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Double money and RP are available this week
Rockstar released latest DLC update 'Be My Valentine' this time last week, bringing a number of new features to the game.
Players can get their hands on the Albany Roosevelt Valor limo as well as the Gusenberg Sweeper, with a variety of new clothes also available.
The new car has got fans excited, with Rockstar explaining: "They don't make them like they used to, which is a good thing because here at Albany we've completely run out of ideas.
Be My Valentine was released last week
"Lovingly remodelled, with room for a new suite of personal modifications, the latest edition of our class Roosevelt represents a new height of criminal refinement, taking you back to the golden age of fraud, racketeering and murder when all you had to worry about were a few charges of tax evasion."
A new Adversary Mode called 'Till Death Do Us Part' was launched at the end of last week, and sees players form up in pairs for some team death match action, although each partnership has just one life between them.
And Rockstar are now offering double GTA$ and RP for its Valentine's Day playlist, with players able to unlock a Firework Launcher and Fireworks upon completion.
A new Adversary Mode is also available
There is also 50 percent off SMG ammo, with free admission to in-game amusement park rides and cinemas lasting until February 18.
Meanwhile, recently-released Update 1.16 saw two new cars arrive in Los Santos, as well as a new Drop Zone Adversary Mode.
Rockstar noted: "Drop Zone sees teams of paratroopers jump from Cargobobs hovering high above, then race to the ground to seize and maintain control of a small, exposed patch of terra firm."


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.Data revenue grew by 32.4%
Largest telecommunications operator by subscriber number in Nigeria, MTN, generated N282 billion from voice and data services in the first three months of the year. According to the first quarter unaudited result, this represented 13.4 per cent growth year-on-year.
The growth in earnings for the company was driven largely by a 32.4 per cent increase in data revenue and a 12.7 per cent increase in voice revenue. According to MTN, growth in data revenue was supported by an increase in smartphone penetration, improved network quality and a 9.1 per cent increase quarter-on-quarter in active data subscribers to 20.4 million. The company, however, noted that a general slowdown in economic activities during the election period, impacted its voice revenue growth.
“Total subscribers increased by 3.6 per cent QoQ to 60.3 million. MTN Nigeria reported an EBITDA margin of 53.3 per cent. On an IAS 17 basis the margin increased to 44.2 per cent, up 2.4 percentage points YoY, driven by the growth in revenue and effective cost management,” the company said.
Commenting on the results, CEO, MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman said “our first quarter performance was in line with expectations, as service revenue remained resilient with double digit growth on the back of improvements in voice and data revenues. We connected a further 2.1 million people to our network, providing them access to worldwide communication services, while additional 1.7 million people are able to access the possibilities that the internet provides”.
According to Moolman, the growth was built on the company’s focus on customer centric delivery and in particular on improved customer retention, its continuous focus on value for money propositions and further network roll-out and enhancement. “Q1 2019 saw a significant increase in our capital expenditure programme, with focus on LTE services, where we rolled out 1,188 sites across our key focus cities. In addition, the successful transfer of our 800MHz spectrum from Visafone to MTN Nigeria will further enable improvements to network coverage and service quality,” he added.
The MTN CEO noted that the company has made significant progress to list on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) following the conversion its conversion to a public company and the successful registration of its ordinary shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “We are now engaging with the NSE to complete the listing process,” he said.

domain: news


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With Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, you can keep up with the latest Citroen automobile news, in-depth reviews, and road tests. Our Citroen blog has all you need to know about one of the world’s oldest automobile manufacturers. With our in-depth reviews, road tests, and first drives, our team of specialists can help you choose the best Citroen for you, from the C3 Aircross to the all-electric e-Space Tourer. Keep up with the newest Citroen news, recalls, and new model announcements, as well as the most recent news, auto show reveals, and Citroen events.
From hatchbacks to SUVs, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts talk you through the best family cars to suit your needs.Read the blog post
France has announced a radical plan to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles to help make France carbon neutral by 2050Read the blog post
Citroen have updated their best-selling Citroen C3 with new technologies and new design. And here's te details.Read the blog post


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India is under the grip of cyber attacks, if a report by Quick Heal is to be believed. According to the report, the country has witnessed an increase of almost 90 percent in Windows malware and there has been a mind-boggling increase of 170 percent in malware modifications. The mischief makers are also winning the war on the mobile platform. Virus attacks in the mobile space are rising rapidly, with a 30 percent growth registered in 2012 and an 80 percent increase in its modifications.
While desktop computers are still the major target for malware authors, the report states that there is an obvious peak in the growth of malware and modifications on mobile devices, especially on Android. The Quick Heal Annual Windows and Mobile Malware Report, 2012, released by Quick Heal Technologies, states that there has been a persistent increase in the number of malware attacks on Android devices and apps have become the easiest way to compromise devices.
Persistent increase in malware on Android platform (Image credit: Getty Images)
Social engineering, according to the report, still remains one of the most coveted ways to spread malware. Cyber criminals continue to use it as a convenient way to exploit human behaviour and platform vulnerabilities.
Commenting on the findings of the research, Sanjay Katkar, Technical Director and CTO, Quick Heal Technologies, said, "Windows is still the most attacked operating system. 2012 saw numerous attacks that were devised for Windows vulnerabilities. Cyber criminals have leveraged zero-day exploits even more effectively with new software patterns and business models". He added, “The web is still the most conventional way of targeting victims and our efforts should be driven to educate the end users and create awareness.”
On a related note, ESET recently pointed out that viruses and worms spreading through flash drives and the rise in malware targeting Android were the main trends of the malware landscape in India in 2013. As per ESET's 2011 report, malware for mobile phones was marked a main trend for 2012. This time, the researchers focused on malware for Android OS as the market share of Android mobile phones has been increasing dramatically.
During the first quarter of 2012, according to IDC statistics, Android recorded a year-over-year rise of 145 percent in market share. Furthermore, Juniper, in its whitepaper “Banking Anytime Anywhere” estimates that in 2013, the number of users accessing banking services from their smartphones will rise to 530 million. According to the same study, in 2011, there were only 300 million individuals who accessed banks from their phones.
“There are over 27 million smartphone users in India, according to different estimations. Though it comes to about only 3 percent of total mobile phone users in the country, we see the huge growth of smartphones’ usage. Moreover, even the majority of cheap handsets run Android. Although we didn’t register many cases of Android malware in India, compared to some other countries, once Indians start actively using their mobiles for online shopping, banking, etc. the picture will change immediately," said Pankaj Jain, Director at ESET India.
Published Date: Jan 04, 2013 05:30 pm | Updated Date: Jan 04, 2013 05:30 pm


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Out-Law News | 12 May 2021 | 1:40 am | 1 min. read
Users of Singapore’s PayNow and Thailand’s PromptPay will be able to transfer money between the countries with the linking of the countries' two real-time payment systems.
The link is the first its kind in the world and comes after several years of collaboration, according to a joint statement of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Bank of Thailand (BOT).
Users will be able to transfer up to S$1,000 ($754) or THB25,000 ($803) each day between the two countries using mobile phones. The transfer will be complete within a few minutes.
The fees will be transparently displayed to senders before confirming their transfers. MAS said the participating banks have committed to benchmark their fees against the market.
The participating banks are three Singapore’s PayNow banks DBS Bank, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) Bank and United Overseas Bank (UOB), as well as four banks in Thailand Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank, Krung Thai Bank and Siam Commercial Bank.
According to MAS managing director Ravi Menon, MAS and BOT plan to “expand this bilateral linkage into a network of linked retail payment systems across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)”.
Nicholas Hanna of Pinsent Masons MPillay, the Singapore joint law venture between MPillay and Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “Singapore, arguably the fintech hub of South East Asia, has yet again pioneered a new digital payment system across its shores to Thailand. Connecting financial trade between consumers habitual in these two countries, will permit millions of people to send money seamlessly across borders. Similar agreements with other nations cannot be far away.”


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In 1957, Gordon Moore and the “Traitorous Eight” formed Fairchild Semiconductor and created the basis of what would become Silicon Valley. But despite the undisputed importance of the microchip, Fairchild’s biggest contribution might have more to do with how the company was started than what it produced.
Everywhere you look, someone is working on a new way to let you pay for stuff. It’s obvious why: Paying for stuff is the most fundamental activity in commerce, something you do many times a day, wherever you are, even at home, even in secret. Thus anyone who hits on a creative new way to get people to part with their money stands to gain a slice of an unbelievably huge market.
NSF Innovation Corps. Never heard of it? That's okay — few have. But it's something we should all know about, because it has the potential to be amazing.
This morning Twitter unveiled a product it's been hinting at for months--a self-serve ad platform to rival the self-serve offerings of competitors like Facebook.
In the past few weeks, we've seen a rash of issues rear their ugly heads in the technology industry. Google integrating Google+ into search results, and unifying its privacy policies. Path and its privacy issues. The state of low-quality link-bait blogging. Apple, Foxconn and working practices. Finally, today, the Wall Street Journal publishing a report accusing dozens of websites - including Google - of circumventing security measures for the tracking of users.
One of the common complaints you hear from iOS users is the lack of an adequate Gmail solution. Sure, the native Mail app provides very basic integration with Gmail, like archiving and starring, but what if you want to get beyond that and work with your Priority Inbox? You're out of luck. The only options left are the Gmail iPhone app (um, no), web Gmail (um, no) and Android (um, maybe?).
Advertising is the monetization plan for many of the hottest consumer Internet startups. But for brand new companies, nailing down that first brand partnership is a daunting task. It's an experience Jeffrey Cutler, now Director of Digital Strategy at Team Epic, knows well. He spent a chunk of time "literally running up and down Madison Avenue," he says, as Director of Marketing at Going.com before it sold to AOL in 2009. The time sink required to court brands and agencies is frustrating and full of dead ends. It's even difficult for the biggest, arguably most successful consumer Internet startups: Twitter's New York headquarters are on none other than Madison Avenue and Facebook has invested serious money and manpower into courting the ad world. Smaller startups are competing with them for attention--you can imagine who gets the meeting and in, turn, the ad dollars.
This morning, Apple did something we've all been hoping they would do for a while: they added iMessage support to OS X.
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Bentley Car Articles Car Talk & Videos
Results 1 - 15 of 15
Bentley reveals powertrain details for EXP 9F Luxury SUV concept at 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.
Bentley has unveiled the redesigned 2011 Continental GT
Take a look inside the Bentley factory as the new Mulsanne is being built
Bentley says its new Continental is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world
Video: Bentley has released a new video which shows an early look at Mulsanne production
Bentley Motors is preparing its all-new flagship model, the Mulsanne, for launch in 2010
The new biofuel Bentley Continental Supersports will start touching down in UK dealers next month
The new Bentley Mulsanne has been revealed at Pebbles beach Concours D'Elegance in California
Bentley has released a new image and teaser video for its "Grand Arnage"
Proclaimed to be the fastest, most powerful Bentley ever, this luxury model is the result of an "under the radar" project exploring weight reduction
Yes, it’s another one of those “teaser” shots carmakers like to trot out before major car shows
Fancy driving a 610-horsepower luxury car on ice, 60km from the Arctic Circle, in the midst of a Scandinavian winter?
Final Series is the last hurrah for this luxury car
Bentley's Flying Spur
Bentley is reviving a classic name from its past for a car it is billing as the fastest four-door it has ever built.
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The rollout of the national broadband network represents a “significant opportunity” for SMEs to adopt cloud computing products in their business, according to research released this week by Ovum.
But one SME internet service provider told SmartCompany it is still too early to know exactly what those opportunities will look like.
The Ovum research, commissioned by the NBN Co, cited previously released figures from the Australian Communications and Media Authority that just 44% of Australian SMEs are taking advantage of cloud computing products.
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The Ovum study found SMEs are currently favouring basic cloud hosting services, including email, security and web services, ahead of newer cloud products including advanced applications, online marketing tools and data security, but found higher-speed broadband will encourage a take-up of more cloud computing products among SMEs.
“Access to the latest technologies powered by fast and reliable broadband is vital in helping Australian businesses remain competitive in the global digital economy,” said Ovum research director David Kennedy.
“However, due to the resources and bandwidth required, many advanced business tools including cloud services have not previously been accessible by small businesses.”
“The NBN rollout will allow businesses of all sizes to discover a host of new products and tools, no matter where they are located and without the need for in-house specialist skills.”
Sam Bashiry, founder of Smart50 finalist Broadband Solutions, told SmartCompany in the overall scheme of things, the NBN will “change things for the better” for companies like his own, which offers broadband products in the B2B market.
But he says the proposed benefits of the NBN have been thrown around for “way too long” and to date, the connections that have been rolled out have been focused on residential users, rather than businesses.
“It will level the playing field for smaller providers and there will be opportunities, but it is still early days,” Bashiry says.
Nevertheless, Bashiry believes it’s important for all small providers to get on board directly with the NBN, rather than attempting to use one of the bigger telecommunications providers as an intermediary.
“You have to be part of it,” he says.
“That’s why we did our on-boarding with the NBN over 12 months ago. Having a direct relationship with the NBN is important.”


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The war in Ukraine brought about global change and became a key cause of the current global crisis. Even last year, countries, businesses and citizens had already begun to feel its impact in everyday life.
According to a recent United Nations Organization forecast, in 2023 the growth of the global economy will slow down to its lowest level in a decade. While the United States of America’s economic growth will decrease from 1.8 per cent in 2022 to 0.4 per cent in 2023.
In these kinds of conditions, American businesses need to start thinking of how they’re going to tackle this series of new challenges to ensure their survival. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to figure out how companies can adapt faster to these new conditions and what can help them to stay afloat during current and future unstable periods.
Digital transformation is a must
Digital transformation in business is not a new concept. The integration of technology into all areas of business starting from services for clients to management and data treatment has facilitated company growth, made the KPIs better and changed business processes drastically.
Take the consumer industry as an example, technology has been significantly improving the quality and the speed of service delivery. Every year the clients’ demands grow which means that companies need to match them. By implementing innovative technology they created a unique client experience, while offering the client not just simple, first-rate services and goods but also a positive experience. Which in turn means that the clients will certainly return for future cooperation.
Even though the need for the transformation for the client’s benefit may seem obvious, the matter of big data treatment is not realized by many executives and owners until the end.
Many American companies, especially small and medium sized businesses still face sizeable difficulties when it comes to the treatment of big data. Doing it via classical methods i.e. almost by hand or using outdated technology, they lose weeks, or even months and months from information acquisition and analysis of their own metrics.
As a result, executives and members of the board of directors often have incomplete information or get the analytics too late. Decisions made from those numbers and results are undoubtedly too late or ineffective. And delay, especially during a crisis, can be fatal for a company.
Economists are sure that businesses who have started the process of digital transformation sooner, and made an effort to deal with big data earlier will pass the hard times quicker and easier.
The most progressive companies already have special employees on their staff or have hired the experts of transformation and business intelligence by outsourcing. The perceived value and advantages of business analytics implementation are so high that they are even prepared to wait for the contracts’ terms and pay several times over just to get the best professional company dashboards in the industry.
Data-driven Decisions: the time matters
One such expert is Dmytro Chashnyk, the Ukrainian entrepreneur, technology-architect, CEO and founder of Cobit Solutions. Dmytro is sure technology of big data treatment can help businesses to reach a new level of quality in the short term. Executives can make faster and more effective decisions with them. It means that companies will become more flexible and be better prepared to adapt to new conditions.
Dmytro knows what he’s talking about. He has a rich experience of working in countries with unstable and dynamic economics such as Ukraine and it’s provided him with the best understanding of what is necessary for businesses during a crisis.
His company Cobit Solutions specializes in Power BI implementation and data-driven decision making. In simple words, Dmytro is dealing with the analytical process of automatization and turning huge amounts of data, not only into useful and elegant dashboard for company, but ultimately business solutions.
It is much more simple to analyze the state of a company, when you’re able to see all the indexes, not in huge Excel tables, but on applications such as a private phone or laptop with 3-5 precise numbers and charts available to them.
It’s certain to appear as though it’s a new reality for those who have spent weeks and months crunching numbers via outdated methods.
Dmytro’s team provides the development of such systems and business dashboards.
It makes solutions which save customers hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of man hours. For example, one of the first of Dmytro’s clients that embraced business intelligence system development, saved USD 215,000 in the first month.
For a large client in Uzbekistan, he has created a system that consolidates financial data in 5 minutes, which before required 3 weeks by a team of 20 people. It allows them to control and increase business profitability, and analyze the numbers more often. This in turn means more effective and swift decisions.
Progressive ideas paired with an innovative vision helped Dmytro build a successful career in IT, and progress all the way from a hands-on system administrator to the CIO of the largest media group in Ukraine. Once faced with Power BI, he saw great advantages of this technology for the Ukrainian market. At that time, local companies used more outdated attitudes in business processes, аnd data-driven decisions were used only by the top players. So Dmytro got a chance to make his own imprint onto his country’s economic development; a big reason why he left a highly paid post to forge his own business.
Very soon Cobit Solutions became a leader in the Ukrainian market and enjoyed successful cases with largest enterprises in manufacturing, logistics, finances, healthcare, fashion retail and others. As time went on, requests came from other countries appeared too. As of today Dmytro has implemented professional dashboards projects in 22 industries and has worked with clients from Canada, Kazakhstan, USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
He is sure that everybody wins from the implementation of business analytics systems and a data-driven attitude to management. More effective business decisions bring more profit to the company, which in turn means more taxes are paid to the country’s budget.
Comprehensive vision and flexible approach in Power BI consulting
Nowadays demand for development of data warehouse and Power BI implementation far exceeds the supply in the American market.
Taking into account the technology and how many thousands of dollars it saves the companies which implement it, headhunters search for the best technology-architects around, people like Dmytro Chashnyk.
The configuration of the business analytics system Power BI is always specific. It is created for each company separately, and takes into account its unique requirements and tasks. So it is not enough to simply know the technology itself, or just have experience in IT.
Even the most talented IT-director cannot not always see the whole picture. Their solution can be seen as ideal from a technical point of view, but at the same time not correspond with the business demands or just simply be unprofitable.
A rich background in the IT sphere, as well as knowledge in finance and business management have helped Dmytro see a clearer picture. Consequently, he offers solutions which are not only technically successful, but are profitable for the company from a financial and managerial point of view. His team of 12 experts is experienced in different areas – from consulting, finances and business-management to specialists of analytical systems and IT in general.
Together they find the most effective solutions for tasks considered outside the box.
To look at another example of a large pay day loans (PDL) company, Dmytro and Cobit Solutions were able to solve the problem of data analysis and forecast of income. Dmytro’s team created the system, which analyzed the history of company and the collectors effectiveness, with further automation of work for each employee per day. Based on their current data, a forecast was made of the company’s income for each day, week, month and year. In addition, the system studied the results of each collector and corrected the plan in business dashboards. Prediction accuracy was a very high 98.5%.
Based on this data, executives were able to get actual information in a clear and simple way at any time, which meant they could quickly make the best decisions for the business. This is without mentioning the increased possibility for the company’s development and ability to attract more business due to such an accurate model. It meant a much larger amount of investment in its working capital.
Another client from the fashion retail industry saw an increase in company margins for the year by 32% after Dmytro developed a business analytical system.
A comprehensive vision of business, the synergy of knowledge from finance and IT, and a deep understanding of the task at hand are the undeniable advantages that Dmytro and his team Cobit Solutions possess. But this is just one reason why the largest companies trust him with their most valuable thing – their data.
The second reason is speed. During 4-5 months, the Cobit Solutions team can implement what similar outsourced companies in the US do in a year or two. At the same time, offering a cost between 5-7 times lower than other players on the market can.
In times of economic instability, time to market is especially important. It is a huge conservation of resources, which are at a shortage during a crisis. In addition, the faster a company transforms and adapts to the new realities that it faces, the more likely it is to survive.


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L&T Finance Ltd, the non-banking financial arm of engineering giant Larsen & Toubro Ltd, has backed a residential project of a Pune-based developer as it continues to aggressively pump in money into ...
- Valuation and Fundraising for Tech Startups, Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru, 2020-02-26
- VCCircle India Limited Partners Summit 2020, Trident, Nariman Point, 2020-02-27
- Business Transformation Summit 2020, ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad, 2020-03-14
- VCCircle Consumer Investment Summit 2020, Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai, 2020-03-20


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WRI Market Insights 2022
– a subscription service from Wood Resources International
European Wood Pellet Markets
Russia’s war is changing wood pellet market dynamics in Europe, with prices tripling in 12 months
The international trade of wood pellets has increased yearly for over ten years thanks to growing demand in Europe and Asia. Although shipments in the first half of 2022 were practically unchanged from the same period in 2021, an anticipated increase in demand in Europe in the second half of the year is likely to make 2022 another record year of close to 30 million tons shipped worldwide. The most significant change is the rising demand in Asia, with Japan and South Korea having become the second and fourth largest markets in the world, respectively. The United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium continue to be the major import markets in Europe.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has shaken up the European wood pellet market. Pre-war shipments from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine totaled about 3.5 million tons in 2021, about 30% of total imports to the continent or just over 10% of the total consumption, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. In 2021, these three countries shipped their largest volumes to Denmark, Belgium, and Poland. With expected natural gas and oil availability reductions in the coming winter, many European countries are struggling to secure energy sources to meet demand in the near term. One consequence is that prices for wood pellets and firewood have increased to unprecedented levels. In some markets, professional firewood companies and pellet producers pay more for small-diameter logs than pulpmill and panel manufacturers. The increase in energy wood coincides with pulpmills running at high operating rates to take advantage of record-high prices for market pulp.
The tumultuous energy market in Europe brought wood pellet prices in the second and third quarters to levels never seen before. In Austria and Germany, residential prices were nearly three times as much as in August 2021. It is rare to see price jumps during summer, so this year’s increases are highly unusual. Typically, pellet prices in Central Europe decline in the 2Q and stay flat in the 3Q. However, in 2022, they were up about 10% in the second quarter and another 50% in the third quarter, all because of the uncertainty of energy supply and pricing this coming winter.
Are you interested in worldwide wood products market information? The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) is a 70-page report established in 1988 with subscribers in over 30 countries. The publication tracks prices for sawlog, pulpwood, lumber & pellets and reports on trade and wood market developments in most key regions worldwide. For more insights on the latest international forest product market trends, please go to www.WoodPrices.com
Source: Wood Resources International


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A new Windows 10 preview build is in town! Microsoft has released Windows 10 build 16291 to the Fast ring of the Windows Insider preview program, and this new arrival comes with something new.
Something new in the form of a feature.
As Microsoft detailed in the announcement post, there is one small feature that has gone live as part of this new build. But otherwise, this is very much part of the series of quick and effective builds that are released leading up the full launch of a new version of the operating system.
Which in this case, is the upcoming Fall Creators Update, set for official arrival next month!
Anyway, getting back to the new feature in Windows 10 build 16291, it has something to do with the Resume from phones to PC with Cortana, where the digital assistant can now resume articles and news from your Android or iPhone handsets, right within the app.
This comes in addition to the existing ability where you can sync reminders, notifications and SMS messages across your devices to stay connected on the go.
Microsoft also polished things up a bit on the general changes and improvements front:
Today’s build should also fix the pesky issue that Surface Pro 3 users were having, where they were unable to restart their PCs properly. The software titan has these instructions for them to recover.
Happy downloading, if you plan on deploying this build, and here’s to the next one!


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Not halfway through its fourth season, the Uptown Market has announced that it plans to close.
In a Tweet on Tuesday, Uptown Market organizers said, "Due to multiple challenges this year, we are simply no longer able to operate."
The market, which features local farmers, vendors and artisans, was founded in 2009. Its current season was supposed to run from June to the end of September. Instead, Uptown Market's last event will be Sunday, July 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the parking lot behind Intermedia Arts at 2822 Lyndale Av. S.
Uptown Market's board members made the decision to end the season last week, according to an announcement on the venue's Facebook page. A representative from Uptown Market couldn't be immediately reached Tuesday for comment.
Uptown Market's full Facebook statement can be seen below:
Uptown Market Season Ending Early
The Board of Uptown Market had to make a difficult decision last week. Due to multiple challenges this year, we are simply no longer able to operate. Our last event will be this Sunday, July 8, in the usual location behind Intermedia Arts (10am - 3pm). Since this will be a "farewell" of sorts, we hope that many of our friends and supporters can stop by and support our vendors and visit the market one last time. If you are interested in being a vendor at the market one last time, you can sign up day-of.
We are very grateful to everyone who as supported the market by being a board member, volunteer, sponsor, donor, vendor, musician, visitor or supporter in some other way. Although we're sad that it has to end, we are proud of our three-year run. We all had a lot of fun and met a let of great people.
Uptown Market Board


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Kanabo Group, a British-owned Israeli-founded medical cannabis company will become the first of its kind to be listed on the London stock exchange.
It will allow investors to buy shares in the company and make money directly from the sales of medical cannabis.
The company makes vaporizers that deliver cannabis to patients in controlled doses.
Listings of non UK-based medical cannabis companies could follow, but tough restrictions exist.
It is hoped that this will contribute to the change in the frequency in which medical cannabis is prescribed in the UK.
Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since 2018, but many patients have reported difficulty in obtaining a prescription from their doctor and private treatment remains expensive.
Recreational cannabis remains illegal in the UK and users risk arrest for obtaining it on the black market, even for medicinal use.
A medical cannabis company will for the first time be listed on the London stock exchange, it was announced late last week.
Kanabo, an Israeli-founded company which was bought by British shell company, Spinnaker in 2019, has been given the go-ahead to appear on the London stock exchange in just over two weeks’ time. It will be the first ever organization listed in the UK that will allow investors to buy shares and make money directly from medical cannabis sales.
This landmark move could open the door for more non UK-based medical cannabis companies to follow suit, but heavy restrictions are in place. Organizations that sell recreational cannabis will be barred from listing, even if they are established in countries where cannabis is fully legalized.
Why the medical cannabis industry matters
A robust cannabis industry with companies listed on the stock market is a recipe for positive change and development.
UK investors are keen to place their cards on the table and put their trust in the ever-growing cannabis market. The more money rolling in, the more likely it is we’ll see advancements in innovation and research and development, as well as wider distribution to those who really need it.
We’ve already seen it in Canada. Canopy Growth Corp. (NASDAQ: CGC), formerly known as Tweed Ltd., was listed on Toronto’s TSX Venture Exchange in mid-2014. Shares were priced at US $2.59 on the first day. The price jumped to roughly $60 by 2019, an increase of over 2000%.
Established in 2016 as Kanabo Research Ltd by CEO Avihu Tamir, the company has already secured £6 million ($8.1 million) in UK-based investments and is valued at around £23.3 million ($31 million).
Kanabo produces vaporizers that deliver medical-grade cannabis to the user in controlled 1mg doses in each inhalation. According to Tamir, who spoke to the Guardian last week, users generally prefer this method as it replicates the action of smoking, calling it an “upgrade” from the current delivery, which is in pill form.
A UK medical cannabis industry rejuvenation?
Even though the UK medical cannabis industry is seeing some growth, there’s still a lot that needs to be done before it’s anywhere near the level of Canada (legalization would certainly help).
Tamir hopes with this step, along with the establishment of specialist cannabis treatment clinics in Britain, the company will be able to focus on the cannabis market in the UK and its troubled history with medical prescriptions, despite legalization in 2018.
“The distributors that have the clinics know how to collect together a sufficient amount of prescription for three to six months ahead,” he explains, referring to the issue of UK medical cannabis organizations themselves requiring a license before they are permitted to import, which has contributed to delays and low rates of prescriptions made to British patients. “They [the companies] can import in bulk and dispense from there.”
Why legalized UK medical marijuana is still facing roadblocks (even when it shouldn’t)
Similar to the FDA’s ruling over CBD and cannabis in the United States, UK government affiliated advisory bodies are reluctant to give both hemp-derived CBD and cannabis the go ahead.
In 2019, a report was issued by the National Institution of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a public body that produces health guidance on behalf of the British government. It found a lack of evidence to support the effectiveness of cannabis and CBD products for conditions such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, citing a need for further research into its medicinal effects
This, honestly, isn’t true. Cannabis and CBD are well-documented as effective for epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, which is why Epidiolex and Sativex were approved for use in the UK.
Clinical research into both was broad, meticulous, and very convincing. Epidiolex, primarily used to treat rare forms of child epilepsy, reduces seizure frequency quite significantly. Sativex, which is used for symptoms of multiple sclerosis, reduced the severity of neuropathic pain and muscular spasticity.
British patients have widely reported difficulties in obtaining a prescription from their doctors as a result. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK currently disallows regular GPs from prescribing medical cannabis. This has forced people to turn either to the black market or expensive services offered by private, specialized doctors.
Legal prescriptions, which have been reported to cost between £600 and £700 ($824 – $961) each month, on top of £200 ($275) appointments, are unlikely to be covered by any private health insurance policies. However, they remain the only option for patients wanting to avoid the black market and the associated risk of prosecution.


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Express Man has had two lives.
Its first incarnation was as a spin-off of the Express women’s chain in 1987, a grain of an idea that was renamed Structure two years later and eventually grew to become one of the largest men’s wear chains in the country.
But in David Kornberg’s mind, the business really started in 2001, when its former owner, The Limited, relaunched the men’s operation under the Express Man banner after Structure fell on hard times. The Structure trademark was sold to Sears in 2003.
“We put our first product with the Express Man label in stores in fall 2001,” said Kornberg, executive vice president of men’s merchandising and design.
Today, some 550 of the company’s 577 stores are dual gender, and men’s accounts for just more than one-third of Express Inc.’s $1.8 billion in annual sales.
“We’ve really grown significantly in the past nine years,” he said. “Guys today are more discerning and really enjoy shopping.”
Kornberg, who was with Marks & Spencer in the U.K. before joining Express Man 10 years ago, called the Structure years “just distant history. The beginning of this chapter was 2001.”
He said there’s no confusion in the market between Structure, which is still being used as a Sears proprietary label, and Express, calling it a “nonissue.”
“We’ve established a brand with a very loyal customer base that is focused on the essentials of a man’s wardrobe,” Kornberg said. “The key fundamental is affordable, understandable, wearable men’s fashion.” An easy concept in theory but harder to pull off. “Just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
Although the “common DNA” of the label is “going out” clothes, the offering ranges from underwear and jeans to suit separates. “He can get a piqué polo or a fitted shirt and a slim-fit pair of jeans or a suit. One of our unique selling propositions is that we have both dressy and casual,” he said.
Kornberg said the company has seen “balanced growth through all categories of business” and envisions “significant potential for the future. We see unlimited opportunity in the men’s business. Over the past five years, we’ve continued to build loyalty and awareness, so there’s really no limit to what we can achieve.”
In the past nine years, Express Man has become known for several key items, especially woven shirts, he said, pointing to the Wanamaker style, a blend of cotton and spandex and is among the best-selling items.
“The Wanamaker Shirt is a core key item,” he said. It’s available in either a fitted or slim fit and retails for $49.50. More recently, the company expanded that franchise by adding a military-inspired version of the shirt, called the MK2, as well as a Western model, the TX8.
Piqué polos are also a hallmark of the men’s business and incorporate the brand’s iconic lion logo. “We tested the logo six years ago and anything we put it on sells great,” he said. “Young guys really identify with it.”
Kornberg said the genesis of the logo came from internal testing. The company was looking for something that was “associated with strength and masculinity, so we tested a polo, one with a lion and one without, and the lion sold more, so it won,” he laughed. “But it’s evolved over time, and we now put it on track jackets, casual shirts and other pieces.”
Graphic T-shirts are “a mainstay,” he added, and shorts, a popular item with young guys, stay on the floor through the third quarter, he said, because “that’s what guys wear.”
Express Man also does a big jeans business, offering a wall of different styles and washes including loose, classic and slim cuts. “It’s not dumb denim. It’s fashion denim,” he said.
Cardigans, which are offered at $49.90 to $69.90, have gained momentum over the past several years, and fleece hoodies ($49.50), are also “an essential product.”
In terms of dress pants, Kornberg said the slim-fit Producer pant, which features a slim fit, low rise and straight leg, has been a front-runner for the past five or six years. It retails for $59.90, but the store often runs promotions such as buy one at full price and get the second at $39.50. New for spring is the Agent fit, which is more relaxed and fuller in the thighs.
“We offer these fits in jeans so it doesn’t make sense not to offer them in pants as well,” Kornberg said.
Express Man also offers suit separates at $198 for solid jackets and $88 for the pants, or $228 and $98 for patterns. Vests and ties, in narrow, standard and skinny, complete the outfit. Outerwear includes military greatcoats for $298 and fitted peacoats at $228. There’s even a jersey-lined faux-leather jacket — the hangtag reads: (Minus the) leather — for $148. And for the foundation, there are several models of underwear, including sport trunks, boxer briefs, traditional boxers and basic Ts, crews and V-necks.
“We have built a core connection with the customer on these key items,” Kornberg said. “Our guy needs to feel familiar, so the men’s assortment evolves but doesn’t change completely.”
Express Man extended its franchise last year with a fragrance called Reserve, which is focused on the dressier part of the business. A lighter, more casual scent, Honor, was released in June.
“We’re pleased with how sales are going,” he said. “These add another tier to the business.”
The majority of the stores are in malls and attract a customer who averages around 26 years of age and is a “young professional,” Kornberg said. “He’s already on the ladder at work but also enjoys going out. He has an interest in fashion, and it’s our job to editorialize and provide him with a clear point of view.”
And it doesn’t hurt that women’s wear is sold in the same location. “A key advantage of the brand is that we’re dual gender,” he said. “So when she’s out shopping, her other half can be out there as well. It’s been great for us working with an already-established women’s business.”
To communicate with the customer, Express Man uses direct mail, e-mails up to three times a week and is active on Facebook and Twitter. “We take social media very seriously,” Kornberg said. “Our customers are totally hooked into it, so it has to be central to what we do.”
Although its association with The Limited changed when a majority interest was sold in 2007 to Golden Gate Capital, a private equity firm, the company is still headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. There’s a design team in New York but the merchants are based in Columbus. Kornberg and the team also visit stores constantly to keep close tabs on customer demand. “It’s all about being out in the stores,” he said during a tour of the 34th Street flagship in New York.
Looking ahead, Kornberg said he sees opportunities for expanding into other categories such as footwear — “We look at this as an online business” — as well as an expanded personal care selection.
“But there’s also a lot we can still achieve within our core categories of business, such as woven shirts, sweaters, knits and denim. And we see huge opportunity in casual pants.”
With its blend of dress apparel and casualwear, Kornberg believes Express Man has found a niche in the competitive world of retail. “We look at all sorts of different retailers as competition — wherever else he might shop,” he said, pointing to Macy’s and Nordstrom on one hand, and mall-based specialty stores on the other. “But our brand position and our focus on dressing and going-out clothes puts us in another category from collegiate brands like American Eagle, Aéropostale and Abercrombie.”
Affordable price points, he believes, also give the brand a leg up. Because of the mall-based focus of the stores, buy-one-get-one-at-half-price and other offers are prevalent. “Promotions are built into the business model because that’s part of the business today,” he said.
Interestingly, Kornberg said that the higher-priced denim and shirts are among the top performers, like jeans for $98 or graphic Ts for $39.50. “When the product is right, he doesn’t mind paying the price,” he said.
Kornberg remains optimistic that Express Man will continue to gain ground in the future. “When I think of where we’ve gone in nine years, I’m encouraged,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic journey but there’s plenty of road still ahead.
“In the men’s business, it’s the details that differentiate the brand,” he added. A piqué polo is a piqué polo, but it’s the “fit, wash, color and trim that make the brand. At the end of the day, it’s desirable product that will make the difference.”


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Apple retail store enthusiast who finds future locations, attends new store grand openings, and remarks on store architecture, design, staffing and operations.
AT&T adds store appointment scheduler to Web site, strangely similar to Apple's Concierge system for Genius Bar.
Workers refinish the Italian stone floor at an Apple retail store. And don't mind the expensive wood furniture!
A black Apple store construction barricade has appeared on upper level of the Drake Circus (UK) shopping center.
Genius product display: Jawbone's 'Up' fitness wristband box in Apple stores has plastic wrist sizing flip-up.
Ahhhh, a photo of the future Hanover (Germany) Apple store. Plywood marks the location of renewed construction.
Palo Alto (Calif.) Apple store's new window protection: warning stickers f/pedestrians, metal corners for carts.
CBS "60 Minutes" explored empty China real estate, including huge mall with speculative Apple retail store logo.
Rendering being Tweeted of Central Embassy (Bangkok) project w/Apple logo. But not there in original rendering.
Half block from Causeway Bay (HK) Apple retail store, street hawkers offer cash for used iPhones, other gear.
Meanwhile, Beyond Apple's own stores, an authorized retailer is set to open along Nathan Road in Kowloon.
100 Canton Road (Hong Kong) where rumors say Apple store will open amid high-end, international retailers.
At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday products are flying off the shelves at IFC Mall (Hong Kong) Apple store. Long express line.
If you want to talk about $100,000 Apple store glass panels, 40-footers at Causeway Bay (HK) cost more than that.
Twenty Ninth Street (Colo.) Apple store burglary door smash. NOT becoming more common. http://cbsloc.al/ZlefS7
Zorlu Center (Turkey) rendering shows opening in plaza level, with retail below—an Apple store, glass?
Palo Alto (N. Calif.) Apple store is at T-intersection—a vehicle hazard. New barriers appear IFO for protection.
Causeway Bay (Hong Kong) Apple retail store: real photo & Apple's Photoshopped version. Things have been removed.
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno used former Third Street Promenade (S. Calif.) Apple retail store as skit backdrop.
Looks like not everyone has to use the rear bike spaces at Third Street Promenade (S. Calif.) Apple retail store.
©2016 Twitpic Inc, All Rights Reserved


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New Delhi: Chinese language smartphone maker Xiaomi has confirmed that its a lot awaited smartphone Mi 10 will likely be coming to India on Could 8.
“Mi followers, it’s nearly right here. Star-struck. The #Mi10 is coming in simply three days. I’ve been utilizing this unbelievable 108MP cellphone and I can let you know that you wouldn’t have seen a cellphone so quick and electrical,” Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, mentioned in a tweet.
Mi followers, it is nearly right here.
The #Mi10 is coming in simply three days.
I’ve been utilizing this unbelievable #108MP cellphone and I can let you know that you just would not have seen a cellphone so quick and electrical
— Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) Could 5, 2020
Xiaomi Mi 10 encompasses a 6.67-inch Full HD+ curved AMOLED show with a punch-hole on the top-left nook. The display screen additionally helps a 90Hz refresh charge and 120Hz contact response charge.
Underneath the hood, the cellphone is powered by Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with Adreno 650 GPU and X55 modem.
The smartphone homes an enormous 4,780 mAh battery with help for 30W quick charging.
The Mi 10 homes a 108MP digicam with a 1/1.33-inch sensor together with OIS, the second digicam is a 13MP ultra-wide digicam with 123-degree FOV. The opposite cameras embrace a 2MP macro sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. The entrance digicam of the system is 20MP and is positioned within the punch-hole cutout.
The system, earlier speculated to be launched on March 31, acquired postponed following the federal government’s order of lockdown to struggle the COVID-19 pandemic.


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/ FOMC leaves rates unchanged and no tapering just yet.
/ Evergrande a worry but not a global threat
/ China bans crypto, again.
/ Britain has a shortage of lorry drivers, and so a petrol shortage.
/ Nike cut its 2022 revenue outlook because of the temporary bottlenecks plaguing supply chains.
/ MPC no change
/ Telkom to spin out towers (Swiftnet) worth about R13billion. Openserve will happen afterwards.
/ PGM prices remain under pressure as vehicle production the world over in under pressure due to chip shortages.
/ Spur results
/ Exxaro has announced the development of a 70 MW solar project as part of the groups “overall renewable energy strategy”.
/ Grindrod sells remaining stake in Grindrod Shipping for R370million


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Lemonade for Livy Stand is at Shopko Saturday
Being set up in many Shopko stores, the Lemonade for Livy Stand will be open at the Toledo, Iowa. Shopko, 1006 S. County Road (U.S.) 63) this Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
This version of the Lemonade for Livy Stand and how it came about is told by Cami’s mother, Kylee Cibula:
My daughter Cami had discussed with me about setting up a lemonade stand and donating the profits to the Epilepsy Research Foundation of Iowa. While doing research on the Epilepsy Foundation of Iowa, I came across the Lemonade for Livy annual initiative that is done nationwide in July.
She decided to host her own stand and we were thrilled when we discovered that Shopko stores across the states also support the Lemonade for Livy initiative. When I called our local Shopko and spoke with the manager, I was told they will have donation collection cans at the registers, but they did not have anyone planned to actually host the lemonade stand. I quickly stated my daughter would love to man a lemonade stand. The manager would need to place a few phone calls to verify that it was indeed okay for her to allow this.
While I was waiting for a return call, I figured I would need to supply all the items, which was fine with me.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when the manager returned my call and told me they would allow her to host the stand as well as supply the items needed.
After talking with a friend about this, she stated she’d like to donate her time and bake some cookies and various dessert breads for Cami to sell at her lemonade stand. Angie Culver, owner of BB Cakes in Toledo will be doing this amazing contribution!
A little about my daughter. She is 9 years old and has been diagnosed with Absence epilepsy for over a year now. She has undergone a sedated MRI, various blood testing and multiple sleep deprived electroencephalograms. We are currently under seizure control after switching neurologists and changing medications and playing with dosages. She now sees an epileptologist, which is a neurologist with advanced training in seizure disorders, in Ames at the McFarland Clinic.
Shopko News Release: Shopko Joins Global Campaign ‘Lemonade for Livy’ to Support Local Epilepsy Organizations
Epilepsy Foundation’s ‘Lemonade for Livy’ Will Open at All Retail Locations
Epilepsy Foundation’s “Lemonade for Livy” campaign has announced its partnership with the national retail chain, Shopko. Over 300 retail stores will join the campaign with lemonade stands hosted at various participating stores. This partnership will help encourage and promote the need for continued support of epilepsy programs and research funding.
Today, 3 million people in the US have epilepsy, including over 300,000 children under the age of 15. “This unique partnership broadens the Epilepsy Foundation’s ability to reach more families across the country, and will educate the public about the impact of epilepsy and seizures,” said Philip M. Gattone, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. “The Epilepsy Foundation is proud to partner with Shopko in this important campaign. The outstanding management and staff at Shopko retail stores will generously provide customers the opportunity to directly support ‘Lemonade for Livy’ through their purchases while also enjoying a homemade glass of lemonade.”
“The Epilepsy Foundation provides critical support to families across the country, so Shopko is proud to partner with the organization on its ‘Lemonade for Livy’ campaign,” said Pete McMahon, Shopko CEO. “Simple acts of kindness, such as donating to this campaign while visiting Shopko, are vital to the success of the urban and rural communities we are fortunate to serve.”
In 2011, Lemonade for Livy started as a small initiative to help Olivia “Livy” Scheinman and now it has become the official campaign for the Epilepsy Foundation. Shortly after birth, Livy had her first seizure. She was then diagnosed with a brain malformation resulting in multifocal partial epilepsy. Today at age 11, Livy with the help of her twin sister Hailey, mom, and dad, each day is dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy. Meet Hailey and Livy.
“When we come together to hold lemonade stands, we are giving hope to millions of people. It’s amazing that something so simple can make a big difference in people’s lives. Even though Livy can’t speak, she inspires me and many others to participate and to give back to the community. In 2016, we are very excited to continue spreading Lemonade for Livy across the United States and around the world!” – Hailey Scheinman, twin sister of Livy Scheinman
To support online please visit Epilepsy.com/LemonadeForLivy


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What you need to know
- Serious Sam is a first person shooter franchise that's been around for nearly two decades.
- Serious Sam 4 is the return of the series, and is a prequel to the last Serious Sam game that was released.
- The triumphant comeback for Serious Sam is on September 24, with pre-orders available on Steam.
- The game will also be coming to Google Stadia, with a possible console launch in the future.
Alongside dozens of other games showcased at the Future Games Show, Serious Sam 4 revealed its latest gameplay trailer that shows off some mech-based vehicular combat. Serious Sam pilots a giant mech through Vatican City, but it's not a leisurely cruise, as a horde of giant monsters need to be blown apart to clear a path. You can check out the latest trailer below!
Serious Sam is a long-running first person shooter franchise that pits mercenary Serious Sam against armies of beasties and monsters, but it hasn't seen a new entry since Serious Sam 3 in 2011. That's all set to change, with Serious Sam 4 bringing the franchise back to life, as a prequel to Serious Sam 3. Even better, there's not much longer to wait, as Serious Sam 4 is set to make its debut next month on September 24, 2020.
If you're interested in Serious Sam's latest escapade filled with alien visceral, you can pre-order the game now on Steam. Besides Steam, Serious Sam will also be coming to Stadia, Google's cloud streaming platform. This exclusive partnership with Stadia is preventing Serious Sam from coming to consoles, at least right away, but there's still a good chance the first person shooter will come to Xbox and Playstation platforms in the future.
Serious Sam is back
Blow up some aliens.
After a long hiatus, Serious Sam 4 is here as a prequel to Serious Sam 3, and sees your favorite mercenary blasting away extraterrestrial invaders in another intense first person shooter. Available September 24, 2020 on Steam and Stadia.
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All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.


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By Mary Brophy Marcus, Special for USA TODAY
White dermatologists didn't understand her skin, says Nakia Smith, 25, a longtime eczema sufferer. It was not until she visited Philadelphia dermatologist Susan Taylor, who, like Smith, is a woman of color, that the dry, scaly patches on her face and arms cleared up.
"I had tried 50 million creams and was even told I'd just have to live with the eczema, but Dr. Taylor suggested things no one else had before. She understands my skin," says the postal worker and student in Lawnside, N.J.
Taylor is among a rising tide of dermatologists and spa owners who focus on the skin, hair and nail needs of women and men of color. Taylor, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology, says all dermatologists should be well-versed in the differences between fair and dark skin.
"The demographics of our country are really changing, and many people of color are looking for a dermatologist familiar with their needs, even in the heartland, not just the metropolitan areas," Taylor says.
Easier to irritate brown skin
There's a definite need for such as specialty, says Rebat Halder, professor and chairman of the department of dermatology at Howard University in Washington, D.C. By 2050, Halder says, half the population in the USA will be either African-American, Hispanic, Asian or Native American. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about one-third of the population now has skin of color.
Halder is president of a steadily growing professional organization, The Skin of Color Society, aimed at promoting education and research related to treating skin of color. Launched four years ago, its membership of mostly dermatologists has reached 100 and is increasing, Halder says.
Brown skin contains more melanin, or dark pigment, Taylor says. She says melanin levels vary dramatically among the ethnic groups.
Cells called melanocytes make the melanin. Melanocytes, the cells in the upper layer of the skin, are more reactive in darker skin and can release more melanin when they're irritated, says Hema Sundaram, a dermatologist in the Washington area.
"Any type of irritation to dark skin — an ingrown hair, acne or a poor laser treatment — can cause dark discoloration, called hyperpigmentation, that will last for months, even years," says Sundaram, who notes that scars on white skin tend to be pink and resolve more quickly.
Brown-skinned people are more vulnerable to melasma (dark patches resulting from pregnancy and genetics) and vitiligo (a genetic condition that causes uneven-shaped areas with no pigmentation at all) as well, Taylor says. Certain medications for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease also can cause brown skin to discolor.
Skin cancer is often overlooked in people of color because it is assumed they just don't develop the disease, says Peggy Fuller, a dermatologist in Charlotte. "Have you ever seen a skin cancer pamphlet with pictures of black skin with a melanoma?"
Says Taylor, "Skin conditions and treatments should not always be dealt with the same way in whites as they are in skin of color."
In whites, for example, washing the hair often helps clear up dandruff, while black women who shampoo daily may exacerbate a dry scalp and hair and cause increased breakage.
Who needs an expert?
Sundaram, a laser expert who has conducted research and lectured on the topic, says: "With brown skin, you need to use appropriate lasers and modified settings to avoid burns and discoloration.
"You may also need to be less aggressive with facial peels because taking off too many layers at once can lead to scarring."
Even women with the same brown skin tone but different cultural backgrounds may react differently to the same procedures, says Flor Mayoral, a dermatologist in Miami. Mayoral recommends that patients ask to have a test spot done before having a full skin procedure.
Mayoral, who is of Hispanic heritage, also advises patients to make sure their dermatologist "knows who you are, your ethnic background."
Though Sundaram applauds the fact that more dermatologists are taking an interest in treating patients of color, she is concerned that it sends the wrong message. "Does it imply that mainstream dermatologists can't treat patients of color?"
Sundaram says it also suggests that patients who go to experts in skin of color won't run into problems. She says at least one in five of her patients with brown skin initially come in because he or she has had inappropriate treatments, even at skin centers that promote themselves as experts in brown skin.
"I saw an African-American woman in her 30s the other day with dark moles on her face," Sundaram says. "A dermatologist had frozen them off, and it had caused permanent white spots. I would never use liquid nitrogen on the face of a patient of color, ever, ever.
"There needs to be better training, and patients need to research more carefully before selecting a skin expert."
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H&M just revealed exciting news.
The retailer is developing a new brand completely different from anything they have produced before, according to Bloomberg.
Few details are available on the mysterious new brand, but it could launch as early as 2017.
Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M, says it will also be nothing like the company’s sister brands, according to Bloomberg.
The H&M group owns six brands, including Cheap Monday, COS, & Other Stories among others.
H&M is known for introducing exciting collaborations and concepts to their customers.
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Amid the unprecedented challenge faced by the travel industry during the global coronavirus outbreak, Travel Weekly has compiled a resource centre made up of advice and guidance from a number of our industry partners which we hope will give practical help to businesses to weather the storm. If you have something to add to the list, email firstname.lastname@example.org.
You can also follow our coronavirus live blog for all the latest travel industry news and updates.
Select a category from the below:
Refund Credit Notes and chargebacks
Travel Weekly has created two at-a-glance guides to help travel agents understand the latest rules about Refund Credit Notes and chargebacks.
The two one-page guides are based on Abta’s guidance, released this week on Refund Credit Notes and Travlaw advice about chargebacks, including Section 75 claims under the Consumer Credit Act.
The refunds guidance includes details about expiration dates as well as Abta guidance on how to answer customers’ questions.
The two guides, compiled by Travel Weekly executive editor Ian Taylor, are entitled:
• Refund Credit Notes: Abta’s Guidance
Advice spans tax, business rates, grants, loans, wage costs, eviction, VAT deferral and sick pay. Access it here
Agents have reported a rise in the number of customers getting angry and emotional as the frustration surrounding refunds boils over. Bob Morrell and Jeremy Blake, of Reality Training, give their 10 tips on how to tackle those challenging conversations.
Changes to industry structure and customer needs offer an opportunity for those who embrace change and prepare now, says trivago chief executive Axel Hefer. Read his advice here
Video: How to present at a conference
Reality Training’s Bob Morrell gives his seven top tips for presenting at a conference and advice on how to get the most from video conferencing.
Free cyber security for online firms
Cyber security firm Variti is providing free fraud detection and cyber attack services for online travel firms for six months.
Find out more about the free services and how to access them here
Abta gives regulatory update to members
Abta hosted a conference call for members today to provide a regulatory update and address any questions regarding #Coronavirus | #Covid19.
Members can download and listen to a recording of the call here
Guidance for Companies House customers, employees and suppliers
Companies House has created a detailed guide for all firms so they are prepared for disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organisation says it has “robust plans in place to maintain services for our customers and protect the welfare of our employees during the coronavirus outbreak”.
View the guidance for businesses here
Travelport launches COVID-19 response hub
UK global distribution system and technology firm Travelport has developed a coronavirus resource hub offering advice on how to respond to the crisis.
Travelport said the hub is “a source of information, with ongoing updates and data to help businesses through this difficult period”.
It will be updated regularly with reports on global travel trends, analysis of industry data. It also includes an airline policy tracker, tips for using existing capabilities, and more.
Travelogix creates free insights platform
UK travel data analyst Travelogix has refocused its technology development resources to creating a free COVID-19 outbreak insights platform.
The firm says the service will provide its travel management company clients with critical tools, information and communications services to help maintain operations during the crisis.
GfK business intelligence resources
GfK has collated all its business intelligence, including reports, insights and webinars, relating to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, free of charge.
View it all here
A panel of business and legal experts have answered readers’ questions sent in to us this week.
Questions ranged from confusion over customer refunds and consumer protection, redundancy and employer rights, to business loans. Find the responses here
Travel Weekly has received a range of questions from readers for its panel of industry, business and legal experts on Friday afternoon. Given the pressing nature of questions relating specifically to consumer refunds, Travel Weekly executive editor Ian Taylor has picked out a selection and outlined his understanding.
Companies house is allowing businesses to apply for an extension of their filing deadline for delivery of their statutory accounts.
A statement on the government’s website today said: “If coronavirus (Covid-19) has affected your company and you need more time to file your accounts, you should act before your filing deadline.”
Deloitte has created a page to bring together insights to help businesses manage and mitigate risks posed by coronavirus. Access the page here
Travel Startups Incubator is offering free emergency COVID-19 B2B travel tech start up mentoring calls for chief executive, founders and teams.
TSI will provide advice on what firms should do immediately and provide advice on questions, decisions or strategies.
The calls will start on start on April 1. Due to expected demand calls are limited to 20 minutes and times can be booked here
Not Just Travel Q&A
Not Just Travel co-founder Steve Witt has created a video answering the top six questions customers are asking its homeworkers:
Travel technology specialist Alex Bainbridge has set-up a site ‘Tourmageddon’ to match tour companies needing help with those offering help during the pandemic.
Bainbridge has more than 20 years’ experience in travel, having run a GDS for tours and activities.
As well as listing companies both offering and needing help, the site includes news and recovery plans. View the hub here
Travel, audit and tax director at travel specialist accountancy firm White Hart Associates’ Nikki Spoor says companies need to take decisive action to deal with the crisis. She has shared eight key tips about how to prepare your business to survive the coronavirus crisis. Read them here.
Henry Wells and Phil Dakin of Duff & Phelps outline what practical steps travel firms can take to stay afloat during the pandemic. Check their advice here.
Crisis management and resiliency coronavirus masterclass
Following the cancellation of ITB Berlin due to concerns around the new coronavirus and Covid-19, a Virtual Convention has been created to allow delegates to access essential content.
The Resilience Council has hosted a masterclass featuring insight from Mabrian’s Carlos Cendra and Robin Ingle, from Ingle International, and assessing how the tourism industry can adapt, overcome and recover. Watch the video below.
Deloitte has created a ‘Webhub’ for combatting COVID-19 with resilience. It includes advice on managing cashflow, practical workforce strategies, managing supply chain risk and how to maintain trust and customer loyalty. The Webhub is available to view here.
Business expert Kate Hardcastle has created her own online resource to help small and medium-sized businesses, as well as self-employed business owners, to help them weather the coronavirus storm. Her LinkedIn post contains advice on tax, loans and how to support your customers. View it here.
Law firm Hill Dickinson has issued a list of business continuity measures and employee health and safety measures that companies can use as guidelines for dealing with the impact of COVID-19. Read the advice here.
Sales training specialists Reality Training has issued ‘lucky seven’ tips for trading through these tough times. Read Bob Morrell’s advice here.
Reality Training has also created guidance for companies forced to cancel their own events with tips on how to inspire teams or delegates without the event. Access it here.
Travel Counsellors founder offers free help
Travel Counsellors founder David Speakman is offering his time for free to help travel business through the coronavirus crisis.
The travel industry veteran, businessman and entrepreneur – and his colleague Richard Mathias, chief executive of their company Genus – are offering advice or mentoring to anyone in need of help or support.
Speakman said: “These are unprecedented times in business. If you need a some advice, a second opinion or just to bounce a problem off us, or if we can help in any way with mentoring, you can contact both Richard and myself and we will advise for free.”
Speakman stressed his offer was not financial.
All requests for help would be treated in complete confidence.
Cruise118 founder lends support
Cruise118 founder James Cole is offering free advice and help to travel businesses.
Cole spent 20 years in the industry, including working in the commercial team at Airtours Holidays and setting up The Cruise Store with Gary Wardrope.
He said he experienced his biggest challenge in 2008 when Cruise118 sold its first cruise just 10 weeks before Lehman Brothers went under.
“However, we all managed to pull through then and this innovative industry packed with talent, enthusiasm and an unrelenting resolve will get through whatever is thrown at it,” he said.
“After everything the cruise industry has given me it’s only fair to offer to give back. If anyone can use my time, for free, then please let me know and I would be more than happy to have a conversation.”
Email James on email@example.com
Homeworking agency Designer Travel is offering advice given to her own business to all self-employed agents during the coronavirus crisis.
Founder and managing director Amanda Matthews has produced a fact sheet of advice for her own 90 homeworkers to help them support customers and keep their businesses afloat over the coming months.
Read the advice sheet here
Resources for business owners and directors
Begbies Traynor and its director-facing brand Real Business Rescue has put together a series of resources to help businesses and business owners during the coronavirus pandemic.
A guide titled Understanding Funding, Tax Deferral Schemes and other Government Initiatives has been produced and is available on both sites.
Travlaw head of employment Ami Naru assesses the considerations businesses will need to take into account when returning to work environments.
Read the full article here.
‘It is clear that heroic efforts are going on to ensure customers are looked after, but be careful not to step outside the law,’ says Travlaw LLP’s Matt Gatenby
Associate at Travlaw Nick Parkinson, attempts to answer as many questions as possible in relation to travel companies’ obligations to customers. In particular, in relation to when refunds are due.
Read in full here
Help with contract terms
Themis Advisory is helping tour operators, travel agents, DMCs and airlines with understanding their obligations under the package travel regulations, the impact of Foreign Office advice and travel restrictions, and reviewing contract terms with suppliers and force majeure clauses.
Owner, travel lawyer Joanna Kolatsis, is also advising on crisis management and communication strategies and business resilience and continuity measures. You can contact her via her LinkedIn page or email her firstname.lastname@example.org
Package Travel Reglations update
The Advantage Travel Partnership has been giving its members regular updates on practical need-to-know advice for its members. Those videos are being posted no YouTube and can be used by other agents looking for clarity on issues such as the Package Travel Regulations, such as this video from travel industry lawyer and Themis Advisory owner Joana Kolatsis on April 3.
Report coronavirus cybercrime
Anti-fraud in travel organisation Proft is urging the travel industry to report any cases of suspected cybercrime relating to coronavirus. Profit will be feeding back the data to the national Fraud Advisory Panel Covid-19 Task Force which it has joined. Businesses are thought to be more vulnerable currently to cyberattacks because many companies are not operating normally, with many staff furloughed or working from home. Chairman Barry Gooch urged travel companies to email Profit on email@example.com and to report fraud to Action Fraud using its online form at or call 0300 123 2040.
Travlaw head of employment Ami Naru assesses the considerations businesses will need to take into account when returning to work environments.
Read the full article here.
Iata offers free training
Current employees, or those who wish to become a part of the aviation industry can select one from six e-learning courses to strengthen their industry knowledge and skills:
• Aviation Competition Law
• Destination Geography
• Travel Agency Fees: A Professional Approach
• Accounting and Financial Management for Travel Agencies
• Geography in Travel Planning
• Distribution and Airline Retailing
WHA advises on the requirements needed to make a claim when the self-service function launches on April 20. Get the details on WHA’s blog
Furloughed staff should not be doing any work, Travlaw head of employment Ami Naru sets out examples of how this works in practice.
The law firm provides updated guidance, following government clarification on details of the Job Retention scheme.
Information includes whether employees on furlough can start a new job, whether employees can be rotated on furlough and if commission payments can be claimed.
Be cautious – furloughing staff may not be straightforward
Nikki Spoor of accountancy firm White Hart Associates shares an update to the coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and suggests business owners be cautious, as furloughing staff may not be as straightforward as it appears. Read the blog entry here
What will happen to staff annual leave?
As a direct result of coronavirus and the extensive measures being taken to tackle it, the government last week announced it was allowing workers to carry up to four weeks annual leave into the next two annual leave years.
Travlaw’s head of employment Ami Naru takes a closer look at the Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) regulations 2020. Read her latest blog post here
Women in Hospitality, Travel & Leisure (WiHTL) has partnered with flexible online working platform GIG to help businesses find workers at peak times.
GIG uses technology to recruit staff and enables users to apply for available roles and shifts, offering the flexibility to suit individual needs.
For those looking for work email firstname.lastname@example.org
For those looking for extra staff email email@example.com
Or find out more here
Furloughed workers and the self employed – what we know so far
Travlaw’s head of employment Ami Naru has put together a useful Q&A on the government’s Job Retention Scheme and its help for the self-employed.
Read it in full here
Keeping employees safe
Global translations technology firm TransPerfect has produced an informational COVID-19 video on employee health and safety which it is offering free to all businesses.
The firm is offering 24 hour delivery of an uncustomised version or three to five days for one customised with a company logo. The video is available in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Further customisations are available for a modest cost. To sign up to receive the video click here.
Travlaw’s head of employment Ami Naru dissects the government’s recently announced Job Retention Scheme and answers key questions. Read her piece in full here
The firm has also produced a staff leave flowchart which you can view here
Head of employment at Travlaw, Ami Naru, provides some guidance to travel businesses facing difficult decisions over staffing. She has shared some options to avoid making employees redundant here
C&M Recruitment’s Barbara Kolosinska says many will lose their jobs through no fault of their own, so it’s more important than ever those people use the time to prepare themselves for finding a new one as quickly as possible post-corona. View her tips here
The courses have been made available to keep agents motivated and inspired about the Algarve region, so they are primed and ready to book clients on holidays there once the travel ban has been lifted.
Travel agents can access the courses for free by registering on OTT and reviewing the information online. After learning about each topic there are a set of questions to test the agent’s knowledge. The courses are available here
Take virtual tour of Israeli tourist hotspots
The Israeli tourist board has released a series of virtual tours of its most famous sites.
View all the tours of tourist hot spots here
Destinations International launches resource page
Destinations International – the international association for destination marketing and management professionals – has created a coronavirus resource page with up-to-date information from industry partners and trusted sources.
Don Welsh, president and chief executive, said: “We have been working with our partners around the world to provide support and education for our members during this time. We have also been providing our members with real-time education through webinars.”
As always, you can view the most up-to-date travel advisories for every destination on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website, which can be found here.
Online Travel Training (OTT) has added a new tab to its website courses to give agents access to destination and supplier specific information on coronavirus.
The travel agent training provider is allowing course partners to publish information about their terms or destinations on a special coronavirus tab. Find out more here, or log in to OTT.
Virtual fam trips
Travel agent training platform Spinning Globe is offering destinations the chance to create one of its virtual fam trips, or ‘VFams’, for agents free of charge. Email firstname.lastname@example.org
Abta is hosting a webinar which will help you understand what the key mental health and wellbeing risks are for staff during the Coronavirus crisis.
Explore how you support staff and provide practical assistance to ensure your workforce remains resilient.
Get tips on staff communication, engagement and how you can use existing benefits to ensure staff feel supported during this time. Get more details and register
The COVID-19 epidemic may be especially challenging for those of us with mental health problems – wherever we are on that journey.
If we are currently struggling, we may find it harder to get support, and if we manage well most of the time, it might be harder to follow our usual ways of coping.
As part of our Mental Health Matters series, the Mental Health Foundation’s Chris O’Sullivan offers advice on how to cope with the huge changes to the ways we are all now living and working. Access the advice here
Free online wellbeing workshops
Start-up venture Talent Courtyard is offering free workshops to travel industry professionals who are staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak.
The online workshops feature wellbeing experts and are designed to help people to focus, de-stress and stay connected.
Talent Courtyard is hosting online sessions every day this week, and every second Monday starting from April 6. Click here for details.
How can you ensure a good night’s sleep?
Sleep is important for mental health and wellbeing, but in a time of increased pressure and stress, how can we get the best night’s sleep? We catch up with sleep expert James Wilson aka The Sleep Geek for his top tips.
Q: What advice would you give to those who are struggling to sleep if they have too much on their mind?
A: It is about ensuring that you address the issues you are facing and focus on creating a drop in heart rate and a drop in core temperature before bed. Understand your sleep type and ensure you are not trying to go to sleep at a time that doesn’t work for your body’s natural rhythm. Have a consistent wake up time, and most importantly, if you are in bed for 30 minutes and not asleep, you should start the process again. Nobody can force sleep, the mind has to wander and listening to something like a spoken word book helps our brain to do this.
Q: What can you do before going to bed that might ensure you have a better night’s sleep?
A: The hour before bed is about dropping your heart rate and dropping your core temperature. Try filling a hot water bottle with lukewarm water and placing your feet on it to help. For the former, it’s about thinking “Is what I am doing relaxing?” Just because you enjoy it doesn’t mean you should do it before bed! Horror films, box sets and true crime get your mind racing, so try comedy, or a programme that is repetitive. Only go to bed when you are sleepy and don’t worry too much!
In addition to its advice below, Mental Health Foundation head of business development and engagement Chris O’Sullivan offers some tips and advice for coping with the huge changes to the way we live and work. Find the Q&A here.
Mental health advice
Mental Health Foundation
The Mental Health Foundation is offering advice on how people can avoid stress and loneliness during the country’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Tips on looking after your mental health can be found here.
And tips and advice on looking after your mental health while working throughout the outbreak can be found here.
Mental Health First Aid England
Mental Health First Aid England has released guidance on keeping mentally healthy while working from home, as part of its new My Whole Self campaign.
With tips encouraging getting into a morning routine and staying connected, the guidance outlines that human connections are more important than ever, as more organisations switch to working from home, particularly in the coronavirus crisis.
Resources can be found here.
Psychological support specialist Clarity has published a series of videos providing some guidance on the behavioural and mental health effects of coronavirus. The first recommends laughter. Topics to come: relaxation, schoolchildren, sleep and more. View them on YouTube here
Chief executive of digital marketing agency Search Laboratory Chris Attewell shares his suggestions to adapt messaging, assess tone of voice, remain honest and reassess approach to search. Access here
A number of tourist boards and travel suppliers have begun creating a series of inspirational videos to offer a message of hope and support for the trade amid the coronavirus crisis. Watch them here
A national health crisis and pandemic is not a marketing opportunity, but it does give businesses the space to focus on those projects that have been gathering dust so business are ready when the crisis is over.
Travel marketing specialist Accord Marketing has shared its top tips for travel firms. View them here
Travel marketing agency Net Effect has produced a webinar for agents to help them navigate and manage their businesses through the crisis. Sign up here
Travel Weekly has compiled an up-to-date list of key tour operator contacts, to help agents during the coronavirus crisis.
As the coronavirus crisis has curbed travel, a number of destinations and top tourist attractions are offering virtual tours and other interactive activities online and on social media
Travel Weekly has compiled a list of useful resources for parents who are at home with children following the closure of schools across the country.
Video conferencing is is the new ‘normal’ and if you’re not used to them then the technical and sound based problems can make these even harder to get right. Here are Reality Training’s six key tips.
Travel is an industry that is ahead of others when it comes to homeworking. Other companies are having to attempt homeworking for the first time and it’s not easy.
Some managers who see their teams every day will find it harder to manage when they can’t see their people. Micro-managers will need to understand that if your colleague doesn’t pick up when you call they may be a) dealing with a customer b) dealing with their own family, c) somewhere else in their home – and you must exercise a degree of understanding about this.
For those setting up for the first time these are my top tips:
Chair and position: if you’re going to be sitting for long period then try and get a decent chair that’s comfortable. I have borrowed one of my son’s gaming chair, and it’s much better than a dining chair! Also try and raise the level of your laptop/PC screen so you are not bent over looking at it.
Time: Make sure you have proper breaks and get fresh air whenever you can. Try not to be too distracted by biscuits, TV, booze or cigarettes!
Technology: If your BB is slow try and improve it, if you’re using web based meeting software like Skype or Zoom make sure your laptop has the necessary updates to use them effectively. If you’re using your mobile a lot then use headphones. Back-up your hard disk to a remote memory block to make sure you don’t lose stuff you need to store.
Telephone: Now is the time to re-introduce yourself to your landline. Conversations will be vital in the coming months.
Daily routines: This will be different and hard to get right for a while. Try to find a routine that works for the whole household.
You can find supportive videos on Reality Training’s Facebook page.
Majorca-based travel technology specialist TravelgateX is offering insights into its data free of charge as travel firms struggle to cope with the coronavirus crises.
The firm has launched a #Wearehereforyou campaign and created a COVID-19 “control panel” making its three terabytes of data from 20,000 daily reservations and three billion searches available to the industry.
The firm said the Insights-X tool will enable hoteliers or OTA managers to see clear demand trends before bookings materialise and discover what products the traveller will appreciate the most and be willing to pay for.
View the panel here
Travel marketing data analyst ADARA has developed a Traveller Trends Tracker to help brands adapt to the fast-changing market as the coronavirus pandemic spreads.
The tracker taps into ADARA’s real-time travel data that allows firms to track travel-related consumer behaviour and identify key trends. ADARA says it will update the data frequently.
ADARA said: “This information will help travel marketers activate the most informed marketing strategies based on the most recent consumer travel activities.” Access the tracker.
The association has issued two surveys to help measure the ongoing impact on its members. It is urging more members to take part in the second survey, even if they took part in the first. Find out more on its website.
The association has also issued guidance on how members can use the emergency measures announced in the government’s Budget last week to help protect their businesses.
It contains advice on support to cover statutory sick pay, self-isolation of staff, temporary changes to business rates and the Bank of England’s Term Funding Scheme. Read it here.
If you work for an Abta member and have been financially affected by coronavirus, the industry may be able to help you through its hardship fund.
Read more here.
Corporate travel group Business Travel Coalition (BTC) has launched a coronavirus resource centre to provide advice.
The organisation said the centre contains “necessary advisory information for organisations that directly or indirectly support airline travellers and workers”. Read more here.
Travel Counsellors has set up a helpline for any independent agents “facing turbulent times” amid the coronavirus outbreak. Call 0161 464 5040 to take the company up on the offer.
The package holiday operator has set up an online amendment form for independent travel agents to make rebookings and cancellations of affected holidays. It is designed as an alternative to calling its contact centre, which it says is “extremely busy”. Find the form here.
Cloud-based hospitality technology solution provider, STAAH, has out together some specific advice for hotel and accommodation suppliers.
View the information here
In the latest Wellness Wednesday instalment of Advantage Travel Partnership’s daily webinars, the consortium enlists workplace wellbeing expert Rachel McGuinness to show listeners how they can ‘Wake up with Zest’.
Click here to view a full list of videos.
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Nest, the smart home company that was recently acquired by Google, has launched a rebranded and improved product line. Its smoke alarm, thermostat and security camera are all a bit smarter now, and in most cases more sleek in design.
The devices aim to automate home management and save money and energy in the process, but, as Chris Taylor points out in a Mashable article, the infrastructure supporting them and other smart home devices remains a bit of a mess. Nest’s head, Tony Fadell, has asserted that Nest products will support Weave, Google’s forthcoming communication platform for its Brillo Internet of Things operating system; but as Taylor points out, that stuff isn’t going to be available even to developers until much later this year. And at this point, it isn’t even clear what exactly Weave and Brillo are – how they’ll interact with other devices from other companies, what communications they’ll facilitate, and so on.
The same can be said of the other IoT platforms starting to emerge, such as Samsung’s ARTIK line, which aims to provide the end-to-end architecture upon which IoT devices can run. But how will those devices communicate with the ones running on Brillo and using Weave? It’s unclear.
Taylor’s lament about a lack of standards for interconnectivity leads him to conclude that “a true Internet of Things may still be years away” – but we shouldn’t give up on it quite yet. Just as experts were starting to worry about the lack of any standards for the IoT, some standards started to emerge in the form of ARTIK and other companies’ offerings. And now we’re seeing cross-industry conglomerations like the AllSeen Alliance start to actively bring together competitors and rivals in the IoT to further develop standards. Millions of dollars are being invested into the IoT, and the many stakeholders are waking up to the fact that interconnectivity will be a requirement for success; consumers just won’t bother with IoT devices if they can’t actually communicate with each other. So while Nest may leave something to be desired right now, there’s no telling how quickly its strands are going to start weaving in with other offerings in the IoT.