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Decline in number of European retailers offering free returns
There has been a serious drop in the number of European retailers that offer free returns to their customers. It went from 55 percent in the first quarter of this year to 28 percent now. In the UK, half of brands offer free returns, while 23 percent in Germany and 21 percent in Ireland do this.
This is shown by research from returns platform ReBound among over 200 leading fashion brands. The second edition of the Great Returns Race report also shows that most brands are still not being honest about their returns policy to customers. Only 6 percent promote their policies at all three key stages of the returns purchase: the product, basket and checkout pages.
European retailers offering free returns
The number of online retailers offering free returns in at least one international market has decreased from 55 percent in the first quarter to 28 percent in the most recent poll. In the United Kingdom, 10 percent of brands have stopped offering free returns since the last edition, while 12 percent of Brands in Ireland has done this during the same period.
First interaction with return policy affects return experience
“We use the research as a way of stepping into the shoes of shoppers from all over the world to see how this first interaction with a return policy affects their return experience”, says Charlotte Monk-Chipman, head of marketing at ReBound.
The study also shows that there are now more brands who offer different returns periods and that the website accessibility has improved. “This affects the number of moves it takes for a customer to access returns policies online. ”


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Ever dream of vacationing at the North Pole?
Me neither. But this new luxury lodging at the top of Earth may change your mind — if you can afford the $105,000 (95,000 euros)-a-night price tag.
In April, when temperatures at the North Pole may reach a balmy 45 degrees, North Pole Igloos hotel will pop-up for one month only — featuring 10 heated dome shelters with skylights for stargazing.
Janne Honkanen, founder of travel company Luxury Action, told CNN Travel, “The North Pole has been one of the most exclusive travel destinations in the world for years.” Honkanen’s agency is the brains behind the adventurous accommodations.
“I wanted to create a more comfortable way to experience the North Pole as it is, by bringing cozy facilities to extreme conditions.”
Only about 1,000 explorers a year trek the desolate, uninhabited Arctic. Normally, they’d have to bring a tent along with the many supplies required to survive the hostile environment.
But when intrepid travelers stay at North Pole Igloos, they’ll be equipped with a cozy cabin, en-suite bathroom, an on-site manager, a wilderness guide, chef and even hotel security.
“We provide all of the equipment,” Honkanen added. “But you definitely need to have the spirit of an explorer or scientist.”
The complete package includes a two-night stay on the island of Svalbard, Norway — the last inhabited stop before reaching your frozen destination — and one night in one of the Pole’s luxurious igloos, along with flights, transportation, meals and tours. Cautious vacationers can add a stay at the company’s five-star lodge, Octola, in the Finnish Lapland region, where they can get extra “training” for their glacial journey.
In anticipation of inclement weather, Honkanen said they built their shelters to be portable, so they can easily relocate to “the most safe places” — which may get more difficult as climate change continues to drastically change the region.
“We see the effects first hand,” he said, adding that he hopes his hotel guests will act as “messengers” to the rest of the world.
“We’re not just providing the experience, we want to spread the word on what’s happening: How the climate crisis affects local culture, local food and the Arctic animals,” Honkanen added. “It’s transformative travel.”
The environmental entrepreneur also assures that his is a “purely sustainable experience,” as they intend to pack up the campsite as soon as the pop-up has ended.
“Everything we bring there, we bring back.”

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Lonely socks go solo no longer with Monoprix's new three-pack
Chalk one up as a loss and move on with your life
Mar 27, 2019
Under the bed. In the dryer. Behind the dresser. It’s time to stop looking for that lost sock and admit that it’s gone forever. Or it’ll turn up in six months on the other side of the house. Either way, you’ve got nothing to wear on your left foot today.
But French retailer Monoprix now has a solution for this perpetual problem that is stunning in its simplicity: socks sold in packs of three. No, not three pairs, three individual socks—one for each foot and one as an offering to the gods of chaos that will inevitably swallow it up.
Beginning today, shoppers can buy the packs at select Monoprix stores or online. The campaign from Rosapark features a spot directed by Tom Bartowicz via De Gaulle that is running on social media. Twitter users can also use the hashtag # OùEstMaSocks (Where Are My Socks?) to win free packs.
It’s not the first curiously innovative project Rosapark has created for the chain. Last year, the agency made “The Worst Song in the World,” a surprisingly catchy mishmash of musical tropes, to promote Monoprix’s grocery delivery service.


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A recent survey from DisabledGo has found that a high proportion of high street fashion shops are not offering accessible services to disabled people.
The research follows on from a wider survey undertaken in 2014, which showed the majority of the British high street was inaccessible for disabled people. The 2014 survey saw 25,000 shops and restaurants visited by accessibility information providers and was one of the largest carried out in the UK.
The most recent survey was much smaller and concentrated on 1,295 fashion retailers, but has similar results and unfortunately illustrates that accessibility for disabled access has not really improved since 2014.
Discussing the findings of the recent survey, Anna Nelson, Executive Director of DisabledGo.com commented, “Things have been slow. We were hoping the survey would show improvement over the past two years, but sadly this is not the case.”
The survey found that:
- 23% of the 1,295 stores visited did not have access for wheelchair users.
- 4% of the stores did not provide somewhere for a disabled person to sit and rest.
- 90% of stores didn’t have a hearing loop to help people with hearing aids.
- 62% did not provide disability awareness training for staff.
This is despite the fact it has been estimated the disabled community in the UK has a huge £249 billion pounds to spend in the retail sector. This is a huge amount of income that many can’t afford to ignore.
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat before Christmas, Penny Mordaunt, Minister of State for Disabled People, commented, “We need to let businesses know how dumb they’re being and we need inspirational people to help us do that. We want to give consumers, and their friends and families, more information about the stores that are doing things well. People will ultimately vote with their wallets.”
Newsbeat also shared stories from disabled people about their experiences on the high street. Many reported problems accessing high street stores due to display stands and extra stock blocking aisles. Passageways are required under building regulations to be at least 120cm wide; however, these regulations do not apply to free-standing clothes rails and display stands.
Disabled Access Day launches this year on the 10th-12th March to celebrate the efforts of many businesses in ensuring their services are accessible for everyone. However, it does seem that the high street and fashion retailers are behind and these stores should take a look at the many venues taking part in Disabled Access Day to pave the way to making their stores accessible for disabled people.
At Freeclaim Solicitors we understand the frustrations of disabled people in accessing everyday stores and the problems they face. Through our work helping people after they have sustained injury in an accident, we look at different aids and adaptations that we can help fund for our clients to improve their mobility and gain more independence following an accident.
Our aim is to help clients to live as independently as possible following a life changing injury and therefore we welcome any initiate to encourage venues and businesses to consider how accessible they are and think about changes that can be introduced to make them accessible for all people.


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The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. beat fourth-quarter earnings projections and, although results weren’t strong enough to pull it into the black for the year, the department store expects to return to profitability for 2013.
Net income dipped 4.8 percent in the fourth quarter to $74.4 million, or $3.71 a diluted share, from $78.2 million, or $4, a year ago. Profits came in 14 cents better than the $3.57 analysts projected. Shares of the company jumped 5 percent to $12.50 Tuesday.
Revenues for the 14 weeks ended Feb. 2 inched up 2.5 percent to $1.03 billion from $1.01 billion as comparable-store sales rose 1 percent. The most-recent quarter benefited from one additional week versus the year-ago period.
Brendan Hoffman, president and chief executive officer, told analysts on a conference call the company had a “more balanced merchandise assortment” and inventories in line with its core customer base.
Sales in shoes, men’s tailored apparel and furnishings and cosmetics outpaced the company average. Bon-Ton added Coach and Michael Kors to its offerings in November and plans to continue to bring on new vendors this year.
Like most retailers, the company is working hard to figure out the impact of the digital world.
“Our e-commerce business continues to show outsized growth,” Hoffman said. “We have nearly tripled our investment in digital marketing and it is clearly paying dividends, both for e-commerce sales and as a way to drive customers into the stores.”
For the full year, Bon-Ton posted net losses that widened to $21.6 million, or $1.16 a share, from $12.1 million, or 67 cents, a year earlier.
This year, the department store is projecting earnings of 40 cents to $1 a share with a comp sales gain of 2 percent to 3.5 percent.
The company operates in 24 states under seven nameplates, including Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers. On Hoffman’s to-do list is to better tailor assortments to local markets, a strategy that Macy’s Inc. has emphasized as a key component of its recent success.
“As we have consolidated into one central office in Milwaukee, we have lost the appreciation of what makes a customer in Fargo, N.D., different from one in Allentown, Pa.,” Hoffman said. “We need to develop localization as a core competency, both to unleash the potential of our current store base and give us a lane to open new regions that can increase our overall store count.”
From overseeing America’s fastest-growing speciality retailers to codifying cool, WWD talked to the women who are leading the way for the future of beauty. Check out our Instagram Stories to see how these women built today and are creating tomorrow. (📸: @hannah_khymych) #wwdbeauty
For @laperlalingerie's spring 2018 show, the brand chose to host their event at @thevenetianmacao. With Chinese megastars @bingbing_fan and @hubing in attendance, La Perla debuted a rock ‘n’ roll-inspired collection. The show marked the start of Sands Macao Fashion Week, which runs from October 19 to 24 — the city’s first such event. Pictured here are models backstage with glimmering eyes. #wwdfashion (📷: Cheuk-Yin To)
Trending for spring 2018: top stitch design. Gone are the days of stitch just for seams — designers are using the once-minimal detail to create strong decorative elements. (📷: Paola Testa; Styled by @andrew_shang) #wwdfashion
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)


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Authblue is an online marketplace that links users and enterprises to companies that complete background screening and verifying of blue-collar workers, and is DIPP-registered.
From drivers and delivery personnel to domestic help and cooks – there is ever increasing demand for blue-collar workers. Moreover, hiring is mostly ad-hoc, and most of it is through word-of-mouth and driven by who can join work the earliest.
This, however, may not be the safest way to find an employee. According to a report published by NCRB (National Crimes Records Bureau), Ministry of Home Affairs, in 2016, the number of crimes in residential complexes and homes were reportedly on the rise due to lack of proper authentication of domestic help.
“This isn’t just restricted to homes. With the growing gig economy, even businesses believe there is a need for verification,” says Sujeet Buddiga, Co-founder of Authblue.
To help people verify blue-, and even white-collar workers, Authblue was set up in Hyderabad in 2018. Founded by 28-year-old Sujeet Buddiga and 33-year-old Saurabh Tiwari, the DIPP-recognised startup’s platform helps connect businesses and individuals with companies that conduct verifications. A team of five, the company has clients from across the country registered on its platform.
Read more here.
Join us in Bangkok the 19th to the 22nd of March for the Property Portal Watch Conference.


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By Justice Allen
- Waffle House officially declared a red index and closes at least 420 locations
- Headquartered in Atlanta, company analysts develop statistical models to predict the impact an impending disaster
If any restaurant chain were to square up with the coronavirus and win, it was supposed to be Waffle House. Unfortunately, with the arrival and effects of COVID-19, 70% of their normal sales have been eliminated and forced Waffle House to close 420 of its locations. The Southern chain is known to be prepared for any and all types of emergencies. So much so that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) came up with the informal metric “Waffle House Index”, meant to gauge the effects of local natural disasters, that now stands at red.
Why This Matters: In the event of an impending disaster, the company quickly goes into damage control mode. It begins at Waffle House headquarters, located just outside of Atlanta, a city with a 51% Black population, the company’s analysts comb through data and develop statistical models to predict what sort of impact an impending disaster could have on individual restaurants. The hundreds of shuttered Waffle House locations are scattered throughout the entire country, from Louisiana to Ohio, according to a map the company shared on Twitter. Unfortunately, in Louisiana Black people account for one-third of the population, but represent more than 70% of the state’s deaths from COVID-19.
FEMA came up with the informal metric “Waffle House Index”, meant to gauge the effects of local natural disasters
As the unofficial barometer for how bad things are, the company’s index is painting a pretty grim picture. Basically, if Waffle Houses in the area were open and serving up its full menu, everything was all good according to FEMA. Having weathered the nastiest times mother nature had to offer, Waffle House officially declared a red index, as it can’t fend off the coronavirus. There are three levels to The Waffle House Index which are Green: open for business; normal operations, Yellow: hours and/or menu are limited, and Red: closed.
What’s Next: Despite the current state of affairs, hope isn’t lost for the legendary food chain as the company reported more than 1,500 locations are open in “various capacities”, with 1,278 locations operating as takeout only. The lingering question now is how long can Waffle House sustain this activity with a red index level, while we all quarantine in the crib.
CBx Vibe: “Alright” Kendrick Lamar


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A New Hampshire brewery owner claims this beer could be the beverage of choice for women who are dealing with menopause.
“Libeeration,” is a limited-edition craft beer now being sold at The Portsmouth Brewery in New Hampshire. Joanne Francis is a co-creator of the beer. She is also creative director and co-owner of the brewery, whose motto, she told WCSH, was to serve people from all walks of life. But Francis found that she was not serving women her age.
Francis, who is 57-years-old, said it took her years to produce the beer, after her employees were skeptical of the product.
“The idea of simply putting herbs into a beer that would be favorable for a woman experiencing menopausal symptoms was simply just a no-brainer,” she said.
The gruit style ale, as it is described on the company’s Facebook event page, is designed specifically for women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms and to celebrate this new phase in a woman’s life.
“Fun, crazy, wildly different: That was our goal to reach women who truly know what it means to be hot!” said a statement from the Facebook page.
The event page says the frothy beverage is made out of fruity, spicy and earthy flavors and combines herbs like motherwort, lemon balm, chamomile, stinging nettle, mugwort, rose, chickweed and damiana. The combination of the herbs and flavors are supposed to relieve the symptoms that come with menopause like sleepiness, hot flashes, anxiety and irritability.
Matt Gallagher, the head brewer who collaborated with Francis, said he replaced the hops, a flower traditionally used to produce the brew, with herbs to add balance and bitterness to the beer.
If a beer that can solve the symptoms that come with menopause sounds too good to be true, it is.
A North American Menopause Society 2015 study shows that women who are currently experiencing menopause and hot flashes should stay away from symptom triggers like spicy food or alcohol. Hot flashes can be easily triggered by small core body temperature elevations, the study says, and adjusting a diet or clothing can help prevent those symptoms.
“None of these products and herbs have been proven to work,” said Dr. Stephanie S. Faubion, director of the Women’s Health Clinic and Office of Women’s Health at the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. “It’s a cute little gimmick, but alcohol could actually worsen menopausal symptoms like hot flashes.”


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Over in India, there are a handful of startups working to get the country’s billion-person population on bikes. One of them is Yulu, co-founded by Amit Gupta, who formerly co-founded profitable, billion-dollar startup InMobi. In the next three to four weeks, Yulu will launch its bike-sharing service in Bangalore with a few hundred bicycles. Yulu […]
In a settlement with the FTC, the company said it wouldn’t mislead users about the security of their data.
It might be the best reason to buy one.
In July, she tweeted “I am not going anywhere.”
New Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the breach happened in October 2016.
Things get serious, quickly, in this gritty reboot of our annual collection of the lowest points in tech.
The Department of Justice cites antitrust concerns.
Facebook launched its social VR Spaces beta last April, finally showing us a compelling experience that helped put the social media company's acquisition of Oculus in the first place. Recently, Oculus showed off a little ice fishing game from casual…
The latest in a line of Star Wars breakfast appliances will make the Waffle Run to your mouth in less than 12 parsecs.


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Bovine genomics technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Since the first genetic marker in beef cattle — a marker for marbling — was available in 2000, rapid advancements in the breadth and application of genomics have transformed the landscape of beef cattle genetics.
Pfizer Animal Genetics is releasing a new genomic test this month that will expand the breadth of cattle DNA evaluation by almost a thousand-fold — from a current 56-marker technology to predictions that utilize more than 50,000 markers.
The new high-density 50K (50K HD) offering is based on the Bovine SNP50 DNA-marker chip, which will provide a much more complete genetic profile of each animal evaluated. The test is being offered initially for Angus producers, with customization for other breeds expected to follow.
New information offers endless possibilities to beef producers
According to Dr. Ronnie Green, senior director of global technical services for Pfizer Animal Genetics, the 50K HD test will allow for the evaluation of a host of economically relevant traits — including tenderness, dry-matter intake, yield grade, average daily gain and feed efficiency — which are not typically evaluated using EPDs. “This by no means implies that EPDs will become obsolete,” Green stresses. “Rather, evaluation of the new suite of traits will significantly add to the decision-making toolbox available to breeders, enhancing the precision and speed at which they are able to make genetic progress in their herds.”
Breeders like Lee Leachman, Wellington, Colo., realize the opportunities the new 50K predictions offer to their operations and the entire beef industry.
“Until now the 50K technology has been just used for research. Now, using this technology in the seedstock business will expand our selection to cover almost all of the traits that affect profitability,” Leachman says. “As an industry, we’ve evolved from selection based on a few traits to a point where we are now interested in 15 to 20 traits (like growth, carcass, fertility and longevity) that are influenced by thousands and thousands of genes. The 50K technology will increase the accuracy of our decisions on nearly every important trait.”
Leachman sees the impact that the new technology will have on profitability. “For us, there is tremendous value in using predictions from the 50K technology to choose from a group of a thousand yearling bulls, with accuracy, which ones will provide the most profit,” Leachman says.


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Designer shoe brand Jimmy Choo, made famous by the character Carrie Bradshaw in the hit US TV show Sex and the City, defied turbulent conditions in financial markets as it pressed ahead with its stock market flotation.
The seller of high-heeled shoes for the stars began conditional dealings with shares priced at 140p, valuing the business at £545.6m.
Jimmy Choo stock was trading close to its opening mark after pricing the float at the bottom end of its previous guidance of between 140p and 180p.
Jimmy Choo sold just under 26 per cent of itself to investors, with just over 70 per cent of the business held by its founding company JAB Luxury and the remaining shares split between its senior directors and other employees.
Chief executive Pierre Denis said: “We are delighted with our successful IPO.
“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone for Jimmy Choo and recognises not only the appeal of our high quality products but also confidence in our ability to outperform the luxury shoe market.”
The business said it will use the money to open 10 to 15 stores a year, and focus on growing its Asia markets.
The business, which also sells bags and accessories, was founded by former Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon and Malaysian designer Jimmy Choo who opened their first store in 1996.
It now has about 120 shops around the world and turned in an adjusted pre-tax profit of £46.9m on sales of £281.5m in its last financial year.


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Hyundai Motor Group has wrapped up its participation in the Korea Innovative Tech Fair at Dubai Exhibition Center from the 16th to the 18th of January, 2022 under the theme “Drive the Future”.
The Korean Innovative Tech Fair served as the platform for the automotive giant to showcase its evolution into a smart mobility innovator through its focus on sustainability. Various zones within the exhibition gave visitors a glimpse at the transformational potential of electric vehicles.
One zone, dedicated solely to electric vehicles, such as IONIQ 5, demonstrated the vast growth in features for this category. Visitors were able to track the impressive distances that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) can cover after just five minutes of charging. Additionally, visitors were able to charge everyday electronics, such as scooters and laptops, using the power generated by the BEVs.
“We were very pleased to play a pivotal role in celebrating Korean innovation, driving towards progress for humanity. We aspire to advance sustainable mobility by fostering our mobility solutions for a greener future”, said Mr. Hyoungjung Im the Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company. “Through this smart exhibition, our visitors had a unique experience in our immersive show zones where they learned about our eco-friendly solutions and exciting future products”.
Aligning with its mission in ensuring a greener future, Hyundai corroborated its commitment by reusing 85% of materials in temporary construction of the exhibition stand, along with careful selection of only non-hazardous building materials, the promotion of recycled and reused content, and local sourcing for reduced carbon footprint.


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Publix is changing its rules for redeeming coupons, placing limits on their use and which ones it will accept in many cases.
The new policy, announced Wednesday, comes as the Lakeland-based supermarket giant and other grocery chains deal with rising food prices and an explosion in the popularity of coupon clipping.
As of May 23, Publix stores will no longer accept coupons from drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens for anything other than prescriptions. Competitors' coupons can be used only for identical products — not on purchases of store brands or foods such as meat from the butcher's department.
Each store will post its own list of which competitors' coupons it will accept, and Publix will reserve the right to limit quantities of things purchased with coupons. In general, it won't accept coupons from competitors more than a few miles away.
Most of the changes were made to create a consistent policy, said a spokesman for Publix, the nation's largest employee-owned company, with annual sales of more than $25 billion.
"We wanted to make sure all stores are doing similar things," spokesman Dwaine Stevens said. "It's going to be more of a manageable process."
Food-industry analyst Phil Lempert said higher food costs and more couponing are likely driving the change.
Supermarkets have slim profit margins, often 1 percent and 2 percent. But grocers don't want to pass along much of the increased costs of food to customers because they fear losing business.
"As they are absorbing some of these price increases … they've got to tighten their belts in other areas," said Lempert, who estimates Publix will save millions of dollars a year with stricter policies. "Couponing is one of them."
More supermarkets will probably join the trend, Lempert said, because "retailers just can't afford to give the value ... out of their pockets."
Kroger, another major grocery chain, also has begun limiting its coupon policy, no longer allowing the use of manufacturers' coupons in combination with store coupons. Kroger does not have grocery stores in Central and South Florida.
Publix, considered Florida's dominant chain, has about 100 stores in the Orlando area and more than 250 in South Florida.
When it comes to competitor's coupons, Publix is still more lenient than competitors Winn-Dixie and Target, which do not accept them. Walmart accepts competitors' coupons but only if they offer specific prices.
During these tough economic times, saving money with coupons has become more common — and lucrative — thanks to websites, blogs and classes devoted to the practice. Savvy shoppers are combining coupons and deals to get products at extremely low prices or even free.
As more people have gotten into "extreme couponing," they stock up on items they can get for nearly nothing. That makes it tough in some areas to find certain things, said Amy Selleck, an Orlando mother of two who writes a blog about coupon use.
"It would help the people who aren't extreme couponers ... to be able to go in and get some detergent two days after the sale starts," she said.
Selleck said "there's going to be upset people" as a result of Publix's changes, but "I think it was within their right to be able to do that."
Cori Garavuso, an Orlando stay-at-home mom who saves more than $1,000 a month through coupons, said she is "kind of concerned about ... limiting the quantity of competitors' coupons. If they're going to change that, it just means more work for all of us."
That could lead to splitting up orders or taking separate shopping trips, she said.
Starting Saturday, Publix stores will post lists of which competitors' coupons they will accept.
Publix also is testing a new coupon-scanning system designed to reduce checkout times.
"Our main priority is to take care of our customer by providing the best service, which includes shorter wait times at the register. The system is being tested in select markets. Its success will determine future rollout," spokeswoman Kimberly Jaeger said.
Amanda Cohen, a stay-at-home mom from Orlando, said managers have told her the nearby Isleworth Publix won't accept Target coupons, but another store a few miles away on Sand Lake Road will.
"I drive around town," said Cohen, 29. "It's not a big deal for me to go to another Publix."
Staff writer Doreen Christensen contributed to this report. firstname.lastname@example.org or 407-420-5240.


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Announced the successful acquisition of Britain's most iconic sporting motorcycle, "Norton", in an all-cash deal for a consideration of GBP16 million
Michelin will produce some 400,000 category 1 surgical masks weekly, either in its own workshops or in collaboration with partners or subcontractors.
while the operating result before special items increased by three per- cent year-on-year to EUR4.4 billion. The return on sales before special items was 15.4%.
Michelin kicks off 2020 with a bang at the Tire Technology Expo in Hanover for the second year in a row by receiving the prestigious title of Tire Manufacturer of the Year
Porsche Asia Pacific concluded the year 2019 with a total sales of 3,025 vehicles, generating double-digit growth, making it one of the fastest growing regions for Porsche in the world
Mazda Motor Corporation celebrated its 100th anniversary of its founding on January 30, 2020.
After breaking bail and fleeing to Lebanon, former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has expanded his criticism of both the Japanese justice system and his former employer.
Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has apparently skipped bail in Japan, fleeing to Lebanon to escape alleged "injustice."
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has announced more stringent qualification criteria for the 2020 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick Plus awards.
General Motors has decided to pull the Buick Regal from the US market at the end of the 2020 model year, ditching its last sedan as buyers continue to gravitate toward crossovers.
© 2020 Carrushome.com. All rights reserved.


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The opening date for Frisco Fresh Market has been delayed by a year, but construction continues on the development.
Frisco Fresh Market, a 32.6-acre mixed-use development, was first announced in fall 2015 and was slated to open in spring 2017. However, because of delayed construction, the opening date has been pushed back to 2018. The development is being built on the northeast corner of Frisco Street and Main Street, next to Toyota Stadium and across from Frisco Square.
“[The delay] was due to typical construction interruptions, and if anything changes we need to submit those changes to the city and wait for their approval,” Frisco Fresh Market spokesperson Alis Bonda said. “So, there were a number of factors for the delay, but we’re on track for opening next year.”
The owner of the development is Frisco FM LLC, which is an entity created by developer USA Infrastructure Investments.
The development will encompass 600 apartment units that are under construction. Also under construction are two hotels: Holiday Inn Express and Candlewood Suites. The development will also include a third hotel, La Quinta Inn. The development includes two office buildings and four retail and restaurant buildings and will also have a 1-acre park.
However, the main attraction is the 70,000-square-foot farmers market. Bonda said. The market will have an outdoor market with space for 100 day-to-day vendors and an indoor market with specialty-food vendors and eight restaurants, which have not been announced.
The market will also have a wine-tasting facility.
The indoor market will encompass test kitchens for cooking classes and conference rooms.


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Beats Music: Spotify Rival to Launch in January
Beats Electronics is entering the streaming music game with plans to launch Beats Music in January.
Originally expected to debut this past summer, the subscription music service will combine algorithms with curated programming from tastemakers.
“We’re nearly ready for liftoff,” blogged Ian Rogers, chief executive of Beats Music. “Thanks to your diligent testing and feedback we are locked and loaded, ready to launch here in the US in January 2014.”
Ian revealed that the service has been in “private beta” and their team has been utilizing feedback from “a few artists and other influencers.”
Anyone interested in reserving their username can do so now at BeatsMusic.com.
Founded by music mogul Jimmy Iovine and rapper/producer Dr. Dre, Beats Electronics’ new venture will go head to head with Spotify, Slacker, Pandora, Google Music “All Access” and Apple’s iTunes Radio.


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Betsoft Gaming, the leader in 3D iGaming evolution, have announced that they have signed a partnership deal with Xbet.com, a world renowned online gaming platform provider. Under the terms of the partnership, Xbet will be offering Betsoft’s full suite of iGaming entertainment, including the blockbuster Slots3 collection of true 3D video slots, to their rapidly growing playerbase in the Asian market.
“We were really impressed with XBet’s commitment to rigorous standards regarding player security,” said Joya Zhang. “It is an important factor to consider in the modern iGaming world. They are devoted to making sure that their players may play in safety and security. We are proud to have our games offered on XBet.com.”
“It is such a pleasure to be launching Betsoft games on our platform,” said Xbet’s Operations Manager. “Our players are very excited and so are we. We believe it is going to be a very solid partnership and we look forward to many years of success with Betsoft.”
About Betsoft Gaming:
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A local Kum and Go employee, who requested for anonymity for the sake of her job, stated Kum and Go will no longer carry non-menthol or tobacco-flavored Juul pods when the stock runs out. After the flavored pods run out, prospects will have to legally purchase them by way of the Juul web site. But the nationwide deterrence of vaping has been in motion for a 12 months. According to Juul’s website, final November it stopped the sale and distribution of its flavored pods to comfort shops across the country. This ban stopped the distribution of pods, but with so many shipped to retailers solely now are they beginning to run out.
Rather, it says it has merely determined that nows the time to selectively implement its energy towards some flavored pods — flavored pods like mint, but not menthol. Juul mentioned Thursday it will cease accepting retail and on-line orders for mint pods in the U.S. after absorbing the latest results of a number of studies, including the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey. That research discovered “disturbing rates of e-cigarette use amongst each center and high school college students in 2019” and found that a majority of such users consumed Juul merchandise. There’s little concrete knowledge on the safety of components in e-cigarettes. In the US, to legally sell vapes and e-juice, corporations have to supply an ingredient record to the FDA—but they don’t have to make these lists public. As long as the components are usually thought to be secure by the FDA for use in meals, medicine, and cosmetics, the organization then authorizes those products for sale.
In a press release, the company mentioned it will “proceed to develop scientific proof to help using these flavored merchandise,” which it says helps grownup smokers quit conventional cigarettes. The e-cigarette trade comes underneath menace from a Trump administration proposal to ban most flavored e-cigarette cartridges amid rising well being considerations and a warning issued by the CDC in opposition to utilizing the products. Each pack comes with 4 Eonsmoke prefilled tobacco taste nicotine salt pods. Each pod incorporates 60mg (6%) / 40mg (four%) nicotine per 1mL, and equivalent to 1 cigarette pack. Enjoy as much as 300 puffs per cartridge together with your Eonsmoke or Juul pod vaporizer.
There are many adults who, like me, bummed plenty of cigarettes when they were younger and careworn or drinking but, once they received older, both largely or fully stopped. Adding to Juul’s woes, the e-cigarette business has been beneath intense scrutiny since a mysterious vaping-associated sickness, now known as EVALI, unfold throughout the US, sickening almost 1,500 folks and killing 33.
- JUUL is available in quite a lot of flavors, such as fruit medley, mango, cool cucumber and creme brulee.
- Flavored e-cigarettes are especially harmful, not solely because they entice youth, however because their young users are likely to be misinformed concerning the harmfulness of the merchandise.
- But the agency is underneath intense pressure to crack down on vapes.
- At the identical time, it remains on the mercy of the Food and Drug Administration, Juul Compatible Pods which has regulated tobacco merchandise since 2009.
- The company’s valuation rose to sixteen billion dollars over the summer time; it now controls almost three-quarters of the e-cigarette market within the U.S.
You’ll get a pack’s value of puffs from each pod, which is 200 puffs. Customers might order up to fifteen packs of pods every month. Only two different states — Massachusetts and New Jersey — have permitted comparable state rules on flavored tobacco or vaping merchandise.
The bill has garnered support from teams including the NAACP and the state’s Legislative Black Caucus. At a information conference last week, advocates argued that flavored tobacco products disproportionately have an effect on minority and decrease-earnings youth. In contrast, the proposed Maryland invoice would come with all tobacco products and ban any with flavoring, even menthol cigarettes. Under the regulation, distributors may obtain as much as a $1,000 fine and/or 30 days in jail. Notably, the FDA claims this ban is not truly a new ban.
JUUL, for instance, makes use of a nicotine salt formulation—that’s, nicotine extracted from natural tobacco leaves. It packs practically the identical punch of nicotine as smoking, nevertheless it goes down so much smoother. That is, it doesn’t trigger the identical throat or chest irritation that occurs with combustible cigarettes, allowing individuals to inhale more deeply or more regularly, potentially exposing them to much more nicotine. Not all vaping manufacturers report how a lot nicotine is of their merchandise, but even after they do, analyses present what’s inside the vape juice doesn’t always match what is claimed on the packaging. One research, for instance, detected measurable quantities of nicotine in some vaping merchandise despite labels claiming the product to be nicotine-free. The tasty flavors usually added to vaping merchandise have been an enormous a part of their attraction, especially for younger people.
Kid-pleasant flavors like cotton candy or fruit punch have been significantly well-liked among teenagers, who cited flavorings as the most typical ingredient in the vaping products they use. Diacetyl is a chemical sometimes added to vaping products to create wealthy flavors like butterscotch or caramel. Food producers use this flavoring chemical in a variety of capacities—perhaps most famously in microwave popcorn; diacetyl smells and tastes like butter. While vaping has been touted by some to be a less harmful different to smoking, the vapor created by digital cigarette gadgets is far from innocent. JUULpods and other e-cigarette products comprise elements that result in an aerosol that may comprise doubtlessly dangerous substances like nicotine, metals, and toxins. Many youth e-cigarette customers incorrectly imagine they aren’t consuming nicotine when they vape. While less toxic than flamable cigarettes, e-cigarettes can make youth more likely to make use of cigarettes and nonetheless comprise toxins and the addictive chemical nicotine, which is dangerous to adolescent brain improvement.
It doesn’t truly approve any tobacco product, vapes included, in acknowledgement that they’re all inherently dangerous. The harmful substances found in some e-cigarette aerosols may not simply affect those who vape. As of December 20, 2019, 21 years old is the new authorized age minimal for buying cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, or some other tobacco merchandise within the United States.
Juul will continue to promote the flavored pods by itself web site, although clients shall be requested to confirm that they are over 21. Juul also said it will deliver these products again to stores that invest in age-verification know-how. You could order Juul pods on-line and each pack will include four pods. Each pod will function .7 milliliters of e-juice, with 5 p.c nicotine by weight.


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Mark Zuckerberg is no dummy. And when he decided a year ago to transform Facebook into a “mobile-first” company, he was seeing ahead of the curve. As Facebook’s earnings release this afternoon shows, Facebook now gets more daily active users, or DAU, from mobile devices than from desktop computers.
To put it another way, Facebook is primarily a smartphone app now.
The Wall Street Journal has the story behind the desktop-to-mobile transformation Facebook began in recent months, including how Zuckerberg has gone from having “two dozen” mobile programmers to “hundreds” on any given day. The company’s mobile gurus are holding classes for engineers on iOS programming, and it’s also experimenting with side projects like Poke, a Snapchat clone.
The numbers out today mean that Zuckerberg was smart to throw major resources into mobile programming as early as he did and spend a billion dollars on Instagram, which was stealing from Facebook’s mobile user base. And it also means that the person at Facebook most responsible for the mobile push, vice-president of mobile engineering Cory Ondrejka, is probably due to get a raise.


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Sunday, 28 April 2013
Nigerian Hot Model Oluchi Orlandi Host Of Africa's Next Top Model Gets High Recognition
Oluchi Orlandi is an internationally renowned supermodel who has graced the covers of Elle magazine and Italian Vogue, and has been featured in Victoria’s Secret, Sports Illustrated and countless fashion and beauty magazines, ad campaigns and runway shows worldwide. She was discovered at the age of 17 when she won M-Net’s “Face of Africa” modeling competition.
Read more by clicking below...
CBS Studios International has licensed the African format rights for the reality competition series AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL to New York-based LuLu Productions. ANTM will be produced by Lulu Productions along with Never Machine Productions and will air pan-regionally throughout Africa in 2013 on MNET Africa Magic channels.
ANTM will begin production in August in Cape Town and the English-language series will be shot primarily on location in South Africa and sponsored by South African Tourism. Aspiring models will be selected from casting calls in eight countries throughout Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Angola and Tanzania.
Since the official announcement, Tyra Banks and others have taken to Twitter to congratulate Oluchi and welcome her to the ANTM family.
“I am excited to be hosting AFRICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL and it is great to be part of the successful ‘America’s Next Top Model’ franchise that Tyra Banks created and has hosted for an impressive 20 cycles thus far in the U.S.,” said Oluchi. “The African version of the franchise is long overdue and I expect the show to be a smashing success across the continent. My company, LuLu Productions, will be partnering with Never Machine productions with Gavin Wratten as Co-Executive Producer and also one of the giant media houses to help make this show a big success.”


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The line features VS Pink brand imagery outfitted with the names and logos of 32 NFL teams. Offerings will include tees, sweats, hoodies and tanks.
The co-branded Victoria's Secret Pink and National Football League merchandise will be available in Victoria's Secret stores serving each of these team's markets beginning today. Starting tomorrow, the collection will be available online at vspink.com.
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Publiceret: 05.04.2017Af Laura Flader mail
Danish companies are tied with Icelandic companies as the European champions in online shopping. However, Danish companies’ own digital sales to other countries are lagging behind.
When it comes to online exports, Denmark comes in eighth when compared to the rest of EU countries, since only 10 per cent of Danish companies export online. The EU average lies at eight per cent.
“Denmark exports just under DKK 1,100 billion per year, which is equivalent to approximately 775,000 jobs. Only two per cent of those exports are currently sold via Danish companies’ international online shops. This figure is much too low if we’re to maintain our export jobs - and preferably create even more jobs,” says Annette Falberg, director of the Danish Commercial Industries Federation.
See also: Food export to the Middleeast has doubled
The Danish steel manufacturer Dacapo Stainless is one of the Danish companies that exports via digital channels. They export stainless steel to large and medium-sized end users, and they’ve been doing it since January 2014.
“We’re generally exporting more and more, and exports are one of our growth generators. About 10 per cent of our total revenue comes from online exports,” says Jesper Christensen, CFO at Dacapo Stainless.
The company had online exports to 25 different countries in 2016, and products were primarily sent to Scandinavian and Northern European countries. In the future, the company will focus further on online exports.
“We’re a growth company and online exports and e-commerce will be two important parameters for us in the future. Stainless steel is a volume product, so a certain size is required if we’re to be competitive. We’ve built up this critical size, among other things, through digital sales to our export markets,” says Jesper Christensen.
See also: Globalisation in your redwine
Transition to online exports can be a complicated process
Right now, an increasing portion of the world’s trade is moving to digital channels, and according to Annette Falberg, it is therefore critical that companies have an online presence in order to maintain existing market shares and conquer new markets. But perhaps there is a reason why all companies are not yet exporting online.
“Starting online exports might sound easy, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Even though you’ve made a selection and figured out that a potential market in a country exists, there are quite a few things that an international website must take into account,” says Annette Falberg.
This could e.g. be other rules for marketing, other payment solutions than in Denmark, logistics with a new partner, and translation of the website into a new language. In addition, there are many Danish companies that do not have the resources required to get started digitally in a new country.
See also: Half of Danish exports comes from 100 companies
To make it easier for Danish companies to access the large potential latent in online exports, the Confederation of Danish Industry proposes that the government set up an online export centre where Danish companies can get help.
“We propose that the government spend DKK 42 million in the first year on a greater overall initiative to support online exports, in which a new centre for e-commerce exports is set up. Here, up to 10,000 Danish companies would be able to get help over a 4-year period to figure out legislation and logistics when foreigners buy products on their online shops,” says Annette Falberg.
The money would come from the existing export promotion efforts and the companies would pay half of the expenses for the course themselves. In addition, they must subsequently and free of charge be at the disposal of other companies facing the same challenges.


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French dairy giant Danone has entered into a strategic investment agreement with Israeli startup Wilk, which could lead to a collaboration with the food tech firm to develop cultured breast milk components for infant formula based on its cell technology.
Danone Manifesto Ventures (DMV), the corporate venture arm set up by the Paris-based food giant, will invest $2 million, leading a $3.5 million financing round announced by Wilk, in a filing to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Monday.
Following the investment, the venture arm of the dairy company, which makes Activia yogurt, Aptamil infant formula and Evian water, will hold at least 2% of Wilk’s share capital.
Dr. Nurit Argov-Argaman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem founded Wilk (as Biomilk) in 2018, and has since developed cell-based technology to produce cultured human breast and animal milk. Argov-Argaman took it public on the TASE in 2021 in a SPAC (special-purpose acquisition company) merger deal.
For the animal-derived cultured milk, Wilk isolates the milk-producing cells from cows’ udders and transfers them to a bioreactor, where they are exposed to materials patented by the firm to produce milk ingredients, but without needing a cow in the final milk-producing process.
The process is also applied to the lab production of human breast milk — complete with the fats and proteins that make up important parts of the nutritional value — using cells from breast reduction surgeries.
As part of the strategic agreement between Danone’s venture arm and Wilk, the parties will examine strategic cooperation for the development of breast milk substitutes that will include lab-grown breast milk components.
The agreement also stipulates that Danone and Wilk will examine possibilities for joint commercial cooperation and operations, which may include agreements for joint development and grants for projects in Europe and the US, Wilk said in a statement.
Wilk CEO Tomer Aizen said that DMV’s investment will help the firm continue in the development of its cultivated milk products.
Wilk is one of several Israeli food tech companies developing cultured, animal-free milk, each at a different development stage. Rehovot-based Remilk, for example, last year raised $120 million for cow-free milk, cheese and yogurt, and with production capabilities already off the ground. The developer of cultured milk and dairy has also announced plans to open the “world’s largest” facility for the production of cow-free milk in Denmark.
However, Wilk is one of few companies on the world stage in the cultured breast milk sector. Wilk’s offering could be a welcome alternative for those who prefer to give human milk, but face difficulties breastfeeding, for babies born prematurely, and for those who cannot consume commercial infant formula.
Wilk said it is not necessarily looking to replace infant formula, but to contribute to a product that is better nutritionally and with a cost comparable to formula.
As such, the Rehovot-based startup has been focusing on developing cell-cultured human milk fat for infant formula to replace vegetable fats currently contained in formula. The nutritional benefits of cultured human milk fat play a central role in maintaining an infant’s digestive system, as well as the development of its brain and nervous system, according to Wilk.
Other investors in the latest funding round, include Rehovot-based Steakholder Foods (formerly Meatech), an Israeli maker of cultivated meat products, which will purchase $450,000 in ordinary shares of Wilk at a 15% discount below their 45-day average closing price, giving the company a 2.5% stake in the Israeli startup. Steakholder Foods said it seeks synergies with Wilk, including strategic cooperation on its proprietary biology and printing technologies.
The Central Bottling Company, also known as Coca-Cola Israel, is also participating in the funding round. The owner of the Tara dairy cooperative, Israel’s second-largest milk processing company, invested $2 million in Wilk back in 2021 as part of an agreement to develop products based on the startup’s cultured milk technology.
As part of the financing round, Wilk will issue a total of 13.6 million ordinary shares in a private placement at a price of NIS 0.91 per share. The startup’s shares closed 10% lower on Monday at NIS 105.1 per share.


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Sony Corp. said it contacted the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and took action to protect its websites after intrusions by a group of hackers.
“We have confirmed that a breach has occurred and have taken action to protect against further intrusion,” Michael Lynton, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement. “We also retained a respected team of experts to conduct the forensic analysis of the attack.”
A group calling itself LulzSec posted statements online saying it broke into SonyPictures.com and downloaded unencrypted personal information, including passwords, e-mail addresses and dates of birth from 1 million user accounts.
The attack was the latest on Tokyo-based Sony, which in the past two months said more than 100 million accounts were compromised after hackers broke into its networks. Sony, which two days ago resumed full operation of the PlayStation Network in the U.S. and Europe after six weeks of suspension, said last month the intrusions will cost about 14 billion yen ($173 million) this fiscal year.
“My biggest concern is whether the expense related to unauthorized accesses will stay within 14 billion yen,” Tsunenori Ohmaki, an analyst at Tachibana Securities Co. in Tokyo, said yesterday. Online businesses have become more important to Sony as its main TV unit probably won’t contribute to earnings in the near future, he said.
LulzSec, which described the attack only as recent, posted customer information online from what appeared to be sweepstakes and loyalty-program databases, including one tied to the long-running soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” The group also took information from Sony music operations in Belgium and the Netherlands, it said.
“It’s just a matter of taking it,” LulzSec said in its statement. “This is disgraceful and insecure; they were asking for it.”
Sony fell 0.6 percent to close at 2,129 yen in Tokyo trading yesterday, extending its loss this year to 27 percent. The Nikkei-225 Stock Average has lost 7.2 percent this year.
The maker of Bravia televisions and Walkman music players has been facing series of intrusions to its online entertainment services, forcing an April 20 shutdown of the Qriocity and PlayStation Network services. Sony also halted some Internet services in Canada, Thailand and Indonesia last month after detecting unauthorized accesses.
Intruders stole the names and e-mail addresses of about 2,000 customers at Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB’s Canadian website, while a site in Thailand may have been modified to help send fraudulent e-mails, Sony said last month. The company also suspended a site in Indonesia because of a suspected attack and found Web codes for the Japanese music unit were stolen.
At Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., hackers have stolen programming code related to artists’ sites, Yoshikazu Takahashi, a spokesman at the unit, said last month.
Tim Schaaff, president of Sony Network Entertainment International, appeared before a congressional panel June 2 to defend the company’s response to the April data breach.
Sony restored the PlayStation Network in all markets except Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea on June 2. Users of its Qriocity entertainment services will be able to download music with the resumption, while video on demand will remain suspended until further notice, it said.
Sony increased the number of firewalls between servers and added software to monitor intrusions and system vulnerabilities before resuming the services.


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Jackie Baillie MSP has been in discussion with Chivas bosses about their decision to continue to operate the bottling plant at Kilmalid during the covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, after being contacted by several Chivas bottling plant workers who were worried for their health, Jackie Baillie wrote to Chivas Regal CEO Jean-Christophe Coutoures. In her letter, Jackie called on Chivas to protect the health and wellbeing of the workers, their family members and the wider community. Whilst food and drink manufacturers have been classed as essential businesses, it is questionable whether bottling plants should remain functioning given that they are not making a contribution to tackling the pandemic.
Mr Coutoures responded to the letter, stating that: “Our number one priority is the wellbeing of our employees, now and for the future. As a business we need to remain operational to protect jobs in the long term and maintain our ability to respond to the expected improvement in market conditions around the globe.”
It was also confirmed that social distancing measures have been put in place within the bottling plant and only workers who are able to get to work by foot or alone in a car have been asked to come in.
However, the GMB, who have active shop stewards within the Chivas bottling plant, informed Jackie Baillie that not all measures of social distancing were in place by the time Kilmalid re-opened yesterday and there is still a lack of alcohol wipes to clean machinery touched by numerous staff members. The GMB believe that even with a skeleton staff social distancing is extremely difficult and cannot be enforced at all times. The GMB have therefore called for Chivas to close its Kilmalid bottling plant in line with government advice to protect the safety of its workers.
Jackie Baillie MSP said:
“I understand the concerns of the employees and their union, the GMB. They want the bottling plant at Kilmalid to close temporarily. Senior managers believe they are taking appropriate precautions and are doing the right thing but reports coming from the shop floor are worrying.
“If the health and wellbeing of Chivas staff is the company’s priorty, they must practice what they preach and consider halting production as a precautionary measure. It is unacceptable to place these workers and their health at risk.
“I have written to the Scottish Government asking them to intervene in this case and I urge Chivas to rethink its plans and mothball the plant.”


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PARIS, July 31 (Reuters) - EssilorLuxottica said it would buy a 76.72% stake in Dutch optical retailer GrandVision, and the company also posted stronger second-quarter results and confirmed its 2019 targets on Wednesday.
The eyewear company, formed last year after the merger of French lenses specialist Essilor and Italian spectacles maker Luxottica, said it would acquire HAL’s interest in GrandVision at a cash purchase price equal to 28 euros per share.
Shares in GrandVision closed at 25.36 euros on Tuesday.
The transaction received support by GrandVision’s management and supervisory boards, EssilorLuxottica said, adding it would launch a public offer for all outstanding GrandVision shares after completing the deal.
$1 = 0.8965 euros Reporting by Matthias Blamont; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta


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Will Castorama rub along OBI and fourth Megastroy?
Two DIY hypermarkets open in Kazan at once. One of them is across the road from Mega shopping centre. What awaits the market?
Everything that happens in the DIY market doesn't affect the life of an ordinary consumer as much as changes in the sphere of food retail. In case of a home improvement or beautification of the garden in the summer season, these type of shops is indispensable. The official opening ceremony of Castorama hypermarket in Kazan was on 25 April. The French chain of shops with goods for garden and home improvement is included to British corporation Kingfisher. The first hypermarket of this chain opened in Kazan across the road from Mega shopping centre, which has its own DIY hypermarket – OBI. But this is not the end of details. The fourth hypermarket of the local Megastroy chain will open in Kazan in the short run. Realnoe Vremya's correspondent found out together with experts whether the market selling electric drills, cornices and screwdrivers would be crowded.
Opening for official guests and hypermarket's team
The opening of Castorama hypermarket in Kazan will take place only on 29 April, while the opening on 25 April was held only for the hypermarket's team and official guests, including Director General of Castorama Russia Vincent Guffroy, head of the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Denis Valeyev and head of Soviet District Rustem Gafarov.
Almost all speakers agreed the new DIY trading facility was socially important. ''It's an alternative opportunity to project and build houses, flats and gardens for residents of Tatarstan,'' Vincent Guffroy explained Castorama's mission. ''It's a new innovative drop in the ocean of quality of our citizens' life,'' Taliya Minullina figuratively replied him.
However, if the scale of the very DIY hypermarket isn't an ocean, it's quite a big sea. The total area of the shop is 11,000 square metres. There are 32,000 names of goods, 190 working places. As Guffroy noticed later in a talk with official guests of the hypermarket, Castorama planned to move further. The chain will have a new IT system, which will enable to make online shopping reach another level, about in a year.
Opening of the fourth Megastroy scheduled for the middle of April but not confirmed yet
As Realnoe Vremya's sources found out, it was planned to open the fourth shop of Megastroy chain in Kazan on 113, Gorky Highway, at the crossing with Mozhaysky Street, which belongs to Agava PLC, on 27 April. The vacancy of café administrator was posted on Avito classified advertisements site on 29 March 2018 where the middle of April was mentioned as the time when the hypermarket opened. However, Agava refused to comment further plans and didn't confirm the opening day of new Megastroy was on 27 April.
Agava announced the construction of the hypermarket on Gorky Highway as early as 2014, but the construction began only in 2017. The total area will be more than 18,000 square metres, while the shopping area will be over 12,000. Parking is designed for 937 lots. Realnoe Vremya's experts agree that Agava chose a very good location for the new hypermarket.
''The southern part of the city is already full of such facilities. This is why the place for the next shop on the way out of the city. Well done,'' think Director General of Kolorit Group of Companies Ayrat Gainullin.
''Gorky Highway is convenient because it's from where people go to Zelenodolsk, Staroye and Novoye Arakchino, Zaimishche, Innopolis, Salavat Kupere,'' Director General of A-Development consulting company in commercial realty Murat Akhmerov commented.
''People won't have more money due to the number of shops. The current flow is redistributed''
The opening of Castorama within walking distance from Mega shopping centre with OBI home improvement hypermarket will considerably complicate the structure of the Kazan DIY market. But can we say the market is too full? Will there be a fall after the record rise in trading areas? Our experts have different opinions about this.
In Ayrat Gaynillin's opinion, Kazan approaches this scenario, though not fast: ''There is an approach that one hypermarket is designed for 200,000 people, and it's enough. To approximate, now Kazan has 1 million 400,000 citizens. There are already two Leroy Merlins, one OBI, fourth Megastroy opens, plus, Castorama, and there is Maksidom, which is a bit different from these shops but also offers goods for the home. And I think total revenue won't increase due to the number of open hypermarkets because the market isn't infinite. People won't have more money due to the number of shops. The current flow is redistributed. Those who occupy the best places have more opportunities.''
Murat Akhmerov compared the modern-day state of the Kazan DIY market with what other segments have already gone through: ''Do you remember how the cell phone market looked in the past? There was a shop at every turn, then they closed. Banks aren't located at every turn any more. Cyclic fluctuations will affect the DIY market too. There will be oversupply because a home improvement is usually done once in 10 years. And many developers offer equipped flats.''
Artyom Andreychenko, head of the DIY sector in the Industrial Goods Research Department at GfK Rus, doesn't agree with the opinion of the director general of A-Development: ''A home improvement and finish of bought flats stimulate consumption of DIY goods.'' In addition, ''my home'' where consumers invest time, efforts and money to improve their home is one of the main trends in the 2017-2018 in Russia as well as around the world. For a modern urban consumer, the home becomes refuge and a serene harbour where he can rest from stress and high life paces. It is said it's impossible to finish a home improvement, one can just stop it. So we hope the DIY market won't fall with the stable economic development because the number of deals on the property market still continues recovering, what more humane mortgage rates help.''
The smaller city, the more electric instruments needed
The representative of GfK provided interesting data on separate groups of goods. For instance, according to GfK, the market of paint coatings in urban Russia grew by 5% in the first quarter 2018 in physical terms, in comparison with the first quarter 2017. The growth of the demand for water-based paints whose share exceeds 50% goes on. Consumers choose more expensive and quality paint coverings more often and prefer popular brands, while demand for chains' own brand falls.
As for sale of electric instruments, according to GfK, turnover of electric instrument market grew in the first quarter 2018 mainly due to a rise in an average price, while demand in items reduced. As usually, sales of drills and hammer drills supported the market's turnover. The growth of electric instrument market (and the whole DIY sector, in general) depended on purchasers in cities with a population of less than one million people. For instance, sales of electric instruments in these cities increased two times faster than in cities with a population of more than one million people.
Online sales grew almost three times faster than in traditional retailing. But an average price on the Internet reduces unlike the tendency of offline shops.
The trend of transition to more advanced models continues in 2018. The professional segment of electric instruments showed a considerable growth. This tendency is mainly noticeable in drills, hammer drills and construction dryers where the growth exceeded 40% in comparison with the previous year. Users switch to more advanced professional battery-powered instruments despite the growth price for not cheap instruments,'' told Artyom Andreychenko to Realnoe Vremya.
Local producers should enter not only big chains but also Amazon and Alibaba
The topic of participation of local Tatarstan manufacturers was raised in official and unofficial speeches at the opening of Castorama hypermarket in Kazan. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Denis Valeyev told Realnoe Vremya what the country did to help Tatarstan producers:
''Seeing the assortment, a professional can always offer his product. The most important thing is to meet complicated quality, price and volume requirements because the work with Castorama chain, for instance, is a major responsibility because you need to provide a big volume of a product in your warehouse for its uninterrupted supply to the chain. On the other hand, all big trading chains come here and are obliged to carefully consider offers of local suppliers.''
The country has several tools that help producers. The Tatarstan Ministry of Economy has scholarships for small and medium-sized business. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan also coordinates cooperation with international and Russian trading chains and works to inform our producers about their opportunities. For instance, there was to be a free seminar in the Chamber of Trade and Industry on 26 April where Moscow lecturers would tell how to sell goods to the USA and China on Amazon and Alibaba. It's absolutely real for Tatarstan producers. I will say more, it's our Kazan programmers designed Amazon Scout. Any producer can check out the name of his good and understand how popular his product is in the USA market with its help.


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Honda cars India announced their line-up for the 12th Auto Expo 2014. In 2012 Honda Cars participated but not actively due the devastating floods in Thailand. 2013 has been a good year for Honda and expects to carry the same momentum in 2014.
Honda Motors will globally unveil a new creative model, the Honda Vision XS-1 for the first time. The Vision XS-1 is a study model of a new crossover model which features sporty styling and outstanding utility space based on Honda’s unique packaging technologies. We can expect the new model to be based on the Brio platform and will be made In India to be sold as a compact SUV.
The Indian arm Honda Cars India will showcase a wide range of exhibits including cutting edge technologies and products such as the NSX Concept the Accord Hybrid, India bound Mobilio MPV, the all-new 3rd generation Jazz which is scheduled to be introduced in India in future and the production models such all-new City, and the Amaze.
Major highlights of the 2014 Auto Expo
World Premier of the Creative Study Model: Honda Vision XS-1
National Premier of the Mobilio MPV & Jazz hatch
Exhibition Models: NSX Concept, Accord Hybrid (we could expect this to make it take on the Camry Hybrid in India)
Production Models: City, Brio, Amaze, CR-V


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Featured In the August 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
Green barely begins to describe the scenery in the Dolomite mountains of Italy in summertime. It is achingly beautiful mountainsides, lush with grass and tall evergreen trees, and vast swaths of verdant landscape bisected by ski lift cables that run everywhere.
In the winter, when all of this is buried under a thick, white blanket of snow, skiers from around the world converge here, testing themselves against the slopes that have produced World Champions and immersing themselves in the skiing community and lifestyle.
Even in the summer, the air is crisp, and it has even more than the smell of the trees and pastures. It has a taste that can be described only as clean.
It seemed appropriate for Energica, perhaps the world’s most well-known fully electric motorcycle manufacturer, to invite journalists from around the world to this beautiful place to introduce its latest offering…
—Energica’s Big Bet, by Michael Gougis
Energica has taken the lessons learned in GP-level racing and applied them to its newest machine—the Experia Green Tourer. See what one of the world’s leading electric motorcycle manufacturers has done to push the boundaries of electric motorcycling in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
PREVIEW the August 2022 Issue of Roadracing World!
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.
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AirPort Express has generated a lot of excitement in the computing world, on both the Mac and PC sides of the fence. Anecdotal evidence making its way into TMO suggests that many have already ordered the device, which is due to arrive on shelves in July.
Those looking for more in-depth information or specifications beyond what Apple provides may want to read the "In Depth Preview" posted by Notebook Review. In the article, AirPort Express is literally dissected and otherwise examined closely, including such things as the instruction manual and other aspects of the device. From the article:
The Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes will be available starting in July. However, we have detailed pictures, specifications and setup instructions for the AirPort Express so you can be prepared for when this product finally arrives!
The preview includes photos and pictures, and is a good read for those who just canit wait. So, stop by Notebook Review for the full article.


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American Express Global Business Travel today announced Doug Anderson joins the company as chief executive, effective immediately.
Anderson was replaced as president of Carlson Wagonlit Travel earlier this year by Travelport veteran Kurt Ekert.
With more than 30 years of global management experience, he takes the helm of GBT to accelerate the organisation’s strong growth trajectory.
“Now more than ever, GBT is an innovator in travel management and a company that is forging the way towards a new definition of business travel,” said Anderson.
“With new technology offerings and the opportunity to continue to expand GBT’s footprint, the company is on a clear path towards unparalleled success.
“I am honoured to lead the organisation on this journey as we transform business travel.”
Spun from American Express just over two years ago, GBT has sought to leverag a customer-centric approach while making new investments in technology, insights, and product.
“Over the past two years, we have assembled an unparalleled team of top industry talent, and Doug is the right leader to continue the great momentum we’ve seen with GBT to date,” said Greg O’Hara, chairman, American Express Global Business Travel.
“We are a proven, winning team backed by substantial investment, with a focus on the future.
O’Hara continued: “These investments are paying off and the industry is taking notice by rewarding us with new business.
“In many ways, we’re just getting started.
“Having a well-respected travel industry leader like Doug as chief executive to drive the operations of our business, will help us continue to accelerate this pace.
“Doug’s business travel knowledge and his ability to lead strong, successful companies that deliver exceptional value to their customers make him the ideal person to continue GBT’s growth now and in the future.”


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General Motors will grow its dealer networks in Indonesia and Thailand to tap rising incomes in the two countries.
The company said it would increase its dealer count in Thailand from 91 to 120 by the end of next year while the Indonesian network will grow from 35 to 55.
Martin Apfel, who heads up GM’s Southeast Asia operations, said Myanmar [once Burma] also holds great prospects and opportunity as it opens up to foreign investment.
Carmakers are looking at further expansion in southeast Asia as incomes rise with economic growth. Indonesia is the most populous country in the region with a population of 246m.
Its gross domestic product is expected to expand by 6.3%-6.7% next year while Thailand’s GDP growth, with 66.7m people, will reach 4.6%.


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BBC has announced that it will release a version of its iPlayer that will allow content to be downloaded for the fairer platform by the end of the year.
"I hope this good news is evidence of the hard work that the BBC is committing to supporting other platforms," said BBC director general Mark Thompson. "Were we to choose to not develop any systems or services until they could be received by every single individual licence-fee payer, our capacity for development and innovation—in the interest of serving those who fund our services—would be severely limited."
In mid-December of last year, BBC began offering a highly-limited, web-only playback version of iPlayer for Mac users.
Editor's note: Clearly, announcing iPlayer with downloading nearly a year before it is to launch is an attempt to staunch criticism. That said, I've already filed a complaint with the broadcaster.
If enough of us make a stink, perhaps they'll move with a little more alacrity...
What's your take?
- New Steve Jobs book announced
- Apple promotes iPhone 6 photo gallery
- Tim Cook talks up customer privacy
- iPhone design and battery life
- Apple event scheduled for March 9th
- Pebble announces follow-up Time watch
- Report: Apple retooling in-store genius bar appointments
- YouTube launches family-friendly app for kids
- Apple announces two new data centers in Europe
- New Apple ad features Martin Scorsese and iPads
- Podcast: Apple Car and iPhone 6 to 6+ upgrade?
- Office Suite for iOS adds iCloud storage
- Modern Family episode shot on iPhones, iPads, MacBook
- Dropbox adds new iOS 8 extension
- New Yorker profile highlights Ive's leadership
- Apple Car rumor hits the right checkboxes
- Two-factor verification now active on iMessage and FaceTime
- Gassée on Apple redefining what's possible
- Apple looks to power California footprint with 25-year solar deal
- Apple uses store shelves to control iPhone designs leaks
- Podcast: Super Bowl, Apple Photos, New Verizon Rates, Plane Crash App
- New Photos app available in pre-release of OS X 10.10.3
- Report: Apple pitching new plan to TV industry
- Latest Verizon promo trims pricing on some plans
- Report: Jobs bio movie expected October 9th
Browse and search for more articles


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Homecrest Outdoor Living is extremely pleased to announce that Piereth Sales Associates has joined the Homecrest sales team.
Homecrest Outdoor Living has proudly awarded David Beil as its 2017 "Sales Representative of the Year." Beil received the award in September.
For 2018, we have expanded our fire table offerings, added two new collections, Allure and Sutton, two new double layer sling collections, Harbor and Stella, and a new top finish. These are just the beginning of our growing table offerings for 2018!


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- Signature Travel Network mulls future growth in Australia
- Testing is over: Virgin Galactic readies for commercial operations
- Mandarin Oriental eyes new markets for private homes
- Virtuoso reports soaring demand, and cost, of luxury travel
- Meet & Greet Italy to launch first Sicily rail tour
- Mexico’s AZULIK to operate new resort in AlUla
- Ponant’s 14th vessel will be a sailing ship, Gastinel confirms
- TravelManagers ‘outperforming’ Signature’s expectations, says CEO
- Virtuoso embraces fast-moving tech, social and economic shifts
- Virtuoso Symposium 2023 gets underway
Go back to the e-newsletter In conjunction with its Agent Reward Program, Passport-to-Rewards, Globus family of brands has developed a new Travel Consultant Accreditation Program: Friends of the Family. Designed to assist agents accelerate their knowledge and expertise across all Globus family of brands products (Globus, Cosmos, Monograms and…Read More...
Visit USA Travel Agent Expo 2015
Go back to the e-newsletter > The final Visit USA Travel Agent Expo of the year will be held in Canberra next month. ACT agents will have the opportunity to…Read More...
Aussie agents discover enchanting PNG
A group of Australian PNG Specialist travel agents has recently returned from an enthralling famil to Papua New Guinea, taking in Port Moresby and Tufi, in…Read More...
Vanuatu bounces back: Agents invited to see for themselves
In the wake of Cyclone Pam, Australian travel agents are being offered significantly discounted rates at properties around Vanuatu along with agent fares from Air Vanuatu as part of a self-famil initiative to drive industry visits, which are integral to the next phase of the destination’s tourism recovery. Select hotels are offering bonafide…Read More...
Enchantment Group enters the Caribbean
Enchantment Group has announced that it has acquired The Cove, a luxury beachfront resort on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, purchasing it from New…Read More...


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NBA All-Star Weekend boosts Autotrader's new siteFeb. 20, 2018
Autotrader took advantage of its long-standing NBA sponsorship to promote its redesigned website and set a record in online traffic during All-Star Weekend.
Autotrader revamps to prepare for digital retailingJan. 29, 2018
The Autotrader shopping site is changing so that it can shepherd consumers through much of a deal online and save them time when they connect with dealers.
Cox Automotive spreads its racing betsMay 22
Racing is a huge part of the marketing strategy across Cox Automotive's media brands, which include Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader. Here's why.
Autotrader zips into campaign with 'Cars 3'May 8
Shopping site Autotrader launched a tie-in campaign with the animated Disney-Pixar film "Cars 3." The 30-second ad highlights Autotrader's search tool.


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The crisis in Nicaragua since April 18 has left at least 70,000 people unemployed in the tourism industry, a source in the sector said today.
“Some 70,000 jobs have been lost, more than half of what the tourism industry generates,” said the president of the National Chamber of Tourism of Nicaragua (Canatur), Lucy Valenti.
The executive said that the tourism sector annually generates about 120,000 jobs, however, due to the current crisis in this country companies, including hotels, restaurants and tour operators, have had to do personnel reduction.
She also said that, to the end of June, the closures accounted for 80% of small hotels and that, in the case of Managua, where the majority of hotels in the country operate, the occupation has dropped between 12 to 14%, when the average annual has been 67%.
In the case of restaurants, of 2,500 that are registered in Canatur, close to 800 have closed, that is, 32%.
“The tourism industry has been hit hard,” Valenti summarized.
For the Central Bank, the tourism sector will experience a loss of US$231 million dollars, with the expectation that this loss will be cumulative, that is, that it will remain for a long time, since the tourist is the one that is most difficult to mobilize and to be able to guarantee that it arrives in the country, according to Central Bank president, Ovidio Reyes.
The Government had estimated to capture US$924 million dollars in tourism revenues in 2018, however, as a result of the crisis that indicator has fallen to US$693 million.
International tourism left Nicaragua with revenues of US$700 million dollars in 2017, 9% more than in 2016, according to official figures.
Nicaragua is going through the bloodiest crisis since the 1980s, also with Daniel Ortega as president, and that has left between 317 and 448 dead, according to several humanitarian agencies. Meanwhile, Ortega himself told the international press on Monday, July 30, the number of deaths to be 195.


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The most controversial coffee shop in the US, the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Main, has reopened in a 12 by 60 foot trailer. The coffee shop’s original structure, owned by Don Crabtree, was a victim of arsenein June of this year. It is suspected that the fire was set as a protest to the toples alternative to the traditional coffee shop model in the US.
Crabtree intends to build a new building, moving the coffee shop from the trailer, as soon as he can raise the money to do so. Unfortunately, the debris from the original fire is still on the property and the towns people did not want Crabtree to reopen the shop until the debris was removed from the property. “Some people just don’t like it they think it should be cleaned before it opens. I can’t clean that up without the doors being open,” Crabtree said. He feels that he and his employees are victims of harassment.


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iiNet in pictures
News about iiNet
M2 Group has confirmed it has submitted a rival bid for iiNet, following TPG's $1.4 billion all-cash takeover proposal it signed with the company in March.
A record number of NSW premises will soon have their copper telephone lines disconnected as part of the compulsory transition to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
NBN Co has officially launched its Fibre-to-the-Building product and is in the process of rolling the technology out to 6,000 premises.
Western Australian integrator, Cirrus Networks, has landed three major contracts worth more than $4.6 million as part of a strategy to move away from the mining and gas industries.
There’s nothing more reassuring to telco service providers than having a low record of service complaints. And according to the Australian Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), that’s what’s happening.
ASX-listed TPG Telecom has flexed it financial muscle after revealing a net profit after tax increase of 18 per cent to $106.7 million and EBITDA increase 43 per cent to $236.2 million for its first half of 2015 financial year, ending January 31.
As part of the opening of the annual Cisco Live! event, Telstra and Dimension Data have run out as the key winners, picking up four Cisco A/NZ Partner Insight Awards each.
Australian email provider Atmail has partnered with global spam monitoring and spam blocking service, Spamhaus, to protect customers.
- How the Internet of Things is reshaping the future of security
- Aussie banks targeted by botnets: Report
- Week in review: RSA conference wrap; Brandis wants private-public security alliance
- eBay’s Magento pushes patch after credit card threat
- Mobile users 'more likely to be struck by lightning' than infected by malware
- Former Facebook, Kenshoo exec joins Amobee as local MD
- Why it's time to bring mindfulness into marketing leadership
- Free Windows 10 is not an upgrade ... it's marketing
- Project Fi will help Google amass even more data
- Microsoft's retail store a step forward in building immersive lifestyle experience, says brand expert
- Project delays set to impact Hills financial results
- Women still reluctant to take a career leap
- Violin names former Netapp exec as new chief marketing officer
- VentureCrowd launches Australia’s largest crowd funding investment
- More News
- 27 Apr
- 27 Apr
- 28 Apr
- ESET Launch: Perth
- 28 Apr
- Modern Customer Service Summit
- View all events


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tech2 News StaffJan 30, 2019 15:42:13 IST
For some time now the boundaries of internal storage on a phone has been constantly breached by manufacturers such as OnePlus, Samsung, Apple and more. Last year we saw a couple of phones which sported a massive 512 GB of internal storage. Now Samsung has announced that it’ll start offering the world’s first 1 TB eUFS (embedded Universal Flash Storage) option for smartphone OEMs.
As per Samsung, this 1 TB UFS storage will be in the same form factor as was the 512 GB variant of the Note 9. The UFS storage is said to have read speeds of 1,000 megabytes a second which, according to Samsung is nearly 10 times faster than on a normal micro-SD card.
Rumours have it that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 will quite likely have a variant which will have at least 1 TB of internal storage. Will this be the first device to show off Samsung's new eUFS 1 TB storage? We will know soon, but it can be said that with 512 GB storage variants being introduced last year, we are bound to see a lot of 1 TB storage variants as well.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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Usain Bolt has launched his own brand of Champagne with a Jamaican twist. The former sprinting icon admitted his race to kick-off a professional football career was over and want to focus on business.
The eight-time Olympic champion has been fast off the blocks in his bid to get the monies flowing as a businessman by introducing his own unique blend of Champagne with sponsor G.H. Mumm.
At Thursday night’s press conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Bolt launched his tipple that has been blended in Cognac brandy barrels, which he claims is to capture the taste of the popular Jamaican mix of Champagne and Cognac.
The Jamaican icon, who returns as one of the hosts for the Sun Met – referred to as Africa’s richest race day – at the Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town on Saturday (Jan 26), will join South African co-hosts Minnie Dlamini-Jones (actress, model and on-air personality) and Somizi Mhlongo (choreographer and TV personality).
The Sun Met is Africa’s premium world-class horse racing event, which boasts equestrian-inspired elegance and opulence. So Bolt’s brand of Champagne fits in perfectly and will be available at the Sun Met.
He proudly described his Jamaica-style Champagne as a reflection of his penchant for “partying and celebrating”, and will probably soon feature in his Track & Records restaurant in London.
PICTURES FROM THE EVENT


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Zelda: Breath of the Wild – new art in celebration of New Year’s
Nintendo has once again shared a new piece of Zelda: Breath of the Wild art in celebration of a holiday. This time, the image shown above is for New Year’s.
Rumor: Grant Kirkhope is the composer for Mario and Rabbids crossover RPG
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Switch | 19 Comments
One of the more interesting – if not outright bizarre – Switch rumors concerns a collaboration between Nintendo and Ubisoft. The two sides are said to be working on a crossover between Mario and Rabbids. Ubisoft is apparently handling much of the development while Nintendo is overseeing it all in great detail.
Switch rumormonger Laura Kate Dale has now shared another noteworthy tidbit about the Mario and Rabbids crossover. If her information is correct, Grant Kirkhope is acting as the game’s composer. That comes from two of Dale’s sources. She says it’s “not a prediction”.
Kirkhope is one of the most well-known composers in the industry. Having started out at Rare, he worked on Banjo-Kazooie and more. Kirkhope is also lending his talents to Yooka-Laylee. That may not be the only 2017 title his music will be featured in assuming today’s rumor is spot on.
Switch ads spotted at GameStop
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 22 Comments
Earlier today, we heard that Switch ads were starting to appear in Australian stores. Over in the United States, it looks like GameStop is gearing up for the console as well.
One GameStop location is showing Switch posters both inside and by the store’s entrance. One ad can be seen right by the Wii U section.
We’ll likely continue to see that more GameStops will be adding Switch promotions over the next few days.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Guardians concept art
Nintendo is back with another piece of concept art from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Today’s image focuses on the game’s Guardians, a type of enemy in the game. See the concept art above.
Switch ads starting to pop up in Australian stores
Posted on 7 years ago by Matt(@OnePunchMaz) in News, Switch | 18 Comments
As of today, we’re only two weeks away from the big Switch presentation in January. Following the console’s full reveal, it is expected that Nintendo will start heavily advertising the system, and many stores will likely start accepting preorders for the Switch. It seems like Australia already got a head start – official Switch adverts have started to appear in JB Hi-Fi stores across the country, though they only appear to be using images from the Switch teaser trailer. Nintendo will likely send out new and updated adverts, banners etc. to be displayed after the January event.
Dragon Quest XI features camping, crafting, dragon riding
A few new Dragon Quest XI details have emerged from NHK’s Dragon Quest 30th anniversary special program.
First, camping is in the game. One image shown from the PlayStation 4 version is of a “Camp Menu”. Here players can rest (heals HP and MP), do “mysterious smithing,” pray to the statue of the goddess, and patrol the area.
On another screen which asks the player what they want to create, the following options are shown:
Copper Sword (Seidou no Tsurugi)
Iron Sword (Tetsu no Tsurugi)
Silver Rapier (Zan no Rapier)
Magic Swordsman Rapier (Makenshi no Rapier)
Fire Sword (Honoo no Tsurugi)
Metal Slime Sword (Metasura no Tsurugi)
Miracle Sword Modified (Kiseki no Tsurugi Kai)
Hayabusa Sword Modified (Hayabusa no Tsurugi Kai)
As Gematsu points out, each item in the smithing menu has a list of required items to create that item, a description, and difficulty level.
NHK’s program also showed that players will be able to ride dragons in Dragon Quest XI.
Latest Switch rumors cover voice chat, battery and charging, Virtual Console, more
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Switch | 91 Comments
After spilling the beans on Ubisoft’s apparent plans to bring the next Assassin’s Creed to Switch earlier this week, YouTube user OBE1plays spoke with reliable leaker Laura Kate Dale during a stream yesterday. Dale was more than willing to answer questions about the system. Here’s a roundup of information shared, as collected by Nintendo Life:
New Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot (12/28/16)
Nintendo has once again released a new screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Take a look at the latest image above.
Rumor: Next Assassin’s Creed planned for Switch, releasing alongside other versions
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Rumors, Switch | 22 Comments
Ubisoft is confirmed to be bringing Just Dance 2017 to Switch, but we can expect more of the company’s games on Nintendo’s new console. One rumored project is a crossover between Mario and Rabbids. Allegedly, the next Assassin’s Creed entry is targeted for Switch as well.
YouTuber OBE1plays made the first mention of the claim, and also mentioned that the game will launch on Switch alongside the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions. Laura Kate Dale, who has been quite accurate with rumors about Switch, has heard similar things.
Ubisoft making the next Assassin’s Creed for Switch wouldn’t be entirely surprising. Assassin’s Creed III was ready for Wii U’s launch, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag also ended up on the system.
Switch should support Bluetooth and 5Ghz Wi-Fi, no 3G or LTE
Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 34 Comments
Switch’s FCC filing officially went live this week. From the various documents, one tidbit discovered is that the unit likely has a non-removable battery. A couple of other details have now been picked out as well.
Based off of the filing, Switch will support Bluetooth in some fashion as well as 5Ghz Wi-Fi. 3G and LTE do not appear to be included, however.
That seems to be pretty much it… other than the fact that Switch was tested and confirmed to work in temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) to 35 degrees C (95 degrees F).


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Free Batman DLC coming soon
Free DLC will be available to coincide with the release of the PC version of the game
The news that Rocksteady is ready to release downloadable content for its popular superhero adventure Batman: Arkham Asylum is not a surprise, but the fact that it will be free on consoles certainly is.
An in-game scrolling news ticker says that free DLC is headed to the game in nine days, or on September 17. No other details on the content are available yet, but an Eidos mod confirmed that it will hit all platforms (PC, 360, PS3) simultaneously.
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