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Ellie Gatt received an early Christmas present from Morrisons recently.
Young Ellie received a hamper she won in a recent raffle at Morrisons store on Peterhead’s Queen Street.
Morrisons’ Community Champion, Sheena Irvine, presented her with the prize.
The store is raising funds for their Charity of the Year which is Sue Ryder. Morrisons have thanked all those who purchased a raffle. A total of £80 was raised.


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LaBelle Winery News
LaBelle Winery Founder and Co-Owner Honored at Inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Day New Hampshire’s High Tea
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 26, 2018
Director of Marketing
345 Route 101
Amherst, NH 03031
Amherst, N.H. – Amy LaBelle, LaBelle Winery’s founder, co-owner and winemaker, was honored with the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Excellence in Business award on Friday, Nov. 16 at the Inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurship Day New Hampshire’s High Tea in Henniker, New Hampshire.
Heidi Solomon, a member of WED New Hampshire’s board, says LaBelle was chosen as a recipient of this year’s Excellence in Business Award because, “Amy LaBelle is a perfect example of the success that can happen if you follow your passion and are willing to take some risk. LaBelle Winery leads by example with their commitment to excellence and focus on embracing and supporting the community.”
Solomon notes that just this year LaBelle Winery has made donations in support of 1,300 nonprofits who also align the with the WED mission.
“I’m so honored to be chosen to receive the WED award in its inaugural year, and I’m grateful to have met so many powerful and interesting women at the celebration,” LaBelle says.
The theme of the inaugural event was “Personal Connections in a Digital World.” The focus was on the importance of networking and building personal relationships when trying to establish and/or grow a small business. The event also included an opportunity to donate to local charities that support women and children.
The mission of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day organization is to alleviate poverty by empowering, celebrating and supporting women in business and inspiring girls to be leaders.
For more information about WED, visit WomensEDay.org.
LaBelle Winery’s original location and vineyard are located at 345 Route 101 in Amherst, N.H.
The Bistro at LaBelle Winery, also in Amherst, serves lunch and dinner as well as brunch on Sundays. The restaurant is family-friendly and offers a special menu for children.
Guided tours of the Amherst facility are offered from noon to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Call (603) 672-9898 or visit LaBelleWineryNH.com for more information.
LaBelle Winery Portsmouth is located at 104 Congress St. Wine tastings are available daily during business hours. The store’s phone number is (603) 319-8015.
Check LaBelle Winery’s website for hours, which vary by location: LaBelleWineryNH.com.

domain: news


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This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
The counterfeit lawsuits that scoop up hundreds of Chinese Amazon sellers at once
Sun Qunming had no idea that the word “airbag” could be trademarked. Sun, who owns an e-commerce company in Shenzhen, China, has been selling phone cases to Amazon buyers in Europe and the US since 2016.
When she listed a case with air-filled bumper cushions at the edges to protect the phone on Amazon in November 2021, she didn’t know that the word “airbag” in the context of electronic device accessories had been trademarked by another phone case vendor, PopSockets.
A few months later, the company sued Sun and more than 160 other online sellers for trademark infringement. Her accounts were restricted and her account balances were frozen.
Sun is far from alone. Her case is typical of a new kind of lawsuit suing hundreds of sellers on Amazon or other platforms at the same time for selling counterfeit goods—and they’re getting increasingly baseless. Read the full story.
If you’d like to read more about the cross-border e-commerce industry in China, Zeyi has dug further into it in the latest edition of China Report, his weekly newsletter covering the tech industry in China. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Tuesday.
The iPad was meant to revolutionize accessibility. What happened?
On April 3, 2010, Steve Jobs debuted the iPad. What for most people was basically a more convenient form factor was something far more consequential for non-speakers: a life-changing revolution in access to a portable, powerful communication device for just a few hundred dollars.
But a piece of hardware, however impressively designed and engineered, is only as valuable as what a person can do with it. After the iPad’s release, the flood of new, easy-to-use augmentative and alternative communication apps that users were in desperate need of never came.
Today, there are only around half a dozen apps, each retailing for $200 to $300, that ask users to select from menus of crudely drawn icons to produce text and synthesized speech. It’s a depressingly slow pace of development for such an essential human function. Read the full story.
This story is from our forthcoming print issue, which is all about accessibility. If you haven’t already, subscribe to make sure you don’t miss out on future stories—subscriptions start from just $80 a year.
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 OceanGate was aware of safety concerns over its submersible
He claimed the sub, which is currently missing, had “visible flaws” and was not built for extreme depths. (New Republic $)
+ The company likened itself to the SpaceX of the sea. (Motherboard)
+ There will always be people willing to pay for extreme tourism ventures. (The Atlantic $)
+ Coastguards are scouring the sea for any sign of the vessel. (Economist $)
2 Building AI is seriously laborious work
Millions of people are paid a pittance to make AI seem human. (NY Mag $)
+ AI needs to face up to its invisible-worker problem. (MIT Technology Review)
+ OpenAI is considering making an app store for AI software. (The Information $)+ Joe Biden has met with AI critics. (WP $)
3 Reddit suspended some protesting moderators and reinstated others
The war of attrition between Reddit and its volunteers shows no sign of slowing. (The Verge)+ The company’s also under pressure from a disgruntled hacking group. (Vox)
4 Inside the criminal world of violent Discord servers
Groups of young men share tips and boast about their purported crimes. (Motherboard)
5 How remote working became start-ups’ secret weapon
Big Tech wants its employees back in offices—but workers aren’t biting. (Vox)
+ Some firms are even offering charitable donations in exchange for attendance. (NYT $)
7 Demand is growing for a controversial new ALS drug
Relyvrio could slow the disease’s progression, but its effects are unproven. (New Yorker $)
+ The US is clamping down on unchecked lab tests. (Undark)
10 Digital avatars are presenting the news in Indonesia
And they’re crafted to perfectly represent specific demographics. (Rest of World)
Quote of the day
“He is an explorer to the core of his soul.”
—Fellow adventurer Jannicke Mikkelsen describes her friend Hamish Harding, the British businessman currently missing onboard the Titan submersible, to CNN.
The big story
How technology helped archaeologists dig deeper
Construction workers in New York’s Lower Manhattan neighborhood were breaking ground for a new federal building back in 1991 when they unearthed hundreds of coffins. The site, known as the African Burial Ground, became one of the best-known archaeological discoveries in the country and is now a national monument.
The African Burial Ground project was among the first to use a new constellation of “bioarchaeology” tools that went way beyond the traditional pickaxes and brushes. But this was simply the first stage of a much broader archaeological revolution that brought scientists and humanities scholars together to generate data about our ancestors. Read the full story.
We can still have nice things
+ Possibly the ultimate in controversial lists: ranking Disney movies by their faithfulness to their book source material.
+ Happy summer solstice to those who celebrate, including the Sinagua people.
+ In praise of spending time pottering in your garden.
+ Aww, Slipknot’s audience knows no age boundaries.
+ Coney Island’s mermaid parade looks like a whole lotta fun.


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Toyota's Nissan Juke rival could be made in Thailand or Europe.
Toyota is in dire need of a compact SUV to compete with the likes of the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Renault Captur and the Suzuki SX4 S-Cross. The world's largest carmaker does not offer such a product in markets like Europe and India (the Etios Cross doesn't qualify for the 'SUV' tag) where the trend is catching on, while in certain Asian markets like Indonesia, its Rush compact SUV is now nearing the end of its lifecycle.
However, the carmaker will introduce a compact SUV most likely in 2016, and it would be based on the concept C-HR which debuted at the Paris Motor Show last week.
Karl Schlicht, Toyota managing officer and executive vice president of Toyota Motor Europe’s sales group, told Car Advice that the company will build a car like the C-HR in the very near future. He said the production model would not be seen next year, but at the same time, it wouldn't take several years.
The executive also revealed that the car could be built in Thailand or Europe, and that the size of it would be much smaller than the RAV-4.
Also read: 2016 Toyota Innova spied testing in Bangalore again
The C-HR based compact SUV would serve as an ideal product for Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), which currently relies on the Innova to drive volumes.
Competitors: Nissan Juke, Hyundai ix25, Peugeot 2008, Honda HR-V (Honda Vezel), Maruti-Suzuki SX4 S-Cross, Renault Captur
Expected Price: About 15,000 GBP (around INR 15 lakhs)
Launch date: 2016 in Europe
[Source - Car Advice]


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Wheels are in motion for Japanese automaker Mitsubishi to be taken over by the Renault-Nissan Alliance by the end of this year, reports Automotive News.
Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said “massive” plans will be announced.
He said: “This is not a deal where we say, ‘OK, we made the deal, now let’s think what we can do together’. No. The day we announce the deal, we’re going to tell you exactly what we’re going to do together. And it’s massive. It’s massive between Mitsubishi and Nissan. And also, it may be very significant between Renault and Mitsubishi.”
Nissan and Mitsubishi have a long-standing relationship, Mitsubishi building some Japanese-market Kei car models for Nissan. In April of this year, Mitsubishi admitted to falsifying fuel economy data which resulted in the company’s president, Tetsuro Aikawa, resigning. The managerial and financial mess that followed allowed Renault-Nissan to step in.
Pending legal and government approval, the $2.2 billion deal to acquire a 34 per cent stake in Mitsubishi is expected to go through before the end of this year.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance was formed 17 years ago when both companies were virtually on their knees. The French and Japanese sides collaborate on research and development, management, and purchasing. Ghosn intends to make Mitsubishi a partner in the alliance, rather than relegate it to being a mere brand.
“Mitsubishi in this case will join the alliance. The alliance is about developing synergy. We know that there are a lot of synergies with Mitsubishi and strategically we have a lot of connection.”
Exactly how the expanded alliance will operate in markets like the U.S., where Mitsubishi and Nissan compete directly, is still to be determined. “We will have to dig more in the U.S. But when you talk about purchasing, engineering, platforms, engines, plug-in hybrids - it’s massive.”
Source: Automotive News


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TAMPA (FOX 13) - Starbucks is at the center of a venti, hot social media firestorm surrounding the release of this year’s holiday-themed coffee cups.
The controversy has been brewing since the cups hit stores over the first weekend of November, and people are pretty steamed, saying that this year, Starbucks has taken the Christmas out of their cups.
In the past, the company has switched out their usual white cups with wintry and holiday-themed designs like snowflakes, ornaments and nature scenes.
This year, however, they’ve opted for a solid red cup, with their traditional green and white logo as the only design to be seen.
Critics are not happy about the change, and are accusing Starbucks of oppressing Christians and insulting Christmas. Some are taking to social media to express their displeasure; some are voicing their thoughts in stores; and others, like Facebook user Joshua Feuerstein, are doing both.
In a video he posted to his personal Facebook page, the former pastor claimed Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas out of their new cups. He added that employees are “not allowed to say ‘Merry Christmas’ to customers”, and went on to explain how he "pranked" them into doing so anyway.
**SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO**
“I went in and I asked for my coffee, and they asked for my name, and I told them, ‘My name is Merry Christmas’,” he said in his video. And with a slight turn of his cup, he revealed the holiday sentiment written in black sharpie where his name would usually be. “So guess what, Starbucks? I tricked you into putting ‘Merry Christmas’ on your cup.”
Feuerstein said his plan was better than boycotting the store. He called it a movement, and is now challenging all “great Americans and Christians around this great nation” to follow his lead and take their own coffee selfies.
The video had been viewed over 12 million times within a week, but not everyone who's seen it has stood behind him.
One person, for example, suggested over Twitter that both, the accusation against Starbucks, and the method of protest, were "dumb".
Another person thought the entire thing had to be a publicity stunt.
Well, Starbucks finally responded once and for all. According to the chain, the design was "meant to embrace the simplicity and the quietness of the holiday season.”
Watch the video, as posted on Joshua Feuerstein's Facebook page:


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The Mobile Money Advocacy Group has assured that steps are being taken to address cases of fraud perpetrated against its members.
The group bemoaned the situation, emphasizing its negative impacts on the volume of transactions conducted and the limited number of agents operating during certain times of the day and in certain areas.
The assurance was given following the arrest of a police officer, General Constable Ernest Agyemang Darko, who defrauded a mobile money agent of GH₵14,460 in Kasoa on November 29, 2023.
In an interview with Citi News, the Director of Operations for the Mobile Money Advocacy Group, Stephen Gorman, also urged mobile money agents to be vigilant in their line of work.
“With regard to the fraud that happened in Kasoa, the police officer actually had the money on him, but I think the agent also didn’t follow the normal protocol of doing the business. In our business, you are supposed to take the money first, count, and be sure of the amount before a deposit is made. However, there is an arrangement for the officer to pay back the money to the agent, and it will be paid in instalments.”
Four MoMo Associations—the Northern MoMo Agents Association of Ghana (NOMAAG), the Mobile Money Advocacy Group (MOMAG), the Mobile Money Agents Association of Ghana (MMAAG), and the ABAG—also announced a temporary measure limiting cash withdrawals to a maximum of GH¢1,000 per transaction.
The decision for the cap took effect on December 1, 2023.
The associations explained in a joint statement that the temporary measure is intended to draw attention to their longstanding concerns regarding inadequate compensation for their services.


text: First Las Vegas location for Betfred Sports serves as a showroom, but not for long By Howard Stutz, Executive Editor, CDC Gaming Reports April 3, 2021 at 5:00 am Think of the Betfred sportsbook inside the newly opened Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas as a model home. Betfred Sports, the U.S. subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Betfred Group, is awaiting licensing from Nevada gaming regulators. Until then, the 1,250-square-foot space provides the company’s Head of USA Development Stephen Crystal a boutique showroom inside Mohegan’s 60,000-square-foot casino that gives potential clients an idea of what they can expect. “The location shows what we offer for a retail setting inside a casino,” Crystal said. “And everyone wants to come to Las Vegas.” Betfred Sportsbook inside Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas/Courtesy photo It’s unclear how long the Nevada licensing process will take, given COVID-19 slowdowns that have challenged state gaming regulators. Betfred Sports is patient. Betfred USA was created in 2019, a year after legalized sports betting began its spread across the country. As of this week, 22 states (including Washington, D.C.) are operating legal sports betting. Four more states are expected to launch this year. Meanwhile, Crystal said the company leaders aren’t concerned Betfred is in the “second wave” of the U.S. expansion. Betfred has mobile and retail operations in Colorado, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, along with the pending Mohegan Las Vegas sportsbook. The company has deals in place with tribal casinos in Washington and Louisiana, two states that are expected to approve sports betting in 2021. Crystal said that in 12 months, Betfred could be operational in more than 10 states. The company is focused on both mobile and retail. The expansion of sports betting has led to a growing roster of operators. The market is dominated by companies whose roots are in daily fantasy sports (DraftKings and FanDuel), casino operations (BetMGM, WynnBet, soon-to-launch Bally’s), traditional sports betting companies (William Hill US, which will soon be owned by Caesars Entertainment), and media partnerships (Penn National Gaming with Barstool Sports). Betfred is building its presence in the U.S. slowly and isn’t fazed by the pace of expansion. In Britain, where there are some 300 sports betting operators, Betfred has 20% of the market from its 1,500 retail locations and mobile business. Betfred also has online and mobile wagering operations in Spain. Many U.S. states are allowing casinos to offer multiple online sports betting licenses – skins – to multiple operators. “Being privately owned, we can do things in a much quicker fashion,” Crystal said. “Everywhere I go, I’m competing with something like three dozen companies. We like our strategy.” Crystal spent the past week visiting tribal casino operators in California and Arizona that he considers potential sports betting clients. Betfred’s growth model in the U.S. focuses on tribal casinos, although its initial sports betting partners at Grand Falls Casino and Golf in Iowa and Saratoga Casino in Colorado are commercial properties. Wind Creek Bethlehem in Pennsylvania is operated by Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians, but under a commercial license in the state. The deal with the tribe gives Betfred first crack in Alabama if the state legalizes sports betting. Although he is spending time in California, Crystal believes it might not be until 2023 before the state legalizes sports betting at its tribal casinos. He is also spending time in Oklahoma, another large tribal gaming state, where possible sports betting legalization is on a slow pace. “We started in the second wave, but we’re focused,” Crystal said. The company’s U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas has 65 employees for sports trading, customer service, compliance, sales, and marketing. The roster could grow to 100 by the end of the year. The first Las Vegas casino location for Betfred is the next page in the company’s U.S. chapter. The Mohegan Sun Casino Las Vegas operates inside the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, a property just east of the Las Vegas Strip. The sportsbook will include luxury seating, a video wall, over-the-counter wagering, and self-serve kiosks. The mobile product is expected to launch at the same time as the retail operation. “Betfred wanted to enter the marketplace and we gave them a showcase location,” said Mohegan Sun Las Vegas General Manager Joe Hasson. “We will illuminate the book and show all the games. In the meantime, we’ll have staff on hand to answer questions and Betfred will be able to showcase the brand.” Just like a model home. Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.


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• MetaMask, a popular crypto wallet, was subject to false rumors that it would start withholding taxes.
• Crypto influencers took to Twitter to express their concerns about the possibility of MetaMask withholding taxes.
• ConsenSys, MetaMask’s parent company, denied the rumor and clarified that the clause only applies to sales taxes on its products and services.
MetaMask False Tax Withholding Rumors
Rumors spread that MetaMask, a popular crypto wallet, would start withholding taxes. Influencers took to Twitter to express their concerns about MetaMask.
ConsenSys Denies Rumors
ConsenSys, MetaMask’s parent company, promptly denied these rumors. Decentralization and self-custody are essential for crypto wallets.
Crypto Frenzy Over Terms of Service Change
An alleged change in the Terms of Service sparked widespread speculation and panic on Crypto Twitter.
Does MetaMask Withhold Taxes?
WhaleChart fanned the flames on Sunday by suggesting that „Metamask will pay [taxes] for you“. Other influencers echoed this sentiment which prompted an urgent response from ConsenSys.
Tax Clause Clarified
The company took to social media to clarify the situation and debunk the rumors. Specifically, they explained that MetaMask does not collect taxes on crypto transactions; rather it’s referring to sales taxes on its products and services.


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Are you aware that Fair Work-Commission has recently announced changes to workers’ wages? There has been much discussion about the new government decision to increase the wage of workers.
This announcement has led to an increase in wages for actual workers. Fair Waive Work 2022 Increase has been trendy as people search for answers about the topic. This announcement is of interest to users in Australia . Continue reading for more details.
What is the rise in wages?
As we already stated, the Fair Work- Commission increased wages for workers. Let’s look at it in detail.
- New rules will ensure that minimum wage workers receive at least $40 per week.
- The national minimum wages will be increasing by 5.2%. Fair Wage 2022 Increase
- Following has been included in the Australia change, taking into account the higher cost of living and rising inflation.
- The hourly rate for this rule will go up from $20.33 – $21.38.
- Additionally, the minimum award amount is subject to an increment of 4.6%
- These rules were created to ensure that minimum wage workers are not affected by inflation and rising living costs.
- The Prime Minister supports these rules as well.
Fair Work Commission 2022
Users are now searching for more information about this wage rise. We have already discussed the increase. Let’s see more information.
- Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of the country, supports this rule in totality and mentioned during his election campaign that he had talked about increasing wages.
- Others have voiced concerns and said that the increment could be a risk to the money and raise costs for employers.
More information about the Fair Work Commission
- The Fair Work- Commission (or the FWC) is an essential body for industrial relations in the country, created under the Fair Work Act of 2009
- The FWC fulfills many important functions, such as the recent fixation of minimum wage, processing claims, and other essential functions.
- Justice Iain Ross, the current president of the FWC.
The Fair Work- Commission is an important decision-making body. Recent announcements by it include an increase in wages for minimum wage workers.
The announcement of the increment was made where were you first informed? Comment below to share your views on this increment.


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The vegan fast-food chain announces new low-priced menu items!
Plant Power, one of the country’s leading 100% plant-based fast-food restaurant chains, announces new price reductions that now range with fast-food giants. In addition to this exciting announcement, they introduce a new pea protein burger patty!
Plant Power’s New Prices Go Head-to-Head with Fast-Food Giants
Plant Power Fast Food announces a new low-cost “Classic Burger” line! This will move the company closer to its goal of matching prices with traditional fast-food chains. “The launch of these new hamburgers and cheeseburgers at $4.95 and $5.95 respectively is a tremendous step toward achieving this goal,” shared co-founder and CEO Jeffrey Harris. As a result, the vegan fast-food eatery now offers a lower price on their Impossible Burger compared to Burger King, which shows their plant-based option at $7.95.
It’s not uncommon that veganism is often met with criticisms of being expensive. But with these new price reductions, this will expand accessibility to customers who want to try more plant-based options. As a result, finding low-price vegan items will only get easier! Plant Power currently has 11 locations, including a food truck! And by 2023, the vegan eatery plans to expand to 15 restaurants.
Plant Power Partners with Alpha Foods to Create Pea Protein Patty
The vegan fast-food chain also announces a new GMO- and gluten-free pea protein burger! In collaboration with Alpha Foods, this must-try menu item has been in the works for years. “We have spent nearly two years collaborating with Alpha Foods’ R&D to painstakingly perfect the new juicy, smoky, and wildly delicious burger patty. We are thrilled with the results,” shared Plant Power co-founder and COO Zach Vouga. This will be your go-to burger option if you’re in the mood for something brighter and delectable!
Stay Connected with Plant Power Fast Food
Plant Power is at the forefront of veganizing our fast-food favorites. Including breakfast sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and finger foods. Along with perfecting our comfort favorites, they release seasonal milkshakes! Featuring two new flavors, Mixed Berry and Salted Caramel, these sweet treats will cool you down for the warmer days ahead. Visit their website to stay updated on new menu items!


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It certainly hopes to, as the company has just announced a new game in the third person action genre.
The game is called Oni, which is a Japanese word meaning ghosts or demons, and the anime-inspired plot tells the tale of Konoko, a crime-fighting policewoman who must battle the demons in her own past. Bungie describes the story as a mix of La Femme Nikita and Ghost in the Shell.
Oni is being developed at Bungie's new San Jose development studio, a location it opened up only last year. This will be the first title from the new group.
Bungie promises to offer both martial arts and gun combat during the gameplay.
"When your gun runs out of ammo, drop it and take out your opponents with flying kicks and neck-snapping throws," said Bungie. "If you knock an opponent's gun out of his hand, you can grab it and finish off a roomful of them in a blaze of fire. If the action gets too hairy, kill the lights, prime a concussion grenade and dive through a window while the room explodes above you. Action fans will not be disappointed."
Bungie plans to use interpolated animation, radiosity lighting effects, and a 3D engine to bring the game's "urban jungle" to life. A simultaneous Mac/Windows game, Oni is expected in 1999.


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The V&A shopping and entertainment centre in Cape Town is set to see a major overhaul.
The V&A shopping and leisure centre in Cape Town is set to see a major renovation project to upgrade the site.
The area is already one of the city’s premier consumer and commercial centres but it is hoped it will be able to expand further following the completion of works valued at 35 million South African rand (£2.7 million).
Alex Kabalin, retail executive at the V&A Waterfront, said the location has become one of the most popular family venues in the city, something which has brought about the need for the renovation works.
He explained changes to the dining facilities will be particularly significant.
“Diners will have spectacular views across the central entertainment hub, working harbour and Table Mountain,” Mr Kabalin added.
A number of events are also held at the venue across the year, with music concerts held in the summer months and a big wheel offering stunning views across the harbour in place to the end of April 2012.
Written by Nicholas Scott
Get the best deals on flights to Cape Town with Southall Travel


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Finance / New Hires / Company News / Cannabis
COPPERSTATE FARMS APPOINTS BRAD KOTANSKY AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
PHOENIX, Ariz. (September 29, 2020) – Copperstate Farms Management, LLC, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Arizona, is announcing the appointment of Brad Kotansky as Chief Financial Officer.
He most recently served as Chief Financial Officer at 4Front Ventures, a publicly traded, multi-state cannabis operator. Prior to his transition into the cannabis space, Kotansky co-founded a leading software company and also had his own real estate development firm. He brings over fifteen years of executive level experience on Wall Street having worked as a hedge fund portfolio manager and investment banker.
“We are delighted to have Brad join our organization. He brings tremendous passion for the industry, keen financial acumen, and a love for building teams. Copperstate Farms is experiencing tremendous growth and we have a need to build out our bench as we scale,” stated CEO Pankaj Talwar.
“Throughout my career, my focus has always been to help organizations scale and build a sustainable business, while also implementing solutions to de-risk opportunities. I look forward to applying this methodology to my new role at Copperstate Farms,” said Kotansky.
Copperstate Farms is home to the largest indoor cannabis facility in the U.S. with 40 acres under glass. A licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis in Arizona, Copperstate Farms is the parent company to multiple product suites and dispensary retail concept Sol Flower. For more information visit CopperstateFarms.com.
*Copperstate Farms has implemented social distancing and enhanced safety measures at its cultivation facility and Sol Flower dispensaries during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
About Copperstate Farms Management, LLC:
Established in 2016, Copperstate Farms Management, LLC, is a vertically integrated cannabis company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is a licensed producer and distributor of medical cannabis in the U.S. and operates a 1.7-million-square-foot facility and 40-acre greenhouse grow in Snowflake, Arizona. Copperstate Farms is the parent company of multiple product suites and dispensary retail concept Sol Flower, which includes a public-facing café and wellness classroom. The multi-use dispensary brand has locations in Tempe and Sun City, Arizona.
Copperstate Farms is dedicated to bringing growth to the local and state economy through the hiring of local laborers, material suppliers, and contractors. For more information, visit CopperstateFarms.com.


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Data Snack: 40% of SMBs would close if cash flow dried up today
- Nearly 40% of small businesses would have to close their doors within two months if cash flow dried up today, a new Fundbox survey found.
- Businesses report ongoing challenges in securing capital, supply chain delays, and the rising cost of capital as interest rates continue to increase.
A new survey from Fundbox found that nearly 40% of small businesses would have to close their doors within two months if cash flow dried up today.
Cash flow gaps represent the biggest headache for the vast majority of SMBs – a study found that 82% of the time, poor cash flow management is the main reason why small businesses fail.
This is not because they don't have a good product or service, or good customers. It's because there's an issue with the timing of inbound and outbound cash flows.
Over time, the inbound and outbound balance out. But when growing as a business, more has to be spent today to drive more cash flows in the future, which can create quite a few problems for small businesses.
"These cash flow gaps usually happen because you have to invest money upfront to deliver a product or a service, but you only get paid after the fact. And so this timing mismatch creates a problem. And ironically, it creates a problem when you're growing a business," Prashant Fuloria, Fundbox's CEO, told Tearsheet.
Moreover, a lot of small businesses have to offer 30-day, 60-day or 90-day terms to their customers, and the resulting timing mismatches hurt their cash flows. And the bigger the clients, the worse the terms, he added.
"There's a trillion dollars of unpaid invoices that are owed to small businesses in the US – if it were made available, this could be used by the small businesses to better run and grow, but it's not made available right now," Fuloria said.
According to Fundbox's survey, 74% of SMBs reported experiencing a cash flow issue in the past year. The survey asked decision-makers at 1,520 small businesses with revenues of up to $5 million and an employee headcount of less than 100 about how the macroeconomic trends over the past six months were affecting their business.
The survey also found that digitization is growing across this vital sector of the U.S. economy, with respondents indicating interest in technology investment to drive growth.
But SMBs also need a steady stream of working capital to be able to invest in the tools and technology that can future-proof their business. Many businesses have plans to digitize, but lack the capital available to make it happen.
Businesses report ongoing challenges in securing capital, supply chain delays, depleted savings, and increased debt from COVID, and the rising cost of capital as interest rates continue to increase.
"It's clear that small businesses know what they want from capital providers. Respondents shared that they value transparency, partnership and human touch, easy access, and flexibility. 47% choose cash flow solutions based on transparency in fees, while 37% base their decision on word of mouth," the report found.
Interestingly, despite all of these challenges, most small business owners remain optimistic about the future of their business – almost two-thirds of them expect the business to actually grow.
Small businesses are already using tech to drive performance across various aspects of their business. 69% use digital marketing, 63% use payroll software, 53% use HR software, and 29% use ACH to pay bills.
As over half of small businesses struggle to retain employees, 33% plan to increase employee salaries – a strategy that also requires steadier cash flow streams.


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May 20, 2015 -- Music Day Festival Celebrations in Mazatlán on June 6th are recommended to travelers by El Cid Timeshare.
May 20, 2015 -- Doug Tallamy shares the benefits of natural ecosystems.
May 20, 2015 -- JTV to Accessorize Military Women During Fleet Week NY 2015
May 20, 2015 -- The Science Museum of Virginia hosts Bikes: Science on Two Wheels from May 30 - September 27, 2015. Get into gear with hands-on exhibits and biketastic programming all summer long.
May 20, 2015 -- Social Security beneficiaries have lost 22 percent of their buying power since 2000, according to the 2015 Survey of Senior Costs released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL).
May 20, 2015 -- NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement CEO Rick Grimm awarded Fellowship by UK-based CIPS, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, the organization's highest grade of membership.
May 20, 2015 -- RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon and its crew will present interactive educational program at Cardinal Bernardin Catholic School in Orland HIlls, Ill., on May 26.
May 20, 2015 -- Apollo School in Aledo, Ill, will welcome RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon on May 27 for presentation of interactive educational program.
May 20, 2015 -- Properties Are Available for Bulk and Individual Purchase as Part of May 30 Event
May 20, 2015 -- Thomas Harman, Founder and CEO of Balsam Brands headquartered in Redwood City, CA, is a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2015 Award in the Northern California region.
May 20, 2015 -- Reviews.com invested 1400 hours, speaking with top veterinarians, dog trainers, and university researchers, to uncover the truth about dog food and raise awareness around the fact that quality...
May 20, 2015 -- The newest phase of RE/MAX Northern Illinois’ mobile strategy adds a location-aware, Map-Centric search and new touch friendly interface to mobile website.
May 20, 2015 -- Eight years in the making, Stemulation Luxury Skin Care President and CEO Laurie Nicoll stands at the helm of the stem cell cosmeceutical products industry. Through the addition of a key management...
May 20, 2015 -- Travelers agree that the multitude of Tibet tour destinations can make organizing a trip seem a bit intimidating at first. To get travelers started with planning a trip Tibet Ctrip Travel Service-TCTS...
May 20, 2015 -- Mountain Falls visitors are starting the season early with buyer intentions.
May 20, 2015 -- TopTenRealEstateDeals.com delivers the latest scoop on today's hot real estate news - celebrity,...
May 20, 2015 -- With update 11.0, Packing Pro by QuinnScape now makes it even easier to share lists with other family members & fellow travelers. New list options let users create richer & more useful...
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May 20, 2015 -- Abiquiu artist plants garden of delights in latest exhibit
May 20, 2015 -- Genuine Cultured Pearl jewelry brand, Nishi Pearls, announces the launch of their new affiliate program in time for spring. They invite bloggers and retailers alike to join them on their eCommerce...
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May 20, 2015 -- “SMART kapp” was featured on NewsWatch as part of its monthly Tech Report,...
May 20, 2015 -- The Venetian on Grace Bay is proud of the glowing reviews they have had on TripAdvisor over the past several months. The boutique resort in the Turks & Caicos Islands is celebrating this amazing...
May 20, 2015 -- Tune in to the newest radio show from Cloud Talk Radio as Keith Eneix discusses four tips on company culture that can help companies build a more effective work environment.
May 20, 2015 -- My Positive Perspective broadcast an episode with musician Irene Rose to announce details on this year’s First Flush Festival. During the episode, Deierlein and Rose both shared knowledge and...


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New Accolade Accompanies Announcement of Hotel’s 2018 AAA Five Diamond Rating
DALLAS, Texas – February 8, 2018 –U.S. News & World Report magazine has just released its Best Hotel Rankings for 2018, and The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas has been named the #1 hotel both in Dallas and in Texas overall.
To determine this distinguished accolade, U.S. News & World Report identified the best luxury hotels based on the aggregate opinion of published travel experts, and on overall customer satisfaction as expressed in online guest reviews provided under license by TripAdvisor. This year the highly respected organization ranked more than 24,000 hotels across the USA, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and Europe.
“We are thrilled and honored to be part of this remarkable group,” said Roger Ponce, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. “The award is a testament to the inspiring service commitment exhibited by all of our ladies and gentlemen. We look forward to sharing further great news about this hotel and team throughout 2018.”
The U.S. News description of The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas indicates that guests say “the rooms alone are worth The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas' high price tag.” They also cite the appeal of the hotel’s adjoining Fearing’s Restaurant, noting that “visitors said that the eatery deserves its numerous accolades thanks to its gourmet American cuisine.” Additionally, the magazine notes the ability of guests to take advantage of the Marriott Rewards program when staying at the property.
In addition to its #1-in-Texas award, The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas was also announced this month as the recipient of a 2018 AAA Five Diamond ranking. The Ritz-Carlton is the only AAA Five Diamond hotel in the Dallas/Fort Worth market and in Texas overall, with AAA emphasizing that “museum-quality artwork, a luxurious Club-Level lounge and nationally acclaimed restaurant set this hotel apart.”


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An NYPD investigation into a counterfeit luxury goods business in New York City culminated Wednesday in six arrests and the recovery of tens of thousands of counterfeit purses and wallets, authorities said.
The fake luxury goods had a total estimated street value of $3.5 million, according to police.
Investigators from the NYPD Trademark Infringement Unit began looking into the La La Fashion store at 115 W. 28th St. about two months ago, police said.
The items seized from the store had been shipped from China, and included counterfeits of designer name products like Tory Burch and Michael Kors, according to police.
The counterfeit luxury merchandise was also offered for sale online, and supplied to Chinatown and Canal Street shopping corridor vendors, police said.
The six people arrested, ranging in age from 27 to 62, were charged with first-degree trademark counterfeiting, police said.


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SHORT PUMP, Va. (AP) — A Virginia woman accused of having a fake explosive device that set off a bomb scare in a grocery store parking lot says the object was a novelty alarm clock she bought at a garage sale.
Daphne Page was arrested Friday after someone spotted the bomb-like object in the back seat of her car in the Whole Foods parking lot in Short Pump. Authorities used a robot to remove the object from the vehicle and inspect it.
The 52-year-old told The Richmond-Times Dispatch in an interview from jail that the object was a clock designed to look like a bundle of dynamite that she bought for $1 as a gift for her daughter.
She said she didn’t realize it would scare people, calling it an “obvious fake.”
Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com
The post Va. woman arrested in bomb scare says object was an alarm clock appeared first on WTOP.


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Following an article published in print on 23 January 2020 headlined “Time to give solar sellers the old Evo”, and online headlined “Beware offers of a free service on your home solar heating system”, the ESE Group and EVO Energy Solutions complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the Daily Mirror breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice.
The article reported that the customer in the article had received “junk-mail” which had led to her paying “around twice the going rate” for a replacement battery and which a relative of the customer had claimed was second hand.
The article also named a solar association, the BTSA, and a company which the article said claimed to be one of its members, which it reported had sent out “similar mailings” to those which had been found to be in breach of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code. Both versions of the article contained a quote from the complainant saying that the order had been “cancelled”.
The complainant said the article was inaccurate: there had been no junk mail, but a personal telephone call which was part of the contract between the complainant and the customer; that the battery’s price was not twice the going rate; that it was misleading to discuss the BTSA and its member in the article to which it said it was unrelated; that the order had not been “cancelled” but the customer’s payment was on hold during IPSO’s investigation, and that they had offered to reinstall her old battery and that the battery was not second hand.
IPSO found it was significantly inaccurate to characterise a phone call, which the complainant was contractually obliged to make, as “junk mail”. It also found it was significantly inaccurate to state as fact that the battery had been sold at “around twice the going rate” when this was not a like-for-like comparison, without putting this to the complainant first for an opportunity to comment.
The Committee found that it was misleading to have referred to the mailings sent by the BTSA/its member in an article which reported on the experiences of one of the complainant’s customers without also including an explanation as to how the complainant was said to be connected to these two organisations.
It was also inaccurate to report that the customer’s order had been “cancelled” when in fact the customer’s complaint was on hold.
Finally, it was significantly misleading to print claims that the battery was second hand without printing the complainant’s denial of this.
IPSO found that the publication had failed to take care not to publish inaccurate information in breach of Clause 1.


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For over half a decade, pundits have predicted 3D printing (also called additive manufacturing) would revolutionize industries and supply chains. Those predictions may finally be coming true. “The way we make the world around us,” writes Juan Perez, Chief Information Officer at UPS, “how we design, produce, deliver and reclaim the objects of everyday life — will follow new routes. We are trekking down many of these routes today but have just scratched the surface of where such journeys will take us.” Additive manufacturing is just one of those routes; but, it will impact supply chains in a major way. Mitch Free (@mitchfree) and Rick Smith, co-founders of Fast Radius, explain, “A massive shift is taking place around the world. Three-dimensional printing is enabling meaningful productivity improvements in manufacturing and supply chains at startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. … Industrial 3D printing is the Second Wave of production technology. It is just beginning to disrupt a $14 trillion global manufacturing industry that is based on mass production. But this is merely the first chapter in an epic novel, a story we’ve seen play out time and time again. 3D printing is the catalyst for the inevitable Great Disruption of mass production. It’s not a prediction, it’s a pattern.” They believe 3D printing will be as impactful as the Model T.
Why 3D Printing is Revolutionary
Several years ago, Jon Cobb, Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Stratasys, told Travis Hessman (@TmHessmanIW), the real revolution being fomented by additive manufacturing is not how things are going to be made but what things are going to be produced. Hessman explains, “It turns out that the important change 3-D printing offers the world isn’t just the objects themselves. As Cobb explained, it’s not simply a matter of replacing an injection molded part for a printed part; it’s throwing out everything we know about part architecture and the limitations of the past and learning to design for 3-D. The real 3-D printing revolution, he said, is what happens when designers begin mastering the new 3-D tools — all of its shortcomings, advantages and novelties — and making new things as they’ve never been made before.” What surprises many people is the range of materials that can now be used in additive manufacturing processes — everything from plastics to epoxies to metals. This plethora of materials is also part of the 3D printing revolution. Drew Turney (@drewturney) reports some companies are working on processes that use multiple materials in a single additive manufacturing fabrication process. He explains:
“Imagine 3D printing a car, the wall of a building, an aircraft wing or some similarly complicated structure all in one step — not just the metal, concrete or carbon-fiber shell, either, but with everything like power conduits, plumbing, fuel lines, rubber seals and moving parts intact. Sound like science fiction? Thanks to a revolution in the making, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho–based Continuous Composites believes it’s just around the corner. The company has worked with carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass, fiber optics and continuous copper wire. Its secret sauce is the ability to print multiple materials concurrently to produce a ready part with all the composite pieces in situ, as it emerges from the 3D-printing device. Continuous Composites calls this process continuous scaled manufacturing — a step beyond traditional additive manufacturing.”
It doesn’t take a soothsayer to see why 3D printing can be revolutionary; but, additive manufacturing affects the supply chain more broadly than the simple fact that new products can be made in a new, customized ways. Revolutions always cause disruptions and the 3D printing revolution is no exception. The staff at MHI asserts, “3D printing is a ‘game changer’ for manufacturing, but its real impact on supply chains will take years to play out, experts say. According to the 2016 MHI Annual Industry Report, Accelerating change: how innovation is driving digital, always on supply chains, only 17 percent of nearly 900 supply chain professionals surveyed said they believe that 3D printing can be a competitive advantage, and only six percent consider it disruptive; 45 percent say it will have some impact. However, adoption rates are expected to rise significantly. In the survey, conducted with Deloitte Consulting LLP, roughly half (48 percent) of respondents felt that 3D printing will be adopted in their supply chain over the next six to 10 years, compared with a 14 percent adoption rate today.” What those figures primarily demonstrate is a lack of imagination.
The Biggest Disruption could be to the Supply Chain
Alan Amling (@alan4logistics), a Vice President with UPS Supply Chain Solutions, told William B. Cassidy that the supply chain is going feel a tremendous impact from additive manufacturing. Especially hard hit will be transportation modes. “With on-demand manufacturing,” Amling stated, “there’s going to be an impact on the express shipping of those on-demand parts. … Parts won’t be printed in Louisville to go to Asia. … People have been talking about supply chain compression for years. It’s being driven by the on-line demand consumer. Those demands are trickling up the supply chain to manufacturers and it’s creating a gap they understand they need to fill. … If 3-D printing affects 5 percent of manufacturing, getting rid of slow moving parts, etc., that’s $650 billion. It’s a big market and a great opportunity.” Gilles Roucolle and Marc Boilard, from Oliver Wyman, report that additive manufacturing is already having an impact on the spare parts supply chain. “The race is on to use 3D printing to produce small-series parts, on demand and on location, for industries from aerospace to automotive,” they write. “At stake is the shape of a $400 billion market for spare parts manufacturing and logistics. And those changes are not 20, or even 10, years out — they are happening now. … Industry analysts, however, project that within three years fully 80 percent of global 3D printing capacity will be dedicated to making finished products. GE, for example, expects to print 40,000 jet-fuel nozzles for aircraft by 2020. This is not good news for spare parts makers. Equipment that experiences constant wear and tear — such as planes, trains, trucks, and cars — requires a steady stream of spare parts specific to each make and model. These are often complex parts produced in small series and sometimes for decades, in cases where equipment has a long life span.” Perez adds, “In coming years, our ability to manufacture the world we want, tailoring it to our exact specifications, will change how and where we manufacture what we need, how we track what we make and how we close the cycle of material use and reclamation.” In other words, the supply chain as we know it is likely to be disrupted in significant ways.
“Think new, never-before-seen products mass-produced from materials that once seemed exotic,” writes Christopher Mims (@mims). “Next to microchips, there is no more powerful unlocking technology than materials science. … The legions of cheap 3-D printers on the market now are mere toys compared with what is coming because they can’t produce parts strong enough for most uses. Once we can make things that are usable in the real world right at our desks — or at the nearest copy shop — 3-D printing could have its ‘PC moment.’ Traditional manufacturing won’t go away — we still make glass in essentially the same way as the Romans, after all — but it may never be the same again.” Kevin Coleman adds, “Many believe that 3D printing technologies will create far more disruption than it is being credited with. Just consider the disruption created by limited production runs. Conventional manufacturing processes and techniques have a substantial cost (time and money) for tooling and set-up. But 3D printing eliminates that cost by moving from the CAD systems directly to the point of production — the 3D printer. Innovative thinkers are hard at work looking at all the interesting aspects of this exciting technology.” The 3D printing revolution will take years (if not decades) to unfold; but, it will change manufacturing and associated supply chains in disruptive ways.
 Juan Perez, “Making the World of the Future,” Longitudes, 26 March 2017.
 Mitch Free and Rick Smith, “Why 3D Printing is the Next Model T,” Longitudes, 23 November 2016.
 Travis Hessman, “Rethink Everything: 3-D Printing and the Product Design Revolution,” IndustryWeek, 25 August 2014.
 Drew Turney, “This 3D-Printing Technology Is All Science, No Fiction,” Longitudes, 10 August 2016.
 Staff, “3D Printing will Disrupt Manufacturing as Adoption Rates Rise,” MHI, 24 June 2016.
 William B. Cassidy, “Forget ‘consumer hype,’ 3-D printing is about supply chains,” Journal of Commerce, 18 May 2016.
 Gilles Roucolle and Marc Boilard, “3D Printing Is Already Starting To Threaten The Traditional Spare Parts Supply Chain,” Forbes, 6 March 2017.
 Christopher Mims, “3-D Printing Promises to Change Manufacturing,” The Wall Street Journal, 29 February 2016.
 Kevin Coleman, “The Disruptive Evolution Of 3D Printing,” Manufacturing.net, 28 January 2016.


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Traditionally, packaging has performed three fundamental roles – protection, transportability and communicating relevant information to supply chain participants. Meanwhile, today’s packaging systems leave a significant environmental footprint with millions of cardboard boxes and single-use plastic packaging solutions that end up in domestic waste streams and escape into the environment.
Analysis of e-commerce parcels also shows that up to 40 per cent of their volume is empty space. Poor package utilization translates into lower utilisation of transportation assets, which drives up energy consumption and puts additional strain on supply chain network capacity. And under-utilised packaging can also increase the risk of product damage in transit.
"Today’s transportation solutions aren’t made for multi-use, which was in our brief. So what we looked at was a solution designed for reverse logistics based on sustainable and reusable packaging materials, allowing for packaging optimisation of the planned furniture sets, as well featuring smart technology for tracking and identifying contents," says Marcus Hansson, Senior Strategic Designer at Boid.
"To achieve those objectives, we evaluated new technologies, materials, and processes across the value chain," he continues.
“Technology is a great enabler for the circular economy”
Boid’s team of product designers works close to academia, combining new technology with new materials and the latest findings in climate and energy research, based on the conviction that technology is a great enabler for the circular economy. After analysing the problem and evaluating several options, Boid presented NORNORM with three potential solutions, of which one was selected and further developed.
"Our solution is based on using pods for transportation and storage, produced from recycled materials. They’re designed to be durable, providing good protection, and allow for efficient packaging opportunities for different types of furniture sets, without disassembling."
"Another important aspect that we picked up from the brief was that the solution must be ergonomic – i.e. good for people. This means that the pods must be lightweight, equipped with wheels and easy to manoeuvre, potentially in an automated way," Marcus Hansson says.
The next step in the process is to develop a prototype for the pod, a process that includes carefully evaluating materials based on several criteria e.g. circularity, weight and resilience.
"We will carefully analyse which material is most sustainable, whether it’s ocean plastics or other types of recycled materials. It’s an interesting assignment that responds to growing frustration over packaging that is hard to use and difficult to recycle. Packaging waste represents a significant environmental challenge, so it’s quite exciting to be part of a project where we are encouraged to design an innovative solution that delivers beyond the traditional concept of packaging and handling of goods." Marcus Hansson says.


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The couch potato lifestyle common in the US may have consequences later, in the form of deficits in memory, executive functioning (including planning and execution) and processing speed.
At the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, researcher Kristine Yaffe and colleagues reported that low levels of physical activity and high rates of television viewing in young adulthood may reduce cognitive capabilities in midlife.
The Centers for Disease Control report that less than 50% of adults aged 18–64 get the recommended minimum of physical activity each week. The guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity (such as walking briskly) and two or more days of muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups.
Yaffe says that physical activity can protect against cognitive decline or dementia later on.
Participants in the long-term study who reported burning fewer than 300 calories per 50-minute session three times per week during two-thirds of their followup visits had worse cognition at year 25 than those participants who were more active. Those who watched more than four hours of television per day also had reduced cognition in midlife.
Yaffe stresses that exercising regularly is not just important in keeping weight down and protecting the heart, but also in protecting the brain. Regular physical activity may even prevent illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Low levels of vitamin D levels are common, particularly in older adults and in African Americans and Hispanics. Unfortunately, low vitamin D is associated with decline in two types of cognitive functioning: episodic memory (memories of autobiographical events) and executive function (reasoning, problem-solving, planning, etc.).
A recent study with a particularly diverse group of participants, over half of whom were African American or Hispanic, found that over a period of about 5 years, episodic memory and executive function declined faster in older adults with low levels of vitamin D.
Average vitamin D levels for the entire group of 382 adults were below national standards. Levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D should be between 20 and 50 nanograms per milliliter of blood. The average fell just below this, at 19.2 ng/mL. Over a quarter of participants had vitamin D deficiency, with levels below 12 ng/mL, and another 35.1% had vitamin D insufficiency, with levels between 12 and 20 ng/mL.
African Americans and Hispanics had lower levels of vitamin D (17.9 ng/mL and 17.2 ng/mL, respectively) than whites (21.7 ng/mL). Average vitamin D levels were lower in participants with dementia compared with those who had mild cognitive impairment or normal cognitive function.
Vitamin D levels can depend on factors such as dairy intake, sun exposure, and exercise. It has not been determined whether taking vitamin D supplements could slow down cognitive decline, but vitamin D supplementation has several benefits. Compared to placebo, supplementation with vitamin D increases response to antidepressants. A high percentage of children with major psychiatric disorders are vitamin D deficient, and it is also estimated that about 40% of adults in the US have a vitamin D deficiency.
The study by researcher Joshua W. Miller and colleagues was published in the journal JAMA Neurology in September.


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Some things just get better with age. Case in point: Thursday night’s 25th anniversary of the La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival, benefiting education programs at The Contemporary Austin.
Held on the bucolic grounds of Laguna Gloria, the 2014 edition of LDV had the air of a fully matured event, free of the stress that can sometimes accompany such a massive undertaking. A great touch this year was the use of creative video mapping on the historic Driscoll Villa that visually illustrated the museum’s focus on educating people of all ages, courtesy of the talented team at ILIOS Lighting Design.
The fare ranged from Salty Sow‘s corned beef tongue Reuben tacos to waffle cones with fried chicken and a chipotle maple syrup from Moonshine. Taking home the prize for “best dish” was newcomer Vox Table for their inventive smoked hamachi with a dressing that was delivered from a tube at the end of the skewer. Cool stuff…and the perfect bite.
On the wine side, the big winner for the evening was Tranquilo Cellars, which swept the red and white wine categories. We’ve been coming to this event for a long time and I don’t think we’ve ever seen one winery take home the prize for both…congratulations! Speaking of congratulations, big kudos to The Contemporary for keeping La Dolce Vita fun and engaging. We’re already thinking ahead to next year.


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Calrec Audio Expands Presence In Asia/Pacific Region
Calrec has had a permanent presence in Asia to support its distributors in the region since mid-2009, following a period when all sales and support was administered directly from the company's headquarters in the UK. Now based on the prestigious Alexandra Techno Park development in Singapore (also home to the local headquarters for Hewlett Packard, Nokia and Sennheiser), Calrec's Asian office is run by Graham Murray, who attributes the company's healthy and expanding sales in the region to having a local office in the right time zone for business in the region.
"We've had an increase of more than 250 percent in annual sales turnover in this region since opening the office in Singapore. We now have 12 Apollo desks in Japan, including our first Apollo at NHK, and recently 12 Omega consoles have been sold to South Korea," explains Murray. "It's all about our customers here feeling that we're committed to this region. We have a dedicated demo room in Singapore where we run seminars and product training, and we've found that this can be very useful to our distributors in the region when they're pitching to potential clients. The addition of Ace Yip to our staff will strengthen that commitment to our regional customers."
Mr Yip, Calrec’s new Product Specialist Asia Pacific, is a fluent native speaker of Mandarin and Cantonese, and previously worked at MediaCorp, Singapore's largest broadcaster. In early Autumn this year, he began handling product demonstrations and presentations at the Singapore office.
"It's a pleasure to join the Calrec Audio team," comments Mr Yip. "I hope to add to the great work Graham has achieved over the past couple of years."


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Best Buy Co. on Tuesday slid 11%, its worst daily percentage drop since December, as its warning about margin pressure overshadowed improved quarterly results, while Tesla Motors Inc. rebounded after the company unveiled a plan to address investor concerns about fires involving its cars.
Best Buy BBY, -1.13% reported it swung to a third-quarter profit of $54 million, or 16 cents a share, from a year-earlier loss of $10 million, or 3 cents a share. Earnings from continuing operations rose to 12 cents a share while revenue inched down to $9.36 billion. Analysts had forecast earnings of 13 cents a share on revenue of $9.37 billion. But the retailer cautioned that a competitive promotional environment in the fourth quarter could hurt its gross margin as the company seeks to compete on price.
Tesla TSLA, -0.53% shares recovered 3.7%. The electric car company has asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to fully investigate the recent Model S fires, according to Chief Executive Elon Musk. The announcement on a company blog Monday outlined a three-pronged plan to fight investor concerns.
Musk also took to Twitter on Tuesday to criticize the inordinate amount of attention these fires are getting from the media and the public. “Why does a Tesla fire w [sic] no injury get more media headlines than 100,000 gas car fires that kill 100s of people per year?” he asked in a tweet.
Apple Inc. AAPL, +0.94% shares edged up 0.2%. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who has been trying to convince Apple to buy back up to $150 billion in shares, reiterated that Apple’s stock is undervalued and said Chief Executive Tim Cook feels the same way. At the same time, he criticized Apple for holding too much cash. Apple isn’t a “bank” and “should not be run like a bank because investors did not invest in a bank,” he said at Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit conference on Monday.
Campbell Soup CPB, -0.24% shares slumped 6.2%. The company said Tuesday its fiscal first-quarter profit dropped 30%. Campbell Soup, which owns its namesake soup brand as well as the Pepperidge Farm and V8 juice brands, cut its fiscal 2014 outlook.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. JEC, -0.43% shares shed 5.8%. The company late Monday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of 84 cents a share, below the 87 cents a share forecast to analysts. Jacobs provides technical services to markets like defense, infrastructure, mining, energy and pharmaceuticals.
Salesforce.com Inc. CRM, -0.03% shares retreated 5%. The cloud-based software company late Monday reported a third-quarter loss of 21 cents a share. On an adjusted basis, it earned 9 cents a share, in line with estimates.
Devon Energy Corp. DVN, -0.67% shares rose 5%. Devon is close to reaching a deal to buy GeoSouthern Energy Corp. for about $6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported. A deal could come as early as Wednesday, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter.
Tyson Foods Inc. TSN, -0.69% shares added 4.6%. The meat company on Monday reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $261 million, or 70 cents a share, on $8.9 billion in sales. Adjusted earnings increased to 70 cents. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected earnings of 69 cents a share on sales of $8.8 billion.
Boston Scientific Corp. BSX, +1.37% shares gained 3.4%. The medical devices marker’s Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation system won European approval to treat dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions.
Top Tickers Trending
$JPM: Shares of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. JPM, +1.00% climbed 0.7%. The bank agreed to pay the U.S. government $13 billion to settle accusations that it misled investors about mortgages it bundled and sold in the run-up to the financial crisis. In the settlement announced on Tuesday, the bank acknowledged that it made “serious misrepresentations to the public” about “numerous” mortgage-backed securities transactions.
$HD: Home Depot Inc. HD, +0.27% shares gained 0.9%. The home-improvement goods retailer posted a 43% jump in fiscal third-quarter profit as sales increased 7.4%. The company boosted its full-year view, now expecting per-share earnings of $3.72 on 5.6% revenue growth.
$JCP: J.C. Penney Co. JCP, -5.19% shares closed out the session unchanged. The retailer is slated to release third-quarter results on Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect Penney to report a loss of $1.70 a share amid signs of recovery at the struggling department store chain.
$URBN: Urban Outfitters Inc. URBN, -3.68% shares pared earlier losses, shedding 0.8%. The clothing retailer said late Monday its fiscal third-quarter profit rose to $70.3 million, or 47 cents a share, on sales that jumped 12% to $774 million. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected earnings of 45 cents on revenue of $769.9 million. Companywide gross margin and comparable sales at the Urban Outfitters chain both missed expectations, and the company signaled caution heading into the holiday season.


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i have never seen a picture that represented this entire show more than this.
I’ve never seen a picture that, from L to R, represents Jenn, Charlotte and myself more than this.
"Strangers kissing in the pouring rain, chasing after your leaving train…"
Our Song - The Spill Canvas
Animated by ABVH [tumblr]
I laughed until I snorted.
In case you haven’t already seen it, allow me to ruin your evening on behalf of the universe’s greatest band.
In the US, Best Buy employees prepare to open the store to shoppers in Overland Park, Kansas. Instead of waiting for Black Friday, which is typically the year’s biggest shopping day, more than a dozen major retailers are opening on Thanksgiving this year, the so called Grey Thursday.


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Dreadnought has set sail! This new tactical shooter published by indie studio Six Foot lets you command massive floating battleships and wage war against your friends in a fierce battle to conquer territory. You’ll have over 70 ships to choose from at the beginning, with more to be unlocked as you play.
Six Foot and independent developer YAGER have released the biggest feature update yet for Dreadnought, the class-based spaceship action game, on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. These new improvements are designed to give players even more progression choices and ship customization freedom, as well as stronger feedback on their performance in battle. This update contains three patches previously released on the Windows PC edition ofDreadnought, as the development team continues working to achieve parity between both platforms.
Six Foot and independent developer YAGER have released a new content update for the free Windows PC open beta of Dreadnought, the class-based spaceship action game, introducing a new, objective-based game mode: Conquest. Still in development but available now as a playable preview, Conquest pits two teams against one another, battling to capture and defend control points through careful positioning and dominance around the map.
Pillars of Eternity 2 is set to launch on May 8 but developer Obsidian Entertainment have already revealed their plans for the game post-launch. In a blog post on their official site, the team went into detail about the expansions that will be coming to the title as well as what players can expect from future DLC.
Obsidian stated that they plan on releasing “three exciting, in-depth expansion packs for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. The expansion packs will include new quests that will add to the lore of the Deadfire, new areas to discover, new secrets to reveal, and a whole host of new characters to meet and challenges to overcome!”
The first expansion, entitled Beast Of Winter, will arrive in July and see players encountering a doomsday cult. The second pack should release in September. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor, will challenge players with a strong focus on combat. Meanwhile, the last DLC is The Forgotten Sanctum. This is set to hit digital shelves in November and will emphasis the moral choices you make as you can either help or hinder the wizards that can be found in the last area.
Today Six Foot and independent developer YAGER announced the release of update 1.11 for the multiplayer spaceship shooterDreadnought on Windows PC. In direct response to feedback from the Dreadnought community, the tech tree has been completely reworked with this patch, giving players more freedom to directly go after the modules and ships they really want. The new Naga hero ship has been added to the game, along with secondary loadouts for even greater in-match variety, Razer Chroma peripheral integration, and additional enhancements and fixes.


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2 minute read | August.30.2023
Weights & Biases, a machine learning operations platform for developers, has raised $50 million from startup investors Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, and Daniel Gross, a former partner at Y-Combinator. Existing investors Coatue, Insight Partners, Felicis, Bond, BloombergBeta and Sapphire also participated in the strategic round.
Orrick advised Weights & Biases.
“Nat and Daniel have been in the ML space for a long time and were both early users of Weights & Biases,” co-founder and CEO Lukas Biewald said. “Having users invest in the company pushes us to make our products even better.”
Based in San Francisco, Weights & Biases is a machine learning operations platform that seeks to help developers build better models faster.
Weights & Biases has “provided the tooling for most of the well-known LLMs on the market, including OpenAI, Nvidia, Meta, Cohere, MosaicML, Huggingface and Stability, along with hundreds of enterprises in virtually every industry.
“Those LLMs have already had a profound impact on the ML space and we're finally seeing true democratization of AI. Suddenly it’s possible for any developer to build great ML-powered solutions on top of the GenAI or LLM products out there,” Biewald said.
The investment will help Weights & Biases develop a set of LLMOps tools called “W&B Prompts” to help customers build and maintain reliable products powered by machine learning.
Orrick’s John Bautista and John Harrison led the team advising Weights & Biases. The team also included Kaitlin Bagby, Vinny Mei, Steve Malvey, Jason Flaherty, Karen Cannon, Daniel Yost, Jose Lamarque and Jeanine McGuinness.


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CORINTH — PepsiCo is closing Corinth beverages warehouse by the end of February.
PepsiCo said the operations are moving to its Tupelo warehouse.
Of the 31 employees affected by the closure, the majority will be given the opportunity to transfer to Tupelo, says Vincent Bozek with PepsiCo North America spokesman.
The warehouse has operated in Corinth for 25 years.
Headquartered in New York, PepsiCo manages more than 40 bottling plants and move than 50 warehouses in North America.


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Apple is ready to 'loop us in' at an event next week in Cupertino.
Apple TV owners will be able to watch two games at once during this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
With the latest Nest update, your home automation products have a better idea of when your house is occupied.
UpdatedThe Galaxy S7 is finally here, and you can get your hands on one right now. Here's where you can find it.
UpdatedWe're calling Samsung's curvy new flagship 'the best phone in the world right now' – here's how to get one.
Running Man of TechWe should never get old. I found out how hard things are going to get for me in 2055.


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Today, the industry is mourning the loss of one of its own. CBC News reports that famous pitchman Phil Kives, who founded K-Tel International in the 1960s, died on April 27 in Winnipeg at the age of 87.
K-Tel was best known for marketing such DRTV hits as the Veg-o-matic food cutter, the Patty Stacker, the Miracle Brush, and Hooked on Classics.
In 2006, Kives was the subject of the documentary, As Seen on TV: The K-Tel Story. For more information about this infomercial pioneer, click here.
Phil Kives image by Angela Johnston/CBC.


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TJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide. Our…read more
Pureprofile research reveals behaviours, habits and motivations behind fitness
A new study by global data and insights company Pureprofile, has revealed the behaviours, habits and motivations of Australians' approach to fitness. The study looks at the reasons why Australians - across all age groups - exercise and the price of keeping fit.
The study found on average, millennials spend $1,020 per year to keep fit with five per cent investing over $3600 a year on gyms, fitness classes, smartwatches and exercise apps.
Most people, including Baby Boomers, nominate overall wellness and health, and the positive impact on mental health as the most tangible and intangible reasons they exercise, respectively.
Dr Uwana Evers, Pureprofile data scientist, said the study showed how much Australians valued their health and wellbeing, and that technology was playing a pivotal role in helping them stay fit, advising "our study has shown that most Australians will find a way to keep healthy even if they can’t make it to the gym.
“The boom in free exercise videos on YouTube and free access to elite athlete trainers in training apps go a long way to help people start and maintain their fitness journey.
“Now everyone can have a virtual personal trainer thanks to free apps that can customise individual training programs,”
Dr Evers sees that Australians are paying attention to their health and diet, and are conscious of the broad benefits of being physically active.
She added “we can see from the results that exercise is important to most people, across all generations, including older Australians. It’s clear that people are mindful about staying fit and healthy as it impacts their longevity and quality of life."
The study's findings and more are revealed in Pureprofile’s Australian Fitness Report 2019.
Just how fit do Australians think they are?
• Extremely fit – 4%
• Moderately fit – 38%
• Not fit but not unfit – 37%
• Very unfit – 5%
Overall, the most popular exercises were walking (68%), swimming (24%), running (24 %) and weight training (20%). Being time poor was a bigger problem for women than men when it came to exercising. Among millennials, more than 51% of females said they were affected by time constraints compared with more than 35% of males.
The top three barriers to exercise across all age groups were:
• Lack of time: 41%
• Lack of motivation: 40%
• Dislike working out with others present: 19%
Overall, outdoor gym classes and martial arts were amongst the least popular activities. The study found that people who train at home compared with those in favour of gyms, fitness classes, sport, and personal training was relatively equal.
More than 70% of people who work out at home claim that overall health and wellbeing was the leading motivating factor to exercise. 44% of people who exercise at home say that their inability to stay motivated is a problem compared with 36% of those who use gyms.
10% of those who train at home say they don’t like exercising but do it anyway.
In terms of frequency of exercise:
• 48% of people work out between 30 and 60 minutes per session
• 20% of men exercise for more than 60 minutes
• 11% of women train for more than 60 minutes
According to the study, 29% of people exercise less than five times a month, while 32% said they worked out 20 times or more.
The monthly spend on fitness-related products reduces with age. These products include active outerwear, compression garments, shoes, gym equipment, protein powder, supplements, accessories and fitness apps.
The monthly spend on fitness-related products are:
• 28%: $21-$50
• 26%: up to $20
• 14%: $51-$100
• 12%: $101+
The survey revealed that 56% of people use some form of wearable technology device (eg smartwatch, activity tracker, heart monitor).While wearable tech is common among Gen X and Y, baby boomers are also quite savvy. In the 55-64 age group, 46% of women and 39% of men use wearable tech.
Click here to read the full report.
28th March 2019 - Fitness Australia flags FILEX 2019 highlights
29th March 2019 - New womens fitness business summit to launch in Sydney
12th March 2019 - New marketing strategies needed to drive ongoing growth of 24/7 gyms
14th February 2019 - The Fitness Show returns to showcase the latest in exercise and wellness
22nd January 2019 - NZREPS reviews the top Exercise and Wellness Trends for 2019
15th January 2019 - Fitness Australia names new Chief Executive
12th March 2018 - Australian fitness industry revenues to grow to $2.4 billion by 2022/23
29th March 2017 - Study shows HIIT the best exercise for anti-ageing
22nd November 2016 - Technology to shape the fitness club of 2020
12th October 2014 - 24/7 fitness trend shows no sign of slowing
20th October 2012 - Fitness Australia findings show a healthier and fitter future
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For Immediate Release
National Consumer Protection Week brings attention to common scamming practices and educates customers on how they can fight back and protect themselves
PHILADELPHIA (March 5, 2020) – PECO this week joins Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) to recognize National Consumer Protection Week and to educate customers on how they can guard against falling victim to imposter utility scams.
As a member of UUAS—a consortium of 146 U.S. and Canadian electric, natural gas and water companies and their respective trade associations—PECO and its sister Exelon companies, Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, and Pepco, work across the industry with regulators, law enforcement, and telecommunications partners to stop scams targeting customers.
"The personal and financial safety and security of our customers and their information is our top priority," said Funmi Williamson, PECO senior vice president of Customer Operations and Chief Customer Officer. "National Consumer Protection Week provides us with another important opportunity to educate and equip our customers on how to protect their personal information and to broaden our awareness efforts through Utilities United Against Scams to combat the utility scamming that continues to target our customers."
UUAS and its member companies continue to create awareness of common and new scam tactics and, to date, have helped to cease operations of more than 6,000 toll-free numbers used against utility customers by scammers.
When scams occur, a customer typically receives an unsolicited phone call from an individual, who falsely claims to be a company representative. The scammer often warns that the customer's service will be terminated if they fail to make a payment – usually within a short timeframe through a prepaid debit card or other direct payment method.
Scammers have even duplicated the telephone systems of some companies, so when customers call the number provided by the scammer, it sounds like a legitimate business. Some scammers also use caller ID "spoofing" to replicate a company's phone number.
Signs of Potential Scam Activity:
How Customers Can Protect Themselves:
Don't Get Scammed: Customers can avoid being scammed by taking a few precautions:
Throughout the year, PECO takes steps to raise awareness among its customers, including posting tips to social media, adding alerts on the peco.com homepage, issuing news releases, and participating annually in Utilities United Against Scams Day in November. Any PECO customer who believes he or she has been a target of a scam is urged to contact their local police, and call PECO immediately at 1-800-494-4000 to report the situation.
PECO, founded in 1881, is Pennsylvania's largest electric and natural gas utility. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PECO delivers energy to more than 1.6 million electric customers and more than 532,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. The company's 2,700 employees are dedicated to the safe and reliable delivery of electricity and natural gas as well as enhanced energy management conservation, environmental stewardship and community assistance. In 2018, PECO was named to Forbes Magazine's list of Best Employers for Women. The company also has an estimated annual economic impact of $4.8 billion in Pennsylvania, supporting more than 9,000 local jobs and producing $775 million in labor income. PECO is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's only Fortune 100 utility and leading competitive energy provider. For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.
If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news releases via email, please send your email address to email@example.com.


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UK retail sales: consumers spending more but getting less
- Retail sales volumes rose by an estimated 0.4% in August, following a fall of 1.1% in July (revised up from 1.2%).
- Sales volumes are up 0.3% in the three months to August 2023.
- The month saw a rise of 1.2% in food store sales and 0.6% in non-food store sales, non-store retail volumes fell 1.3%.
- Retail sales had been expected to rise by 0.5% (Trading Economics).
Nicholas Hyett, Investment Manager at Wealth Club, commented: “High street sales in August bounced back after a wet July saw shoppers stay at home. Meanwhile the stronger high street performance put a dampener on online sales, as more of us ventured back into the shops.
While sales weren’t quite as strong as economists had expected, the broad narrative of a relatively strong UK consumer remains intact. However, it’s worth noting that while sales values have ticked up, volumes have continued their recent downward trend. We’re spending more but getting less as inflation bites.
Economically speaking the consumer may be robust, but it probably doesn’t feel like that to the individual when the shopping bags get lighter every month.”


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Continuing its releases of new Air Max Plus colorways, Nike recently unveiled a new “Neon” look of its retro runner. Part of the sneaker giant’s 20th-anniversary celebrations for the model, the Air Max Plus received a sleek black makeover with eye-catching neon green hits.
The “Neon” colorway features a black mesh upper accented by glossy TPU overlays and textured leather on the mudguard and heel. While a pure black Air midsole and a neon green sole plate rounds up the design of the shoe.
Priced at $150 USD, the “Neon” Nike Air Max Plus is set to release at Nike Sportswear retailers February 8.


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THE Australian dairy export index fell at the end of the first week of 2017 after four consecutive weekly rises, due to weaker WMP prices and a stronger Australian dollar.
Spot quotes from Australasian exporters were all unchanged this week. Milk powder prices have proved the most “sticky” - SMP quotes have been US$2,050/t since mid-August, while WMP has been quoted at US$2,700/t for the past three weeks. Butter held at US$3,250/t while cheddar remains at US$3,200/t, also for the third consecutive week.
The Aussie dollar ended last week higher at US$0.757, the result of a weak US jobs report released on Friday which pushed the greenback lower. Weaker than expected non-farm payrolls in August and a disappointing wage result weighed on the US currency.
These factors combined to shave the index by 0.3 of a point, to 163.6.
Note: - The index is an indicator of spot trends in gross export returns to the Australian dairy industry based on quoted Australasian dairy commodity export spot prices, movements in currency and the mix of total milk usage in product exports by the Australian industry.
This index was set at 100 on 1 January 2000.


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I've taken this past 24 hours to really soak in the news of Microsoft's mobile announcement. Officially announced yesterday, two phones named the KIN One and the KIN Two, these devices will be aimed at teenagers, students and the Generation Y to take control of their online social lives.
Just so we're all on the same page, courtesy of CNET, here is what was announced.
I'll start off gently and openly applaud Microsoft for taking this strong stance and seemingly popular move. As far as corporations go, the student market is often neglected and not taken into account. Microsoft has taken this step over the last few years, especially since the start of this calendar year, by including the Generation Y as part of their target audience and remit. Forget what they have actually produce; that isn't important in this context. The fact they have shifted their focus and shuffled their internal strategy - this alone - should be applauded.
- Read more: Mary Jo Foley's coverage of "Pink"
And now the bad news. These devices are doomed to fail, and when they inevitably do, they will take Microsoft's Generation Y focus down with it. This is worst case scenario, in my opinion. But the reasons are important to take to note.
Who says what, exactly?Why has Facebook become so popular with students, with other lesser used social networks like Bebo about to face the firing squad? In a nutshell, the reason is simple; the reasoning however may not be, but stick with me on this one. Facebook is popular because we as a generation chose it to be. There were no advertisements or marketing as such to entice students and teenagers in - just the fact that the ripple effect of our friends joining spurred the rest of us into joining ourselves.
The Generation Y choose the technology, the products and the services to use and to buy. The market doesn't dictate to us, and we do not usually conform to products or services "aimed" at us. If we want to use it, we will, but not because a company or organisation says we should based on what they offer.
Twitter isn't a huge thing for students, still. Five months ago, I said Twitter isn't really for students unless you have something to promote. I use it for work, mostly. Those who are involved in student societies, student union's or political activity use it a fair bit but for not really for personal gain.
There will be no applications for the Kin phonesThis says it all, really, and there is nothing else to say about it. Well, maybe "bah" and "humbug", and "this is why it is doomed to fail", but nothing more.
The devices: the good, the bad, and the very, very uglyThey are ugly, aren't they? When I was a younger lad, going back a few years to when I was 13 or so, the science fiction programmes on the television had communication devices which look very similar to the Kin One - similar to those flip-open make-up "things" that women often carry around with them.
Times have changed though. One of the reasons the iPhone took off the way that it did was not just the mobile application expandability but also the simplicity and aesthetics of the device. The BlackBerry range is the same; they look modern and fashionable but aren't really aimed at students. The Kin One looks like a relic of the Star Trek days and the Kin Two looks like a blunt instrument you could kill a grown man with.
iPhone users will probably not be convinced. Ina Fried, CNET, said it exactly as I thought it: "The Kin isn't the iPhone".
The network operators need to play ball too.Seeing as these devices are social network focused, with Facebook, Twitter, text and instant messaging, Microsoft expects these phone users to be sending a fair bit of data across the networks. Well, let's face it: the full QWERTY keyboard gives it away. But Microsoft doesn't control or even have that much say in the data transfer rates of the phone network providers.
Verizon Wireless will be selling the device on its network, but has not stated how much the device will cost. If it is in fact aimed at the younger generation, not only will it have to be something we can afford without having to cut our food budget for the month, but also be cheap in the long run. The network features such as streaming music with your Zune Pass, could run up high data usage and therefore high costs.
Having your own in-house femtocell would potentially solve this problem, but you shouldn't be expected to buy additional hardware to keep your network data costs down. The networks will need to ensure that users of these data intensive phones aren't running up data bills higher than their tuition fees.


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Iconic Italian fashion house Valentino has been snapped up by the Qatari royal family for €700m (US$857.46m), marking one of the most prominent purchases of a European top designer brand by an emerging market investor. Valentino said Mayhoola for Investments SPC, which is backed by a leading Qatari investor, had acquired full ownership of Valentino Fashion Group from London-based private equity fund Permira and Italian textile entrepreneurs Marzotto.
Valentino did not disclose financial details of the sale nor name the investor. But two sources close to the deal told Reuters the Qatari royal family had acquired Valentino in a deal that values it about €700m. Founded by designer Valentino Garavani, the Italian high-end fashion brand acquired global fame thanks to its trademark bright-red chiffon dresses, loved by princesses and Hollywood stars alike.
Perella Weinberg Partners was the adviser for the Qataris, while Mediobanca and UniCredit advised Valentino. Valentino is the latest Italian luxury brand to be bought by a foreign investor, a sign of the resilience of the sector even as Italy sinks into a deep recession. In December 2010, high-end menswear retailer Trinity bought Italian menswear brand Cerruti for US$70m. In 2011, Dubai retailer Paris Group bought fashion house Gianfranco Ferre.
The Qataris, who also own London's Harrods department store, have been one of the world's most active investors with assets ranging from stakes in German sports car maker Porsche to shares in British bank Barclays. Permira took control of Valentino Fashion Group, which at the time included Valentino and German menswear brand Hugo Boss, at a market peak in 2007 for €5.3bn in one of the largest deals in Europe that year. In December 2009, hit by the financial crisis, Valentino had to restructure its debt and Permira, together with the Marzottos, placed Hugo Boss, which has a market capitalisation of around €5.4bn, in a separate entity.
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A Portrush hotel, which was recently placed into administration, has reported strong bookings for the summer season.
Established in February 2001, the Ramada Portrush is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known hotels.
The 69-bedroom hotel has won multiple awards including a Gold Guest Satisfaction Award for EMEA with Wyndham Hotel Group.
Ann Donaghy, general man ager of the Ramada Hotel explained that it is business of usual at the Main Street Hotel: “It’s been a challenging time for our business, but the support of our staff and customers allied with the commitment to the hotel shown by the joint administrators has ensured that the Ramada Portrush continues to trade as usual across all business areas.
“Over 40 per cent of our customers are returning visitors, demonstrating the lasting appeal that Ramada Portrush has for local and international guests.”
Joint Administrator Gregg Sterritt added: ““The business has continued to trade as normal with operations fully maintained and all bookings honoured which is in line with the commitment we gave at the outset of this process.”