-Year (YoY) to $1.26 trillion.
The growth rate is significant as it took the industry 17 years to reach the first 800 million customers, but it has taken only five years to reach the next 800 million.
The report emphasizes the crucial role of mobile money in providing affordable financial services to underserved communities, with 315 live mobile money deployments across the world currently in operation, driven by peer-to-peer transfers and cash-in/cash-out transactions.
Head of Mobile for Development at GSMA, Max Cuvellier welcomes the continued growth of mobile money worldwide, which has provided millions of unbanked and underserved people in low- and middle-income countries access to digital financial services for the first time.
However, the report suggests that there is still a long way to go to bring these services to over a billion unbanked people worldwide, and governments worldwide must develop enabling policies that support mobile money deployments to further boost the growth of this crucial ecosystem.
During 2022, mobile money-enabled international remittances grew by 28% year on year – to $22 billion.
This growth trend continued in 2022, albeit at a slower rate, as many senders favoured mobile money for its efficiency, speed, safety and cost-effectiveness.
The report suggests that mobile money has the potential to drive economic growth and resilience, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and will continue to play a critical role in improving the lives of people in vulnerable communities.
The report also highlights the prevalence of the gender gap in mobile money use, with mobile phone ownership remaining the main driver of this gap, although cultural norms and barriers also prevent women from adopting mobile money.


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How London Wine Competition is marketing to consumers
Winning a medal is one thing, and getting the chance to promote it directly to consumers is a real point of difference.
The London Wine Competition goes into its 5th year stronger than ever on the back of record entries for the 2021 awards and a new dedicated website, The London Drinks Guide, that has been launched to help promote and tell the stories of the wineries, producers, and wines that come out top in the competition. The platform is consistently growing and becoming a leading platform for London drinks enthusiasts.
2021 winners saw massive global media coverage across many business drinks magazines, consumer media assets, local newspapers, and leading publications including Forbes.
For any drinks competition to gain credibility with the producers, brand owners, and distributors it is looking to work with, they have to listen to what they are looking for from a competition and act on it.
That’s what the founders and organisers of the London Wine Competition, the Beverage Trade Network, have done. They have gone out of their way to talk to both the wineries about what sorts of wines they should be entering, and also the judges tasked with assessing them about what it is they would like to see the awards do better.
Only trade buyers, MW, and MS are qualified to be judges.
This is why the competition has taken a major step forward in driving a direct-to-consumer strategy for how they promote winning wines and producers.
London Drinks Guide, BTN’s own media platform publishes stories, cocktails, and other interesting content about London Wine Competition winners to London drinks enthusiasts throughout the year.
Winners showcased on the London Drinks Guide: A Leading Consumer Portal In London.
Sid Patel, who heads up the Beverage Trade Network and the London Competitions told The Buyer: “We pride ourselves on how close we are to the wineries, the producers, the importers and distributors that are the heart of the drinks industry. We launched the London Competition to give them an awards platform that tasted and judged wines, beers, and spirits in the same way that consumers do. How they taste, what their overall quality is like, how much they cost, and what they look like on the shelf. That’s what makes the London Wine Competition different from other global wine awards. We look much beyond the quality of the wine too. It has to be at a price and have the look and feel that reflects that quality to win a medal.”
What else is going to get more push:
The Top 100 wine list of the best-performing wines, spirits, and beers in the London Competitions has been introduced to help give consumers an even bigger steer on what products they should be buying.
Entries for 2022 competition Closing Soon
The entry process for the 2022 London Wine Competition is open and anyone looking to enter can take advantage of this opportunity till 28 February 2022. It's Time To Enter Your Wines.


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MONROVIA, Montserrado â€“ One of the leading fast food restaurants in Monrovia, Monroe Chicken, has become the newest restaurant to sign up for Cookshop.biz, the homegrown tech start-up that delivers food to customers from 19 of Monroviaâ€™s best restaurants.
The decision to join Cookshop was likely made because Monroe Chicken could not keep up with demand from customers. General Manager Mazen K. Halabi said when the restaurant did its own delivery, it took time for workers to return, which caused delays for other services for which they were needed at the restaurant.
He said the partnership has eased Monroe Chickenâ€™s challenge of responding promptly to its many customers.
â€œOur customers today can [order] through Cookshopâ€™s website and choose the food they need and Cookshop calls us,â€ Halabi said. â€œWe prepare the food, and they take them to the customers.â€
Since the partnership began almost two weeks ago, Halabi said there have been several orders through Cookshop each day.
The collaboration has been an important win for Cookshop, especially since Monroe Chicken, along with Sajj House and Dianaâ€™s Restaurant were the few restaurants in Monrovia that still had their own delivery services.
Halabi expects the alliance to increase the customer base of both organizations. â€œSince Cookshop is known to people now, they have their own customer base, and we have our own customer base,â€ he said. â€œWe decided to work together so that we can advertise Cookshop so other people will use their service and at the same time Cookshop will advertise us by allowing their clients to use our services through them.â€
Halabi continued, â€œI think it is a smart and good venture for them and for us and for the customers because, at the end of the day, they seek customersâ€™ satisfaction, and we seek customersâ€™ satisfaction.â€
A co-founder of Cookshop.biz, Charles Cooper, welcomed the partnership with Monroe Chicken. He said Cookshopâ€™s growing customer base would help Monroe Chicken improve its reach.
Despite joining Cookshop, Monroe Chicken will still maintain its delivery staff. â€œItâ€™s not that Cookshop does not have the capacity,â€ Halabi said. â€œBut I have delivery personnel working with us for some time now, and if I am going to use Cookshopâ€™s services only, I am going to have to lay off six or seven people.â€
He said the two parallel delivery services would allow the restaurant flexibility to deliver if there were challenges with either companyâ€™s delivery service.
Cookshopâ€™s Cooper was not fazed by Monroe Chickenâ€™s continuing their delivery service. â€œEven though they still have their own delivery system, what we have is a website that allows people to browse food from different restaurants,â€ he said. â€œSo while customers are looking and making decision on what to buy, they can also browse Monroe Chickenâ€™s menu immediately on Cookshop which is a great option to have â€“ so thatâ€™s an added value weâ€™ve brought to them.â€
Cooper said he hoped Monroe Chickenâ€™s decision can spur others to join Cookshop, including the Ethiopian Restaurant in Sinkor and other popular restaurants that were subscribed to Cookshop before the Ebola outbreak. He would also be pleased to have other prominent restaurants like Sajj House also signing-up for Cookshopâ€™s services. Other restaurants that are also yet to partner with is organization are Vickiâ€™s Fingers and Sharks.
Featured photo by Gbatemah Senah


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OnePlus, once upon a time, was known for its flagship killer smartphones. The company started its journey with OnePlus One, a smartphone that offered open-source software, flagship specs, premium build quality, and much more at an affordable price tag. However, with the following smartphone releases, OnePlus slowly increased the prices of its smartphone to the point that its smartphones now directly compete with smartphones from flagship markers like Apple and Samsung.
With the OnePlus Nord series, it was expected that the company would revive its flagship killer strategy — offering premium devices at a low price. However, it turned out to be a disappointment. According to a new rumor, OnePlus could be again working on a smartphone with top-end specs and a cheap price tag — or as we would like to call it, the company could be going back to its roots with the new series.
The report comes from the reliable Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station who says that OnePlus is working on a new smartphone lineup focused on performance and gaming. According to the leaker, the smartphone will be priced in the CNY 2,000 to CNY 3,000 price range (~$315 to ~$473) in the Chinese market so it could mean OnePlus is targeting the affordable segment with its next smartphone.
OnePlus still shares Mariana's self-developed chip technology, supply chain resources, and after-sales with OPPO. Then we are planning a new product line in the 2K-3K price range, focusing on performance and gaming experience, flagship processor + high-quality direct screen, how does it feel a bit like iQOO — Digital Chat Station on Weibo (machine translated)
The report adds that it will be powered by a 'flagship processor' which could be OnePlus' (and OPPO's) own self-developed chip. But if OnePlus doesn't go with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, then it could go with MediaTek's Dimensity 9000 or an even older chipset, like Snapdragon 870 or Dimensity 1200, for this smartphone.
To keep the price down, OnePlus might cut some corners in the camera department. The leaker claims that the smartphone will have a 'high quality' display and how everything about this smartphone feels like smartphones from IQOO. The phone could also lack an IP rating and wireless charging support.
There's no word on when OnePlus is planning to bring this series, but we do hope OnePlus launches it soon. What are your expectations from OnePlus' next flagship killer smartphone? Would you give up the Hasselblad camera branding and IP rating for Snapdragon 8 Gen1 at an affordable price? Let us know in the comments section below!
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus' latest flagship!
The OnePlus 9 Pro is the latest flagship from the company, and it features a large 6.7-inch QHD+ display, an impressive camera tuned by Hasselblad, Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, a long battery life, and 65W fast charging. Check out all the deals on the device using the links given below!
Via: Android Authority