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In recent times, veganism has become normal and mainstream – to an extent that I used to think was a mere pipe dream.
Veganism is regularly in the news – whether talking about new vegan products, new reports into the health aspects of plant-based eating, or indeed the environmental impact of animal farming.
This is especially prevalent among young people. A recent survey by vegan company BOL Foods found that 44 percent of young people (aged 18 – 24) think that veganism is 'cooler than smoking'; in addition, a YouGov poll found that one in five young people believe that the future is meat-free. But what is behind this rise in interest from young people?
Well, according to a poll for The Grocer, 38 percent of young adults say that they have sustainability concerns about meat production – the same poll also found that four percent of them were already vegetarian or vegan.
And it is no wonder. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) this week released a report stating that the Earth is, in no uncertain terms, doomed if we continue as we are.
Of the recommendations for consumers in the report, the most significant was to reduce our consumption of meat and dairy products. After all, around 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to animal farming - this is more than all motorized transport combined.
So, naturally, the younger generations who have to live on this planet in the future will want to preserve it for them, and any future generations.
And this is reflected in their habits when it comes to buying food and eating out.
A report released in September 2018 by market researchers, Mintel, focusing on burger and chicken restaurants, says that millennials are the 'biggest threat' to burger and chicken restaurants because they are seeking more plant-based options, rather than meat. Is this a sign of the future?
The experts seem to think so. Food service Analyst, Trish Caddy explains: "Operators now need to tackle this issue by offering consumers more varied choice, including vegan burgers."
On top of this, a report by GlobalData suggests that as much as 70 percent of the world's population is said to be either reducing meat consumption or ditching it all together, and who is spearheading this? You guessed it - young people.
"The shift toward plant-based food is being driven by millennials, who are most likely to consider the food source, animal welfare issues, and environmental impacts when making their purchasing decisions," said Fiona Dyer, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData.
So the generation that is often accused of being lazy, self-entitled and selfish, is arguably the complete opposite. As the generation of people who have to live with the decisions of today, they are actively taking measures to ensure that there is a planet worth living on in the future, and that there is as little animal suffering as possible.
Hardly selfish, am I right?
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are prepared in the author's capacity and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Plant Based News itself.Reuse this content
Tod is the Vegan Outreach Campaign Manager for animal rights organisation Animal Aid. His work revolves around making veganism more accessible and mainstream, in order to encourage non-vegans to try veganism. Follow Animal Aid on Twitter: @AnimalAid
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Recently, W3logics debuted its Microsoft (News - Alert) Promo Codes. A Microsoft Office Mac Promo code is the easiest way to save money on a purchase of robust Microsoft products like Windows, Office 365, Office Mac etc.
Touted as the best tools available for students, professionals and businesses alike, there are presently three Microsoft Office suite packages available including Home and Student, Office for Home and Business and Office Professional. And with this newly launched campaign, the Office suites are offered at amazing discounts, helping users to save money while also seeing benefits such as increased efficiency and better collaboration.
Students that utilize this offering can easily make school projects, build dynamic presentations and locate important documents with ease. Customers still in school are even given extra discounts so they can use the software without any inconvenience. At this time, the company is offering 15 percent off regular prices offered in the retail market.As the days pass, more and more companies are implementing Office 365. Just this week, Barilla Group, a major Italian food company and a big player in the pasta market, selected Microsoft Office 365 to ramp up productivity. With more than 13,000 employees around the world, a need arose for the company to profoundly evolve the way Barilla people communicate, collaborate and interact.
After analyzing other cloud platforms on the market, Barilla chose Office 365 as it powered better IT interoperation and enterprise expertise across its services and products.
“Because information technologies are constantly under technological, economic and regulatory pressure, Barilla recognized Microsoft as the only partner able to set us out on the path toward worldwide adoption of the cloud," said Mauro Viacava, chief information officer, Barilla Group, in a statement.
To read the full report, click here.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.
Edited by Jamie Epstein

domain: news


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On a busy Rt. 6 in Bristol, on the former site of Frankies restaurant that used to sell hand-made burgers and potato skins, you can now see a doctor to treat a broken bone, get a vaccination or examine an ear infection.
Since February, the old restaurant building was raised and a new building was erected to house a new walk-in clinic, just a stone’s throw from a liquor store, pizza shop and yoga studios.
About three miles west, where a mattress store closed last year, a new walk-in clinic opened up, with seven exam rooms and a comfortable waiting room with free snacks. Across the street, you can find another walk-in clinic. That walk-in clinic is owned and operated by Bristol Hospital. It has been in that locations for over a decade.
Urgent care clinics are popping up in former video stores, restaurants, convenience stores, carwashes, day care centers and electronics shops at a dizzying rate of between 300 and 600 each year across the nation, to nearly 7,000 today, according to the Urgent Care Association of America, based in Naperville. Central Connecticut area numbers were not available.
Clinic operators position their stores to be near neighborhood restaurants or supermarkets, offering a quick visit for people who need treatment for a sudden injury or illness that is not serious enough for an emergency room visit but can’t wait for a trip to the family doctor. Many of the centers are open on weekends and evenings and also offer X-rays.
Shopping centers chase them as potential prime tenants, attracted by their stable finances, top-grade credit and ability to bring in a steady stream of customers who might also stop at a nearby restaurant or convenience store.
Part of the attraction is that the clinics don’t face the same kinds of competition that traditional retailers like independent bookstores and family-owned appliance stores faced from big-box stores and online retailers.
With patients paying for a greater percentage of their health care, and insurance companies pressuring medical providers to hold down prices, the big push is convenience and affordable treatments, the definition of a walk-in clinic.
In contrast to hospitals, which usually do not disclose treatment prices in advance, Many walk-in clinics provide a price list to patients.
National Examples: $25 for a flu shot, $109 for a hepatitis B vaccination, $69 for a physical ($39 for children). A doctor’s exam for an illness or injury costs $149. Stitches or multiple X-rays cost $249. Insurance companies generally cover care at the clinics.
There are now 8 medical offices designated as walk-in clinics in Bristol.


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Morgan Stanley set a €16.00 ($19.75) price target on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (BIT:F) in a research report report published on Thursday, January 11th. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.
F has been the subject of several other reports. Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating and issued a target price on shares of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in a report on Wednesday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a €21.00 ($25.93) price target on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. Oddo Bhf set a €13.00 ($16.05) price target on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank set a €14.00 ($17.28) price target on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, October 25th. Finally, Citigroup set a €11.00 ($13.58) price objective on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of €17.79 ($21.96).
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (F) remained flat at $€6.94 ($8.57) during trading hours on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $13,780.00 and a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.46. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has a fifty-two week low of €5.86 ($7.23) and a fifty-two week high of €9.08 ($11.21).
TRADEMARK VIOLATION WARNING: This report was published by Dispatch Tribunal and is the property of of Dispatch Tribunal. If you are accessing this report on another publication, it was stolen and republished in violation of international copyright & trademark laws. The original version of this report can be viewed at https://www.dispatchtribunal.com/2018/02/02/fiat-chrysler-automobiles-f-given-a-16-00-price-target-at-morgan-stanley.html.
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Thought Chevrolet hasn’t made an official announcement yet, the mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette C8 is expected to land in Fall 2018.
Critics and purists have already started loading their guns. But it’s impossible to ignore the fact that eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette C8 is coming our way. And if the reports on Automobile are to be believed, the mid-engined Vette will come in Fall 2018 with a new small-block V8 under that engine cover in the middle.
The camouflaged test mules are being fired upon by spies with cameras wherever it goes and with a dozen renderings doing the rounds, most of us have a basic idea on how the new mid-engined C8 is going to look like.
It’ll be having a shorter front section followed with the cabin and then an acre of real estate at the back. Somewhere between the seats and the taillights, the new, smaller V8 will build its new home. The capacity may be small, but the engine will definitely be breathed upon by the boffins at Chevy, so that it is worthy enough to power the sports car. The 4.0-liter double-overhead-cam turbocharged V8 won’t be that far-fetched an option too.
The Chevrolet Corvette C8, in all likelihood, will be unveiled at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Chevrolet Corvette C8 could also be the reason why the Chevy facility at Bowling Green, Kentucky has stopped production of the C7 range of Corvettes for three months. While the factory tour cancellations have been attributed to the work being conducted on the new paint shop, many believe that everything is being done to get the assembly plant ready for the C8’s construction and launch.
Who knows, they may even have started building more prototypes of the Chevrolet Corvette C8 in that plant as we speak. The fun begins when the C8 and Corvette C7 ZR1 will be sold side-by-side once both cars arrive in showrooms. They look inseparable already, as test mules are often spotted hanging out together.


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In the October issue of Family Circle, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n is featured as one of 18 Low-Calorie Mini Meals as the secret to losing weight. Dr. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA,RD,CDN, a nutritional expert, declares mini meals can assist with maintaining a healthy metabolism. Her inspiring gardein recipe serves as a surprising flavorful punch, sparking delicious indulgences.
browse our blog
Welcome to the daily digest, the official blog of gardein. The digest is your one-stop shop for recipes, photos, health tips and the latest news from the world of gardein.


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Because little Fido's kibbles simply must be organic, several of the city's high-end butcher shops are now producing gourmet dog food. And though it sounds ridiculous at first, it's maybe, actually, somehow not the worst idea in the world.
Sure, the Times piece has the requisite quotes from the crazy-doting-dog-mom: "They’re first — I don’t care,” says the owner of Jack Russell terrier Mookie, who was "forever changed" by Dickson's Farmstand Meats $10 per pound and a half dog food, made of animal heart, tongues and livers, plus bits of premium steaks like New York strip. But while the price might cause some old-school pet owners to do a double-take, making dog food is actually an easy, profitable way for butchers to use up random, sometimes less-than-appetizing odds and ends that would otherwise go to waste. "It's a good way to use up the offal that people won't eat," explained Meat Hook butcher Ben Turley, who's been making dog food since the store opened. "Animals don't care how it looks. The iron and protein is good for them."
“If you’re not feeding your dog human-quality food it’s a terrifying thing,” said Jessica Applestone, co-owner of Fleisher's meats, who makes two-ounce patties of frozen dog food. (Just ask the creators of Evermore Pet Food, who ate their own human-grade dog food every day for a month.) And anyway, it's not the dog owners who are the real problem, says Turley—"The worst are the crazy cat people who come in and buy $50 worth of chicken bones to feed their cats."


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Head of VR at Oculus, Nate Mitchell, recently published a blog post within which he claims it is “inevitable” that virtual reality (VR) will be a key driver for video games in the coming years. In a blog post titled “Why I’m Excited for VR in 2019”, Mitchell says that the video games industry has “already seen the beginnings” of Oculus Rift “pushing the limits” of what is possible in the world of PC gaming. He cited popular PC VR game titles such as Stormland, Asgard’s Wrath and Defector as titles that have helped develop the community of VR gamers.
As a proof of concept for the success of PC VR gaming, Oculus only needs to look at the fact that at least nine of its VR titles have generated over $1 million in the Oculus Store alone. Oculus’ Head of Content, Jason Rubin, admitted that some of these titles were not even published by Oculus Studios, which should also give independent publishers and developers huge confidence about tapping into the burgeoning VR gaming marketplace.
Aside from conventional PC games, the advent of VR gaming has also started to infiltrate its way into the iGaming industry, with players now able to don their VR headsets to immerse themselves within virtual slot game environments. Global poker room, PokerStars is also working hard to innovate the world of online poker, with its new virtual reality experience delivering a free-to-play social environment for poker fans that they simply can’t get from a traditional online poker client.
Mitchell confirmed that Oculus would “continue to invest in a platform that gets [gamers] into [their] favorite games with [their] closest friends”. After all, this is arguably one of the biggest factors in the growth of VR gaming – the chance to maintain and enhance those social connections no matter how many miles are between friends. Given the steadily growing appeal of VR gaming, Oculus is forging ahead with software improvements for its Rift headset, with new technology expected to be announced in the near future.
Mitchell also spoke at length about the upcoming Oculus Quest, a new standalone VR headset that would not depend upon a desktop or laptop to operate VR gaming apps, which he believes will signal the next chapter for VR gaming. With no wires or walls to constrain gamers, the Quest will be a ground-breaking addition to the Oculus portfolio. In many ways, Quest has been in the planning for many years, even while the Rift was being released in 2016. It has been a dream for Oculus engineers to create a wireless VR headset that offers unprecedented degrees of freedom in any gaming environment.
Once released, the Oculus Quest will be available from $399. Mitchell described the experience of using a Quest headset for VR gaming as “magical” and promised an “exciting roadmap for Quest’s system software” which Oculus plans to “update and improve” regularly. The Quest will be on display at the 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco’s Moscone Center from 18th-22nd March. Members of the Oculus team will be present to offer talks and advice on future VR game design and sculpting gaming environments using 6DoF controllers and rollators.
While the Oculus Quest inches ever-closer to its launch date, it will soon have competition in the shape of the HTC Vive Focus Plus. HTC has developed its own answer to the Quest and will come complete with two 6DoF controllers, as well as “next-gen” VR lenses. Although no retail price for the Vice Focus Plus has yet been confirmed, HTC has intimated its release is scheduled for Q2 2019, in 25 markets worldwide. This is in stark contrast to the launch of HTC’s original Vive Focus, which was given a China-exclusive unveiling. It would appear that wearable technology is going global and video gaming of all formats is getting ready to buckle up and enjoy the forthcoming ride.


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Recent Pew Research Center reports provide a deeper look into today’s changing digital media landscape. Here’s an overview of some key trends and how they impact PR and marketing.
TV News Remains Popular
More Americans obtain their news from television than online media, but the gap is narrowing. As of August 2017, 43% of Americans surveyed said they often obtain their news online. That’s just 7 percentage points lower than the 50% who often get news on television. In 2016, the gap between the two news platforms was 19 points, more than twice as large.
The takeaway: TV news remains crucial for news placements, even though online news consumption may soon equal and eventually surpass TV news consumption. However, TV news probably won’t disappear any time soon. Corporations, government agencies and large nonprofit organizations need to consider TV when they create PR pitching and placement strategies. They also need to include TV news in their media monitoring and measurement.
Older Americans Embrace Mobile Devices
Older Americans obtain their news on social media. Roughly two-thirds (67%) of those ages 65 and older now get news on a mobile device, a 24-percentage-point jump from 2016 and about three times the share in 2013. Mobile news use also grew among those 50 to 64, with about eight-in-ten (79%) now getting news on mobile, about double the share from 2013.
The takeaway: Even brands serving older Americans will lose customers and fall behind competitors if they don’t embrace mobile marketing strategies and measurement practices designed for mobile devices. Effective mobile measurement calls for a new mindset, as desktop metrics may produce misleading results.
Older Americans Turn to Social Media for News
Two-thirds of Americans obtain at least some news on social media, up from 62% in 2016. Older Americans are driving that growth. More than half (55%) of Americans ages 50 and older obtain news on social media sites, a 10-percentage-point jump from 2016.
The takeaway: Social media news consumption is no longer confined to digitally sophisticated millennials. It’s now essential for corporate PR and marketing to promote and monitor news on social media, including brands that target older American.
Trust in Social Media Falters
Fake news has damaged the public’s trust in social media. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events. About a third say they often see made-up political news online.
Only 5% of web-using U.S. adults have a lot of trust in the information they view on social media. They trust information on social media much less than from national and local news organizations and information from friends and family.
The takeaway: PR can spot fake news through ongoing social media listening. Once fake news is spotted, PR can quickly expose the articles as fabrications and spread the facts about the issue. As news announcements increasingly become suspect, PR may need to take extra steps to support the authenticity and truthfulness of their news releases and other promotions.
Bottom Line: It’s essential for PR pros to stay abreast of fast-moving trends transforming the digital media landscape and incorporate the changes into their PR strategies and methods. Since news consumption through mobile devices and social media may be increasing even faster that thought and spreading to new demographics, PR must assure its news is distributed to mobile devices and on social media.


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ZTE may be the first to market with a smartphone with an in-display under-screen camera, by Xiaomi may deliver the best version.
Pictures released by China Star shows the camera is near invisible even with a light image on the overlying screen.
Xiaomi president of the mobile phone Zeng Xuezhong, said the company is currently in the 3rd generation of their development of the technology and expect to ship the camera next year.
Xiaomi says their version using a special pixel arrangement with double the resolution to capture images via the sub-pixel gaps.
It also featured a special screen driver to further improve light transmission to the camera.
Xiaomi says the end result delivers the same brightness, colour accuracy, and colour gamut that buyers expect.
On the left is a conventional camera and on the right is Xiaomi’s 3rd generation under-display camera technology.
See their video demo below:


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Markforged, Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, has announced the results from its second quarter ending June 30, 2021. The figures are said to reaffirm previously provided guidance for a 2021 total annual revenue of $87.6 million, gross profit margin of 58% and adjusted EBITDA loss of $37 million.
“We are pleased with our results as we look to continue to build momentum for the remainder of the year,” said Shai Terem, president and CEO. “The Digital Forge is helping solve critical manufacturing and supply chain challenges for our customers. We launched new key products and software updates this quarter as part of our strategy to meet the growing demand for our solutions. Our recent debut on the New York Stock Exchange energised and motivated our talented and hardworking team, and I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish together in the remainder of 2021.”
Revenue increased by 44.1% to $20.4 million in the second quarter of 2021, up from $14.2 million in the second quarter of 2020. Gross profit grew 60% to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2021, from $7.5 million in the same quarter of the previous year. Gross margins expanded to 58% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to 53% in Q2 2020.
EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) was ($10.7) million in the second quarter of 2021. Adjusted EBITDA was ($8.9) million in the second quarter of 2021 compared to ($4.7) million in the second quarter of 2020. Adjusted EBITDA includes non-recurring litigation; audit, legal and other expenses associated with the SPAC transaction; and other transitional 2021 public company expenses of $0.9 million and $0.3 million for the three months ending June 30, 2021 and 2020 respectively.
In the second quarter, Markforged launched products aimed at enhancing the Digital Forge to enable customers to better solve manufacturing and supply chain problems directly at the point of need. Metal X Gen 2, Next Day Metal and X7 Field Edition aimed to improve the speed, user experience, and allow users the ability to additively manufacture anywhere. The introduction of the FX20 – the company’s biggest, fastest, and most sophisticated AM machine – is intended to move the Digital Forge into robust production of high-strength, higher-performance parts for those operating in demanding and regulated industries like aerospace, defence, and automotive.


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BlackBerry Ltd. (TSX:BB) has formed a strategic collaboration to develop technology for the next generation of connected vehicles with a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc., a major semiconductor company.
The Canadian company says it has agreed to help optimize select Qualcomm hardware platforms to work with BlackBerry’s QNX software, which is used to manage features of wirelessly connected cars such as infotainment systems.
They have also agreed to optimize other BlackBerry software for use with select Qualcomm Snapdragon modems.
Qualcomm and BlackBerry, which have a long-standing technology collaboration, didn’t release financial details of their new collaboration.
Earlier this year, San Diego-based Qualcomm agreed to pay a US$940 million rebate to BlackBerry to settle a dispute over royalty payments.
The automotive industry has been one of BlackBerry’s main opportunities for growth since it largely withdrew from the smartphone business and turned increasingly to secure wireless software and services.


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New Delhi, 21st November 2022: Hotel Association of India, the apex body of the Indian Hospitality industry has joined hands with Impact4Nutrition as a pledged Association partner. Incubated I4N, It is a commitment-based platform for the public and private sectors in India to collectively contribute to improving the nutritional status of every Indian. According to the “Copenhagen Consensus” investing in nutrition is the best public health investment one can make. For every $1 investment, there is a return of $16. Employee retention, a dip in absenteeism and increased productivity are the three core reasons for it.
Mr. Patanjali G. Keswani, Chairman & Managing Director, of Lemon Tree Hotels said, “This is a good cause for HAI members to support, which will add value to the nutritional upliftment of our country. As a part of the hospitality and food & beverage industry, it is important for us to focus on responsibility and sustainability, with nutrition being one of the primary factors to be considered.”
I4N is an endeavour in line with the National Poshan 2.0 Abhiyan of the Government of India. Aligning with the initiative marks a responsible return to business for HAI members post the pandemic.
The Association looks forward to promoting the program across its membership and to encourage its Members to participate in a national movement. HAI members have taken many initiatives for sustainable practices in their operations and such partnerships will strengthen Members’ existing programs on nutrition by providing ideas, knowledge, and technical expertise and aiding activation thereof. There are many ways in which the members’ commitments to the broad objectives of the SDGs can be enhanced by such collaboration, like the promotion of nutrition literacy & training, facilitating healthy menu changes for employees, guests and the extended community, showcasing National Poshan Maah, etc.
Since 2019, many governments and industry bodies like UNICEF India, CII, NASSCOM, TATA Trust, World Bank, UN Global Compat, CSR Box etc. have been collectively involved in this noble initiative in Nation building.


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The event also saw live judging of the Start-up of the Year category
Travolution launches this year's Innovation Report at Start-up and Innovation Summit
Last week Travolution held its brand new Start-up and Innovation Summit, where it launched its Innovation Report for this year.
The event welcomed more than 100 executives for a day dedicated to the next generation of startups and talent, along with the next generation of innovation to cultivate outside of the box thinking.
Attendees saw speakers from Skyscanner, easyJet, Holibob and Turespaña throughout the day on topics ranging from FinTech, M&As and how to build something as entrepreneurs that you can defend.
It also held a live pitching competition for startups to present in front of a panel of industry leading experts, in the hope of lifting the Travolution Start-up of the Year award, at the Travolution Awards in London on November 20.
The annual Travolution Innovation Report was launched during the event, with attendees among the first to read the latest data and analyses on tech investment in the UK travel sector, in the last 12 months.
A panel discussion unpacked some of the findings the report, including that £1.93bn was spent on IT in 2022 and that £2.23bn is expected to be spent in 2023.
You can read the full report, here.


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On February 8, our company hosted another successful European conference, Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Gibraltar. More than 200 people attended the event: developers, entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, economists, and employees of blockchain companies.
Feedbacks of participants show that the event was topical and informative for them.
Feedbacks from mass media and attendees
Industry-specific mass media and Internet media highlighted the conference. Gibraltar Chronicle newspaper wrote about the panel discussion noting, “Panelists focused on the new rules recently introduced at the local level and the current status of cryptocurrencies.” In addition, representative of CastleHill said the conference changed his attitude to blockchain. “I started to believe that the whole thing isn’t one big Ponzi scheme,” he wrote in the corporate blog, “I firmly believe that it will become a huge part of our future.”
Main conference topics
At the conference, experts discussed licensing of blockchain companies, the law on which came into effect in early 2018, ICO (conduct, regulation prospects, and investments in tokens), and different aspects of tokenization.
Panel discussion was the core development of the conference. Naeem Aslam, Chief Market Analyst at ThinkMarkets, columnist at Forbes, and winner of the Young Irish Broker award covered the role of the moderator. He talked about the jurisdiction of Gibraltar and regulation prospects of ICO and cryptocurrencies together with six experts. “The interest in Gibraltar was incredible, especially after the new laws on DLT were announced,” said the solicitor Jay Gomez, the participant of the discussion. Further, participants discussed the peculiarities of Gibraltar jurisdiction and debated how blockchain companies could operate in the regulated environment. At the end, Philip Vasquez (associate at TSN Law) noted that he saw long-term prospects for the blockchain business in Gibraltar.
Participants, topics, discussions
There were four keynote presentations at the conference:
Jon Matonis, Chairman at Globitex. The expert is among top 100 personalities in the industry. He spoke about institutional cryptocurrency trading, the Globitex exchange, and the Globitex GBX token.
Joey Garcia, Fintech Partner at ISOLAS LLP. The expert described Gibraltar jurisdiction and reviewed the new laws on cryptocurrencies that came into effect in Gibraltar on January 1.
Christopher Emms, CEO at TokenKey, shared practical experience of organizing a token sale. The audience memorized the analogy he mentioned, between the Internet and blockchain: Internet users accounted for just 0.5% of global population in 1990s, and in 10 years, the audience increased to 225 million. Currently, less than 1% of global population use blockchain, but the potential is huge.
Ransu Salovaara, CEO at TokenMarket – “ICO market and best practices”. He analyzed the ICO market of 2017 and told about opportunities and advantages of TokenMarket ICO platform.
Presentations were also delivered by Mohammed Tayes, head of Medicalchain (the company ran a successful ICO shortly before the conference); Kambiz Djafari, founder of Edgecoin.io educational platform; Bogdan Maslesa, Founder of Universal Crypto and well-known blockchain promoter in Cyprus; Jan Sammut, CEO at RefToken аnd ICO advisor; Juan David Mendieta Villegas, CEO at Keyrock, developer of social blockchain solutions for Latin America; Eyal Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer at LeadCoin.
Participants of the exhibition area
The conference offered an exhibition area, a space where companies could present their products and meet potential partners and investors.
Participants included telepresence service Ubiatar, mining ecosystem BeEasy, crowdfunding blockchain platform Crowd for Angels, cryptocurrency exchange Exenium, and others. The conference hall hosted a pitch session for all exhibitors.
13 countries, 20 conferences, over 5000 participants
In 2018, our company plans to organize blockchain and cryptocurrency conferences in 13 countries, and this time our plans include not only Europe and the CIS countries. Thus, Blockchain & Bitcoin Conference Turkey will take place on March 1, and the blockchain event in Thailand – on March 6.


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Peddy Mergui’s ‘Wheat is Wheat is Wheat’, ‘explores the dynamic and often blurred ethical boundaries of design within consumer culture. 'Milk by apple. Flour by Prada. Coffee by Cartier’.
Museum of Craft & Design
The exhibition is on display at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design (SFMCD), US, from now until June 15.
A spokesman for SFMCD said: “What does the consumer actually purchase when he or she pays top dollar for a ‘brand’ of wheat/flour, or table salt?"
The artwork includes crafted boxes, containers and cases, bearing a familiar trademark of a well-known brand like Nike, Tiffany, Gucci and Apple.
For example, fruits are contained in geometric and angular grey crates, emblematic of the Nike brand.
“Works on display borrow shapes and images from the world of consumption and concepts from the field of consumer ethics. They explore the sometimes-arbitrary connection that products have to packaging, and the conditions in which the designer needs to operate," the spokesman added.
“'Wheat is Wheat is Wheat' is a humorous yet provocative commentary on global consumer culture that may just have us questioning our next purchase.”
The exhibition is sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest in San Francisco and the Israel Center of the Jewish Community Federation.
Mergui owns Talking Brands, an Israeli branding and design agency and is a lecturer, former head of the design department and a senior staff member at the Holon Institute of Technology (H.I.T.), Israel.
His awards include the 2013 REBRAND 100 Global Awards Winners; 2011 third place at The Israeli National Bills Design Competition; a 2007 silver medal from the Binlah Houralit in Prague and the 2006 silver star for Packaging from the Packaging Center.


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Alibaba said it will invest an additional $2 billion in Southeast Asian e-commerce firm Lazada Group and replace its CEO, consolidating its control over the firm as it targets an aggressive expansion in the region.
Inditex had another good year in 2017, despite exchange rates denting its margin slightly. But its omnichannel focus drove it to higher sales and profits, and its new COO has been tasked with maintaining that momentum
Eleven countries are expected to sign a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement in Santiago on Thursday, as an antidote to the increasingly protectionist bent of the United States, which last year pulled out of the pact.
Italian entrepreneur Alessandro Bastagli set his sights on Shanghai Tang two decades ago and having finally bought the brand in 2017 from Richemont he aims to increase the group’s sales by 15-20 percent next year.
The final version of a landmark deal aimed at cutting trade barriers in some of the fastest-growing economies was released on Wednesday, signaling the pact was a step closer to reality even, without star member the US.
Chanel has taken a minority stake in UK online retailer Farfetch, the companies said on Monday, as part of a tie-up to develop digital services such as chats to connect the label's clients with store assistants.


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Krux Appoints Industry Veterans Chris O’Hara and Joydip Das to its Senior Management Team
New Executive Innovators Further Deepen Krux’s Expertise in Data Management and Monetization
SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, February 25, 2015 – On the heels of a strong 2014 performance with record sales momentum and rapid international expansion, Krux announced that Chris O’Hara and Joydip Das have joined the Krux leadership team.
Ad tech veteran Chris O’Hara joins as Krux’s vice president, strategic accounts; and engineering and technology pioneer Joydip Das takes the helm as vice president, products. The two add to Krux’s existing team of distinguished executives at the forefront of data technology.
Mr. O’Hara serves as a strategic advisor to Krux clients through tailored insights on leveraging data to increase revenue and customer engagement. Mr. Das leads the company’s product teams through key solution initiatives that enable businesses to responsibly unify, analyze, and activate people data.
“Chris and Joydip are seasoned pros and it’s an absolute privilege to have them onboard,” said Krux CEO Tom Chavez. “As the company continues to expand, I look forward to seeing them leave their fingerprints all over our company.”
Prior to joining Krux, Mr. O’Hara co-founded and served as chief revenue officer at Bionic Advertising Systems, a programmatic direct software company that provides automation tools for cross-channel media planning and buying. He has held senior executive positions at Nielsen and Looksmart as well as successful startups including Mediabistro and Reviewed.com.
Mr. O’Hara has been an industry advocate for the adoption of standards and protocols that will enable transparent and efficient connections between media owners and marketers. He is one of the most prolific writers in the field, having published over 100 articles in 12 publications over the last four years, and continues to write a monthly column for AdExchanger, the leading programmatic journal in the digital ad space. He has also authored five feature length whitepapers for Econsultancy, including Best Practices in Data Management. Mr. O’Hara graduated from Connecticut College where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.
Mr. Das previously served as vice president of product management, cloud technology and integration for SAP-owned Ariba, one of the world’s largest business commerce platforms. In this role, he led product teams to deliver new mobile applications, big data analytics and data security solutions. Previously, he held various product development and engineering positions at SAP including helping to pioneer the first enterprise cloud solution. He has also held engineering positions at Hewlett Packard.
Mr. Das received his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Systems from Monash University and his Master of Engineering in Information Technology from RMIT University, both located in Melbourne, Australia.
Krux is a cloud-based data management company that helps businesses and people interact more productively through smarter, faster, safer flow of people data. With Krux, marketers and publishers are improving revenue and engagement through the delivery of personalized brand experiences. Krux helps companies unify data from multiple sources (web, mobile, CRM, registrations, subscriptions) and activate it across any channel in real time. Today, Krux reaches two billion browsers and devices worldwide, serves over 20 billion page views and processes more than 1.5 billion CRM records per month. Krux is a venture-backed company headquartered in San Francisco with offices across four continents. Its clients include Kellogg, Warner Brothers, Turner, Meredith, Axel Springer, News Corp, CCI/Dentsu, Washington Post and NBC. Follow Krux on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.


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Art on show in Brighton & Hove and Sussex
1 October 2016. Naked Eye Gallery in Hove announced that Dixon’s Gavel Bash art auction raised £14,420. The event was a fundraiser for artist Simon Dixon.
Details of the items sold can be found on auctioneer Toovey’s website: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/tooveys/catalogue-id-srtoo10090
Naked Eye Gallery hosted the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1095046600588676/permalink/1133866886706647/


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Mona Morsy gives her top tips on how to make your magical Harry Potter Trading Card Game deck more spellbinding.
Tagged: card game
Throwing a “Harry Potter” game night? This new card-stacking game might need to be added to your list.
The OP (Formerly USAopoly) Releases Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: Defence Against the Dark Arts Card Game
USAopoly has released a new card game, Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle: Defence Against the Dark Arts. Learn more about it right here!
DFtBA is releasing a new game – Wizard School – and we cannot wait!


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There’s an international battle brewing over the balsamic vinegar, an issue that’s very important to the Italian government.
The Italian government has launched infringement proceedings against Slovenia over the sweet, syrupy vinegar.
It started last year when Slovenia gave the European Commission a draft law that would standardize vinegar production, allowing any wine vinegar mixed with fruit or grape juice to be labelled as “balsamic vinegar.”
Italy has previously secured protections for the term balsamic vinegar of Modena, which can only be marketed by producers in specific Italian regions.
It’s a continuation of a months-long effort by Italy to defend the authenticity of the product and the $1 billion market it underpins.
Italy’s current gripe isn’t just about a name; the Slovenian move would allow producers to bypass EU rules about specifying ingredients on labels.


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Key smartphone vendors have eyes on the smartphone horizon, most notably Microsoft who continue to fight for mobile supremacy against industry rivals Apple and Samsung.
Following results from mobile analyst firm Juniper Research, the number of smartphone shipments reached 342.5 million in Q3 2015, with a slowed y-o-y growth of 8.4 percent.
Unsurprisingly, Apple posted another record-breaking quarter, with 48 million unit sales, compared to 39 million iPhones sold in Q3 2014.
“Apple is increasingly turning to China for this growth - with over $12 billion in revenue coming from the Far East, and continued investment in the form of new stores and developer support,” the report states.
“Whilst the appetite for Apple products is expected to remain strong in China, future expansion may be tempered somewhat by the slower economic growth expected in the market.”
Amidst a crowded global market, Juniper claims Samsung is beginning to “turn its mobile unit around”, with increased unit shipments and a 37 percent y-o-y increase in profitability.
“This bolsters gains made by the company’s semiconductor business, which is one of the most productive divisions for the company,” the report adds.
In addition, Xiaomi sold an estimated 18.4 million smartphones, with the slowdown in China exacerbating the company’s troubles in the international market.
As a result, this meant that Huawei was the best performing Chinese vendor of the quarter, shipping 27.4 million devices, up 63 percent on shipments for this period last year.
Eyes on the Horizon
Apple is not the only smartphone vendor with its eyes on the future; despite a 32 percent y-o-y decline in shipments, Sony has announced plans to open a new smartphone factory in Thailand.
According to Juniper, this will start production in fiscal 2016, putting to rest rumours that the CEO was preparing to axe the division.
A similarly sharp sales drop from Microsoft is being blamed on an ‘updated strategy’: this is a reference to the shift away from devices onto a more platform-based business model.
The 54 percent revenue decline is matched by a 38 percent y-o-y decline in unit sales, representing 5.8 million shipments for Q3.
Meanwhile, LG has posted their first ever Q3 y-o-y decline in smartphone sales along with a drop in profits from both declining sales and unfavourable exchange rates.
BlackBerry sales continue to dip ahead of its Android launch, with sales estimated to have dropped below 1 million devices for the first time since 2005 while Asus’ smartphone presence is steadily growing, with an estimated 6 million units shipped this quarter.


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On this episode of Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler discusses the top tech stories of the day, including the surge of bot activity on Twitter, Amazon’s June discount event, Google’s $5 billion lawsuit, Sega’s micro Game Gear, Starlink’s latest batch of satellites, and more. Sherrell Dorsey Sherrell Dorsey, data journalist, social entrepreneur, and founder of The Plug, joins Nibler to discuss the tech industry’s response to racial injustice, and how The Plug has aggregated a list of companies that have taken a stand. DT’s John Velasco then takes a deeper look into some of the new smart home security cameras, including the Google Nest Cam IQ, the Simplisafe SimpliCam, and the Logitech Circle. Cara Cusumano In-person film festivals have been canceled, but many are still taking place online. Cara Cusumano, festival director for the Tribeca Film Festival, talks about the We Are One Global Film Festival, which will highlight 100 films co-curated by 21 prolific festivals. Finally, it’s time to check out what’s TBD this week with DT’s Jess Surbaugh and Adrien Warner. This week, we take a look at the successful SpaceX launch, as well as the planned missions to the moon and Mars. Editors’ Recommendations Andrew Yang,… Read full this story
- Deep Castlevania Discounts, SteelSeries Gaming Gear, Huge PSN Update
- Amazon Fire TV has videos, games -- where’s the shopping cart?
- Gears of War 4's campaign mixes guns and gore with storytelling and atmosphere
- Will gaming breathe life into live-streaming YouTube?
- Amazon Prime Day 2018: the best deals still in stock today
- Metal Gear: Ground Zeroes, 2DS, Logitech G930, Tales of Xillia 2 CE
- Publishers' obsession with the holidays is ruining gaming
- GDC 2017: 5 things we want to see at this year's Game Developers Conference
- Can Great Game Design be Taught?
- Amazon snags streaming rights to Thursday night NFL games
Digital Trends Live: Twitter bots, Amazon’s June event, Sega’s micro Game Gear have 301 words, post on www.digitaltrends.com at June 3, 2020. This is cached page on xBlogs. If you want remove this page, please contact us.


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Subway celebrates the festive season with digital deals
30 November 2021 | 0
Subway is launching a digital advent calendar with exclusive deals as part of ‘App-Vent’. Running from 1 to 28 December, Subway’s App-Vent calendar is packed with the ‘12 Treats of December’, including cookies, free Subs, and giveaways exclusive to the Subway app.
To join, download the Subway App, and register to activate a Subway Rewards account and discover exclusive festive surprises. New sign ups can receive 250 points to be redeemed for a free side when registering their Subway Rewards account using the promotional code ‘APPVENT’.
Earlier this month Subway unveiled its festive menu for 2021 – which will see the return the ‘Tiger Pig’ Sub. A giant pig in a blanket on crunchy tiger bread, the Tiger Pig Sub was a success when it launched last year. This year it returns with an improved recipe, as well as a drizzle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.
To celebrate the return of the Tiger Pig Sub, Subway is asking members of the public to take on the #TigerPigDance Challenge for a chance to win a pair of exclusive Subway Tiger Pig socks.
Subway’s festive menu is available for delivery or in-store now while stocks last and Subway Rewards guests can join in the App-Vent celebrations via the Subway app until 28 December. Guests can use mobile order collection via the Subway app or order via delivery services including Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo.
To find your nearest open Subway store, visit www.subway.com/en-ie/findastore.


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Civilized Nature will be moving to Issaquah Highlands around next fall.
I previously wrote how this locally-owned pet store will be the next victim of Regency’s drive to nationalize the Sammamish Highlands shopping center with the addition of Petco. I’ve learned from Nature that the local Regency rep actually went to bat with Corporate to make a move to Issaquah Highlands possible.
Petco is planned to open around June; Nature hopes it can survive the overlap until its own lease expires.
There is absolutely no sense of urgency or problem-solving for locally owned, small businesses in the City Council packet going to the Council tonight.
It’s as if small businesses, other than Ace Hardware, do not exist in the City’s mindset. These are left to the whim of Regency, the absentee landlord who has made it clear our locally owned small businesses can go to hell.
Despite the loss of several small businesses at the Sammamish Highlands center, and the doomsday countdown for Civilized Nature now started, there is nothing in the council packet to suggest the Administration is looking for solutions and alternatives to help small business.
I find this lack of foresight to be appalling. The Administration last week pretty much said everything can wait to the 2015 Comp Plan rewrite, three years away. Implementation of a rewrite would not happen until the following year, four years away. This leaves small businesses entirely at the mercy of Regency.
Our City Council must step in and fix this. But will it? It’s hardly shown much foresight, either.
The clock is running out on Ace Hardware’s effort to find a place to build and stay in Sammamish.
The lease expires at the end of August 2013. So far, every effort to work with the City of Sammamish to find a new location and clear the path to build has failed. It’s not for not trying.
Continue reading →
As just about anyone who reads anything in Sammamish knows, Ace Hardware lost its lease and would have had to move by September 2012. A public outcry, and pressure from the city, got the property owner, Regency, to extend the lease one more year.
But now Rancho Grande, two stores down from Ace, lost its lease and has closed last week. A sign on the window blames a lease issue.
A reader commented on another of our posts that Petco is supposed to take over the old Hollywood Video and the Rancho Grande space. The reader also claims Trader Joe will take over Ace’s space. Neither is confirmed.
I did talk with a doctor at Swedish Pine Lake Medical Center. Swedish had wanted the Ace space, but, the doctor says, it’s no longer available.
If the Petco story is true, this will essentially force Civilized Nature out of business.
Regency doesn’t seem to care one whit about our local businesses.
Regency continues to ignore Ace Hardware and efforts to extend its lease, according to reliable information.
Meantime, other tenants in the Sammamish Highlands (Safeway) complex fear that they are next on the Regency hit list. Tenants in the Pine Lake Center (QFC complex) ought to be worried, too.
Ace’s owner, Tim Koch, continues to seek a solution, including buying land and building, but with a lease termination in September 2012, doing a new-build means almost certainly Ace will close unless Regency extends the lease for at least a year.
City Staff is trying to find a solution for Ace as well.
Koch faces a greater challenge: if he wants to buy-and-build, the cost of doing so may be tough. However, I think that if other Regency tenants, with solid reason to fear for their future, combine with Koch, maybe there is a business case to present to Sammamish citizens to invest in a commercial structure that can lease space to the “Regency refugees.”
Residents in Pt Townsend did something similar when the city’s only general store closed. Residents invested in a new business (I do not know the business structure) to reopen a general store.
It is time for creative thinking and solutions.


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We live in a world where everyone uses technology and manufacturers don’t want anyone to repair their own stuff. Companies such as Apple maintain strict control of the tools and methods it uses to service broken devices. Farmers across America are hacking their tractors because manufacturer John Deere doesn’t want them to fix them themselves. The right-to-repair movement has been fighting against big tech’s repair monopoly for years and, in Massachusetts, it just took an important step towards busting that monopoly.
On July 25, the Massachusetts Senate approved a Resolution that would create a special commission that would research the feasibility of forcing device manufacturers to treat customers and independent repair shops the same as officially licensed repair outlets. According to the proposed study, that means providing customers and independent repair shops with “repair technical updates, diagnostic software, service access passwords, updates and corrections to firmware, and related documentation.”The right-to-repair movement has a long and positive history in Massachusetts. In 2012, it passed a law that forced automotive manufacturers to provide diagnostic information on its cars. The car companies, having lost in one state, began sharing info with independent mechanics nationwide.Gay Gordon Byrne, executive director of The Repair Organization, helped push the bill in 2012 and has been working to extend the law to tech companies ever since. “This is just one step in a series of steps that will end Repair Monopolies for technology products. I’m thrilled,” Byrne told me in an email about the pending study..The Resolution to create the study group still needs to pass the Massachusetts House, but the session ends July 31 so right-to-repair watch dogs won’t have to wait long to see if it goes forward. The proposed makeup of the study commission shows that the legislature is serious about the issue and also reveals how big tech’s repair monopoly is about much more than just being able to open up your iPhone without voiding the warranty.The legislature wants the study commission to include 23 members, including various members of the legislature but also a wealth of experts in various tech fields. They want someone from the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, a medical device manufacturer, an expert on electronic waste recycling, someone who repairs complex medical equipment, an intellectual property lawyer, a cyber security expert, a local farmer, and various other experts and citizens affected or knowledgeable about the right-to-repair.If and when the Massachusetts passes the Resolution, the commission will have six months to file its report. Repair advocates such as Byrne are excited about the study. “It’s a huge leap forward in validating our position and far more in depth than a single hearing,” she told Motherboard.


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Major Apple TV update is great news for Xbox and PS4 owners
It’s a busy day for Apple-lovers with a number of major software updates landing for iPhone, iPad and the Apple TV set top box.
As well as iOS 13.1 and iPadOS, tvOS 13 is landing today, bringing one of the more noteworthy upgrades of recent times.
The Apple TV now supports the Apple Arcade subscription feature, but whether you’re going all-in on Apple’s gaming service or not, there’s big news for those who enjoy a spot of App Store gaming.
tvOS 13 brings the promised support for Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the Sony PlayStation DualShock 4 controllers. That means much of the Apple Arcade target audience won’t have to buy a new third-party controller to enjoy the service to the fullest, without having to rely on the Siri remote.
Related: Apple TV Plus
Elsewhere, Apple has also added multi-user supporting, meaning each member of the household will get their own personalised recommendations and app layouts.
The new home screen also brings full-screen video previews while a pair of iOS features are also entering the fray. There’s a Control Centre for accessing quick settings, and a picture-in-picture mode to ensure you can still watch video while browsing other apps.
Just like iOS 13, the company is introducing the Sign In With Apple platform, designed to keep your email address out of the hands of companies who might seek to spam you, or pass it on to other parties.
The update also includes the latest version of the TV app ahead of the launch of Apple TV Plus on November 1, just prior to the launch of Disney Plus in the United States and the Netherlands. Among the first run content coming to Apple’s answer to Netflix is Oprah’s Book Club, The Morning Show, See, For All Mankind, The Elephant Queen and Snoopy In Space. Apple is charging $4.99 a month for the service.


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NOTE SOME ADDITIONS AND AMENDMENTS TO PREVIOUS POSTS
When printed -thats lots of extra money - by the US and UK .Both have just magiced out of nothing billions and billions of extra money . Its never worked before .
"the problem with counterfeit money is that is not backed by gold or any store of value. Where as proper money, printed by the bank of England is ...err not backed by gold or any store of value."
Read this article www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandell/8147849/jailed-counterfeiters-aren't-a-patch-on-the-bank-of-england/


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Now that fans have finished the sequel, they are patiently waiting for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. That is the reported name for the third installment of the rebooted Tomb Raider series. However, fans that dug the writing of the first two games might be disappointed, as the writer has left.
Crystal Dynamics announced on Twitter that Rhianna Pratchett has left and will be off to ?new adventures.? The writer has also said goodbye to Lara Croft as she will now be working on different projects. There doesn?t seem to be any bad blood between her and the company, so that?s always good.
Fall Of The Tomb Raider?
While this isn?t the end of the series, it is troubling to see the original reboot writer leave. Pratchett helped make the first two games good and could have been useful for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Not helping is the fact that the original director left not too long ago, according to PlayStation Lifestyle.
Brian Horton, the original director of the series, left last month but was replaced by Ian Milham. However, no replacement writer has been announced as of this writing, so some fans are a bit worried. Here is hoping that it doesn?t lead to a decline in quality since fans really dig the new series.
Future Of The Tomb Raider?
The series doesn?t seem to be in any big trouble and it?s not like a new game is coming this year. Shadow of the Tomb Raider should take its time and we will hopefully see another great game. Crystal Dynamics has been doing the series right and fans might not have to worry about the quality of future games.
Rise of the Tomb Raider is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. Originally a temporary exclusive to the Xbox systems, the game came to PS4 a few months ago. Now everyone can enjoy the sequel while waiting for a possible third game, should it happen.
Don?t expect Shadow of the Tomb Raider anytime soon, since Crystal Dynamics will likely up their game. A rebooted film series is currently in the works.


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The gaming industry has experienced tremendous growth, especially in the past few years. Unlike in the past, when games were restricted to land-based casinos, online casinos have opened up the world of gaming. Thanks to that, gamblers in Thai have been enjoying top online casino services on Vwin, a top online gambling platform in the Asian region. On a global scale, multiple factors are transforming the gaming industry by the day. According to studies, here are the latest trends that are shaping the online gaming industry.
Recent reports have indicated a decline in physical game sales because of the growing adoption of digital sales and distribution. Digital distribution has benefited from other technological innovations like better internet speeds and larger hardware storage capacities.
Other trends that have contributed to the popularity of the digital distribution of games include the availability of smartphones, faster WiFi connections, and mobile phone networks. All these factors have also affected consumers’ habits. This trend has forced industry operators to start prioritizing digital distribution as part of their marketing strategy.
Another thing that is changing fast is game revenue models. This change in business models has affected the lifecycle of games and the actual game mechanics. For example, revenue models like the free-to-play model are slowly becoming trendy as publishers adopt microtransactions across several franchises on all platforms.
So far, mobile gaming takes the lead, and AAA titles (big-budget games created by a large studio) on console and PC are beginning to adapt. This change is to ensure they drive maximum value as a result of the changing consumer behavior. Markets have to understand what gamer behavior indicators they measure to augment that data into their marketing strategies. As a result, this will help them reach the audiences that are likely to spend.
Gaming Is Increasingly Becoming a Social Forum
During the COVID-19 lockdown period, gaming has become a popular means to socialize. Gamers are using the virtual spaces in games as gathering places where they socialize and experience a live event. Gamers should expect more online multiplayer services with more immersive experiences.
For example, virtual concerts have attracted millions of viewers, highlighting the thriving relationship between music and games. In the future, you will see more game developers create opportunities to gain access to this space.
Live Streaming and Content Creators Are Popular
There is a growing number of fans watching video games. Statistics also show that there is an accelerated growth of new streamers and content creators. Moreover, the variety of video game content being watched is also increasing.
Esports has also presented an extra monetization channel for publishers. It is also a means for brands to access audiences that had proven hard-to-reach audiences. Nevertheless, the single largest shift in the past ten years has been the relevance of streaming and its effect.
Cloud gaming platforms have shown they have the potential to disrupt publishers’ traditional routes to the market. The cloud gaming platform space will become very competitive in the next few years. Marketers will have to understand which platforms are best suited to attract gamers and keep them engaged.


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Suzuki Kizashi Concept Car
As we told you a few weeks ago, Suzuki's got themselves a concept car here at the Frankfurt Auto Show and it's called the Kizashi. We don't know much else about it mostly because we can't seem to find a press release on it, but it looks kinda sweet, don't it? The one thing we do know is that according to MoneyControl India, which may be a website about controling the world's banks, India's banks or just about personal finance — they think it's going to be built and Suzuki will be sending a lot of them over to the land of the big Tata. We'll see. We'll also let you know if we get a press release on it.


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Yesterday evening, the Ministry of Agriculture signed an agreement with farmers’ representatives that would allow them to proceed with agricultural reform.
Under the agreement, agricultural imports will be gradually released and local producers will receive a safety net in the form of direct support totaling 700 million NIS. Most of the costs of hiring foreign workers will be abolished and the amount that farmers can deduct from his income for the workers’ accommodation will increase.
It was agreed that the Ministry of Agriculture would set regulations on the protection of flora and deprive farmers of the mechanism. The purpose is to synchronize Israeli regulations with Western norms and reduce importer bureaucracy. Without such reforms, it would be difficult to import fruits and vegetables even with zero tariffs. It was also agreed that the government would pass a law on labeling of the country of origin and a law to encourage investment in agriculture.
The first phase of agricultural reform took place in March this year. Tariffs have been lifted on low-yielding agricultural products in Israel, such as pineapples, mangoes, mushrooms and avocados. This phase alone aims to save the general public about 400 million NIS annually. Tariffs on other items have been reduced slightly. For example, tariffs on olives have been reduced by 20% and tariffs on potatoes and tomatoes have been reduced by 15%. Most of the tariffs on agricultural products remained fairly high, but this was the first stage of the five annual phases, with tariffs reduced by 90%.
This reform will distort the price mechanism, tax consumers and harm the environment, so replace indirect support for local agriculture through import barriers recommended by the OECD with direct subsidy support. Is aimed at.
Agriculture Minister Oded Forer said, “Everyone understands that we have to help fight for living expenses. Members of Kneset withdraw the request to abolish tariff cuts and agriculture will benefit substantially. Would be. ” Capital investment, innovation, support to promote research and development, and Israeli citizens will enjoy a variety of cheap produce all year round. “
“This is a historic agreement for the agricultural industry after intense and difficult negotiations, which we and the Ministry of Agriculture have said,” said Dubi Amitai, chairman of the Israeli Farmers’ Federation and the Israeli Business Organization Executive Committee. Will provide farmers with tools to approach fair competition, which will also be considered over time. This agreement removes the heavy burden on farmers’ shoulders and allows Israel to maintain nutritional safety as far as agricultural products are concerned. can. .”
“Despite the agreement, if the government cannot deal with the concentration of wholesale and retail, it is not certain that consumer prices will fall,” Amitai added.
Globes publishes Israeli business news- en.globes.co.il -July 5, 2022.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2022.
Agreement with farmers paves the way for agricultural reform
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-1001417084#utm_source=RSS Agreement with farmers paves the way for agricultural reform


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RICHMOND, B.C. – The 2024 Montreal Trouble Shooter Clinic, hosted by the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association of Canada (RVDA of Canada), saw an impressive turnout of 97 participants from dealerships across the country, according to a release. Held March 19-22 in Montreal, QC, this highly anticipated event provided invaluable instruction from industry leaders, including Dexter, Dometic, Firefly Integrations, Garnet Instruments, Lippert, Truma and Xantrex.
Anita Lien, the director of Marketing & Communications at RVDA of Canada, highlighted the exceptional hands-on training and top-notch translation and interpretation services at the event. She expressed delight in returning to Montreal, offering bilingual training that caters to the diverse needs of their members.
“We’re thrilled to provide bilingual training, meeting the growing demand for technical expertise, especially in French-speaking regions,” she stated. “The translation and interpretation teams received widespread acclaim for their excellence, enabling all attendees to fully immerse themselves in the material. With the generous support of the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association (CRVA) and the Recreation Vehicle Dealer Association of Quebec (ACVRQ), we crafted a dynamic learning environment, empowering participants to excel.”
Scott Wentzel, director of Training at Dexter, echoed the sentiment, remarking, “The Montreal Trouble Shooter Clinic provided an exceptional learning experience. Dexter is honored to be part of this prestigious event organized by RVDA Canada. The top-notch interpretative services and diverse conversations fostered a strong connection within the Canadian RV community. We value the opportunity to collaborate with industry professionals and share our expertise. Our partnership with RVDA Canada and the Trouble Shooter Clinic reflects our commitment to delivering superior products and services. Witnessing participants engage with our products and absorb insights from other industry experts was truly gratifying.”
Brian McPherson, operations manager at Garnet Instruments, emphasized the event’s impact on enhancing product knowledge, know-how, and customer experience, stating,
“The RVDA of Canada’s Trouble Shooter Clinic was an outstanding opportunity for us. Direct engagement with professionals responsible for servicing and installing our products is invaluable for ensuring a positive end-user experience. Additionally, the seamless coordination by the RVDA of Canada team contributed significantly to the event’s success,” he said.
The inclusion of simultaneous French interpretation allowed RV service technicians from Quebec to fully participate and benefit from the training, highlighting the importance of bilingual instruction in the industry.
Looking ahead, plans for the 2025 Trouble Shooter Clinic are already in motion, with the event slated to take place in Calgary, AB.
For more information about future events and training opportunities, visit the RVDA of Canada website at www.rvda.ca.


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Early EA failures on the Commodore Amiga and 3DO helped paved the way for the company's subsequent rise to super-publisher status, according to the company current creative director.
Speaking in an interview with Gamasutra, Rich Hilleman, who's been at EA since the '80s, explained that though its efforts on the Amiga home computer and failed 3DO console were commercial flops, the lessons learned helped it succeed on subsequent systems.
"There are two real cases in EA where I think we made bad choices, and ended up being brilliant choices," said Hilleman.
"When we built Amiga titles for the first time, we were coming out of the 8-bit world. We were building some IBM PC stuff, but for the most part it wasn't high quality, relatively high resolution high color stuff.
"And so the Amiga, for us, taught us a whole bunch of new things. We had to get good at music, we had to get much better at art, we had to get better animation that wasn't all sprite animation, we had to do 3D for the first time - a whole bunch of things that we had to do."
Hilleman admitted that, apart from Deluxe Paint, all of its Amiga titles failed to make money.
"But how it paid it off is almost all of that stuff went straight to the [Sega] Genesis. And so really what happened for us is the Amiga was sort of a pre-run of what the Genesis business was for us."
And exactly the same thing happened with the 3DO system in the early '90s. Though the platform, and EA's supporting games, were failures, the expertise EA gained set it up for success on the first PlayStation.
"We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how do you build products for disc-based media with this particular set of characteristics," he said.
"And although 3DO didn't achieve the commercial results we were after, [PlayStation lynchpin] Ken Kutaragi was definitely paying attention, and that product carried a lot of the same characteristics that [former EA exec] Trip [Hawkins] had wanted in the 3DO titles.
"As a result, everything we did on 3DO was a preface for what we could do on PlayStation 1."
"So what's been good for EA is even sometimes when we don't get it exactly right, we're in the neighborhood of where something's going to happen; we just showed up a little early. And what that does is it makes you ready for the future," Hilleman concluded.


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— Company continues to deliver on its strategy to expand digital services across the globe
MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI) announced today its new mobile app is now available for consumers in the U.S., the company’s largest send market, and 14 additional countries. The MoneyGram mobile app (IOS and Android) offers convenient features like biometric identification, location finder, transfer tracking, plus exchange rates and fee estimates.
“More than 70% of our online transactions are made on a mobile device. It’s critical that the consumers who use their smartphones to transact with us have a product that provides an exceptional customer experience. We believe the new MoneyGram app is the best app in the industry,” said Alex Holmes, MoneyGram’s chairman and CEO.
Outside of the U.S., consumers in France, Germany, Spain, U.K., Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden can also


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OPINION: Festive season is an opportunity to position Durban
DURBAN - The festive season has traditionally been a boom time for Durban businesses, particularly the tourism and hospitality sectors, with the period characterised by increased economic and social activity.
This, unfortunately, coincides with an increase in criminal activity. At our recent combined Safety and Justice and Central Area Business Forum, the Durban Chamber partnered with eThekwini Municipality, who presented the 2019 Festive Season Management Committee (Fesmac) Plan, aimed at ensuring the safety of tourists and residents at key locations across the city through co-ordinated and consolidated effort to ensure that the City has a well-run and well-managed festive season.
The City’s Fesmac plan is in keeping with international best practice and was created in conjunction with Parks, Recreation and Culture; Durban Solid Waste (DSW); Durban Metropolitan Police Service; South African Police Service; eThekwini Transport Authority; and the Urban Improvement Project (UIP) company.
Durban’s festive season generally runs from the second week of December to the second week on January and it is expected to be as busy, if not busier, this year given the year-on-year growth.
eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development and Planning Cluster advised that this festive season Durban can expect 780 000 overnight visitors and 250 000 day visitors with a projected direct spend in the municipality of around R 2.7 billion and a contribution to gross domestic product of R4.5bn, employing 8 700 people.
These figures are based on projections of previous visitor numbers and an inflationary increase in festive season spend from last year.
They give a clear indication of the significance of this period to the economy of the City and many related industries. The festive season represents an opportunity to boost the business, investment and tourism profile and reputation of eThekwini as well as lay the foundation for positive change that can address the socio-economic challenges that affect Durban such as crime and grime, ‘bad buildings’ and unemployment.
Law enforcement have already initiated the festive season plan which includes blue light coverage and visible policing at key focal points such as the Durban’s Golden Mile, home to Durban’snew Promenade, uShaka Marine World and Suncoast Casino and Entertainment Complex. eThekwini have also launched special provisions such as traffic management plans as well as the installation of new cameras which are capable of license and facial recognition and crowd detection.
The City has developed and launched various interventions to ensure the safety and security of all tourists, shoppers and residents throughout the festive period especially on peak holiday days. Of course, this requires extensive cooperation and coordination with businesses across the City as well as all citizens.
Business owners need to ensure that they have festive holiday plans in place especially if they operate in high activity commercial nodes such as the central business district, port and harbour, industrial and business zones as well as shopping malls and retail areas. All stakeholders, be they public sector, private sector as well as Non-Governmental Organisations and Non-Profit Organisations, who have a vested interest in eThekwini, need to work together in order to ensure that, as a City, we put our best foot forward during this festive season. Jointly, we need to identify gaps and then collaborate to take steps to ensure that those gaps are adequately addressed or resolved.
Palesa Phili is the chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry,


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Fashion entrepreneur who launched her business empire on a shoestring budget has been singled out as one of the names to watch in European business after making the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe List. The prestigious publication last year launched the first list of its kind to highlight the key players in Europe, bringing into sharp focus 300 people from a list of thousands of nominations in 10 sectors. Alice Hall, who founded Pink Boutique with a £45 investment, features in the line-up, joining other big names from the worlds of music, the arts, industry, policy and entertainment. Mrs Hall, now 28, is among 30 movers and shakers singled out for their prowess in retail and commerce, with Forbes highlighting how she has grown online fashion business Pink Boutique into a successful venture, having started with just £90 – £45 of her own money and £45 from her mother. She was chosen for her leadership skills, entrepreneurial mind-set and for the growth and phenomenal results that Pink Boutique is achieving. From humble beginnings the firm now ships out more than 4,000 products a day, operating from a 60,000sqft factory employing more than 60 people. The company now achieves annual sales of around £9m and has plans to expand into the US and Australia.
Friday, 27 January 2017
The Brexit vote and the slump in sterling that followed the referendum has delivered a big boost to sales at luxury label Burberry – powered by overseas shoppers who have flocked to the UK to stock up on branded goods. The classic British label, famous for its beige check design, said sales in the UK surged by 40% in the final three months of 2016, boosted by strong demand for goods such as its buckle bags, which start at around £500 for a mini leather version and climb to £8,000 for an alligator version. One reckons that about 70% of shoppers visiting the brand’s flagship outlet are now tourists from China, a big surge in the last year. The cheapest item on offer is a £14 nail varnish and the most frequently bought items are “charms” for fixing to handbags or keys, including tiny teddies for £150 and sequinned hearts for £105.
McDonald’s may have come up with a new twist on the fast-food restaurant experience that has nothing to do with what’s on the menu — doing away with interaction between customers and employees. The giant chain next Tuesday plans to operate what it calls a “customized digital Big Mac ATM” in Boston, USA which will will dispense Big Macs — at no charge. But that doesn’t mean lunch will be free. To get a Mac Jr. or a Grand Mac — both new sizes — customers will have to enter their Twitter handles on the machine’s touchscreen. Before they can even take a bite out of a burger, the machine will generate a tweet from their personal account that reads: “Check out the new Big Mac.”
Free Big Mac
Sunday, 22 January 2017
Twerking businessmen in denim shorts, blind footballers kicking cats and the ancient rivalry between England and Scotland all feature in the Advertising Standards Authority’s top ten list of most complained about ads last year. Price comparison site Moneysupermarket.com dominates the overall list, nabbing three spots in the top five including the top two. Betting shop Paddy Power also features twice in the top ten and online dating site Match.com’s ad featuring two women kissing received over 800 complaints putting it third in the list. "The ads that attract the highest number of complaints are often not the ones that need banning,” said ASA chief executive Guy Parker. Advertising that pushes the boundaries invariably lands better with some people than others,” he said. “But last year we thought the ads that attracted the largest number of complaints fell the right side of the line."
Sainsbury's has unveiled a dramatic new creative direction with the launch of its "food dancing" advert. The advert shows real-life food lovers dancing in their kitchens as they prepare dishes. The ad was filmed using GoPro & iPhone cameras and will appear on the TV with a background track also available for download. The campaign will also attempt to gain social media engagement by encouraging customers to post their own videos on Twitter using the hashtag #fooddancing.
A supermarket in Moray has introduced a "relaxed" lane aimed at making life at the checkout less stressful for some of its more vulnerable customers. Checkout staff at Tesco in Forres have been trained to identify any special needs of customers and operate at a speed that suits them. Tesco has developed the scheme with Alzheimer Scotland. The store's Kerry Speed said: "We want them to be confident they can shop at their own pace." She added: "It was highlighted to me that people living with dementia can feel under pressure when they reach the checkout, and it struck me that this could be true for others as well. "Early feedback from customers has been very positive. Although it's a simple gesture, we hope this will make a difference."
Friday, 13 January 2017
It’s been a tough time for chocolate lovers. Mondelez international, the company which cut the weight of Toblerone bars by widening the gaps between the chocolate peaks, is now expected to raise the prices on Cadbury’s Freddo bars. It’s been a tough time for chocolate lovers. Mondelez international, the company which cut the weight of Toblerone bars by widening the gaps between the chocolate peaks, is now expected to raise the prices on Cadbury’s Freddo bars. Mondelez, which bought Cadbury in 2010, said rising commodity costs combined with the slump in the value of the pound since the UK voted to leave the EU meant its products were becoming more expensive to make. A spokesman said: “Increasing prices is always a last resort, but to ensure we can keep people’s favourite brands on shelf and look after the 4,500 people we employ in the UK, we are having to make some selective price increases across our range.”
Palm oil is found in hundreds of household name food brands including Cadbury’s chocolate, Clover and even Ben & Jerry’s, but Nutella has so far faced the brunt of a consumer backlash. Sales fell by three per cent in the year to August 2016 as consumers ditched the product for palm-oil free alternatives. Coop, the country’s biggest supermarket chain removed 200 products containing palm oil, though not Nutella, from its shelves in May as a precaution. Ferrero insists that the decision to keep palm oil in Nutella, despite safety fears, is about quality, not cost. The substance is used to give the spread its smooth texture which it says can’t be achieved by using other oils. “Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward,” Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters.
David Lloyd Clubs has opened a cafe in London as part of a three-day promotional event where customers can pay for their lunch with a six-minute workout. The workout includes one-minute on a rowing machine, one minute on a spin bike, and one minute on a treadmill, as well as 60-seconds of sit-ups, bodyweight squats, and lunges, with 30-second rest periods between each exercise. Your hard work will "pay" for lunch options that include smashed avocado on toasted wholemeal bread and grilled chicken breast burger with tomato, red onion, and garlic mayo. The idea is to encourage workers to be more active during the day.Run For Your Bun
Sunday, 8 January 2017
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is closing six of his 42 UK Jamie's Italian restaurants. The Aberdeen, Cheltenham, Exeter, Tunbridge Wells and in London, the Ludgate and Richmond outlets are all scheduled to close soon. The move will affect 120 staff, whom the company said it would try to place in other parts of the chain. The company said that the market was "tough" and the uncertainties caused by Brexit had intensified the pressures. The price of ingredients bought in Italy has gone up because of the fall in the value of the pound against the euro since the vote to leave the EU. Chief executive Simon Blagden said: "As every restaurant owner knows, this is a tough market and, post-Brexit, the pressures and unknowns have made it even harder." He said each restaurant in the chain needed to attract 3,000 diners a week to be profitable. Jamie's Italian has 28 overseas outlets and the company also said it planned to open another 22 outside the UK.
The current £1 coin is being replaced for the first time in over thirty years because of its vulnerability to sophisticated counterfeiters.The new 12-sided pound will be phased in from 28th March 2017. Approximately one in thirty £1 coins in circulation is a counterfeit. That is why we are introducing a new, highly secure coin on 28 March 2017 to reduce the costs of counterfeits to businesses and the taxpayer. However all machines accepting cash, whether it's in exchange for a rail ticket or a chocolate bar, will have to be updated. A website has been set-up offering training on the phasing in of the new less round pound.
He has been described as the ‘Basil Fawlty of booksellers’; a shopkeeper so rude that councillors want to run him out of town. Steve Bloom’s problems with his customers largely stem from his insistence in charging them 50p just to enter his small bookshop Bloomindales in the quaint village of Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales. In four years the parish council has received 20 letters and phone calls of complaint. One customer was so incensed at his treatment, he is said to have tipped his dinner over Mr Bloom. On another occasion, Mr Bloom called police when a visitor refused to pay the entry fee. ontacted at his remote stone-built cottage near Settle, Mr Bloom remained defiant. He said: “I am not really a people person, I say what I think, I don’t butter my parsnips. “That said I don’t believe I am very rude, maybe low to medium rude if pushed. “The council have gone completely over the top on this issue and it has assumed a far greater importance than it ever should have.
Monday, 2 January 2017
Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Pure Gym, says the number of people visiting the low-cost chain’s website started to climb from mid-afternoon on Boxing Day. He expects that in January, as New Year’s resolutions take hold, the number of people signing up for Pure Gym memberships will increase between 10 per cent and 20 per cent, compared with an average month. “We are still like lemmings after Christmas,” Mr Cobbold said. “We eat the turkey and then we want to repent for it.” John Treharne, chief executive of the Gym Group, Pure Gym’s London-listed rival, agrees, saying the trend “applies right across the sector”. “Whether you are a premium operator or a low-cost operator, trading in January and February is indicative of the full year,” he said, adding that the entire UK gym industry would expect to have about a third of new members for 2017 joining during the first two months of the year. Revenues at low-cost gyms in the UK have risen at a 62 per cent compound annual growth rate since 2011, compared with an average 1.3 per cent growth rate for other public and private gym operators, according to Wyn Ellis an analyst at Numbs.
Canny drinks was set up by Liam Watson, who noticed a gap in the market place for natural and clean milkshakes. By using great ingredients, adding some Red Tractor certified milk and thickening it with corn flour he found that they could actually taste great. It wasn’t the process, it was the ingredients that you needed to get right. Canny has gone from strength to strength over the past year after initially securing a number of wholesalers including John Holland and Epicurium. it has now expanded massively, being sold right across the UK and on every Virgin train in the country.
Through the Pets At Work (PAW) programme, led by Nestlé Purina, Nestlé Gatwick has become the first Nestlé HQ worldwide to allow employees to bring their furry friends into the office. The programme forms part of Nestlé's Health and Wellbeing agenda, with a recent survey by Purina revealing that staff are happier and healthier when they are able to take their pets to work. Results also show that 47 per cent of 18-24 year-olds surveyed said that they view bringing a pet to work as a work perk.Pets are introduced to the workplace through a three phase programme which includes a questionnaire, two behaviour assessments, plus a health check and in-office probation period. Richard Watson, Regional Director, Purina comments: “We wholeheartedly believe that people and pets are better together - and being at work should not stand in the way of that. It boosts employee morale, encourages more physical activity and helps us create a stimulating environment where our people are happy, have fun and can perform at their best. Having pets in the office is inspirational.
Industry Kitchen, a restaurant “nestled along the East River” in New York City serves tender steak, a variety of seafood dishes and scrumptious desserts. But in the midst of all the comforting familiarity of high-end, but ordinary grub, there’s something different. A rare dish. A gold dish. Yes, their dish, simply named ‘24K’, sits inconspicuously bellow a $20 (£16) salmon, and above a $19 (£15) lasagna dish. The pizza contains 24K gold edible flakes, white stilton cheese, Ossetra caviar from the Caspian Sea, and truffles and Fois Gras from France. If you slice the pizza into eight pieces, it's $250 (£203) per slice.


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Rockstar Games, the creator of the Grand Theft Auto series, is to be awarded with a Bafta Fellowship. The accolade celebrates outstanding artistic achievement in movies, television and video games.
The company’s founders Sam and Dan Houser, along with Grand Theft Auto developers Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut, will accept the honour at the Bafta video game awards, taking place in London on 12 March.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world. The most recent instalment, GTA V, has sold over 32m copies since its launch in September, earning $1bn in revenue in the space of just three days, out-performing the biggest movie releases. The entire series, which began in 1997, has sold over 250m copies.
Although controversial for their mature, often extremely violent content, the Grand Theft Auto titles are critically revered for their sheer scope and design ambition. Set in a fictionalised version of the United States, each game follows a selection of gangsters and hoodlums as they rise through the criminal ranks, attempting ever more ambitious heists. The open-world nature of the environments means players are free to do what they please between missions, stealing cars, setting up their own businesses and even playing the stock exchange. Filled with damaged, ruthless characters including corrupt politicians, aspiring actors and shadowy government agencies, the titles are often seen as satires on modern Western Society.
“We have long believed in the potential for videogames to become a new form of cultural expression and worked to show that in our games, so for us accepting the BAFTA Fellowship is incredibly humbling,” said Sam Houser, who founded Rockstar Games in 1998. “This honour reflects the creative vision and dedication of a huge number of people over many years, and we look forward to accepting the Fellowship on their behalf.”
Previous recipients of the video game fellowship include Will Wright, the creator of Sim City and The Sims, and Shigeru Miyamoto, the designer of the Super Mario and Zelda games. The accolade will be presented as part of a refreshed British Academy Games Awards ceremony, which will be open to the public for the first time, and includes a showcase where many of the nominated titles will be playable.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010


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IPG Photonics Corp. posted record earnings in the quarter ending June 30 as sales for its power lasers continued to rise.
IPG yesterday said it earned $39.9 million, or 72 cents per diluted share, in the second quarter of the year, up from $31.5 million, or 63 cents per diluted share, during the same period last year. Revenues increased 13 percent to $137.9 million from $121.9 million.
IPG, which is expanding its Oxford headquarters, makes high-power lasers and amplifiers. The company reported strong sales across the globe, including in Russia, China, Japan and Turkey.
Chief Executive Officer Valentin Gapontsev said demand for lasers with cutting, welding and marking applications is high. Demand is coming from auto manufacturers and the consumer electronics industry, he said in a news release.
IPG ended the second quarter with $345.6 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand, after purchasing the outstanding minority interest in its Russian subsidiary, NTO IRE-Polus.
For the third quarter, IPG said it expects revenue of $145 million to $155 million, and earnings per diluted share of 74 to 84 cents.
MILFORD – The state's economic development agency has issued a $5 million tax-exempt lease to help Milford Regional Medical Center buy medical and other equipment.
The hospital will use the proceeds to purchase a surgical robot system, nuclear cameras, equipment for operating rooms and other equipment, the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency said in a news release yesterday.
MassDevelopment issued a tax-exempt lease, which acts as a loan. Under this type of agreement, an investor lends money to a borrower, and the borrower makes fixed-rate payments. In this case, Banc of America Public Capital Corp. purchased the lease, MassDevelopment said.
“This financing will help Milford Regional Medical Center improve both its patient care and training of the next generation of physicians,” Marty Jones, MassDevelopment president and chief executive, said in a news release.
Milford Regional Medical Center is a 121-bed nonprofit teaching hospital affiliated with UMass Memorial Health Care.
WORCESTER — Quinsigamond Community College will host a free grant application workshop Thursday.
The workshop is for companies that are applying for, or are preparing to apply for, training grants. Topics to be discussed include how to submit a competitive application, how to develop a training plan and how to measure grant outcomes.
The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the college's Training and Education Center at 751 Grove St. To register, contact Peter Tamulis at (508) 579-7342 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
WESTBORO — Shares of Virtusa Corp. jumped 19 percent yesterday after the company reported higher earnings and revenue Monday.
Virtusa stock closed at $15.15 per share in trading on the Nasdaq Global Select market.
Virtusa, which offers information technology services to large entities, posted net income of $6.1 million during the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, up from $4 million at the same time last year. First-quarter diluted earnings per share of 24 cents compared to earnings per share of 16 cents a year ago.
The company said revenue totaled $76.2 million in the first quarter, up from $61 million during the same period last year.
AKRON, Ohio — Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said Tuesday that its second-quarter net income more than doubled as strong results in North America offset sharply lower earnings in Europe. Goodyear's profit beat Wall Street expectations and its stock jumped more than 10 percent.
Goodyear's results underscore the sharp divide in the auto and related industries, which are posting higher sales in the U.S. but still struggling with recession and the financial crisis in Europe.
Goodyear said operating income in its North American business grew 37 percent, even with it selling fewer tires. Income in Europe, the Middle East and Africa plunged 85 percent as the weak economy hurt tire sales.
North American sales rose 1.7 percent to $2.45 billion.
— Priyanka Dayal McCluskey — Priyanka Dayal McCluskey — Priyanka Dayal McCluskey — Lisa Eckelbecker — The Associated Press