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By Ray Stern
By Ray Stern
By New Times
By Amy Silverman
By Stephen Lemons
By Stephen Lemons
By Monica Alonzo
By Chris Parker
The campus wouldn't be lumped in just one location. The university plans to utilize existing buildings and new structures across the urban landscape. Officials are currently scouring downtown for potential sites, and expect to have a formal list by the end of June. Completion of the campus is expected by 2009.
Most of the facilities will be within a five-minute walk of half a dozen light-rail stations to be built in the next few years. Light-rail is crucial to ASU's plans, since it will connect downtown Phoenix with ASU's main campus in Tempe.
The buildings making up ASU's downtown campus will not just be used for academic purposes; there will also be a housing, office and retail component to the massive undertaking.
What ASU plans to do is a radical departure from the way downtown has developed in the past. The idea behind the major core-city projects of the last 20 years -- including the Arizona Center, the Mercado, America West Arena, Bank One Ballpark and the Dodge Theatre -- is to pull people inside, strip them of their cash and dump them back on downtown's desolate streets.
This despite Jerry Colangelo's vow that the BOB and the arena would revitalize our inner city.
Last fall, it appeared that our future would be hijacked by the Godfather of Phoenix Sports and his cronies, who seemed intent on jamming a giant downtown shopping mall down our throats.
Phoenix Futures -- Colangelo's network of moguls from the banks, utilities and the daily newspaper -- has busied itself developing a master plan for downtown that would have the unstated, but obvious, goal of enriching each member of the group.
I'm told that the Phoenix Futures will present its big idea to the city council in June, and expects the city to adopt the master plan by the end of the year.
That's the way things have always been done around here. The Godfather tells the city what to do, and the city does it.
Will it be different this time? Gordon has repeatedly said the city will be reviewing the ASU and the Phoenix Futures plans and will ultimately develop its own plan for downtown.
To make sure this happens, Phoenix should hire its own master-planning consultant to help sift through the competing ASU and Phoenix Futures ideas.
Without an impartial mediator, ASU will be at a clear disadvantage.
Phoenix Futures has tapped the leadership of two downtown business organizations to spearhead its planning effort -- Downtown Phoenix Partnership president and CEO Brian Kearney, and Phoenix Community Alliance president Don Keuth.
Joining them are two of the Godfather's best buds: prominent Phoenix architect Mo Stein and consummate downtown mover and shaker Mel Schultz, a partner of Colangelo's in his far-flung real estate investments, as well as a lobbyist for Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, the holding company for Arizona Public Service Company.
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership, founded by Colangelo, receives more than $1 million of its annual $2 million budget from the city, which means that Kearney's enjoyed huge influence over what gets developed downtown.
Keuth and Stein also have their hooks in Phoenix city government. Both serve on the nine-member Phoenix Planning Commission, which will sit in judgment over Phoenix Futures' master plan (though Stein tells me he won't participate in Planning Commission discussions about the plan because of his role with Phoenix Futures).
With such an impressive list of henchmen at its disposal, Jerry's downtown master plan -- created by mega-mall designer Jerde Partnership of Venice, California -- not long ago would have seemed a slam dunk.
What has happened is, Crowe and ASU, whether they wind up dominating the thinking about the future of downtown or not, have had a powerful effect already on what Colangelo and his partners believe they can get away with.
During last week's city council planning session, Keuth suddenly announced that Phoenix Futures won't bring in the massive shopping mall that downtown business insiders say was once envisioned and what Colangelo himself suggested to me last fall.
This is big news and a major change of direction. I like to half-joke that Jerry and his partners are eating Crow, because they fear the city won't approve another gigantic destination project.
Phoenix Futures now stresses that it wants to see a mix of national and local retailers clustered around light-rail transit stops. It wants a number of downtown streets narrowed. It wants low-cost retail space to be available along those streets for small businesses.
This doesn't mean that big chain operations won't dominate its plan, it just means that Phoenix Futures is moving toward inclusion of something else.
Phoenix Futures projects the need for 10,000 additional downtown housing units in the next decade and estimates that the area should add a million square feet of retail space in a 1.5-mile-square area. (The Biltmore Fashion Park has about 600,000 square feet of retail space.)
The development group now is also talking about pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, lots of shade, remodeling Patriots Square, protection of historic structures, mixed-income housing, a downtown farmers' market and making it safe for existing small businesses.
Whichever way City Hall goes, what's on the drawing boards has definitely improved. Who do we thank for that? Well, ASU, of course, but also the downtown artists and small business people -- whose cacophony of gripes about Colangelo's unfair dominance in downtown have often been reported in these pages.


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A little more than six months soon after it elevated prices on the Mustang Mach-E, Ford said it would now be slashing costs on its flagship electric powered car or truck as effectively as raising its creation targets for the year.
The Mach-E will drop by an ordinary of close to 5.85 %, relying on the trim degree. (Some variations are looking at steeper reductions than other folks.) According to Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer for Ford Design e division, the “center cut” discount was around $4,500.
Here’s a breakdown of the new prices:
The corporation also reported it was expanding the output potential for the Mach-E, opening new house in its factory and adding new gear. As these kinds of, Ford suggests it expects to generate 130,000 motor vehicles for consumers in North The us and Europe this yr, up from a preceding focus on of 78,000.
Ford is just the latest automaker to slash its EV costs. Most notably, Tesla lowered prices on its well-liked Design 3 and Design Y autos by as substantially as 20 p.c before this yr. (The corporation has because lifted charges slightly on the Design Y.) At the time, experts predicted the cost cuts could spur an EV pricing war, primarily as demand for new cars weakens amid financial problems.
“We are responding to improvements in the marketplace.”
“We are responding to alterations in the market,” Gjaja mentioned in a briefing with reporters previous week, citing eligibility prerequisites in the Inflation Reduction Act for the $7,500 EV tax credit. “We want to keep aggressive in the market.”
At present, the only versions of the Mach-E that qualify for the tax credit are the Pick out RWD and eAWD Normal Vary trims, each of which slide underneath the MSRP limit of $55,000 for non-SUVs. The IRS does not look at the Mach-E an SUV, even with Ford classifying it as these types of. SUVs and pickup vehicles have a higher MSRP restrict of $80,000 to fulfill eligibility.
Motor vehicle buyers can be excused for emotion as if they are on a rate rollercoaster specified all the improvements they’ve had to take up around the previous several months. Just very last August, Ford lifted rates on the Mach-E by as considerably as $10,000 on some trims, citing greater product costs and supply chain constraints. Now, the cost is coming down, ideal on the heels of a main price lower from Tesla.
Gjaja denied that the value cuts were being an try to keep the Mustang Mach-E value-connected with the Product Y, which is its greatest competitor. “We have a diverse solution, we have diverse prospects,” he stated. “We test to have an supplying that we assume is much better than Tesla’s and then we check out to selling price appropriately to what we consider is proper in the industry.” The Mustang Mach-E is at the moment the 3rd-optimum-selling EV in the US right after the Tesla Product 3 and Model Y.
By cutting selling prices, though, Ford is heading to make it extra complicated for the Mach-E to reach profitability. Previous 12 months, the company’s chief fiscal officer said that rising commodity charges as a end result of inflation had wiped out the vehicle’s margins.
But Gjaja preserved that the Mach-E’s “cost position” was increasing as a result of improved production and reduction on some of individuals commodities. “We would unquestionably like for Mach-E to be even extra profitable than it is,” he extra.

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It took nearly three months longer than Apple Computer Inc. chief executive Steve Jobs predicted but Apple's iTunes Music Store has sold its 100 millionth song, the company said Monday.
When the market-leading music download store launched April 28, 2003, a confident Jobs forecast that iTunes would sell 100 million songs within a year. However, the service reported selling about 70 million songs by the time it reached its first anniversary.
"As we cross this historic milestone, we want to thank our customers, the artists and the music labels who have embraced our dream for iTunes," said Jobs. "iTunes quickly outpaced the competition and is far and away the world's number one online music service."
The 100 millionth song, "Somersault (Dangermouse remix)" by Zero7 was purchased by Kevin Britten, 20, of Kansas. As the grand prizewinner in Apple's 100 million song countdown, Britten will receive a 17-inch PowerBook, a 40GB iPod, a gift certificate for 10,000 iTunes songs and the opportunity to create his own Celebrity Playlist to be published on the iTunes Music Store.
Downloads purchased from iTunes customers in the United States, France, United Kingdom and Germany were used to calculate total sales, but the company excluded downloads given away as part of iTunes promotions, Apple spokeswoman Liz Einbinder said.
Analyst Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media said the sale benchmark was significant.
"Compared to any of the other download services or subscription services, they've done far more than anyone else," Leigh said.


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The Euro zone economy shrank more than previously estimated in the last three months of 2008, official figures say. GDP in the 15-nation area fell 1.6%, not 1.5% as previously thought, said the EU Eurostat office. Compared to the final quarter of 2007, GDP fell 1.5%, wider than an earlier estimate of a 1.3% decline.
The Euro zone tipped from economic growth into recession during the third quarter of 2008, when data showed that GDP declined by 0.3% for a second consecutive quarter. Two consecutive quarters of lower GDP is an informal but widely used definition of a recession.
Eurostat revised up households' final consumption to show a 0.3%, quarterly drop, a reversal after a 0.1% rise the previous quarter. Investments plunged 4% in the final three months of the year, steeper after a 0.7% decline in the third quarter.
Meanwhile, exports plunged 6.1%, also far worse than a 0.2% decline in the previous quarter, Eurostat said. Imports dropped 4.7%, turning lower following a 1.3% increase in the third quarter.
Economists have anticipated a first-quarter decline similar to the fourth-quarter plunge. Stabilization in some leading indicators, such as purchasing managers indexes for manufacturing and services, point to a bottoming out of output, however, toward mid-year, said Joerg Radeke, an economist at the Centre for Economic and Business Research. Still, the Euro-zone is in for a rough year amid a sharp, synchronized global downturn, he said.
There is no illusion that 2009 will be the worst year in terms of economic performance for the Euro member states since the Second World War, he said.
Consumer and business confidence stood at a record 24-year low in March, undermining prospects for investment, employment, and consumer spending, said Howard Archer, chief European economist at IHS Global Insight.
Retail sales remain soft, manufacturing is struggling, and survey evidence suggests that service-sector activity still contracted in March at the second-deepest rate, after February, in at least 10 years, Archer said, in a research note. Meanwhile, exports continue to plunge.
As a result of those factors and other evidence, IHS Global Insight is likely to cut its 2009 euro-zone GDP forecast from a 3% decline to a 4% contraction.


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Leading Lights Startups Gain Ground
All startups claim to be making fantastic progress, and our finalists were no exceptions. But we found some satisfying evidence that most of them are on the right track.
You can judge for yourself, of course -- and, until noon Eastern time today, you're welcome to vote for the companies you think deserve to be winners. Just click on this link NOW.
Thousands of votes have already been cast, and for most of the week the Best Startup category showed a near five-way dead heat, until Menara Networks managed to pull ahead of the pack with 38 percent of the vote, followed by FastSoft Inc. at 27 percent. It appears one of those two will at least win the (non-binding!) readers' vote, unless another startup trades for Manny Ramirez or something.
Considering we wrote about these guys just a month ago, there's probably not much to update. The company's speedier alternative to TCP has amassed an interesting cast of customers during the past year, including Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) and Siemens AG (NYSE: SI; Frankfurt: SIE). (See FastSoft Wants CDNs and FastSoft Inc..)
You'll recall Microsoft Adds More Security APIs to Windows pitched its OTN transceivers early this year. (See Menara Pitches OTN Advances.) Since then, it's gotten six customers into lab trials and has another 12 approaching that point.
A limited-tunability version fitting the XFP module standard began sampling just three weeks ago. That's later than some might have expected, considering the XFP module was demonstrated at OFC/NFOEC in February, but Menara was busy completing a customized module for a large customer that CEO Siraj Nour El-Ahmadi won't name.
He adds that Menara, which typically sells to systems vendors, is starting to hear from cable operators too. "We've been getting a lot of pull from the end customers who want to put us directly in lab trials," he says.
Spinning off from Sky last year gave Miniweb Interactive a head start that's translated into 9 million viewers. The startup's platform for delivering interactive TV features is intended to be usable in any carrier network, so the next trick is for Miniweb to secure some other operators as customers.
A $32 million infusion, Miniweb's first venture money, is intended for just that purpose. CEO Andrew Carver -- who's a recent Miniweb infusion himself -- tells Light Reading that the recent IBC tradeshow in Amsterdam, which represented Miniweb's first real marketing splash, brought in all sorts of prospects, but he admits they'll take time to translate into customer wins. (See Miniweb Bags $32M and Miniweb Appoints CEO.)
"We are in discussions with two other players with fairly significant subscriber bases," he says.
Customer leads aren't the only things Miniweb is picking up. A nasty virus raged through the company's marketing ranks and its outside PR firm this week, which is why Carver himself ended up returning Light Reading's call.
This one's easy: They still won't tell us what they're up to (although Nan Chen says "Hi").
The big challenge for Sezmi Corp. is to launch a commercial trial of its TV service, which it hopes to pitch to carriers as an alternative to IPTV. (See Sezmi Aims Beyond IPTV.)
Dave Allred, senior vice president of marketing, notes that the service is already in some technical trials. But as for a pilot launch that involves end users, we'll just have to wait and see. Allred says Sezmi is readying some announcements.
— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor, Light Reading


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FxWirePro: Aussie Edgy On Cyclical Effects - AUD/USD OTC Updates And Hedging Strategies Ahead of RBA
PBoC to maintain prudent monetary policy but with flexibility to ensure reasonably adequate liquidity, says Scotiabank
PBoC likely to allow Chinese yuan’s market-driven appreciation, says Scotiabank
The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) is expected to allow the yuan’s market-driven appreciation and to step in to prevent the yuan from weakening versus a basket if the dollar strengthens across the board, according to the latest research report from Scotiabank.
The US and China signed the phase-one trade deal in Washington on Wednesday, bringing the first chapter of a protracted trade war between the world’s two largest economies to a close. The two nations said they will agree upon the timing of further negotiations.
According to the eight-part deal that includes enforcement mechanisms, China will open its markets to more American companies, increase farm and energy imports and provide greater protection for American technology and trade secrets.
As a condition of Beijing signing the deal, the US agreed to halve tariffs on USD120 billion in Chinese goods to 7.5 percent and to forgo other planned tariffs, although it will maintain 25 percent tariffs on USD250 billion of Chinese products, the report added.
More tariff reductions will be left to later negotiations including Chinese subsidies to domestic companies and Beijing's oversight of Chinese state-owned firms. China has committed to purchasing an additional USD200 billion worth of American goods and services by 2021, which could further shrink its trade surplus with the US in the year of 2020 and 2021.
China’s customs data on Tuesday showed that the country’s trade surplus with the US dropped 8.5 percent y/y to USD295.8 billion last year from a record USD323.3 billion in 2018.
A currency pact included in the agreement reaffirms the two nations’ G-20 commitments to forgo competitive devaluations including through large-scale, persistent, one-sided intervention in exchange markets.
According to Chapter 5 in the agreement, if there is failure to arrive at a mutually satisfactory resolution on issues related to exchange rate policy or transparency under the Bilateral Evaluation and Dispute Resolution Arrangement, the US Treasury Secretary or the PBoC Governor may also request that the IMF a) undertake rigorous surveillance of the macroeconomic and exchange rate policies and data transparency and reporting policies of the requested Party; or b) initiate formal consultations and provide input, as appropriate.
However, there is no agreement to publish intervention data, which disappointed the market. Earlier on Monday, the US Treasury Department dropped its designation of China as a "currency manipulator" ahead of the phase-one trade deal due to be signed Wednesday.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that "China has made enforceable commitments to refrain from competitive devaluation, while promoting transparency and accountability."


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At its education event in Chicago yesterday, Apple announced a new 9.7-inch iPad aimed at students and educators. With the new 9.7-inch iPad, Apple is chasing Google and Microsoft’s dominance in the education market.
According to research, Google has a market share of around 66 percent in the K-12 education market in the US, and its Chromebooks powered by G Suite and Google Classroom apps have changed the way students work on their skills and teachers distribute assignments to them. The tablet is also a stark reminder to how Apple led by Tim Cook is giving in to market demands as opposed to one led by Steve Jobs, which used to create new segments by introducing new product categories.
The new iPad announced yesterday is the cheapest iPad yet from the Cupertino-based technology giant, and it comes at a time when tablet sales have dwindled off from their peak. Like last year’s 9.7-inch iPad, it is priced at $299 for students and $329 for regular customers. While Apple has not changed the price technically, it has added support for Apple Pencil, which turns the regular iPad into an powerful creation tool and latest hardware. Here is what has changed between the 9.7-inch iPad (2018) and the 9.7-inch iPad (2017):
Apple 9.7-inch iPad (2018) vs iPad (2017): Design and Display
“The new 9.7-inch iPad takes everything people love about our most popular iPad and make it even better for inspiring creativity and learning” Apple’s Greg Joswiak said introducing the new iPad. The new iPad seems similar to last year’s model in terms of design. It is still a rectangular device that seems like a blown up iPhone in the design department.
It features a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels like the outgoing model, but Apple has added sub-pixel precision to the display on new iPad. This will enable ultra low latency, Apple Pencil support and tilt and pressure sensing. The new iPad also comes with fingerprint oleophobic coating on the display, and is built from a single piece of aluminum.
Apple 9.7-inch iPad (2018) vs iPad (2017): Specifications
The new iPad model is powered by Apple’s A10 Fusion chip with 64-bit architecture, the same processor powering iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The processor comes embedded with M10 Motion co-processor, and it is a major upgrade over A9 chipset found on last year’s 9.7-inch iPad.
The 9.7-inch iPad (2018) comes with 32GB or 128GB storage option and consumers can buy it in Wi-Fi only variant or Wi-Fi + Cellular option. The new iPad retains the same 8-megapixel rear camera seen on last year’s model with f/2.4 aperture, exposure control, autofocus but now also supports Live Photos. The main camera can record 1080p HD video recording and slow-motion videos at 120fps in addition to time-lapse with stabilization. There is also a 1.2-megapixel FaceTime HD camera with f/2.2 aperture and retina flash for selfies and video conferencing.
Apple 9.7-inch iPad (2018) vs iPad (2017): Software
The new iPad comes with latest iOS 11 update ,but what makes it stand apart from its sibling from 2017 is the native support for classroom ready apps. Apple is selling the new iPad as the tablet conceived with classroom first thinking.
It comes with updated iWork suite of apps, namely Pages, Numbers and Keynote. On the new 9.7-inch iPad, these apps will ship with Apple Pencil support so users can take notes, do smart annotation in pages and boost their spreadsheets with drawings and charts. These apps will be standard whether you are a student or not.
In the US, teachers will be further able to control iPad of their students via Apple Classroom app and read via digital books. Another major addition is the native support for augmented reality applications powered by ARKit and ability for students to build new AR applications using Swift Playgrounds app on iPad.
Apple 9.7-inch iPad (2018) vs iPad (2017): Price and availability
Apple has priced the new 9.7-inch iPad at a starting price of $299 for students and $329 for regular customers. In India, the new 9.7-inch iPad will retail at Rs 28,000 for the 32GB Wi-Fi only model, and Rs 38,600 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The new iPad is cheaper than the outgoing model which started at Rs 28,900 for the Wi-Fi only model, and Rs 39,900 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
Apple Pencil, the creativity tool, will be available separately for Rs 7,600. In addition, Apple has also announced partnership with Logitech to sell $49 crayon and $39 smart covers for iPad. In India, these smart covers will be priced at Rs 3,400, and will be available in charcoal grey, midnight blue, (RED), white and pink sand colors. The iPad will be available in silver, gold and space grey colors in April.


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Talk about personal growth.
The Nike Women Instagram account posted an ad featuring Nigerian-American singer Annahstasia modeling one of the brand’s sports bras — and with her curly underarm hair on full display — captioned with “Big mood.”
And the au naturale image has drawn more than 173,000 likes in the past 24 hours, and tons of comments, with many readers praising the Swoosh for supporting the body-positive natural movement over traditional airbrushed and picture-perfect ads. “Body hair is natural, everyone has it,” wrote one, along with three “clapping hands” emoji.
But it’s drawn scores of prickly responses from users, as well, who are responding with the green vomiting emoji, and writing things such as “This is DISGUSTING” and “shave that s---.”
Still others called out the double standard that men aren’t shamed for underarm hair, but women are.
It’s also not the first brand to embrace female body hair. When the Estée Lauder-owned
Men aren’t the only ones covered in hair — although many advertisements featuring smooth women with perfectly-plucked brows, silky legs and bare underarms would have you think otherwise. As fellow mammals, women are also covered in a fur coat, to varying degrees.
But the hair removal industry (which is expected to hit $1.35 billion globally by 2022) has been conditioning women to feel embarrassed about their hair since the early 1900s. It began with removing underarm hair after American women started going sleeveless in public around 1915, when Gillette
“The language around it is that you’re dirty, you’re gross if you have body hair. And after 100 years of that, it’s in our psyche: You’re not feminine, you’re not worth a date, and no one is going to ask you out if you have hair,” Mara Altman, who delves into the origins of our various body insecurities in her book “Gross Anatomy,” told MarketWatch.
In fact, her own insecurity about her chin hairs was the impetus for the essays in her book. She used to hide her beauty routine from her now-husband, and wrote about her experience coming “clean” to him. “We’re all grooming ourselves behind closed doors, and you have no idea where you fit on the ‘hair scale’ because you don’t see anyone with hair — everyone is hairless in public all of the time,” she said. “So you feel abnormal.”
For example, women’s shaving ads almost always show already-smooth skin, as if the hair was never there — and so subscription razor brand Billie went viral last summer for actually showing women’s stomachs, armpits, bikini lines and toes with hair on them in its ads. “Women have body hair, yet showing it is a prickly subject. It’s time to change that,” the spot says.
“I think it’s a combination of hair removal, in large parts, does happen in very personal areas. And hair removal is also seen as a sign of cleanliness,” explained Beth Egan, associate professor of advertising at the Syracuse the Newhouse School of Communications. “So if women don’t bleach or wax their lip line, we’re as catty to each other as anyone else: ‘Look, she’s not taking care of herself. She’s not properly grooming.’”
So when a brand like Nike shows female models with underarm hair, M.A.C. shows female models with whiskers, or Billie shows other women with hair on their stomachs — or Bella Thorne confidently flashes her underarm hair on the beach — it assures women that their body hair is perfect natural, and even nothing to be ashamed of.
“When we can see pictures of variations of body hair, which is what Billie is doing, it makes you go, ‘Oh, OK, my happy trail does look like that. I’m not a behemoth. I don’t have some sort of hormone problem,” added Altman.
Former fashion blogger Dana Suchow, who’s now an activist for body acceptance and eating disorder prevention, stopped shaving her legs two years ago when she got dolled up for a date that was a total dud. “I spent all of this time shaving for this other person — I did not do it for myself, but because I was worried that he wouldn’t think that I was attractive — and the guy ended up being a jerk,” she told MarketWatch. “I thought, ‘What am I doing?”
Now she leads the #MyBodyStory movement on social media, and she also posts pictures of her unshaven legs, and rocks shorts in her Soho, NYC neighborhood in the summer. “It’s so important for people to see natural body representation, so when I go out in my shorts, and people are staring — especially kids — I welcome it,” she said. “I want you to see what an actual leg looks like. We are visual creatures, so if we see somebody else with body hair, or with acne or stretch marks, it lets you know it’s OK.”
And Egan noted that today’s consumers are shopping for authenticity, which brands like Unilever’s
Plus, this obsession with stripping hair from practically everywhere costs a lot of money — and time. American women collectively spend about $1 billion on razors every year, according to Euromonitor, and between $10,000 and $23,000 apiece on hair removal in their lifetimes. And a 2013 survey from British beauty brand Escentual found that the average woman spends 72 days shaving her legs in her lifetime — or about 1,728 hours — and 30 days (720 hours) tweezing her eyebrows.
“Not shaving saves a ton of money and a ton of time. I used to be late for everything because I had to shave my legs first,” said Suchow. “But I do struggle with not shaving sometimes. And the reason that I feel self-conscious is not because other people make me feel bad, but because I feel like I’m the only person who has hair on her legs. So it’s nice to have the internet, it’s nice to have social media, where I can see other people with bodies that look like mine.”
This article was originally published in September 2018, and has been updated with Nike.


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Although Nike Air Max 95 is more popular this year, Nike has launched a multi-color matching array. But in the eyes of many friends, the streamlined shoe design is stitched with different colors, which makes the matching difficulty. A new solid color Nike Air Max 95 Essential with a double exposure may be able to meet the needs of some people. This double Nike Air Max 95 Essential is shown in pure gray overall, but the gray of different color levels gives a strong layering. The 3M reflective material is also used, and the dark gray midsole foam is equipped with a full palm Max Air air cushion.
Nike’s air max Vaporfly Elite top running shoes last year achieved a very high score in the performance test, the main reason is the use of Pebax foamed ZoomX technology materials, but this shoe is not intended for commercial use, but with a simple version The Vaporfly 4% is on the market, and now another Pegasus Turbo with ZoomX is also available for limited edition on August 2, priced at 1399 yuan.
Pegasus Turbo can be seen as a high-end derivative of Pegasus 35. The upper part does not use Flyknit knit upper, but uses Flymesh mesh + Flywire technology to provide good applicability and wrapping. The midsole uses a considerable thickness of ZoomX foam, but because ZoomX is very lightweight, the US10 code weighs only about 240g. The wear-resistant rubber area of the outsole is not small, and the overall life should be good. The pointed heel fits the red strip from the tongue to the center of the outsole, making the Turbo look quite windy and a pair of running shoes worth looking forward to.
This year coincides with the 20th anniversary of Air Max 97. Nike also brought back this pair of classic old shoes this year, but it is a modern and retro running shoe, compared to the old-fashioned Air Max 1 or some retro Under the skateboard shoes,cheap nike air max 97 it seems to be a little difficult to control. Today, the original “Metallic Silver” color scheme of six or seven thousand has been re-released around 2013. At that time, it was said that it was lack of interest and it was once so-called Outlet. The goods center is sold at a discount. However, with the change of the style of mainstream wear, the old classics have once again been valued by everyone.
This year, Nike is still launching a new color scheme for the classic shoe Air Max 95. Today, a new pair of color schemes officially landed on the official website of NIke. The overall style of the shoes is pure black, the dark temperament is very rich, the heel is also embellished with dark red Swoosh, the black soul is very rich, a variety of materials to create the upper to create a layered feeling, the foot effect is also very good, the autumn and winter season will be By the time, the new color scheme of this pair of Air Max 95 is still very seasony.
Nike Air Max 95 Mowabb is the ACG series of classic shoes, the practical and yet stylish outdoor style color has become a classic element, I want to pay tribute to this year’s LeBron Watch series. Recently, there is another same color Air Max 95 exposure, which will be released next month.
August 30 is the date of sale of another batch of NIKE air max 95, priced at 1199 yuan. This new casual shoe inspired by NIKE internationalist jogging shoes is a dark horse in the spring and summer sneaker market,nike air max 95 brown, which was released on June 21st. NIKE air max 95 was unveiled at the UNDERCOVER autumn and winter conference in Paris this year. The midsole is equipped with React cushioning technology and has corrugated slots on both sides to enhance the comfort of wearing on different occasions. What’s even more fascinating is the breathable TPE weave on the upper for comfort and translucent visuals like never before. In the near future, UNDERCOVER announced a new batch of Element 87 shoes with four colors, the color of the high bridge shield in the GYAKUSOU period style, and the specific release time has not been determined, we can keep looking forward ~ in addition to this equipped with React In addition to the hot shoes of technology, we may be able to pay attention to the situation of React Element 55. Although the appearance is not as good as 87, it may be a wrong-selling style, but there is no reliable information.
This is the new cushioning unit that Nike launched in 2017. We have to admit that this is Nike’s work against adidas Boost. They gave up the continuation of the research and development of air cushion cushioning, and turned to material damping to compete with adidas. Different from other instant noodles technology, React’s biggest feature is a whole piece of foam. Nike’s engineers paired this new technology with a new formula, so React combines lightness, flexibility and durability. It turns out that React is doing well, and Hyperdunk2017 is a new generation of stadium shoes. React’s scope of application is more comprehensive, for our daily competition, whether it is inside or outside, React can help everyone.
Last year, Nike brought Air VaporMax on Air Max Day, which became a stunning global shoe. I believe that many friends must start! At the same time, with the hot weather in recent years, almost all Air Max series products have been sought after by the world’s sneaker players. This year’s Air Max Day has naturally received unprecedented attention!
Just yesterday, I was fortunate to receive an invitation to participate in the Nike Air Max theme event, and to understand the experience of this pair of people are rushing to the nike Air max 270!
The Air Max 97 is equipped with the unique design of the visual Max Air and the fast-paced style, which quickly set off a global craze. Today, twenty years later, this extraordinary design still leads the fashion trend. The Air Max 97 Premium combines high-end materials with neutral tones to create a superior gear selection for the season.
Despite all sorts of news about the decline in basketball shoe sales (mainly Nike), in just two months, in addition to the shocking LeBron James transfer to the Lakers,cheap air max brand, many non-traditional basketball shoe companies suddenly revealed this Market interest.
The latest news is that Puma announced on July 27 that it has reached an agreement with the WNBA (American Women’s Professional Basketball League) to become the official footwear sponsor of the league. This is the first transaction between Puma and the professional sports league since the high-profile return to basketball in June. .
As an official sponsor, Puma will be able to use the Alliance’s trademarks and the image of WNBA players. This is basically consistent with Puma’s positioning in the female market in the past few years.
Since the official announcement in June, Puma has signed four NBA rookies Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Zhaire Smith and Terry Rozier, with Ayton taking the lead. In addition, the brand also found NBA legendary “Grand Theft Auto” Walt “Frazier” Clydes signed a lifetime endorsement contract, and announced that hip hop singer Jay-Z will be a creative consultant for Puma’s new basketball business.
More than 90% of the basketball market is held in Nike’s hands. Most players – from superstars like James to newcomers you might not care about, sign with Nike, leaving the remaining market for Adidas and Curry. Under Armour for Endorsement. The 2017 data is that sales of US basketball shoes have fallen 13% from their peak in 2015. In the next upcoming season, there are still not many free players to sign up on the court.
Nike’s basketball shoe business (excluding the Jordan brand) has been declining in the past few quarters, basically equivalent to the overall stagnation of the basketball market. But in this environment, some weird characters began to appear, including the Big Baller Brand, which was dubbed in the game last summer and was dubbed the big ball, and the Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball’s own shoe brand was sold very expensive. ($495) and the sheer volume of fans on social networks has sparked industry attention.
At the same time, Adidas is still trying to connect basketball with street trends. Following the offensive of the Rapper on the East and West Coast of the NBA All-Star Weekend this spring, the brand launched Crazy BYW, a casual shoe inspired by basketball shoes.
Another clue related to basketball is a Twitter: On July 28th, Kanye West released a hand-drawn draft with a new series of Yeezy 2019 sketches with the addition of basketball.
What kind of market changes this Twitter will eventually lead to is not known, but from past experience, Kanye’s notice is often the will of Adidas. To some extent, heavy basketball shoes and old hot shoes have similarities in appearance, but the Sneaker collection market represented by Jordan has nothing to do with the sports shoes launched by luxury brands. Yeezy may think about the next season. To break this limit.
As for Under Armour, although the fifth generation of signature shoes from Curry was released as scheduled, the brand was exceptionally quiet this summer and did not sign any important prospective players.


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Banking the proceeds remains a crap shoot for legal pot shops
Despite the fact that federal statutes make it illegal, a growing number of states (23 and the District of Columbia at last count) are approving some form of sale of marijuana to the public. These legitimate (by state) businesses have figured out how to securely grow, ship, receive and store their products, but banking the proceeds from these agribusinesses is still a crap shoot.
Banks inherently avoid risk due to the stiff penalties they face for money laundering, an activity largely associated with drugs, so any profits earned from the sale of marijuana are suspicious. As a result, nearly all of the nation’s banks refuse to even offer basic services to these businesses, their owners and employees. This has forced many marijuana-based organizations to move to all-cash transactions — spawning more opportunity for money laundering than if the transactions were handled by the financial services industry.
It’s such a murky area that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators proposed a bill that would legalize banking. . . Click here to read the rest of the story on Medium.com.


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4D Fusio, the new 3D printed sneaker from Adidas
3D printed shoes are not so rare on the market anymore. Adidas alone has already released several models including the Futurecraft 4D, the ALPHAEDGE 4D and the FUTURECRAFT.STRUNG, which integrated a 3D printed midsole. Adidas will release a new model soon: 4D Fusio. Starting tomorrow, it will be available on the Adidas website. Why is the company releasing yet another 3D printed sneaker?
Using 3D printing in the footwear industry
As mentioned above, Adidas is not the only company that relies on 3D printing for the production of shoes. Sports giant Nike or startups like Scientifeet and Wiivv are also making use of additive manufacturing, and for good reason: the possibilities of personalization. Using 3D technologies, the consumer’s foot can be scanned, a 3D model developed and printed in record time. The result is a shoe that is customized to the consumer’s morphology, needs and style. It’s no wonder, then, that the SmarTech Analysis report estimates that additive manufacturing in the footwear industry is growing at 19% annually.
Since 2017, Adidas has been in a partnership with American 3D printer manufacturer, Carbon. When developing its last FUTURECRAFT.STRUNG shoe, Adidas decided to 3D print the midsole using Carbon’s proprietary technology, Digital Light Synthesis™. Digital Light Synthesis uses resins, light and oxygen to create high-quality parts from polymers; like the 4D midsole. Whereas the FUTURECRAFT 4D used Carbon’s technology to manufacture the sole, STRUNG used a unique process to combine athlete input, additive manufacturing and robotics to create a lightweight shoe. In fact, the upper part of the shoe was manufactured with a robot arm, where each thread had been placed according to the input to create a lightweight, seamless shoe that allowed natural foot movement.
Adidas’ latest model, the 4D Fusio, also incorporates the 4D midsole. And it shines in several bright colors. The upper is made of Primeknit, with black, pink and orange knit forming thinner and thicker parts. Primeknit is said to be particularly breathable. The sneaker features a lacing system and a pull loop in the heel made of TPU. This is supposed to make it easy to put on and take off. All in all, this is a lightweight and modern running shoe. You can find more information HERE.
What do you think of this 3D printed sneaker? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox!


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Screenshots at Official Elite Force II Page
11:08 AM | Sean Smith | Comment on this story
Paramount Pictures has launched the official web page at StarTrek.com for the upcoming Star Trek Elite Force II, to be published for the PC by Activision.
Currently, the only content at the Elite Force II web page is the Activision press release announcing the game (covered by IMG on April 4) and four impressive, full-sized screenshots from this new first person shooter based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine.
While Elite Force II has not been announced for the Mac (it was only just announced for the PC), the chances seem good: both the original Elite Force and its Expansion Pack, developed by Raven Software, were published for the Mac by Aspyr, and two previous Quake-engine games from Ritual Entertainment (Elite Force II's developer), Sin and Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. II, were also published for the Mac.
IMG News: Elite Force 2 Officially Announced for PC
Star Trek Elite Force II
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Suffolk jeweller set to open new store on ‘buzzing’ waterfront
- Credit: Simon Buck
A celebrated jewellery maker based in Suffolk is launching a new shop in Woodbridge as demand for her creations grows.
Emily Mortimer Jewellery is set to double the size of its premises when it moves from Brightwell Barns, near Ipswich, to Deben Wharf, Woodbridge.
Jewellery designer Emily Foskett said she was “excited” at the move after the business celebrated its fifth year last year.
The new headquarters includes the Suffolk-based designer’s first store. It will open to the public on Wednesday, April 14, in line with government guidelines.
Ms Foskett started out designing jewellery from her bedroom, but her business has gone from strength to strength with fans of her pieces including Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and TV presenter Fiona Bruce.
“In such uncertain times I am so excited to be doubling the size of our HQ and moving Emily Mortimer Jewellery into Deben Wharf, Woodbridge,” she said.
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“I saw the space during a walk in lockdown and knew this would be the next step for EM, the space has a real industrial feel.
“There is a notable social buzz by the waterfront and even though we aren’t able to open yet it is 100% the up-and-coming place to be, with a great selection of shops and restaurants and hopefully more to come.”
- 1 Forensic teams at Woodbridge house after 'incident'
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- 4 Matchday Recap: Goalless again in first game of a new era at Town
- 5 Tudor farmhouse with separate annexe is again for sale for £1.275m
- 6 Town's country park remains closed after woman's body discovered
- 7 'It was a surprise for a lot of us... but these are exciting times' - Gill on takeover
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- 9 Stu says: Five observations following Ipswich Town's 0-0 home draw with MK Dons
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The jeweller - whose family runs a farm near Woodbridge - puts her success over the last couple of years down to giving her all to each new collection which she designs.
“I am really looking forward to introducing more people to EM and adding another element to our already growing online and by appointment only business,” she said.
Her jewellery has been seen on various celebrities, including Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore and Made in Chelsea TV star Binky Felstead, who have worn items from her Echo collection. Other pieces have been seen on Fiona Bruce, Irish model Vogue Williams and TV presenter Francesca Cumani. Meghan Markle has been spotted wearing her Nova and Hera earrings.


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Robyn Dochterman (above, left with Kyla Oesterreich) can’t catch a break — a summer break, that is. The co-owner (with partner Deidre Pope) and head chocolatier at the St. Croix Chocolate Company in Marine on St. Croix opened her tiny chocolate lair in a converted house in June 2010 and barely has had time for a vacation since.
“People in the chocolate business think summer is a dead time, but the tourists think we’re just open in the summer,” she laughs. “And then we’re busy with mail orders and gifts through the rest of the year.”
To say this summer has been exceptional would be misleading. The shop is busier than ever — especially when you consider the weekly trips to the Mill City Farmers Market so Minneapolitans can get their fix of hand-crafted bonbons — but Dochterman has been focusing on a new project all summer that unite three of her passions: chocolate, the St. Croix River Valley, and Wisconsin artist Laura McCaul’s artisan clay tiles.
Friday marks the debut of Dochterman’s new organic chocolate bars, which feature the striking, nature-inspired design of McCaul’s signature tiles. Made with chocolate from TCHO, a premier, fair-trade chocolate manufacturer based in San Francisco, the rich, hefty (125-gram) brown bars are more likely to be mistaken for art than a treat. Dochterman became a fan of McCaul’s work after interviewing her for a story during her pre-chocolate career as a journalist (she was an editor at the Star Tribune for 13 years) and approached her about collaborating on an edible project.
“I always thought it would be wonderful if my tiles could be used for chocolates. Fifteen, 20 years later, it actually happened!” says McCaul, who fires her tiles on cooking sheets and dries them on pastry racks. “I consider my studio to be a large kitchen.”
So McCaul custom-designed two tiles — a wren for the 53 percent dark / milk chocolate blend and a blackbird for the 60 percent dark chocolate variety — that Dochterman had converted into molds.
“I knew I wanted something specific to the St. Croix River Valley [for the design], but that’s all the direction I gave her,” Dochterman says.
But finalizing the design and sourcing the chocolate only brought Dochterman halfway to her dream. Special bars require special packaging, and no regular box would do.
“Even with the most sustainable chocolate, if you place it in a box that you throw away, that doesn’t add up for me,” Dochterman says.
Working with a Chicago-based company called Distant Village, Dochterman found the perfect box: handmade, free-trade, and crafted from sustainable grasses in the Philippines. Most importantly, its roomy proportions would hold and display the large, sculpted bars attractively and, since they aren’t branded, can be used as keepsakes after the bar is long gone. But tree-free, artisan-crafted boxes don’t come cheap, so Dochterman turned to Kickstarter this spring to fund her first order. In less than a month, with the help of 119 supporters, she raised 130 percent of the money she needed to keep the project moving.
“It was good for me to share the project at that point and share feedback” with backers, she says. “This was a big, resounding success.”
Dochterman, Pope, and McCaul will celebrate their collaboration at an official launch party Friday, and the bars will be available at the Marine on St. Croix shop for $18 each, as well as retailers like the Golden Fig and Local D’Lish. While they already have some other ideas in the works, for now they’re happy to share the new creations with their backers, who had to wait until the peak of summer heat had passed to get their bars in the mail, and walk-in customers. And the result is worth the time and effort … and missed opportunities for a vacation.
“It’s very satisfying because I feel like, ‘Wow, we made something I can be really proud of,'” Dochterman says.
St. Croix Chocolate Company, 261 Parker St, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047; 651.433.1400.


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CES 2021 rocks
The best new product at CES(an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, NV) was not a 100 inch, 16K HDR OLED TV. It wasn’t an outrageously thin laptop with 5 screens. No. It was Razer’s Project Hazel, a color-shifting iridescent face mask with replaceable N95 filters and a voice projector. It looks fashionable, and if Razer does make it, most likely extremely popular. The trend of cleanliness and protection from the elements was a stark change for the show that usually excels in display technology and fragile prototypes.
This adaptation away from giant TVs and paper-thin laptops was a testament to the fluidity of the switch from a physical show in a large convention center to a digital show that has to fit a multitude of screens and stay interactive. And then there’s COVID and mask tech. Razer wasn’t the only one to jump on the mask hype train; we also saw the Maskfone, a bluetooth speaker mask, and the AirPop Active Plus, a mask that monitors breathing.
It’s no secret that Zoom benefited from the pandemic. However, the program could use some refining. The design is counterintuitive and lacks flair or pizazz. It also has a multitude of security problems and anyone, even a supermodel, looks somewhat warped in the tiny rectangular grid. Two computer makers have engineered computers specifically to make Zoom life better. For example, the HP Dragonfly Elite Max, which has a 5 megapixel front camera—that’s crispy! For reference, the latest MacBook has only a 1.2 MP camera with a 720P resolution, which is technology from 2007.
However, not all new technology is necessarily good. LG proudly showed off their rollable phone, which is an odd decision given that foldable phones are back on the market. These types of phones are much better than rollables, which will give a weird feeling in your pocket, having extremely blurry screens and are extremely expensive to repair. Plus, a rollable phone is going to take twice as long to check notifications than whipping a screen out and reading what’s on it.
While Apple usually doesn’t make an appearance at CES, it usually makes the news for something that Samsung debuts here, which was blatantly obvious this year. It announced Samsung Smart Trainer, which copies Apple’s Fitness+ service announced earlier last year. There’s no need to describe it because it is exactly the same as Apple’s service.
It’s hard to find many things that haven’t been digitized yet. Blenders and pans today require wifi, refrigerators have screens, and doors have digital locks. But wait — what about the doormat? It has no app, no connection, no digital element. Not anymore; Alarm.com’s Video Doorbell reduces potentially infectious finger contact: the doorbell is activated by a doormat, which sounds like a good idea, except it’s quite rudimentary, which means that whenever a newspaper lands on the mat, the doorbell sounds. Soccer ball rolling across the street? Doorbell. Gardener walking across the porch? Doorbell. If someone steals the doormat, it removes the security element. Not a good idea.
It’s safe to say that this year was easily the most interesting year for CES. Being cooped up in a house forces some great ideas to be pushed out. While all of them aren’t perfect, they are all unique in some way. That’s something CES does well, whether in person or on screen.


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COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - As Christmas approaches, a group of Columbus police officers invited local children in need to finish their gift list for their families.
The Columbus Police Department partnered with the local Target store to treat kids Saturday afternoon as part of Heroes and Helpers.
A select group of kids took an early Christmas shopping spree with their friends from the Columbus Police Department, as part of Heroes and Helpers.
Target teamed up with these officers to give each child a chance to get their favorite toys, an opportunity they may not have gotten otherwise.
"These kids were picked by either their school or law enforcement as children who are potentially in need, and to be able to give them a holiday season, was something just unlike anything else we've been able to do," said store manager Drew Wright.
The kids got to splurge on gifts up to $120 and spend some quality time with their buddies in blue.
"It's a chance for law enforcement to get time to spend with our community and it's a wonderful experience," said Corporal Angela Florence.
The shopping spree wasn't the only activity in store for the kids. They also got to sit down with Santa, and some time to wrap the gifts that they are giving to their families.
"Even though they were the kids picked for their need, they were actually shopping for their brothers, their sisters and it was just so touching," said Target team member Camelia Walker.
"Every year that they do it, I'll definitely participate in it," Cpl. Florence said.
This is the first time Target and Columbus police have teamed up to give back to local kids. Store representatives say they hope to help even more children next year.


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With Final Fantasy 7 turning 25 this year, Square Enix gave fans updates on a couple of related projects that will be connected to the series. This includes the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, along with a couple of spin-offs like Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis. Even Square Enix’s mobile battle royale prequel, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier, got a spotlight during the series’ anniversary event. This event revealed that the game will be receiving a couple of new things for fans to try in its third season of content.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier has seen periodic updates ever since it was released, with a lot of its new content being cosmetics and weapons. This includes costumes based on other Final Fantasy 7 spin-offs like Crisis Core to seasonal events for The First Soldier based on holidays like Easter. The game will be continuing to get support in its third season named Highway Star, which will add a new map, weapon, and more.
This new trailer for Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier showed off a new map known as Midgar Plateside, which contains a notable amount of landmarks in the city. This includes the Mako Reactor Core 1, the highway, as well as Sector 8. The game will also receive a new long-ranged weapon known as the Serpent Launcher which is a rocket launcher and the Dual Wheeler which is a magic assault rifle. Players can also command the power of water using a new materia that will be introduced to the game.
Alongside these additions, The First Soldier will be getting a new Style class, known as Machinist. Players who choose this class will utilize a giant hammer weapon, which places an emphasis on heavy strikes. They will also get access to a new gadget that can carry them through the air like a hoverboard, where it can also fire missiles. A few items will also be added that can affect the minute aspects of the gameplay such as the Ifrit Belt and Drain Belt, which can either increase a player’s power or restore their health.
This new season for The First Soldier will also give players a new season pass that can give fans a series of new cosmetics. This includes exclusive skins, emotes, and more. Some of these costumes give players appearances based on various aspects of Final Fantasy 7‘s mythos, such as a mechanical chocobo, the eldritch Jenova, or the Whispers. This season pass will be available until August 31, giving players plenty of time to try the newest additions.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is available for Android and iOS devices.
Source: Square Enix


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Blizzard has canceled physical Blizzcon 2021 due to the ongoing uncertainties from the pandemic.
It's probably for the best. There is no need for a convention when cellphone gamers are "your" new market. Things like Candy Crush can just be added to the pile.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Head over to our on-demand library to view sessions from VB Transform 2023. Register Here
While many people are waiting for Apple to drastically revamp the television service business, analysts aren’t predicting that this will happen any time soon.
Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue indicated that the company is sticking with its mantra of only entering a markets that it will be able to create great customer experiences as well as address key problems, according to a report from Pacific Crest Analyst Andy Hargreaves published today. Cue identified these key problems as poor TV user interfaces and forced bundling of pay TV content.
“Unfortunately for Apple and for consumers, acquiring rights for traditional broadcast and cable network content outside of the current bundled model is virtually impossible because the content is owned by a relatively small group of companies that have little interest in alternative models for their most valuable content,” wrote Hargreaves, who also had discussions with Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer. “The differences in regional broadcast content and the lack of scale internationally also create significant hurdles that do not seem possible to cross at this point.”
This information echos earlier rumors that Apple was indeed shifting away from building its own television set in favor of transforming its Apple TV set-top box into something that could replace the current cable boxes offered by TV service providers, as VentureBeat previously reported.
Based on Hargreaves’ report, I don’t think Apple is entirely over the idea of taking on the TV industry, but it does seem likely that we’ll be waiting quite a while before anything actually happens.
Apple iTV mockup by Guilherme Schasiepen/Flickr
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Royal Enfield Launches Online Store, India Gets First Dibs
Indian motorcycle company Royal Enfield has launched its official online store. The increasing popularity of online shopping in countries all over the world made the decision to open its own online retail store a slam dunk for Royal Enfield. It’s still in its launch phase, so expect a few kinks and bugs as you enter, but for the most part, the new online store should be up and running in full capacity in no time.
The concept of online shopping isn’t new in the US, although I’m not actually sure how prevalent it is in India. That said, Royal Enfield’s new online store is a great way for the company to extend its reach in the country and provide fans and riders a chance to deck themselves out with official company merchandise ranging from clothes, shoes, accessories, and riding gear.
Despite being in the launch phase, the online store can already accommodate purchases from customers located in 126 cities and towns spread all over the South Asian nation.
The usual modes of payment apply for the new online store, as is access through a wide variety of electronic devices ranging from smartphones to tablets and laptops.
It’s unclear when Royal Enfield will broaden the store’s reach as far as paying customers are concerned, but since it’s still technically a start-up enterprise, it’s probably prudent to exercise a little patience as far as our expectations for the site are concerned.
I do hope that the company begins offering its online merchandise to other countries, especially the US and Europe. That is, after all, good for business, right?
Why it matters
I haven’t seen a lot of Royal Enfield bikes in my part of the world, but I have heard some pretty cool things about the brand, specifically the much-talked about 500 cc Bullet model.
The launch of the online store is going to be a boon for Indian customers of the company as it gives them the convenience of scoring official Royal Enfield merchandise at the click of a button. That is, after all, the beauty of online shopping. You can go to a site, browse through the collections, pick out the ones you like, and then buy them on the spot.
I surfed through the site for a while and found some pretty interesting items. Kind of makes me wish that I could buy some of them myself.
Hopefully, Royal Enfield can make that happen in due time.


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HINGHAM -- The Hingham Health Department is spreading the word about the many measures residents can take this summer to enjoy time outdoors while keeping safe from the sun.
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 5 million cases of skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States. That’s more than all other cancers combined.
The Hingham Health Department would like to remind residents of the ways they can protect themselves and their family from the sun.
Staying in the shade is one of the best ways to help prevent UV exposure. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause skin damage in as little as 15 minutes; prolonged exposure and damage can lead to various forms of skin cancer, many of which are preventable. UV light mainly comes from the sun but it can also come from tanning beds and sun lamps. Reduce risks by staying out of direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the UV light is the strongest. Residents should also avoid using tanning salons.
Sunscreen can also help protect skin from the sun’s UV rays. Choose a broad-spectrum product with a protection factor of 30 or higher. Sunscreen needs to be applied at least every two hours and even sooner if you sweat or swim. It is important to remember that sunscreen is just a filter and it does not block all UV rays. Sunscreen is important to use but it should be just part of your sun safety plan.
Have a personal or family plan for your fun in the sun. Wear sun protective clothing including a wide-brimmed hat. Wear sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection. Be aware of medications that increase your sensitivity to the sun. Have a plan as to how long you will be spending outside each day.
‘Don’t Fry Day’
To help reduce rising rates of skin cancer from overexposure to UV rays, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated the Friday before Memorial Day (this year being May 27) as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.
To learn more about the initiative and for more important sun safety tips, visit the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention’s “Don’t Fry Day” webpage


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While everybody’s talking about Micromax’s new brand ambassador and the imminent launch of the Canvas Turbo, the Indian smartphone vendor, it seems, is close to launching yet another device. @MMXNewscaster has leaked a press render and some specifications of this new device called Micromax Canvas Magnus A117.
According to the leak, the Magnus A117 is likely to flaunt a 5-inch 720p display and could be powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 1GB RAM. Other features likely to be included are 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, expandable internal memory and a 2,000mAh battery. On the software front, the device is said to be running on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.
From the leaked specifications, the device could be slotted just below the Canvas 4 A210, with a likely price tag of Rs 16,000-17,000.


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Linney installs UK’s first Highcon Beam 2 cutter
Published: 6 January 2021 | No comments yet
The UK's first Highcon Beam 2 has arrived at Linney's site in Mansfield
Mansfield-based Linney, a sixth-generation family business, has taken delivery of the UK’s first Highcon Beam 2 digital cutting and creasing machine.
The Highcon replaces the conventional die-making and setup process with a digital cutting alternative that Highcon says delivers improved responsiveness, design flexibility and the ability to perform a wide range of applications in-house.
Linney acknowledged that Covid-19 has dramatically changed the way ‘everything is done these days,’ adding that their agility aligned with Highcon’s ‘agile production’ promise.
‘Linney is proud to be the first in the UK with the Highcon Beam 2,’ said executive director Charles Linney. ‘We are constantly on the lookout for ways to innovate and to identify production improvements that will improve speed to market for our clients, including some global brands in the beauty and health industry, giving them the edge over their competitors.
‘Finding the best way to do things is a pivotal part of our culture. Our investment strategy is about insourcing more to give greater production and quality control and the Beam 2 is about three times more productive than a traditional analogue device. The time to create make-readies is now reduced to minutes rather than days!’
Highcon’s Jens Henrik Osmundsen added, ‘We have been very impressed by the speed with which Linney has adopted our technology. They are already running three shifts, producing numerous jobs for their top tier clients in health, beauty and cosmetics, including on-shelf tray displays and personalised packaging for the gift market. More than anything else, we have been delighted with the positive reactions we have received not only about the process and efficiency from Linney’s management but also from their design staff and operators – the people who make the machine sing!’


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These are all things that I’ve heard from insiders today in response to Google’s move to put itself, and its other units, under a new umbrella company called Alphabet.
The news came in like a tomahawk, causing most of us to check the calendar and make sure that it wasn’t April 1st. It wasn’t and now we know the specifics on what went down today.
Google, at its core, is an Internet company. The company, founded 16 years ago, has helped shape the Internet. It has over 57,000 employees and if you were to ask each and every one of them what they think about when they think Google, the “Internet” would be a part of most responses.
In fact, its mission statement rings truer than any other I’ve read:
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Until it wasn’t.
The company that is now known as Alphabet has been stepping out from behind the Internet for the past few years. Still known primarily as a “search company,” Larry Page and Sergey Brin have built a group of some of the best and brightest brains on the entire planet. Being relegated to being just a “search company” isn’t good enough. It’s time to expand.
In a way that makes absolute sense to everyone.
Its new mission statement should read something like:
Alphabet’s mission is to make the world around you universally accessible and useful.
Information is a part of it, sure. Pichai’s Googley part.
Using its tried and true methods of attacking hard problems, everything that falls under Alphabet will be disruptive and exciting. The difference between it and Google is that you’ll never hear the question “Why is Alphabet working on a car?” or “Why is Alphabet working on glasses?” or “Why is Alphabet working on _____?”
The way that Google shaped the Internet is how Alphabet will shape everything it touches. Online, offline and everywhere in between. However, being a public company is a major pain in the ass and you constantly have to worry about what Wall Street will think. Larry and Sergey have never been fans of Wall Street.
So how does this affect the different units of Google?
Finding something on the Internet is widely referred to as “googling.” There’s a reason for that, because Google does it best. Its search share foothold isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and in many ways search is still the portal to the Internet.
However, search is not the portal to the mobile Internet.
That’s what Pichai is tasked to tackle.
A lot of the products under Google’s previous core business remains under Sundar Pichai under the new Google: search, ads and Android. Pichai can focus on nailing the mobile experience that is the future of Google. He doesn’t have to worry about anything else getting in his way anymore.
Companies who see hockeystick growth have to think about an Alphabet exit in a completely different way than they’d look at a Google exit. Bigger companies, like Nest, will report up to Page without worrying about getting lost in the Google ecosystem. Faster onboarding, for sure.
Before, companies who thought about getting acquired by Google had to fit in with one of the gaps in Google’s core business. If they didn’t fit in one of those gaps, they were overlooked for the most part.
If Alphabet had existed before today, might Oculus Rift be a part of a different company? Just a thought — but an illustrative one.
Oh, those moonshots. Those are the massive problems that Google tries to solve, while scaring the ever-loving-bejeesus out of all of its investors. Yes, it is very cool that Google is working on a self-driving car.
Do investors feel like the company isn’t focusing on its next important ad push when they talk about them? You betcha.
Have no fear, the Alphabet is here. Let Page field all of those annoying questions about why the company sent five engineers to observe the groundhog on Groundhog’s Day.
Alphabet is going to be weird(er).
Investing in the real world
Google had already gotten pretty far in its investing thesis, getting involved in all kinds of businesses. Today’s news makes it even more attractive as an investor. There are no solid ties to Google group, or the Internet at all.
It’ll be interesting to see if Bill Maris and team starts getting wild with its investments after this potential “explore the world” thesis of Alphabet. Terraforming Mars? Bartending? Who knows.
The tactic of creating an umbrella company in and of itself? Sure, think Berkshire Hathaway. Warren Buffett. But it gives the company breathing room — a different leg to stand on and an earth’s-eye view on how to make the world easier to navigate.
Alphabet signifies a company getting back to basics, and there’s nothing more basic than good ol’ A to Z. Using technology to enhance and not just to learn sounds pretty damn exciting.
OK Alphabet, let’s see what you got. Mapping the globe sounded crazy at one point too, I’m sure.


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Dear Fellow Shareholders,
It was a strong first quarter for both Asia’s equity and fixed income markets, though many might be surprised to hear this given the continued media coverage about the sluggish U.S. recovery, debt problems in the Eurozone and slowing growth in China. Indeed, macroeconomic news seemed to overwhelm sentiment in the markets and dominated many discussions among the punditry for much of the quarter. Even though stock prices rose, valuations in Asia at the end of the first quarter remain below long-run historical averages. Perhaps this reflects continued nervousness over these big macroeconomic issues; the most common phrase I heard from investors at home and abroad over the first few months of this year was: “I’m waiting for the pullback.”
Despite the good absolute returns, and after the strong relative returns of the last four years, some of the Funds got off to a slower start this year versus the markets. In the early part of the rally, as commodity companies and more cyclical business rallied, our Funds, which own comparatively less in such businesses, did not keep pace. As the performance of smaller-capitalization stocks improved, we started to catch up. Our reaction to this is to ask questions of ourselves and to test our assumptions and beliefs. More than anything, it means "getting on the road" to speak with managers in Asia and to hear what they have to say and to see what they are doing.
The investment team has been very active in its research. Three areas of interest have received particular attention: Japan, India and small Chinese companies. Why Japan? Well, valuations are very low—shares on average trade at book value. That observation seems simplistic and naive, but it is true nonetheless. In addition, new markets are opening up for some Japanese companies such as the capital goods sector, where producers of automation equipment are helping China's companies to increase productivity despite higher labor costs. There are also opportunities in the health care and consumer goods areas, as Asian consumers begin to focus more on buying top quality products and developing brand loyalty, rather than just seeking out what is cheapest. Both of these developments are tied to rising wages in the region—a trend that we believe will continue and can only bring prosperity to Asia's households. We believe it cannot be coincidence that over the past few months Chinese companies have been investing in or buying Japanese electronics and household goods businesses.
India and smaller companies in China offer slightly different sorts of opportunities. Both suffered severe dislocations last year that made them attractive areas for investigation. Not only did India's stock market suffer last year but its currency weakened: despite a rally in both, the market capitalizations of many Indian businesses in U.S. dollar terms are still well below levels attained in the last five years and valuation multiples have also contracted. This makes India, long one of the region's most expensive markets, appear unremarkable in terms of valuation. With that in mind, several members of our investment team, from different Funds, spent some 50 person-days in India during the first quarter of the year researching potential ideas. China's smaller companies were hit hard by at least two events in 2011—corporate governance scandals among some Chinese companies listed in the U.S. and Canada and a credit squeeze in China as bank lending dried up and informal capital raising became a high-profile legal issue. The current fetish of "risk on, risk off" talk also encourages investors to treat entire asset classes as easily manageable chunks. Thus, it seemed to many of us on the investment team that among China's small companies, the good, the bad and the ugly, had all been sold down together with perhaps insufficient discrimination of the future prospects of the underlying businesses.
It was with this opportunity in mind, and because we wanted to monitor the macroeconomic situation, that several lead portfolio managers visited and talked extensively with entrepreneurs from China's city of Wenzhou, seen as the heartland of Chinese entrepreneurialism and informal financing. What we heard was that labor and raw material costs were more of a challenge than funding, but that business was good. Entrepreneurs candidly admitted mistakes of over-diversification and unrelated property investments, noting that they had lost money as a result. But these losses, they said, just made them more determined than ever to focus on their core business. Their comments from our visit made us generally less concerned about the macro situation. Furthermore, the government is taking much-needed steps to support informal lending channels and bring them out into the open to offer the kind of efficient capital allocation that China’s growing economy needs.
Another motivation behind our recent research efforts in China was to assess the extent of property and stock speculation for the potential dangers they may pose to the economy. For those worried about what wealth destruction might mean for China's growth and for Asia, it appears to be stale news. Market participants told us that the majority of sales were to first-time buyers or people upgrading their homes; speculators made up a relatively small percentage of the market. Any hit to wealth and short-term sentiment from falling prices, therefore, is likely to be limited and has probably already happened. The domestic stock market is currently down nearly 60% from its peak in 2008 and prices of luxury properties that were the subject of speculative buying have fallen in some cases by as much as one-quarter. These declines in the values of assets that were the “playthings” of the relatively few have already wiped out a fair portion of some rich people's wealth. Yet overall retail sales, though a little slower, continue to be strong and income growth is robust. That China’s GDP growth will slow over time as consumption increases must surely surprise no one. Nevertheless, rising wages in China and changing patterns of consumption across Asia as the middle class grows will offer profitable opportunities for companies from Colombo to Tokyo. Finding these opportunities remains the key focus of our research efforts.
How the markets behave in the near future, including the size and duration of any pullback, is unknowable. However, we remain confident in the long-term growth and prosperity of Asia. Therefore, our approach, in the midst of what are admittedly absorbing macro discussions, has been to focus on finding good businesses, rather than try to speculate on events. As much as we all like to discuss the big issues of the day, for members of the Matthews investment team, the real excitement and challenge comes in discovering businesses whose future prospects are underappreciated by the average view of the investment community.
It is a privilege to act as your investment advisor in Asia's fixed income and equity markets.
Robert Horrocks, PhD
Chief Investment Officer
Matthews International Capital Management, LLC


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Updated: Sep. 30, 2021, 3:20 p.m. | Published: Sep. 30, 2021, 6:12 a.m
An Idaho man filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Curaleaf, one of the nation’s largest marijuana companies, saying he took what he thought were CBD wellness drops — but which actually contained the psychoactive ingredient THC.
CBD Co. Hit With Proposed Class Action Over Data Breaches Hemp products company cbdMD Inc. has been accused in a proposed class action of failing to adequately protect its customers’ debit and credit card information after the company experienced two data breaches earlier this year.
#CBD #Hemp https://www.law360.com/cannabis/articles/1318786?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=section October 13, 2020 3:30 pm
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Uche Usim, Abuja
The Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) on Sunday assured Nigerians that the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry is the way to go as it would stimulate economic growth by unlocking trillions of Naira hitherto spent annually on subsidies into other critical sectors of the economy.
The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Mr Abdulkadir Saidu, said, though the recent increase in pump price of petrol may have unsettled Nigerians because of the fragile state of the economy, deregulation is in the best interest of the country because competition has a way of forcing down prices and ensuring that companies place a tight rein on production cost such that wastes that could be passed on to consumers in form of high prices are eliminated.
He said: “The trillions of naira that would have been spent subsidising PMS could be injected into other key sectors such as agriculture, education, health, power and infrastructure. There would also be focus on the provision of social safety nets for the poor who bear the brunt of the COVID19 pandemic.
“We assure the public that the Agency, in keeping with its regulatory role, will continue to closely monitor activities in the market and ensure transparency in line with international best practices. Our vision to attain a strong, vibrant downstream sub-sector, where refining, supply, and distribution of petroleum products are self-financing and sustaining can only be effectively actualised in a deregulated environment”.
He added that since the commencement of the new price regime which heralded full deregulation of the sector, a considerable increase in the level of oil marketing companies’ (OMCs’) participation in petrol importation has been recorded.
“In recent months, OMCs withdrew from product importation, but since the Federal Government’s pronouncement on March 19 2020, over 536,000 metric tons of PMS have been directly imported by the OMCs.
“Additional investment in local refining is gaining traction and is expected to engender more competitive pricing. The Dangote Refinery with a refining capacity of 650,000 barrels per day will certainly impact positively on the price of PMS in the market when it commences operations in 2022. We expect to see more investments in modular and conventional domestic refining going forward.


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Dr. Richard Wilson, CEO of the UK trade body TIGA, believes that the tax relief granted to Britain's games industry will help to reverse the exodus of talent to countries like Canada in recent years.
Cities like Montreal and Toronto have become global centres for game production thanks to generous government tax incentives. In his autumn statement yesterday, chancellor George Osborne confirmed that similar tax relief will be available for UK game productions from next April. At 25 per cent, it is lower than the 30 per cent that TIGA campaigned for, and some way short of the 37.5 per cent available in Canadian territories like Quebec.
“It will still make a big difference,” said Wilson, speaking exclusively to GamesIndustry International. “The provision of a 25 per cent level of relief will boost growth in the UK games industry and leave studios with more resources available for investment.
“Games Tax Relief should certainly ameliorate the brain drain, and indeed it will encourage investment and increase employment opportunities in the UK games industry.”
According to Wilson, the impact of tax relief will be broad, benefiting a range of people within and affiliated with the UK games industry: students, skilled job seekers, digital publishers, and the country's creative industries and economy at large.
However, many of the details of how the tax relief will work have not been finalised. In particular, the government will soon publish its proposal on which aspects of games production will be covered by the tax relief, and how it will be applied. It is also poised to reveal more detail on the cultural test, which will dictate which productions can qualify for relief in the first place.
“TIGA argued that the government should refrain from introducing a minimum spend threshold before a game can qualify,” Wilson said. “This is because we want start-ups and small studios to benefit as well as larger studios. I'm optimistic that the Government will agree to this.
“TIGA also urged the government to frame games tax relief so that it supports post-release costs. Games are increasingly being developed as a service, with a large amount of the content being created and released post-launch, and the game evolving over time. So it is important that studios are able to claim relief on costs arising after the release of a game.
“We've also argued that Games Tax Relief should support educational games. I think we can be confident that the Government will support both of these proposals.”
Tax relief for games and the UK's other creative industries is now awaiting approval from the European Commission, but Wilson is confident that it will be agreed. If all goes according to plan, it will be operational by April next year.
“TIGA aims to strengthen the UK video games sector and to provide a network that enable developers and digital publishers to succeed. We've campaigned consistently for Games Tax Relief over the last five years and so it's excellent to see this measure come a little closer to reality today.
“This is a good day for games developers and digital publishers, the creative industries in general and the wider UK economy.”


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It was recently reported that Chelsea’s Pub and Grill will be relocating and leaving their long-time home of Sunrise Mall.
"It’s been a lot of fun, we’ve had our ups and downs here you know," says Chelsea’s owner, George Fennema, "but it’s time to move on and start a new chapter. Chelsea’s will always live on, it’s just not gonna be here anymore."
The owners of Chelsea’s has been disappointed that Sunrise Mall has not been revitalized. But feel it’s best for their customers to carry on in a different location.
When KRIS 6 asked Sunrise Mall Property Manager, Rebecca Peralez, what’s the future look like for Sunrise Mall, "there is hope for the Sunrise Mall. It’s just coming along slowly. We are starting a project next week with, outside the Workforce so the public will see that, but as far as inside. The plans are still not there."
There was no clear answer what Sunrise Mall will look like in the near future. But, other businesses seem to be doing well in the Mall.
Right across from Chelsea’s Pub and Grill is Tac-Tx, a tactical laser tag facility complete with full arcade. Owner, Dan Wallace, brought his business from Virginia and has seen such a large increase in business, he has big plans for the summer.
"We just wanted to get established in the city, and it’s really allowed us to grow. We’ve increased month after month of being here. And actually we’ve outgrown the space and we’re going to expand to another location and stay here in the mall as well."
Sunrise Mall looks as though there is no life to it. But people want to see the place revamped, which begs the question…when will that finally happen?
To keep up with Sunrise Mall updates: https://m.facebook.com/Corpus-Christi-Sunrise-Mall-251883325354251/
Chelsea’s Pub and Grill will have their final celebration at Sunrise Mall on Friday, June 1st. Doors will be open at their new location (Alameda & Airline, behind CVS) starting next week.
Tac-Tx will have their new location (Rodd Field) open near end of summer, their Sunrise Mall location will continue to be open.


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Verizon’s Acquisition Of EdgeCast Now Complete
In December, Verizon announced their plans to acquire CDN provider EdgeCast in a deal valued at $400M. Less than a month later, Verizon get regulatory approval for the deal and the acquisition of EdgeCast is now complete. EdgeCast’s brand name is going to stick around, at least for the time being, and the official name for EdgeCast’s CDN service is very simply “Verizon EdgeCast”. I’ll have further details in the coming weeks on the Verizon/EdgeCast integration, Verizon’s go to market strategy and my thoughts after getting hands-on with Verizon’s video ecosystem platform for broadcasters.


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On week 14, there is little activity in deep sea shipments in the Black Sea region. This is due to the fact that most of the charterers bought their products for prices that dropped last week, and are now expecting a decrease in freight rates in order to get more profit, Sea Lines shipbrokers report.
The main cargoes that are currently in transit are government purchases, such as wheat to Tunisia and Libya, or part of large contracts signed last season.
Sea Lines, here is a large number of contracts already signed for the end of May and throughout June, mainly for fertilizers and grain. This was facilitated by a downward trend in commodity prices, as well as forecasts for a decrease in freight rates.
On week 14, freight rates for shipping cargo by 40,000-50,000 dwt bulkers from Novorossiysk declined.
According to Sea Lines shipbrokers, freight rates from Novorossiysk made $20.25 pmt to East Med and $23 pmt to West Med.
Freight rates from Novorossiysk to Casablanca were $30 pmt, freight rates to India amounted to $48.5 pmt.
Freight rates from Novorossiysk to China made $50 pmt.
Please note that the rates cited in this article are average market rates. We ask our readers to pay attention that this information is not a commercial offer and cannot be an example for comparison in commercial disputes and arbitration.


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Hunting is increasing. In recent years, the industry has seen modest increases in hunting, after years of decline, or at best, flat numbers. And as in most consumer categories, “flat numbers” translate to decline, as participants age-out.
Now, there is encouraging evidence that hunting is really increasing. Yes, the percentage of increase is not notable, but it’s there. And more women are hunting.
The increase in women hunters has gained the attention of mainstream media. In November, Fox News reported the number of women hunting increased 25 percent from 2006 to 2011. The network was reporting on the November National Geographic online article, “More Women Give Hunting A Shot,” which cited U.S. Census Bureau data that, while the majority of the 13.7 million U.S. hunters are men, 11 percent are women.
National Geographic explored why women have taken to hunting, including the alternative to grocery stores. “That lets women provide truly free-range and organic meat for their families, while helping to create a more sustainable food system,” says Lily Raff McCaulou, author of Call of the Mild: Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner.
To read the National Geographic article, visit www.nationalgeographic.com, search “Women Hunters.”
In recent years, personal-defense has dominated much of the topic in and out of the industry. However, hunting is still the engine that drives much of the industry’s economic health.
NSSF recently released its 2013 edition of “A Profile of Today’s Hunter.” It provides extensive data to help everyone in the industry better understand this market segment, and to have readily at hand proof of the economic impact hunting has both nationally, and at a state level.
It also outlines the significant contribution hunters make to conservation. For example: For the most recent year available, 2011, NSSF reports hunters spent $790 million on license fees.
“The gross cost to hunters for license, tag, permit and stamp fees represent the largest portion of the sportsman’s contribution to conservation,” NSSF reports, citing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “National Hunting License Report.”
In hunting expenditures (firearms, equipment, travel, etc), NSSF reports hunters spent $38.3 billion in 2011, as compared to $22.9 billion in 2006, a 67 percent increase. In addition, hunters generated $11.8 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues in 2011. During that year, hunters supported 680,937 jobs with their expenditures and activities, and produced $26.4 billion in salaries, wages and business owner income.
This type of economic impact is a key factor in countering the anti-gun movement. If you want to gain the attention of national and state legislators, present an economic impact report. As an example, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reported in November, “hunters contribute significantly to the state’s economy and spend more than $292 million in Vermont annually.”
“More than $39 million is spent on travel, such as dining, lodging, transportation and similar expenses. Another $190 million is spent on equipment, and more than $62 million is spent on other items,” said Patrick Berry, Vermont Fish and Wildlife commissioner.
While the increase in hunting — and its impact — is encouraging, there is more to be done, according to NSSF.
“It is vital for the firearms and ammunition industry to work together with state department of fish and game agencies to recruit new and retain existing hunters,” an NSSF official says in the report.
To download the Industry Intelligence Report, “A Profile of Today’s Hunter,” visit www.nssf.org/research.
Let Us Help You “Find It”
How often have you spent way too much time looking for a company’s contact information, or trying to determine which companies manufacture particular products, or which distributor handles the products you want? That’s what we thought: Way too much!
How would you like a one-stop “Found It” directory that places the industry at your fingertips? Enter: “The Universe’s Greatest Buyer’s Guide Online.”
FMG Publications has launched our enhanced version of the invaluable resource. Upgraded to provide you the information you want on industry companies, the Buyer’s Guide Online also offers links to hundreds of articles about those companies’ products — articles published in American Handgunner, GUNS Magazine, American COP and Shooting Industry. Take a tour and “Find It” at www.sibuyersguide.com.
If you’re attending SHOT Show 2014, stop by our FMG Publications booth, #16327. We will be giving away “Found It” buttons. We will also be giving away copies of SI’s New Business Year editions (December and January) along with copies of American Handgunner, GUNS Magazine and American COP — plus, our SHOT Show map.
By Russ Thurman
>> Click Here << To Read More December 2013 Industry Watch
>> Click Here << To Read The Shooting Industry December 2013 Issue Now!


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Out of an abundance of caution and with an emphasis on its customers’ wellness and safety, HP Hood LLC is voluntarily recalling certain code dates of protein drinks from its Sacramento, CA, facility, due to the potential for premature product spoilage.
HP Hood is voluntarily recalling specific products after identifying a possible packaging defect that may result in product spoilage during transport and handling. Consumers may notice that, in some cases, the packaging is bloated and product inside may have an off taste or odor. Consumers should not use the product, since it does not meet its high quality standards.
The recalled products are limited to plastic bottles of 14 oz. and 10 oz. MUSCLE MILK® Genuine, MUSCLE MILK® Pro Series, MUSCLE MILK® 100 Calorie, with Best By dates of November 21, 2016 through May 23, 2017, with an “HS” in the code date. This recall applies only to the products listed. The Best By and code dates are printed on the top of the lid of single serve bottles.
No confirmed reports have been received of any consumer illness nor injuries to date.
Common sense should prevail. If food has been sitting in the back of the fridge for weeks, if it’s slimy or smells funky, get rid of it. As the saying goes: If in doubt, throw it out.
That’s the best the New York Times can do on guidelines for when food goes bad.
They offer the standard guidelines and buy into to we waste food philosophy (I compost).
A “sell by” date indicates how long a store should display a product on its shelves. Foods can still be tasty and are safe for several days longer if stored properly.
A “use by” or “best if used by” date comes from the manufacturer and refers to taste and texture, not safety.
An “expiration” date is the only packaging date related to food safety. If this date has passed, throw the food out.
Bob Gravani, a professor of food science at Cornell University added some knowledge to the article by saying that looking closely at food isn’t a good way to check for spoilage, because bacteria are largely invisible.
Environmental health officials found 190 items of "mouldy, slimy, putrescent or expired foodstuffs" and immediately closed the Rose and Crown pub in Thaxted, Essex, U.K. after a surprise inspection on Dec. 9, 2008.
Work surfaces and utensils were smothered in thick grease, floors littered with rotting detritus and fridges covered in mould and dozens of dirty food containers (right, photo from The Telegraph).
The kitchen did not even have any running hot running water meaning staff could not wash up or clean their hands properly.
Inspectors found the owner was still preparing food in the rancid conditions.
The owner of the pub, Nicholas Marchetto, pleaded guilty to 23 food and hygiene offences at Harlow Magistrates’ Court.
He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay another £1,000 towards the council’s costs.