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- Ryan Milligan and Ryan McManus took orders on the dark web’s Silk Road
- The site, shut down in 2013 by the FBI, operated like a black market eBay
- Investigators caught them with 40 orders containing Class A and B drugs
- This week they were jailed for a total of 14 years at Belfast Crown Court
Corey Charlton for MailOnline
11:29 EST, 1 May 2015
15:18 EST, 1 May 2015
A pair of crooks have been jailed for a total of 14 years for running an international trafficking business on the depths of the internet and shipping narcotics ‘party packs’.
When investigators swooped on Ryan Milligan and Ryan McManus they confiscated almost 40 orders containing 15 different Class A and B drugs which were due to be shipped from the UK to the rest of the world.
The traffickers took orders for drugs, including MDMA, cocaine and cannabis, on ‘Silk Road’ – an online marketplace on a hidden part of the internet that was shut down by the FBI.
Ryan Milligan (left) and Ryan McManus (right) have been jailed for a total of 14 years for selling drugs on the dark web’s ‘Silk Road’ marketplace
Milligan, 29, and McManus, 31, were jailed on Wednesday after admitting dozens of drug offences.
The pair sold bespoke packages of drugs designed to be taken by revellers at parties, according to a National Crime Agency spokesperson.
Customers from as far as USA, Russia, India, Sweden and Israel emailed the dealers to buy drugs and to also ask for advice.
One asked for ten grams of pure Mephedrone, also known as Meow Meow, and asked if they’d be able to smuggle it to Indonesia – where two Australians have just been executed for drug smuggling.
The dealers – using aliases Sonicdrone and Blackwater86 – received payment using virtual currencies such as Bitcoin or money transfer services.
Analysis of Silk Road when it was shut down by the FBI in September 2013 showed they facilitated 300 bespoke orders in 15 months leading up to July 2013, shortly before their arrest.
The drugs were shipped from suppliers in the USA, Netherlands and China to Northern Ireland to the address of a trusted associate before being shipped worldwide.
The pair sold bespoke packages of drugs (pictured) designed to be taken by revellers at parties, according to the National Crime Agency
A large packet of confiscated drugs found by investigators when they raided the pair’s drug trafficking operation
Pictured are several more packets of drugs confiscated. When investigators swooped they confiscated almost 40 orders containing 15 different Class A and B drugs
Police found 40 different packets containing Class A and B drugs when they raided the premises
Officers from the National Crime Agency raided their home to find amphetamines, ecstasy and LSD-substitute tablets with the face of SpongeBob SquarePants printed on them.
The force’s Operations Manager John Costley said: ‘Drugs destroy communities and anyone who thinks buying and selling them in the virtual world is safer than buying and selling them on the street is very mistaken.
‘The National Crime Agency together with its partners, locally, nationally and internationally, will protect the UK public by pursuing those involved in serious organised crime and will put them before the courts.’
A financial investigation is now under way in an attempt to seize their illicit gains.
The Belfast pair’s courier, Conor Devenney, also pleaded guilty but died before sentencing.
Milligan pleaded guilty to 33 drugs offences and two counts of possession of criminal property and was jailed for seven years at Belfast Crown Court.
McManus was also jailed for seven years for admitting to 37 drugs charges and two of possession of criminal property.
Judge McFarland said: ‘This was a very detailed investigation on a major drug operation which had the potential to inflict major damage on the wider community.’
THE SILK ROAD: A HIDDEN MARKETPLACE FULL OF DRUGS
The Silk Road was a black market operating in what’s known as the ‘dark web’, where users could browse anonymously and securely. Founded in February 2011, it essentially operated as an underground eBay, where users bought and sold drugs, often in large quantities.
Named after the historical network of trade routes that operated between Europe, China and India, it was shut down by the FBI in 2013 with American Ross William Ulbricht arrested and accused of being the site’s founder.
Although famed for its ‘anything goes’ offerings – large amounts of illegal drugs were being listed on the website – it was reported some items and services were banned. This included assassinations and child pornography.
Users of the Silk Road purchased goods using Bitcoins – a form of digital currency that can be traded and used like money online, as well as purchased with real cash. Many websites now use it as a legitimate form of currency.


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Carol’s Daughter is about to enter uncharted territory in the royal realm: The company has inked a deal with Disney to produce a bath and body line commemorating the entertainment giant’s first African-American princess.
Speaking about Princess Tiana, who will make her movie introduction in limited release Nov. 25 (a full release is planned for Dec. 11) in Disney’s animated “The Princess and the Frog,” makes both Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price and the company’s chief executive officer and managing director, Steve Stoute, emotional.
"You start one way as a baby, but why shouldn't you be able to choose your own path as opposed to culturally people telling you which way to go?" - Thom Browne at his men's spring 2018 show, where he celebrated gender fluidity. #pfw #wwdmens (📷: @delphineachard)
"I think that all anyone really wants in life is to have people understand us for who we actually are, despite everything," says Ruth Negga. The actress talks "Preachers" season 2 and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Dan Doperalski)

domain: news


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Palmer & Harvey, the delivered wholesaler supplying many forecourts, has announced the appointment of Tony Reed as chief executive, effective immediately. P&H has also appointed Alistair Darby as non-executive director.
Reed has spent 38 years in the industry working for Tesco in a number of operational roles across different store formats. In addition to store operations Tony spent four years in the Tesco commercial division.
Darby has wide-ranging experience of leading major businesses. He was formerly chief executive of Mitchells & Butlers plc, a FTSE 250 operator of restaurants and pubs. Before that he held a number of senior operational and strategic roles at Marston’s plc from 1997 to 2011, including a decade as a board director.
In addition, Chris Etherington, currently chairman and chief executive, will become executive deputy chairman and Richard Grainger has been appointed non-executive chairman, following three years as a non-executive director.
Grainger is currently chairman of McKay Securities plc, a publicly quoted commercial property investment company and Harrington Brooks, the debt management company. Previously he was chairman of Safestore plc and chief executive of Close Brothers Corporate Finance. In addition, Stewart Oades will retire from his role as a non-executive Director in December 2016.
Etherington said: “We are delighted to welcome Tony as our chief executive. His deep experience of the retail sector will be extremely valuable to Palmer & Harvey, as will his track record of driving growth, operational efficiency and his passion for developing people.
"Tony is ideally placed to drive our long-term strategy, further strengthen our customer proposition and embed our reputation for first class service.
“The appointment of Alistair further strengthens our board, adding significant operational experience as we focus on delivering our strategy to the benefit of all our stakeholders.”
Reed commented: “I am looking forward to working with the strong team at Palmer & Harvey to drive the opportunities for growth, operational efficiency and service excellence that its unique scale, heritage, reputation for delivery and customer relationships present. Having worked closely with Palmer & Harvey over the last four years I have always found it a reactive and responsive business to work with.”


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Have you been wondering why the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app has disappeared from your app store? Well, you’re not alone.
The popular mobile application developed by Sony has been around for quite some time and has been a go-to for many photographers looking to control their Sony cameras remotely. However, it seems that the app is no longer available on various app stores and users are left asking, what happened?
The History of Sony PlayMemories Mobile
Sony PlayMemories Mobile was first launched in 2012 as an app that allows users to control their Wi-Fi-enabled Sony cameras remotely. It quickly gained popularity among photography enthusiasts who were looking for a way to shoot photos and videos without physically touching their cameras.
The app became a hit due to its easy-to-use interface and impressive features like the ability to transfer photos from the camera to the user’s smartphone or tablet wirelessly. With its success, Sony continued developing new features for the app, including support for NFC pairing, location information acquisition through GPS on smartphones, and remote playback of photos and videos.
The Disappearance of Sony PlayMemories Mobile App
Unfortunately, in 2020, Sony announced that they would be discontinuing the PlayMemories Online service in March 2021. This prompted many users to wonder if this would also mean an end to the PlayMemories Mobile app. And indeed it did.
After March 31st, 2021, Sony removed the PlayMemories Mobile app from various app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This move also affected other related apps like Smart Remote Control and Imaging Edge Mobile.
If you’re a loyal user of the PlayMemories Mobile App or any other related apps that have been discontinued by Sony, don’t worry; there are alternative options available on both iOS and Android platforms.
One such option is Imaging Edge Mobile which was introduced in 2019 to replace PlayMemories Mobile. It offers many of the same features as its predecessor, including remote control of Sony cameras, automatic background transfer of photos and videos to smartphones, and location information acquisition through GPS on smartphones.
In conclusion, Sony PlayMemories Mobile was a fantastic app that revolutionized the way photographers capture their images. However, it’s unfortunate that the app has been discontinued and is no longer available for download on various app stores. With Imaging Edge Mobile now taking its place, users can still enjoy many of the same features they loved about PlayMemories Mobile.
It’s essential to keep in mind that technology is always evolving, and companies like Sony will continue to innovate new apps or update existing ones. So if you’re a photography enthusiast or a Sony camera user looking for a remote control app, keep an eye out for future developments from Sony.


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It looks like the Bitmap Brothers will be back in the saddle and potentially creating and releasing titles again soon, with the developers joining Rebellion Developments.
Known for creating titles such as Z: Steel Soldiers and Chaos Engine, the Bitmap Brothers have been relatively quiet in recent years, but it looks like Rebellion may have plans for the studio, having just acquired the studio’s portfolio and speaking of plans to create “new titles based on beloved licences”.
Does this mean we’re going to see another Z?
I hope so!
Categories:Game News, Latest Articles
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Steamboat Springs’ Hala Gear grows into new space
June 29, 2017
It's not just that Hala Gear needed more office space or even more storage space, said Peter Hall, founder of the Steamboat Springs stand-up paddleboard startup.
Five years since Hall started the company out of his Steamboat home, business is growing, he said. Whereas once he was the only employee, he's now one of 16 on the payroll. Whereas once he was concerned with the design of a small collection of boards, he now oversees a fleet. His product is sent to 100 different stores, and his words are now filled with bigger dreams still, more investors, more product and more innovation.
Hala Gear began this spring to move into a new space between Ninth and 10th streets on Yampa Street in downtown Steamboat Springs, in the former Yampa Valley Electric Association building, and soon, the young brand will be entirely headquartered there, starting somewhat officially with a grand opening party Monday.
Hala was previously working out of a building on 13th street just across the river.
The office space will come in handy, but as nice as anything, Hall said, will simply be the ability to actually showcase everything Hala Gear currently makes.
"It was hard to ever be able to talk to a customer,” he said. “When people would come to our tiny office and try to look at a 12-foot long board, you couldn't do it justice.”
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Employees would end up scrambling around the office or digging through a storage trailer looking for boards to show customers.
The new space will alleviate those issues.
Hall said construction delays on the YVEA building prevented his shop from opening in its actual stall when he'd initially hoped. So, with the region's short prime river-boarding window approaching, Hala opened instead this spring in another empty space two doors down from the one it will inhabit as of Monday's grand opening.
That's had some advantages, Hall said, allowing his crew to work through bugs and experiment with layout.
The new shop will serve multiple roles. It will sell gear from beyond the Hala brand, serving as a stand-up paddleboarding outfitter. It will have offices for the Hala staff. It will be a showroom for the ever-expanding Hala brand, now including such merchandise as river-friendly ankle leashes and thermoses, in addition to the the paddles and boards that started the company.
"We needed a place we could tell the brand's story, and that place couldn't be a trade show anymore," Hall said. "If the only place we display everything we do is a trade show, we're missing an opportunity."
He's hoping to serve as a shop for dedicated SUP fans, to intrigue passers-by into giving the sport a try and even to catch the eye of visiting distributors.
"It's a play for brand awareness, as well," Hall said.
It all officially starts Monday. The shop will open at 10 a.m., then kick off an opening day party at 4 p.m., with music, raffles and giveaways.
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Hours after Apple said Wednesday that it would begin renting some shows for 99 cents per episode, Amazon cut its price on a similar set of shows to 99 cents from $2.99. And unlike Apple, which rents the videos, Amazon lets its customers buy the shows.
"When we see a competitive product available elsewhere, we make sure to match or beat that price," said Bill Carr, Amazon's vice president of music and video, in a Thursday interview. "Things are evolving rapidly."
Apple declined to comment on Amazon's pricing.
A price battle between the tech titans could help drive consumer interest in the nascent market for paid on-demand video over the Internet. But it could also drive away the media giants that Apple and Amazon are counting on to feed them with TV content. Some media executives worry low prices could eventually undermine the existing TV business.
For the past several years, Amazon and Apple have both offered services that let consumers buy or rent films over the Internet on a one-by-one basis and watch them on TVs, game consoles or portable devices. It's part of a wider race among cable-TV and satellite-TV providers and tech companies, including Netflix Inc. NFLX 0.48 % and Google Inc., to dominate the digital delivery of TV and movies.
That race heated up on Wednesday when Apple introduced an updated Apple TV set-top box for $99 and said it reached deals to offer rentals for a selection of TV shows from News Corp.'s Fox and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, ABC Family and Disney Channel, as well as BBC America.
TV networks haven't presented a united front when faced with Apple, Amazon and other tech companies that want to license their content. Already, some, such as Time Warner Inc., TWX 1.63 % are aligning with cable and satellite TV operators to offer some shows on the Web only for their paying subscribers, while others such as General Electric Co. GE 0.33 % 's NBC Universal put episodes from a large number of their shows online for free viewing with ads. But even those positions are changing, with some media companies pulling back how much they offer free or working on paid subscription offerings of their own.
Apple has already discovered those divisions: While both News Corp. and Disney signed on to test its 99-cent TV-show rentals, other major media companies rejected the plan. Several executives said those rentals could be a step toward a world where people see less advertising or stop paying for cable subscriptions—two principal sources of revenue. (News Corp. owns The Wall Street Journal.)
The price war could lead at least some media companies to pull existing episodes sold at $1.99 from Apple, one media executive said.
"We're happy to sit back and see how it goes," said another media executive, who also suggested that competition between the two tech giants could be a boon. That executive said a major danger media companies face is allowing one player—like Apple—to gain too much power over the distribution of content, as it did with music. Amazon could provide a welcome challenge, the executive added.
Securing affordable video content is crucial in Apple's strategy to tout the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch as go-to multimedia devices.
The existing price of content—which can cost $2.99 apiece for a high definition TV show or $4.99 for a movie—is still a high barrier of entry when consumers can access many of the same shows free on websites such as Hulu, or as part of their Netflix subscription.
Amazon, the Web's largest retailer, has used aggressive price cuts on a variety of products to draw attention to its offerings and maintain its position as a low-price leader. The company today offers 75,000 movies and TV shows, which customers can watch on a variety of systems, from computers to TVs.
Mr. Carr declined to say what impact a price cut might have on adoption of digital video, and said it "remains to be seen" what an ideal price might be for video.
"The lower that they bring the cost, the more they will expand adoption," said David Krall, the chief operating officer of Roku Inc., a company that makes set-top boxes that play Amazon and other online content on TVs. "People compare the price to going to the DVD store to rent, and convenience of having to get in the car."
It remains to be seen whether the pricing rivalry will hurt Apple's dominate position in the space. According to Screen Digest, Apple accounts for 57% of transactions in Internet video-on-demand movies, on a number-of-sales basis, and 53% of the TV shows market, excluding sports. In contrast, Amazon is only 5% and 6% respectively.
Both Microsoft Corp. MSFT 0.83 % and Sony Corp., through their videogame consoles, sell more online video than Amazon, according to Screen Digest. (The estimates exclude Netflix because it doesn't offer a-la-carte sales and rentals of movies and TV shows over the Internet.)
One advantage that Apple has in these early days is that it has many products through which consumers can view the content. By contrast, on the digital book front, the competition between Apple and the online retailer is more intense in part because Amazon had Kindle, an e-book reader that it had been selling long before the iPad. Mr. Carr declined to comment on whether Amazon was interested in making its own devices for watching digital video.
"We don't believe Amazon's price cutting on TV shows will materially affect Apple's overall market share," said Arash Amel, Screen Digest's digital media research director. "ITunes rarely gets sucked into a price-war, given their position as the market-leader."
Amazon has had mixed success with its past digital media efforts. Its digital music business, in which it also uses aggressive pricing, has what analysts estimate is about 12% of the digital music market.
Moreover, the TV discounting costs Amazon because the company will continue to pay the companies the same wholesale price per episode that it paid before the retail-price cut, said media executives.
In the short run, a price cut could help Disney and News Corp., if Amazon sells more episodes while paying them each the same wholesale price. But some media executives and analysts believe the proliferation of lower prices could start to devalue electronic TV shows more broadly.
"It further ingrains in the consumers' mind the idea that a TV show is only worth 99 cents," said Evercore media and entertainment analyst Alan Gould.
Amazon is also interested in challenging players such as Netflix with a subscription service that would deliver TV shows and movies over the Internet. In recent weeks, Amazon has pitched a Web-based subscription service to several major media companies.
Mr. Carr declined to comment on the idea of a subscription service.
The entire business of selling episodes of TV shows through services like Apple's and Amazon's is expected to generate only $407 million in 2010, according to Screen Digest. Meanwhile, U.S. consumers and advertisers will spend about $143 billion on traditional TV advertising and subscriptions in 2010, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
—Shira Ovide and Yukari Iwatani Kane contributed to this article


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Posted May 08, 2018 06:59:16 When the federal government shuts down, the private sector can’t come to your rescue.
And if it does, the repercussions are potentially catastrophic for the economy.
That’s what happened in May 2017, when the government shut down because of the debt ceiling crisis.
But now, with the Trump administration’s latest move, the federal shutdown is being used to punish businesses and individuals in other ways, including through the imposition of fines, the loss of federal contracts and the suspension of federal programs.
These penalties could have a cascading effect.
For instance, fines and sanctions could make it harder for companies to attract employees, while a reduction in federal contracting could affect the ability of federal employees to perform work that federal workers would normally perform.
And a suspension of the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act could lead to the loss or suspension of many of the benefits that help Americans save for retirement.
To better understand what these consequences might be, the National Association of Manufacturers released a report last week detailing the consequences of the government shutdown.
The report says that the government’s shutdown could cost the U.S. economy more than $1.2 trillion in lost economic activity and that a loss of 10% of U.s. gross domestic product could cause a recession.
The economic damage could reach into the trillions of dollars.
It also says that if the government were to shut down in 2017, about half of all federal contracts would be lost.
The NAM report notes that there are currently 2,700 companies in the federal workforce that are facing potential layoffs due to the government closure.
The government shutdown could also affect the private-sector economy, too.
As a result of the shutdown, there are now a growing number of people who do not have work and would have been eligible for unemployment benefits had the government remained open.
That could make those people even more vulnerable to the vagaries of the market and the vagabonds of the unemployed.
The uncertainty that comes with the government shutting down is one of the primary reasons that businesses have become reluctant to make new hires, according to Mark Blyth, vice president of business development at the National Business Group, an organization that advocates for small businesses.
The shutdown is already having a detrimental impact on businesses.
According to Blyst, if the shutdown were to continue for one year, it could lead companies to cut back on hiring.
And that could have ripple effects beyond the shutdown.
For example, Blyt says, if businesses cut back, they could find it difficult to attract qualified workers.
And as the shutdown has continued, there have been more and more business owners and executives who have decided to take advantage of the opportunities that the shutdown could provide.
For some companies, it’s been a tough decision.
In some cases, businesses have decided that it is financially better to make the shutdown a permanent one.
For others, it has led to layoffs.
But for many businesses, it will be the right thing to do, Blevins says.
The good news is that businesses are starting to adjust, he says.
“The economy is in a very positive position right now.
The economy is growing at a pace that is not sustainable.
There’s a lot of uncertainty, there’s a big problem with the budget, there is a lot going on with immigration, there may be a lot more things that we need to figure out.”
Blevin says he believes that if businesses were able to take steps to get back on their feet, they would not be as hesitant to hire workers.
“It’s not going to be a long time before the government comes back, and the economy will be stronger,” he says, “and the economy is going to start picking up.”
For businesses, the best way to keep their operations going during the shutdown is to remain patient, Bledsoe says.
Bledsole says he’s glad to see businesses making the decision to stay open.
“There’s a little bit of fear in the marketplace right now,” he said.
I think the government needs to come back and try to do what it needs to do to stabilize the economy, and it’s time for businesses to start making the decisions they need to make.”


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Representatives from the Chinese side say they think it likely that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the G-20 meeting later this month. But in order to reach a trade...China Economyread more
Software engineers straight out of college often make six-figure salaries, not counting equity compensation.Technologyread more
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"We are pleased with our performance for the fourth quarter and full year 2017," Chairwoman and CEO Indra Nooyi said in a statement. "We met or exceeded most of the financial goals we set out at the beginning of the year. We delivered these results in the midst of a dynamic retail environment and rapidly shifting consumer landscape."
Pepsi also on Tuesday said it is laying off off less than one percent of its U.S. work force, primarily in its corporate office. Those moves come as part of its previously announced five-year productivity program. It plans to hire tens of thousands of associates next year, spanning front-line workers to senior management. It is also paying out $100 million in bonuses to front-line and full-time U.S.-based associates.
PepsiCo recorded a net loss of $710 million, or 50 cents per share, compared with earnings of $1.40 billion, or 97 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.
Earnings in the latest period were hurt by a $2.5 billion one-time charge related to new U.S. tax laws. Excluding this and other one-time items, the company earned $1.31 per share, edging past analysts' estimates of $1.30.
For the quarter, Pepsi's net revenue of $19.53 billion was flat when compared with the year-ago period. Organic revenue, which excludes the impacts of foreign exchange and other changes, grew by 2.3 percent.
The company saw the greatest sales growth in Europe/Sub-Saharan Africa, where net sales jumped 11 percent and Latin America, where sales grew 6 percent. Those regions combined comprised 21 percent of Pepsi's revenue for the quarter.
Their growth made up for continued weakness in its largest business, North American beverages. Sales of drinks that include Tropicana and Gatorade continued to slide by 6 percent net.
"We've got our challenges [in the business], and we are addressing them," PepsiCo's CFO Hugh Johnston told CNBC in an interview Tuesday.
Last quarter, called Johnston weakness in in North American drinks a "toe stub " as the company looks to balance its slow-growing core business with more on-trend innovations. Carbonated and sugary drinks have come under pressure as consumer tastes have shifted to healthier drinks. Those drinks, though, still comprise most of Pepsi's beverage sales.
Pepsi's more recent innovations (and the stars of its Superbowl efforts) were extensions of two of its core lines, Doritos Blaze and Mtn Dew Ice. It also recently introduced "Bubly," the company's answer to the growth in sparkling water drinks.
"I expect as we go into 2018 we are going to have have a terrific year on innovation because of Mtn Dew Ice, because of Doritos blaze, because of Bubly," Johnston said.
"We are broadly impressed with Pepsi's ability to deliver bottom line results, despite the dynamic retail environment and their continued under performance in the beverage performance," said Bonnie Herzog, an analyst at Wells Fargo.
Net revenue at the Frito-Lay snack business fell 1 percent for the quarter, hurt by fewer weeks in the last period. After adjusting for this, organic revenue rose 5 percent.
Pepsi also said it expects full-year organic revenue growth to be at least in line with the 2017 growth rate. It anticipates core earnings per share of $5.70, a 9 percent increase over 2017.
The company boosted its annual dividend by 15 percent to $3.71 from $3.22 a share. It also announced a $15 billion stock buy-back program.
(Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount of bonuses PepsiCo is paying.)


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Apple's sharp-shooting legal swat team has put the frighteners on a firm selling an action figure doll of its CEO Steve Jobs.
Intel is doomed, Hermann Hauser has claimed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. If you don't know who Hauser is, he happens to be one of the co-founders of ARM -- possibly Intel's most dangerous foe in the semiconductor marketplace, when al...
Your old PC is ready for the recyclers and it's time to buy a new one. Or is it? These days, we're fortunate to have a plethora of computing devices that can handle everything from sending an e-mail to watching a movie or writing a thesis. A PC (or M...
After over 10 years of active participation in the honeypot community, I was surprised not to have heard of MicroSolved's HoneyPoint Security Server before I started planning this roundup. HoneyPoint runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X, and offers s...
Later this month, the high-brow Christie's auction house will try to get $242,400 for an aged Apple computer.
Word of slowing growth from Cisco put the brakes on the tech rally in the markets, but Lenovo results and forecasts for the mobile, online and consumer electronics markets suggest that IT's recovery from the recession still has legs.
Startup XI3 announced a modular computer with components that it says can be easily repaired or upgraded, which could help users save money and keep up with changes in technology.
Dell is updating its Kace systems management products to help IT departments deal with the army of smartphones and tablets invading their company networks, Michael Dell said on Tuesday.
You've finally gone and bought a new PC. It has a boatload of memory, lots of cores, and a fast, modern graphics card. But now your old computer sits in a corner, and although you know it's just a machine, it seems to be sulking like a puppy that mis...
After all the hype about the new MacBook Air releases last week, all the oohing and aahing over the engineering that slipped a significant amount of power and capability into such a tiny package, I was ready to be somewhat disappointed by the new 13....
One of the best parts of our job is looking at hundreds of products every year. Many perform well, some are silly, and a select group rises above the pack. Here are the hardware, software, services, sites, and apps that we decided - after much discus...
Enterprises now in the midst of migrating to Windows 7 are unlikely to repeat that same work in just two years with Windows 8, an analyst said today.
At a product launch event in New York Monday, Microsoft gave the media a day-early peek at Mac Office 2011, which went on sale at retail outlets and via Microsoft this morning. Eric Wilfrid, general manager of Microsoft's Mac business unit, explains ...
Tablets and smartphones are just the beginning of a "Post-PC world," former Microsoft executive Ray Ozzie wrote in parting memo to the company.
The Mac App Store has the potential to breathe new life into the Mac platform. With Mac marketshare rising and there being a growing number of developers with skill in Objective-C from the iOS side of things, the time is definitely right for a centra...
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As the advertising industry returns to normality after a week on the Côte d'Azur, Oracle Marketing Cloud’s Zuzanna Gierlinska reflects on the increasing presence of AdTech and Marketing Tech at the Festival of Creativity following Oracle’s debut appearance…
To a Cannes first-timer, you could be forgiven for leaving this year’s event wondering what it was that you’d just attended. Was it a celebration of great creative advertising? A thought leadership conference? A music festival? A tech conference?
The answer is, all of the above.
The event is not suffering from an identity crisis. Rather it’s evolving to reflect new sources of creative inspiration, the emergence of new channels and the changing expectations of today’s consumers on how they want brands to interact with them.
Developments in technology have a massive impact on each of these issues and are playing an increasingly fundamental role in the creative process. Merging data with creativity was definitely the topic du jour. Discussions ranged from how to strike the right balance between the two, to where data could and should be used in the creative process and how to practically bring in a culture of insight-led, data-driven marketing and creative.
Breaking onto the main stage
It’s clear that brands, agencies and publishers alike have finally switched onto the value of using their data to craft impactful, measurable campaigns. Dentsu, Zenith Optimedia and iProspect each had their own sessions in the Palais and on the beach giving a nod to data, science and performance in creativity. AirBnB’s Jonathan Mildenhall highlighted the challenges of using data without an overarching data strategy.
This new-found appreciation for data across the creative community is in stark contrast to previous years’, where respected industry voices railed against a future in which tech and creative bravery could peacefully coexist.
It’s testament to how far adtech and marketing tech companies have come in a relatively short period of time, and highlights the changing world of the CMO. Today marketers have to delight and capture the attention of their desired audience on one hand, while proving that those interactions are meaningful to the business on the other to justify their budgets.
Beyond the stage, prime locations along La Croisette and harbour side were crowded with marketing and adtech companies, each showcasing their own unique take on how their tools and data analytics capabilities can empower brands, agencies and publishers to deliver more customer-centric campaigns that take the right content and creative to the right audience at the right time.
Which will triumph at Cannes: ad tech or martech?
From a tech perspective you can forgive this year’s attendees for suffering from a case of information overload. The sheer number of ad tech and martech companies crammed into a small space, each promising to deliver impressive uplift in RoI, targeting and personalisation and vying for attention in 35 degree heat certainly made for an intense introduction to the uninitiated.
Implementing technology and changing working practices is a daunting and complex journey to embark on to begin with, and the onus is really on technology companies to make it as easy as possible to start that journey with confidence.
Where, ad tech provides a way of serving creative to the right audience at the right time on the right channel at scale, martech allows companies to use the data from those initial interactions and build long-term customer loyalty with an automated approach that remains highly personalised.
The companies that combine the two as part of an overarching data strategy will be the ones that create the impactful ideas and memorable campaigns of tomorrow.
Their campaigns will be as successfull commercially as they are romantically, and – crucially – they’ll be able to prove it.
2016 and beyond…
The debut of the Lions Innovation – a festival within the Festival dedicated to data and technology – reflected the industry’s wider shift in mindset towards how, by its own admission: “data and technology are driving creative solutions in ways never seen before, and at a rate that’s unprecedented.”
While there was no Grand Prix in the inaugural Creative Data Lions, the use of data to fuel creativity is undeniable and it won’t be long before the Lions Innovation or Creative Data Lions merge into the main programme in the same way that data will soon become a standard element of any and every successful creative campaign.
The next wave of creative will continue to result in poignant, ground-breaking advertising. What will change is that agencies will gain the confidence of knowing their campaigns will resonate with the right people before even going live. And while this may seem less romantic than the risk-taking and bravery that the industry has celebrated to-date, it certainly points to a stronger impact for great creative work moving forward.


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Trace North sells out and Enso is down to its final 2 homes! Escala and Bellevue Towers continue to experience strong sales in the luxury condo market.
Continue Reading »
Condo project sales and promotional updates for Olive 8, Escala, Gallery, Bellevue Towers and Enso.
Events at Hjarta and 1521 Second this weekend; updates for Bellevue Towers, Escala and One Main Street.
Land Use application filed for Hjarta Condo phase 2, Trace North and Trace Lofts are closing out, Harborside Condos offering steep price reductions.
Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend; sales and news updates for Escala, 1521 Second, 1350 Alki, Trace North, Gallery and Hjarta.
The Four Seasons Private Residences tops the list of the 10 most expensive condo sales in Seattle in 2010.
The Enclave expects to break ground this year, Escala has reached 70 home sales and the Brix has closed out.
Escala Condominium to re-open Saturday, March 27th with updated pricing.
Redefined, Seattle’s Escala Condominium plans to reopen its sales center on March 27th.
According to James Stroupe, there are changes afoot at Escala.
The completion of LUMA Condominium on First Hill helped push the median Seattle condo sales price to a new record high even as sales begin to taper off.
A new luxury boutique condominium, The Odessa, planned for Madison Park.
Sales activity slowed in August, though a high number of new construction closings contributed to an increase in condo values, particularly in downtown Seattle.
Fabulous two-bedroom corner home available at the Cosmopolitan Condo in downtown Seattle, close to South Lake Union and Amazon’s new campus.
Seattle’s condo prices keep rising even in the midst of the summer slowdown.
Seattle Condos and Lofts


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The government shall implement a new GST e-invoicing system from 1st October. It shall be applicable for taxpayers with a turnover above Rs. 500 Crore instead of the earlier planned Rs.100 crore. The taxpayers in the bracket will now have to file GST e-invoices on a Central Government System.
CBIC Principal Commissioner (GST) Yogendra Garg said the existing Goods and Services Tax (GST) return filing system would be improved further by incorporating the features proposed in the new system.
“E-invoicing, once it is stabilised it should be a great help in further reducing the compliance burden. The GST Implementation Committee has recommended yesterday that we will go ahead with October 1 deadline but with reduced turnover, so to begin with we will not do for Rs 100 crore and above as we had notified, we will soon come out with a notification to make it Rs 500 crore from October 1 and as it stabilises then we will bring a date for Rs 100 crore and above,” Garg said.
The government had announced in November 2020, that from April 1 electronic invoice (e-invoice) would be mandatory for businesses with a turnover of Rs 100 crore. Later in March 2020, the GST Council extended the implementation date to October 1.
The Council also exempted insurance, banking, financial institutions, NBFCs and passenger transport service from issuing e-invoice.


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The early economic signs indicate that we may already be in a “V”-shaped recovery — or at the very least a strong checkmark-shaped recovery — as we cautiously emerge from the coronavirus shutdown.
As Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Jay Powell admitted earlier this week, we have experienced a welcome “bounce back in economic activity,” and “have done so sooner than expected.” The economic data from the past two months make the point.
The May jobs report gave us the first indication that the post-pandemic rebound would be something special, revealing that employers had created a record-shattering 2.5 million jobs in a single month, beating economists' expectations for a loss of around 9 million jobs.
Most economists anticipated that the trend would continue, but few foresaw just how stellar the June jobs report turned out to be. Last month, the country gained a mind-boggling 4.8 million new jobs, blowing past consensus expectations of around 3.7 million. As an added bonus, last month’s total was revised upward by nearly 200,000 jobs, bring the two-month gain to 7.5 million jobs.
Even though the labor force participation rate rose sharply, meaning more people began looking for work, the nationwide unemployment rate nonetheless plummeted in June by more than two full percentage points, falling from 13.3 percent to 11.1 percent, also beating economists’ expectations of a 0.8 of a percentage point decrease to 12.5 percent.
Those are some incredible numbers! But what else were we seeing in the economy?
In May, retail sales increased by a record 17.7 percent, soundly beating economists’ expectations of around 8.4 percent. This increase in retail sales — following three months of declines — bodes well for a return to positive economic growth. Consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of our economic output, and retail sales account for about a quarter of consumer spending.
New home sales, a leading indicator of housing market health, were up 16.6 percent in May, beating economists’ expectations of a 1.9 percent increase — with many economists having forecasted negative sales in May.
The renaissance is taking place across the board as state and local officials roll back their lockdown orders.
The National Association of Realtors recently reported that its index of pending home sales, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rebounded by a record-setting 44.3 percent in May, driving the index to 99.6, the highest month-over-month gain since its inception in January 2001.
So how about June? It’s obviously early, but we have some data in addition to the jobs numbers.
Manufacturing, which represents about 11 percent of the U.S. economy, saw a big positive jump in June for the second straight month. The Institute for Supply Manufacturing survey showed that 52.6 percent of companies said their businesses are growing, up from 43.1 percent in May. That’s the best score since April of 2019 — and, of course, it beat economists’ expectations of 49.5 percent.
Consumers saw the writing on the wall in June even if the economists missed it — again. The Conference Board, a New York-based research organization, said that its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 98.1 in June from 85.9 in May, the biggest jump since 2011 and beating economists’ expectations of 90.5.
Not wanting to miss out on all the positivity, the stock markets — which are forward-looking — closed up nearly 20 percent for the quarter ending June 30, their best quarterly percentage increase since 1998.
Bottom line: the economic improvements over the past two months have been tremendous.
The renaissance is taking place across the board as state and local officials roll back their lockdown orders, though the gains are naturally being led by industries that were hit hardest by the pandemic, including leisure and hospitality (2.1 million new jobs), retail (740,000 new jobs), education and health services (568,000 new jobs), and manufacturing (356,000 new jobs).
There are plenty of lockdown orders still in place all over the country, meaning we’ve got ample potential for additional growth just by continuing to responsibly return to normal, even if we occasionally need to douse the embers of the pandemic here and there.
This unprecedented “V”-shaped recovery is exactly what President Trump predicted at the height of the COVID-19 downturn. Based on his track record of presiding over record-setting economic prosperity before the foreign pandemic reached our shores, I’ve always had confidence in the president’s ability to guide us through this crisis.
Now that the bounce-back has begun, I’m excited to see how his pro-growth economic agenda of middle-income tax cuts, targeted deregulation and genuinely free trade will fuel our national resurgence.
The “V”-shaped economic recovery has only just begun, and while there may be some coronavirus flare-ups along the way that force us to slow things down, we’ll have nothing to worry about as long as we keep President Trump’s pro-growth economic policies in place.


text: The outlook for additional fiscal stimulus remained uncertain. The suspension of indoor dining in New York City dampened sentiment, even as a key US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended the approval of Pfizer (-1.5%) and BioNTech’s (-1.7%) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. Qualcomm shares slumped 7.4% following reports that Apple has started building its own cellular modem for future devices. Tesla shares fell 2.7% after a downgrade by broker Jefferies. But Walt Disney shares surged 13.6% after announcing a new streaming lineup. The Dow Jones index closed up by 47 points or 0.2%. But the S&P 500 index ended lower by 0.1% and the Nasdaq index fell by 28 points or 0.2%. Over the week, the Dow fell 0.6%; S&P 500 lost 1%; and the Nasdaq dropped 0.7%.


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Those shareholders will also retain a 13 percent stake in the combined company to be called "Keurig Dr Pepper".
The stock decreased 0.16% or $0.025 during the last trading session, reaching $16.105. About 1.16M shares traded.
"From DPS' perspective at this time it makes a lot of sense", said Josh Blechman, director of capital markets at Exponential ETFs, which owns shares of Dr Pepper Snapple. It has underperformed by 18.09% the S&P500. FMR LLC now owns 2,984,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $271,898,000 after purchasing an additional 134,256 shares during the period.
Immersion Corporation (NASDAQ: IMMR) shares shot up 39 percent to $10.17 after the company reported a settlement with Apple. New Jersey Better Educational Savings Trust who had been investing in Oneok Inc New for a number of months, seems to be less bullish one the $23.06 billion market cap company. The stock increased 1.30% or $1.15 during the last trading session, reaching $89.71. About 412,518 shares traded. NV5 Global, Inc. (NVEE) has risen 44.12% since January 29, 2017 and is uptrending. Therefore 55% are positive.
Shares of Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE:DPS) rating on Wednesday, July 12. They issued a "buy" rating and a $104.00 price target for the company. Dr Pepper Snapple Group's revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter a year ago. (NYSE:DPS) opened at $95.65 on Friday. UBS has "Neutral" rating and $99 target. The firm has "Buy" rating given on Friday, March 3 by Jefferies. The firm has "Buy" rating given on Thursday, January 4 by Jefferies. (NYSE:DPS) is 33.665631. This is calculated by dividing the five year average ROIC by the Standard Deviation of the 5 year ROIC. Barclays Capital maintained the stock with "Hold" rating in Monday, May 1 report.
EPS in next five years is expected to touch 8.96% while EPS growth in past 5 year was 10.60% along with sales growth of 1.80% in the last five years. RBC Capital Markets maintained Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.
Several research analysts have weighed in on DPS shares.
Investors sentiment decreased to 0.97 in 2017 Q3. Its down 0.10, from 1.03 in 2017Q2. It is positive, as 52 investors sold OKE shares while 103 reduced holdings. Traders bid up shares in retailers, fast-food chains and other companies that provide consumer goods and services. Fiduciary Fin Of The Southwest Tx has 25,334 shares for 0.59% of their portfolio. Moreover, Manufacturers Life Insur The has 0.21% invested in ONEOK, Inc. Cost synergies of $600M by 2021 (~9% of DPS sales or ~5.5% of pro forma sales) will be a major source of value creation. (NYSE:OKE) or 70,493 shares.
The merger partners complement one another, said Gamgort, because Dr Pepper Snapples' multi-channel distribution system has been built through a combination of company-owned and partner demand-side platforms, while Keurig Green Mountain has strong distribution capabilities in traditional retail channels, along with strength in e-commerce, office, and hospitality. (NYSE:WM) for 172,786 shares. New York-based Art Advsrs Ltd has invested 0.08% in Ansys, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) for 3.11 million shares. Moors & Cabot holds 27,985 shares. Ronna Sue Cohen holds 41,895 shares or 1.77% of its portfolio. Ancora Advsrs Ltd Limited Liability Company holds 13,525 shares. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.9 percent and the S&P ASX/200 in Australia added 0.4 percent. (NYSE:WM) or 722,019 shares. It tells investors how well a company is turning their capital into profits.
Among 14 analysts covering Waste Management Inc. (NYSE:DPS) earned "Buy" rating by Wells Fargo on Thursday, January 4. Ansys Inc. had 34 analyst reports since August 6, 2015 according to SRatingsIntel. The rating was upgraded by Bank of America to "Buy" on Monday, October 31. BMO Capital Markets has "Buy" rating and $10500 target. The Value Composite Two of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. Credit Suisse initiated the stock with "Outperform" rating in Wednesday, February 8 report. The stock has "Hold" rating by Cowen & Co on Thursday, July 13. (NYSE:DPS) is 30.00000. The Q.i.


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“The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet.” – Mark Twain
As time continues to aggravatingly march on, with no relief from the gods in heaven that this catastrophe is coming to an end any time soon, the psychopath’s stranglehold on turning the creator’s gifts into profits at the expense of the sick, the suffering, the innocents, has no limits.
Unless the FDA makes an exception, consumers will lose access to affordable CBD oil. Action Alert!
Over the last couple of years, ANH has been reporting on the many benefits of CBD oil, a non-psychoactive compound found in the hemp plant. Among other things, CBD oil is extremely helpful in managing pain. You might think that, in the midst of a crippling epidemic of opioid addiction, a public health agency would be interested in preserving access to affordable, non-addictive pain remedies. But the FDA could shut the door permanently on consumer access to affordable CBD oil, unless concerned citizens make their voices heard.
You’ll recall from our previous coverage that the main obstacle is this: the FDA has approved a CBD drug, Epidolex, for the treatment of a rare form of childhood epilepsy. The drug will reportedly cost $32,500 a year. Because CBD oil was likely not sold as a supplement before 1994, and no “new supplement” notification was filed on CBD before it was investigated as a drug, it cannot legally be sold as a supplement. – via anh-usa.org
It is non-stop f**kery, Amy!
Non-humans masquerading as dickheads who, by having their head up the arse of another non-human in power above them, have proliferated to such an extent that mother earth is overriden with these a-holes. But what else is new. As Mr. Twain demonstrates, we’ve had them among us for a very long, long time. And as Americans have become more and more insouciant over the decades, why, it’s easy to understand how reamed up the arse we don’t mind getting from these dickheads.
And if you’re a tad worried about all the clamoring’s of the sage and crusty young and old farts running for president, hoping that they too can become a billionaire, just like their hero Barack, who is likely to become the first ex-president billionaire, take out a cigar and relax, for global warming, the rising of the waters of the oceans and other calamities these shysters have us clutching our pearls over, well, it’s just not that big of a f**king deal…
We’ll let Barack & Michelle show us the way, obviously not too concerned about the rising waters from global warming, as they prepare to purchase a really kick-ass, ocean-front property:
Barack and Michelle Obama are close to buying a massive Martha’s Vineyard estate.
TMZ reports that the former president and first lady are in escrow — aka in contract to purchase — a 29-acre beachfront plot with a 6,892-square-foot main house. The Obamas were initially just renting the seven-bedroom, 8½-bathroom spread for summer 2019, but apparently loved it so much that they made an offer.
It was most recently on the market asking $14.85 million, but the Obamas are apparently paying less. – via nypost.com
Not only has Jesus wept – Jesus continually vomits watching God’s miraculous creations of human beings, following the trail of bile from psychopath’s, nut jobs and other assorted nitwits.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain
Tonight’s musical offering:
Jethro Tull – “Bourrée”
Photo by Ahmad Odeh on Unsplash
The warning signs are multiplying as we near the end, but that end will end the darkness and let the irresistible light into it midst and a new better time is ahead when the pendulum swings as it is bound to do! Forever optimistic that in the end enlightenment will be our birthright! 🙂
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Inspiring and hopeful thoughts…thank you Conny!
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Nvidia is working on a new graphics card which will be named the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, according to VideoCardz.
The graphics card will be the manufacturer’s first Turing-based GPU launched under its GTX brand.
While it will lack technology such as ray tracing, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti could be positioned as a much cheaper product than RTX GPUs while delivering good performance.
According to the report, the GTX 1660 Ti will feature 1,536 CUDA cores, 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and a 192-bit memory interface.
The report stated that while there is no launch date available, the graphics card is expected to release in the near future – as the GeForce GTX 1060 falls out of the market.


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It’s finally happening.
After years of putting up with blackout dates, broken promises and bait-and-switch games, American travelers — particularly air travelers — are saying “Enough!”
They’re refusing to play the loyalty-program game, jettisoning blind brand allegiance in favor of a more pragmatic view of travel. Price and convenience are trumping mindless devotion to an airline, a car rental company or a hotel.
In a recent survey, a plurality of travelers (38 percent) said that finding the best deal topped their list, a tectonic shift from previous years, when collecting credits in a frequent-flier or frequent-stayer program was more important. Only 9 percent of travelers will book their trips based on loyalty to an airline or hotel chain, according to the poll conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Capital One.
“It’s all about the bottom line,” says Nathan Richter, a partner at Wakefield Research. “Getting the best deal on a summer vacation is a priority for many consumers this year.”
Consumers in the past have been willing to endure the fine print and shifting goal posts that have defined most travel loyalty programs. They’ve looked the other way while program rules were quietly rewritten and their points expired, hopeful that they would someday get a “free” award ticket. But the latest reforms by such legacy airlines as Delta and United, which tied rewards to the amount that travelers spend rather than the number of points they earn, was a pill too hard to swallow.
So travelers are quitting.
April Thompson, a digital marketing consultant based in Atlanta, has been a loyal Delta SkyMiles member since she graduated from college in 2004. She discovered the value of accumulating miles and redeeming them through the airline’s expanding network of global partners — until the carrier decided to change the way it measured her loyalty, rewarding her based in part on how much she spends, instead of how much she flies. Those SkyMiles revisions, announced in February, will take effect on all flights departing after Jan. 1, 2015.
“I will definitely be loosening up my allegiance to Delta,” she says. “Value and convenience are now my top priorities.”
Thompson has already allowed her elite membership to lapse, slipping from platinum level to gold, and she’s shifting her spending to an American Express card that allows her to redeem her rewards on multiple airlines so that she’s no longer tied to Delta.
“Buh-bye,” says Jim Dailakis, a New York-based actor, who says he’s ditching his United loyalty program. “I no longer see the point in being loyal to any of these airlines and their mediocre rewards. They’re like a partner who only wants to stay with you because you have a lot of money. I’m dumping them just like I would a materialistic girlfriend.”
United’s changes, announced in June, take effect next March and mirror Delta’s changes, rewarding customers based on the fare paid rather than the number of miles flown. The biggest losers will be leisure travelers, says Brian Karimzad, director of the loyalty program site MileCards.com. “With average airfare around $300, you’ll earn fewer miles for that fare,” he says.


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By Kaity Rossi
Zero-day attacks are on the decline, according to Symantec’s 2018 Internet Security Threat Report (ISTR).
The report, which describes the cyber security threat landscape from the previous year, noted that zero-day attacks have become increasingly difficult for hackers to effectively launch.
This decline has contributed to an increase in supply chain attacks, which are considered by cyber criminals to be an effective alternative.
Whether you’re unfamiliar with the impact of supply chain attacks, or simply need a refresher on how to defend your organization against this growing threat, here are the different types of attacks, newsworthy events from 2017, and four ways to guard your environment.
Click here to keep reading on The SHI Blog!


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Grand opening, grand closing!
According to Revolt, Travis Scott’s empire took another loss when Anheuser-Busch announced on Friday that it will no longer distribute the rapper’s CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. “After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision,” the brewing giant shared in a statement.
Although the announcement came just a few weeks after the Astroworld Fest, Anheuser-Busch didn’t cite tragedy for their decision to discontinue the drink. A source close to Travis told TMZ that the end of the partnership after less than a year is a mutual decision and “not a cancelation or ceasing of an ongoing agreement.”
A rep for Travis also explained to TMZ that “Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal. CACTI asked AB InBev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time.”
It’s understandable that the split would be in the best interest of both parties after Astroworld, but Anheuser-Busch had other motivations. Cacti went from flying off the shelves in March, making it an instant top 5 brand in the seltzer market, to a significant decline in sales in recent months.
Nike is also putting the breaks on a releasing a Travis Scott shoe. “Out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival, we are postponing the launch of the Air Max 1 x Cactus Jack,” the sneaker company wrote in a statement.
It’s hard to believe that the man who made Happy Meals and seltzer cool again could lose his marketing magic so fast. In 2020, Travis was the king of corporate collaborations, including a virtual Fortnite concert, a Strategic Creative Partner role in the highly anticipated rollout of Sony’s Playstation 5, and his own wildly successful custom McDonald’s meal.


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'Runway to Runway' is the name of a new fashion-focused travel rewards program from Etihad Airways that specifically caters to the international fashion community.
Traveling from New York to Paris to Milan is an essential part of someone in the fashion industry, and the airway's newest rewards program recognizes this fact. With the Runway to Runway program, members are eligible to receive special corporate rates, invitations to exclusive fashion events and discounts on cargo transport, among other benefits when flying for photoshoots or fashion events.
Etihad unveiled its Runway to Runway program at New York Fashion Week by hosting an invite-only dinner on the runway for VIPs in collaboration with online retailer Moda Operandi. Guests at the exclusive event included Emily Ratakowski and the designers behind Marchesa.


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We are delighted to announce that the University of Oxford Innovation Fund IV has invested in Arago Biosciences alongside Oxford Sciences Innovation. Arago has designed the world’s most sensitive light microscope.
Arago Biosciences, a spin-out company from the University of Oxford’s Department of Chemistry, has designed a new way of detecting and quantifying molecules. The patent-protected technology allows users to carry out label-free imaging, localisation, and accurate mass determination of single biomolecules in solution. The approach has the potential to revolutionise the characterisation of molecular interactions, making it particularly relevant to the pharmaceutical, biomedical and research sectors.


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The other day I attended the launching of “Spot Lymphoma, Stop Lymphoma” initiative by Biopharmaceutical leader Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc.
Based on the 2010 Census of Population and Housing covering the 92.1 million household population in the country, there are
Omicron’s entry to the Philippines has left the country shocked after the holidays. Reaching over 32,000 daily confirmed cases, a
Nutrition has always been a pressing issue, especially now when families are becoming more vulnerable to health and economic problems.
Lazada, the leading online lifestyle destination in the Philippines, is giving life to the culture, tradition and the very soul
Every 3 minutes, a child with a cleft and lip palate is born. In the Philippines, 1 in 500 children
“Mother knows best” is more than just a saying. From your best friends, to your favorite food, to your hobbies
Google has announced the official launch of Be Internet Awesome in the Philippines. Be Internet Awesome is Google’s free multifaceted


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Following the approval of a DLT license for Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange, the Singapore-based digital currency exchange Huobi has been granted the same authorization by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC).
Huobi, one of the largest virtual currency operators in the world, has obtained a full Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) license by the financial watchdog in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory and headland on Spain’s south coast.
Huobi was founded in China but was forced to spread its wings to more crypto friendly jurisdictions. The company now has offices in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, United States, and Gibraltar. The operator is publicly listed in the Hong Kong exchange (HKEX) since August 2018 after a reverse takeover which had Huobi acquiring a 74% stake in electronics manufacturer Pantronics Holdings.
The firm founded by Leon Li processed around $1 billion in trades daily as of March 2018, Huobi reported. The full DLT license awarded to Huobi will help the cryptocurrency exchange expand its business in the European Union and set up operations in such fiscally friendly jurisdiction.
The Hon Albert Isola MP, Gibraltar’s Minister for Commerce, said:
“This announcement is yet another example of the effective road to market Gibraltar is providing for companies seeking continued innovation under the umbrella of sensible and secure regulation. The robust DLT legislation we have introduced gives quality companies like Huobi a supportive framework on which they can further develop and cultivate sustainable legacies.”
The Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange (GBX) has recently obtained the same DLT license from the Gibraltar regulator. The granting of the license means that the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX) has become the first stock exchange to own a regulated blockchain exchange, GBX, which is an institutional-grade token sale platform and Digital Asset Exchange.
Gibraltar’s DLT legislation was introduced in January 2018 and defines the regulatory framework for businesses using blockchain. After completing the application process, Huobi and GBX can now store and transmit value belonging to others using distributed ledger technology. Both cryptocurrency exchanges can now engage with regulators and benefit from the flexible framework that allows room for guidelines to evolve in tandem with the blockchain sector.


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Now, a new rumor claims Xiaomi can even introduce one other system, which isn’t a smartphone. According to a report by the web site mydrivers.com, we’ll get to see the revealing of a new laptop prone to be generally known as Mi Notebook Pro. Some of its key specs have additionally been revealed. Moreover, the report says the laptop has acquired the 3C certification hinting in the direction of an imminent launch.
If the report is to be believed, the Mi Notebook Pro will arrive with a giant 15.6-inch full HD display with the decision density of 1080p. Under its hood, the laptop is claimed to be powered by a dual-core i78550U and that i58250U processor clubbed with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of inside reminiscence.
It will run on Windows 10 and have in-built MX 150 GPU with a 2G graphic capability. Besides this, the 3C certification has revealed, the Mi Notebook Pro comes with 20V/2.25A or 20V/three.25An influence adapter and theoretically, the utmost energy provide of this configuration is 45W or 65W respectively.
So this implies the upcoming laptop will not be a gaming laptop. Moreover, the 3C certification reveals the Mi Notebook Pro gives assist for the 4G cellular community.
Well, at present that is all that’s identified in regards to the system. Let’s simply look forward to an hour to see whether or not Xiaomi launches the laptop of not.


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Stunning snow conditions at Scotland's ski resorts have earned a massive £23 million for the local economy since the start of the season, it was revealed yesterday.
The tourism body said approximately £16.4 million of that figure was money spent on accommodation, shops and fuel.
With Britain having suffered the second coldest March on record, and snow still visible on the hills, Scotland's ski resorts are predicting that there may be a rare summer season for skiers this year.
There could be money-spinning weeks ahead as the snowsports industry looks set for the longest Scottish ski season on record. A Ski Scotland spokeswoman said skiers and boarders could possibly still be on the slopes as midsummer approaches in June.
Ski centres at Glenshee, The Lecht, Cairngorms, Nevis Range, and Glencoe have benefited from wintry weather.
Just last weekend Scotland's five mountain ski areas including CairnGorm Mountain had fresh snowfall with more forecast this week.
They are all reporting great conditions and have no plans to close in the immediate future, with many enjoying drifts of fresh, powdery snow.
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, said: "Our ski centres are a huge draw to local people, as well as those from further afield, and with the recent blue sky days and excellent snow conditions - unprecedented for this time of year - the Easter holidays are a great opportunity to get out there and enjoy it.
In June 2010, more than 100 skiers took advantage of ski tows being open at CairnGorm Mountain for the first time in midsummer.
The Scottish winter sports industry has attracted more than 250,000 skiers, snowboarders and other enthusiasts since December of last year, while the Easter weekend saw a record number head to the slopes.
However, the figures are well below 2009-2010 - one of the best on record - when almost 375,000 people hit the slopes.
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SIRI and Alexa are encouraging sexism with 'flirty' responses to men, according to the UN.
A report by Unesco has accused the operating systems of being 'submissive' and 'flirtatious', which it thinks could be reinforcing the harmful idea that women should be subservient.
Researchers found that when told “you’re a slut” Apple’s assistant Siri replied “I’d blush if I could,” “Well, I never!” and “Now, now.”
The report also claims that the tech assistants are “docile helpers”, even when faced with insults, which is said to be 'entrenching' gender biases and has the potential to cause harm.
According to the UN, submissive female AI assistants create the idea of “a heterosexual female, tolerant and occasionally inviting of male sexual advances and even harassment”.
The UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation said: “In many communities this reinforces commonly held gender biases that women are subservient and tolerant of poor treatment.”
Researchers blamed the “overwhelmingly male engineering teams” of Apple and Amazon, which programmes the Alexa virtual assistant.
They said the assistants “should not invite or engage in sexist language”.
Their report is called 'I'd blush if I could' and is calling for change so that future AI assistants won't be flirtatious and could even have neutral voices.
It is worth noting that both Siri and Alexa can already be changed to have a male voice by their users but male sounding AI assistants appear to be less popular.
Unesco is also calling for more women to work on the tech teams who create these assistants.
The 146 page report summarised: "Companies like Apple and Amazon, staffed by overwhelmingly male engineering teams, have built AI systems that cause their feminised digital assistants to greet verbal abuse with catch-me-if-you-can flirtation."
MOST READ IN TECH
In other news, Amazon is turning Alexa into security ‘watchdog’ that spies on your home – and sends you audio clips of intruders.
Google’s ‘robot caller’ that can book haircuts and doctors appointments using creepy human voice has been rolled out for some iPhone users.
And, here are some of the best Amazon Echo tricks you can try today.
Do you think that female voice assistants are enforcing sexist stereotypes? Let us know in the comments...


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Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has expanded its ET Street S/S tire line with three additional sizes: P305/45R17, P275/45R18 and P285/35R19.
“The ET Street S/S is a truly incredible street performance tire that’s also ready for the drag strip on the weekend,” said Ken Warner, vice president of marketing for Mickey Thompson. “These new sizes have been specially designed for the high-horsepower demands of late-model vehicles. They handle confidently on the street and really perform at the strip.”
The ET Street S/S combines the popular Mickey Thompson R2 drag tire compound with polyester-ply, steel-belted, tubeless radial construction for dry traction performance and reliability, the company said.
For more information about the ET Street S/S tires, visit mickeythompsontires.com.
Mickey Thompson is a subsidiary of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.


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GRIMSBY will have a strong presence at Icefish 2017, which opens just outside Reykjavik tomorrow.
Held every three years, the Iceland Fisheries Exhibition has been growing in stature and is expected to attract a record 20,000 visitors to what is the second most important fishing country in the northern hemisphere, after Norway.
There will also be a major international presence and Grimsby Fish Market, which hugely depends on Icelandic fish, will have its own stand there.
The market, which was badly hit during the two-month-long fishermen’s strike last winter, hopes to use the event to emphasise its strength and to persuade more suppliers to send fish to the Humber.
The stand will be shared with the local Grimsby (North East Lincolnshire) council and Atlantic Fresh, the main Icelandic export organisation, which also has a base in Grimsby.
Other local companies include the seafood processor, Havelock of Grimsby, which is sharing the Iceland Seafood International stand.
Marianne Rasmussen-Coulling, the exhibition’s executive director, told the Icelandic newspaper Morgunbladid: ‘One major difference between the show this year and the last one, held in 2014, is that the number of overseas exhibitors has increased.
‘The Icelandic fisheries industry has been efficiently upgrading the ship and equipment options, and it seems to have attracted foreign sellers who want to better promote their products and technology.
‘We have exhibitors from the United States and from European countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Portugal, but also exhibitors such as India, Bangladesh, Singapore and Peru.
‘It is also great to welcome buyers from the Far East and Africa, as well as financially interested parties who are looking for investments in new equipment and services for their operations.’
Probably the most unusual exhibitor, amid the macho world of stands displaying ship’s engines, trawl gear, generators and processing equipment, is that of the International Association for Women in Seafood. This will be the first time that a women’s association has set up a stand at a professional fisheries fair.
A spokeswoman said: ‘Iceland is the right place to be for such venture, its fishing industry is very dynamic and the country is at the forefront when it comes to gender equality.
‘During this professional meeting we will seek visitors’ perceptions on women’s roles in the various sectors of the industry and their understanding of the reasons behind women’s invisibility in the industry.’


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It’s harvest time for wine grapes. But after one of the worst growing seasons in northern Michigan, there aren’t many grapes to make into wine.
Duke Elsner, the small fruit educator for Michigan State University extension, says, "It’s really the worst season we’ve ever seen since the mid-70’s when they started growing wine grapes in northern Michigan."
He says the extreme cold winter wiped out about 50 percent of the grape buds. Then roughly 50 percent of remaining buds were damaged in a late spring frost in May.


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- Blockchain Council
- October 30, 2023
In a groundbreaking move, Google has officially pledged a colossal $2 billion investment in Anthropic, the up-and-coming AI startup, establishing itself as a formidable contender to OpenAI. This significant financial infusion is part of an ongoing trend, with major tech giants recognizing the potential of AI’s transformative capabilities and making substantial investments to secure their positions in the competitive field of artificial intelligence.
The funding deal, according to sources familiar cited by The Wall Street Journal, reportedly involves an initial $500 million investment, with the potential for an additional $1.5 billion at a later stage. Anthropic, in response to this development, has not provided an official statement on the matter.
This investment effort may evoke memories of Microsoft’s earlier substantial investment in OpenAI, underscoring the gravity of the competition. Notably, Amazon has also showcased its dedication to Anthropic with a significant $4 billion investment, further solidifying the notion that the funding gap in AI research is more theoretical than practical.
This investment signifies the latest move in a proxy war among tech giants, each striving to gain a foothold in the AI domain, specifically concerning large language models. Despite their immense power and expertise across various technological domains, these tech giants acknowledge their limitations in developing credible competitors to the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic in the realm of large language models.
The consensus among these giants is that large language models will significantly disrupt their business models and form an integral part of future tech platforms. Therefore, it becomes imperative for them to secure partial ownership of the leading entities in this domain.
These investments encompass more than just financial contributions. The creation and deployment of AI models at the scale required for profitable operations demand substantial infrastructure and resources. As such, the investment deals involve elements like compute credits and mutual support, acknowledging the broader requirements in AI development.
Anthropic’s approach to competing with OpenAI takes a distinctive turn. Their focus on enterprise-level products, which may not be as appealing to the average consumer, could prove to be a savvy long-term business strategy. CEO Dario Amodei emphasizes the importance of safety and transparency, which may not concern the casual user but holds paramount significance for corporate clients, shareholders, and regulatory compliance.
The significant sums of money invested in AI development are not without reason. Training, deploying, and running AI models come at staggering costs. As soon as a company manages to compress an AI model to a cost-effective level, a more powerful model emerges, rendering the previous iteration obsolete. This cost-to-performance discrepancy poses challenges for both OpenAI and Anthropic.
Anthropic’s internal documents suggest the need to spend a billion dollars by the end of 2024 to develop their next-generation model, “Claude-Next.” These significant investments underscore the financial realities of AI research and development.
Until major players like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon can independently stand at the forefront of AI development, they must wage a proxy war through billions of dollars in subsidies to foster innovation within AI startups. This strategy ensures that they remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
The investment from Google is structured as a convertible note, a type of debt that can be converted into equity during the next round of funding, as per Bloomberg reports. Google has already invested $500 million in Anthropic and has committed to an additional $1.5 billion in the future.
Amazon’s investment in Anthropic also warrants attention. In a quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Amazon revealed its investment of $1.25 billion in Anthropic, with the potential to convert this into equity. Additionally, Amazon has the capability to invest an additional $2.75 billion in a second note, expiring in the first quarter of 2024.
Anthropic, co-founded by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, has been on a remarkable journey. Prior to launching their own company in 2021, they worked as engineers at OpenAI. The Wall Street Journal reported a dispute between the Amodei siblings and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman concerning the safe development of artificial intelligence.
Anthropic’s funding story is as diverse as it is extensive. While initially funded by FTX’s Sam Bankman Fried, a renowned figure in the crypto exchange world, the startup sought additional investors after a notable setback in the crypto exchange sector. Cloud giants like Amazon and Google joined traditional Silicon Valley investors such as Spark Capital and Menlo Ventures in supporting Anthropic. Anthropic’s remarkable journey in 2023 includes securing a staggering $7 billion in funding, further cementing its position as a major player in the AI industry.


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Digital music sales are enjoying a boom, as more and more of us carry around devices that are able to store and play music.
While it is a given that we are all consuming more music digitally rather than via more traditional methods such as vinyl or CD, what has surprised some is the rate at which that adoption has increased.
"So far this year, digital album sales in the US are up 15 per cent from the same period last year," notes Nielsen.
Nielsen, which describes itself as "a global leader in measurement and information", has been monitoring digital music sales in the US and found that Americans have already purchased one billion digital tracks so far this year.
That number - 15 per cent up on last year - is set to break 2011’s record of 1.3 billion tracks sold.
The reason? According to Nielsen it's because we've all got smartphones now.
"A look back at music sales over the past few years found that the explosion of devices on the market -such as smartphones and tablets - and their increasing role in consumers’ everyday lives has played a major factor in the growth of digital music," says the organisation.
“As we look ahead, it’s clear that digital music purchases - and consumption through streaming sources -will continue to grow, and that consumers’ appetites for digital music will change at the speed of technology,” said David Bakula, senior vice-president of client development at Nielsen.
Are you listening to music more? Let us know in the comments below.


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Plant Power Fast Food, one of the fastest-growing vegan fast-food chains in the US, has announced the opening of its new Los Angeles flagship restaurant. Located in the heart of iconic Hollywood, it marks Plant Power Fast Food’s 11th restaurant opening, with four more slated to open by the end of the year.
Plant Power Fast Food is a 100% vegan and sustainability-focused version of traditional fast food brands such as McDonald’s, with the new location situated near the intersection of Vine Street and Melrose Avenue and around the block from Paramount Studios, Hollywood. Other locations can be found across California, including San Diego and Sacramento, and also in Las Vegas, NV.
As the company looks to accelerate its lead in the rapidly evolving market segment, Plant Power has seen a number of restaurant industry players come onboard recently from brands such as Chipotle and Yum! Brands, as well as the hiring of former Starbucks exec Steve Figliola as Chief Development Officer.
Four new locations
2021 saw Plant Power Fast Food join the Eat Beyond portfolio followed by a $7.5 million Series A capital raise. With four new locations in the pipeline for 2022, the vegan chain looks set to execute its growth strategy to deliver healthier, sustainable plant-based food to an increasingly larger audience.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to finally land in L.A. and we’re especially excited to be in the heart of this creative community. In the short time since opening this location, we’ve received a warm welcome from local residents as well as the many musicians, actors and studio professionals who commute into Hollywood for work,” Plant Power Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Harris commented.


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Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will not participate in the upcoming CEFTA meetings that will take place in Pristina on November 20thand 21st, as well as at the ministerial meeting within CEFTA week.
This information was confirmed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister of Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic for Tanjug, adding that this the conclusion of a telephone conversation with Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of BiH Mirko Sarovic.
“It is pointless to behave as if nothing is happening and the situation is normal, and it is clear to everyone that after the introduction of 10 percent VAT on goods from Serbia and BiH that are imported to Kosovo, this represents the biggest crisis since the beginning of CEFTA agreement,” Ljajic said.
Ljaljic stressed that the common goal of Serbia and BiH is to abolish the previously mentioned measures imposed by institutions in Pristina and then to “start talking, not only about the abolition of barriers but about the common substantial creation of economic space in this part of Europe.”
Next week, Ljajic and Sarovic will meet to set the joint activities that the two countries will take to abolish the disputed taxes introduced by the institutions in Pristina.


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At DoD, a Big Step Toward Apple and Android
October 23, 2012
The Defense Department has taken a major step to expand a mobile strategy that could topple the BlackBerry as its dominant mobile device.
Late Monday, the Defense Information Systems Agency released a request for proposal detailing DoD’s need for software that can monitor, manage and enforce security requirements for Apple and Android devices. The solution, known as a mobile device management or MDM solution, will not be required to support BlackBerry and Windows devices.
Ultimately, DoD expects its MDM solution will support 8 million devices, including all department-issued mobile devices and computers.


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Graphene technology startup CamGraPhIC has secured £813,475 in funding from Wealth Club members through the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).
CamGraPhIC, a spinout from the University of Cambridge, is creating graphene-based photonics technology that could be used in optical transceivers and in telecom networks.
Graphene is stronger than steel as well as a conductor of electricity and heat. In the future, it could replace the use of silicon inside electronics.
“The company has the potential to be a leading manufacturer of next-generation optical devices for use in global 5G markets. While still under development, the products appear to be delivering performance at low cost and have achieved key milestones since the last funding round,” said Alex Davies, CEO and founder, Wealth Club.
The startup will use the funding to finish the fabrication and testing of its prototype devices, with consumer testing planned to start next month.
The investment was completed through an “advanced subscription agreement”, where shares are given in the future as part of a funding round or converted.
Wealth Club’s injection of capital CamGraPhIC’s joins the £1.26m invested by Frontier IP and Wealth Club. It follows on from a £1.6m round last September.
Paul Mantle, CEO, CamGraPhIC, said: “We are delighted to progress this funding round. Our graphene-based photonics technology has the potential to transform high-speed data and telecommunications. We look forward to evaluating the technology with customers and receiving the first results.”
Wealth Club, founded in 2016, is an investment for service for high network individuals. According to the company it has more than 9,000 clients that have invested over £900m.
Graphene manufacturer Integrated Graphene last month announced its £8m investment for the scaling up of its commercial manufacturing process for Graphene.


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- Customer Experience and Contact Centre Services
- Webhelp Payment Services
- Global Enterprise Services
- Netino by Webhelp
- Technology enablement
Author: Ewan McKay, Marketing and Communications Manager, Webhelp
The recent YouGov study commissioned by Webhelp, illustrated a strong preference for human-to-human contact versus AI-powered customer service tools. Here, we take a deeper dive into the individual points of view behind these results, as Webhelp’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Ewan McKay, shares the people’s voice from our focus groups.
It is hard to disagree that digital transformation has changed everything when it comes to the customer experience. The evidence is clear in the collapse of the high street as a retail force, with once untouchable brands like HMV hitting administration and retail giants like Arcadia Group struggling to compete.
Cloud computing, automation and artificial intelligence give Brands unparalleled insight into customer behaviour, telling us more about our audiences that than ever before.
However, this trend is not overwhelmingly popular with consumers, many of whom still want ‘person to person’ interactions with a brand for customer service. Our survey uncovered a surprising preference for this with almost half those asked stating that AI will not impact their lives positively over the next five years.
This viewpoint was echoed by our focus groups with customer advisors from across the UK region, during which concerns about the current ability of AI to really understand someone’s need at a personal level were raised.
“How would a computer be able to accommodate the individuality of every customer? And then of course (there is the issue of) the translation between what a computer says and how that’s heard by the customer?”
However, it was generally thought that the younger generations, those who had grown up with technology at their fingertips, would take the expansion of AI and automation in their stride. The participants of the focus group shared the sentiment that:
“The kids that are in school will all be dealing with artificial technology – they know their way around Google better than I do!” and “The younger generations are fine and will suss it out.”
Focus group members had confidence that tech savvy youngsters could handle AI in the future – Photo Credit: Giu Vicente/Unsplash
Interestingly, in our YouGov survey younger generations were actually found to be more worried about AI-led threats to privacy and security over the next five years than older generations. This sense of unease was replicated in our focus group, particularly around fraud and data breaches linked to the rapid growth of new technology, even amongst those who were broadly positive about AI:
“AI is an amazing thing, but you’ve just got to be wary of the security side of things. Is it safe to do this? Can you trust this with AI? Can you allow a computer to make decisions on your behalf?”
“I think as long as cyber security progresses with technology, then I can see it being safe – but there will always be people who will find a way to take advantage.”
Less surprising perhaps, was the fact those aged 18-24 were 20% more worried about AI’s impact on their job prospects than the 55+ sector and again this concern was repeated by our group:
“I know it’s there to make your life more convenient, but at the same time there is a potential of it taking our jobs away!”
Perhaps they are right to be concerned. Recent developments in AI and robotics include a bricklayer that can lay 1,000 standard bricks in one hour, a station that allows cows to milk themselves on demand, and most famously, the new Amazon Go store in Seattle, where there are no checkouts and no cashiers. Customers can pick what they like and “just walk out” and a receipt pops up on their phone for items they have bought.
Things are moving quickly in the online CX arena too. My colleague, Chris Bryson, Global Analytics Director, explores the upcoming trends in Chatbots, Voice Recognition and AI in his recent blog.
While it’s true that customers are becoming more familiar with AI, a poorly implemented customer service system using AI can create some very negative customer experiences, as our Global Innovation Director, Dave Pattman points out in his latest blog.
The good news is that it’s possible to overcome these concerns and preconceptions by creating customer experiences that marry people and tech seamlessly, which is what we help our clients do every day!
In case you haven’t registered yet, Sign up to receive fresh insights and invitations to exec events with our Webhelp Disruptor Series campaign: https://www.go.webhelp.com/disruptorseries.
Do you think that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a positive or negative effect on ‘your life in the near future? Get in touch if you’re facing disruption – or want to disrupt – and want to talk through the implications for CX. E: email@example.com
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VANCOUVER — Jessika Villano sells a potent array of dried cannabis, oils, salves and even bud-infused bath bombs at Buddha Barn Medicinal Society — all grown and processed by small-scale British Columbia producers.
Villano doesn’t want that to change when marijuana is legalized later this year, and she’s among the proponents of local craft cannabis who are pushing the federal and provincial governments to ensure its survival.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“I believe in our sector,” Villano said. “Our elected representatives need to take immediate steps to protect it or face the consequences of letting B.C. craft cannabis collapse.”
Five groups representing small pot growers and sellers delivered an open letter on Friday to federal Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and her B.C. counterpart David Eby. The letter urges immediate action from both ministers ahead of legalization.
The federal government has signalled it will make room for craft cannabis in the recreational industry. It has proposed a micro-cultivation licence for growers whose crops cover less than 200 square metres, but it hasn’t created an application process.