text:
Princeton researchers have found that a high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) diet can make all considerably more fat, 48% more fat than those on an ordinary sugar diet; in addition, not all on the natural sugar diet got fat, unlike all on HFCS. These Princeton University researchers and several others all over the nation are now, naturally, quite motivated to prove HFCS can cause an obesity epidemic and obesity related diseases, like diabetes and high blood pressure. See ABC video discussed below on the controversy raised by a Harvard professor on sweetened beverages and snacks. There are 16 million Latino kids in USA and one in two of them will develop diabetes connected to obesity, writes Cindy Rodriguez of Huffington post. A lack of will power is not to blame for this rise in obesity of Hispanic children, says a Professor of Pediatrics, at Baylor Medical Center of Texas. An interesting note, while there has been an alarming rise in Autistic children in the recent decades, the number of Hispanic children presenting severe autism is rare. Is it possible that the factor responsible for obesity is protective from Autism?
A Hispanic Children's Obesity Participant
Many consumers want to boycott products with HFCS. Others, simply buy products which do not include HFCS – hence, encouraging use of natural sugar in products we commonly use, like cereal. This Thanksgiving, 2011, many are giving thanks by eating an old – fashioned pecan pie, made with no corn syrup and HFCS; a recipe follows, if you scroll all the way down.
The Old Fashioned Pecan Pie - with no corn syrup
Food with no corn syrup?
Have you tried to buy bread recently? Firstly, there is none with no sugar. “Sugar-free” does not count because it is sweetened artificially. The “sweetened” bread uses high fructose corn syrup to be sweetened. It will be difficult to find a brand without HFCS. Of course, you will put on weight by eating bread sweetened with HFCS, even if you may not have put on weight eating the same brand when it did not use HFCS. Hurley and Liebmanin 2008, reviewed thoroughly the “healthy” claims of many commercially sliced breads on the store shelves. They said since HFSC or sugar is added in such small amounts it is an unimportant fact in sliced bread. I disagree. Bread is a staple and every little bit of HFSC adds up. They raised the alarm on the use of artificial sweetener in bread, and I would agree. How about sweetened cereal? That too is a staple?
A sampling of commercial cereal
History of sugar and corn syrup & Patents
Use of sugar goes back centuries. It was never meant to be used in such large amounts as modern, affluent societies began to use in candies and other confectionaries. Sugar was dangerous to produce. It required handling of boiling hot liquids. Much of this work was done by slaves. This inspired a son of a former slave to invent a safer process for manufacturing sugar. Norbert Rillieux, of New Orleans, Louisiana, received a patent from the United States Patent Office in 1846, entitled, “Improvement in sugar making“. His invention included vaccuum and evaporation steps. Thus, began the industrial age of sugar in 1846.
The discovery of corn syrup and High Fructose corn syrup (HFCS) allowed for cheaper substitutes for sugar. Then, followed a search for a cheaper process of manufacturing HFCS. A recent patent by East lansing, Michigan, scientists in 2007 claims to have discovered a better process for HFCS manufacture. The patent discusses how production of HFCS using immobilized glucose isomerase (GI) is the largest commercial enzymatic process. So, this patent claims to have found a better enzyme for industrial production of HFCS, and the search continues for a yet better enzyme.
It appears that if you want to make more money for your company, you should support cheaper, large scale manufacture of HFCS. On the other hand, if you are against all people gaining weight, even those who are genetically able to resist weight gain from a little sugar in their diet, then you should be against HFCS. It is clear that there are two schools of thought: one for profits, and denial of obesity and the other, desperate to save humanity from an obesity epidemic. Researchers are collecting data linking the alarming rise of obesity with the discovery and use of HFCS in soda and now, most branded food. The Corn syrup association is quick to refute most research findings.
Video on obesity
See this ABC videon “Should parents lose custody of their extremely obese kids” as advised by a Harvard Professor? Taking a child from a parent is drastic. Perhaps, families need to be counseled on adopting food choices with no corn syrup, HFSC sweetened foods, in my opinion. Removing a child, already facing depression from obesity, having two glasses of soda a day, in school and home and having no vegetables and unsweetened food is not going to reduce the obesity of this child. In thirty years childhood obesity has tripled. 2 million children are extremely obese, with some kids weighing hundreds of pounds.
Should food with corn syrup and HFSC be labeled dangerous, obesity inducing?
More children are more obese than previously expected. A medical researcher recently published a study in 2010 of 710,000 children and found that 7% of boys and 5% of girls were “extremely” obese, where a 10 year old child who should have weighted about 70 lbs weighs 140 lbs. Have you ever seen such large people ever in your lifetime, any time in USA or in the world? Have you asked your grandparents their opinion and observations on their young days and current obesity? Why do most people in USA want to pay more for food excessively sweetened than for unsweetened food? If the same food item were labeled, “Danger! You will become obese”, would the same consumer buy that food item?
Popular snacks in the USA
Have you been angered when too often in recent years the person sitting next to you on your flight cannot fit into the airplane seat? Do you find that obese children are getting abnormally fat? Have you noticed how the sedentary, obese children of USA are far fatter than the sedentary, obese children anywhere else in the world? China, too is reporting an obesity epidemic.
Choosing a Soda on a Hot day
Is it ethically alright to allow an entire generation, and perhaps future generation of HFCS guzzlers to get very obese and very sick? Princeton researchers have shown that HFSC diets are related to higher triglyceride levels which are connected with high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Have you done the maths to see how this generation’s unrestrained obesity related illnesses will affect every person’s medical insurance payments? Next time you see that obese person, who is spilling into your seat, guzzle a HFCS sweetened drink, will you wonder how much extra your medical insurance payments will go up because of that drink which you are not drinking? Or will you feel sorry for the person, wondering how sick will this obese person become in a few years time?
Pecan Pie Recipe: corn syrup and HFSC free
Recipe of Old Fashioned Pecan Pie from “The Kitchen“: Just as decadent, rich and sugary as ever, but with one small change; they ditched the corn syrup. You must try this HFCS and corn syrup free recipe this Thanksgiving and share with us your reaction. Did you enjoy your pie, knowing that perhaps, you may not have gained weight if you were not programmed genetically to gain weight from a little traditional sugar?


text:
McDonald’s Korea fined $540k over data breach
The leak was said to be due to lax management.
McDonald’s Korea was fined by the Personal Information Protection Commission after hackers managed to steal the personal data of 4.87 million customers due to the company’s lax management practices, local news agency Yonhap reported.
According to the findings of the commission, the Korean branch of the American fast-food chain did not perform sufficient access control, leaving a backup file containing the personal data of its restaurant and McDelivery customers accessible via protocols for file sharing.
McDonald’s Korea also failed to destroy the personal data of 766,895 customers for whom the data retention period had expired and was late to notify authorities of the data leak.

domain: news


text:
No Deposit Bonus : SlotsLv casino currently is offering everyone a $22 no deposit bonus. New Players Only. Fully Cashable. USA and Canadian Players are welcome. Please see our SlotsLv review page for the no deposit bonus info. SlotsLv Review
Best USA Casino Bonus
Big Casino Bonus : All USA Players Welcome: Bovada Casino the #1 USA Online Casino offering all new signups a $3000 table game and slots bonus + weekly cash back. All new accounts qualify thru our link. No codes needed. For full bonus information please see our Bovada Bonus review.
Strong performance for Paddy Power
03/05/2012 : ONLINE GOOD FOR PADDY POWER
Expansion into the Italian market on the agenda
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power Plc has delivered a strong performance, particularly in its online and mobile channels, in preliminary results for the year ended December 31, 2011 that were released this week.
Group highlights over the period include:
- Underlying profit before tax amounting to Euro 121.2 million, a growth of 16 percent
- Adjusted diluted EPS growth of 26 percent to 212.3 cent
- A 40 percent increase in the proposed final dividend to 70 cent per share, implying full year dividend growth of 33 percent to 100 cent per share
- Strong balance sheet with no debt and cash of Euro 136 million at 31 December 2011
- 79 percent of operating profit from online activities; 74 percent from customers outside Ireland
Online highlights include:
- Active customers up 35 percent to 1.1 million
- Net revenue amounting to Euro 295 million, up 26 percent
- Operating profit of Euro 95 million, up 26 percent
- Paddypower.com showed strong growth with active customers increasing by 41 percent, net revenue up 30 percent to Euro 199 million and operating profit up 29 percent to Euro 74.3 million
- Strong and continually increasing Australian growth with online stakes up 15 percent in constant currency (growth of 7 percent in the first half and 23 percent in the second half) and operating profit up 17 percent to Euro 22.8 million
- A leading share of the rapidly growing mobile market with group mobile net revenue up 299 percent to Euro 43 million
Important strategic acquisitions and agreements over the period included the British Columbia Lottery Corporation B2B partnership which will raise Paddy Power's profile in North America and with other lottery operators. The acquisition of Bulgarian online and mobile games developer Cayetano (see previous InfoPowa report) will additionally enhance the group's product portfolio and development capabilities.
Following Paddy Power's online expansion into France, Canada and Australia, the company is focusing on entering the Italian market with its own brand before the middle of this year, timed for the start of the European soccer championships.
"Italy is overall the largest (market) in Europe when you combine online and retail and it's actually relatively small at this point in terms of an online market," said Paddy Power's finance director Jack Massey in an interview with Reuters.
"We feel there's good potential to flow into the online market from retail. We feel that the regulator has been allowing regulated companies to add more product to their online offering and that can be a driver of growth," Massey added.
Retail Highlights over the period included:
- UK Retail like-for-like sportsbook stakes and machine gaming net revenue both up 10 percent in constant currency and operating profit up 43 percent to Euro 10.5 million;
- 41 shops opened during 2011 bringing Paddy Power’s UK Retail estate to 169 shops. Expectation of opening 35 to 40 shops annually;
- Irish Retail like-for-like stakes up 1 percent, direct operating costs per shop down 4 percent and operating profit down 38 percent to Euro 10.9 million, attributed to adverse sports results.
- Market share increase of 34 percent.
Commenting on the results, Patrick Kennedy, chief executive, Paddy Power plc said:
"These results demonstrate the strides we've made in building an international business of scale in regulated markets. Online markets are growing at pace and Paddy Power continues to invest aggressively in talented people, product and technology to capitalise on this dynamic market. Our class leading mobile product, married to the strength of our brand and strong value offering has driven acquisition and retention, leading to 1.1 million active customers online."
The company reports a "satisfactory" 16 percent increase in net revenue year on year over the past two months.
Gambling News :
3 Top Bitcoin Poker Sites -
Bitcoin, in particular, is a cryptocurrency that you can use on various online poker sites and it allows a faster and cheaper way to get money into and out of the online poker site.
Kentucky Derby Odds: Justify still Favorite -
With all the races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby complete, Justify is still on top of the odds list at 4/1. But he’s got company: Mendelssohn (9/2), Audible (11/2) and Magnum Moon (8/1) are all very much in contention for the big race on May 5.
888Poker Takes Over the States -
With more and more states moving toward online casino integration, an increasing number of international players are moving in on American territory. Who will take the crown of the most popular online poker venue in the United States?
Top gambling ICOs to watch this year -
The gambling ICOs that are being launched in 2018 are of better quality. Unlike the last half of 2017 when ICOs were numerous, the first few months of 2018 have seen a big drop in number.
MPN Poker Tour Bratislava | Day 2 -
It was a hard fight around the bubble, culminating in the elimination of Georgios Drakakis in 46th place. He received a surprise consolation entry into the next MPNPT stop in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria (5-8 July), which softened the blow of missing out on a €900 min-cash.
MPN Poker Tour Bratislava Day 1B -
Dorey Captures Chip Lead After MPNPT Bratislava Day 1b Triples 1a Field Size. The second flight of the €550 MPN Poker Tour Bratislava Main Event is in the bag, and so are the chips of 97 players who will be returning along with the 26 Day 1a survivors to fight to the money and beyond today
MPN Poker Tour Bratislava Day 1A -
The MPN Poker Tour has arrived in Bratislava for the very first time, bringing with it the Tour’s friendly mix of local and globe-trotting poker enthusiasts, pros and qualifiers to the beautiful Slovakian capital.
Please Note : Gambing might not be legal in your area. We bring you www.recentpoker.com as an information and gambling news site only. We hope that you find all the information and gambling news found in www.recentpoker.com to your liking. Please tell your friends about us and visit us again soon.


text:
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Business Incubation Platform (BIP) unit, GoSeed is set to launch the first e-commerce website for breeder and foundation seed in Nigeria on November 4.
According to the IITA GoSeed, ” with our e-commerce solution, we hope to contribute to removing the challenge of accessing quality-improved seeds no matter the location of our customers across Africa! Orders can now be made online, and seed companies have the option to pick-up their seeds or have it delivered at a location of their choice.”
“To help achieve this, it is launching the first e-commerce website in Nigeria where breeder and foundation seeds of the best-improved varieties can now be ordered online at www.iitagoseed.com. Locations of the seed fields can also be accessible on the GoSeed Tracker via the website.” The statement added
GoSeed is charged with the production and marketing of quality breeder and foundation seeds and planting materials of IITA mandate crops to private seed companies for production, distribution, and sale of quality certified seeds/planting materials to farmers.
It is involved with the awareness and use of quality certified seeds of improved IITA cowpea varieties that are expected to improve farmers’ yields, livelihoods, and food and income security.
The IITA GoSeed is also responsible for the commercial promotion of early generation seeds of improved crop varieties generated by IITA and other CGIAR Centres across the globe. The mandate crops include bananas and plantain, cassava, cowpea, maize, rice, soybean, and yam.


text:
Charleston Hospitality Group , the leading friendliness team in the Carolinas, has introduced that Visitor Associations Director, Robin Lee Griffith is right now the brand-new President of the business. Griffith is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and participated in the NRAA in 2020 as Manager Bad Habit President of Registration Engagement.
A profession in attendee associations started along with the Charleston Location Event & Visitors Bureau as an Area Company Expert. She moved to the Visitor Relationships Department of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce in 2020 as well as started serving as a Visitor Relationships Colleague in business Advancement and also Marketing division. Following her transfer to the Visitor Relationships Department, she functioned as a liaison between the enclosure, metropolitan area officials, and also regional accommodations.
Griffith’s management capabilities were actually immediately viewed in her job in the Charlotte region and also she carried on to use her company background to extend her client base while carrying on to operate in the attendee relationships team. She has actually due to the fact that operated on jobs for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authorization and also Carolina Aquarium Tank.
As a brand-new sam mustafa charleston president of the Charleston Hospitality team, Griffith is actually taking the reins of a business that is actually the biggest leisure trip business in the state. The team delivers greater than forty unique as well as one-of-a-kind destinations throughout the condition as well as has created an online reputation for offering exceptional companies and conveniences to its attendees.
Griffith takes over the setting of Guest Relations Director as part of a strategic plan to refresh the customer partnership of the friendliness market. The NRSA is looking to bring in as well as keep brand-new consumers and is carrying out an extensive advertising initiative to connect with all sections of the state. Along with improving the client service of existing customers, the business is actually making sure their consumers know that they are actually valued and also their feedback is valued.
” The target of this year’s customer-centric, inclusive marketing method is actually to bring together every one of our resources to assist our visitors through additional customer-focused and personalized communication,” claims Karen Hales, Chief Executive Officer of the NRSA. “Through delivering a leader like Robin onto the team, our experts manage to leverage our experience and supply that form of care as well as solution that our attendees deserve.”
” Robin delivers a wealth of resort, tourism and friendliness experience to her ranking as Guest Relationships Supervisor at the NRSA,” incorporates Karen Hales. “Her broad point of view and also her enthusiasm and also willingness to find out make sure to deliver our company with a fresh point of view on attendee associations.” Griffith started her occupation in the hospitality business as a manager at the Charleston Area Conference Center, where she helped to extend the facility and also expand as well as your business. As a member of the Enclosure of Business’s executive committee, she has led as well as taken part in critical organizing treatments, company conferences, and also helped in the growth of the enclosure’s calculated planning attempts.
” She’ll give our organisation what she has in the friendliness business, which is actually a love for the Christmas feeling, a panache for the creative side, and also a business frame of mind,” claims Hales. “Our company are actually eagerly anticipating having Robin as aspect of our crew.” As an innovator of our institution, Griffith is going to bring along with her the same commitment and also enthusiasm for customer-centric company that she has been understood for in the hospitality industry.
Attendee Relationships Director at the NRSA, Griffith takes a riches of hotels and resort, travel, as well as friendliness expertise to her duty as an executive at the NRSA. Robin Griffith is passionate regarding aiding visitors have a great holiday. The staff will definitely work to make certain that customers experience accepted at the Charleston Hospitality Team.
Griffith arises from an expert loved ones of 4 children who began their professions in the hospitality industry as waitresses and waiters. She and also her partner relocated to Charleston in 2020 and also currently dwell in the historical Downtown Charleston location. While Robin’s family has actually gone on to various other places of the country, Robin continues to be actually committed to supplying exceptional hospitality as well as market value to her consumers.
Griffith’s job as a visitor relations supervisor at the Charleston Friendliness Group will definitely focus on two primary places: reinforcing relationships along with consumers as well as remaining to enhance the consumer satisfaction of the existing customer foundation. Her target is actually to constantly boost the expertises of their existing visitors and also create brand new partnerships with possible clients. “I possess an actual affection for exciting, leisure, and also food,” mentions Griffith. “It is my interest as well as intent to deliver these aspects into my job along with the NRSA and Charleston Hospitality Team.”
The Charleston Hospitality Team is actually a small company in Charleston SC. It is actually led by pair of siblings, Paul and also John.
They have established their business’s items to delight the demands of those that enjoy great food as well as great a glass of wine. Their passion for this organisation started when they went to a service conference and possessed the chance to comply with some individuals who worked with the greatest white wine pub establishment worldwide. They were captivated by the truth that they could create their own food selection along with no high overhead and also a reduced overhead expenses.
Charleston Friendliness began in 2020. Paul as well as John were exhausted of being tied to major labels and they intended to provide customers a substitute option in dining. They carried out certainly not wish to restrict their client base and also they wanted to handle the obstacle to become the greatest they might potentially be.
Their objective is to give clients a large variety of menus and a variety of refreshments and also red wines. They likewise wish to deliver one thing distinct to guests that are certainly not found anywhere else. Their primary concentration is to fulfill folks with premium solution as well as a healthy food selection.
Companies may be available in many sizes and shapes. The Charleston Friendliness Team possesses an extremely one-of-a-kind form and also they are actually giving something different for individuals to enjoy. They have created their service in such a way that they can deliver terrific quality solution for their customers while offering a ingenious as well as new menu for all of them.
This sort of business is actually very various coming from a huge chain restaurant. They perform not have to devote loan to open up store as well as deliver top quality solution for their customers.
Customer complete satisfaction is necessary for businesses that are sizable as well as must preserve a much higher specification of client service. This is why it is so essential to possess a person who is paid attention to aiding customers to appreciate their foods as well as solution. Because they have to meet the very same standards every opportunity they open up store, they do certainly not want to create it complicated for them to be actually satisfied.


text:
A series of food-poisoning outbreaks that killed nine people and sickened 135 others has consumer groups and the meat industry questioning how the government handles meat recalls.
The Agriculture Department and processors now share the responsibility for voluntary recalls under a system that both the industry and consumer groups criticize as cumbersome and ineffective. While companies supposedly make the decisions voluntarily on whether to issue recalls, it is the department that announces them.
Advertise Here | Advertising Directory
Carol Tucker Foreman, director of the Consumer Federation of America’s Food Policy Institute, said the illnesses and deaths linked to large recalls this year are proof that the current system does not work.
Her group, which represents more than 300 consumer organizations, wants Congress to give the government authority to mandate recalls. Some of the bigger recalls this year started out small because of haggling between processors and the Agriculture Department over their size, but had to be expanded later, Foreman said.
More than 21 million pounds of hamburger meat from a Cargill-owned plant in Milwaukee and a ConAgra Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colo., were eventually recalled, linked to E. coli contaminated meat that killed one person and sickened 90 people. The two recalls started out much smaller, totaling just 770,000 pounds from the two plants.
An outbreak of listeriosis in the Northeast over the summer prompted the largest recall in history. Eventually it covered more than 30 million pounds of precooked chicken and turkey packaged at a Wampler Foods plant in Pennsylvania and J.L. Foods plant in New Jersey.
Consumer groups complained that those recalls were not initiated until months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention picked up evidence of the listeria-produced outbreak. It killed eight people, caused three miscarriages and sickened another 45 people.
Every day when a bargain goes on is a day when that food is being consumed and more people run the risk of getting sick, said Foreman, the Agriculture Department’s assistant secretary for food and consumer services from 1977 to 1981. Giving the government the power to go in and mandate a recall would eliminate some of the bargaining that goes on.
The American Meat Institute, the industry’s trade association, says packers, rather than the government, should announce the recalls in addition to making the decision whether they are needed.
If you had the company take the lead, if you had the company do the press release, that would take some of the inefficiencies out of the process, said Mark Dopp, the institute’s vice president for regulatory affairs.
Dopp disputed critics arguments that processors might withhold vital information to consumers if they announced the recalls, claiming the government on occasion has put out misinformation.
Usually under pressure from the government, a meat company announces a recall and asks consumers and retailers to return a product after federal inspectors find evidence that meat could harm the public. The first hint of a problem sometimes comes from the CDC, which tracks food-borne diseases.
Bush administration officials oppose mandatory recalls, saying they have the potential of becoming arbitrary and capricious.
We have not had any problem with a company ever refusing do to a recall, said Agriculture Department Undersecretary Elsa Murano.
Mandatory recalls could put government officials in a position where â€œwe fall into the danger of crying wolf, so to speak, she said. â€œThat affects our credibility with the public, too.


text:
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Couponraja (http://www.couponraja.in/) one of the largest coupon code publishers in India, announced today the launch of a mobile app for users interested in saving more while shopping online. The free app is now available for download on iPhone, Android and Windows phone.
As the mobile industry grows the Couponraja mobile app will support the growing base of consumers to search for favourable deals, discounts, offers while shopping online. A report by TechCrunch, states that mobile users play an integral part in fuelling e-commerce growth in India. The article further shares that the first time internet users and shoppers who are buying from mobile are adding to this boom. Another comparative study conducted over three years by Couponraja, states that, smart phone usage of our respondents has seen a rise of 18.2% over three years. This indicates that the higher the mobile penetration, higher will be shopping through mobile. This is where the mobile app will be a boon to the consumer.
“The main aim of introducing the Couponraja mobile app is to make the lives of consumers easier while shopping online. With this app they will be able to get the latest offers on numerous brands and save money while shopping online. With the online shopping space increasing every year, this app will facilitate the consumer in making the best choices and saving maximum.” Adds Prasad Shejale, India CEO and Co-Founder Logicserve Digital.
Features of the Couponraja mobile app include:
- Minimal loading time for browsing through numerous discounts
- Ability to pick favourite brands within the mobile app and be updated with live feeds for them
- Creating a profile and storing your shopping choices to access it from any device
- Ability to search from more than 2000 e-stores , 13 major categories from various online stores
- The homepage provides you with the hottest deals and latest offers on your favourite brands curated by Couponraja
- User friendly interface with social sharing options for your favourite coupons
For more details check out: http://www.couponraja.in/mobileapp
A product of Logicserve Digital, Couponraja aims to enhance to become your saving tool and the go to for all sorts of offers and discounts in online shopping. Being one of the largest Couponcode publishers in India, Couponraja.in strives towards making online saving an effortless task for the consumer.
Join our 3.5 lakh fan base on Facebook and be up to date with the latest offers. Couponraja.in aims to enlarge your saving experience and bring you any and every opportunity to save your money and have fun while shopping online.
Our international presence includes Voucherking from UK, Couponcodesbay from US, Gutscheine from Germany, Leroicoupon from France and Couponregali from Italy.
About Logicserve Digital
Logicserve Digital is the Indian arm of Logicserve Group. We specialize in 360 degree digital marketing services for the Indian sub-continent. Established in 2006 in India, we offer professional online services with an integrated and systematic approach. Our custom-build services for our clients’ offers the necessary edge for working way through the competition.
Our international presence includes Broadplace Advertising in UK and CK NET across UK and Europe.
For News Release background on Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd. click here
Media Contact Details
Manvi Sharma, Head Communications and Partnerships, Logicserve Digital Pvt. Ltd., email@example.com


text:
The Co-operative Bank has today announced its public sector banking division has signed a new five-year deal with Payzone.
Under the new agreement, around 650 local authorities, housing associations and credit unions will be able to access the Payzone network through an agreement for payment services with the Manchester-based bank.
This will offer consumers the added convenience of paying their council tax, housing rents and other sundry payments at more than 18,000 Payzone outlets – taking the total number of outlets available to the bank's customers to more than 50,000.
Linda Cook, bill payments director at Payzone, said: "This is great news for all UK Local Authorities and Housing Associations who can now offer residents more convenient payment options. Customers will find paying bills at local stores more convenient and aligned with their everyday lives, as they can now pay at the same time as buying a paper, topping up their gas, electricity or mobile phone."


text:
The Coronavirus pandemic has had damaging effects on many businesses but it has hit the retail sector really hard.
Well known and well established shops like Debenhams and Topshop have suffered heavily with many of their stores having to shut down, leaving massive gaps in the retail market.
Absolutely gutted that’s this brand is leaving the high street . I spend nearly 20 years as a manager and have made the most amazing friends and memories ❤Thinking of my TS and TM family today. #stirling #topshop #topman pic.twitter.com/QtdR72Kb3J
— Annette (@AnnettePlinston) February 6, 2021
Asos, a leading online retailer, has agreed to buy Topshop/Topman however many jobs are still hanging in the balance. Sky business presenter Ian King explains.
Searching online for Topshop now redirects you to ASOS, only days after the sale.
However, for businesses which adapted for online sales have seen profit margins increasing and growing in popularity.
With everyone at home with too much time on their hands many have turned to online shopping, particularly younger people.Boohoo, which owns Pretty Little Thing and Nasty Gal, reported sales ‘surged’ in the months of May and June last year.
Independent online retail businesses, Kasela, has had to adapt to the changes in the last year to keep their company going and doing so this has made them very successful.
The owner of Kasela, Kasey Caulfeild, explains the worries she had last march when lockdown was announced.
“firstly, we were very worried, we had just moved into our first office which is obviously very costly […] holidays weren’t going to be happening, and we were in complete lockdown and festival clothes are last on the list of things to buy”
This meant adapting to the changes was very important for the brand, lockdown presented a problem many independent shops have never had before.
Kasela, like many other brands, have had to suddenly rebrand the brands they have been building for years, and to move product online. Topshop failed in this area because it hadn’t prepared itself to be moving solely online, which lead to such loss of business they have had to shut.
The UK economy has shrank by a record of 9.9% last year due to the effects of coronavirus, showing the effects it has had on hospitality and retail sector. And with the UK still in lockdown it hasn’t yet been seen to be improving.
Paul Jarman runs a card and gift shop, Creased Cards, in the famous lanes of Brighton.
The Bank of England is saying that there is a lot of money being held within banks and people are waiting to spend it. When lockdown is over, we could see a rise in the amount of money being spent by the public boosting the economy back up to where it was pre-pandemic.
For a more in depth view of the retail and hospitality sector visit here.


text:
Why you should you care about online reviews
- Hits: 5227
When was the last time you searched online for information about your own company? If the answer to this question is “never” then you are not alone. But you also need to read on…
Many organisations spend little or no time in researching themselves on the internet. This makes sense on the face of it; what could you possibly learn that you don’t already know? But it is precisely this subconscious dismissal of the notion that you could find something out that you don’t already know that enables negative ‘information’ from going undetected for so long and causing so much damage.
You should care about online reviews because:
Between 1 and 3 negative online reviews will be enough to deter the majority of shoppers from purchasing a product or service.
A recent study suggests that 88% of consumers say that they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, yet, earlier this year Amazon filed a multiple law suit against operators of websites and against some of its own users who it says "sell" fake online reviews about products sold on Amazon.
A recent study has found that just one negative review can cost a business almost 30 customers. Seven in ten consumers will actually change their mind about a product after reading a negative online review.


text:
CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey said Twitter has no intentions of launching its own crypto project. Instead, he said he plans to continue his support for traditional cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin.
Twitter founder and Square CEO, Jack Dorsey, said he has no interest in making a digital currency similar to, for example, Facebook‘s Libra. Instead, he decided to further promote the use of, already traditional cryptocurrency – Bitcoin.
He said that he believes the cryptocurrency pioneer was still the “best bet” to be the internet’s native currency.
“I think open internet standards serve every person better than ones controlled or started by companies.”
The Bitcoin price jumped by approximately 200% so far this year as some of the world’s biggest technology companies, led by the likes of Twitter and social media rival Facebook, have expressed interest in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Still, Dorsey warns that Bitcoin “is not functional as a currency,” though still claims it is preferable to Facebook’s planned Libra digital currency.
“Bitcoin is not functional as a currency. The peaks and troughs are like an investment asset and are equivalent to gold. What we need to do is make it more usable and accessible as a currency, but it’s not there yet.”
Dorsey is currently in Australian tour of the country to promote Square’s launch of new payment terminals there. He says he is convinced Bitcoin will eventually be adopted more widely.
“I think Bitcoin is the best bet because it’s been the most resilient, it’s around for 10 years, it has a great brand and it’s been tested a bunch. As I look at all cryptocurrencies that could fill that role of being the native currency for the internet, Bitcoin is a pretty high probability.”
Dorsey’s Square discovered last month they generated $125 million in Bitcoin revenue only in the second quarter of 2019.
In the meantime, Dorsey explicitly said he won’t even consider supporting Twitter rival Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency, which Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg plans on launching sometime next year. He said:
“Open internet standards serve every person better than ones controlled or started by companies.”
As markets are currently pretty much frightened by signs of a possible recession, Dorsey stays confident of his businesses’ ability to weather a downturn, saying they were “prepared for anything”. He said:
“We’re always heading into a recession, and we’re always heading out of one, and anyone who offers an opinion on this is fooling themselves. There’s no one person on this planet that understands the global economy.”
Dorsey added Square’s positioning in the software and payments space meant it could “weather storms”, including recessions and the US-China trade war, even though he doesn’t predict for other companies to have such luck.
“A lot of other business models may be affected, but ours is pretty robust, because people always need to eat, that will always be something that’s valuable.”
He also spoke of climate changes regarding the last move by Mike Cannon-Brookes, founder of Australian tech success story Atlassian who encouraged his staff to attend a global strike for climate action. Dorsey said he would similarly encourage his staff to take action on “anything they care about”, with climate change a top priority for him.
“Climate change is one of those existential challenges facing all of us…we should have more conversations with the global community around it. I don’t think any one particular country is going to make an impact, it has to be all of us.”
Late last week, Dorsey was in the middle of a scandal about his Twitter account that was allegedly hacked and became full of racial slurs and swear words sent to his 4 million followers before the company regained control. He didn’t want to discuss that.


text:
Apple is offering a free battery replacement on certain 13in MacBook Pros
Apple seems to be intent on spending a lot on extra batteries this year. Fresh on the tail of offering iPhone 6, 6S and 7 owners a £25 battery replacement, the company has announced another opportunity to get a fresh lease of battery life – albeit for a far smaller number of its MacBook Pro customers.
It’s unclear how small that pool of customers is, but it’s likely to be on the small side. The problem only affects non-Touch Bar 13in MacBook Pros, and not all of them either. Apple says affected devices will have been manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017, but not every product matching that description will be eligible. You’ll need to enter your serial number into the Apple website to find out if yours is considered faulty or not.
Even if your MacBook Pro is hit by the issue, Apple emphasises this isn’t a safety risk – just that a faulty component in some of the products may cause the battery to expand. If yours is in an affected batch, just take your laptop into an authorised Apple dealer, a retail store or post it to the repair centre and your MacBook will come back with a new battery, which should give its stamina a shot in the arm.
One small caveat: if Apple finds any damage that blocks the battery replacement, the company explains that this will need to be fixed first – presumably at cost to you. Additionally, the program doesn’t extend the MacBook’s existing warranty.
If you’ve already had your battery replaced for this problem, Apple says you can contact the company for a refund.


text:
When coronavirus came banging on the door in March 2020, the auto industry felt an immediate effect and second-quarter sales nationwide plummeted to their lowest point in 11 years.
But the industry made a healthy comeback by summer and three local dealerships said 2020 overall wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. Even so, they’ve been wrestling with another problem: They don’t have nearly as many vehicles to sell, and that’s a problem that could be around a while.
Steve Beck, owner of Beck Motor Co. in Pierre, summed up his new-vehicle inventory in one word: “Slim.”
“It’s as low as I’ve ever seen it,” he said Wednesday, two days before marking his 30th year in the business. “It’s definitely different and something we just have to deal with.”
Beck usually has 150 vehicles in stock; this week he had 38.
“Typically, we’d probably have 60 or more Silverado pickups,” he said. “Right now, we might have a couple.”
Bryan Boocock, owner of Wegner Auto Co. in Pierre, said their inventory is down 40 to 50 percent, with SUVs and pickups hardest to find. Boocock, a fifth-generation auto dealer, typically has 175 to 200 new vehicles on his lot. Today, he has 85 to 90, he said. He has about 75 used vehicles available, about half of what’s typical.
If you want to special order, it’ll be at least a two-month wait. Boocock said he has a pickup on order that will keep the new owner waiting 15 months.
Boocock and Beck said customers notice the emptier lots.
“We have people daily basically saying, ‘Where are all your cars?’” Boocock said. “We’re selling them like crazy, we’re just not getting as many new cars in.”
Beck said the lack of inventory is “frustrating for the sale staff. But almost every transport that comes in, the vehicles that are on the transport are already sold or people are waiting to see them to buy them.”
What’s the problem?
Blame it on COVID-19. While vaccinations are rolling out across the world — faster in some places than others — the auto industry is playing catch-up. The pandemic shuttered production plants or slowed them down as companies put worker safety first. Some cut the number of shifts or workers on duty to promote social distancing while others closed as science tried to figure out the virus or their countries experienced outbreaks.
But the bigger problem comes earlier in the process: Manufacturers don’t have everything they need to put a vehicle together.
The biggest issue is an international chip shortage, those microprocessors used in everything from gaming devices to personal computers. The pandemic spiked demand for electronics and the subsequent shortage is now staring the auto industry in the face.
Several automakers have warned of production slowdowns — GM, Ford, Volkswagen, Honda and Fiat Chrysler.
Analysts say the shortage could continue into the third quarter of 2021, and the chips could cost 10 to 15 percent more, pushing up car prices.
Don Gordon, owner of Fine Line Auto, said it’s a basic supply chain issue: Fewer new vehicles going out the door means fewer used vehicles coming in.
He likes to have 90 vehicles on his lot in Fort Pierre but is down nearly a third. He gets vehicles from trade-ins and auctions but said that since the virus, “There just wasn’t as much out there and more people are competing for them.”
As more vaccine is distributed and fear subsides, he hopes to see a change by year’s end.
Gordon says he’ll survive, especially after overcoming virus surges, a contentious election and a 50 percent drop in business during the initial outbreak “that made me start sweating bullets.”
The good news for buyers, Beck said, is that their trade-ins are worth more.
“Even though used-car prices have been increasing, it also means trade-in values are increasing as well,” he said, adding that he also hasn’t seen new-car makers increasing prices “any more than usual.”
“It’s really hard to say how long this is going to take,” Beck said.
But Boocock said it could be a lot longer than anybody thinks. “I think we’re a few years away, three to four years away from getting full-on pre-pandemic,” he said.
International analysts are all over the board with predictions, with some seeing relief by year’s end, while others bring up yet another shortage — resin used in some auto parts.
But the industry is seeing dramatic increases in sales over last year and, to a lesser extent, production.
Beck, Gordon and Boocock all said 2020 was a good year, and nobody was laid off. Customers who needed heavy-duty vehicles to head into the outdoors after ditching plans for out-of-state vacations helped, they said.
Gordon said his customers “are ready to be over all this. Let’s get back to normal.”
Beck, with three decades in the business under his belt, just wants to move on.
“It’s something I’ve never experienced and hope to never experience again,” he said.


text:
Toshiba and SanDisk have jointly developed a flash memory chip capable of storing twice as much data as their current largest-capacity flash memory, they announced.
The new chip can store 4Gbits (512KBytes) of data and the companies said they are also working on a second new chip that contains two of the 4Gb chips inside a single case for what is effectively an 8Gb (1GB) flash memory chip.
For users of digital still cameras, MP3 players and memory sticks, this means that devices can either be made smaller while carrying the same amount of memory or kept the same size with the internal memory capacity increasing.
Such advances are typical in memory technology and employ more advanced production methods to achieve chips with a higher memory density. The companies are planning to begin mass production of 300,000 chips per month of both the 4Gb and 8Gb chips from the third quarter of this year. Production will be handled by Flash Vision Japan, a joint-venture between Toshiba and Sandisk, using a 90-nanometer production process, they said.
Samples of the 4Gb chip will be available from this month for ¥12,000 (around £65)) and of the 8Gb chip from May at ¥24,000 (£130), said Toshiba. Estimate prices for the chips at the time of mass production were not announced.
A third new chip, containing a stack of four of the new chips to produce an effective 16Gb (or 2GB) flash memory chip, is also expected to be available in sample quantities from the third quarter, said Toshiba.


text:
Digital TV News: ITV Studios
BritBox to launch in Australia
Mar 5, 2020 – BBC Studios has announced plans to launch BritBox in Australia. The SVOD streaming service will bring Australians British TV shows, and will add to the rollout of the service in North America and in the UK.
News categories: BBC Studios, ITV Studios, BritBox, Fiona Lang, Augustus Dulgaro, Australia, Digital TV, OTT
Pickbox.tv S-VOD launched in former Yugoslavia
Jul 16, 2014 – Pickbox.tv has said that on May 7th it launched a subscription video-on-demand service for the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The service is currently available online and on iOS tablets and smartphones.
News categories: Pickbox, Martina Vuletin, Apps, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Digital TV, Macedonia, Montenegro, OTT, Serbia, Slovenia, Smartphone, Tablet
Top imported drama titles gain as others fade
Jul 10, 2013 – CBS distributed Europe's three most valuable imported drama series titles in 2012. NCIS led the pack by generating $205 million, according to the Top 100 Imported Drama Titles in Europe report. The three CSI franchises appear in the top 10.
News categories: Madigan Cluff, Essential Television Statistics, Digital TV Research Reports, Europe, Market Research
Money Drop is Europe's most valuable TV format
Mar 20, 2013 – Relative newcomer Money Drop was the top format title by value created in 2012, pushing Come Dine With Me into second place, according to a new Digital TV Research report. The TV Formats in Europe report states that The Voice entered the top 10 in 2012.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Digital TV, Europe, Market Research
- Competition driving OTT TV & video subscription growth
- Wyplay becomes Alexa Solution Provider
- Sky Media appoints TVbeat as TV data verification partner
- Amazon wins as British viewers are desperate for more sport
- Netflix releases 4Q 2020 results
- Pearl TV broadcasters welcome FCC easing of SFN regulations
- Paramount+ from ViacomCBS to launch on March 4th
- Firstlight Media builds OTT platform on Google Cloud
- Cogeco EPICO IPTV service launched
- Enghouse and Access Communications offer hosted TV services in Canada
- MENA pay TV revenues continue to fall
- FCA first automotive OEM with Alexa Custom Assistant
- Firstlight Media and NPAW optimise CDN switching for OTT providers
- ViacomCBS, DISH Media, Adcuratio enable broadcast inventory on MVPD STBs
- DoubleVerify earns MRC accreditation for CTV measurement
- Philco launches Roku TV lineup in Brazil
- Chips&Media introduces WAVE6 series of video codec IPs
- Worldwide semiconductor revenue up 7.3% in 2020
- Kantar expands TV audience measurement panel in Georgia
- TDS introduces live, streaming TV product


text:
Tomahawk aims to be your all-in-one digital music hub, but a few issues and missing digital music powerhouses dull some of the luster.
When Pandora launched almost eight years ago, it was pushing for mass recognition in between AOL and Yahoo and Microsoft's services. But a "Be No. 1" mantra and sky-high dreams for the future have helped cement Pandora's place at the top of the Internet radio market.
In partnership with AT&T, General Motors will integrate 4G LTE mobile Internet access into its 2015 fleet.
Ford Motor Co. and Spotify have inked a deal to bring the streaming music service to Sync AppLink-compatible vehicles.
Nokia today announced that it is rolling out Music+ for a monthly subscription fee of $3.99. But users don't have to commit to anything just yet: the launch comes with a free seven-day trial.
Viral phenomenon "Harlem Shake" this week debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to a new YouTube partnership.
Slacker radio today unveiled its revamped service, now available anywhere you could possibly want to listen to music.
Songza co-creator Elias Roman recently chatted with PCMag about the evolution of his "lifestyle enhancement company," why he isn't afraid of Pandora, and the monster mascot's true identity.
Rdio is now offering free music streaming for up to 6 months in countries where Rdio is available
Chrylser is the latest automotive company to bulk up its dashboard offerings with the announcement that it will add access to Aha, iHeart Radio, Pandora Internet Radio, and Slacker Radio to its cars.
Apple's iTunes update ties it more closely to iOS and iCloud. Here are some of the cool new features.
Sony Music Unlimited doesn't do anything special to distinguish itself from the Slackers and MOGs of the Internet, but its PlayStation support will satisfy music-loving gamers.
There are a million and one streaming music sites and there's just one of you. Learn how to select a streaming music service that's best matches your personality type.
Here are the latest ways to listen to music online and places to find some new tracks.
Was Spotify worth the hype? The Twitterverse weighs in this week.


text:
Promo Marketing and PromoCorner Partner to Launch PromoMBA, a New One-Day Workshop for Distributors
Promo Marketing and our friends at PromoCorner have combined to create the preeminent distributor one-day workshop designed to inspire, inform and innovate. Kicking off in San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 16, 2019, PromoMBA aims to be the educational bridge for distributors seeking to implement tactical, actionable and measurable tools that will immediately accelerate sales growth and positively impact profitability.
The promo industry already has a number of (excellent) education opportunities for distributors, but PromoMBA aims to serve a specific subsection of promo professionals: the everyman/woman. The event is designed for distributors who sell $435,000 and want to reach a half million in the next 12 months, for entrepreneurs who want to scale their businesses, and for businesspeople who want to jumpstart plateaued sales and see their revenue and profits grow again.
“This partnership represents the next evolution of education in the promotional products industry,” said Bill Petrie, president of PromoCorner. “By partnering with Promo Marketing and their proven track record of delivering the highest quality events in the industry, we will be able to deliver a day of workshops that will leave each participant not only inspired, but a with a concrete plan to take their business to the next level.”
PromoCorner and Promo Marketing will jointly produce the events and develop the day-long content, which will feature industry thought leaders teaching a series of workshops, each building upon the previous one. Attendees will actively participate in each session, and will receive workbooks that guide them through key learnings and serve as reference guides.
“Our goal is to continually add value to our distributor clients and help them grow their individual businesses,” said Chip Danby, executive vice president of Promo Marketing. “PromoCorner shares that vision, and this ongoing partnership represents a combined approach to create industry education that truly works for distributors. It goes far beyond inspiring keynote talks and instead focuses on concrete steps for distributors to implement immediately.”
For more information or to register for PromoMBA, visit www.promomba.com.


text:
As we get closer to the start of IFA 2013, the rumor mill for what will be displayed at the Berlin show are starting to heat up.
Sony’s rumored "lens cameras" are the latest to leak, with new photos of the supposed accessories finding their way to Sony Alpha Rumors. According to the report, the lenses will essentially transform any iOS or Android phone or tablet into a point-and-shoot snapper.
We first heard about these mountable lenses last month, but these latest images give more credence to the original reports.
With these new peripherals, Sony may finally be able to help amateur photographers close the distance on the image quality of a DSLR with a smartphone or tablet.
There will supposedly be two different lenses offered, with the bigger DSC-QX100 retaining the beastly power of the Sony RX100 II camera.
A DSC-QX10 is also believed to be on the way, and with its 1/2.3-inch 18 megapixel CMOS sensor (with 10x zoom), this lens has a bit more in common with the Sony WX150.
Both lenses can attach magnetically to either an Android or iOS device, and feature a built-in sensor, Bionz processor, Wi-Fi/NFC wireless connection and SD card slot.
Through that Wi-Fi or NFC connection, you can control the lens directly from your mobile device of choice, and snap high-quality images without the need for a larger, separate camera.
Sony’s new lenses offer a bit more flexibility, though without a firm release date or price, it remains to be seen just what type of value the QX10 and QX100 will really have.
With Sony set to hock its wares at IFA in a few short weeks, we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out.


text:
European architects and designers are struggling to source wood for their projects as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought imports from the region to a standstill, threatening stocks and driving up prices across the continent.
Studios are reporting that costs for solid oak and birch plywood have doubled in the last few months, while others have seen the price of structural timber go up by around 20 per cent.
“Everyone is really worried about their supply chains,” said Sean Sutcliffe, co-founder of British furniture maker Benchmark. “We have projects where it would now cost me more to buy the wood that I’m charging for the whole thing.”
Birch plywood is “just not available anymore”, Sutcliffe said. Solid oak is soon to follow suit, according to Signe Bindslev Henriksen of Danish design studio Space Copenhagen.
“It’s almost like gold at the moment,” she told Dezeen. “Everybody is using up all their stock. Suppliers and manufacturers can deliver right now but in just a few months’ time, it’ll be all gone.”
Meredith Bowles of Mole Architects said the shortage has already affected several of the practice’s projects, with timber-frame contractors pulling out or refusing to set material costs in advance as “timber prices are going up daily”.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU and the UK banned the import of wood from Russia as part of a growing package of sanctions against products including steel and cement, which are now rapidly increasing in price.
The EU also applied these sanctions to Russia’s ally Belarus.
Taken together, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine accounted for nearly a quarter of the worldwide lumber trade and 53 percent of the EU’s timber imports in 2021.
Although most of these imports go to the Baltic states, as well as Germany and Finland, architects and designers say the knock-on effects are being felt across Europe.
“We didn’t actually buy any Ukrainian or Russian wood,” said Sutcliffe. “But of course, all the people that did are now crowded into Western Europe, which is where our supply chain comes from.”
Supply issues aggravated by oil crisis, pandemic and Brexit
The war is also causing oil and gas prices to reach record highs, which increases the cost associated with heat treating, drying and transporting the timber.
This is compounding existing supply chain issues and associated price increases caused by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit in the UK.
“The whole geopolitical sphere is changing so rapidly and it’s making everything a bit more difficult,” said south London furniture maker Jan Hendzel.
“Everything that we use to create our timber products is either unavailable, scarce or we’re not sure when it’s coming back into stock.”
This includes local olive ash and birch plywood, of which Hendzel’s supplier now sells only a set number of sheets a day to conserve stock, but also other materials like industry-standard glue from American company Titebond.
As a result, many studios are now looking at alternative sources of timber, with Benchmark making all new products presented at Clerkenwell Design Week last month from local ash and abundant American red oak.
Space Copenhagen also switched European for American oak in an interiors project the studio is working on with BIG in New York.
“We were supposed to have furniture pieces made from oak by Danish company Dinesen but their earliest delivery time is next year,” said co-founder Bindslev Henriksen. “Since we’re opening at the end of this year, that’s not really going to work.”
Architects forced to adapt, delay or cancel projects
In the UK, Mole Architects had to redesign an entire timber-framed housing scheme for the Milton Keynes District Council as a “good old concrete and brick block” due to issues around timber pricing and sourcing, as well as larger problems around insuring wooden buildings.
“It’s a massive disappointment to us,” said principal Bowles. “We try to persuade people that they should always do something about lowering their embodied carbon as well as their energy use. And we thought we’d got somewhere with this as it’s a big project and a local authority.”
Others, including architecture firms Out of the Valley and EBBA Architects, have seen their projects delayed or cancelled entirely.
“Some projects aren’t even happening because we’re not able to get materials at the prices that we used to be able to get,” said EBBA Architects’ founder Benni Allan.
“The cost of joinery production has doubled in some cases, which means that clients have had to pull back on what they wanted to do or just hold off. All parts of the process are becoming more expensive.”
But this disruption could ultimately have a positive impact, according to Out of the Valley founder Rupert McKelvie, much like forecasters predicted that the coronavirus pandemic could help to trigger more sustainable consumption patterns.
“These kinds of global challenges highlight the finite nature of natural resources,” he said. “The world simply can’t keep it up. So any slowdown in productivity is perhaps a good thing.”
The post “Timber prices going up daily” in Europe due to Ukraine war, architects complain appeared first on Global Wood Markets Info.


text:
Back in late 2012, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg attributed the increase in statistical city-wide crime to Apple, noting that thieves had a propensity to target folks using iPhones and iPads. As an illustration of the problem, there were 3,890 more Apple product thefts than in 2012 than there were in 2011.
At the time, Mayor Bloomberg's press secretary Marc La Vorgna explained that "if you just took away the jump in Apple," crime in New York City would have been down year-over-year in 2012. Indeed, the number of major crimes reported in 2011 in NYC came in at 104,948 compared to 108.432 in 2012. If you exclude Apple-related thefts from the figures, then the crime rate in 2012 is essentially the same as it was in 2011.
MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR: The Apple double standard
In light of that, a new report from the New York Post details that Apple is now working with the NYPD in an effort to curb iPhone and other Apple related thefts.
The theft of Apple devices is so rampant in New York that a team of cops has been assigned to work with the tech giant to get the stolen gadgets back, The Post has learned.
Every time an Apple device is stolen, detectives attempt to get tracking numbers from the victim or online records.
That number, known as the International Mobile Station Equipment Identity, is then shared with the officers in Police Headquarters who pass it on to Apple.
The California-based company then informs the NYPD of the device’s current location — and it can track it even if it was reregistered with a different wireless provider.
It'll be interesting to see how the initiative affects the 2013 numbers as it pertains to Apple-related thefts.
Remember, though, that the high price of Apple products, coupled with their portability, has long made Apple products a favorite target for criminals. Back in 2005, for example, a New York City teenager made national news when he was killed after refusing to give up his iPod. Steve Jobs subsequently called the victim's father and offered his condolences.
The men spoke for a few minutes.
Calling him by his first name, Mr. Jobs asked how Mr. Rose was doing, he said, and conveyed his sympathies. "He told me that he understood my pain," Mr. Rose said. "He told me if there is anything - anything - anything he could do, to not be afraid to call him. It really lightened me a bit."
Apple product thefts are also an issue in Chicago, where it's unfortunately not uncommon to hear reports of thieves seriously injuring victims during quick mugging attempts on EL (Chicago's elevated train) platforms.


text:
Last week at Mobile ID World we saw Apple launch its first ever fingerprint biometrics enabled Macbook Pro. Meanwhile, we were at Money20/20 covering the year’s biggest FinTech news as the Internet of Things rounded out the headlines along with some new biometric smartphone launches.
Here is a look back on last week’s top stories in mobile identity management:
Apple’s Touch ID MacBook Pro Announcement
The latest Apple keynote event unveiled the company’s latest biometrics-enabled hardware: the new MacBook Pro. Siri received an upgrade too, one focused on Apple TV. Now, the voice-based AI is aware of live sports events, and can respond to any commands given to her regarding currently airing games.
Here’s what’s new with Apple in the wake of the company’s latest announcements:
It looks like Samsung Pay is on its way to Canada this week, one of the four international markets expecting the mobile wallet to launch in its borders before 2016 is over. Last week we reported on Samsung’s plans to launch the platform in Malaysia, Russia, and Thailand before the start of 2017, while the company held a shareholder meeting and addressed the moves it’s making in the wake of its Galaxy Note7 recall.
We were in Las Vegas last week for Money 20/20, where Mobile ID World president Peter O’Neill hosted the annual biometrics panel at the conference. The event has had a growing biometrics presence over the past four years, and last week it was clear that Moeny20/20 is where the big financial authentication news comes in the back half of the year. Visa and Mastercard each announced major integrations for their digital payments platforms, we saw a biometric credit card sporting a Fingerprint Cards sensor, the FIDO Alliance partnered with EMVCo, and many other major industry developments had all identity concerned eyes on Vegas last week. Take a look at some of the big mobile ID headlines out of this year’s Money20/20:
FinTech Outside of Vegas
The financial identity news wasn’t just confined to Las Vegas last week. Safran Identity & Security announced its own mPayment app, Aurionpro integrated ImageWare’s GoVerifyID platform into its Digital Bank DX kiosk, and PayPal announced that it’s coming to Facebook and Messenger. Meanwhile, we reported on new research from Javelin detailing how mobile purchases are soaring to new heights, and NuData made a case for behavioral biometrics by releasing numbers on the rise of mobile fraud.
Biometric Authentication Software
TOC Biometrics launched a biometric consent app last week, while EyeVerify updated the liveness detection for its Eyeprint ID solution. Jumio added facial recognition to its Netverify offering, and we reported on a partnership between BioConnect and VoiceVault.
Internet of Things
Last week we saw Microsoft’s Azure IoT division setting up an Internet of Things security oversight program while we looked ahead to this year’s IoT Solutions World Congress, where NEC will be showing off its shopper analytics platform which leverages face biometrics.
Fingerprint Smartphone Integrations
It’s just not a week in mobile ID without a few new mobile device fingerprint sensor integrations. Last week we saw BlackBerry launch its very first fingerprint sensor smartphone while Fingerprint Cards announced its sensors are shipping on new handsets from Xiaomi and Huawei. FPC isn’t only in the mobile device business, however, and with its Q3 interim report the company’s CEO mentioned that PCs are an obvious area of expansion for Fingerprint Cards.
Stay posted to Mobile ID World throughout the week as we continue to bring you the best in identity management news. Be sure to follow us on Twitter so you don’t miss a thing.


text:
TVs with Blu-Ray, 3-D big in home theaters
Updated On: Dec 27 2012 03:35:18 PM EST
The latest trend in home theaters is TVs with Blu-Ray and 3-D technology.
With more and more appliance makers adding 3-D features to their products, consumers are starting to see the benefits of having 3-D technology.
The 3-D technology is becoming more popular on TV, in movies and in video games.
If you want 3-D technology on your television you will likely have to purchase a big screen. Most TV manufacturers only offer 3-D technology in TVs that are at least 40 inches.
US Senate candidate uses campaign to spread slogan: 'With Jews We Lose'
Middle school football player airlifted to hospital after hard hit
Targeted investigation in Evanston leads to drugs, cash, arrests
Man arrested, accused of trying to sell food stamps on Facebook
Mahogany's owner Liz Rogers withdraws threat of litigation against city


text:
Advertising on online videos and ending ratios
Measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of campaigns is the main challenge facing multi-screen video advertising campaigns, according to a recent study by Mixpo.
The survey, which was, base3d on a survey of more than 300 industry professionals working in both agencies, media companies and advertising technology companies, highlighted that perceptions about which metric is the most important changes a lot.
While the percentage of completion (with an average percentage of 2.56 being 1 the maximum) is shown as the most important metric, the improvement of the mark (2.69) is in second place. The display ratio (3.14), CTR (3.18) and the time devoted to watching video 3.43) are also three of the most mentioned metrics and located in the first places.
A study last year by Vindico mentioned that completion ratios were better indicators of the success of online video ads than CTRs.
The lack of agreement on the metrics is an indicator of the problems that exist in evaluating the effectiveness of advertising in multi-screen video campaigns. Last year, 81% of media companies and 78% of agencies reported that they had launched multimedia advertising campaigns. And in this year, 96% of the first and 90% of the latter, acknowledged having carried out such campaigns.
The main reasons for multi-screen campaigns are the scope and frequency they allow, with 82% of media companies and 86% of agencies reporting this motive. Behind, and as second fundamental reason, mention is made of engagement. A recent BeOn study had already shown that most global companies think online video can provide greater engagement opportunities than television.


text:
TJ Maxx, Sierra Trading Post coming to Silverthorne
SILVERTHORNE — A building that is currently sitting half empty, half occupied by an OfficeMax in the Silverthorne Summit Place Shopping Center soon will feature a TJ Maxx, Sierra (formerly Sierra Trading Post) and other building updates. OfficeMax is expected to close by the end of the year.
Kentro Group, the owner of the building, plans to update the facade, install a sidewalk, plant new landscaping, remove two sets of stairs, install new light fixtures and build a dumpster enclosure.
The project was approved by Silverthorne Town Council on July 22.
Chris Viscardi of Kentro Group wrote in an email that the group expects to start construction during the third quarter of 2020 and is planning to have the work completed and potentially open the stores by summer 2021. Kentro Group also developed and owns the Kum & Go at Lusher Court and Summit Boulevard in Frisco.
“The current building is outdated and in need of capital improvements, aesthetically and structurally,” Viscardi wrote. “Also, the development’s fundamentals are strong: It matches retailer’s interest through its central Silverthorne location combined with a regional customer draw. This enables us to reach out to and attract high-quality retailers, including TJ Maxx and Sierra Trading Post.”
Viscardi added that he feels the inventory of the new stores will enhance the existing goods offered in the area.
Silverthorne Town Manager Ryan Hyland explained that the building used to be the local City Market before it moved further up U.S. Highway 6 to Dillon. The building at 297 Summit Place was constructed around the early 1980s. Since the relocation of the grocery store, OfficeMax and other commercial businesses have occupied the space, but part of the building has been vacant for nearly a decade.
Hyland said he thinks the new store brands are a good fit for the community.
“I think everybody’s excited to see that building revitalized both from a tenant perspective and from an architectural perspective,” Hyland said.
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.
Summit Daily is embarking on a multiyear project to digitize its archives going back to 1989 and make them available to the public in partnership with the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. The full project is expected to cost about $165,000. All donations made in 2023 will go directly toward this project.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.


text:
The automotive battery major will invest INR 9,500 crore over the next ten years to set up a 16 GWh lithium cell factory, 5 GWh battery pack assembly unit, and research and innovation center in Telangana.
The carbon black solutions manufacturer has embarked on a collaborative project to develop lithium battery-grade graphite sustainably using renewable feedstocks.
The LNJ Bhilwara group company is venturing into the production of graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries. It expects the first part capacity of its Li-ion anode plant to become operational by 2025 with an investment of INR 1,000 crore ($124 million).
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar, and Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have developed a two-dimensional (2D) anode material for lithium batteries by using nanosheets derived from titanium diboride. They found the new anode material leads to a discharge capacity of 174 mA h/g within 10 minutes at a current rate of 1 A/g.
Toshiba has signed the deal to supply its SCiB line of lithium titanium oxide (LTO) chemistry battery cells for use in EVage Automotive’s commercial trucks.
The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer has launched electric cargo and passenger vehicles in the L5 category, along with EV charging stations. It also plans gigawatt-scale production of EV batteries soon.
The rise of electric vehicles brings rapid technological advancement and cost reductions to lithium ion battery manufacturing, which can serve to make batteries more useful and more profitable for the energy storage industry. However, the use of stationary batteries as energy assets is still at a nascent stage. Most markets and business models are immature, and InfoLink analyst Yuan Fang-wei sees policy as the major driving force to lead and stimulate China’s energy storage market.
A new report by ICRA says rising electric-vehicle penetration will drive significant investment in battery cell manufacturing in India. It expects EV battery demand in the nation to touch 15 GWh by 2025 and 60 GWh by 2030.
Reliance Industries says that production will begin at its 10 GW factory for solar cells and modules by 2024. It plans to double the facility’s capacity to 20 GW by 2026 and is aiming for 50 GWh of annual cell-to-pack battery capacity by 2027.
A new India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) report projects electric vehicle sales to grow by as much as 49% per year to 17 million units by 2030, with electric two-wheelers accounting for almost 88% of total demand.
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.


text:
« News index »
FUN88 EXPANDS OFFERING TO INCLUDE LIVE DEALER PRODUCT
01st October, 2012 at 08:06:57
Includes Baccarat 6, popular with Asian terrestrial players
Asian-facing online casino and sportsbook operator Fun88.com has expanded its casino portfolio to include a live dealer product supplied by Bodog Gaming.
The new suite of live dealer products which includes Baccarat, Sic Bo, Roulette and Dragon Tiger were integrated to keep Fun88's offering fresh and exciting, said product director Jeff Wei.
Fun88's offering features product from a range of suppliers that include EntwineTech, Kambi, Microgaming, and ONEworks.
Related News Tags: Microgaming
MPN FLAGS MALTA TOURNAMENT
29th March, 2017 at 19:48:16
Euro 150,000 guaranteed prize pool.
MICROGAMING PLAYING IT FORWARD AGAIN
29th March, 2017 at 15:16:22
Charity tournament benefits numerous charities across the globe.
KOTIKASINO LAUNCH ON GLOBAL GAMING PLATFORM
28th March, 2017 at 11:21:29
First operator live on upgraded proprietary platform.
GSA EUROPE WELCOMES MICROGAMING
20th March, 2017 at 19:52:51
As Platinum member.
NEW ONLINE CASINO FANTASINO LAUNCHED BY EVERYMATRIX
16th March, 2017 at 16:15:59
Fantasy-themed site is multi-currency and multi-lingual


text:
Street Fight Daily: 07.13.11
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups.
Zaarly, which just launched an app for Android, connects buyers and sellers in a localized market place, reverse Craigslist-style, by allowing users to post what they’re looking for (beer, a massage, or an iPad), how much they’re willing to pay for said good or service, and how soon they need it. (TechCrunch)
AT&T Interactive has announced the formal launch of in-app local ads on its mobile ad network. The rollout will allow developers to target ads based on a user’s location and potentially earn more revenue from higher ad rates. (MediaPost)
If Foursquare can manage to make this marriage of location and deals work — and if it can somehow bring deal giant Groupon into the fold — the company might be able to justify the high hopes of its backers, writes Mathew Ingram The only potential dark clouds on the horizon now are Google and Facebook. (GigaOm)
Rocky Agarwal sees three key challenges with Foursquare deals: Confusion among the various deal types, competition with itself, and competition with the big guys. (TechCrunch)
Google has finally launched its Groupon-killer, Offers, in New York and San Francisco. The search giant’s version of daily deals has several advantages over Groupon and other competitors that could allow Google to become a big player in the deals industry. (Business Insider)
WhitePages.com has long been a resource for quickly looking up people and local businesses, even if all you have is a phone number. But now the company is taking a page from Foursquare, Groupon and Google Places with a new pair of hyperlocal initiatives. (MediaPost)


text:
Manufacturer will begin with the release of eight new vehicles in the region by the end of 2016
Ford Motor Company says it plans to launch at least 30 new vehicles in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) by 2020 as part of a new regional strategy.
Speaking on the eve of the Dubai International Motor Show, the American manufacturer said it plans on targeting opportunities for growth in the car, utility and truck segment. Ford says its product push will begin with the release of eight new vehicles throughout the MEA region by the end of next year.
Ford vehicles to be showcased at the Dubai International Motor Show, which runs from November 10-14 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, include the new 2016 Ford Edge SUV, the 2016 Explorer, the 2016 Ford Ranger pickup, and the 2016 Figo compact car.
“The Middle East & Africa spans 67 markets from Saudi Arabia to South Africa, and from Nigeria to Kenya, so customer tastes are as diverse as our markets. [The region] is one of the world’s most exciting and growing vehicle markets and we are moving very quickly to expand our range with exciting cars, utilities and trucks,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, Europe, Middle East & Africa.
“We are passionate about meeting the diverse needs of the customers in this region, and that’s how we are going to profitably grow in 2016 and beyond.”
Ford’s product and technology acceleration comes two years after it announced the formation of its MEA region at the Dubai International Motor Show in November 2013. Since then, Ford has consolidated the sub-regions of Middle East, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa into a single business unit.
With the total MEA car market expected to grow 40% by the end of the decade to 5.5 million vehicles, the car-maker expects its sales in the region to outpace industry growth, it said in a statement.


text:
Gig economy companies like
New Jersey’s extraction of $100 million from Uber follows this trend. While it resolves allegations that the company misclassified its drivers and failed to pay unemployment insurance taxes, Uber and a subsidiary will not be required to change the way they classify drivers going forward.
Such multimillion dollar payouts appear to be a good deal for Uber and other gig economy companies, which have contended that being forced to make drivers employees would necessitate business model changes that would cost them far more than litigation does.
One major hurdle for plaintiffs is that companies force gig worker claims into arbitration, and federal courts often uphold mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts, said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney based in Massachusetts who has sued
“As private plaintiffs, we have our hands tied behind our backs because of the Supreme Court’s willingness to allow these companies to use arbitration clauses,” she said, arguing that state and federal agencies have a better chance at forcing change through injunctions.
But winning an injunction and making it stick has proven tricky.
A Massachusetts case filed in 2020 isn’t likely to be resolved before next year, and an injunction the California attorney general won against Lyft and Uber in 2020 was tossed out after the industry convinced voters to pass a ballot measure, Proposition 22, protecting the industry’s independent contractor model.
Employee status would mean drivers get workplace benefits and legal protections, including minimum wage and overtime laws, unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation, and the right to unionize.
Gig companies point to opinion polls that they say show drivers don’t want employee status.
“It is abundantly clear that people who use the Uber app to make money do so because they value the flexibility,” Alix Anfang, an Uber spokesperson, said in an email. “That’s why we are working with leaders to ensure drivers and couriers gain important benefits while remaining independent.”
The legality of that model has faced challenges from the start, especially in Democrat-led states. The industry and some driver groups have advocated for legislative compromises such as one enacted this year in Washington state giving drivers benefits without employee status.
New Jersey Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said it’s a “false premise” that workers have to choose between flexibility and employee status. Businesses commonly offer part-time, flexible schedules to employees, he said.
Securing the $100 million payment into New Jersey’s worker benefits funds was a big first step toward bringing Uber into compliance that other states should emulate, Asaro-Angelo said.
“When you extrapolate this nationally, we’re talking billions with a ‘B,’ billions of dollars that are owed to state trust funds,” he said.
Whether such state actions might motivate companies to change drivers’ employment status is unclear.
Instead, the industry could see the New Jersey payment as helping “illuminate a policy compromise opportunity,” said Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of tech industry association Chamber of Progress. “I’d be willing to bet many of the gig work platforms would accept states allowing drivers to be eligible for UI benefits so long as the state reinforces that they remain independent contractors.”
Cost of Doing Business
Recent driver lawsuits have seen DoorDash Inc. agree to pay $100 million, Postmates $32 million, Uber $8.4 million, and Lyft $15 million to settle drivers’ claims that the companies misclassified them, without any change in company policy going forward. That’s despite some of the drivers’ initial lawsuits seeking a court order requiring the companies to reclassify them as employees.
“That’s pretty typical of settlements to be honest, particularly in private litigation,” said Liss-Riordan. Usually, “the act of having to defend the case and fight it out provides the impetus for the company to clean up its act going forward,” she said.
Beyond the few court cases, many more go to arbitration. More than 150,000 Uber drivers have filed or plan to file arbitration claims alleging misclassification, the company told investors in its latest annual report. Uber has paid $372 million through 2021 to resolve such arbitration cases.
Despite the millions spent on litigation—plus lobbying efforts that include the $200 million campaign for California’s Prop. 22—the industry has decided waging the legal battles is less expensive than switching drivers to employee status.
Being forced to reclassify drivers “would require us to fundamentally change our business model,” Uber said in the annual report, potentially making it harder to recruit or retain enough drivers and also leading to significant price increases.
The popularity of these services has dissuaded more aggressive regulatory action, said Bill Okerman, a worker rights advocate and board member of the Boston Independent Drivers Guild.
“The issue of lack of enforcement, it’s inexcusable,” he said. “I wish I could really explain why a state, any jurisdiction, would allow this to happen. But as we know, it’s happened all over the country.”
Despite the difficulties, plaintiffs’ lawyers and regulators aren’t finished pressing the classification issue. Besides the California and Massachusetts attorney general cases, the San Francisco district attorney is suing DoorDash over alleged worker misclassification.
Liss-Riordan’s litigation continues, including cases on behalf of Amazon delivery drivers, plus Lyft drivers in California. She sued Lyft early in the Covid-19 pandemic seeking paid sick time for drivers, and now is asking the California Supreme Court to save her injunction request from being sent to arbitration with the rest of the case.
Asaro-Angelo plans to hold up New Jersey’s $100 million Uber win as a model for other states during the National Association of State Workforce Agencies meeting this week in Chicago.
“I’ll certainly be exhorting my colleagues across the country to be doing the same,” he said.
—with assistance from Joyce E. Cutler in San Francisco


text:
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) said Monday that some executives in its Shanghai offices may have broken Chinese law in a bribery scandal.
A Glaxo official said the London, England, company had zero tolerance for employees who broke the law and promised changes in the company's business model that would lower the cost of medicine in the country
"Certain senior executives of GSK China, who know our systems well, appear to have acted outside of our processes and controls, which breaches Chinese law," GSK's head of emerging markets, Abbas Hussain, said in a statement.
GSK supplies key products such as vaccines in China, as well as drugs for lung disease and cancer. Police in Shanghai and Beijing have accused Glaxo executives of bribing officials and doctors to boost sales and raise the price of its medicines. So far, four senior Chinese executives from GSK have been detained.
Chinese investigators say Glaxo transferred up to 3 billion yuan ($489 million) to 700 travel agencies and consultancies over six years to facilitate the bribes.
"Savings made as a result of proposed changes to our operational model will be passed on in the form of price reductions," said Hussain, "ensuring our medicines are more affordable to Chinese patients."
In two related investigations, police also alleged that British drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC (ADR) (NYSE:AZN) and Belgian biopharmaceutical company UCB SA (EBR:UCB) each engaged in bribery and price-fixing within their China operations.


text:
Solihull Sixth Form College is celebrating after claiming an award at the College Marketing Network’s annual FE First Awards last week.
The College’s marketing with Natives won a Silver Award in the ‘Innovation and Creativity’ category. The digital marketing campaign to promote the College’s October Open Day was the campaign highlighted for this honour. Done with Akero Advertising, it utilised the world’s first AI-powered student marketing platform (launched for the first time this year). The platform’s artificial intelligence selected the appropriate advertising channels and distributed the budget to maximum benefit. This was done by scanning billions of data points across Google, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Bing and more than 2 million websites. It also analysed millions of previous student advertising campaigns to identify the most effective distribution of the budget to give a smarter, more personalised strategy.
Solihull Sixth Form College used their own in-house creative in the form of short videos, but used the platform’s user-friendly asset uploader, guided by the Akero experts, to structure the campaign, which achieved its goals. Facebook, Instagram and Messenger advertising performed well and the use of Google Search was particularly useful, directing over 1,100 clicks to the Open Day pre-registration page on a limited budget.
College Vice Principal Janice Hamilton commented:
“We were delighted with how effective the Open Day campaign ran, as it gave us our highest number of pre-registrations ever. We have worked with Natives for a number of years and it has been good to lead the way as one of the early adopters of their innovative AI Akero Advertising platform. We look forward to more successful campaigns with them in the future, as we look to maximise our reach in a very competitive market.”
9 December 2019


text:
Walmart, the largest retailer in the United States, is set to enhance its customers’ shopping experiences by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and drones. In a recent announcement made during a keynote at the CES trade show in Las Vegas, the company unveiled its plans to extend its drone delivery services to an additional 1.8 million households in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area later this year. While Walmart has already conducted 20,000 drone deliveries across seven states, this expansion reflects the increasing demand and efficiency of such services.
Walmart executives emphasized that no other competitor has achieved such a high level of drone penetration in a major metropolitan market. This move highlights Walmart’s commitment to exploring innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of its customers.
AI-powered search tool for iOS users
In addition to expanding its drone operations, Walmart also introduced a groundbreaking AI-powered search tool for iOS users. This generative AI tool is designed to suggest relevant products to consumers based on their queries. Whether customers are searching for items related to football watch parties or bridal showers, this AI-driven tool aims to provide personalized and accurate product recommendations. This development showcases Walmart’s dedication to leveraging AI to enhance the shopping experience by helping customers find the products they need more efficiently.
“InHome replenishment” and virtual outfit creation
Walmart is also venturing into AI-driven solutions aimed at revolutionizing how customers shop for groceries and clothing. The “InHome Replenishment” initiative utilizes AI technology to learn and understand consumers’ shopping habits. By analyzing past purchasing patterns, this system aims to keep customers stocked with their favorite groceries, ensuring that essential items are always on hand.
Furthermore, Walmart is introducing a beta platform that allows customers to create outfits virtually and seek feedback from their friends. This interactive feature empowers shoppers to make more informed fashion choices, emphasizing Walmart’s commitment to providing innovative and engaging shopping experiences.
Sam’s club’s innovative checkout experience
As Walmart’s subsidiary, Sam’s Club is also embracing technology to elevate the checkout process. The company has introduced a unique approach to checkout, replacing traditional methods with advanced technology. Shoppers at Sam’s Club stores can now choose between “scan and go” technology, self-checkout, or using a traditional staffed register.
One notable innovation is the use of cameras at the store exits, which capture images of items in shoppers’ carts to confirm purchases. This streamlined checkout process eliminates the need to stop at a cashier to show a receipt. Sam’s Club CEO Chris Nicholas revealed that this camera technology is already available in ten clubs and will be rolled out further later this year, enhancing the shopping experience for Sam’s Club members.
Innovating for customer convenience
Walmart’s exploration of AI and drone technology demonstrates its commitment to providing customers with convenient and efficient shopping experiences. By expanding drone delivery services and leveraging AI-driven tools, the company aims to meet the evolving needs of consumers in today’s fast-paced world.
With the introduction of AI-powered search tools and initiatives like “InHome Replenishment,” Walmart seeks to offer a more personalized and tailored shopping experience. Additionally, the ability to create outfits virtually and receive feedback from friends adds a new dimension to the clothing shopping experience, making it more interactive and engaging.
Sam’s Club’s innovative checkout options reflect the company’s dedication to enhancing the convenience of shopping for its members. The camera technology at store exits simplifies the checkout process, eliminating the need for traditional receipt checks and ensuring a smoother shopping journey.
Walmart’s investment in AI and drone technology, as well as its commitment to improving the shopping experience, underscores its determination to remain at the forefront of the retail industry. With an expanding drone delivery network, AI-powered search tools, and innovative checkout options at Sam’s Club, Walmart is poised to continue providing its customers with efficient, personalized, and convenient shopping solutions. As technology continues to evolve, Walmart’s dedication to embracing innovation ensures that its customers will benefit from cutting-edge retail experiences.


text:
Drinking coffee every day could help fight off dementia, new research has shown.
Older women who had more coffee were less likely to experience cognitive impairment, according to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology.
The research looked at caffeine consumption of 6,500 women aged between 65 and 80 and found that those who consumed more than 261 milligrams of caffeine a day had a 36 per cent lower chance of getting dementia.
This amounts to almost three cups of coffee or six cups of black tea a day.
"What is unique about this study is that we had an unprecedented opportunity to examine the relationships between caffeine intake and dementia incidence in a large and well-defined, prospectively studied cohort of women," lead author Ira Driscoll, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, told Medical News Today.
The research is not entirely conclusive and Ms Driscoll added that further work could go a long way.
Read more at: The Independent.


text:
According to NBC News, legal marijuana companies are finding their place, despite the many roadblocks that come with legalizing the business despite pot not yet being legal on a national level. As competition between businesses continues to increase, in many cases the prices are going down and revenue as well as states essentially compete for more tourists. Washington and Oregon are constantly having ?border wars,? and California and Oregon overall draw the most interest from out-of-state investors.
?Cannabis is still illegal on a federal level, so it makes investing very risky,? research analyst Jessica Rabe explained. Her brokerage company, ConvergEx, recently released an analysis of the cannabis industry and its likely future growth. Among the roadblocks to small businesses: it?s difficult for these companies to open bank accounts. Banks can?t accept a business that is ?illegal? — as a result, these companies often have incredible sums of money on hand owing to an ability to deposit the cash at the end of the day.
Despite this, sales from legalized marijuana hit a record high of $5.7 billion in 2015. It?s no surprise that many states are hoping to follow suit in order to boost tax revenue — with few drawbacks. Four states currently allow recreational use, and almost 50% of the country now allows medical marijuana cultivating. Many investors are eyeing California as a likely future weed-friendly state; if it passes legalization there, it will be potentially a $15 billion market.
If you?ve thoughts starting a medical marijuana business, there?s a lot more to it than just knowing which strains are the most potent. At a bare minimum, you?ll need a cannabis business license. For this, although the application varies by state, you?ll likely need to submit a marijuana cultivation business plan. Without a business plan, you?ll likely be denied — there are hundreds of people interested in getting in on this industry and competition is fierce. Most experts recommend that you hire a cannabis consultant to help you through the process and make sure you get all necessary documentation in order.
Once your marijuana cultivation business plan has been approved, you?ll likely want to look for investors for your business — a small business loan might be hard to obtain for the same reason a bank account is hard to obtain. This way, you can invest in your storefront, plants, and everything else required to start up.
Trackback from your site.


text:
We might currently be on the brink of nuclear annihilation by North Korea, but there’s a far more pressing crisis facing us right now.
The Australian reports that we could experience an avocado shortage over the summer months thanks to our fiendish devotion to the fruit.
Retailers and restaurants reportedly may need to seek supplies from across the ditch, as our home grown sources have struggled to keep up with the demand.
Australia’s obsession with smashed avo has doubled in the past decade, with the average person chowing down 3.5 kilograms of the good stuff each year.
And while we’ve given up the dream of home ownership in favour of the delicious morsel, we may balk at the no doubt inflated price of avos should the avo-pocalypse actually occur.
Source: Read Full Article