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Dollar General plans to spend more on labor this year. However, the company is not planning to pay its workers more, following the likes of Walmart and TJS Cos, owner of TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods. Instead, it plans to offer workers at its 11,800 stores more hours.
The market for quality customer service staff is getting competitive. Over the last year, retailers like Ikea, Gap and most recently Walmart have increased wages in an effort to retain staff, improve customer service and cut down on training and recruiting. As the market for low-wage workers tightens, Dollar General hopes to entice good workers with a more full-time schedule, rather than higher wages.
About 12% of the company’s part-time staff currently earn the federal minimum wage of $7.25, according to the Wall Street Journal. Employees with the company for longer than five months can move up to $9 an hour – similar to what Walmart will says all of its workers will make starting 1 April.
“In terms of what we’re paying, we feel pretty comfortable,” Richard Dreiling, chairman and chief executive of Dollar General, told the Wall Street Journal. “We’re going to continue to monitor the landscape and we’ll assess or make any adjustments that we need to make.”
The main complaint of low wage workers and those lobbying on their behalf is that they should not have to chose between higher pay and full-time schedules. Ideally, they should have both.
When Walmart announced that it would be raising its hourly pay to at least $9 an hour by April, workers firstly claimed the accomplishment as their own – as the end result of months of lobbying for higher pay – and secondly demanded full-time schedules.
“We are so proud that by standing together, we won raises for 500,000 Walmart workers, whose families desperately need better pay and regular hours from the company we make billions for,” Emily Wells, a leader of OUR Walmart, said in a statement.
Wells was paid $9.50 an hour and was working about 26 hours per week. “Without a guarantee of getting regular hours,” she said, “this announcement still falls short of what American workers need to support our families.”
Many workers feel they have to chose between decent hourly pay or a full-time schedule. Starting in January of this year, Ikea is paying all of its employees at least $10.76 an hour.
Derek Dutch, who works at Ikea in College Park, Maryland, was making $12.90 an hour. He now makes $15.59 an hour – twice the federal minimum wage. The pay hike did not come without a cost, he said. He has lost about five hours of work a week.
“I am getting paid more per hour, but I am getting less hours. It’s a drastic change for me to go from 30 [hours a week] to 25,” he told the Guardian. “The full-time is the most important to me. If this is the only job I have, I don’t want to work five hours a day. I would like to be there full-time, eight hours a day.”
He is not the only worker whose hours have been cut. The change has affected many of the part-time workers at his store, he said.
The company continues to live up to its hours level commitment to its workers, Ikea spokeswoman Tracey Kelly told the Guardian. Ikea maintains an open dialogue with workers about their flexibility and availability and will never schedule workers below “agreed upon hours level commitment”.
“Schedules are adapted within the hours level category to take into consideration the fluctuation in sales volume which is normal in the retail business. For example, January and February are months where we traditionally have fewer visitors, in part because of weather conditions in most of the country,” she said.
Ikea workers receive their schedules three weeks in advance. Those like Dutch who work on average 20 hours a week or more are eligible for health benefits.
Whether it’s just the winter lull or not, though, Dutch is worried about the future for jobs like his.
“It’s like there’s a movement to get people out of there quicker,” he says. “They are coming out with these new ‘innovative’ ways to get the work done faster.”


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Fast food giant McDonald’s is to continue to roll out an interiors format that uses replicas of iconic chairs, despite criticism from one of its former interiors contractors, which has accused the company of piracy. Fritz Hansen earlier this month severed its multimillionpound partnership with the chain to supply its Egg (pictured), Swan and Seven chairs as part of a Europe-wide refurbishment programme, when it discovered McDonald’s had been using reproductions of the items in the UK.
However, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s maintains that it is acting within the law, because according to legal advice it sought, design rights for the chairs expired in 1983. McDonald’s has said the design format, which uses ‘reproduction similars’ of the Arne Jacobsen chairs made by Fritz Hansen, will continue to be rolled out across its UK outlets, although European outlets will use alternative design options based on concepts developed by French designer Philippe Avanzi. A spokeswoman for McDonald’s says, ‘the reproduction similar chairs are widely and legitimately available in the UK, sourced from legitimate suppliers. We’ve made no attempt to pass them off as originals.’ ‘We will continue to implement the [design] concept, as it best fits how we want to look across the UK high street,’ she adds. The case highlights the differences in attitudes towards intellectual property rights in the UK and Europe, says Anti Copying in Design chief executive Dids Macdonald.
The refurbishment programme, based on a strategy called Less is More, which was developed by McDonald’s in-house design team in conjunction with Avanzi, is being overseen by the food giant’s head of brand strategy Pierre Woreczek and senior director of marketing and strategic planning Jenni Smallshaw.
Fritz Hansen, which is the sole rights holder and producer of furniture designed by Danish architect Jacobsen, had been supplying furniture as part of McDonald’s refurbishment programme since 2006. ‘McDonald’s approached us with a concept that we found interesting – to furnish outlets with Jacobsen chairs, some 2500 of which have been installed in restaurants,’ says Fritz Hansen chief executive Jacob Holm. In London, the Holborn and Edgware Road branches of McDonald’s feature the replica Jacobsen chairs.
Arne Jacobsen designed The Ant in 1952, the Model 3107 chair in 1955, and The Egg and The Swan chairs in 1958

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Facebook has struck a deal will photo library site Shutterstock to provide businesses with millions of images to use in their adverts. Businesses often have a tough time finding the right photo to fit their advertising campaign but, thanks to the new deal with Shutterstock, companies will be able to search through the a Facebook-based database to find the right, free image to use for their advert.
Facebook announced the new Shutterstock deal yesterday on the 'Facebook for Business' blog. In the announcement, the social media giant has promised to release three product updates over the next few days, as well as the new Facebook pictures library, which will help small businesses to create and manage ads on the site.
Shutterstock's images are going to be accessible within Facebook's advert creation tool and they will be completely commercially licensed and formatted for use on all Facebook advert formats. The deal is great for small businesses, who don't necessarily have access to significant photo libraries, as good images always boost advert interaction. According to Facebook:
High-quality, engaging photos often increase the performance of ads, particularly in News Feed. And now, through our collaboration with Shutterstock, it will be easier for businesses to integrate beautiful photography into their Facebook ads.
Businesses can also now upload multiple Facebook images at one time, allowing them to create more than one advert at a time. Marketers will be able to select images from various sources, such as previous ads and Shutterstock's database. Businesses will be able to test different photos in their advertising campaign thanks to the update.
Two months ago, Facebook announced that Facebook ads were going to be simplified so that small businesses could better use them. The deal with Shutterstock makes the process of finding and uploading photos far more streamlined. Facebook has also updated the Pages Manager app for iOS and Android devices.


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Uber is parking its entire global media buying and planning business with GroupM’s MediaCom.
The appointment comes without a formal review process and acts as a consolidation for Uber, expanding an existing relationship with MediaCom. Effective Jan. 1, 2021, MediaCom will be responsible for handling all digital and offline brand media in active markets. MediaCom U.S. chief transformation officer Ilana Abrahams-Nolte and MediaCom group business lead, executive director Latha Sundaram will lead the account.
“Today requires a different approach to brand building and innovation, which is why we have consolidated our global media needs with MediaCom,” Uber global head of media Travis Freeman said in a statement. “The work they’ve done for Uber during perhaps one of the most disruptive times in our industry, has given us the confidence that our partnership will continue to thrive globally.”
MediaCom previously handled media buying and planning for Uber in Australia and the U.S. Uber previously worked with a number of agencies in other markets, including OMD in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Initiative in Latin America.
Uber spends around $190 million on measured media channels globally, excluding digital channels, according to data consultancy COMvergence.
“As one of the leaders of the new age of advertisers and one of the most cutting-edge brands around, we are proud to be part of Uber’s amazing global journey,” MediaCom global CEO Nick Lawson added in the statement. “To be appointed as their consolidated global agency of record is testament to the incredible work we see day-in-day-out across the business.”
The consolidation follows Duracell appointing MediaCom as global media agency of record back in May.
The company attracted attention recently for an August campaign with creative agency Wieden+Kennedy that told riders who tolerate racism to delete Uber. A campaign back in April saw Uber tell riders to stay home.


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According to published reports, VF Corp. is rumored to be near a deal to acquire DC Shoes, a division of Quiksilver Inc. The Orange County Business Journal cited rumors that Quiksilver “could sell part or all of the company to a larger competitor are circulating among people in the industry and on message boards and blogs.” The trade journal noted that there's also “gossip” that Quiksilver rejected an investment or buyout offer from Nike Inc.
But much of its article was centered around the possible sale of DC Shoes to VF Corp., which owns Vans and Reef in the action sports space.
Quiksilver hired Morgan Stanley last year to help it raise money to alleviate its debt load. Although the company said it was looking to expand borrowing with existing lenders or find a private equity investment, it was also exploring the sale of all or part of its assets. Quiksilver has $1 billion in short- and long-term debt as of Oct. 31.
The rumored DC Shoes sale comes after VF Corp. last week said it is splitting up its Outdoor Americas division, replacing it with two new divisions, or coalitions, Outdoor Americas and Action Sports Americas, effective Feb. 1. Steve Rendle, president of The North Face, will become president of the new Outdoor Americas coalition, and Stephen Murray, president of the Vans brand, will oversee the Action Sports coalition
Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Jeff Mintz told the The Orange County Business Journal that he hasnt heard the rumor about Quiksilver shopping DC Shoes, which is acquired in 2004. But he said a deal could make sense.
“DC is probably the companys most valuable property and selling it could bring in some much needed cash to pay down debt and put Quiksilver in a stronger financial position,” he said.
“DC was a very good acquisition for Quiksilver,” Mintz added. “At the moment, it is the companys fastest growing business and one that seems to be least impacted by the consumer slowdown.”


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Company Maserati has shared a new image of its first hybrid car, which will go into the series – Hybrid Ghibli. Initially it was assumed that the model will be presented at the Beijing auto show, but the exhibition was canceled because of a pandemic coronavirus. New premiere date – July 16. The presentation will be in online mode, it will start at 14:00 Kyiv time.
Maserati, which until recently remained one of the few automotive companies not elektrifizierung lineup finally released a serial hybrid that can be recharged from the outlet. A new modification of the Maserati Ghibli will get a gasoline-electric installation and charging function, but the technical details are still kept secret.
The standard Ghibli is equipped with three-liter gasoline V6 engine with a capacity of 350 or 430 HP diesel engine of the same volume, which gives 250 or 275 forces. Both units are combined with vosmidiapazonnoy automatic transmission, rear or all-wheel drive. Top Ghibli S Q4 is gaining first “hundred” in 4.7 seconds, while the diesel versions it required 6.3 seconds.
The automaker has already begun development of the first fully electric propulsion – the project meets the Innovation Lab of Maserati in Modena. It is already known that the first electricity will be transferred models GranTurismo and GranCabrio. Moreover, it is already possible to hear sound on electric cars Maserati.


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Dead Space was a franchise that was so worldwide renown when it first released that everyone had to pick up a copy of this horror video game. However, after three installments, the franchise was shut down by EA along with the Visceral studio a short time later. Now that some time has passed, perhaps a resurgence could create a fourth installment or a sequel to that franchise in general. It looks like one executive producer from the original title wouldn’t mind getting back into the series.
Glen Schofield, the co-founder of Sledgehammer Games and once the executive producer of Dead Space, spoke about the franchise during a talk with Game Informer. It was during that talk where Glen revealed his interest in going back to Dead Space, though he wouldn’t want to dive into a fourth installment necessarily. According to Glen, Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 started to really complex the narrative a bit too much.
However, the chance of it happening is very slim. When pressed about EA’s current standards and just what would it take for a new installment to come out from the franchise, it appears that the latest reports are still ringing true. It’s all about creating an experience that would keep fans playing for the long haul and honestly that may kill what fans enjoyed about the franchise. Survival horror-style video games don’t necessarily have a long haul type of experience.
There’s really no crowd of gamers jumping online and working together in order to progress the narrative and campaign. That seems to be the latest trend as of late with these games as a service along with battle royale titles. We’re not saying they don’t belong, but perhaps they wouldn’t work for certain franchises like Dead Space and until that trend dwindles down, we likely won’t see a new installment anytime soon.
Regardless, it’s nice to see that veterans like Glen Schofield interested in the game franchise after all these years have passed.


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According to a report by eMarketer, Yahoo is expected to end 2014 with about 3.2% of the nearly $19 billion mobile advertising market. Based on their calculations, Yahoo is expected to take 3.74% of the market share, bypassing Twitter’s expected 3.69% share. Surpassing Twitter puts Yahoo in third place overall for mobile ad sales in search and display, still trailing enormously behind Google and Facebook, which currently have 37.66% and 14.36% shares, respectively.
Still, this is huge news for Yahoo. The 1% increase is the largest of any of the companies that eMarketer tracked, and by 2016, the total amount of money spent on mobile ads is expected to exceed $40 billion. Additionally, Yahoo’s mobile audience has more than doubled since the end of 2012, going from around 200 million to over 550 million as of Q3 of this year.
The “Moneyball” Team
Per Bloomberg, much of the credit for the major growth in advertising market share goes to Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer and the company’s “Moneyball” team, named after the Oakland Athletics baseball team’s approach to analytical problem solving. Mayer reportedly gave a group of employees the challenge to create an ad feature that would work on mobile devices and desktop personal computers – and she gave them a scant 45 days to complete the project. Just 43 days later, the team returned with a new service and began laying the groundwork for the technology that would help drive the company’s increase in market share.
It’s also important to note that before Mayer’s arrival, Yahoo was paying almost no attention to mobile ventures, just about literally. Less about 1 percent of their workforce, around 50 people, were tasked with working on technology for smart phones and tablets – essentially a rounding error. Currently, there are about 600 people working on mobile developments.
The Cloud’s Smoky Grey Lining
While there’s no question that Yahoo has made tremendous progress, they’re still at the foot of, not a hill but, a giant mountain of competition. As the SF Gate points out, if you only look at mobile display ads:
Yahoo is in sixth place–behind Apple, Pandora, Twitter, Google and Facebook.
Additionally, their portion of the mobile search market is fairly small; just a 4.9% share, and it’s only expected to grow to 5.2% by 2016. They’ll also be facing stiff competition from other advertisers for both search engine share and mobile marketing dollars.


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Coca-Cola’s association with Christmas is well known, with the ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ads the start of the festive season for many. But as it celebrates 100 years of festive advertising, the company wants to throw “everything at it”.
It’s why, alongside its classic ad, the brand is running ‘The Letter’, an ambitious ad that aims to inspire consumers to be truly present with each other.
“We wanted to do something special in 2020 so we threw everything at it. That is not only an Oscar-winning director, the effort was huge in terms of the production and in making the ad completely virtually,” Coca-Cola’s marketing director for Great Britain and Ireland, Kris Robbens, tells Marketing Week.
He is “proud they pulled it off” and will be measuring success through consumer response.
He explains: “We are looking at how engaged consumers are with our campaign. We want to be there for everybody. We are reaching over 95% of UK people and want to make sure it resonates with everybody.”
Due to Covid-19, Coca-Cola had to cancel its annual truck tour but is providing consumers with the opportunity to create their own virtual selfie with the truck. Robbens says that despite the circumstances he feels a “responsibility” to make sure Coca-Cola keeps Christmas activity as normal as possible.
“We are the brand that is associated with Christmas and we want to live up to that. We have a responsibility to make everybody’s Christmas special,” he adds.
Looking forward to 2021
2020 has been a difficult year for many and it has been one of change at Coca-Cola in its marketing, with a reorganisation of innovation. In July, CEO James Quincy explained the brand was cutting ‘zombie brands’ in order to make way for stronger growth. This is a shift for the company from having a range of different brands that appeal to overlapping segments of consumers and occasions, to a more streamlined approach.
Robbens says “it’s a little too early to tell” what that means for the UK but he is in the process of reviewing the portfolio.
He explains: “It’s all about sustainable long-term growth. It’s really about the brands that we know will resonate with consumers and looking at how they [fit into] a portfolio of drinks that will meet as many people in as many moments as possible.”
This doesn’t mean Coke is halting innovation and Robbens is most excited about the launch of an entirely new brand this year in Topo Chico, a hard seltzer that marks Coca-Cola’s first foray into the alcohol market.
“As a company this is the first skilled effort into alcohol, which is exciting for us all and I am really happy GB [Great Britain] is one of the first markets that will happen,” he says.
He adds: “We are going to tap into a lot more consumers and drinking moments so it is hugely exciting, but we are hugely conscious we have to do it in a responsible way.”
Whether it’s a launch into a new market or the culling of brands, Robben has been kept busy this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. But it is the welfare of his team that he sees as a pivotal part of his role, particularly with remote working.
He explains: “I love being in the office with my team around me and knowing what’s going on. I find it hard now because I can’t sense how they are doing because I am not there. [So I struggle] not having seen my team since March making sure they are alright.”
To try to protect the wellbeing of his employees, he has evolved meeting routines to be more flexible and spends time deciphering the barriers and drivers of what keeps people happy and engaged in their jobs.
While Covid may have changed many things, Robbens still believes the key to being a good marketer is a “good combination of art and science”. While he sees marketing as a growth driver, he thinks marketers still need to keep in mind their audience: consumers.
He explains: “As a marketer you are there to grow a business so you need to understand your business and numbers and consumers. A lot of that is fact-based and making sure campaigns are effective and [bring in] ROI, that’s the science bit.
“A good marketer combines that with art because there is only so much you can see in numbers and it’s still about consumers, and consumers have emotions and feelings.”
This combination of art and science is a balance he feels the Coke team have struck this year. He is most proud of the “brave” marketing that Coca-Cola has done in 2020, citing its ‘Open Like Never Before’ campaign that focused on supporting local businesses.
“We’ve done a lot more brave marketing in the last year than we’ve done before,” he says.


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Portuguese conglomerate EspÍrito
The news renewed worries about the health of the European banking system and the region's sluggish economy.
The dollar rose to
Meanwhile, the Bank of
The dollar improved to
In economic news from the US, the
The report said initial jobless claims fell to 304,000, a decrease of 11,000 from the previous week's unrevised level of 315,000.
Yesterday, the Federal Reserve said it plans to completely unwind its asset purchase plan in October as long the US economy continues to pick up.
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Toys R Us May Be Closing ALL of Their U.S. Stores
We could be seeing the end of an era.
A recent article from Bloomberg states that Toys R Us has plans on liquidating all of their U.S. stores after failing to restructure their debt or find a buyer to help keep the retailer operating. While the company itself has not commented on the matter or confirmed anything, Bloomberg says its likely liquidation will be the next step.
After news of this, both Mattel and and Hasbro lost shares in the stock market on Friday.
In September, the toy retailer declared bankruptcy and then in January announced that they would be closing over 180 stores around the country; six of which included locations in Michigan.


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Spinx hosts annual golf tournament benefitting local charities
Greenville, S.C. – Feb. 11th, 2020 – The Spinx Company, the Greenville-based fuel and convenience retail company with more than 80 locations and 50 car washes statewide will host its annual Charity Golf Classic Tournament on Tuesday, May 12th. Spinx has selected five charities that will benefit from the tournament this year including: the American Red Cross, Safe Harbor, Loaves and Fishes, Pendleton Place and the Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
The tournament will be held at both Greenville Country Club courses, as well as the Furman University Golf Club. To date, the Spinx golf tournament has raised over $1.3 million to help fund 25 charitable organizations.
“It is quite an accomplishment to have sustained such a successful charity golf tournament for all of these years,” stated Stewart Spinks. “I am absolutely thrilled at the amount of money we have raised for all of those in need within our communities, and I look forward to another successful event in May.”
Spinx chose beneficiaries that are aligned with its corporate charitable mission, “Spinx & Kids: Mind, Body, Spirit. Growing healthy kids where we live, work and play.” For more information on this year’s event please visit https://myspinx.golfreg.com/.
ABOUT SPINX – Founded in 1972 in Greenville, S.C., The Spinx Company operates 82 convenience retail stores throughout South Carolina, and with approximately 1,400 employees, it is the largest privately-held retailer headquartered in the state. Spinx is committed to making life easier by fulfilling people’s everyday needs with fresh, on-the-go food, beverages and other convenience products delivered in a safe, clean and friendly environment. Through the Spinx Xtras Loyalty program and the Spinx mobile app, the company offers its loyal customers savings on fuel and special promotions.
For more information about Spinx or the Spinx Xtras program, visit the company’s website at www.spinx.com.


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Cube Glass partners firm looking for a clear view
Precision manufacturer Cube Glass has forged a partnership with a company spearheading a new fashion for creating windows with an almost frame-free view.
The Cumbernauld-based glass and aluminium specialist has become a supplier to European company Panoramah which is installing large panes with minimal frames in domestic and commercial settings.
Panoramah makes a unique range of minimalist sliding doors and curtain walling with ultra-thin sightlines at its two factories at Porto in Portugal. It manufactures its own glass and has invested millions to take its product worldwide.
Gary Thorn, founder and managing director of Cube Glass, said: “The whole team at Cube Glass is very excited to be working with Panoramah, which is pushing the boundaries in terms of what can be done with glass. Its products are quite amazing.
“It was looking for a partner in Scotland as part of its international expansion strategy and I had met its representatives at trade shows so, after very productive and informative visits to its sites, the alliance naturally fell into place.
“Panoramah has very ambitious expansion plans. It wants to double its footprint in order to cut down its lead times and, although it is more famous for its sliding doors, its curtain walling is catching up as a main product.”
The partnership is the latest venture by Cube Glass which already has a fruitful relationship with high-end French design and engineering specialist Bel’M, as well as its prestigious existing supplier relationships with industry-recognised specialists such as Senior Architectural Systems, Metal Technology and Schüco.
Mr Thorn said he expected to see other manufacturers respond to the technical challenges raised by Panoramah by introducing their own ranges of thinner sightline glass products with potentially more competitive pricing.
“There is no doubt that Panoramah’s is an expensive system, but there will be clients out there who only want the best and who can afford it and, as people become more aware of what can be done, its popularity will increase,” he said.
Cube Glass, which was established 20 years ago, has pushed its turnover to a record £4.5 million in the year to October 2023, from £3.25m in the previous year. It now hopes to consolidate future revenues at this level.


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The fall of Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios gaming company has been well documented. The bankrupt company has been auctioning off their assets in an effort to pay back the $75 million tax-payer backed financing package from the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. Last night, the public was able to see what was left of the 38 Studios Providence-based headquarters in a public auction that included high-end rolling chairs valued at around $700, 400 PC workstations, and items from Schilling’s personal office like an elliptical workout machine. The lavish spending by the failed company caused local NBC 10 reporter Bill Rappleye to challenge Schilling to go “on the record” about the spending. A heated Twitter exchange ensued:
I beg to differ Curt. Every tax paying Rhode Island (like myself) who could be on the hook for over $100 million [with interest] because of that loan, wonders why the company had spent like this.
Rappleye easily won this battle by TKO, three crushing knockouts! What is up with the “do you really ‘work’ in the media?” question? Does he not see that Rappleye’s twitter handle is @NBC10_Bill?? Does Schilling think he’s just arguing with just a big fan of the NBC station. What an ass.
Schilling’s personal office included a personal bathroom with shower and the before mention elliptical machine. Which judging by Curt’s recent “larger” appearance, has probably never been used.
Here are some pictures from inside Schilling’s personal bathroom.
Enormous entertainment unit in Schilling’s office.
Schilling’s office elliptical machine.
Another shot of the office.
For more pictures of the 38 Studios auction check out WPRI’s photo gallery.


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Everything you need to know about Lykke Li's b(r)and
The long lost Swedish Olsen sibling, Lykke Li, has announced she is debuting both a new band and a fashion brand. The 30 year old singer-songwriter released this information at a party held at her Hollywood dash recording studio, where she spoke about her brand 'Yola Mezcal' which is being run by herself and best friends, stylist, Gina Correll Aglietti and entrepreneur Yola Jimenez.
The sleek haired singer also revealed her latest band entitled 'Liv' which translates from the Swedish word 'life' which consists of her partner Jeff Bhasker, Miike Snow members Andrew Wyatt and Pontus Winnberg, musician Jonathan Wilson, and Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa. Although there has been no set date for either band or brand to be released the artist has said that her music will sound like "the love child of ABBA and Fleetwood Mac". To keep up to date on both ventures follow Lykke Li's pictorial life here.


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More than 600,000 people in the UK and Wales received warnings of self-isolation during the week of July 8-15, through the use of the NHS Covit-19, designed by the British Health Organization, the Portuguese Stavay Covit.
This wave of self-isolation – mandatory, which has been identified by state enforcement – is causing serious disruptions in various sectors such as food retail, gas stations, freight transport and security forces.
This Thursday’s edition of the British Newspaper reflects a shortage of staff, with numerous photographs of empty shelves in supermarkets showing the so-called “pingtemic” failure: caused by the sound of ‘ping’, which is associated with sending an alert to the application.
– Robin Runs (unrunnerGWR) July 22, 2021
British trade secretary Quasi-Guardeng told Sky News that the government was “very concerned” about the situation because it did not forecast a complete shutdown of supermarkets and more.
Sainsbury’s, Britain’s second largest food retailer, points out that customers can not find the products they want, and that when large quantities of goods are delivered directly to stores, employees “focus on getting them on the shelves as quickly as possible. A spokesman for Sainsbury’s quoted Reuters as saying.
The Icelandic food chain has announced it will hire 2,000 people, and will work less than a few hours a day. The well-known Tesco has admitted to leaving bottled water for sale.
Fuel company PP has temporarily closed some filling stations due to fuel shortages because there is a shortage of drivers for heavy vehicles, isolated by Covit-19, referring to the same source.
As a result of this abuse, the British Administrator decided that workers in certain industries, or those fighting with Govt-19 in the front row, would be exempted from complying with the ten-day isolation if they were flagged by the application. However, this measure needs to be formalized.
Even with the high number of vaccines, the number of daily Govt-19 cases in the UK has been increasing in recent weeks. However, it has had an impact on vaccination enrollment because fewer deaths have been reported compared to when the vaccine campaign began.
About 12% of adults and almost all children have not yet been diagnosed. It should be noted that more than one million children did not go to school last week due to the spread of the virus.
“Internet evangelist. Writer. Hardcore alcoholaholic. Tv lover. Extreme reader. Coffee junkie. Falls down a lot.”


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Staples stores in both the US and Canada will be cutting down the price of the Blackberry Playbook to $199 starting November 18th in Canada and with the American sale starting this coming Black Friday.
The BlackBerry PlayBook went behind expectations thus forcing RIM to minimize its losses giving consumers a higher discount to sell the units. Initially launched with impressive hardware specs but OS has some feature lapses that doomed the device.
Don’t miss this chance. At $ 200 this upcoming Black Friday, you can get a 16GB version of the device. And if you need more storage space, there are deals with Staples at $299 for the 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB device. Just to experience having a decent tablet device, the price is reasonable and also a good present this Holiday season. (image courtesy of coated.com)


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Lenovo is facing a firestorm of criticism over the pre-installed Superfish software it has included on the laptops of millions of customers. The software inserts ads into web pages and severely compromises the security of those affected — and now the computer company's initial response has been slammed as totally inadequate.
Installed by default on Lenovo laptops, the Superfish technology is meant to "help users find and discover products visually... instantly [analysing] images on the web and [presenting] identical and similar product offers that may have lower prices." But what it actually ends up doing is serving up unwanted adverts on existing web pages. (This kind of software is often called adware.)
But in order to show ads, Lenovo has been breaking all encrypted traffic for millions of customers who bought laptops over the two years Superfish has been included. Secure websites — like a bank, or a form for entering passport details — will have a security certificate, which proves to your browser that the site is who it says it is. These certificates stop rogue sites and hackers impersonating trusted websites and stealing your sensitive details. Superfish also inserts ads into these secure web pages, and it does so by installing a new certificate authority onto users laptops which lets it produce fake certificates that appear to the user to be valid.
This kind of technology is better known as a kind of hacking technique for stealing people's details, and it has a name: A "man-in-the-middle" attack.
Here's a tweet showing Superfish software spoofing Bank Of America's security certificate:
—Kenn White (@kennwhite) February 19, 2015
If Superfish was simply making use of nefarious hacker techniques to serve up ads, that would be serious cause for alarm. But security experts have managed (easily) to break their encryption. This means that anyone is now able to exploit Superfish in order to impersonate secure websites, and steal confidential information from the millions of Lenovo customers believed to be affected.
"It is hard to overstate how catastrophically bad this design is," writes Paco Hope, Principal Consultant at software security company Cigital in an email. "It doesn't merely insert advertisements into web pages. It undermines every secure connection the Windows computer might make... Everything on a Lenovo computer that says it is 'making a secure connection' is now lying."
After we ran our initial story yesterday, Lenovo emailed us a statement. It said the company has stopped preloading the software, and will not do so in future. But it also say it has "thoroughly investigated this technology and do not find any evidence to substantiate security concerns."
However, that doesn't seem to be true. Every Lenovo customer affected — a figure believed to be in the millions — is vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks directly because of the company's failure to vet its software partners properly. WIRED's Robert McMillan called this response "astonishingly clueless."
Superfish took the same line as Lenovo, telling McMillan that the company is "completely transparent in what our software does and at no time were consumers vulnerable."
Digital rights advocacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) says that "Lenovo's false/clueless statements further damage their brand."
As the Guardian's Alex Hern pointed out on Twitter, Lenovo has subsequently updated the online version of its statement to remove the claim that there's no evidence of "security concerns," without acknowledging the change.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Lenovo's chief technology officer Peter Hortensius said the security community's fears as "theoretical concerns," and that the company has "no insight that anything nefarious has occurred." But as journalist Glenn Fleishman pointed out, "all attacks are hypothetical until the moment they happen."
Komodia is another company that is linked to Superfish — the adware makes use of its software. In a sign of how angry some are about Superfish's actions, Komodia is allegedly experiencing a DDoS attack on its website, taking it offline, Forbes' Thomas Fox-Brewster reports.
After its early denials, Lenovo has now tweeted an apology to its customers:
—Lenovo United States (@lenovoUS) February 20, 2015
If you've been affected by Superfish, the EFF has put together a comprehensive guide on how to remove the dangerous adware from your computer. You can check it out here.


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Finding a niche with lamb
Lamb is a niche market in the U.S., with last year’s sales totaling $433 million. But demand is growing — just a little at a time, increasing by slightly less than 4%.
Four years ago, after much research, Melissa and LaRon Nikkel of Blazefork Lamb in Inman turned to raising sheep. Last year, they started selling their meat. So far, they are happy with the outcome.
The Nikkels sell their lamb online, hoping one day to distribute to restaurants and small stores. Like all businesses, there are different models to follow in this industry. Some, like the Nikkels, sell online. Others sell at farmers markets or grocery stores, and those with many lambs to harvest head off to large processing plants in Colorado.
After raising sheep for several decades, Lon James, of James Brothers Club Lambs in Clay Center, feels like he is in a good rhythm with his flock. James started out showing sheep in 4-H. When he started his own farm, he decided to raise sheep. Along with selling them for 4-H projects, James sells the meat at a local grocery store, the farmers market and from his ranch. Although the price of the animal keeps fluctuating, James is able to weather the storms with his diversification of customers as well as his calf/cow operation.
“It’s a lot more labor intensive than other animals,” James said. “But I enjoy it.”
Randy Clark, of Clark Farm in Buhler, diversifies in a different way. Along with lamb he sells beef, home-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes. Clark has tended to his flock for several decades. But he only sells at the farmers market in Wichita.
“This year, there’s been an increase in sales in the farmers market,” Clark said. “People are eating at home.”
In the southwest corner of the state, Matt Canny of Wholly Cow Market and Farm in Johnson City, opened a store in his city’s downtown. During the coronavirus outbreak, he started selling lamb, beef and produce online. In addition, Canny drives up to Garden City, Great Bend and Scott City for deliveries.
“We can barely keep ground beef in stock,” Canny said. “They want to try lamb. A lot of the farm to table has definitely exploded.”
Building a customer base
COVID-19 has raised consumers’ awareness of where their food is coming from. This has increased local sales. But it takes a while to build up a customer base, especially for lamb.
The Nikkels, who are just starting out in the business, are excited for the opportunity to sell their lamb. They are taking it slow, keeping costs down by building their own walk-in freezer and grazing their sheep on their land. They also sell replacement stock and grow wheat and corn.
“We’re generally competing against a cheaper product (imported lamb),” LaRon Nikkel said. “It’s an industry challenge.”
With 60% of lamb meat coming into the U.S. from Australia and New Zealand at low prices, U.S. ranchers are getting squeezed. Many grocery stores and restaurants feature this imported meat. Ranchers in the U.S. are hoping consumers demand U.S.-raised lamb at grocery chains and restaurants.
Megan Wortman, the executive director of the American Lamb Board, said that pre-COVID-19, restaurants were a good outlet for lamb.
“A lot of it (selling to local restaurants) is word of mouth,” Wortman said. “The advantage is, the chefs will use the whole animal.”
Many ranchers are apprehensive about next year. They are not sure how they are going to get their animals slaughtered as the small- to medium-sized meat processing plants are back-listed for months. Some places cannot offer a time slot until next summer.
“One of our biggest struggles is finding a packing plant (that has openings),” Canny said.
These farmers are among the 1,200 Kansans who raise lamb for meat. Of the 5 million sheep in the U.S., Kansas has 73,000. Kansas does not have much of a market for lamb, but direct to consumer demand is growing slightly.
“It’s good that people are looking for local products,” Canny said. “It’s something that’s been missed.”
Some cuts, like leg and loin, continue to increase in sales nationwide. While ground lamb is on a slight downward turn. Nationwide, according to the American Sheep Industry Association, loin makes up one quarter of all domestic lamb sales. Last year, lamb sales in Kansas decreased by 4%, bringing in slightly more than $10 million dollars.
“There has not been an increase in the number of lambs, but there’s definitely tremendous growth in the direct market,” Wortman said. “Despite the doom and gloom, the direct to consumer markets are really booming.”


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Amway targets Rs.20 billion business in India by 2012
Consumer and home products direct marketing company Amway India hopes to do business worth Rs.20 billion in the country by 2012, adding more products to its portfolio, a company official said in Agartala on Tuesday.business Updated: Apr 20, 2010 16:49 IST
Consumer and home products direct marketing company Amway India hopes to do business worth Rs.20 billion in the country by 2012, adding more products to its portfolio, a company official said in Agartala on Tuesday.
"After commencing commercial operations and business with Rs.9.1 million in 1998, Amway has done business worth Rs.14 billion last year (2009) in India," company vice-president (East) Diptarag Bhattacharjee told reporters.
"We now hope to take this to Rs.17 billion this year," he said.
Amway India, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the U.S.-based Amway Corp, has invested about Rs.1.51 billion in India, of which Rs.260 million have come as foreign direct investment.
Bhattacharjee said almost all the 115 Amway products in five categories are manufactured in India through seven third-party contract manufacturers with production facilities and skills conforming to international standards.
The five categories of Amway products include personal care, home care, nutrition and wellness, Cosmetics and Great Value Products.
He said in 2009 Amway tripled production capacities at its leading vendor facility at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.
The company is now one of the top FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) players, a feat achieved in just over 10 years of commercial operations.
"Despite economic recession in 2009, we have grown from Rs 11.28 billion to Rs 14.07 billion in 2009 and registered 25 percent growth in turnover," said Bhattacharjee.
According to him, the largest number of Amway product users in India are in the northeast.
Amway did business worth Rs.880 million in seven northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura last year.
First Published: Apr 20, 2010 16:47 IST


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Son Dam Bi displays sexy figure for Descente pictorial
Aug 21, 2012 09:45
Pictures of sexy singer Son Dam Bi in the middle of advertisement shooting have been revealed.
Released by her agency on August 20th, the pictures showed Son Dam Bi doing a shoot for a 2012 fall and winter pictorial of Descente at a studio at Seoul Hangang Park.
For this pictorial, she successfully pulled off the concept of making the sportswear look chic, yet sporty. Son Dam Bi is in the middle of making different movements and poses, and her gorgeous body shape is becoming a hot issue among the public.
A staff member from Descente said, “Because Son Dam Bi has been a model for Descente for two years, her experience has led her to enjoy and be comfortable on set. For as much as Son Dam Bi enjoys regularly exercising, she is able to perfectly express active sportswear and refined style.”
Ikea just made an ad that looked a lot like The Shining. One scene, that is. Ikea Singapore is promoting its late night shopping hours, and this is probably the best Halloween ad anyone has done for a long time. Read more
Here's a very important development in technology. The engineers over at Hendo just released a video of their real-world Back to the Future style hoverboard. It works, and they're showing it off. Read more


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“Gluten-free” oats are now available in Canada. In a new labeling practice, Health Canada will now allow packaged oat products that contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be marketed as “gluten-free”– in keeping with current labeling standards in the United States and Europe.
“These changes will make it easier for Canadians with celiac disease to make safe and informed food choices,” said Rona Ambrose, Canada’s Minister of Health in a statement on May 29, 2015. “By allowing a gluten-free claim on specially produced oats and foods that contain them, consumers with gluten sensitivities will be better able to identify products they can safely eat.”
In 2013, the FDA finalized a new U.S. gluten-free standard, after finding that oats with less than 20 ppm of gluten are safe for the large majority of those with celiac disease. Now after a lengthy assessment, Canada is following suit, and agreeing that current science backs the gluten-free marketing claims at the low-exposure levels.
Prior to this change, food manufacturers in Canada had to use less-than-clear labels – such as “pure, uncontaminated” or “wheat- and rye-free” – to indicate that their oats or oat products were, in fact, gluten-free.
The lack of consistency of terminology left consumers unclear on what was safe, and what would make them sick, says Sue Newell, the operations manager of the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA). “The biggest reason that we wanted the oats that were suitable for those with celiac disease to be labeled ‘gluten-free’ was that there was tremendous consumer confusion out there,” she told Allergic Living.
Gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye and barley, is detrimental to the health of those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Even small amounts can cause symptoms in some celiac patients or lead to long-term health issues. Oats are naturally free of the offending protein and studies indicates that oats are safe for most celiac patients, as long as they have been grown in fields free of cross-pollination and processed in a dedicated facility to avoid cross-contamination.
For those with gluten restrictions, experts hope that this new label, effective as of May 19, will open the pantry door to more dietary options. “Oats are a nutritious grain and can add variety for those who must follow a strict gluten-free diet for life,” notes Anne Wraggett, CCA president.
Newell expects to see the biggest change in the cereal and granola bar store aisles. She hopes that the new label will encourage manufacturers to put out more gluten-free products.
A small percentage of people with celiac disease have been found to react to a protein in oats, known as avenin, just as if they were reacting to gluten. The University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center estimates that, “perhaps less than 1 percent of celiac patients show a reaction to a large amount of oats in their diets.”
Experts therefore suggest those with celiac disease speak to a health professional before adding oats to their own gluten-free diet.
For more information from the Canadian Celiac Association about celiac disease and oats, click here.


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Supporting Young Entrepreneurs, Summer Company Start ups and Their Winning Ideas Across the Province
Ontario is partnering with Staples Canada to showcase more than 500 young entrepreneurs who are part of the Summer Company program across the province.
The third annual Summer Company – Staples Youth Entrepreneurship Day offers Summer Company students the opportunity to showcase their summer businesses at 54 Staples locations in Ontario. This initiative helps young entrepreneurs promote their products and services to customers, getting real-time feedback and priceless business experience.
Summer Company is a unique program that helps young entrepreneurs start and run their own business over the summer. The program provides students aged 15-29 with hands-on business training, mentorship from local business leaders, and grants of up to $3,000 to turn their ideas into a business.
“We are pleased to connect young entrepreneurs with our customers through this engaging initiative we’ve been hosting for the past three years. This is an opportunity for Summer Company students to promote their summer business and receive feedback from customers. Helping to develop the talent and business skills of our youth is a good investment for our company.” — Steve Matyas, President, Staples North American Retail
Supporting the next generation of job creators is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario’s history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.
- Almost 7,000 students in Ontario have launched a summer business through Summer Company since 2001.
- Summer Company complements Ontario’s Youth Jobs Strategy by investing in training youth so they can develop their skills and contribute to Ontario’s economic growth.
- Ontario is investing $250 million over the next two years in the renewed Youth Jobs Strategy to serve up to 150,000 more youth. This additional funding will bring the total four-year investment to more than $565 million.


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COLORADO SPRINGS — This month Colorado’s attorney general decided to join law enforcement leaders from several other states in a bipartisan effort to learn more about the TikTok platform and how it impacts our teens.
News5 takes a look at what exactly they’re trying to find out and why a local mom who studies social media believes this is an important effort.
Last year a similar coalition of attorneys general focused their attention on Facebook and Instagram, voicing concerns about how these platforms could be marketed to young people and kids.
Now, they turn their attention to TikTok and say it has an obligation to manage its platform fairly and responsibly.
”So I’ve been interested in this from the very beginning and now I have teenagers myself because it has been years now. My daughter is the same age as the IPhone,” said Lauren Hug, a local mom who has studied social media for years and published books about her experiences. “So I’m very interested as a parent in how they can use this in positive ways, but also the dangers of being in online spaces that we didn’t have when I was a kid.”
Hug is a professional consultant and has studied social media platforms for years writing books like “Digital Kindness” documenting some of her concerns and observations.
”I don’t think they’re sitting around trying to do terrible things. I think sometimes the platforms get painted that way, really they’re trying to increase people using their platform and what increases people’s engagement we’ve learned are conflict and anger,” said Hug.
When it comes to TikTok, she says she’s happy to see Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is joining an investigation into the platform.
”How it’s impacting their development, how it’s impacting their brains, how it’s impacting their ability to focus in school, so I think looking into it makes a whole lot of sense,” said Hug.
Here is what the top law enforcement leaders say they’re hoping to learn as part of their investigation into TikTok:
- They want to know more about the harms caused by teen usage, duration of that usage and engagement
- What TikTok knew about those harms
- What techniques the company is using to boost engagement for young people and others
”Regulation of these social networks is a part of the pie in figuring out how we’re going to navigate a digital world,” said Hug. ”Right now the algorithms reward the people who are mean and who are constantly posting instead of rewarding collaboration or anything positive.”
While this is a fact finding mission for our attorney general and his colleagues, ultimately they want to determine whether TikTok violated state consumer protection laws that put the public and especially children and young adults at risk.
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.


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While everyone wants to know the perfect color for their product, not one solution exists. In the world of color, housewares manufacturers and retailers need to be smart, savvy, educated and investigate each usage of color within its own context in order to reach the consumer.
“There are generalisations and trends with color, but the magic bullet doesn’t exist. You need to know the audience, the consumer, lighting, competition and more,” Lee Eiseman told an audience at the 2014 International Home + Housewares Show.
In a presentation, ‘Engaging the Consumer - Facts vs. Fiction in Lifestyle and Color’ Eiseman, leading colour and design forecaster and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, along with Tom Mirabile, senior vice president of Global Trend & Design for Lifetime Brands and consumer trend forecaster for IHA, discussed the changing realities of today’s consumer and the essential role of color in both serving and connecting with them.
After discussing attributes of the four generations of consumers – Gen Y, Gen X, Baby Boomers and Active Seniors – Mirabile noted that color is important to each generation, although in different ways. For example, he said, baby boomers are very color savvy, as color is a part of their nature. Gen X seeks color as they are exposed to it with their children. And Gen Y are using color in in their homes to express their independence.
The generations respond to colors differently, noted Eiseman. “From my perspective, color is about emotion, and each person has their own attachment,” she said. “Color delivers emotions to consumers. Baby boomers are appreciating it even more with the proliferation of eye surgeries – many can see far more clearly than before. The Y generation as new parents is inclined to be savvy with trends and you as a retailer or manufacturer needs to stay on top of those trends and be more educated than they are.”
Mirabile agreed, saying “We have never dealt with a consumer that is as educated as the consumers of today. People are so exposed and they are expecting you to be knowledgeable as well.” While color is limitless, it is expected to be prominent in retail.
“As retailers you have to do your homework,” Eiseman said. “What colors have historically sold well for you? Blue, for example, is an international favorite and many customers are dedicated to it. I rarely work on a product line where I don’t recommend some shade of blue. But even though it’s been a big seller, you need to ask yourself what shade of blue and what intensity do you use to get newness out there?
“Of course white is always a safe bet, but what can we do with it to make it different? Can you work with the form or shape or contrast? Black and white is a given that never goes away but still we need to create something new those colors,” she added. “Engage consumers’ other senses and ask what makes them want to reach out and touch it? And while red is popular it needs to be skewed. So you need to arm yourself with the necessary information to make informed choices.”
Eiseman also noted that there have been notable shifts in color and design that could make a retailer’s knowledge of color trends even more critical; for example, the usage of celebrities to sell products, technology that can transform color hues and use of lighting. She cited the color orange as the example of how the consumer mindset has changed.
Inexpensive fast food outlets such as Arby’s and A&W had orange logos so it was a hard sell to sell anything associated with orange at a high price point, she said. That changed when Apple, Inc. introduced laptops with colors, including orange. “That opened up ideas to use orange in a far reaching way. We now see the color orange at every price level, and that will continue. Orange is a color that has amazed me and has gained so much acceptance, so quickly. These are the types of trends in today’s consumer and how color is essential to connect with them,” she said.
The presentation was held at the International Home + Housewares Show, which was held March 15-18, at McCormick Place in Chicago. www.housewares.org


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t-break today checks out DFI's latest NB76-EA (i845G) motherboard.
DFI is well-known in the OEM market but when we met up with them at Computex this year, they informed us that they've setup a new division in the company that'll specifically deal with the retail segment. This is definitely good news as DFI is known for their stability and now with them moving on to the retail segment, we can expect their boards to be feature rich along with providing good performance and overclocking.More information at t-break
Got an opinion on this news? Post a comment below!


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SHARES of mainboard-listed Nio plummeted to a 90-day low on Wednesday (Sep 20) after it announced the pricing of a two-tranche convertible bond, from which it plans to use the….
CAINIAO Network Technology, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, is planning to file for its Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) as soon as next week, according to people familiar….
HYUNDAI Global Service, backed by private equity giant KKR, aims to raise up to US$1 billion in a Seoul initial public offering (IPO) in the first half of 2024, said….
CHINESE electric vehicle maker Nio has priced US$1 billion worth of six-year and seven-year convertible senior notes on Wednesday (Sep 20) with an initial conversion premium of 30 per cent,….
NIO is proposing to issue US$500 million of convertible senior notes due 2029, with another US$500 million note offering due 2030.
ZEEKR, Chinese automaker Geely’s premium electric vehicle (EV) brand, will meet global investors from August-end to test appetite for a US$1 billion US initial public offering (IPO), said people with….
CHINA’S BYD has told its India joint-venture partner it would shelve plans for a new US$1-billion investment to build electric cars after its investment proposal faced scrutiny from New Delhi,….


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In recent years, Changzhou has been enhancing the Entrepreneurship in Jiangsu action and achieved new progress in the promotion of popular entrepreneurship and innovation.
Changzhou and Wujin National Hi-tech Districts have been approved as provincial demonstration bases for mass entrepreneurship. Wujin District became the only national demonstration zone for popular entrepreneurship and innovation in Jiangsu province.
In 2016, Changzhou added more than 19 maker spaces at or above municipal level, including two national maker spaces and 11 provincial maker spaces. Up to now, the city has a total of 64 maker spaces above municipal level, providing more than 100,000 square meters of incubation area for over 700 business startups.
Five years ago, the West Taihu Hi-tech Zone seized the opportunity of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and took the lead in development of graphene industry. At present, the Jiangnan Graphene Industrial Park has gathered 82 graphene enterprises, two of which have got listed on the new OTC market. The annual output of graphene-related industries is expected to exceed 2 billion yuan. The industry has become a new business card of Changzhou and even Jiangsu province.


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New facility near $1 billion data center in northern Nevada will be capable of producing 18 to 20 megawatts of power.
The electric-car maker has chosen a Nevada industrial park as the location for its massive, lithium-ion battery-producing plant.
This wedding will be remembered for many things, but mostly because the new bride got a 3D-printed ring with an ultra-rare, honest-to-goodness lunar rock.
Following surprise spot check of Microsoft offices in the country last month, China raises new questions about the company's sales and distribution policy.
Relive Jeff's interview with the men behind Reno 911! and The State.
An idea born in a pub is aiming to take off -- literally -- over the Nevada desert this fall. Crave's Michael Franco talked to "Team Numb" about their latest stunt.
A 3D-printed prototype wearable designed for astronauts takes its inspiration directly from the screens of the Fallout series.
Apple is looking to set up shop in the Biggest Little City in the World, with local and state government footing the bill for a possible $89 million in tax breaks, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
The carrier's LTE upgrade now encompasses 340 markets across the United States, with newbies including Reno, Mobile, and Milwaukee.
Google is awarded a patent that turns your boring old Facebook status update into a truly funny comic strip. Well, hopefully.


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The Eaton Centre's giant new food market announces second lineup of chefs and restaurants
If you’ve been by Montreal’s Eaton Centre lately, it’s no secret that the mall is undergoing a gigantic expansion which is headlined by an all-new food market.
The Time Out Market is an extensive food market that hosts local restaurant outlets, bars, cafes, and shops. (Think: A food court on steroids.)
- See also:
According to a June press release shared with Daily Hive, the new food market will be 36,000 sq. ft. and will hold 550 seats. There will be a mix of 16 selected restaurants, two bars, a demonstration kitchen, a cooking academy, a retail shop and a cultural stage – “Time Out Market Montreal will bring forth Montreal’s best, all under one roof.”
The first Time Out Market opened in Lisbon in 2014 and has become one of the country’s most popular attractions, according to a press release, hosting some 3.9 million visitors in 2018. In March 2018, the market received an international award as being the most visionary concept in the European food industry.
Time Out Montreal will anchor the $200 million renovations of Montreal’s Eaton Centre, which is expected to see more than 30 million patrons per year, making it the second-busiest centre in Canada, surpassed only by the CF Toronto Eaton Centre.
Expected to take over the new Eaton Centre in “late 2019,” Time Out Montreal shared its inaugural line up of the first eight chefs and restaurateurs:
- Le Red Tiger
- Le Club Chasse et pêche
- Il Miglio
- Montréal Plaza
- Hof Sucrée (an offshoot of Hof Kelsten)
- Brasserie T!
Today, Time Out Market Montreal announced another wave of restaurants and chef that will be joining the massive market:
- Olive et Gourmando
- Dalla Rose
- Ateliers et Saveurs
- Grumman ’78
“Together with the local Time Out editorial team, we have spent months testing and tasting
Montréal’s best food—and this city really has lots of it! We then selected the very best chefs and restaurateurs to join Time Out Market and we couldn’t be more proud that the city’s most acclaimed culinary talent accepted our invitations to join,” says Didier Souillat, CEO of Time Out Market. “This curated mix we are bringing under one roof is a reflection of Montréal’s culinary excellence and will make Time Out Market Montréal a unique place and experience, and a great addition to Centre Eaton.”
“There will be something for everyone—whether you come in the morning,
during the day or in the evening,” continued Souillat. “You will get to choose from an incredible range of the city’s best cuisine, served on fine china and enjoyed in a communal setting. We are making fine dining casual, and casual extraordinary—we call it the democratization of fine dining.”
Though no concrete date has been set, Time Out Market Montreal is slated to open to the public late this fall.


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The embarrassment of going to a clinic to get tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) may one day be easily avoidable. Testing may soon require only a computer chip and a place to pee on one. In an attempt to cut the UK's rising rates of various herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, British health officials say that STDs will soon be diagnosable by placing urine or saliva on a computer chip and plugging it into a cell phone or computer.
"Your mobile phone can be your mobile doctor," Dr. Tariq Sadiq, a senior lecturer and consultant physician in sexual health and HIV at the University of London, who is leading the project, told the Guardian. "It diagnoses whether you've got one of a range of STIs, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea and tells you where to go next to get treatment. We need to tackle the rising epidemic of STIs, which have been going up and up and up. Britain is one of the worst [countries] in western Europe for teenage pregnancy and STIs. That there's a major embarrassment factor here, especially among young people, makes the situation worse."
Seven sources, including the Medical Research Council, have invested £4 million ($6.41 million) into the UK Clinical Research Collaboration to fund the project. Unfortunately, details regarding when the technology will go retail are still unknown. One day, parents will have to remind their teenagers that condoms can fit in their pockets too, just like cell phones.


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Kobo is in the midst of a new campaign for its latest e-reader, the Kobo Aura HD, marking the first major release of Kobo creative by John St. since the agency won the account as agency of record in December 2012.
In one TV spot, actors are so engrossed with reading their Kobo e-readers that they ignore the action happening around them, including a house fire, a street festival and a crowded bus. The spot ends with the campaign slogan, “For those who love reading above all else.”
The spot is meant to reflect e-book owners’ passion for reading, according to Wayne White, executive vice-president and general manager of Kobo. The brand chose to focus the campaign on reader passion after internal research revealed on average its customers use their e-readers every day and consider it a part of their daily lives, explained White.
“That passion and commitment to reading, how [customers] think about their interaction with books and Kobo e-readers led us to create something to speak to readers and say ‘Kobo understands you in a way others don’t,'” White said.
The campaign also includes OOH, online and print ads and a second Mother’s Day spot that John St. initially pitched to Kobo during the review for the account. In the spot a series of children read to their mothers, followed by the line, “She gave you the gift of reading. This Mother’s Day, give it back.”
Both spots were first shown at the London Book Fair in England last month, where the company held the global launch for the Kobo Aura HD. The campaign is running in all 13 markets in which Kobo e-readers are sold, with major pushes in Canada, the United States, Italy, Australia and Brazil.
Initiative handled the media buy for the campaign. TV ads will run on CTV, CBC, Global, CityTV, Food Network while print ads will run in commuter papers. The online ads will appears on video and display networks and Facebook.


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Moment police car smashes through shop window in narrow escape from oncoming car
Footage has emerged showing the moment a police car swerved and smashed into a shop as it tried to avoid a collision with another driver while responding to a 999 call.
The vehicle rammed straight through the supermarket Spar, on Longstone Street, Lisburn, Northern Ireland at around 11.35am on Wednesday, September 21.
Reports say the police car had swerved to avoid colliding with another vehicle that had already started to turn right and was in the other lane when they approached at speed.
READ MORE: 'Intoxicated' half-naked passenger left holidaymakers 'petrified' on Turkey flight
The impact sent stock flying and the emergency vehicle narrowly missing a woman who was shopping inside.
It is understood that one person required first aid due to being badly shaken by the collision, Belfast Live reports.
A PSNI spokesperson said: "Shortly after 11.35am today, Wednesday 21st September, a police vehicle was involved in a road traffic collision on Longstone Street, Lisburn.
"The driver of the police vehicle was responding to an emergency when they had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with a vehicle driven by a member of the public.
"Damage was caused to commercial premises and there has been a report of one person receiving minor injuries.
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"Enquiries are underway to establish what occurred and anyone who witnessed the collision, or who may have captured it on their dash cam, is asked to call police on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 635 of 21/09/2022."
Henderson's Retail, which operates the Spar shop, has said it has now closed and that all shoppers and staff exited the store safely.
A spokesperson said: "SPAR Garvey is currently closed and will reopen when it is safe to do so.
"The safety of our shoppers and staff is our priority and all were safely vacated from the store via an emergency exit.”
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Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is proceeding with plans to buy back its online unit and fold it into itstraditional retail operations, after agreeing to settle a suit with shareholders who alleged that company managers would reap unfair profits from the deal.
As part of the settlement announced late Monday, Staples said it willprovide shareholders with more information about how it values the dot-comsubsidiary’s shares, which will be folded into Staples’ own shares.
The company said it also agreed to pay attorney fees for the shareholder group.
Staples had originally planned to offer shares in its money-losing online division, Staples.com, but in March decided to instead combine the e-tailoperations with those of its catalog unit, converting the businesses’ sharesinto Staples, Inc. shares in a transaction valuing the dot-com subsidiary at about US$7 per share.
Some institutional investors reportedly complained that the price wouldunfairly benefit company managers, who bought their shares in 1999 for $3.25each. In April, some directors agreed not to take any profits from the buyback. Staples said the settlement calls for no change in the buyback plan.
In June, a Delaware Chancery Court delayeda shareholder vote on the plan, saying the company should provide moreinformation on the deal. Staples shareholders will vote on the foldback atthe Staples annual meeting next month. The original vote had been scheduled for June 11th.
Chairman and chief executive officer Thomas Stemberg and shareholders’attorney Richard Schiffrin both said they were pleased with the settlement. Stemberg called the planned combination “an important step inachieving the company’s vision for the future.”
Bricks and Clicks
Bricks and clicks are becoming the preferred form of retail e-commerce, asmore companies use the Internet as an extension of their traditionaloperations.
A recent McKinsey & Co.study found that more than three-quarters of the best performingInternet retailers are offshoots of brick-and-mortar stores, which tend tohave brand recognition, marketing arrangements and information technology already tested and in place.
Into the Fold
Staples joins other retailers that created Internet subsidiaries with theintent of taking them public, only to decide to integrate the online units into the rest of the company.
For example, Kmart (NYSE: KM) is reportedly buying back the 40 percent of its BlueLight.comInternet sales operation that it does not already own, while Petsmart (Nasdaq: PETM) absorbed itsInternet division after ending plans for an IPO.
In another consolidation, Staples rival Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) announced plans last month to buy e-tailer Officesupplies.com, saying the acquisition would boost market share and help Office Depot build its online presence.


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Heineken Ethiopia is set to inaugurate its one year expansion project executed at a total cost of 2.4 billion Br. The project will give the company the highest production capacity in Ethiopia’s brewery industry. When fully operational the capacity of Heniken is expected to surpass the current leader in the industry, BGI Ethiopia by one million hectoliter.
Elmi Olindo Contractors Plc has carried out building on the expansion, which took 14 months to complete while LEHUI Group was involved in brewhouse setup and the installation of fermentation and storage tanks. Elmi Olindo which is an Ethiopian-based company is the same company who was also behind the construction of Dashen Brewery plant in Debr Berhan. It began its activity in 1937 in Asmara, Eritrea.
The expansion will double the capacity of the Qilinto plant, in the souther outskirt of the capital in particular and will boost the total production of three plants including Bedele and Harar to four million hectoliters, a year. To date, the company has invested close to 11 billion Br in Ethiopia.
The first plant at Qilinto was known for producing only Walia beer. Following this expansion the market will see the company producing its flagship brand, Heineken Beer. The Qilinto plant will become the seventh Heineken producing factory in Africa to produce Heineke Beer. Heineken beer is widely consumed across 30 African countries.
With the opening of the new plant, Heineken will overtake BGI as Ethiopia’s biggest beer production company. BGI is now producing three million hectoliter per a year.
The expansion will also increased the company’s employees to 270 from 290, in addition to hundreds of outsourced employees, such as security and janitorial workers.
Heineken entered the Ethiopian market in 2011 following the acquisition of Harar and Bedele breweries for 163.4 million dollars, through the government’s privatization policy.
“We are investing for the future,” said Fekadu Beshah, external communications and sustainability manager at Heineken Breweries S.C.
“We are preparing for a very competitive and dynamic market. Heineken [Ethiopia] is still targeting the local market,” he added.
The growing brewery market in Ethiopia is attracting new players and fresh injections of cash for production capacity expansion. Just last year, Dashen Brewery invested close to two billion Br in a new plant in Debre Birhan, which is now operational. Diageo-Meta finalized its own expansion at a total cost of 780 million Br, boosting its production to 1.7 million hectoliters. In the past five years, new brewery companies such as Habesha and Raya have also joined the market.
“I think nowadays, the brewery companies are expanding for one reason: to position themselves along different segments of the society,” commented a marketing expert who is close to the industry.
“The companies always need to update themselves by introducing new brands and targeting new markets in a stiff market”, said the expert.
The market is now believed to have a total production capacity of 10.5 million hectoliters. With Heineken’s expanded capacity, that figure will reach 12 million hectoliters.
“Urbanization and economic growth coupled with aggressive promotional campaigns have contributed to an increase in demand,” said Abdulemenan Mohammed Hamza, a financial expert told Fortune.
With the growing industry, per capita consumption has also increased. In 2013, the figure was at five liters while latest reports show that is has now escalated to eight liters.
There are currently seven breweries operating the country.


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Financial customers will use mobile banking at levels of nearly half in the next 5 years. This trend will put pressure on banks, smartphone manufacturers and software developers.
Mobile banking is expected to approach mainstream levels with the spread of smartphone ownership and increasing mobile banking development. In Forrester Research’s report The State of Mobile Banking 2012, this trend asserts itself, as well as more banking relationships moving to mobile, the barriers to mobile adoption for digital banking leaders, and the convergence of mobile banking and mobile payments. The growing adoption of mobile banking is impacting not only banks and financial institutions, but also all retailers and e-commerce professionals. As a result, the need for developers is rising in all arrays of mobile payments.
North America indicates strong adoption of mobile banking...
North America shows a lead in adoption of mobile banking, according to TechCrunch’s report coverage - 13 percent of the US and Canada have used their phones for using financial tools, a number that is expected to rise to 46 percent of all US bank account holders in 2017, or 108 million people. Most users check their balances - 45 percent, transaction histories - 61 percent, or transfer money - 31 percent. Within mobile banking users in the US, 65 percent of mobile bankers use bank mobile sites and 45 percent use apps. Only 9 percent of Western Europe engage in these activities, and the most common type of mobile banking is with SMS alerts.
… And the need for more apps and developers
The spread of mobile banking is met with the expectation that mobile payments will become more popular. Forrester analysts predict that banks will be pressured to develop tools similar to PayPal and Square, and CreditUnionTimes forecasts wider implementation of mobile payment tech from smartphone leaders Apple and Google. In Fall, Apple will release its new OS 6 which includes wallet app Passbook, while Google Wallet has minimal rollout. In other words, as mobile banking tools become more mainstream and grow in popularity, the industry will soon need more mobile banking, mobile retail or mobile payments apps, and developers to answer customers’ expectations and standards.


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Cannabis Professional spoke with Zara Munir, operational compliance manager at Cannabis Compliance Inc., and Brenna Boonstra, CCI’s director of quality and regulatory consulting, to understand how nursery licences work. CCI, the most prolific consulting company in the cannabis space, has around 20 clients who are currently seeking nursery licences.
As of March 31, Health Canada had received nursery licence applications for 13 sites, according to a Health Canada spokesperson. The first nursery licence was issued last week.
What can nursery licence holders sell, and where can they sell it?
Nursery licence holders can sell young cannabis plants – in a pre-flowering stage – and seeds to other cannabis licence holders (LPs, micro-cultivators, etc.), as well as to provincial wholesalers.
“It’s to provide starter material or genetics of certain plants to allow companies or individuals to produce those plants either at a commercial scale or just needing the four plants per person, if that’s authorized in your province," explained Ms. Munir.
What is the purpose of nursery licences?
As with nurseries for other agricultural products, cannabis nurseries will provide starting material for new growers. More importantly, they will be places to acquire new genetics.
“For a really long time, the plant genetics that were available on the commercial side were very limited, because there was only authorization for genetics to come in during the MMAR days. After that, if you were licensed under the ACMPR, you could only get [new genetics] from international sources, or you could get it from other licence holders. This created an environment where the genetics were really limited, and you saw a lot of companies offering the same type of product,” said Ms. Munir.
After Oct. 17, Health Canada introduced a “genetics amnesty” program, allowing new licensees a one-time chance to bring black or grey market genetics into the market.
"If you are tackling the nursery licence, it’s usually because you access to a large variety [of genetics],” Ms. Munir explained.
Nursery licences also enable research and development activity, which could lead to new strains and genetic profiles.
Who is the intended customer for nurseries?
Licensed cultivators typically have their own strains and propagation processes, so they’re unlikely to be buying baby plants from nurseries for each crop.
“I can see a nursery having a role whereby a nursery has a set of mothers that have these desirable genetic characteristics... then selling clones from [those mothers] to a licence holder who wants to introduce a new product, a new genetic to their offering," Ms. Boonstra said.
Nurseries can also provide starting material for individual growers, looking to grow four plants at home.
"At this point, I don’t think the OCS, or whatever the province is, is prepared to have live plants in the stores. It might always be shipped from a warehouse,” Ms. Munir said.
"But I think in the future it’s definitely something that will be challenged. Why can’t I go to my local cannabis retail store and pick up plants, which are not flowering and which meet the requirements?”


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Temasek to spearhead $100 Million Funding for Crypto Landlord Animoca
September 2, 2022 6:55 AM
The CEO of Animoca, who created the metaverse, stated the company will maintain spending even if the economy weakened, which is an additional boost to the company's fundraising efforts for the year 2022.
Animoca's portfolio includes over 340 businesses throughout the industries of finance, gaming, and social media.
State investor Temasek Holdings Pte. of Singapore is contributing to a $100 million funding round for Animoca Brands Corp., placing a gamble on one of crypto's most prolific investing houses despite a $2 trillion market catastrophe.
People familiar with the matter indicated Temasek will spearhead financing using convertible bonds. According to the source, this is in addition to the $359 million in fundraising that the Hong Kong startup Animoca announced in January. Earlier this summer, Animoca received $75 million at a $6 billion valuation.
Temasek has stated that it does not invest directly in cryptocurrencies but rather seeks to fund service companies in the sector. Amber Group, a cryptocurrency lending platform, raised $200 million at a $3 billion valuation in February, and the state pension fund participated. Both Animoca and Temasek representatives who were asked for comment declined.
In less than five years, Animoca went from a modest mobile game developer to Asia's largest blockchain investor thanks to the accumulation of a portfolio of more than 340 businesses in the financial services, video game development, and social media industries. Yat Siu, co-founder of IOHK, has big plans to take on Big Tech behemoths like Meta Platforms Inc. and Microsoft Corp. by constructing a decentralized third-generation internet (Web3) based on blockchain-based virtual worlds.
Most investors are still in shock after the crypto winter wiped off $2.0 trillion in value of digital assets since November. According to PitchBook data, funding for businesses involved with digital currencies dropped 26% from the previous quarter and is expected to drop even further in the current quarter.
According to an interview with Bloomberg News, Animoca co-founder and CEO Eric Siu stated that the company plans to use the current cryptocurrency market decline to increase its holdings in key industry participants and digital tokens. Sooner or later (hopefully within the next couple of years), the company would like to begin trading on public markets. Siu said this would be contingent on how well its primary business model of selling crypto tokens and earning a fee on secondary transactions is received by the market.
Unfortunately, Animoca's fundraising efforts haven't gone without hiccups. A number of potential investors, including buyout heavyweight KKR & Co., pulled out of the investment round after the market crash.


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Facebook’s move into instant messaging could mark a blow for the troubled BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, which last month cut 2,000 jobs. It puts the social networking site in direct competition with BlackBerry’s popular Messenger, or BBM, which has been in the spotlight in recent days after it emerged that it was being used by rioters to gather in London and other British cities.
BBM has about 45 million users around the world, while Facebook has a user base of 750 million that it will seek to tap into.
The Facebook application allows users to contact multiple people at the same time and send messages to anyone on their friend lists.
Apple is also planning to include a group chat feature called iMessage on the latest version of its iPhones and iPads released in the autumn.
Google+, the social network from the search giant, introduced a mobile messenger service, Huddle, this year.


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"I think some of it's already starting to affect us," Heesen told me.
Venture capitalists earn most of their returns from the moment when a startup they back is sold to a larger company. Uncertainty over the federal government's taxing and spending policies make the decision to buy another company harder to make for executives.
"They're buying those companies they feel they have to buy," Heesen told me. "They're not buying those companies they'd like to buy."
When that happens, venture capitalists have to hold onto investments longer and have less money available to plow back into startups.
"I think the certainty issue is incredibly important, and it's something that policymakers have not understood until recently," Heesen said.
That uncertainty right now is over whether President Barack Obama and Congressional Republicans will be able to reach an agreement over taxes and spending by the end of the year. If they don't, a series of deep budget cuts and across-the-board tax increases will automatically go into effect, jeopardizing the slow economic recovery.
And the looming cliff's shadow doesn't just fall on startups looking for a buyer or their backers. If the debate goes on very long, it could also directly affect decisions on spending by the high-growth startups themselves, Adam Marcus of OpenView Venture Partners said.
Since coming aboard with Upstart’s parent company, Kent has covered sustainability and business, entrepreneurs, technology, and venture capital. Now, he covers all the ways upstart businesses get their money.
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Taste of Home Tupperware
After nearly 15 years of selling Tupperware, Brenda Baird knows the comments by heart.
“I hear all the time: ‘Tupperware, really?’ ‘I thought they were gone?’ and ‘My grandma had that!’” said the Center Township resident, a business leader with the Orlando-based company. “People still associate us with their grandmother’s Tupperware, but we’ve changed a lot in the past 70 years.”
Granted, the company still makes a plethora of brightly-colored food storage products, but they also offer pans, knives, choppers and an array of kitchen gadgets. “Our microwave products are BPA-free and you can cook a whole meal in the microwave in 25 minutes,” Baird said. “A microwave pressure cooker lets you cook a tender roast in 20 minutes.”
And the modern Tupperware parties are revved-up versions of the staid gatherings you might remember.
“We make salsa and margaritas at our Tex-Mex themed parties or cakes at Chocolate Girls’ Night Out parties,” Baird said. “Tupperware parties are F-U-N.”
Baird will be sharing the fun at the Taste of Home Show, which runs from 4 to 9:30 p.m. September 19 at the Community College of Beaver County Athletics and Events Center. General admission to the show is $15, and includes a vendor fair, cooking demonstration, and the chance to win a variety of prizes.
Tickets are for sale online at www.timesonline.com/tasteofhome; in the lobby of The Times from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays; or by phone at 724-775-3200, extension 136.
Baird will have a booth set up with some sample items. “I plan on doing some cooking demonstrations, including a cake in the microwave. I’ll also have a nice set of Tupperware bowls on display that people can register to win.”
She is also sponsoring an “Ugly Apron Contest,” with a Tupperware gift certificate up for grabs.
A career with Tupperware has many pluses, Baird said. She started 14 1/2 years ago just to earn a little extra money. “Little did I know that purchasing a $25 Opportunity Kit would change my life and turn into a career,” she said. “I have a company car and travel around West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania doing team events and multi-host parties.”
Flexibility is a huge perk.
“I’ve loved being my own boss and working from home,” she added. “I set my own hours and days that I want to do parties, which really worked great when my kids were younger – I was around for baseball and football games.” Traveling is another bonus; Baird has earned all-expense paid trips to Las Vegas, Miami, Hawaii, Orlando and Monaco. “Right now I’m working on a trip to Europe for my husband and me.”
To learn more, please visit www.brendabaird.my.tupperware.com.


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LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Scammers on social media take many forms, from clones of celebrity accounts to counterfeit cryptocurrency companies. Their latest ruse, experts say, targets the growing popularity of Instagram psychics and spiritualists.
Web watchdogs say a growing number of scammers have impersonated famous psychics, astrologers, and tarot readers by replicating their accounts and promising readings in exchange for money from their followers.
Because of the fraud, Instagram is now attempting a crackdown.
“Claiming to be another person on Instagram violates our Community Guidelines, and we have a dedicated team to detect and block these kinds of scams,” said a spokesperson for Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook that owns Instagram.
Members of the metaphysical practitioner community told the Los Angeles Times that there had been an uptick of scammers impersonating their likeness and soliciting payments from their followers for readings in the last few months.
One of the psychics impersonated by fraudsters’ activities told the newspaper Instagram isn’t doing enough to protect the psychic community.
Meta’s spokesperson acknowledged the recurring issue and said, “We know there’s more to do here which is why we keep working to prevent abuse and keep our community safe.”
Instagram does not tolerate impersonation accounts and removes accounts that recreate popular users, the company said. It also encourages users to report fraudulent pages.
But for some psychics and spiritual healers, the damage can be irreparable because these scams raise more questions about their already stigmatized work.
“Historically people who work in wellness and spirituality have been ridiculed as hustlers and scammers, and literally burned at the stake,” Aja Daashuur, a Los Angeles medium and spiritual advisor, told The Times. “We have great integrity with what we do, but we’re an easy mark.”


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Cure for water-damaged phones rings in international success for 21-year-old inventor
July 28th 2014. In a whirlwind nine months since he won backing from TV show Dragons’ Den investor Kelly Hoppen, 21-year-old Oliver Murphy is celebrating selling his Reviveaphone.com phone repair kit to more than 13,000 people across the globe. The tech-savvy young businessman devised the revolutionary Reviveaphone as a simple way to fix water-spoiled phones. Using a sealable pouch, the product works to remove corrosive mineral deposits from drowned electronics and restore them with no long-term damage.
The award winning, young entrepreneur from Chelmsford, England, launched his product online in 2012 and netted £12,000 in sales in Reviveaphone’s first year.
He is now preparing to launch his Repair Service Online and Repair Service Van.
The online service allows all parts of the phone to be repaired and will allow customers to track their phone and be updated on the repair process.
The van service is a new concept, which sees the van come to customers at work, at home or hotels to repair phone problems or cracked screens.
Last October , Hoppen spotted Reviveaphone’s potential on the BBC TV show Dragons’ Den and agreed to become an investor.
The business is now expected to fulfil its sales target of £200,000 this year – only its second in operation.
This huge uplift in sales is in part down to Reviveaphone’s booming overseas success.
Thanks to deals struck by his Dragons’ Den mentor and investor Hoppen, the product is now selling in South Africa, New Zealand, Holland and Mexico and will soon be exported to America, Canada, Japan, Australia and Korea.
Oliver commented, “I’m staggered by how quickly Reviveaphone has taken off and to be already selling so many kits at home and abroad is more than I could have hoped for at this stage.”
The company is also in discussions with high-profile airlines Virgin, Easyjet and Flybe to offer the repair kits for sale onboard their flights.
Kelly Hoppen said, “Reviveaphone is a product that really has international appeal, so it was key to make sure the business has a profile abroad.”
We’re hugely excited about rolling the product out in even more countries in the coming months.”
“We’re also in the process of negotiating with some big names to secure key placement for Reviveaphone in the retail points where they are likely to expand their customer base even further.”
“Airlines are ideal as people going away on holiday often find that their smartphones come into contact with water on the beach or by the swimming pool.”
Reviveaphone kits don’t have a shelf life, so are often bought as a ‘first aid kit’ for phones and can work up to a month after the initial damage occurs.
Reviveaphone.com is available for £14.99.
About Oliver Murphy and Reviveaphone
As a schoolboy, Murphy repaired phones as a profitable hobby, buying damaged handsets in bulk and selling the units he restored online. During a ski season trip he found that he’d come up with a solution to fix handsets that were damaged from being dropped in the snow – and Reviveaphone was born. As well as repairing water-spoiled smartphones, the kits works on cameras, MP3 players and mini tablets. While some water-logged phones that are left to dry out naturally may continue to function, many go on to fail later because mineral deposits from the liquid slowly corrode the phone’s motherboard, which is why Reviveaphone’s solution is proving so popular.
About Repair Service Online
This service is provided by an easy to use website for people to repair all parts of their phones, screens, speaker, microphone, etc.- Customers do not have to wait for a quote as all the prices are set. They can also track their phone the whole way through the process with email alerts on each step of the repair. Customers are also sent a Revivepack which pops open so they can put their phone in, this keeps their phone safe from damage in transit.
About Repair Service Van
There is no other service like this in the UK to fix broken phones / screens. Customers make a booking online and a technician will come to where ever they are in Essex, UK – further locations to be added soon. The phone is repaired within an hour on the customer’s doorstep in the van. So they don’t have to be with out their phone for longer than an hour.