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Top 10 Global Technology Stocks to Buy in 2021 and Beyond
The Covid-19 pandemic has upended the global economy and changed the way we work and live. However, as investors, we also need to have
Time to Buy Twilio Shares After 10% Gain?
Twilio Inc (NYSE: TWLO), a cloud communications platform as a service company, surged 9.7% in after-hours trading as the tech firm announced in a


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Trevose, Pa. — Marvin Jemal, founder and CEO of Nobody Beats the Wiz, the gone-but-not-forgotten New York metro area CE chain, has returned to the industry spotlight as a consultant.
Working the other side of the aisle, Jemal and his team of sales and marketing advisors have been enlisted by WorldGate Communications, makers of the Ojo personal video phone. Their mission: to help Ojo crack the big box channel in time for the upcoming holiday selling season.
According to WorldGate, the vendor and Jemal’s consultancy are developing “an aggressive retail distribution plan” designed to get Ojo shelf space in big-box and other specialty CE retail stores in North America.
Leveraging Jemal’s retail background, the partners are crafting “significant new marketing initiatives” to heighten awareness of the phones, which have been featured on the CBS-TV crime drama “NCIS.”
“We continue to see new interest in the consumer’s desire for a state-of-the-art video phone,” said WorldGate CEO Hal Krisbergh. “The opportunity to add Marvin and his team only reinforces our goal to increase Ojo’s exposure within the retail channels. We believe that big box retailers are ready to experience and accept the Ojo offering as we heighten and expand the brand’s communication platform. The addition of Mr. Jemal and his team should uplift both the brand and the category.”
Added Jemal: “We are convinced that the market is primed and ready to accept a full trade and consumer effort to purchase the Ojo video phone product, which is secure, dependable and easy to use. My team and I are very encouraged by what we see as a true partnership of delivering smart technology supported by a most reliable and dependable consumer experience that can immediately enrich consumers’ daily lives.”
According to the partners, the phone offers high quality, real-time, two-way video communications with video messaging at an affordable price. The Ojo is designed to conform to industry standard protocols, the parties said, and utilizes enhancements to the latest technology for voice and video compression to achieve superior quality at data rates as low as 80Kbps.
Nobody Beats the Wiz (later shortened to The Wiz) reached its height in the 1980s, when splashy ads and flashy stores helped make the 54-unit chain a New York retailing icon. But the company succumbed to the wave of dealer consolidation in the over-stored and over-extended 1990s, and Jemal sold his company to Cablevision Systems Corp. in 1998 in a bankruptcy sale for a reported $80 million. After five years and half a billion dollars in red ink, Cablevision finally divested the 27-year-old chain, which was shut by liquidators in 2003.
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Watch List - May 23, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Consumer-Direct Sales Dominate The Charts - May 22, 2019
- 2019 TWICE Top 100: Best Buy Keeps The CE Crown, But Barely - May 21, 2019

domain: news


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British shop prices fall faster in November: BRC
LONDON – A fall in British shop prices accelerated and was the joint weakest reading on record in November, the British Retail Consortium said on Wednesday, a latest sign that inflation is likely to remain subdued.
The BRC said prices in British shops slipped by 2.1 percent over the 12 months to November, matching a record drop seen in March and a steeper fall than October’s 1.8 percent drop.
Non-food prices represented the biggest drag on prices, falling 3.3 percent in November – nearly matching a record fall seen in June 2014 – driven largely by reductions in clothing, footwear, gardening, hardware prices and electrical goods.
“Although the survey period does not cover Black Friday, it is likely that some retailers were discounting early in November in order to spread consumer spending over a longer period,” BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said, referring to the sales promotion concept borrowed from the United States.
Official data published earlier this month showed consumer prices fell for two consecutive months for the first time on record in September and October. Economists mostly expect the bout of deflation to be mild and temporary.
The Bank of England says inflation is likely to stay below 1 percent until the second half of 2016.
The BoE wants to see greater earnings growth before it raises interest rates for the first time since 2007, particularly with overall inflation hovering around zero.
The BRC price index has shown deflation for 31 consecutive months, pushed down by a price war among supermarkets as well as global trends such as falling oil and food prices and by the strengthening of the pound which has made imports cheaper. -Reuters


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Each week, we scour the Web and bring you the choicest cuts for your approval. This week, we’re looking at data privacy and security in the form of denial-of-service attacks, smart chatting and two free mobile apps suffering from major personal data security issues.
Your team is your first line of defense with your company’s data privacy and security, yet your employees are sharing company secrets — intentionally or not — via IM clients. Check out this primer to ensure that sensitive information stays out of chat logs.
We all know that meetings are a critical part of managing a team, but they can be enormous time-wasters too. Here’s a great drill-down of a best practice for the weekly status meeting.
What does the term distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS, really mean? We predict that “Anonymous” won’t appreciate Forbes calling its work “digital graffiti.”
Blogger Ian Thomas argues that we might be jumping into big data before we’ve gotten our storage strategies in line.
Hackers have broken into the Google Wallet app on Android devices. Google is addressing the personal data privacy and security breach, but when you start hacking into the world of finance, everyone gets a little testy.
If you’re worried about personal data privacy and security, be careful with your free mobile apps. It turns out that the free Path iPhone app was grabbing its users’ contact data and uploading their data to its own servers. What? You mean a free service is taking advantage of its users somehow? Color us shocked.


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California representatives were looking to enact a state-wide food-related law — one that clearly isn’t receiving universal support.
New York Times 1/17
WASHINGTON — For many cooks, waiters and bartenders, it is an annoying entrance fee to the food-service business: Before starting a new job, they pay around $15 to a company called ServSafe for an online class in food safety.
Food Industry Policy
New York Times’ California Today 1/18
You may have heard chatter recently about gas stoves: whether they’re bad for your health, or the planet’s, and whether they’re soon going to be banned in your city or state.
Pig Progress 1/18
Fully implemented in January 2022, Prop 12 outlines new standards for confinement systems for sows, poultry and veal calves in California.
On the Side
Restaurant Business 1/18
You will soon be able to DoorDash that Venti Iced Americano with two pumps of caramel and cream foam.
CBS LA 1/17
Guest chefs cooked up a complimentary lunch today at the Long Beach Rescue Mission, giving back and kicking off the upcoming Long Beach Black Restaurant Week.


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When new technologies like electricity or the dishwasher took off in the 20th century, most of the people racing to adapt them had no idea what trading candles for light bulbs would do to the Earth's climate.
Researchers at the University of Hawaii have set out to make sure that doesn't happen again when it comes to a 21st century technology that has some people very excited: Bitcoin.
- How Blockchain Technology Could Transform the Food Industry ›
- Bitcoin Is Not Only Unaffordable, It's Also a Massive Energy Hog ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Jeremy Deaton
Bitcoin, the much-hyped cryptocurrency, made headlines recently for driving a surge in power use. Around the globe, digital entrepreneurs are 'mining' bitcoins by solving complex math problems, using supercomputers to get the job done. Those supercomputers use a ton of power, which largely comes from coal- and gas-fired power plants spewing gobs of carbon pollution.
But while hackers wreak havoc on the climate, blockchain, the bleeding-edge technology behind bitcoin, could one day help clean up the mess. Climate wonks say blockchain has a role to play in the clean-energy economy, helping homeowners sell electricity, allowing businesses to trade carbon credits, and making it easier for governments to track greenhouse gas emissions.
CBD, one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant, has been getting a lot of attention recently. Some of it good and some of it bad. Increasingly, people in the UK are turning to CBD oils for help in relieving pain, anxiety, sleep and a host of other health issues.
- Best CBD for Dogs 2020 - Organic CBD Oil for Pets - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Oils of 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide - EcoWatch ›
- CBD Oil: What You Need to Know - EcoWatch ›
By Sylvain Charlebois
There has been a lot of noise on cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin of late. While some suggest cryptocurrencies are a fraud, others believe them to be the next biggest economic revolution the world has seen since the internet. Bitcoin has brought to light blockchain technology, which offers great potential for food safety and verification in the agrifood sector. Yet it is far from being the panacea for a range of issues affecting the industry—at least for now.
Bitcoin's insane price hike to more than $15,000 on Thursday has left me thinking one thing: I'll never be able to afford these things, so why should I care?
But while bitcoin-money lines the pockets of early investors and digital currency speculators, the rest of the planet is suffering. As it turns out, bitcoin is sucking up a whole lot of energy.


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ICDP CEO Steve Young believes the stellantis decisionFord and Volvo to delay the implementation of the model agency retail agreements for their franchised car dealers is a positive step.
The reform supporter within the auto sector says that while the transition should be a positive one, OEMs need to take their time to ensure its success.
In recent days we have heard about delays in several planned implementations of agency agreements in Europe.
Ford has delayed the launch of the agency in the Dutch market by two months, from January 2023 to March, and Stellantis has delayed the rollout in all markets except the three selected as pilots by six months (Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands). so now Iran lives in January 2024 instead of July 2023.
Volvo has delayed the launch of the so-called ‘aftermarket’ agency model by two to three months due to IT development delays.
Mercedes rollouts in Germany and the UK look set to stay on track for January 2023 and despite some dealer concerns about the readiness and the deal itself, the VW Group will roll out the agency to its BEVs on a rolling basis over the next year. next year, with ongoing national negotiations.
As someone who views agency as a good approach to managing omnichannel effectively and a way to enforce better supply disciplines on manufacturers, if implemented correctly, you might be surprised to see in the title that I welcome these delays.
Surely, the sooner we change the industry to agency, the happier I’ll be. However, that is not the case, and this week I wanted to summarize some concerns about the wave of agency implementations and explain why these announcements are good news for manufacturers, distributors, customers and the very concept of agency.
Since early 2020, when ICDP was almost a lone voice promoting agency as an option worth considering in the context of automotive distribution transformation, there has been what one industry participant described as an ad “rush”. of implementation.
Areas of concern
There are three areas of concern from my perspective.
The first is that there are quite specific requirements for a manufacturer-distributor relationship in order for it to be treated as an ‘agency’.
There is no legal framework for a ‘non-genuine agency’; said arrangements are really just a tweaked franchise, though some of the proposals could act as a stepping stone to true agency if that was the desired path.
However, if a manufacturer tried to control prices centrally under a non-genuine agency or retail prices were effectively set because there was no realistic opportunity for the distributor to negotiate prices, then competition authorities are ready to intervene in such arrangements. The last thing we as an industry need is more legal and regulatory battles.
My second concern is that the rush has led to plans being made without full recognition of the depth of changes that are required from the manufacturer.
While there are examples where the necessary retail skills are being acquired and there is genuine recognition of the need to maintain balanced supply under agency (where conditions exist to allow oversupply), there are other cases where this shift in mentality may have been neglected.
My impression is that cultural, process, and particularly systems readiness is well below what will be needed for a successful implementation.
My third concern is related to the very concept of agency.
If too many agency implementations are seen to fail, there is a high risk that this will tarnish the image of the agency as a concept. Industry players and observers are very likely to attribute the failure to the concept rather than the way in which failed implementations were planned, negotiated, financed and supported in terms of technology.
Rushed, one-sided launches that attract negative headlines and the attention of competition authorities will be seen as proof that the agency is broken in auto retail, rather than a reflection of faulty planning or implementation.
So delays are good if they reduce the likelihood that any of these outcomes will become less likely.
Time to change
Whatever the reason manufacturers decide to delay, they now have the opportunity to spend more time improving all aspects of their plans.
Obviously, it’s possible, even likely, that they instead simply become more introspective and task-focused, with all effort focused on whatever the perceived current obstacle may be. That would be a missed opportunity in my opinion.
Hopefully manufacturers still in the planning phase will also take note of the delays and reconsider their own schedule and whether they have fully considered the implications of the transition.
They certainly should not now be under the illusion that this is simply a contract change, but is in fact a fundamental change in the manufacturer-distributor relationship that has huge implications for roles and responsibilities, and for the people who work in operations. on both sides. .
Equally important is the fact that, based on current expectations of when supply restrictions will be eased, unless demand falls sharply due to the current economic climate, it will still be possible to sell almost any car in 2023 at list price.
As a result, we will learn nothing about how fixed and transparent prices under agency work in a competitive environment.
Manufacturers will not be forced to make difficult decisions about seeking volume and market share instead of focusing on balanced supply and maximizing profit.
There is logic for the implementing agency while inventory levels are low, and customers have been tied to fixed prices to some degree, but that could imply a late 2023 or early 2024 ‘go-live’ window.
Until then, resources may be better invested in testing and refining processes and systems, and building the new shared culture that will be key to getting the best out of the agency.


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Grab and GoTo Pare Back ‘Superapp’ Approach ⇥ ft.com
Mercedes Ruehl, Financial Times:
Grab and GoTo, south-east Asia’s biggest start-ups before their listings, took inspiration from the grandfather of superapps, Tencent’s WeChat. The Chinese app is the world’s most popular, with more than a billion users, and combines messaging, online payments, ecommerce, video conferencing, video games, photo sharing and a host of other functions.
Now the model — which relied on enticing customers with expensive subsidised perks such as free delivery, discounts and gifts to dominate markets from Thailand to the Philippines — faces a reckoning. In addition to laying off 11 per cent of its workforce, or more than 1,000 people, last month, Grab also cut its cloud-kitchen business, rolled back subsidies in areas such as food delivery and is spending less time on expansion into units such as entertainment.
This article was published less than one week ago, and it was the second thing I thought of after Twitter announced it was rebranding. The first was “what is X.com CEO Linda Yaccarino talking about?”, and I think the answer to that question might be found in that Tronc employee video from 2016.


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Scientists at the University of East Anglia have found that dark chocolate and red wine - in moderation - can actually be good for you in some ways.
They've found the plant compounds in things like berries, herbs, red wine and dark chocolate can protect against Type 2 diabetes by lowering insulin resistance.
Click below to watch Tanya Mercer's report.
More top news
A rare Aston Martin that was left in a Hertfordshire back garden for decades before being stolen has sold at auction.
More funnel clouds have been spotted spinning down from thunderstorm clouds across the Anglia region as the June summer soaking continues.
Some sunny spells for much of the day with scattered, locally heavy showers, mainly in the east. Cloud increasing from the west later.


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We are stationery addicts and proud of it!
This is why shop-sa has decided to launch our own version of Stationery Week on social media next week! We will focus on trends and craft, innovation and old favourites – and you have an opportunity to help boost this campaign by buying a banner ad (Facebook images are 940 x 788 pixels) for R1 000 ex VAT for any one posting (you can book for all the days) between 16 and 22 May 2022.
Our Facebook page will run articles about the different products as per the list below:
16 May: Make-a-note day
17 May: Pen and pencil day
19 May: World Stationery Day
20 May: Fountain pen Friday
21 May: Stationery shop Saturday
22 May: Send a letter Sunday
Get your brand(s) out there during Stationery Week and let’s get people excited about writing, doodling and drawing!
To take part, please contact Wendy directly on (012) 548 0046, 082 963 7441 or email@example.com.
First the big news: as explained in our newsflash last week, the board, together with IT-Online, has decided to reintegrate My Office into shop-sa as of 1 May. To inject new ideas and focus, we have contracted Mrs. Hanlie Delport as COO. We are sure that with your support the association will continue to prosper.
The result of the 21/22 back-to-school survey will be released shortly, providing you, our members, with useful insights following the move back to the classroom.
April, with its many public holidays, caused serious disruptions for business. Add to this the fuel price hikes, the continuing war between Russia and the Ukraine, and the recent flooding in KZN and you have a recipe for negative numbers.
However, with the COVID-19 infections still at manageable levels, we have seen some return to “what was” before the pandemic – and we have several members participating in a consumer show early next month. The Hobby-X Expo is back at Kyalami, and we wish all our participating members a very good show! We will also be focussing on crafts and hobbies in May in our communication, and invite members to share news about products, workshops and other information on offer to crafters and hobbyists.
In May we also celebrate Mother’s Day, and we are looking for interesting gifting ideas that we can share with the market. With shop-sa bringing the magazine and newsletters back home, so to speak, there is also going to be changes in the format of the magazine and newsletters. As they say, watch this space!
Back-to-school is behind us, and by all accounts trading has been good.
There has been feedback that in some instances retailers still had stock from last year which did affect purchases.
shop-sa will run a survey shortly, in order to get a better picture of this year’s BTS.
Remember: the more participants, the better the result.
Covid seems to have reached a manageable level which bodes well for business recovery.
Finally we would like to urge members of shop-sa to make use of the advertising opportunities in our newsletters!
What another crazy year this has been with covid, the delta variant, the riots and looting in KZN and Gauteng, and global supply chain problems.
But as always, South Africa in general and our industry in particular has shown great resilience and moved forward.
Just as we thought a degree of normality is achievable, the UK and many other countries decided that “omicron” is a South African variant and within hours the effects are evident.
Adding that to the expected 4th wave, there is no doubt that business will be affected, starting with the tourism industry.
An additional challenge for any company is to develop a vaccination policy.
shop-sa will keep members informed of developments in this regard.
The biggest challenge for shop-sa and My Office News is financial. Without advertising support in our Nnewsletters and increased membership, the future is uncertain.
Our wish for 2022 is that membership numbers increase so that shop-sa can continue it’s work and provide much needed input for our industry.
Remember that “none of us is as smart as all of us”.
Finally, spare a thought for friends and loved ones who passed during the year, including an ex colleague of mine, Dave Trollip in East London, and a well-known character, Val Budd, ex Waltons.
We wish you a safe and peaceful festive season and hopefully a better 2022!
Your shop-sa board
The shop-sa AGM was held via Zoom on Thursday 21 October 2021.
Hans Servas, chairman of the board, opened the meeting and invited guest speaker, David Shapiro, to begin.
Shapiro gave a talk entitled The Chips are Down. In the talk, he highlighted the perhaps surprising positive global outlook for the next five years. What drives the positivity is the huge growth in technology, as shown by Dutch company ASML.
Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture, said in an interview that there are thousands of businesses in the US that still have to migrate to the cloud to achieve efficiencies, migrate to a more accessible flexible tech. In general, it would appear that global businesses are positive about growth in the future.
The current negativity around semiconductors aside, by the end of the decade they see semiconductor sales at $1-trillion, despite the shortage that we hear about. This is because of the continual rise of IoT, electric cars and the many devices in modern society that use chips.
The global economy is heading in the right direction, but precise modelling is very difficult. Shapiro warned people to be wary of forecasts in the time being; no one knows how the world economy are going to get out the situation. The last 18 months have impacted people and businesses across the board.
In general, South African CEOs appear to have a positive outlook, and the demand for many industries is either steady or growing. However, government needs to come to the party and keep its promises.
The crisis that we faced when we went into lockdown was a health crisis, and not a financial one. The markets did not reflect a financial crisis as it was a government-induced slowdown.
This could have been a moment for global co-operation, but it unfortunately wasn’t as people went insular instead of co-operative. However, central banks did pump money into the global economy.
People are extending their savings, and thus there is an extreme level of demand. Consumers are spending money on things and global trade is surging.
In closing, Shapiro urges businesses not to give up hope that things will improve – particularly during the festive period.
The AGM reached quorum and confirmation of the minutes of 2020 was given.
The report-back on the year that was is outlined below:
- The weekly My Office News newsletter, sent to a large database of trade and end-users, and the monthly Trade News newsletter, both showed increased readership. The aim is to keep the industry informed of any development which could affect business.
Rob Mathews’ report-back will provide details.
Unfortunately, advertising revenue dropped further and with it shop-sa’s income.
- The Product Source Guide is still well supported but could be utilised even more by suppliers, especially new entrants.
Critical, but not used, is the Crime Alert. With theft and corruption continuing unabated, this is a “must” for the industry.
- Surveys in 2020/21The result of our State of the Industry survey was published in June 2020, providing valuable insights into the impact “lock-downs” were having on our industry. Not a pretty picture, but most survived!In October 2020, shop-sa conducted another important survey, BTS 20/21 Expectations as a Result of Covid, which was followed by the Results survey in April.
Both had a representative response and confirmed that expectations were realistic, i.e. turnover at around 75% of last year.
It also highlighted the fact that the delay of returning to school impacted on the product mix.
- In May 2021, we published the revised OPI report to members. It showed that the impact of the pandemic was similar globally.
- Live events were not possible due to the various restrictions, although the response even during normal times was always disappointing.
- In March 2021, the board held a strategy meeting to discuss ways of how to revitalise and save the association and My Office.
Rob Matthews presented a proposal to develop a platform to hold virtual trade shows and other events to provide a much needed boost to the finances of both. The board felt that even at a high cost the project was worth it and gave the go ahead. In June/July the first virtual trade show, the shop-sa Expo, was ready to be launched with a planned date of 19 August.
Then the riots happened and we had no choice but to postpone, hoping for calm to return.
It did, and the date was moved to the 1 September. Even though this will form part of the 2021/22 report, it is important to know how successful the event was: 13 exhibitors, including Kolok as Platinum Sponsor, attracted 2 347 unique visitors and 5 487 visits to the various exhibits (both live and static) and video presentations. Surely this must entice more suppliers and brands to come on board the next time.
- Local and global challenges remain, such as rebuilding the destruction in KZN and Gauteng. Luckily “only” a few stationery outlets were affected. Globally the breakdown of supply chains and shortages of semiconductors and other commodities will be felt for some time to come, not to mention other factors like “work from home”, POPIA, and the CNA business rescue.
- shop-sa finances
It should be noted, that the board made the decision some time age to use the funds of the association to keep it going, hoping that the various activities and initiatives will result in the industry becoming more involved, not only financially.
Membership showed a small increase but the income only contributes a small portion to the overall revenue.
If a larger number of business were to join, at least break-even would be possible.
Advertising revenue dropped again reducing income even more.
Expenses have been kept as low as possible but cannot be reduced further.
Rob Matthews of My Office News gave a presentation on the growth of the publication, highlighting the success of initiatives like the inaugural virtual trade show.
Board elections took place. The board remains as it is, and members are as follows:
- Hans Servas – Chairman
- Bill Bayley
- Allan Thompson
- Clive Heydenrych
- Lars Smith
- Mark Penhall
I am happy to report that the first virtual trade show, the inaugural shop-sa Expo (hosted by shop-sa and My Office on 1 September), exceeded expectations!
So much so that we are keeping the recordings and video presentations by exhibitors open until the end of September. You can visit them by clicking here
A big thank you to the cross-section of exhibitors, the Platinum Sponsor Kolok, and of course the thousands of “visitors”.
We are sure that shop-sa‘s investment in the development of this platform will greatly benefit the association and its members in future.
So watch this space for the next event.
The board has again decided to hold shop-sa‘s AGM on Zoom on the 21 October 2021.
Your participation is important and we look forward to “see you there”!
Remember: none of us is as strong as all of us!
In view of the volatile situation in our country, we have decided to postpone our first virtual trade show, the shop-sa Expo, which was to take place on 11 August 2021.
We hope that none of our members have been affected or suffered losses!
We will let you know when we are ready to hold the virtual expo, to which a number of key suppliers have already committed.
Thank you for your understanding and, most importantly, stay safe!
There is still time to take part in shop-sa’s BTS survey, which was sent to Industry members at the beginning of April.
There has been a reasonable response so far, but the greater the participation the more representative the result will be.
We are still in uncertain and volatile times and surveys like this help you, our members, to gain inside into the state of our industry.
Please let us know if you didn’t receive the questionnaire. We will immediately send it to you!
Remember, your response is anonymous.
What a year 2020 has been!
The effects of Covid-19 have wreaked havoc on a personal level – and, of course, on the economies globally.
Our industry was (and is) hard hit, but seems to be surviving – although at huge cost. Not to mention the effect on staff, be it pay cuts and/or retrenchments.
Luckily, we have not heard of any business closures.
Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over and a second wave is expected.
To avoid further restrictions and to keep the economy going, it is imperative that the country heeds the President’s call to stay vigilant and follow the basic rules, both in businesses and on the home front.
shop-sa will continue to keep you informed via the weekly My Office News and the monthly Trade Newsletter.
Again we appeal to you to support our efforts by utilising the advertising opportunities and paying the small membership fees, for which invoices have been mailed.
Thank you to those who have continued their support. Without you, our funds would have shrunk even faster.
The board wishes you a peaceful and healthy festive season, and what is hopefully a much better 2021!
Although many people act as if we are back to normal, we cannot let our guard down and we’ll hopefully escape the second wave.
shop-sa also had to adapt and we held our first successful digital AGM on 28 October 2020.
Thank you to the members who registered and participated. A write-up of the event was published in the October edition of our Trade newsletter. You can read it here
Again, a special thank you to David Shapiro, who gave an informative and entertaining talk. It was just a pity that not more members took the opportunity to take part.
During the Year of Covid-19, the board has tried – and succeeded – to keep the industry informed, which we understand many members have found useful.
In order to continue, we implore all members to continue to contribute. Invoices for the small membership fee will be posted shortly.
Finally, we include a recent global OPI survey which is interesting when compared to our own situation. You can read it here
Even though these are extremely challenging times, we know that our industry will survive!


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It's self-evident that there's a craft beer explosion in Cleveland, with several new breweries set to open this year alone. Now the beer boom is also spurring offshoot businesses, such as the playful, delicious Brewnuts. According to the company's Facebook page
, it combines two of Cleveland's favorite things into "one epic treat: a craft beer based donut."
Brewnuts, which has been steadily growing for the past year and has occupied space at Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen
, is expanding into a storefront on Professor Avenue in Tremont. The firm was recently selected to participate in the competitive Tremont Storefront Incubator Program
. Owners Shelley Fasulko and John Pippin will test the waters for a new retail location while enjoying three months of free rent and seven months of reduced rent. After that time period, they'll hopefully make the leap to a permanent storefront in the city.
In a release, Tremont West Development Corporation, which owns and manages the space, stated that the Brewnuts application was "very strong" and will add vibrancy and a new type of business to the neighborhood. The hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, with morning pick-ups available during the week and evening hours that cater to hungry Tremont bar-hoppers and local residents.
"We chose Brewnuts because they were the applicant that could most effectively use the space, and the one that had the most potential to move on to a bricks-and-mortar space," says Cory Riordan, Executive Director of Tremont West. "It's a good fit within Tremont, because of the food businesses that are here."
The company creates delicious donuts that reflect the season. Currently "on tap" are the Doughboy, a cinnamon roll style 'nut made with Wells Sticky Toffee Pudding Ale; the Symon, a chocolate peanut butter donut made with Willoughby Brewing Company's Peanut Butter Coffee Porter; and the Bernie, a lager-based donut made with Great Lakes Brewing Company's Dortmunder Gold.
Tremont West Development Corporation collaborated with the Hispanic Business Center to select Brewnuts to participate in the Storefront Incubator Program. Brewnuts plans to open its shop at 2406 Professor on Tuesday, April 29th.
Source: Tremont West Development Corporation
Writer: Lee Chilcote


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If you read the most recent revision of Apple’s developer terms, it sure sounds like Apple is trying to keep its ad-rival–Google’s recently acquired AdMob–off of the iPhone.
The new terms, introduced earlier this week, prohibit developers from incorporating advertising services that are owned by, or affiliated with, developers or distributors of mobile devices in their apps.
Omar Hamoui, founder of AdMob, wrote a blog post on Wednesday explaining how Apple’s new policies will affect both developers and users–and not, according to him, in a good way.
“The terms hurt both large and small developers by severely limiting their choice of how best to make money. And because advertising funds a huge number of free and low cost apps, these terms are bad for consumers as well,” Hamoui wrote.
The new language in the developer terms was reportedly influenced by an incident in which Flurry, an analytics firm, was able to gather app data through advertising. This data reportedly allowed Flurry to gather early data on the iPad and the new iPhone.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs addressed this issue at the D8 Conference last week: “We said, ‘No.’ We’re not going to allow this. This is violating our privacy policies and it’s pissing us off that they’re publishing data about our new products. So we said, we’re only going to allow analytics that don’t give device information, and that are solely for the purposes of advertising.”
Jobs also said that Apple is “not banning other advertisers from the platforms,” which is true–they’re not banning other advertisers at all–the Wall Street Journal’s MediaMemo blog suggests that the new terms appear to be good news for smaller competitors, such as Greystripe, Millenial Media, and Medialets (though it may make them less attractive to potential buyers).
Still, the language in the new developer terms appears to target Google’s AdMob, which is Apple’s largest rival in the mobile advertising market.
Section 3.3.9 also confirms that advertisers may use analytics–so long as the data collected is only used for advertising, and only with Apple’s consent:
3.3.9 You and Your Applications may not collect, use, or disclose to any third party, user or device data without prior user consent, and then only under the following conditions:
– The collection, use or disclosure is necessary in order to provide a service or function that is directly relevant to the use of the Application. For example, without Apple’s prior written consent, You may not use third party analytics software in Your Application to collect and send device data to a third party for aggregation, processing, or analysis.
– The collection, use or disclosure is for the purpose of serving advertising to Your Application; is provided to an independent advertising service provider whose primary business is serving mobile ads (for example, an advertising service provider owned by or affiliated with a developer or distributor of mobile devices, mobile operating systems or development environments other than Apple would not qualify as independent); and the disclosure is limited to UDID, user location data, and other data specifically designated by Apple as available for advertising purposes.
Crippling Google’s AdMob may catch the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, who has reportedly been paying more attention to Apple as of late.
Ironically, Google was scrutinized by the FTC during the recent $750 million acquisition of AdMob–the FTC claimed that such an acquisition would raise serious antitrust concerns. The acquisition was only cleared in May 2010, after Apple announced that it would enter the mobile advertising market with its new advertising service, dubbed “iAd.”


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For me, the beginning of Mall Pay were hard times and one big slog. Fortunately, that is already being offset by satisfied customers and a strong team, but the past two years have been a relatively big lesson for…
The Rockaway investment group and Aegon financial group are selling their shares in ChytryHonza.cz to Jiří Paták. Over the course of the past ten years, the company has grown from the start-up phase to the position of market leader. The new owner is wagering on the trend of digitalisation of the sector and on the combining of physical distribution with the online environment.
For the Rockaway investment group, this is a significant upvaluation of one of the key pieces of its portfolio, which has been a part of the group since its establishment. “ChytryHonza.cz grew from a start-up with a purely online business model to a size that makes it a full-fledged competitor to traditional financial institutions. I consider that a success in and of itself, and the new investor’s interest only serves to confirm that,” says Andrea Lauren, who is responsible for fintech projects in the Rockaway portfolio.
Over time, ChytryHonza.cz became a leader of the online financial market when in 2013 it combined its existing internet services with offline sales channels in the form of its own branches and the Bonnet network of financial advisers. Thanks to that, in 2016 the company attracted the attention of the Dutch financial group Aegon, which became its new co-owner.
“The next phase of the company will rely on the unique technological solutions that made ChytryHonza.cz a market leader with turnover of more than half a billion korunas. We know that we are able to respond very well to ever increasing digitalisation and we want to set the course that the financial services and products sector will take,” says Jiří Paták.
The transaction was financed by investment group DRFG. “We share withJiří Paták a view of the development of online distribution of financial products and we anticipate that the two entities can establish cooperation based on that in the future,” says David Rusňák, chairman of the board of directors and majority shareholder of DRFG. Any possible capital entry in the company by DRFG is subject to the relevant anti-trust clearance.
In the immediate future, the company will focus primarily on the development of its sales network. It thus intends to invest in facilities as well as in the expertise of its current advisors, though it will also concentrate on expanding its ranks with the addition of new professionals. “ChytryHonza.cz has always managed to attract experts in the areas of mortgages, insurance and investments. High-quality services for the client require the best specialists and the door is always open to such people here,” Paták adds.


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David Marcus, the person who co-created the Diem cryptocurrency by Facebook is leaving Facebook and he is being replaced by Novi’s VP of product Stephane Kasriel as we can see more in our latest cryptocurrency news today.
David Marcus is the executive who worked on the Facebook Novi wallet but now he will be leaving the social media giant at the end of December. Marcus has been with the company for seven years and served as a VP of messaging products from 2014 before working on the Diem cryptocurrency that is yet to be released. He took over Novi in 2018 but now he will be replaced by the current VP of product Stephane Kasriel. Marcus tweeted:
“While there’s still so much to do right on the heels of launching Novi—and I remain as passionate as ever about the need for change in our payments and financial systems—my entrepreneurial DNA has been nudging me for too many mornings in a row to continue ignoring it.”
Personal news: after a fulfilling seven years at Meta, I’ve made the difficult decision to step down and leave the company at the end of this year. (1/7)
— David Marcus (@davidmarcus) November 30, 2021
Facebook changed its name to Meta and it has been working on its own crypto project for years now. Initially known as Libra, it weathered executive departures and broke plenty of partnerships before rebranding to Diem and the Calibra wallet reinvented itself as Novi. Marcus leaves on a high note since back in August, over two years after announcing Facebook’s crypto ambitions, Marcus revealed that Novi is ready to come to the market.
With Facebook being full steam ahead on creating a metaverse, the online space where people can connect with virtual and augmented elements, while Diem as a digital currency has a potential use case for payments. Metaverse tokens surged as of late like The Sandbox that increased in price by 282% in the past month and Decentraland registering a surge of 32%. However, the release is far from being easy.
buy cymbalta online https://buynoprescriptionrxxonline.com/dir/cymbalta.html no prescription
After promising to create a global digital currency that will become even more decentralized, the social media company went under scrutiny from the US regulators and policymakers.
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Partners like eBay, Stripe, Visa, and Mastercard got out of the partnership so then Facebook decided to change course to develop a new stablecoin pegged to fiat. Novi will be the wallet for storing these coins.
David Marcus has been the biggest name standing for a while now. Co-founder Kevin Weil left the project in March and joined other executives on his way out. Diem’s co-founder Andreessen Horowitz got his hands on Novi’s top engineers back in October.
DC Forecasts is a leader in many crypto news categories, striving for the highest journalistic standards and abiding by a strict set of editorial policies. If you are interested to offer your expertise or contribute to our news website, feel free to contact us at [email protected]


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- Articles tagged "radeon"
After much waiting, the true new heir of AMD's next generation graphics cards is finally unveiled as the Radeon R9 290X and is now officially available. We give you a run-down of what you need to know of the new card and its "Hawaii" GPU core.
AMD's new Radeon R9 and R7 graphics card series launch today with a big nod towards gamers. Will it work out to AMD's expectations? It's early days yet, but step this way to find out what's changed under the hood in this walkthrough.
2012 will be the year the world sees low-powered AMD processors that can compete effectively against Intel's CPUs. AMD claims that the new Trinity APU processors come with better gaming firepower, which we put to the test. Will it overpower the competition? Read on to find out more.
- Photos of LG G4 Pro leaked, rumored to launch on 10 October with plastic build
- Apple TV 4 to come with 8/16GB storage, runs iOS 9 and lacks 4K video streaming?
- Good vibes as Lenovo unveils smartphones at IFA 2015
- OnePlus 2 updates Singapore pricing while striking down grey imports
- ASUS announces 8-antenna RT-AC5300 monster router at IFA 2015
- Lenovo's Y series introduces new gaming machines and gear
- Lenovo announces three new Android Yoga tablets at IFA 2015
- Oppo to announce 5.5-inch Find 9 on 19 September?


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"Considering the safety issues and norms and input costs from our point, making a Rs one lakh car is impossible," Hyundai Motor India Managing (HMIL) Director and CEO HS Lheem said.
Asked if HMIL was considering an entry-level match to tap the potential of low-cost car market in India and if it had the technology for it, he said the company was well equipped."We have the technology for small car already there is an 800 cc engine in Korea. We can develop technology for a 650 cc engine," Lheem said, however, adding HMIL was not in a hurry to enter the segment."There are no immediate plans to enter into the 800cc or 650 cc segment. This time around, we will give it a go by but in future, we may look at it," Lheem said.
On when Indian customers could have such a car from Hyundai, Lheem said: "Probably in five years' time".On what could be a feasible price range for the company to be a serious competitor in the small car market, he said: "$3000 (nearly Rs 120,000) could be a minimum range."
Rs. 29.99 to 32.99 lakhView On Road Price
Rs. 4.39 to 7.43 lakhView On Road Price
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Sony has detailed the changes they’re making to PlayStation Plus for the PlayStation 4 and how both those with a current subscription and those that plan on getting one will benefit from the service.
Set for a release in spring 2014, the game was revealed during the E3 edition of Nintendo Direct.
Introducing cooperative multiplayer for the first time.
The announcement that the PlayStation 4 would not feature used games DRM or be an always-on and will cost £349 was music to gamers ears yesterday, but what about the actual machine?
Sony released a quartet of trailers to showcase previously announced PlayStation 4 exclusive Killzone: Shadow Fall, Driveclub, InFamous: Second Son and Knack.
Titled The Dark Sorcerer, Quantic Dream have revealed a new tech demo for the PlayStation 4 which showcases impressive facial details and an irresistible chunk of humour.
The first reveal of Sony’s conference landed with a seismic thud with The Order 1886, a PlayStation 4 exclusive developed by Ready at Dawn and produced by Santa Monica.
Three and a half months on from it’s official reveal, Sony has shown off the PlayStation 4 console.


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16 May, 2019TECHCRUNCH.COM
Google is gunning for India’s payment companies. The U.S. search giant entered India’s payment space in 2017, and now it is hatching an initiative that could boost usage of its Google Pay service by tying it tightly to Android apps in the country.
The company has built an in-app engagement rewards platform that promises to help developers and businesses retain users and drive engagement on their apps, two sources familiar with the matter said. It plans to formally launch the project through partners using an SDK later this year, TechCrunch understands....
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CSI Review of New Descriptive Study on Added Sugars in Packaged Foods and Beverages at a Major Canadian Retailer
On January 12, 2017, researchers from Public Health Ontario and University of Waterloo published a descriptive analysis of added sugars in packaged foods and beverages available at one major Canadian grocery chain. Upon review of the paper, the nutrition professionals at the Canadian Sugar Institute Nutrition Information Service issued the following statement, which was included in articles and television news segments by CTV News and Global News.
The Canadian Sugar Institute welcomes and reviews new research information related to sugars and health.
It is important to point out that this particular study, “Added sugar in the packaged foods and beverages available at a major Canadian retailer in 2015: a descriptive analysis” has a number of limitations:
- The study only offers a description of what packaged foods are available in one major grocery store chain. It is not reflective of the amount of packaged goods actually purchased; in fact, only 58% of the products analyzed in this study were actually sold during the study period.
- Because the study is limited to pre-packaged foods, it is not reflective of all foods sold in the grocery store, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, raw ingredients, bulk foods, bakery items, etc.
- The study does not provide information on the wide range of food choices Canadians make beyond grocery stores, such as in local stores, restaurants and farmers’ markets, and is not reflective of the type and quantity of foods they actually consume.
The best available evidence shows that on average, Canadians consume about 11% of their daily energy from all sources of added sugars, which is close to the World Health Organization 10% guideline. Also, Statistics Canada data shows that Canadian availability of added sugars from all sources in the food supply has declined by 17% over the past three decades. Canadian intakes of added sugars are about 1/3 less than that in the United States.
Health Canada’s recent nutrition labelling regulations will help consumers better identify the sources of sugars added to foods by grouping them in the list of ingredients.
Eating a variety of foods from all four food groups (this includes fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich grain products, lean meats and alternatives, and milk products), managing portion sizes, moderation in overall food intake, and engaging in regular physical activity continue to be key steps in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.


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French Connection to axe its Tegan Fashion brand as it tries to stabilise profits
Failure:Tegan Fashion was supposed to boost French Connection's profits but ended up as a drain
Fashion chain French Connection is to jettison its Tegan Fashion brand just 18 months after it was launched.
The Tegan brand trades from its own website, which will be shut down within weeks.
The closure is part of an ongoing turnround of the group designed to stabilise profits.
The strategy has seen French Connection dispose of poorly performing stores and close or sell weak business units.
In recent years it has shut its Japanese business and has disposed of its Nicole Farhi brand, which has since gone into administration and been bought out by Matalan heiress Maxine Hargreaves-Adams.
Tegan was aimed at a slightly older clientele than the main French Connection label. Prices for dresses ranged from £120 to £220.
It operated as a separate business with its own design team, but it is thought to have become a drain on the main group’s management time and resources.
A spokesman said: ‘It was a startup business that we have taken the decision to close and will not have a material impact on the trading of the group.’
French Connection, which is listed on the stock market and is valued at £30million, has made a loss in three of its past five years of trading. It lost £10.5million in the year to January.
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Criton partners with independent hotels and serviced apartment operators to help them innovate with mobile apps, enhance the customer experience and increase revenue. Our experts bring you the latest news, industry insights and opinions here on our blog.
Criton Finalist in the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards 2020
Criton is a national finalist in the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards 2020 in the Eagle Labs Innovation category.
Celebrating the success of women working in hospitality and tourism
On Thursday 16th May 2019 the BWS Women in Hospitality and Tourism Awards took place at the Waldorf Astoria in Edinburgh and we were delighted to be the headline sponsor of the event.
Celebrating the industry’s best at the 2019 Scottish Hotel Awards
In April 2019 the Scottish Hotel Awards took place at the Crown Plaza in Glasgow and we were delighted to be the headline sponsor of the event.
Criton and Cheval Residences shortlisted at The Catey Awards
We are delighted to have been shortlisted along with Cheval Residences for Best Use of Technology at the Catey Awards 2019.
Celebrating the best in the hospitality and travel industry
Thursday 14 March was an exciting (and busy!) evening for Team Criton, as we were attending and sponsoring the VisitScotland Thistle Awards in Edinburgh and the Serviced Apartment Awards in London.
Criton headline sponsor of the BWS Women in Hospitality & Tourism Awards 2019
We are delighted to be headline sponsor of this national event recognising women working in senior leadership roles across the visitor economy.
What a Year!
A look back at 2018 by Criton’s Founder & CEO Julie Grieve
On the 4th December Criton hit a big milestone – we turned two! Since the initial idea of digitising the guestbook for a luxury serviced apartment I was managing; to the business we have today, it’s fantastic to see what’s been achieved.
Criton wins the Industry Breakthrough and Innovation Award at ASAP Awards 2018
Criton was delighted to take home the Industry Breakthrough and Innovation Award for ‘its innovative use of technology to enhance the guest experience’
Criton wins Best Technology Provider at Travolution Awards 2018
Criton takes home ‘Best Technology Provider’ for its dedication to enhancing guest experiences
Criton shortlisted for three awards at the Travolution Awards 2018
We are delighted to announce that Criton has been shortlisted for three awards at the 2018 Travolution Awards.


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Microsoft releases SOAP Toolkit beta
Microsoft has released the the beta of a new version of its SOAP Toolkit for Visual Studio, giving developers greater access to XML functionality. SOAP, the Simple Object Access Protocol, is based on the XML and links applications or services over the Internet.
The specification was submitted by Microsoft, IBM and other co-sponsors to the W3C last year. Microsoft released a first version of the toolkit for use with Visual Studio last summer. Since then, it says there have been hundreds of thousands of downloads of the toolkit.
The software giant has also released a free plug-in for its Internet Explorer Browser that allows developers to use Web services from scripts.
The releases continue Microsoft's efforts to promote its .Net strategy, in which the line between proprietory services and software becomes less distinct. The .Net approach encourages developers to build in standard links to Microsoft-backed web services, such as those offered by its bCentral portal for SMEs.
Register now to receive ComputerWeekly.com IT-related news, guides and more, delivered to your inbox.


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Top GOP House leaders and 160 lawmakers called on President Biden Wednesday to fix the U.S. “supply chain crisis” or face a doomed holiday season. Larry Kudlow, the Fox Business host and former economic adviser to President Trump, joined “The Ingraham Angle” on Wednesday night to discuss the issue.
LARRY KUDLOW: “Part of that is…there are no cars to buy. So consumer spending looks very weak. It’s really not, but there’s no cars to buy because of these container backups… because they all have semiconductors that these cars need. So you can’t produce them, and they’re not in the showrooms. The second point is the inflation bulge. Whether it’s temporary or permanent, it doesn’t matter…it is. It exists today and we’re only making it worse by creating this economic scarcity… this environment of scarcity. You know, those people in the Washington Post who are writing this stuff, ‘Hey, listen, only wealthy people…have patience, you don’t really need all these consumer goods,’ that is vintage Jimmy Carter.”
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO BELOW


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By Jaime Llinares Taboada
The U.K. government has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to conduct an urgent review of the fuel market.
In a letter dated Saturday, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Kwasi Kwarteng requested an urgent review by July 7 and a longer-term market study to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely impacted consumer interests.
There remains widespread concern about the increase in prices and the effect of the reductions in fuel duty for petrol and diesel, Mr. Kwarteng said.
The review should consider market competition and geographical factors, and any further steps that can be taken to strengthen competition and increase transparency over prices, he said.
"The British people are rightly frustrated that the GBP5 billion package does not always appear to have been passed through to forecourt prices and that in some towns, prices remain higher than in similar, nearby towns," Mr. Kwarteng said.
Write to Jaime Llinares Taboada at firstname.lastname@example.org; @JaimeLlinaresT
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 13, 2022 04:22 ET (08:22 GMT)Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


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AlmondCo cooperative gives almond growers safety in numbers amid economic challenges
One of Australia's major almond processors has completed a multi-million-dollar expansion to cater to the growing almond market and support its member-owned cooperative operation.
- AlmondCo has completed a multi-million-dollar expansion that includes a new processing facility and warehouse
- The cooperative counts more than 80 per cent of Australia's almond growers as members
- The expansion is expected to create 25 new jobs and help the co-op process 50,000 tonnes of almonds by 2025
AlmondCo is using new machinery from Spain to explore value-adding products and use the entirety of the almond product.
This comes as member-owned businesses are seeing a resurgence of interest as an agribusiness model in Australia.
AlmondCo is one of about 1,700 cooperatives across the country and while it accounts for a majority of Australian almond exports, it is comprised of smaller stakeholders.
Lyrup Almond grower Simon Vause said he and his wife started out with stone fruits before they transitioned to almonds.
"When we started growing the almonds it was a godsend that [the cooperative] was there as they could take care of the processing, marketing, and sale of the product," he said.
"We're growers that supply, but we're also share owners in the business, and we have a say about the direction of the company."
The almond grower said he was excited by the recent expansion of the warehouse and what new technologies could mean for Australia's almond market.
"The thing that stood out to me was that every piece of almond can be used. There's no wastage whatsoever," Mr Vause said.
"They're now looking at even using the skin."
Safety in numbers
Co-operatives and Mutuals Business Council chief officer Melina Morrison said there was a renewed interest in the power of member-owned businesses amid trying economic times.
"Cooperatives are so good in a crisis. They're really good in the good times but they come into their own when we're confronted with markets changing," Ms Morrison said.
"[With] COVID, suddenly supply chains were disrupted [when] they were all in quite a vulnerable position already. Sticking together just makes sense."
About $8 million of the funds used to complete the expansion were from a South Australia government grant for cooperatives investing in infrastructure.
While the NSW government had a similar scheme, Ms Morrison said more states should offer this incentive to increase economic growth in regional areas.
"It's actually a competitive advantage to SA in terms of attracting agricultural businesses through cooperatives," she said.
AlmondCo general manager Brenton Woolston said the expansion would have flow-on effects in the whole cooperative and Riverland community.
"Since the start of COVID, people have been looking for pantry-ready and stable sorts of food and almonds fit into that category," he said.
"We did see a lot of people buying almonds to store.
"We've seen continued use of almonds in baking and cooking at home."
Mr Woolston attributed the almond industry's continued strong trade to its long shelf life.
"It creates more employment opportunities, and over the last couple of years our warehouse, which was completed recently, had a lot of local labourers and contractors" he said.
"Getting money to change hands in the community is important for making sure everything continues to work within the area and continue to be prosperous."


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MCT NEWS SERVICE
Chris Charukas said he always knew that showing was better than telling.
His company, Visibooks, has launched a line of free computer tutorials on subjects such as Microsoft Office, OpenOffice and Dreamweaver 8.
The tutorials (www.inpics.net) were developed as part of a U.S. Department of Education study to make it easier for people with learning disabilities to learn computer skills. The study, completed last year, found that illustration-based tutorials worked well for everyone, not just those with special needs.
Revenue is generated by banner advertisements on each page, said Charukas, of Frederick, Md. Later this year, he plans to release more free tutorials on such programs as Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. There also will be Web programming tutorials on MySQL, PHP and Perl.
“Pictures are better than words. Almost all computer books tell you how to do things with lots and lots of words. Most people hate that,” said Charukas, who has worked for a Web development company and taught computer classes. He said a typical how-to book has 50,000 to 100,000 words, while his tutorials have only about 5,000 words.


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An American Journey: Rosa Parks Remembered--Part II
Department of Justice Investigates Police Spending
Murder Trial Wrapping Up
Girl Gets First Haircut for Locks of Love
New Parent Center Opens at East Broad Elementary
BOE Gives Bus Company Ultimatum
Second Suspect Charged in Ross Murder
Most of us spend some time surfing the web. But is someone willing to pay you to do it? It sounds too good to be true. Critics are calling it a pyramid scheme, but supporters say it's a legitimate business.
It's called auto-surfing. Companies promise to pay you to use your computer to automatically flip through advertisers' websites. Problem is, you have to pay some up front, and right now it looks like thousands of our neighbors could be out thousands of dollars.
Julian Saenz of Hinesville says he's been paid a lot of money, just to look at internet ads. "My personal gain, I probably made about $8,000 in profit," he said.
Or more accurately, to have his computer display ads, whether he's looking or not. He's invested money in what are called auto-surfing programs, like 12daily Pro, which promises to pay large sums back on each investment to users who visit 12 participating websites a day.
"I do believe this is going to be the future of advertising," said Saenz. "Different businesses and different products. It's going to eliminate the middle man. Why pay a million dollars for a thirty-second commercial when you could pay a couple hundred and get probably just as much if not better results out of it?"
Critics, however, say these are pyramid schemes and can only pay you back while money keeps coming in from new investors.
"Look at 12daily Pro and the way that they are set up, the fact that they've only been in business for a short period of time, since last September," said Ross Howard with the Savannah office of the Better Business Bureau. "Now they have turned a lot of people into that program, but at some point that program will definitely bottom out, and this may be the point where it starts to happen. You're going to find this to be a house of cards that falls down."
The BBB says that programs like this promise such large returns that they eventually get to the point where they couldn't possibly pay out everything they owe all their members on paper. Whether that's the case with 12daily Pro may not matter. The investors' money is actually being held, frozen by another company.
That company is StormPay, which handles the money online between 12daily Pro and its customers. Only now, no one can get their money.
Saenz showed us his zero balance on the StormPay site, telling us, "Should be right now, it should be anywhere from a thousand to two thousand dollars now."
StormPay says it's placed the money in a holding account, pending an investigation into 12daily Pro by the FBI. By policy, the FBI would neither confirm nor deny any ongoing investigation.
Supporters of 12daily Pro say it looks to them like StormPay's planning to take the money and run. "The only thing they have released are false claims that this is a pyramid and this is a scam, with no actual documentation," said Saenz.
"It's very easy for one to point the finger at the other, and very common practice whenever I get complaint responses back from companies that are suspect in nature," said Howard. "They find a way to point the finger at someone else to avoid blame, that is a common tactic that con artists use."
But for now, it's consumers left holding the bag. "Everybody wants to know what's going on," said Saenz.
Right now, whether either of these companies is doing anything illegal is still up in the air. StormPay was very forthcoming with its position on the phone with us, but our calls to 12daily Pro went unanswered.
Complaints about both have been piling up with the Better Business Bureau and consumer affairs agencies in at least three states.
For 12daily Pro, based in North Carolina, that state's Department of Justice (www.ncdoj.com) is looking into the company after numerous consumer complaints. The Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs (consumer.georgia.gov) today released a warning about the company as "a potentially fraudulent internet scam," after numerous reports.
That warning also mentions StormPay, which is based in Tennessee, where the regional Better Business Bureau (www.gobbb.org) says it's racked up close to 19,000 inquiries and 180 complaints in a seven-day period.
StormPay was also involved in another case in 2003, where it and a related company were ordered to cease operations of what the State Securities Division (www.state.tn.us/commerce/securities) called a pyramid scheme.


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Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it was relaxing food ingredient labeling rules due to ingredient shortages associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The move is intended to benefit food manufacturers, grocers, and consumers. I think it will do just that.
Practically, the flexibility around "minor formulation changes" will allow food makers to substitute small amounts of food ingredients temporarily without necessitating the creation or use of a new food label. That will get more food in front of consumers.
Under existing FDA rules, all food ingredients must generally be listed on every food label "in descending order of predominance"—based on the weight of each ingredient that appears in the given food. For example, in a hypothetical ingredient list on a can of tuna fish that features "Tuna, Water, and Salt," the quantity of tuna in the can weighs the most; the salt weighs the least.
American food manufacturers, just like the rest of us, have been coping with ingredient shortages as supply chains are stretched to their breaking point. Flour shortages, for example, have become increasingly common in recent weeks and months. That's exactly the sort of issue this regulatory flexibility is intended to address.
"Given significant supply chain disruptions for [flour] during this time, we do not intend to object to the use of products labeled with 'bleached' flour ingredients that substitute for the ingredient 'unbleached flour' without making a corresponding label change while there continues to be 'bleached' flour shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic," the FDA explains here, in an announcement explaining the regulatory flexibility.
While the new FDA guidance allows food makers to substitute food ingredients, the agency's flexibility isn't without some limitations. For example, it doesn't extend to known allergens, meaning a food maker may not swap out an existing ingredient for nuts, shellfish, or another allergen the agency requires food makers to disclose on the food label. It also allows substitutions only of ingredients that comprise up to two percent of the food's total weight.
In an April column, for example, I complimented the FDA, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local regulators for "loosening rules to ensure the nation's food system—and the people and businesses that drive that system—continues to be able to provide American consumers with adequate food." In that piece, I noted both the FDA and USDA have temporarily relaxed food-labeling rules to allow food sellers to sell foods that are not labeled for individual sale; the FDA had backed off on its food-safety inspections; and some state and local governments had loosened rules on restaurants and bars that want to sell alcohol for takeout.
I don't necessarily worry about that. I support the FDA's move this week. And I'd love to see many of the aforementioned regulatory rollbacks made permanent. But it's also true that mandatory food-ingredient labels serve a vital role in food safety and consumer choice.
In a 2013 column detailing the shortcomings of many federal food-labeling schemes, for example, I also argued that mandatory, "accurate ingredient and allergen labeling" should appear on all packaged foods. Why? Because the FDA's proper role is limited to combating the adulteration and misbranding of food that's in interstate or foreign commerce. Proper ingredient labeling is a key part of fulfilling that mission. That's why I would oppose making the food-ingredient flexibility permanent.
For now? Fret not. No one is going to be harmed by the FDA's move this week, while millions will benefit from this temporary change. Kudos to the FDA.
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Long-suffering PlayStation 3 owners (including yours truly) will finally get the opportunity to play downloadable content for Bethesda’s epic Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. That content, including Dragonborn, Hearthfire, and Dawnguard, has already been available to PC and Xbox 360 users for months.
There’s no doubt PS3 owners have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to Skyrim, arguably this gaming generation’s most ambitious role-playing game. The PS3 version of the original game (which launched in November 2011) remains chock full of graphical errors, even now — despite repeated efforts by Bethesda to properly update the game.
Adding insult to injury has been the long wait for downloadable content. But now it appears that wait is over. Let’s just hope the expansion packs aren’t as busted as the original game.
Bethesda is staggering the release dates for each expansion pack. The newest DLC, Dragonborn, will be available to North American PS3 users today, February 12, 2013. For the first week this content will be available for half price, or $10. After that first week the price will double to $20.
The same price reductions will apply to Hearthfire, which will be released on February 19, and Dawnguard, which will be available on February 26.
Bethesda says each DLC pack offers roughly 30 hours of additional gameplay and features unique achievements. Dragonborn and Dawnguard also take players to (relatively) new locales, including Solstheim and Morrowind.
So, anybody downloaded Dragonborn yet? Is it functioning properly or are those kooky dragons flying backwards again?


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Lloyds Bank, Natwest and Barclays pilot UK’s first business banking hubs
11 March 2019
Lloyds Bank, Natwest and Barclays have announced that they will pilot the UK’s first shared business banking hubs. The first hub will open its door in Perry Barr, Birmingham today. The pilot will also see five other shared hubs open across the UK in the coming weeks
The hubs have been specifically designed to enable businesses that manage cash and cheque transactions to pay in large volumes of coins, notes and cheques and complete cash exchange transactions. They will be available on a trial basis to pre-selected business clients in each local area and will offer extended opening times (8am to 8pm) 7 days a week, providing business and corporate customers more flexibility to manage their day-to-day finances.
The hubs will be branded Business Banking Hub and they have been designed to enable business customers from Natwest, Lloyds Bank and Barclays to conduct transactions through a shared facility.
Commenting on the launch of the pilot, Deputy CEO of NatWest Holdings and CEO of NatWest Commercial and Private Banking Alison Rose said:
“We have listened to what our business customers really want from our cash services. It is now more important than ever that we continue to offer innovative services, and we are creating an infrastructure that allows small business owners and entrepreneurs to do what they do best - run their business. I look forward to continued working with fellow banks to ensure the UK's businesses are getting the support they deserve."
Commenting on the support this will provide businesses, Paul Gordon, Managing Director of SME and Mid Corporates at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking said:
“SMEs are the lifeblood of the UK economy. We constantly strive to provide our SME customers with options that make simple banking transactions more accessible and convenient. The Business Banking hub pilot is being explored as an additional route for firms looking for flexible banking. Working collaboratively with other high street banks means more businesses will benefit.”
Ian Rand, CEO of Barclays Business Banking said:
“We’re always looking to trial new products to make hardworking businesses’ lives easier and save them time and money. The pilot is designed to complement our existing branch network and innovative cash collect service which enables businesses to schedule cash pick-ups when it’s convenient to them.”
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Report: Jaguar to offer manual in F-Type and “at least one” other future model
Some of us auto enthusiasts have been moping over the fact that the manual transmission seems to be fading away into the pages of history. But in an interesting turn around, CARandDRIVER reports that Jaguar will be resurrecting the manual transmission for some of their future models.
Check out more news on the Jaguar F-Type.
The most notable car from the Leaping Cat to receive a manual is the much-anticipated F-Type sports car, which will also be receiving an eight-speed ZF automatic. This word apparently comes from a “high source” within Jaguar.
The “source’ also said that the F-Type won’t be the one receiving a manual and “at least one car planned for the all-new Jaguar platform currently in development will offer a manual gearbox.”
Should all be true, the most sensible “new car planned” for the brand could be a BMW 3-Series fighter. That’s because Jaguar needs some catching up to do if they wanted to continue competing with Germany’s top brass, many of which offer a wide variety in their lineups.
– By: Chris Chin


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Survey: Unclean restrooms can have negative impact on business
Retailers looking for a competitive advantage in these competitive times should consider their restrooms.
Half of U.S. adults believe that unclean restrooms at a company give a number of negative messages about how the company is run or how it treats its customers, according to Bradley Corp.’s annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey. And 56% of respondents said they are unlikely to return to a business — or will think twice about doing so — after experiencing an unclean or unpleasant restroom, they either will not return to that business or will think twice about doing so.
Nearly all Americans (92%) see a direct relationship between the quality of a company’s products and services and the quality of its restrooms. This is further supported by the fact that 88% believe that if a restaurant has unclean restrooms, the likelihood is that the kitchen is also unclean.
The survey also revealed that Americans don’t like touching things in public restrooms. Instead, they will various techniques, such as using a paper towel to operate a faucet, to avoid coming into contact with surfaces in a restroom.
Cleanliness topped the list of restroom improvements survey respondents would like to see, followed by touchless fixtures and better stocking of supplies, such as toilet paper, soap and paper towels.
“Most everyone has had a bad restroom experience and, unfortunately, it's usually something you don't forget," said Jon Dommisse, director of global marketing and strategic development at Bradley Corp. "The good news is that manufacturers, like Bradley, do listen to consumers' concerns and work to address them by creating new and innovative products."
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Extreme value retailer continues to expand
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc. is on track for store growth in 2017.
The retailer, which beat the Street in the fourth quarter, ended the year with a total of 234 stores in 19 states, an increase of 15.3% year over year. It expects to open 33 to 35 stores in 2017, with no planned closures.
Ollie’s reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income increased 52% to $24.4 million, surpassing Wall Street expectations.
Revenue rose 16.4% to $283.4 million in the period, which also beat Street forecasts. Same-store sales edged up 2%.
“Our fourth quarter results were very strong across the board and our business continues to perform at a very high level,” said Mark Butler, chairman and CEO, Ollie’s Bargain’s Outlet Holdings, which is based in Harrisburg, Pa.
For the year, the company reported profit of $59.8 million. Revenue was reported as $890.3 million.
“Looking ahead, we feel very good about the underlying trends in the business,” Butler said. “We work hard every day to further develop our vendor relationships and are confident in our ability to continue executing our long term goals of mid-teen unit growth, 1% to 2% comparable store sales growth and approximately 20% net income growth.”
Ollie's expects full-year earnings to be $1.12 to $1.15 per share, with revenue in the range of $1.02 billion to $1.03 billion.
We would love to have an Ollie's right here in Colorado Springs! Please consider.
Luxe home furnishings retailer Q4 tops Street
Things are looking up at RH (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) which capped a busy year with better-than-expected results for its fourth quarter.
RH reported that revenue fell 9% to $586.7 million in the fourth quarter, beating analysts’ estimates.
Adjusted net income fell by nearly a third to $27.9 million, with adjusted earnings of $0.68 per share, also better than expected. The retailer said several one-time costs – including the launch of RH Modern – impacted its bottom line.
Full-year revenues edged up 1.2% to $2.13 billion. Brick-and-mortar sales rose 9%, but e-commerce and catalog revenues were down 7%.
RH, which has been working to improve its business, launched a number of new business initiatives in 2016, including RH Modern, RH Teen, RH Hospitality, the rollout of “design ateliers” in its stores and the addition of the Waterworks brand, which it purchased in April 2016, to its platform. All of these new initiatives are expected to contribute to growth in 2017 and beyond, the company said.
"2016 was a year of transformation and transition at RH," stated CEO Gary Friedman. "We transformed our business from a promotional to a membership model that we believe will enhance our brand, streamline our operations, and vastly improve the customer experience. We also began the redesign of our supply chain network, transitioning inventory into fewer facilities, which enabled us to forgo building a planned distribution center scheduled to open in 2017.”
The retailer is optimistic about its future. For the year, RH forecast earnings of $1.78 to $2.19 a share on revenue of $2.3 billion to $2.4 billion. Analysts forecast $1.94 a share on revenue of $2.33 billion.
Friedman noted that in contrast to the transformation and transition that characterized 2016, 2017 will be a year of execution, architecture, and cash flow at RH.
“Our focus will be on executing our new business model, architecting a new back-end operating platform, and maximizing cash flow,” he said. “While our investment strategy will always maintain a long-term view, we believe we can improve working capital and returns by having a more disciplined approach to capital allocation.”
The company is reducing its new store openings to three to five per year, which is expected to drive “high-quality sustainable growth, while lowering capital requirements and execution risk over the course of our real estate transformation,” Friedman said.
As of January 28, 2017, RH operated a total of 85 retail locations.
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Two companies have been locked in a legal dispute since August last year
Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through our links on this page.
BRUSSELS — Fortnite creator Epic Games has taken its fight against Apple to EU antitrust regulators after failing to make headway in a U.S. court in a dispute over the iPhone maker’s payment system on its App Store and control over apps downloads.
The two companies have been locked in a legal dispute since August last year when the game maker tried to get around Apple’s 30 per cent fee on some in-app purchases on the App Store by launching its own in-app payment system.
That prompted Apple to kick Epic’s Fortnite game off the App Store and threaten to terminate an affiliated account that would have effectively blocked distribution of Unreal Engine, a software tool used by hundreds of app makers to create games.
Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney said Apple’s control of its platform has tilted the level playing field.
“The 30 pr cent they charge as their app tax, they can make it 50 per cent or 90 per cent or 100 per cent. Under their theory of how these markets are structured, they have every right to do that,” he told reporters.
“Epic is not asking any court or regulator to change this 30 per cent to some other number, only to restore competition on IOS,” he said, referring to Apple’s mobile operating system.
The company also accused Apple of barring rivals from launching their own gaming subscription service on its platform by preventing them from bundling several games together — when its own service, called Apple Arcade, does that.
Apple said its rules apply equally to all developers and that Epic had violated them.
“In ways a judge has described as deceptive and clandestine, Epic enabled a feature in its app, which was not reviewed or approved by Apple, and they did so with the express intent of violating the App Store guidelines that apply equally to every developer and protect customers,” the company said in a statement.
“Their reckless behaviour made pawns of customers, and we look forward to making this clear to the European Commission,” it said.
The Commission, which is investigating Apple’s mobile payment system Apple Pay and the App Store, declined to comment on the complaint, saying it was aware of the concerns regarding Apple’s App Store rules.
Epic Games has also complained to the U.K. Competition Appeal Tribunal and to the Australian watchdog, at the same time seeking damages. It has not asked the EU enforcers for damages.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
OnePlus teases March 8th announcement with a single photo – MobileSyrup
OnePlus has started drumming up hype for its next set of devices with an image and the promise of news coming on March 8th.
That iconic photo was taken with a Hasselblad camera, which makes sense since some rumours point to the photography company partnering with OnePlus.
— Pete Lau (@PeteLau) March 1, 2021
We’ve been expecting news from OnePlus in March, so it’s nice to see that’s still happening despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond the new camera module, rumours suggest that the company will use a new high-end display tech in the OnePlus 9 Pro.
Instagram Live Rooms allows four users to go live simultaneously – MobileSyrup
Instagram has announced its latest feature, ‘Live Rooms.’
Previously, users could only go live with one other person at a time, but now the social media platform allows twice the number of users at once.
To get this feature to work, swipe left and select the Live camera option. Following that, add a title and then tap the Rooms icon to add guests. You can search for a guest to add or add one of the people who have requested to live with you.
The user who starts the room will be at the top of the screen after adding guests. Broadcasters (the ones who started the room) can add up to three guests at once or one by one. People blocked by any of the active users in the Live Room will not be able to join the Live. Live Rooms offer the ability to report and block comments and apply comment filters.
Instagram says that Live Rooms is launching globally soon.
It seems like Instagram is trying to compete against Clubhouse, a social audio app that allows more than 10 people to go live at once in a single room. Rooms can also have more than 8,000 people in them.
Instagram Live, however, requires its users to go on camera, which sets it apart from Clubhouse and Twitter’s ‘Spaces.’
Huawei AppGallery nearly doubles number of app distribution within a year – gizmochina
The Huawei AppGallery has seen great growth over the course of a year. The app ecosystem has achieved a new milestone, with its app distribution numbers nearly doubling within just 12 months.
For those unaware, the AppGallery is the Chinese tech giant’s proprietary app store, which is the world’s third largest at the moment. Currently, the platform has over 2.3 million registered developers. This is up by 77 percent from last year, along with a diverse global audience of more than 530 million active monthly users. Furthermore, the platform’s app distribution reached 384.4 billion in 2020, which was more than last year by 174 billion. Notably, gaming was at the forefront of this explosive growth.
As of right now, AppGallery has over 500 percent more games available on the the app store compared to the platform last year. The AppGallery has also helped over 10,000 Chinese apps enter the global market, further diversifying its global userbase’s app experience. Top performers in this regard include apps like Banggood, Pascal’s Wager, and Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade. Interestingly, this also highlights the company’s efforst into bringing the “Global + Local” strategy to its platform.
According to Zhang Zhe Director of Global Partnerships & Eco-Development Business Development at Huawei Consumer Business Group, “At the end of 2019, there were 25 countries around world which had over a million AppGallery users. That number has now grown to 42 and we continue to see strong growth across markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. It’s not just about quantity, and the fact that the number of apps integrated with HMS Core has more than doubled in one year shows that more developers are looking to Huawei’s on-device capabilities to drive innovation and provide better and more unique user experiences.”
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OnePlus teases March 8th announcement with a single photo – MobileSyrup
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The European data protection supervisor (EDPS) Giovanni Buttarelli has raised concerns about the EU-US Privacy Shield data-sharing pact, claiming that it is not robust enough to stand up to proper legal...
Technology giants are worried about the impact of new regulations on their business models
Fine reduced from initial figure of £183 million because of the pandemic, ICO says
Consumers to start to question and demand more when it comes to their data
National security concerns do not exclude the bloc's members from the need to abide by EU laws, says the EU Court of Justice
Sean Leach, Partner and UK & European patent attorney at intellectual property firm Mathys & Squire, explores the challenges surrounding IP law around machine learning


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Microsoft has confirmed the existence of the Xbox Series S, and that it will retail at $299. It will also be “the smallest Xbox ever,” according to the company’s tweet on its official account.
After a significant leak, Microsoft decided to confirm the Price of the Xbox Series S in a tweet published early Tuesday morning. “Let’s make it official,” Microsoft tweeted from the Xbox Twitter account. Accompanying the text is a photo of the console.
It said more information on the console is coming “soon.” Therefore, there is no official date yet. However, in a trailer for the Xbox Series S published later on Tuesday, the company announced the November 10 date.
New Xbox Series Price and Release Date
Microsoft is set to hold a press event soon to showcase next-gen console pricing, which is pretty familiar. Thanks to all the keen leakers and reporters.
As reported by Windows Central, the entry-level Xbox Series S will cost $299 at retail. At the same time, a $25 per month will be charged for the Xbox All Access financing option. Microsoft is planning to push hard via various retailers and a broad global rollout.
The more powerful X Series will cost more than the entry-level console. Citizens were already expecting that. It is at $499, with a $35 per month Xbox All Access financing option.
The revealed prices from Microsoft have been put forward for the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X to be firmly in-line with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Also, it will be interesting to see how Sony prices the competing PlayStation 5 in response.
Both consoles will launch on Nov. 10, 2020.
Is the price reasonable?
As of now, Microsoft has committed to bringing the entire Xbox One game library forward to the Xbox Series S and X. And this includes all the backward compatible Xbox 360 games. According to the company, your best Xbox One headset and all of your other accessories “will just work” on the next-gen systems as well.
Microsoft will push Xbox All Access financing far more broadly than it did this gen, which was seen as a bit of a pilot program. Many are expecting Xbox All Access to roll out to far more markets than it did previously. Also, we hope the game Series consoles will gun for a simultaneous global launch in all existing tech markets, rather than the slow rollout we saw for the Xbox One in 2013.
So the answer… YES. The price is reasonably good for its kind.
Images used courtesy of Xbox/YouTube Screenshot


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Your colleagues are on the move, find out who is going where.
Royce Chwin has been appointed president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver. He most recently served as CEO of Travel Alberta, and previously held leadership roles with Destination Canada and Starbucks.
John “Jack” Patronski
GES has announced that John “Jack” Patronski, executive vice president of industry development, will retire effective June 30. Patronski has worked in the events industry since 1976, getting his start as director of operations for the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. In 1978, he joined Andrews Bartlett, which GES acquired in 1993. Patronski spent much of his career holding leadership positions at industry organizations, including his role as chairman of the board for the PCMA Foundation in 2006.
Joanna Gunn has been named chief brand officer for Rosewood Hotel Group. Gunn, who has 23 years of luxury experience, previously served as chief brand officer for Lane Crawford, a luxury multi-brand retailer. In her new role, Gunn will oversee marketing direction for Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts, and KHOS hotels.


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On September 29, weeks after Equifax admitted to having lost the most sensitive financial and personal information of 143,000,000 Americans (but a week before Equifax admitted that the total was actually 145,500,000) (and counting), the IRS awarded the company a no-bid contract for $7,250,000 to verify taxpayer identities and curtail fraud.
Yes, prevent fraud. That’s a funny thing, considering, according to Equifax’s own ex-CEO Richard Smith, the company failed to identity for four months the fact that hackers were hanging out inside its systems, syphoning personal information for millions of consumers.
Of course, the type of fraud Equifax will be charged with preventing under the IRS contract is different — mainly dealing with detecting when a person is using someone else’s information to file a tax return.
Still, that type of fraud could be tied to Equifax. After all, with millions of consumers’ personal information now up for grabs thanks to the company’s breach, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if someone bought that data and used it to file a fraudulent tax return.
IRS Awards $7.25M Fraud-Prevention Contract To Equifax Despite Failure To Secure Consumers’ Data [Ashlee Kieler/Consumerist]
Some 1,600 people were secretly livestreamed while staying in South Korean motel rooms where cameras had been hidden by criminals who operated a 4,000-user service for voyeurs, where a $45/month upcharge bought subscribers the right to access replays and other extra services.
Last year, California was one of several states to introduce right to repair legislation that would force companies to end practices that discourage the independent repair sector, creating a requirement to sell replacement parts, provide documentation, and supply codes to bypass DRM systems that locked new parts out of devices until the company activated them.
The term "meritocracy" was popularized in the UK sociologist Michael Young's 1958 novel, "The Rise of the Meritocracy," in which aristocrats insist that they are the natural rulers of their society based on "objective" measures of worth ("merit" + "aristocracy" = "meritocracy") that are obviously tilted to favor them, a fact that they are conveniently […]
If you’re a Mac user, you thrive on simplicity. Everything in its place and a place for everything. Unsurprisingly, there’s a ton of great organizational apps out there for Mac, and now someone’s had the great idea to bundle them all together. Whether you’re running a demanding business or just getting through the day to […]
Seems like drones are doing a lot of jobs these days, from reconnaissance to delivery. Now, we can add “keeping the Death Star safe” to that list. Whether you’re a drone enthusiast or a Star Wars fan, these Star Wars Propel Drones are undeniably the coolest toy around. Yes, that’s a fully functional drone replica […]
It’s spring clearance time for the Boing Boing Store, when some of the best deals from the holidays return even cheaper than before. From top-rated apps to educational software to the cutest record player of all time, they’re all back with a little extra incentive. Shop your heart out before tax season wraps up! Use […]