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Hawaii book publisher adapts to digital age
- Chad Blair
- Pacific Business News
“Peppo’s Pidgin to the Max” has been Bess Press’s best-seller for the nearly three decades it has been in print.
The local classic ($10.95) on Hawaiian Creole English by authors Ken Sakata and Pat Sasaki and illustrator Douglass Simonson has spawned several sequels and knockoffs. Bess Press also sells word-a-day calendars and refrigerator word-magnet versions (“magnets fo’ da icebox”), both $9.95.
David DeLuca, Bess Press’s director, said www.besspress.com may soon offer a “Pidgin to the Max” audio pronunciation feature as well to spur online sales.
Can an animated Pidgin smart-phone “app” be far off?
“We intend to use the Web page as a store window,” said DeLuca, who started at Bess Press less than four years ago as a receptionist and helping out in the warehouse. “It will include video profiles of some of our authors and other interactive features. The Web allows a more intimate experience to get to know us as a publisher.”
The Web also is the portal for developing digital content that can be read on electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s nook, Sony’s Reader, and a soon-to-be-revealed device from Apple.
“David and I were just in Frankfurt for the annual book mart, and the buzz was about e-books,” said publisher Benjamin “Buddy” Bess. “Keep in mind that publishing is a $600 billion industry and e-books are only between $70 million and $90 million. But it’s the future of publishing, and we don’t want to just give content away.”
Bess Press has had a successful run in the local book-publishing business since 1979.
With a catalog heavy on Hawaiiana — Spam and pupu cookbooks, ghost stories and legends, surfers and musicians, children’s and coloring books — it has enjoyed gross annual sales of between $1 million and $2 million since 2003.
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Aims to encourage legitimate use of online content
piracy - News, Features, and Slideshows
- TV companies ditch effort to sabotage set-top box
- Court backs Netflix effort to stamp-out illicit Stranger Things streaming
piracy in pictures
A group of entertainment companies including Netflix’s production arm, Netflix Studios, has successfully obtained a court injunction directing Telstra, Optus, Vocus, TPG and Vodafone to block their broadband customers from accessing almost 100 sites.
A coalition of three international distributors of TV shows has, at least for now, ditched its efforts to block online services used by the Reelplay set-top box.
A suggestion by Foxtel that its latest application for an anti-piracy injunction be heard ‘on the papers’ has been rejected by a Federal Court judge. Instead a hearing of the application, which if granted will block access to a number of web proxy services, has been scheduled for late August.
Five web proxy services are among a collection of sites that pay TV company Foxtel wants Australia’s major ISPs to block.
A Federal Court judge has rejected the arguments of a website that links to online copies of Greek language movies and TV shows that it should be spared from a site-blocking injunction sought by major movie studios.
You might not realize it, but two out of every 10 of your co-workers might be using pirated software, according to industry statistics. You might be, too, for that matter, particularly if you work in manufacturing or at a small or midsize company with 100 to 500 PCs. You just might not know it.

domain: news


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Almost eight in ten motorists would consider buying an electric car, an RAA survey has revealed.
While the survey showed only 25 per cent of respondents had ever driven an Electric Vehicle (EV), an overwhelming 78 per cent said they would consider purchasing one, the survey of 550 drivers found.
RAA spokeswoman Kerry Bowles said she wasn’t shocked at the show of support for EVs as a future purchase option for motorists.
“These vehicles are at the forefront of discussions being had around reducing greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s no surprise motorists are weighing them up,’’ she said.
“Governments around the world are also setting deadlines for the sale of new fossil fuelled vehicles in coming years, and with more EV models being produced it’s no wonder drivers are considering their buying options going forward.’’
Ms Bowles said EV sales were already on the increase, prompting RAA to this week launch a range of EV fast charging outlets for households as part of its solar and battery services.
“Home EV chargers can be almost 10 times more powerful for energising EVs than regular wall outlets,’’ she said.
“By having a Home EV charger – valued from $1550 and installation $800 – plugged in each evening, you’ll be ready to go with a full charge in the morning. This helps overcome range anxiety, a key factor discouraging many motorists from switching to EVs.
“And if you have solar panels and are plugged in during daylight you could potentially be refuelling for free.’’
Ms Bowles said RAA recognised that EVs were the future of motoring across the globe, in what will be the single biggest transformation of the motoring industry.
“For long-lasting and widespread adoption of renewable energy, everyone from governments to individuals and corporations has a role to play – including RAA,’’ she said.
“That’s why RAA has added EVs to our fleet, established an Electric Vehicle Working Group to engage stakeholders and invested in EV charging outlets across the state.’’
As part of its commitment to innovation, RAA today is also launching a partnership with Stone & Chalk, operator of the Start Up Hub at Lot Fourteen, Ms Bowles said.
“Stone & Chalk is an important player in our state’s innovation environment, and RAA is looking forward to working together to address the key sustainability and mobility challenges affecting our members and the broader community,’’ she said.
Stone & Chalk General Manager for Adelaide Chris Kirk said the partnership with RAA was an opportunity to help shape the future of mobility and energy delivery in Australia.
“RAA will be working hand-in-hand with South Australian innovators at Lot Fourteen to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges,’’ he said.
“We are particularly excited about the opportunities that come from bringing a member based organisation like RAA together with leading South Australian innovators – the opportunity to drive electric vehicle adoption and re-imagine what mobility looks like in the future is just one area where we see significant potential.’’


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Since September, the number of users has doubled.
Recently launched Microsoft Flight Simulator Already has more than 2 million players.
According to Microsoft Flight Simulator Jorg Neumann (Jorg Neumann), he flew this milestone on Xbox Wire faster than any other entry in the series so far. If this is not enough, Microsoft Flight Simulator will launch the largest PC game ever in Xbox Game Pass.
“As we have said time and time again, the 2020 launch is just the beginning of our journey with Microsoft Flight Simulator,” Neumann wrote.
“We are happy to bring this momentum into 2021-we will launch on Xbox Series X|S in the summer, we plan to make three major updates to the simulation, and will update the world four to five times with other world updates. (And some other surprises we planned).”
Microsoft Flight Simulator was launched in August this year. In our review, we said that it is “very suitable for experienced pilots and beginners alike.” By early September, the game had attracted more than one million players.
In the Game Awards last week, Microsoft revealed that the game will be released on Xbox Series X/S in the summer of 2021.
Data company Jon Peddie Research stated before the release that Microsoft Flight Simulator will result in a $2.6 billion spent on PC hardware and various peripherals. Interestingly, this is based on the prediction that 2.27 million games will be sold within three years after launch. It is safe to say that Microsoft Flight Simulator is likely to achieve this sales milestone in a short period of time.


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P&G, Larry the Cable Guy sending three tailgate winners to the Super Bowl
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble and comedian Larry the Cable Guy on Wednesday awarded a pair of Super Bowl tickets to three winners of the Prilosec OTC "A Better Way to Tailgate" challenge.
Participants submitted photos showcasing creative tailgate set-ups and food spreads, along with a recipe to accompany their “food spread” entry, to TailgateFan.com/contest.
“These top three showed that they can go beyond wimpy cans of onion dip and frilly toothpicks,” Larry the Cable Guy said. “After drooling over their food and checking out their set ups, Prilosec OTC and I knew that they had prevailed over the others in our football fiesta face-off.”
NPA to host legislative day
WASHINGTON — The Natural Products Association last week announced it will host its 15th Annual Natural Products Day to help educate policy-makers on the value of dietary supplements here on March 27.
The day begins with an issue briefing and advocacy training so attendees learn how they can participate in the policy-making process and advocate for their interests. Afterwards, pre-arranged meetings at congressional offices offer the chance to talk to senators, representatives and their staffs about key legislation and regulatory activities.
There is no charge to attend the event.
Specifically, NPA will be working to educate members of Congress about the potential impact of the draft new drug ingredients guidance. NPA has called for a substantial rewrite of the draft guidance that is consistent with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.
In addition, NPA encourages congressional support for the Family and Retirement Health Investment Act, which would allow Health and Flexible Spending Account dollars to be used for supplements and meal replacement products. NPA opposes the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act, which would add unnecessary regulations on supplements that could limit their availability to consumers.
“It’s especially important this year to educate the public and Congress about the implications of the draft NDI guidance and proposed legislation. Attending Natural Products Day is a great way to make sure that policy-makers hear our strong, united voice,” stated NPA president Jeff Wright. “We are seeing growing concern in Congress about potential overreach by federal regulators, including the FDA. This is the time for us to seek more support for our industry.”
For every $1 spent on OTCs, the healthcare system saves up to $7
WASHINGTON — For every dollar spent on over-the-counter medicines, the U.S. healthcare system realizes a savings of between $6 and $7, or $102 billion all told, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association announced Tuesday with the release of this new study, "The Value of OTC Medicine to the United States."
"This study is the first of its kind to assign a dollar value that captures how our entire healthcare system relies on OTC medicines for affordable healthcare," stated Scott Melville, CHPA president and CEO. "When you consider that every dollar spent on an OTC medicine saves our system $6 to $7 in avoided cost, it is paramount that our policy-makers do all they can to encourage consumer access to OTC medicines for self-treatable conditions."
Melville added that the study findings underscore the importance of reversing a provision in the 2010 Affordable Care Act that prohibits consumers from using their flexible spending arrangements to purchase OTC medicines without first getting a prescription. At the time this provision was enacted Jan. 1, 2011, an estimated 19 million working American families purchased OTC medicines.
According to the study, an estimated 240 million people rely on OTC medicines for symptomatic relief of the seven most common self-treatable conditions. The study evaluated how consumers would treat these seven conditions if they did not have access to OTC medicines. The total value equates to the total direct savings from avoided clinical visits and diagnostic testing ($77 billion) and use of less costly OTC medicines, rather than more costly prescriptions ($25 billion).
The study also found that by keeping the American workforce healthy and at work, OTC medicines offer $23 billion in potential additional productivity benefits from avoided doctor’s office visits and time not having to be away from work for medical appointments. Americans would make an additional 450 million doctor visits annually, which equates to 56,000 medical practitioners working full time, if they did not have access to OTC medicines and instead saw a physician to get a prescription.
"Over-the-counter medicines are people’s first line of defense. It’s their home health care; it’s what they turn to in order to take care of themselves and their families," said Jane Delgado, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "The availability of safe and effective OTC medicines empowers patients to take a more active role in their personal healthcare management. Access to safe and affordable OTC medicines is key to accomplishing that goal."
Booz & Co. surveyed 3,200 consumers for the study, which is the first to measure the aggregate cost savings of OTC medicines as used for those seven most common self-treatable conditions in the United States, CHPA noted.
For the full study, click here.


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Asia markets were pressured after U.S. markets sold off on uncertainty over the Trump administration's ability to follow through on policy.
Asian shares closed mixed as a rally in the dollar was halted on U.S. political turbulence while markets digested Fed minutes.
Beijing-based telecom China Unicom will raise $11.7 billion from 14 sources that include a mix of state and private firms.
Fourteen sources, including Tencent, Baidu and CRRC, are investing in China Unicom. CNBC's Sophia Yan reports.
Most Asian shares closed higher on Wednesday as investors digested earnings releases from regional corporates and resurgence in the dollar.
Apple pulled several VPN apps from its App Store in China, which it said did not meet new regulation requirements.
Investors are closely watching China Unicom for what potential strategic investments could say about the future of the Chinese economy.
China's government is tightening its reins on internet control by baring the usage of VPN, says report.
Chinese tech giants Alibaba Group Holdings and Tencent Holdings will be among new investors pouring a total of around $10 billion into mobile carrier China Unicom.
Market fundamentals for telcos are looking better this year than in the past two years, says Sanford C. Bernstein senior research analyst, Chris Lane.
The chairman of China Telecom is being investigated for alleged disciplinary violation, the ruling Communist Party's anti-corruption watchdog said.
The "Fast Money" traders give their final trades of the day.
Chris Lane, senior research analyst at Bernstein Research, explains why China Unicom could see a "sharp slowdown in" its mobile service revenue in the final quarter of 2014.
China Mobile's quarterly revenue fell year-on-year for the first time as it struggles in the face of rising competition from popular messaging apps.
Consumers in China will not be able to buy the new iPhone 6 as part of the first wave of buyers around the world this month.
Despite having about one-fifth the worldwide total of Internet users, China is notoriously tough for U.S. venture capital firms.
China has overtaken Europe by building hundreds of thousands of masts to carry superfast 4G mobile signals. The FT reports.
China's domestic 4G smartphone market is set for 1,500 percent growth in shipments this year, according to IHS Technology.
China Mobile finally starts selling iPhones on its massive network, with focus on how big a slice Apple can carve out in the booming Chinese market.
A deal to sell iPhones on China Mobile's vast network is a "watershed moment," Apple CEO Tim Cook told CNBC on Wednesday.


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DWS Suspension of In-Person Services Extended
The Department of Water Supply (DWS), County of Hawai‘i has extended the suspension of in-person payment collections and customer service inquiries through June 30.
As a safety precaution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, DWS is continuing to accept only telephone, online, auto-payment, mail, or non-cash payments left in a secured DWS payment dropbox.
To pay a water bill online, visit www.hawaiidws.org, click either the “Pay Your Bill Online” or “Pay Online” tab and follow the self-service portal. Customers wishing to pay by telephone should call toll-free 844-216-1994 anytime. There are no fees for these services.
For more information about no-charge payment options, call one of the following Customer Service offices during normal operating hours:
Customers can also reach out by email to [email protected].
“DWS is committed to providing essential, safe, and reliable water service,” according to a DWS press release Thursday. “This water continues to undergo routine water-quality testing that shows it meets all state and federal drinking water requirements.”


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Research into the use of locally sourced rubber in tyre manufacture has led to Continental’s Dr Carla Recker being nominated for a prestigious award in her native Germany. Together with fellow researchers Prof. Dr Dirk Prüfer from the University of Münster and Dr Christian Schulze Gronover from the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Recker has been shortlisted for the ‘Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2021’, an award for technology and innovation bestowed by Germany’s President.
Chemical and material manufacturer DuPont Mobility & Materials, which supplies tyremakers around the world, has announced sweeping prices increases globally. The price increases take effect from 1 October 2021 “or as soon as contracts allow”.
The latest figures from the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) suggest that year-on-year growth in global natural rubber supply won’t be quite as high as previously anticipated and will be lower than expected demand. The ANRPC has downwardly revised its full-year outlook on global natural rubber supply for 2021 to 13.782 million tonnes.
Locally harvested natural rubber is the key raw material that Sri Lankan tyre maker GRI Tires utilises. It thus views natural rubber farmers as important stakeholders in the ‘GRI ecosystem’. This is an ecosystem that “focuses on sustainability and aims to inspire the farming communities by recognising their work as well as providing knowledge and skills for their development and optimising the yields from their natural rubber farms.”
Toyo Tire Corporation has re-examined and updated its natural rubber procurement policy and established this as an independent policy separate from the company’s CSR Procurement Guidelines that prescribe the proper procurement process for the Toyo Tire Group (the Group).
After a turbulent few years, tyre industry supplier, Nynas AB has changed hands again signing a binding agreement with an investment vehicle managed by Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP for the acquisition of the entire equity stake (49.9%) in Nynas from Bitumina Industries Limited, making it the largest individual shareholder of Nynas.
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. has announced that it is increasing the prices of all its rubber carbon black products sold in the EMEA region effective 1 August 2021 or “as permitted by customer contracts”.
Madhavi Kanumoory has been appointed as Chief Digital & Information Officer at Birla Carbon. In this role, she will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s digital and information technology. Kanumoory will report to John Loudermilk, Chief Operating Officer, joining the company’s Senior Management Team and will be based at the Birla Carbon office in Mumbai.
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. launched its Ecorax Nature family of plant-based carbon black products. According to the company, Ecorax Nature 100, which was launched on 17 June 2021, is “the first highly reinforcing carbon black grade made from renewable feedstocks which can be used in critical tyre tread construction”. The product is currently being tested by customers and will go into high volume manufacturing in the second half of 2022. Orion further reports that Ecorax Nature is the first “renewable carbon black” to be produced for the tyre industry.
Agricultural tyres generally appear quite similar irrespective of brand, making it difficult to spot at a glance the difference between discount tyres and higher-priced premium products. Bridgestone observes that price thus “wrongly becomes a differentiating element” with these products. The tyre maker is concerned that some may gain the impression they’re paying extra for the brand rather than the tyre, and wishes to set the record straight.
Bridgestone Corporation has announced that it will sell Bridgestone (Huizhou) Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd., its China-based subsidiary for manufacturing synthetic car tyre rubber, to Taiwan’s LCY Chemical Corp. The company has not disclosed financial aspects of the transaction.
Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. has announced that it will increase the dealer base prices across all tyre categories by up to 8.5 per cent from 1 August 2021. The tyre maker comments that the price increase “is a result of continued increases in raw materials and logistics costs.”
Yokohama Off-Highway Tires has announced further price increases for its brands in Europe. These will take effect next month and see prices for Alliance and Galaxy tyres rise by around five per cent. The manufacturer says this increase comes at a time when the costs of raw materials and freight rates “continue to rise at a dramatic pace on the global commodity markets.”
Birla Carbon will increase prices on all products produced in the Americas by US$170 per metric tonne effective 1 July 2021. All shipments made on or after this date are subject to the price increase. Birla Carbon’s announcement follows a 97 euros per metric tonne EMEA price increase published on 24 May and effective 1 June 2021.


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The Xiaomi Band 8 and the Xiaomi 13 Ultra were previously announced to be launching. The smart band's's most recent iteration features a new set of redesigned straps that let users customize their accessory to their preferences. Users can now double up their smart band as a necklace thanks to the brand's's new support for necklace accessories. Two new modes, or should we say "features," for the upcoming fitness tracker have now been confirmed.
Two new features, "Running Bean Mode" and "Interactive Boxing Mode," have been added for the upcoming Xiaomi Smart Band 8 according to the official Weibo account of the company. Users can track data related to somatic senses or somatosensory systems while they are in use thanks to the Interactive Boxing Mode.
Users who are aggressive when it comes to boxing would benefit most from this feature because it would allow them to keep an eye on their performance. Users will also have access to other fundamental data, such as heart rate, while this particular mode is activated.
The Running Bean mode is intended to be turned on while running. Essential data are tracked when running bean mode is turned on, including the frequency, length, force of the ground impact, and ground landing technique. Using the companion application, users can access more information in greater detail and evaluate their running performance.
Users are also expected to wear the smart band between their shoelaces rather than on their hands by using the strap that is compatible.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 will have an AMOLED display in the shape of a pill, which would be similar to its predecessor, according to earlier leaks and images. Additionally, it is anticipated that the band will have better tracking capabilities. Fundamental activity-tracking features like heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen measurement, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring are also expected to be included. It might also support voice assistant and NFC features.


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City slams shops for failure to act
Portsmouth council has attacked retailers for failing in their responsibilities and warned that “selling alcohol is a privilege, not a right”.
Council officer Rob Anderson-Weaver of the Safer Portsmouth Partnership told delegates at the Institute of Licensing’s conference on Reducing the Strength schemes that retailers should take more action to ensure the alcohol they sell is consumed safely.
He backed the introduction of controversial schemes that see councils ban the sale of beer and cider products over a certain strength.
OLN has been leading the campaign for clarity over the legality of schemes and has written to the European Commission seeking its intervention.
Speaking at the conference in Birmingham last week, competition lawyer Doug Cochran, of law firm Kings Chambers, warned that authorities could easily be breaking competition law by bringing in the initiatives.
He said: “Every agreement or scheme must be looked at individually and on its own facts.
“Genuinely free, unilateral participation by retailers is unlikely to violate competition law. But schemes which involve local authority pressure or information sharing [about what other retailers are doing] are likely to be unlawful.”
Gordon Johncox, managing director of Aston Manor, said: “There is a huge question mark over how voluntary the schemes really are and on what evidence base these actions are being taken.
“In terms of competition law, it is quite clear that the schemes run a high risk of contravening UK and EU law. The big question is to what extent are the local authorities liable as an emanation of the state for encouraging retailers to break the law.”
Gill Sherratt, managing director of Licensing Matters, said: “Retailers are bound by the law to uphold the licensing objectives at their premises and ensure the responsible retailing of alcohol there, and to expect them to act any further is, in my view, over- regulating them.”
She added: “Anderson-Weaver does not grasp the limitations of the licensing process and clearly demonstrates his lack of knowledge.
“The idea that selling alcohol is a privilege, not a right is, of course, legally incorrect.
“His comments showed him to be over-zealous and failing to keep the licensing regime in perspective of what it is intended to regulate.”


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It’s been a while since a new Animal Crossing amiibo released, but the drought is over with the release of a new Isabelle amiibo figure today!
The newly released Isabelle amiibo figure is part of a new series of amiibo for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Naturally then, it’s based on Isabelle’s appearance as a fighter inside that game sporting her summertime outfit.
There’s not a whole lot of differences between the Animal Crossing Isabelle amiibo for Amiibo Festival, but the main change is her more action-y pose as a Smash fighter, rather than the standstill look of the original figures. She’ll also fit right next to other Smash Bros. amiibo. as they share a gold trophy design base.
As for potential compatibility in the upcoming Animal Crossing: New Horizons next year, we don’t know for sure if this figure will be supported. It’s a good possibility though as the Villager Smash amiibo figure did unlock a special item in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.
Even if support for this particular figure is up in the air though, amiibo figure support as a whole in New Horizons has been confirmed by the developers in a French interview during E3 2019, among other tidbits about the game.
Here’s where you can pick up an Isabelle Smash Bros. amiibo figure for yourself:


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A Baltimore ice cream shop has a new flavor that some might say is out of this world.
David Alima, owner of The Charmery in Hampden, says starting Friday — to coincide with the release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" — the shop will be serving a flavor called "Do or Do Nuts...There is No Chai."
In case you're a Star Wars novice, that's a reference to a famous quote from Star Wars' Yoda: "Do or do not. There is no try."
Alima says his company made 12 gallons of the nut-filled Chai tea ice cream.
The store is also serving Christmas flavors: Rye Whiskey Egg Nog, Candy Cane and Spiced Rum Fruit Cake.
A flavor honoring a Jewish holiday tradition is also planned. Alima says "Chinese Food and a Movie" will be a popcorn base with chocolate-covered fortune cookie pieces.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Operations at the Port of Houston will be back to normal March 20 after an International Longshoremen’s Association worker tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19.
Port officials closed two terminals after it was found the worker, who was not identified, had worked at them for two days. The Bayport and Barbours Cut Terminals were closed. After an investigation, port officials announced the worker had limited contact with other workers and they are self-quarantining. The employee has been hospitalized.
The terminals opened for vessels the night of March 19 and all other operations will resume the morning of March 20, according to a news release.
Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association, addressed the situation in a March 19 e-mail to update members on the COVID-19 response. Originally, the port planned to keep the facilities closed until March 23.
“We worked with our importers into Houston, the cold chain sector, other food sectors, Texas retailers, and USDA, and I’m pleased to share that the Port is reopening tonight,” Stenzel wrote in the e-mail. “This port is a major receiver for citrus, bananas, apples and many other fruits.


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Fallout 76 hackers have been cleaning out player inventories.
According to various reports on Reddit - as confirmed by Bethesda - those who use public servers are being hacked. The hackers are wiping out inventories, with Reddit user TonyQuark saying that "weapons and armour, and other inventory items are not safe."
However, all scrap box items are safe, as are your scrip, caps and access to various locations. With no way to tell what user is utilising the hack, the safest way to keep your items is to avoid public servers.
Currently, the publisher is working on a fix for the hack and are thinking ways they compensate players that have been affected by it.
"We are investigating reports of a PC-only exploit that could be abused by cheaters, which may have resulted in a few players losing items that their characters had equipped," said Bethesda.
"We have been actively working toward a solution for this and have a fix that we are currently evaluating for release today.
"While we’ve determined that only a small number of characters have been negatively affected, we are taking this very seriously and resolving this is currently our top priority."
The publisher continued: "We would like to apologise to those of you who were impacted by this exploit. We want to make this right, and we are currently looking into ways we may be able to compensate you. If you believe you have been affected, please let us know by submitting a ticket to our Customer Support team.
"As mentioned above, this issue only affects PC, and we are currently planning to bring the PC version of the game offline today to release a fix. We will let you know as soon as we are ready to begin maintenance."
In October 2019, Bethesda launched a new subscription service for Fallout 76. It was met with unwanted backlash, fans complained about various bugs and that the promised private worlds were not as secluded as promised.
In Australia, those who purchased the title between November 24th 2018 and June 1st 2019 were offered refunds. It was claimed by the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission that Bethesda's parent company - ZeniMax Media - misled consumers about their refund rights.


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IEnova has signed an agreement with Marathon Petroleum for 50% of the initial capacity of its marine terminal in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico.
IEnova will be responsible for all aspects of project implementation of the marine terminal for the receipt, storage and delivery of refined products.
With an IEnova investment of $150 million, the marine terminal is expected to begin commercial operations in the last quarter of 2020.
The facility will enable Marathon Petroleum to supply gasoline and diesel to its growing network of ARCO-branded service stations in the states of Sinaloa and Sonora. This facility will enhance supply options, improve logistics and increase refined products supply reliability on the west coast of Mexico, which will translate into benefits for consumers in the region.
A different demand outlookA next generation storage terminal A new energy chapter Adding value to niche terminals in Europe IMO: how will key international bunkering hubs survive? Market fundamentals impact storage opportunities in Singapore Russia dominates Baltic oil & gas supply Unique spiral construction method deployed for Western Europe's largest tank terminal project After Aliso: why benzene needs to be the industry's next casulty A new approach for accurate & reliable storage tank leak monitoring


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There's no shortage of home delivery services, with apps for everything from groceries to alcohol to condoms, and some areas have another product under discussion for doorstep delivery: marijuana. In Seattle, lawmakers are pushing a bill that would legalize cannabis home delivery services. Washington has been one of the most progressive states when it comes to marijuana legalization, as one of the first to approve the drug for recreational use in 2012.
Under the new measure, five of the city's licensed recreational pot stores would be selected to offer delivery services, reported the Puget Sound Business Journal. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and City Attorney Pete Holmes both threw their weight behind the proposed weed delivery pilot program.
"The proposed pilot delivery program, along with increased enforcement of existing marijuana laws, will better protect customers, patients and business owners, while strengthening the legal marijuana industry," Murray said in a statement Tuesday.
Lawmakers say the program would quash illegal marijuana companies running in the city, reported local news station KIRO. They estimate there are around 24 of these unauthorized delivery systems.
"We must address illegal delivery services that are undermining I-502 and allow responsible businesses to offer delivery service in Seattle," Murray said. "The proposed pilot delivery program, along with increased enforcement of existing marijuana laws, will better protect customers, patients and business owners, while strengthening the legal marijuana industry.
The bill was a response to the legal recreational and medical marijuana business owners requests to shut down these illegal delivery services.
"The goal of I-502 was to create a legal system for producing, processing and selling marijuana to adults in Washington State," Holmes said. "I support our proposals to legalize and regulate marijuana delivery, but businesses that currently deliver marijuana undermine our efforts to demonstrate that there is a regulatory alternative to marijuana prohibition."
There are 23 states that have legalized some form of marijuana, with four states, including Washington, going on to legalize marijuana entirely.


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Labor party chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich 370.
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Labor Party chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich on Sunday slammed the government over
the August inflation figures, saying the picture would look even worse in a
month when the 1-percentage point value-added tax increase is taken into
On September 1, VAT rose to 17 percent.
Inflation rose by
more than 1% in August, to 106.2 points (based on 100.0 as the average for the
consumer basket in 2010), the Central Bureau of Statistics reported over the
weekend. The Consumer Price Index has risen by 2.1% since January 1.
largest price increases last month were for cigarettes (14.2%), fresh produce
(7.9%), culture and entertainment (2%), transport (1.8%), housing (1.1%), food
(0.9%) and furniture (0.6%). On the other hand, the price of clothing and
footwear decreased by 6%, and of communications devices fell by
Yacimovich argued that these figures and last week’s State
Comptroller’s Report demonstrated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s “archaic
economic policy, which has caused the loss of control over the price of housing,
health, gasoline, pasta, cheese, fruit and vegetables.”
She said that
only Netanyahu was capable of creating a situation in which on one hand there
was an economic slowdown and shrinkage in purchasing power, while on the other
hand monthly inflation broke a 17- year record.
State Comptroller Yosef
Shapira on Wednesday slammed the Finance; Industry, Trade and Labor; and
Agriculture ministries for failing to control skyrocketing food and dairy prices
during the years 2005-2011.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Globes contributed to


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H.E.R., British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, Naomi Campbell and a host of others hit the runway for Tommy Hilfiger’s Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show during London Fashion Week on February 16th.Embed from Getty Images
According to reports the show was more of a low key affair. Different than any of Hilfiger’s past runway shows, with more emphasis on values, rather than spectacle.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images
“We’re trying to push everything, using modern fabrics — recycled cotton and denim, organic cotton, plant-based fabrics. All our down is vegan, and we just got an award for all the vegan shoes and boots we do,” said Hamilton, adding that up to 75 percent of the collection was sourced more sustainably for spring.
For her part, H.E.R. had one request….. a jumpsuit!
The “Focus” singer said in a Q&A live streamed after the show that she
“wanted things I could wear on stage as well as every day.”
The singers lyrics and buzzwords such as Loyalty and Unity were emblazoned on the sporty street-style pieces that came down the runway.Embed from Getty Images
You can check out the full collection at


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OK. So Paulson gave Citigroup $25Bn.
Executives at Citigroup ... began weighing the possibility of auctioning off pieces of the financial giant or even selling the company outright ...Citigroup's board of directors is scheduled to have a formal meeting Friday to discuss the options ...
In addition to pondering a move to sell the entire company to another bank, executives have started exploring the possibility of selling off parts of the firm, including the Smith Barney retail brokerage, the global credit-card division and the transaction-services unit, which is one of Citigroup's most lucrative and fast-growing businesses, the people said.
What happens to the $25Bn?
Another landmark institution gets swallowed by the porcelain god...
HT: Calculated Risk
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SO, I wonder who I'll be mailing the mortgage checks to NEXT year?
Post a Comment


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Like fashion designers, jewelers are discovering creative ways to reconcile modern tastes with inimitable cultural flourishes.
A bold contemporary setting and an ever-expanding repertoire of new
tantalizing dishes inspired by popular classic French cuisine mark
Cassis’ return to Jakarta’s dining scene.
It’s time for South Sulawesi’s Bugis traditional fabrics to make their way to the runway and flaunt their solid colors and rich motifs in a graceful manner.
One of the many reasons why people love action movies is because of the car chases.
Graduates of Susan Budihardjo Fashion School flaunted a new line of prêt-à-porter, marking their reunion with their colleagues on the fashion runway.
A wedding in traditional Javanese culture is known to have “a thousand” meanings.
Sony says its PlayStation Vita portable game machine is going on sale in
North America and Europe on Feb. 22, about two months after it makes
its debut in Japan.
Renowned fashion designer Eddy Betty has unusual advice: Don’t match
your outfits. Go for clashes. Make them bold and use sharp colors and
In a recent interview with the Indonesian media, Wayne Spittle, senior vice president of Philips Healthcare’s Asia Pacific region, says that his company intends to provide the healthcare market with…
Beauty may be only skin deep, but it can stimulate an economy. Or so say some local officials and pundits.
PT. Bina Media Tenggara © 2012 |


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Seattle -February 7, 2001- Operators of a cross-border lottery scam that targeted elderly Americans have agreed to pay more than $334,000 to settle a complaint filed by the Federal Trade Commission and the attorneys general of Washington and Arizona.
The operators of Canadian companies Win USA Services Ltd., IRAL Services Inc. and IRAL Enterprises Inc. bilked U.S. consumers out of more than $2.1 million by selling tickets in foreign lotteries while misrepresenting the odds of winning.
In some cases, victims were told they had already won and just needed to pay a "processing fee" in order to collect a multi-million dollar prize. Other victims were assured of having a one-in-six chance of winning a $10 million Australian lottery if they bought tickets through Win USA.
Consumers sent hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to the Canadian companies.
In addition to lying about the true odds of winning, Win USA neglected to tell victims that it is illegal to buy or sell foreign lottery tickets in the United States.
"Some Washington senior citizens sent thousands of dollars to these con artists," Attorney General Christine Gregoire said. "People need to be vigilant about avoiding these
'beat the system and get rich quick' schemes. The only people getting rich are doing it the expense of consumers."
In 1998, the attorneys general of Washington and Arizona joined with the Federal Trade Commission to file a complaint against the companies and their owners. The British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General filed a similar complaint and took control of all company assets.
Last April, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly ordered the companies to stop selling lottery tickets and to repay more than $3,178,000 (Canadian) to the defrauded consumers. But the defendants did not have sufficient assets to make the restitution.
In the settlement filed Monday, the FTC--along with Washington and Arizona--agreed to accept $500,000 in Canadian funds as full payment. That amount, which equals about $334,000 in U.S. funds, represents all of the defendants' assets now held by the British Columbia government.
The funds will be returned as redress to defrauded U. S. consumers after the Canadian authorities have recouped their legal costs.


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2023 Hyundai Carlino Redesign, Release Date, Price. Hyundai is finally ready to launch their latest crossover for the Asian market. The 2023 Hyundai Carlino will be the model that should conquer markets in India, China, Thailand, and other countries in this part of the world.
The latest news about 2023 Hyundai Carlino is informing about slight changes to what we could see in 2016. Hyundai is finalizing all details about the SUV.
2023 Hyundai Carlino Specs
The compact SUV 2023 Hyundai Carlino is going to take small displacement as the main unit. The power is not where the 2023 Carlino will be strongest. A 1.0-liter T-GDI turbo mill can produce 120 horsepower for Kona and i30 models.
For the 2023 Hyundai Carlino, engineers are preparing a diesel powertrain. A 1.4-l CRDi unit that produces 90 hp for Hyundai Creta, will deliver 224 Nm of torque for Carlino. This is going to be one of the biggest advantages of the 2023 Carlino.
2023 Hyundai Carlino Design
The 2023 Hyundai Carlino is a compact crossover, and its length is under 4 meters. This will help the SUV gain more mobility.
Since Carlino is the brand-new model, Kona and Creta will help it at the beginning. We believe that production model is going to bring conventional appearance. The 2023 Hyundai Carlino will remain attractive and modern.
2023 Hyundai Carlino Release Date
Next step in the arrival of the 2023 Hyundai Carlino is a debut of the production model. Whatsoever, the compact SUV is not going to get the premiere in this half of 2018.


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Everyone seems to be using the dreaded R word—recession—this week as the stock market looks topsy turvy, bond yields go bonkers, and the trade war drags on. But those events don’t mean that a recession will take place tomorrow. It may not even take place next month, in the next six months, or even next year.
There are a few signs of economic downturn that can, when combined in some way, indicate a recession is brewing.
When interest rates on short-term government bonds surpass the interest rates for long-term government bonds, economists say that the yield curve has inverted. That’s a sign of pessimism among investors, and it’s a reliable prediction of economic downturn. In fact, the last five recessions have been preceded by a yield curve inversion, although it doesn’t mean that recession will happen immediately.
It’s also worth noting that since there are several different lengths of government bond, the yield curve can invert more than once. The Three-Month Treasury yield curve inverted with the 10-Year yield in March for the first time since 2007. Then on August 14, the yield on the 2-Year Treasury flipped with the yield on the 10-year Treasury. The last time that happened was in 2007, although it inverted briefly in late 2005, two years before the start of the last recession.
There’s a trickle-down effect that takes place in a down economy: People stop spending money, which means businesses don’t do as well. Companies cut some of their employees. If a lot of businesses are doing this at the same time, it makes it harder for those laid-off folks to find new employment. If the unemployment rate goes up, it’s a signal that things aren’t looking great.
We still have a very low unemployment rate. For perspective, during the end of the last recession in 2009, the unemployment rate hovered between 8 and 10%. It’s been decreasing ever since, and has been under 4% since January 2019.
But ongoing trade negotiations with China could have a long-term impact on employment. Many American-based businesses who rely on China for equipment, parts, or manufacturing services are nervous about the impact additional tariffs would have on their ability to earn profits and keep expanding. President Trump said he would delay the implementation of a new round of tariffs until mid-December so that retailers won’t have to raise prices during the crucial holiday shopping season.
Gross domestic product (GDP) is, in short, the size of the economy. It’s often calculated by looking at consumer spending, business investment, and exports. If that combined measure dips significantly, it’s bad news.
The GDP gets measured by quarter, and while it’s jumped around a bit recently, it hasn’t tanked like we saw during the last recession.
The consumer spending part of the GDP is a bit nerve-wracking, because if enough people get nervous about a recession and start hoarding their money under the mattress instead of shopping, that measure will decrease, pulling down the entire GDP. That’s not to say that you and I alone will be responsible for the next recession, but that the frequency with which a recession has been discussed could influence our path toward it.
When the stock market declines quickly—like when you see a headline about the “worst day of the year,” or something similarly gloom and doom—it’s because many investors aren’t confident in the economy and they’re selling off as much stock as they can. If the stock market dips over and over, on a near-daily basis, it’s a sign of trouble.
But the stock market is performing well overall. Take the Dow Jones Industrial: It took a dive at the very end of 2018, but recovered. It’s still a bit of a roller coaster, but we’re at a level that’s way more comfortable than the stock market of the recovery period 10 years ago.
A slowing economy does not automatically mean we’ll be thrust into the next Great Recession. That one was … well, it was a big cluster, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and a hard crash down from years of intense economic growth.
A recession is simply a period of economic decline that lasts six months or more. It’s typical to see a recession every six or seven years, as better economic periods more or less balance out with bad ones. While the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and the aftermath are top of mind, there was also the dot-com bust in 2001 (yep, that was part of a recession). There was also a recession in July 1990, around the same time as the first Gulf War. Sometimes we forget about those economic periods because our most recent recession was so painful, with a long recovery period.
And, to add one more complication to all this, the National Bureau of Economic Research, which points out recessions and how long they last, does so retroactively. (The Great Recession didn’t get called until November 2008, when in fact it began in December 2007). So, there’s no way to know for sure that there’s going to be a recession until you’re in it.
Your best bet is to sit tight, manage your finances, and hope for the best news from the economists.
This post was originally published on 8/15/19 and was updated on 8/15/19 to include clarified language about bond yields.


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Product Tankers: Mixed Fortunes for MRs and LR2s
According to Ms. Chara Georgousi, Research Analyst with Intermodal, “in the US, inventories are currently at 118m bbls, which is 17% below the 10-year avg, a figure still critically low. In the meantime, US manufacturing activity is in full recession. According to the latest report from the Institute for Supply Management, the purchasing managers’ index slipped to 47.4 in January from 48.4 in December, while in Jan-2022 it equalled to 57.6. This translates into weak demand since the use of diesel and other distillates is highly correlated with the business cycle. Yet, if a full recession will be avoided and manufacturing activity normalizes within the year, shortages will re-emerge and prices will spike again triggering inflation.
In the EU, supply concerns have slightly eased as traders rushed to fill tanks ahead of the ban. EU’s imports of diesel surged to 8.38m tons in December and have remained elevated in January, at 8.36m tons. Gasoil stocks in ARA region are currently 2.3m tons, at their highest since July-2021. In China, diesel exports have been accelerated following the latest two export quotas (Sep-2022 & Jan-2023) issued by the government to boost the economy. In 2021 and 2022, the country’s reduced exports have contributed to the depletion of global diesel inventories and led to unusually high margins for refiners in the rest of the world. However, the near record-exports (2.8m tons in December) since the granting of the quotas paired with the slow-down in the global economy, have begun to replenish global distillate stocks. And while the 2nd batch of quotas will ensure elevated exports and increased diesel availability globally during 1H2023, the much anticipated full recovery of the country’s economy and manufacturing activity will restrict exports and reduce availability in the 2H2023”.
“Seaborne-wise, the current market fundamentals exacerbate uncertainty through 2023. In the 2H2022 CPP ton miles have surged as of the elevated diesel exports, mainly led by China’s increased output and EU’s increased demand ahead of the ban on Russian oil products. In 1Q2023 ton miles will remain elevated, however, we expect to see a drop in export volumes driven by reduced Chinese exports, which will also exert downward pressure on freight rates. MRs which have increasingly benefited in 4Q2022 from China’s record exports, have seen their demand cooling in January as China’s domestic demand is on track for recovery. In the Atlantic, MR demand will remain muted amid low US distillate stocks and upcoming refinery maintenance. In addition, MRs previously serving the Russia to Europe route will now enter the Atlantic and Pacific basins, causing a supply glut. LRs will also be pressured from China’s lower exports towards the 2H2023. However, EU’s diesel diversification will underpin demand for LR2’s. Overall, volatility will prevail in the clean tanker market in 2023 and LR2s will likely benefit most amid the ban on Russian CPP exports. However, a possible contraction of Chinese diesel exports in the coming months could lead to excess tanker supply. Yet, a surge in non-diesel product exports, such as jet fuel, could provide support to the CPP market and contribute to balance freights”, Intermodal’s analyst concluded
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide


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- City suspends liquor license for downtown Cape bar; owners say they want to fix problems (3/26/17)7
- Mall aboard: Future requires evolution at West Park Mall (3/24/17)24
- Legal discrimination complaint, ethics complaint filed in Scott City government (3/22/17)13
- Former Southeast softball coach sues Board of Regents; seeks damages and her job back (3/23/17)15
- Former Scott City administrator: 'I was forced to resign' (3/21/17)6
- Triplett manslaughter case set for July 2018 (3/21/17)2
- Lawmakers put prevailing wage in crosshairs; laborers object (2/12/17)10
- Chaffee district seeks bond issue for classrooms, property (3/26/17)4
- 'Construction with finesse' (3/26/17)2
- Cramped quarters: April 4 proposition aims to ease crowding in Perry County District Schools (3/23/17)4
Free trade requires fairness on both sides
In another round of new trade tariffs, the U.S. government has targeted imports of softwood lumber from Canada, which supplies up to a third of the lumber used in the United States, mainly for home construction. The move comes on the heels of new tariffs on imported steel, and it bolsters tariffs on Canadian lumber imposed last year.
The reason why a free-trade administration would choose to use tariffs as a trade weapon is simple. Free trade requires that trading partners play fair. Items sold abroad must be sold at a fair market price that represents the cost of production, marketing and shipping.
But the Commerce Department says the Canadian government unfairly subsidizes its lumber producers by charging low fees to cut timber on government-owned land and by allowing producers to sell below cost.
Free trade is not based on buying products from other nations at prices that compete unfairly with U.S. producers. Until our trading partners learn that we are serious about free trade, they can expect to see retaliation in the form of stiff tariffs.


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Wargaming Holiday Adventure
Wargaming is bringing its fans a very special tale about the magic of the holidays.
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Premium oyster producer East33 is having a second tilt at listing on the ASX, after abandoning plans for a float in December last year.
The business, which is backed by Regal Funds Management, has tapped Shaw and Partners as joint lead manager. It is raising up to $32 million at 20¢ per share.
All going to plan this time, on July 29 the business will hit the boards with a market capitalisation of $55.3 million and an enterprise value of $65.4 million.
This will value the company at 8.6-times EBITDA, on an enterprise value to EBITDA basis, and 11.2-times profit.
The retail offer period closes on Friday.
East33 is the amalgamation of a group of oyster businesses, with the integrated company expected to handle 25 per cent of the global Sydney rock oysters trade.
The business currently handles 15.1 million oyster per annum and plans to increase its production capacity to 19 million oysters. Sydney rock oysters account for less than 1 per cent of global oyster product.
It sells to restaurants and seafood wholesalers, as well as direct to consumers via its website. It offers next-day delivery to 75 per cent of the Australian market.
Offshore, it has a strategic shareholder in China to facilitate its entry to the market and export approval for Japan and Singapore.
The company is on track to bank $49.1 million in pro forma revenue in the 2022 financial year, up from $30.7 million in 2021. It is also forecasting $7.6 million in pro forma earnings before interest and tax in 2022.
Before pulling the float last year, East33 was forced to respond to queries from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, revealing it was paying brokers $2 million more to sell shares in the float and three directors - James Garton, Guy Burnett and Mark Nagy - would subscribe for 35 million new shares in the float through a trustee company.
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PRINCETON — Mandy Workman has opened Mandy’s Tobacco Outlet and Cigar Emporium at 104 S. Main St., Princeton.
“We sell cigarettes and roll your own cigarette supplies and equipment,” she said. “We also have vapor merchandise such as juices, cartridges and batteries for electronic cigarettes.”
The store also has two humidors for cigars plus sells candy and soda products. It also has some pipe tobacco and zero nicotine cartridges.
Workman used to work at a drive-through liquor store before deciding to open this “mom and pop store.”
“I am selling smokes at a decent price,” she said. “I offer it at a decent price to share the wealth. I want to sell it a good price and still survive, plus I get to be my own boss,” she added.
Workman grew up in Kentucky and has lived in this area for 14 years, seven in Wyanet and seven in Princeton. She also has a bulletin board in her store for people to put cards or fliers advertising community events.
She also sells specialty cigars that come with labels for events such as anniversaries, weddings or births.
The store’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. The Facebook page address is www.facebook.com/mandystobacco.
Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.


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Popular This Week
Most Apple device enthusiasts were really excited to see the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display during the WWDC 2012 event. Although they were shocked to see the expensive price tag of the new stunning device.
Every expensive device comes with lots of expensive parts. Making a repair on those devices wont be cheap either. Like replacing a battery. According to reports from Computerworld, it is going to cost $199 to replace the battery on the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Which is even more than replacing the battery of a MacBook Air, which is only $129.
So are you till thinking about getting one of these?
[Via: Replacing the Battery on Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display Won’t Be Cheap Techno Buffalo]
(All The Images, Trademarks, Logo’s Shown on this Post are the property of their respective owners)


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Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo treated himself to a brand new Bugatti after guiding Juventus to yet another Serie A title.
The legendary forward scored 31 goals in 33 league games for the Old Lady, setting up his teammates 6 times too.
After leading Juve to their 36th Serie A triumph, Ronaldo decided to splash £8.5 million on the latest Bugatti Centodieci, as per Corriere della Sera’s reports.
HERE IS THE CAR:
The Centodieci comes with an 8-liter W16 engine producing a staggering 1600 horsepower.
Bugatti’s latest innovation in the supercar world, Centodieci hits 0-60 mph in just 2.4 seconds and comes with a top speed of 236 mph.
Just like most supercars, Bugatti has manufactured just 10 models of this car which makes it incredibly ‘limited edition’.
Cristiano’s love for Bugatti is nothing new. The footballer already owns a Chiron, Veyron and La Voiture Noire.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star also own other exotic supercars like Phantom Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren Senna, Ferrari F430, Maserati GranCabrio and Bentley Continental GTC.


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Dubai: Choitrams is planning to open eight gourmet cafes to be attached to their supermarkets in UAE and Bahrain, the company’s director told Gulf News.
“We see things turn around in the market and a lot of commercial and residential towers who require this offering. A lot of landlords aren’t just looking for run of the mill supermarkets, they want them to do over and above [that],” Manoj Thanwani, Director of Choithrams, said adding that an F&B service to the community is expected.
The Dubai-based international supermarket chain is looking to open an 8,000-square foot café in Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), six in Al Falah residential area on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi and another in Bahrain, Thanwani said.
In the UAE, three stores are scheduled to open by November or December, he said.
The Bahrain outlet, the first of the Choithrams cafes to expand into the GCC, is expected to open its doors to shoppers in November, he added.
Choithrams is planning to open 30 eateries in the next two years, according to Thanwani.
“It’s a different concept, moving away from core retailing into F&B.”
The F&B market here is a fast growing and explains Choithrams plans to tap into this opportunity, an analyst said.
“The consumer food service market is highly developed and rapidly growing in the UAE, with 11 per cent sales growth in 2011 according to Euromonitor research, thus there is very high potential for this industry,” said Sana Toukan, Research Manager at Euromonitor Middle East.
Gourmet offerings are also popular with affluent locals and high-income Arab and Western expats, she added.
“With a market predicted to see a compound annual growth rate of 6% over the next 5 years, there is definitely room for further expansion within this market with more tourists expected to flock into the country, a recovering economy which is expected to create more jobs and thus push more expatriated to the country, there is huge potential for further growth,” Toukan said.
But in a market already saturated with cafes, how would this concept stand out?
“We’ve done tremendous research and design. The market is saturated with large players from the international market and home grown ones, but not many can go in a cafe and shop and take out—and do that in a residential tower,” Thanwani said.
Kinnersley Kent UK, a retail F&B designer, is designing the look of the stores, he said, adding that Choithrams signed with Aldar Properties for the six stores in Al Falah.


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Starting Sunday, admission prices to Disney theme parks will rise by up to 20 percent during holidays and some weekends – the most crowded times for the parks.
In a new, though long anticipated, demand-based pricing structure announced Saturday, similar to what airlines and hotels use, the Walt Disney Company said it will charge higher prices for single-day tickets during peak visit times to the six parks of Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California.
With the new pricing scheme, Disney – which has seen profits nearly double at its parks and resorts over the past five years, to $2.6 billion in 2014 – will capitalize on customers willing and able to pay a premium for holiday access, while thinning out the unrelenting crowds.
“In addition to expanding our parks, we are adopting seasonal pricing on our one-day ticket to help better spread visitation throughout the year,” the company said in statement to The Washington Post. “Multiday tickets, annual passes and visiting during nonpeak periods also provide our guests with options and savings,” it said.
Visitation to the parks has been soaring. Disney’s financial report for the latest quarter, ending January 2, shows that US park attendance rose by a record-setting 10 percent from the same time the year before. The fourth quarter 2014 attendance was already 7 percent higher than the same period in 2013, The New York Times reported.
To put that into context, the company’s most popular attraction, Magic Kingdom, recorded 19 million visitors last year, which is nearly equal to the population of New York state, as The Washington Post points out.
Visitation has not been affected by rising entrance fees, which in the case of Disney World, have been climbing every year since the park first opened in 1971. The adult admission price to Magic Kingdom, for example, in 1971 was $20.46 in 2014 dollars. Today that price is five times higher, with the cheapest, single-day ticket costing $105.
The continued hikes are leading some people to question whether “most magical place on Earth” is falling out of reach for most families.
“If Walt [Disney] were alive today, he would probably be uncomfortable with the prices they’re charging right now,” Scott Smith, an assistant professor of hospitality at the University of South Carolina whose first job was as a cast member in Disney’s Haunted Mansion, told the Post.
“They’ve priced middle-class families out,” he said.
The company points out that it is expanding attractions and VIP vacation packages – such as a new “Frozen”-themed attraction at Epcot and a major “Avatar”-themed area at the Animal Kingdom park – but as the Post has reported, many expansions seem to target the wealthy.
But much of the recent innovation in the theme-park industry, experts said, has gone toward retooling it as a playground for the rich and their kids. The industry has increasingly “stratified its offerings,” said [Scott] Sanders, Disney’s former pricing executive, by offering more to attract visitors like “the ‘Wall Street dads,’ who have the obligation to bring the kids to Disney but want to do it as quickly as they can and are least sensitive to pricing of anyone.”
At the company’s Disneyland and California Adventure parks in Anaheim, Calif., Bloomberg reports, “regular” single-day adult tickets, for most weekends and many weeks during summer, today will rise to $105 from $99. “Peak” day tickets, during holidays and July weekends, will cost $119. And the “value” ticket will drop to $95 from $99. Value tickets, mostly weekdays when school is in session, will account for 83 days this year.
In Orlando, Fla., the popular Magic Kingdom will charge $124 a day for peak periods, up from $105. Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom resorts will charge $114 on peak days, up from $97. The four parks will not change prices for value days, currently at $105 per ticket.
Prices are expected to continue to rise as long as demand grows, experts say. In fact, they’ll help the company control ballooning crowds and excessive lines by weeding out parkgoers who can’t afford growing entry fees.
“Disney’s made a strategic decision that they’re not going to discount to hold onto people at the middle part of the economy,” Robert Niles, editor of industry blog Theme Park Insider, told the Post. “They’re going to set their prices at the top 10 percent of family incomes and make their money where the money is.”


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Morgan Stanley analyst Stephen Volkman raised his 2003 earnings estimate for Caterpillar CAT, -3.19% to $3.10 a share from $2.90, and his 2004 forecast to $4 a share from $3.60, citing evidence of strong retail sales, low inventories and improving industrial orders. He also raised his price target on the stock to $70 from $65, but maintained his "equal weight" rating as he believes much of the earnings potential is already priced into the stock. The Dow industrials component closed Friday up 68 cents at $73.38.
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Ever felt worried that you don’t have enough charge to make it through the day? Ever bought a coffee just to use a power point? Ever got annoyed because someone borrowed your charger?
A survey by tech giant LG has discovered that 9 out of 10 people panic when their phone battery drops to 20% or lower.
These people may be suffering from “Low Battery Anxiety” – a concept dubbed by LG whereby people change their behaviour or go out of their way to ensure their phone is constantly charged; feeling stress, fear and anxiety if their phone battery is shortly set to die.
The poll surveyed 2000 people to ascertain their levels of “Low Battery Anxiety” and found some common symptoms, including:
- Arguing with a loved one over unanswered calls or texts
- Purchasing food or drinks just to use a power point
- Owning more than one phone charger or cable
- Skipping activities to charge your phone instead
Being constantly worried about the battery level of your phone seems to be a rising issue amongst millennials (those aged 35 and under). Linked to more harmful psychological issues such as nomophobia (a fear of being out of mobile contact), low self-esteem and the fear of disappointing others, “Low Battery Anxiety” is a worrying concept in modern society.
In the world of 24 hour news and social media, many of us worry about being ‘out of touch’ and not being able to contact loved ones in the case of a natural disaster, accident or terrorist attack. This notion of always being ‘switched on’ applies to both work and social life, with 86% of people surveyed charging their phone 1-3 times a day, 80% charging before they leave the house and 28% keeping their phone on charge all day.
So, how are companies looking to combat this? Wireless technology seems to be the most recent development to help battle this condition. Phones with wireless technology can be charged by simply placing them on a wireless charging pad or wireless charging surface, removing the need for chargers and cables. Companies are even integrating wireless charging points into furniture. For example, Swedish company Ikea have designed a range of tables, desks and lamps with wireless charging pads for convenient charging when you need it most and there’s rumours that McDonalds are adding wireless charging points into their restaurants.
So, how can you avoid “Low Battery Anxiety”? It’s simple - purchase a portable charger, provide loved ones with an alternative point of contact (e.g. your office number), always carry a charger, or simply switch yourself off – conserving battery for when you need it most.
For more information on the survey, please visit: www.lg.com


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"We are proud to partner with Bashas grocery stores as they are a local, well-known brand throughout the state of Arizona," says Renee Roozen, president of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants. "As a family-owned business, Dickey's is excited to offer barbecue lovers the opportunity to make our quality meats with their friends and family."
Dickey's sausage will be available at 60 Bashas locations across Arizona.
Last month, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit added four new locations in the Phoenix area under the ownership of current franchisee Sam Beydoun. The restaurants are expected to be finished by late 2018.
Beyodoun opened up his first Dickey’s location late in December 2017, attached to an Arco gas station that he also owns.
The latest four Dickey's locations that are under development will differ from the first, following a more traditional construction concept.


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It doesn’t get much grainier – or intriguing.Â Folks are getting antsy to see what Samsung and other members of the Open Handset Alliance have up their sleeves in terms of Android handsets.Â Today, we get to see (possibly) the first image of the Samsung phone.
All we have to go by so far is a report from gsmhelpdesk.nl that says this picture shows the touchscreen device that’s coming from the handset maker.Â The translated article tells us the phone has a capacitative touchscreen, just like the G1.
Specs listed in the article include:
- 528 MHz processor
- Quad Band (850, 900, 1800, 1900)
- UMTS, HSDPA 7.2 and HSUPA 1.4
- Alleged 3.2 or 5.0 MP camera
- Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP
Stay tuned!Â We’ll bring you more information as it’s gathered.


text: Time Warner is getting ready to spin off its publishing business, Time Inc., into a stand-alone company, and it’s reportedly cutting hundreds of jobs in the process, from high-ranking executives on down. The New York Post reported that some 500 of the company’s 7,800 people would be shown the door on Tuesday, many of them made redundant after Time Inc. bought American Express Publishing (which produces Travel + Leisure and Food & Wine, among others) last September. That number includes American Express CEO Ed Kelly, who had been with the company for 25 years, the Post reported. Time Inc. executive vice president David Geithner (Timothy’s brother), of the style and entertainment group that publishes People, is also reportedly leaving. This is the second winter in a row the company has seen such large-scale cuts. Let’s hope it doesn’t become routine.


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An upcoming iOS update could prevent iPhone users from accessing the iOS 17 developer beta for free.
Before now, users who want to enable iOS developer beta on their iPhone must install a configuration profile from the Apple Developer website. But that may no longer be the case.
According to reports, the forthcoming iOS 16.4 now has a “Beta Updates” menu in the Settings app to allow users to enable iOS developer betas directly on their device.
In other words, you no longer have to download configuration profiles to access the iOS beta. Furthermore, Apple intends to end profile downloads altogether, making a new menu the only way to enable developer betas on iPhones.
The Beta Updates menu only appears on iPhones whose Apple IDs were enrolled in Apple’s Developer Program for $99 annually. That means iPhone users not part of the program can’t install the iOS 17 developer beta for free following its WWDC announcement in June.
Cracking Down on Free iOS Developer Beta
Apple has been working to prevent free access to its developer betas on iPhones.
Last year, the tech giant cracked down on websites like BetaProfiles.com that share developer beta profiles for free. Meanwhile, Apple’s legal team sent Twitter DMCA takedown notices for posts containing links to other sites such as IPSW.dev and BetaProfiles.dev.
So how can iPhone users access beta profiles without paying the annual $99 fee?
You could try installing the iOS 17 developer beta using the IPSW file for free. However, it’s unclear whether this option is still available.
The good news is Apple’s public Beta Software Program is free. So users who want early access to the iOS 17 must wait for the public beta version, which will likely roll out in July.
However, if you must access iOS 17 beta in June, paying the $99 to enroll in Apple’s Developer Program is best.


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Satisfy your sweet tooth at upcoming downtown Fayetteville chocolate stroll
More than 15 businesses and restaurants in downtown Fayetteville will come together for something we can all agree on — chocolate.
The Downtown Alliance is organizing the stroll, which will take place June 17 to 19. The stroll will be held each day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though some participants will stay open later.
The list of participants is still being finalized, but Betsy McElwee, social media and events coordinator for Downtown Alliance, said they have 15 shops, restaurants and other businesses signed up so far, with more expected in the coming week.
The Fayetteville History Museum is among those participating. As part of its "Cocoa Loco History Hunt," the museum will host a scavenger hunt throughout the museum, centered around Fayetteville's history with chocolate. Or stop by Cooking4Fitness, 130 Bow St., where visitors can sample vegetable chocolate cake.
The museum's weekly Saturday morning farmers market will be getting in on the fun, as well. Along with the many food, art and craft vendors, the special chocolate-themed market will have seven chocolate vendors, McElwee said.
Several other spots, such as the Downtown Market Of Fayetteville, will have a tent set up outside the store, offering free chocolate samples and other activities.
Bars and eateries like Huske Hardware House, Blue Moon Cafe, Caruso Confections & Bistro and The Sweet Palate will have special menu offerings for the event.
When the list of participants is finalized, it will be available on the Downtown Alliance's website and Facebook page. A printed guide to the stroll, which will include coupons to select participants, will be available at all the participating stops during the stroll.
Jacob Pucci writes on food, restaurants and business. Contact him by email at email@example.com or follow him on Twitter at @jacobpucci or on Facebook. Like talking food? Join our Fayetteville Foodies Facebook group.
Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe" link at the top of this article.


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India’s most iconic attraction, the Taj Mahal, will now be more expensive to visit, for both international and local tourists.
Category: Top Stories
Immigration, e-visa counters added at Delhi’s IGI airport to save time
Passengers travelling abroad, via Delhi airport, will no longer have to waste time queuing up or walking 10 minutes to
Creative Travel at the World Travel Market, London
London is gearing up for the biggest travel trade show of the year, World Travel Market 2018. Join our global
Kerala Floods Update
You may have heard about the floods in the Southern Indian state of Kerala. The region is a key tourist


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The socimi Castellana Properties has acquired an office building with a gross leasable area of more than 4,600 square metres from Aliseda. The property, which is attached to the Los Arcos shopping centre, will be transformed and integrated into the commercial space with an investment of 15.6 million euros.
The company plans to provide Los Arcos with new leisure and restaurant areas with twelve new brands. According to Castellana Properties, “the expansion would allow the shopping centre “to remain at the forefront, increase its commercial mix and consolidate itself as one of the [best shopping centres] in Seville.”
Specifically, construction work is expected to begin in early 2022, while the first openings of the establishments will take place during the first half of 2023.
Read the full article in Spanish


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New Longs Drugs store will open in Downtown Honolulu on July 21
CVS Caremark Corp. will open its second Longs Drugs store in Downtown Honolulu on July 21, according to a sign in the window of the new store’s space at the Davies Pacific Center.
Workers could be seen putting the finishing touches on the interior of the 8,800-square-foot store, which will open at 6 a.m. three weeks from Sunday.
The new store will feature a “Grab and Go” section that will carry sandwiches, salads and other prepared food to cater to the downtown office lunch crowd.
Rhode Island-based CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) has another Longs Drugs store in Downtown Honolulu, about three blocks away at 1088 Bishop St.
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Faced by an acute labour shortage, the Czech government is looking to attract more foreign workers and streamline the processing of issuing work permits. In recent years, the country has in particular turned to Ukraine to help fill the gap. The government wants to do the same for workers from EU hopefuls such as Montenegro, Moldova and Serbia, as well as India and other Asian countries.
Activists from the Extinction Rebellion environmental group briefly blocked
the entrance to the Ministry for Regional Development on Prague’s Old
Town Square shortly before noon on Friday demanding that the government
reduce emissions from fossil fuels and achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
The Ministry for Regional Development is represented in a government commission which will debate the gradual phasing out of coal mining and the country’s future energy mix. The activists argued that such a decision should be the result of a broad debate and consensus in society.
Car maker Škoda Auto has received over 1,600 orders for its new crossover named Kamiq even before the start of sales at the beginning of September, according to company head Luboš Vlček. With its third SUV and first urban crossover, Škoda will be in competition with Dacia Duster, Peugeot 2008 or Renault Captur.
Seven Czech gaming studios plan to present their products at the upcoming
Gamescom international trade fair in Cologne, Germany.
The exhibitors at the Czech national booth include established studios such as Bohemia Interactive, Charged Monkey, BadFly Interactive and Czech Games Edition as well as the start-ups Charles Games, Gold Knights and Outside the Fox.
The national booth is being organized by the Czech Game Developers Association and the state CzechInvest agency with the support of Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Gamescom runs from 20-22 August. It is the second time a Czech national booth is participating.
The share of SUV models in Czech car sales has gone up to nearly 32 percent in the past three years, making them the best-selling category of cars. While Škoda tops other manufacturers in the amount of models sold, it does not dominate the category as much as it does others through the compact Octavia and supermini Fabia. Car companies are now flooding the market with new variations of SUVs.
Industrial output in the Czech Republic weakened by 3.8 percent in June
following four months of growth, according to official figures released on
Tuesday. Lower auto production has been given as one of the main reasons
for the downturn. The manufacture of metal structures and fabricated metal
products also declined.
By contrast, the production of rubber and plastic products, computers and other electronics and pharmaceuticals increased in the Czech Republic in June.
The number of construction projects launched in the Czech Republic in the
first half of 2019 was the highest for the period since 2008. Work began on
almost 6,000 new apartments between the start of January and the end of
June this year, according to official figures released on Tuesday. Work
began on 2.3 percent more family houses in the first half of this year than
in the same period in 2018.
In Prague construction began on almost 2,000 new apartments, 75 percent more than in the first six months of last year. One-third of new construction projects of that kind are in the capital.
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The combination of a cut in state subsidies at home and an increased demand for solar power in Hungary is leading many Czech companies to set up to invest in the country. However, the Czech government’s plans to reduce and eventually completely remove carbon dependency has led some to promote the benefits of increasing support for photovoltaics in the country.
The market with prefabricated wooden houses in the Czech Republic is experiencing a major boom, the website ihned.cz reports. While ten years ago, there were around one thousand prefabricated wooden houses built in the country, last year it was nearly three thousand. “Over the past year, the demand has grown by one fifth,” Martin Fojtíko of the company Bidli, which specializes in low-energy wooden buildings, told the website.
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Please take a moment to review our new 5×5.wirelesswatch.jp website. Indeed, The ®evolution Continues. Yoroshiku!
Building on past announcements, DoCoMo and notable publishing partners will roll 2Dfacto e-books for mobile Jan. 12th http://bit.ly/hC9SZU
2Dfacto, Inc., under a plan to become a new type of integrated digital/physical hybrid bookstore, announced today that it will open its first online bookstore on January 12 to sell electronic books to users of smartphones and e-book readers marketed by NTT DOCOMO, INC.
2Dfacto is a joint-venture company established by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP), DOCOMO and CHI Group Co., Ltd. (CHI) on December 21, 2010. The new e-bookstore, also called 2Dfacto, will be based on “honto,” DNP’s existing online e-book retail service. The new e-bookstore initially will offer about 20,000 titles of literature and Japanese manga comic books with plans to rapidly increase the catalog to some 100,000 titles by spring. New books, magazines, newspapers and rich-media e-books embedded with music and video content are expected to be added gradually.
At launch, customers will be able to purchase and enjoy e-books using seven of the latest smartphones and an e-book reader offered by DOCOMO: Xperia, GALAXY S, REGZA Phone, LYNX 3D, Optimus chat, GALAXY Tab and SH-07C e-book reader (launching on January 21). 2Dfacto will be accessible from other smartphones and e-book readers to be announced by DOCOMO.
2Dfacto, to further expand the scope of the “honto” service within 2011, is continuing to discuss linkage of its system with “bk1,” the DNP group’s existing online bookstore offering some one million titles of printed books, as well as the group’s physical bookstore chains Maruzen, JUNKUDO and Bunkyodo. The result would be a truly digital/physical hybrid network comprising an online store for e-books, an online store for printed books and physical stores for printed books.
Under the envisaged plan, the website for this hybrid bookstore network would offer conveniences such as recommendations based on previous purchases from all three types of bookstores, network-wide loyalty points and an e-bookshelf to view network-wide purchases. Other special functions planned to be launched this year will enable users to read the same e-book on multiple devices and share bookmarks and marked information among multiple devices.
Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.
Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!


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Consumer Confidential: GM probe, Starbucks charge, toy time
--Heads up if you drive a GM car. Federal safety regulators are investigating problems with the automatic shift levers on several General Motors vehicles that have caused at least seven crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe began with complaints about the Saturn Aura mid-size car from the 2007 and 2008 model years, affecting nearly 89,000 vehicles. But the agency is now checking to see if the problems extend to other GM vehicles. The Chevy Malibu from the 2004 to 2008 model years and the Pontiac G6 from the 2005 to 2008 model years have similar shifting systems, the agency says. GM says it's cooperating with the investigation.
--Starbucks is no longer charging extra for some coffee beans. The company has stopped tacking on a surcharge for bags of coffee beans weighing less than a pound after a Massachusetts consumer-protection agency fined the company over the practice. The Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation found in August that the coffee giant wasn't notifying customers that it was adding a surcharge of about $1.50 for bags of beans weighing less than a pound. That meant beans listed at $11.95 per pound ended up costing $7.45 for a half-pound -- not $5.98, or half the price. Starbucks quietly stopped adding the surcharge nationwide Nov. 7.
--Because it's never too early to think about holiday shopping, here's the word from Toys R Us: The company will kick off its Black Friday sales an hour earlier this year, opening its doors at 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening. Toys R Us will be one of several stores opening on the night before Black Friday. Last week, Wal-Mart said it would open at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. Toy deals will include a free $50 gift card with the purchase of any Apple iPod touch; LeapFrog Leapsters for $24.99, marked down 50% from the regular price; 40% off Ultimate Optimus Prime Transformers, which are usually $79.99; and 10 Squinkies packs for $10, which are regularly $2.49 each. And I know I'll get in trouble for asking this, but what's a Squinkie?
-- David Lazarus
Photo: GM cars are being investigated for possible shifting problems. Credit: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg News


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The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce now have a new partnership with a leading local SEO provider.
Sheffield (PRWEB UK) 14 April 2013
The British Chambers of Commerce is a national membership organisation that seeks to provide faithful business support and guidance to local businesses throughout the UK, in all industries.
The BCC represents over 90,000 business ranging from the smallest start-ups to well established regional organisations. In communities across the UK the BCC works alongside local businesses offering advice and know-how in an effort to expand growth.
While no one can argue that the BCC doesn’t provide a vital service the institution’s overall brand is still often regarded as extremely traditional and somewhat outdated. While this is the case for some branches of the BCC others are making a noted effort to push forward into the digital age of marketing such as SEO, perhaps most successful being the SCCI (Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
The SCCI has made a significant and recognisable attempt to move into the future of online marketing and advertising. The SCCI recently announced local Sheffield company The SEO Works as its preferred supplier for online marketing and SEO solutions, and the company have already established a strong web presence for the SCCI.
Not only does the SCCI boast a successful website but also strong social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. As the SCCI have tried to set an example for the businesses they provide support to other branches of the Chamber of Commerce organisation may start to follow the trend for online and digital marketing.
The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an influential and passionate membership organisation that provides dependable business support at the heart of the Sheffield business community.
For more information contact the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce on 0114 201 8888 or visit their website at http://www.scci.org.uk. Alternatively you can follow their latest updates on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. For UK services contact SEO Works.