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MG. Murray Goulburn Co-operative has entered into a binding agreement with Saputo Incorporated.
The Canadian based company will acquire the operating assets and liabilities of MG for an aggregate total of $1.3 billion.
The sale was announced at the MG annual general meeting held on Friday.
This follows a strategic review of the dairy giant earlier this year.
“This transaction provides certainty for the future of our suppliers and a far better outcome than anything we can achieve by remaining a standalone entity,” says John Spark, MG chairman.
“MG has reached a position where, as an independent company, its debt was simply too high given the significant milk loss.”
The transaction includes milk supply commitments for active MG suppliers totalling $114 million and enables a step up of 40 cents per kilogram of milk solids to $5.60 for the 2017-18 financial year, for milk supplied from November 1.
An additional loyalty payment of 40 cents per kilogram of milk solids will available to active suppliers.
The transaction is subject to approval by MG voting shareholders.
Saputo is among the leading dairy processors globally and recently acquired Warrnambool Cheese and Butter in Victoria.
Liberal Member for Braddon and Circular Head Regional Economic Development Working Group chair Joan Rylah cautiously welcomed the announcement.
“With regards to Edith Creek, MG have advised me that the sale of Edith Creek is continuing to progress and MG retains the right to sell the facility.
“Saputo have agreed to take over all milk supply, with a five year guarantee of pick-up, which provides certainty to Tasmanian farmers.”
This follows the news the co-operative is reshaping its inbound logistics in response to a reduction in milk supply and collection needs. It is expected that as many as 60 roles in the Victorian townships of Koroit, Leongatha, Maffra and Rochester will be affected.


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Excited news from Overhype Studios. Their turn-based strategy RPG, Battle Brother, will receive a new update called “A Prophecy Fulfilled”. Actually we don’t know much about its content as the developers will reveal it in next week’s announcement.
Unusual lore, tricky tactical battles, and ‘meta-level’ gameplay that revolves around sacrifice and replay to get stronger. But it’s the image of unyielding Daughters standing against hordes of nightmarish creatures over the monochrome landscape of unnatural world – that’s what makes this game stand out.

domain: news


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TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) -- General Mills, GIS, -0.12% the Minneapolis cereal giant, reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled on 5% higher net sales. For the quarter ended May 31, net income reached $358.8 million, or $1.07 a share, from $185.2 million, or 53 cents, in the year-earlier quarter. On an adjusted basis, earnings were 86 cents a share against 73 cents. Sales advanced to $3.65 billion from $3.47 billion. A survey of analysts by FactSet Research produced consensus estimates of 81 cents of profit on $3.7 billion of sales. General Mills reported that foreign-currency translations reduced sales growth in the quarter by three percentage points.
General Mills 4th-period net nearly doubled


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The whole internet loves the turnover chain, the Miami Hurricanes’ lovely chain that’s given to players on the football team that force turnovers. But I regret to inform you that the maker of the chain has a shady history with the NCAA and interacting with athletes.
The chain has become a cottage industry of sorts for the university, as the Hurricanes have risen to the top of the college football rankings this season thanks to a thus-undefeated run, but it turns out the man who made the turnover chain has gotten into trouble with the NCAA in the past.
The News Observer reported on Friday that the South Florida jeweler who made the chain, John Machado, was banned from contacting University of North Carolina athletes thanks to an NCAA investigation into the Tar Heels football program in 2010.
The report is a wary account of Machado, who those at UNC say made at least one player on the team academically ineligible to play for the Tar Heels.
UNC on Oct. 25, 2010, sent a letter of disassociation to Machado addressed to his store, A.J.’s Jewelry, in Cutler Bay, Fla. In the letter, Dick Baddour, who was the UNC athletic director at the time, wrote that Machado’s “involvement with one of our student-athletes has led to the NCAA declaring one of student-athletes permanently ineligible.”
The whole investigation into UNC athletics is actually pretty amazing considering the fact that it started because an athlete tweeted a song lyric. But don’t try to taint the turnover chain. It’s too pure for this kind of slander.


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KFConsole is part of a partnership with hardware maker Cooler Master, KFC said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Bargain Cup-shaped machine features the world’s first built-in chicken chamber, which is equipped to keep its contents hot, ready for consumption during intense gaming sessions,” KFC added.
Your chicken will be kept warm thanks to a custom cooling system, which keeps the console hardware at a regular temperature, while using the heat produced by its components to heat the chicken room.
The console can manage virtual reality games and offers a smooth game due to the frame rate of 240 frames per second and the compatibility of the 4K display, according to the details published by Cooler Master.
“This machine is capable of running games to the highest level of specifications, in addition to keeping your food warm to enjoy during your gaming experience … what don’t you like?”, Said Mark Cheevers, PR and social media KFC UK & Ireland, in the company’s press release.
“If Sony or Microsoft want advice on how to design a chicken room for their efforts next time, they would be welcome to get in touch.”
This is not the first time the fast food chain has collaborated with other brands.
In February, KFC and Crocs announced KFC X Crocs Bucket Clog, a limited edition shoe covered in a fried chicken print. And in December 2019, the fast food chain teamed up with the artificial log company Enviro-Log to offer 11 logs of herbs and spices.


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What sounds to wild cats make?
Big Cat Rescue is home to over 100 big cats, this means that throughout the day you get to hear many different strange, funny or scary big cat sounds!
Take a look at this podcast and listen to some of the sounds that big cats can make, from the cougar squeak to the lions ROAR!
For FREE ringtones of these BIG CAT sounds visit:
These free big cat ringtones are so popular that they are downloaded about 300 Read More
[The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.]By Shannon Winslow-Claunch, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.Released : Sunday, December 20, 2009 12:41 PMDec. 20--Don't know what to get little Johnny for Christmas? In an age of commercialism and numbness to the mundane, some parents might be tempted to wow their kids this year with the gift of an exotic pet.Pet stores encourage consumers to do their own research when it comes to adding any pet to the family. But with easy access to baby turtles and parakeets at mall kiosks, impulse buys at Christmas for all Read More
December 14, 2009The Exotic MenaceWhen pets become problemsBy DINAH VOYLES PULVEREnvironment WriterDressed for battle in wetsuits, masks and fins, four volunteers waded into Blue Spring early one morning to catch and remove invasive armored catfish thought to harass Florida manatees and damage the spring's sandy banks.They quickly piled a canoe high with the bony plated fish, more than 800 in just a few hours. They had done the same thing just two weeks earlier.After removing thousands of catfish during the past eight years, Melissa Gibbs, an assistant Read More


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MailChimp has been a victim of a social engineering attack that threat actors successfully performed on its employees and contractors.
MailChimp detected the attack on January 11th after discovering an unauthorized person accessed their support tools.
Hackers managed to obtain employee credentials and gain access to an internal customer support and account administration tool. The attack affected the data of 133 customers.
Since the investigation is still ongoing, MailChimp preferred not to reveal further details on the attack.
The information obtained by hackers includes names, store URLs, addresses, and email addresses that might be used in phishing attacks.
The largely used WooCommerce eCommerce plugin for WordPress is one of the victims. Their customers were notified about their names, store URLs, addresses, and emails being exposed as a result of the MailChimp breach.
No sensitive information, such as passwords and payment data, was leaked.
This is the second time in the last half of the year that they are breached. Another similar attack was successfully performed in August 2022, when the company`s employees were tricked by using phishing techniques. By which the hackers gained access to 214 MailChimp accounts, but at that time, they went for cryptocurrency-related customers.


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- New companies focused on creating plant-based alternatives to animal-derived meats are on the rise. They aim to re-create the meat-eating experience with veggie burgers that smell, sear, and “bleed” like beef.
- Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are two companies that have developed cutting-edge veggie burgers.
- On Thursday, Beyond Meat made an explosive debut on the Nasdaq. Shares surged by as much as 163%.
- Impossible Foods, on the other hand, recently announced a deal with Burger King to roll out a vegan Impossible Whopper to locations across America.
- We tasted burgers from the two companies to see which was better.
Raising meat for human consumption is tough on the environment. More than one-third of all raw materials in the US is used to raise animals for food, according to the animal-rights group PETA. It takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef.
To combat this, new companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are exploring new ways to create sustainable meat alternatives.
While there have long been plenty of soy-based meat alternatives on the market, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods aim to be different. Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods don’t create “lab-grown meat” – a separate innovation that involves growing actual meat in a lab – but their burgers still smell, sear, and “bleed” as beef does, aiming to please meat eaters by re-creating the experience of eating animal-derived meat without the ethical and environmental drawbacks.
Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio are among the investors who have partnered with Beyond Meat to jump-start its success. Since launching the Beyond Burger in 2016, Beyond Meat has sold more than 11 million of the burgers, which can now be found at TGI Fridays and in grocery stores nationwide.
On Thursday, Beyond Meat made an explosive debut on the Nasdaq, with shares surging by as much as 163%.
Impossible Foods, on the other hand, recently announced a deal with Burger King to roll out a vegan Impossible Whopper to locations across America. It is also partnering with Qdoba to roll out plant-based Impossible bowls and tacos to locations across the country, starting in New York.
We set out to taste both vegan burgers at Bareburger and TGI Fridays in New York City, and while both burgers are healthy and sustainable alternatives to meat, we had a clear favourite:
This article was originally written by Jessica Tyler.
First I went to a Bareburger restaurant in downtown Manhattan, one of the few locations that has the Impossible Burger on the menu.
When my food arrived, I almost thought I was delivered the wrong meal. The Impossible Burger looked exactly like a hamburger. I ordered it with vegan cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a sprout bun.
It definitely seared the way a hamburger would. The Impossible Burger relies on a plant-derived ingredient called heme for its meaty feel and look. It’s made from wheat, coconut oil, and potatoes.
The inside of the burger certainly looked more like beef than a veggie burger. It didn’t “bleed,” but it did have a pink hue on the inside, and it tasted a lot more like beef than any other veggie burger I’ve had. The texture was also very similar to beef, and the burger was juicy.
After Bareburger, I headed to TGI Fridays, which has the Beyond Burger on the menu at all locations. The burger is also available in many grocery chains across the US.
I ordered the burger as listed on the menu, minus the cheese and sauce. As with the Impossible Burger, it looked exactly like a hamburger.
It also smelled strongly like a hamburger, more so than the Impossible Burger did.
It seared and charred the way a hamburger would. Beyond Meat’s burger — made from yeast extract, coconut oil, and peas — appears to bleed because of the addition of beets.
The inside of the burger was red, but this burger didn’t “bleed” either. It also was drier than the Impossible Burger. The textures of the two burgers were different, but both resembled beef more than a typical veggie burger would.
Both the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger looked, smelled, and tasted like beef — it was clear that the goal of each company was to appeal to meat eaters. Both burgers were delicious and show how far meat substitutes have come. But, overall, the Impossible Burger had a better texture and flavour.
It tasted enough like beef to satisfy a meat eater but certainly should not turn away a vegan or vegetarian.
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AWME has grown in artist number this year, with the announcement of more performers to the 2015 live music program. Joining the likes of Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, NGAIIRE, Kingfisha and OKA are the following names:
SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR
CASH SAVAGE & THE LAST DRINKS
THE SEVEN UPS
A speaker announcement is still to come as part of the AWME Conference program and no doubt, there are going to be some great names featured on that line up as well. In the meantime, head on over to www.awme.com.au to read up on the different delegate passes available and the full line up of artists set to perform in Melbourne venues as part of the Australian World Music Expo this year. The Expo runs from Novmember 12th – 14th.


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KFC Vegan Chicken Available Soon In The UK
The fast food chain trialled the vegan Imposter Burger — which is made in collaboration with Quorn — at KFC restaurants in London, Bristol, and the Midlands earlier this year.
Sources say that the plant-based meat will be available again at one UK store from December 27th, and will stay on the menu for at least six weeks.
“Working with KFC we’ve created a bespoke Quorn fillet that does the Colonel’s recipe justice” said Tony Davison, head of global foodservice at Quorn. “We have no doubt that KFC fans are going to love the modern take on a finger lickin’ favourite.”
PETA has described the Imposter Burger as “clucking marvellous.”
An anonymous KFC employee at the chosen UK store has shared that separate spaces have been created for storage, preparation, and sale of the animal-free products.
You might also like:
- JOAQUIN PHOENIX WINS AWARD FOR ANIMAL WELFARE WORK
- MEAT INDUSTRY FAILS TO BLOCK NEW ANIMAL WELFARE REGULATIONS
- COW’S MILK RECALLED AFTER E. COLI OUTBREAK
KFC Vegan Chicken
KFC trialled the plant-based options at one of its restaurants in Ontario, Canada for one day in November. The US trial, which was also just for one day, took place in Georgia in August. Customers queued up for several hours to get their hands on the vegan meat, which was available as a burger or popcorn chicken.
During both of these trials for the new animal-friendly products, all stocks were sold out before the end of each day.
Are you in the UK and excited to possibly see the plant-based chicken at a KFC near you? Let us know where you think the chosen store could be in the comments below!
Tags: Fast Food, fast food chain, kfc, meat free, plant based, US, vegan alternative, vegan chicken, vegan food, vegan KFC


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New York state has decided to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2021. But only for fast food workers. I don’t begrudge these workers this proposed much deserved raise. But this is not the right way to do this. It is further limited to fast food chains that have at least 30 restaurants in the state. But that too misses the point. This isn’t about soaking the rich. This is about making the economy slightly more fair. People can’t live on the minimum wage. And that means that businesses that are dependent upon the minimum wage are free riders; they aren’t efficient and should either become so or get out of the economy.
But more than this, what’s so special about fast food workers? Are the workers at Walmart any less oppressed? I suspect that the real reason is that the fast food industry doesn’t lobby as well. Given that it is mostly based on franchising, it is easier to push around. But raising the minimum wage throughout the state would likely upset Andrew Cuomo’s core constituency: Wall Street. And we can’t have that. Or at least Cuomo wouldn’t let us have that.
Now we hear lots of happy talk about raising the fast food worker minimum wage putting upward pressure on other wages. That’s no doubt true. But it doesn’t put that much pressure on them. And you know what would be a whole lot of upward pressure on them: raising the minimum wage across the board. This strikes me as the same old thing of the government doing as little as it can to get one particular constituency off its back. But there really is no justification for limiting this move to a particular industry.
Of course, it is hardly certain that this will become law. This may be just another case where Cuomo does something publicly to look good to Democrats, and works behind the scenes to kill it. It is sure to be challenged in court, and the courts have a long history of siding with business — finding all kinds of rights for them, even while workers seem to lack even the most basic rights. We will see. This seems to be a pretty strange policy, and one that can easily be argued is unfairly targeting a particular industry.
But I’m most concerned about what will happen to labor law more generally. Having an endless variety of minimum wages — based upon the industry and the job — will be the same as having no minimum wage at all. Clearly, this is more an indication of our totally screwed up economy. The minimum wage is supposed to be about, well, the minimum: the absolute lowest that anyone should be allowed to work. And I do think that this level should be $15 per hour. But all this is going to do is bring up the wages of some workers. And this will definitely happen: fast food workers will start to be more white and male.
Don’t get me wrong. On balance, this is a good thing. Hopefully, it will make everyone see that we can live with a $15 minimum wage and it will be extended everywhere. But this is a cowardly way to go. And one that may not work out that well.


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Rep. Jackie Speier (D-California) introduced a bill Friday that would require online-tracking firms to allow citizens to opt out of tracking, or else face stiff fines.
The bill, known as the Do-Not-Track-Me-Online Act, intends to let people choose a no-tracking setting in their browser and have companies obey that setting. The rules would mainly apply to companies whose primary business is collecting and analyzing data, but has loopholes for companies that collect data to improve their own services. Under those provisions, the FTC could rule website-analytics software to be legal.
The FTC asked browser makers in December to include a Do-Not-Track button in their browser, and called on online-advertising companies to agree to obey the settings. The setting is already available in beta builds of Firefox, and will soon be integrated into Chrome and IE as well.
Speier's legislation seems directed at behavioral-tracking companies that track users around the web -- usually without their knowledge -- in order to create marketing profiles about users. The info is then used to serve targeted ads, which can be sold at a premium to advertisers.
The proposed legislation, H.R. 264, (.pdf) exempts state, local and federal governments from having to obey the Do-Not-Track setting, and gives the FTC the authority to allow other exemptions for currently accepted business practices.
Without such an FTC exemption, nearly anyone who has a mildly successful website -- with more than 15,000 visitors per year -- could face stiff fines for using even the most basic website-analytics software, which generally records the IP address, browser and operating system of a visitor's computer.
Currently, the FTC can levy a fine only if a company publicly agrees to obey the setting, but doesn't. But with the legislation, the government would be able to force companies -- and perhaps bloggers who break the 15,000 visitor mark -- to obey the setting.
The FTC has warned online-advertising companies that they have one last chance to get self-regulation right, arguing that the industry has played fast and loose with customer data privacy for years, despite repeated pledges to self-regulate.
Speier's bill also aims to require data-collection entities to follow fair data-collection practices, namely giving people notice when data is collected, letting people opt out, telling people what they do with the data, and allowing people to see the data that is collected about them.
With a few notable exceptions, online-advertising and tracking companies generally only follow one of these practices -- allowing people to opt out through the little-known Network Advertising Initiative website.
Oddly, the proposed law would not likely affect the profiling practices of Facebook, which is becoming the leader in online targeted ads. That's because the company collects information from users when users are logged into their accounts, focusing on what users tell the company about themselves, rather than doing what Google's DoubleClick ad system does -- watching what people do around the web.
Speier, a second-term Democratic lawmaker, spent years in California's legislature championing privacy rights for individuals.
The bill was introduced Friday and will have to pass through committee before coming to a floor vote.


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The Times (UK) Carl Szabo is general counsel of NetChoice, one of tech’s most aggressive lobbyists, whose members include Google, Facebook, Twitter and Yahoo. He spends most of his time beating back two arguments: that tech companies are too big and should be broken up, and that section 230 — the “liability shield” that has fuelled their rise […]
About Carl Szabo
Carl Szabo is an expert in communications and Internet policy. As Policy Counsel, he analyzes tech-related legislative and regulatory initiatives relevant to online companies.
Entries by Carl Szabo
Opposition to SB 646 – Exposing Wisconsin Citizens’ privacy
Today, Rep. Castor introduced legislation to expand COPPA. Here is NetChoice’s statement: “Rep. Castor’s bill would further distract COPPA from focusing on its original goal – to protect children from online predators,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel at NetChoice. “By removing the ability for young people to receive content tailored to their […]
Bloomberg Government “Empowering the plaintiff’s bar to go after every business is the surest way to eliminate age appropriate content for young people,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel at NetChoice, a trade group whose membership includes Google and Twitter. “Just as COPPA was responsible for decimating innovative content for children, a private […]
Medium Section 230 is based on the vital principle of conduit immunity — a principle relied on from cable news to bookshops to social media. The law that powers the internet, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (1996), is constantly mischaracterized. To some, it’s the law that makes online platforms like Yelp, GoFundme, and Change.org […]
Wall Street Journal Your editorial “California Runs Off the Road” (Jan. 24) highlights the many problems California’s new AB5 law has caused for employees across the state. The overregulation of independent contractors, resulting in the persecution of freelance journalism in the state, has led to hundreds of journalist layoffs. Lower advertising dollars or decreased readership […]
Today, NetChoice voiced concerns with plans released by the Department of the Interior to formally ban non-emergency use of foreign-made drones. “Drone restrictions based on nationality rather than security standards won’t protect our nation from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Discrimination against foreign-made drones means our country won’t have access to the best technologies,” said Carl Szabo, Vice […]
Reason Magazine “Drone restrictions based on nationality rather than security standards won’t protect our nation from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Discrimination against foreign-made drones means our country won’t have access to the best technologies,” says Carl Szabo, vice president of NetChoice, which advocates for free markets in technology. “What we really need are cybersecurity standards for drones […]
Politico “You can’t just ignore facts that don’t prove your presupposed conclusions. That’s not how ‘investigations’ work,” says Carl Szabo. “Especially from the Judiciary Committee? We should be better than that.” On a warm Friday in October, sun streamed in the window of Szabo’s K Street offices, decorated with thick books on telecommunications law, a LEGO R2-D2 and […]
Politico Morning Tech 2020 tech watchers are still reeling, meanwhile, from surprise support from Democratic front-runner Joe Biden for nixing the online liability protections of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Tech trade group NetChoice rushed to slam Biden’s comments, saying that scrapping the prized provision “would prevent online services from effectively curating content created by […]
NetChoice is a trade association of businesses who share the goal of promoting free speech and free enterprise on the net.
The views of NetChoice do not necessarily represent the views of its members.


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On Jan. 1, chain restaurants with more than 20 locations in Ontario were required to begin displaying calorie counts on their menus. This policy is referred to as the Healthy Menu Choices Act.
In addition to these new numbers, the new menus are also intended to provide information to help educate customers on their daily caloric requirements.
But not all experts and consumers agree that the approach is helpful in the intended ways.
Calorie counting isn’t always the healthiest method of mindful eating, according to Dr. Anne Dranitsaris, a leadership coach and behavioural change expert at Caliber Leadership Systems in Toronto, who works with individuals with eating disorders.
“It supports the idea that an eating disorder is about food,” she said. “It also leads to feelings of guilt and shame for being ‘bad.’”
While calories on a menu might trigger anxiety, Dranitsaris said it’s the underlying issues and emotions that must be addressed.
Moreover, she said counting calories can act as a distraction and may not be the true answer to individuals seeking a healthier diet.
“If information was all we needed to stop people from eating beyond what they actually needed, this would have happened long ago,” she said. “This is not going to deter anyone from eating what they feel like and will only cause more guilt and shame in people who are not able to manage their impulses.”
Chloé Rose, an administrator of the popular Facebook group Bunz Mental Health Zone, says the new legislation actually derailed her eating behaviour.
Rose, whose group is an online safe space for those struggling with mental health issues, found herself triggered after eating at a chain restaurant. She says she stopped eating adequately to compensate.
“It then caused me to decide that I’d never visit a chain restaurant again unless someone else could order for me,” she said, “which is also a disordered way of navigating the world. So, I cannot win.”
To Rose, the Healthy Menu Choices Act just further supports a dieting industry already worth tens of billions of dollars: “Those dollars are generated through the creation of misery and fear in individuals.”
Others, however, including professionals in the field of nutrition, see progress in the new rules.
“Menu labelling is meant to make it easier to make healthier choices. Showing calories on menus simply provides information about the food,” said Lucia Weiler, president of Weiler Nutrition Communications Inc.
Weiler was a speaker at Humber College’s Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals event on Jan. 19. The event, which included dietitians, food service experts and Restaurant Canada representatives, was focused specifically on the new provincial act.
“If nutrition information is not readily available people may think their food is much lower in calories than it really is,” she said. “Research shows that when calorie information becomes visible consumers have an increased awareness of nutrient content.”
Eating anywhere, she said, should be a safe and enjoyable experience for all Canadians — even ones who struggle with disordered eating. Healthy eating is difficult when dining out, she added, and the act is supposed to help diners make healthier choices with more ease.
More information on the Healthy Menu Choices Act can be found at: https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-menu-labelling-requirements.
If you or someone you know is suffering from disordered eating, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health can be reached at: 416-535-8501, press 2.


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The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that the Atlanta-based company would also "take steps" to block illicit online drug dealers from using their delivery service.
The DOJ says the fine amount is the money UPS collected from suspect online pharmacies.
UPS won't be charged with any crimes. Its biggest rival, FedEx Corp., has also been a target of the federal investigation.
The investigation of the two companies stems from a global campaign to shutter illicit online pharmacies launched in 2005. Since then, dozens of arrests have been made and thousands of websites closed worldwide as investigators continue to broaden the probe beyond the operators.
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Boeing-built tankers could be based at Fairchild AFB 4:04 p.m. Plenty of risks could sink Boeing’s Iran deal 3:52 p.m. Southwest Airlines delays delivery of 67 Boeing 737s How would Brexit affect U.S? Car quality improves even as new technology is introduced Flu spray fails again, panel urges shot instead


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Activewear giant Lorna Jane fined over 'virus protection' claims
Activewear giant Lorna Jane has been fined almost $50,000 for advertising a product they claim can protect against bacteria, mould and infectious diseases.
LJ Shield is an invisible, pre-applied mist that has some concerned it will be mistaken as a protection against coronavirus.
Today the Therapeutic goods Administration, part of the Department of Health, issued three fines totalling $39,960 to the Brisbane based clothing company for alleged unlawful advertising in relation to COVID-19.
"This kind of advertising could have detrimental consequences for the Australian community, creating a false sense of security and leading people to be less vigilant about hygiene and social distancing," Adj. Professor John Skerritt, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health, said.
Dr Billy Stoupas, of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said Lorna Jane's claims are unfortunate because they aren't good for public health.
"We are worried that if someone thinks that their activewear is going to be protecting them, they might not put on a mask, which we know is the biggest factor," Dr Stoupas told A Current Affair.
"They might not wash their hands as often, which we know is a huge factor and they might not maintain social distance because they've got some 'all protective' activewear."
Dr Stoupas said if there was evidence that suggested LJ Shield protected against coronavirus with one spray, frontline workers would be using it.
"Judging by its thickness, you could probably cut it up into some good masks, but I don't think wearing any kind of branded equipment or activewear is going to help you against any viral or bacterial infection," he said.
Professor Colin McLeod, a marketing and business expert from the University of Melbourne, said unless Lorna Jane can prove their product works, it could be problematic for the company.
"I think it's a pretty big step. It's a pretty high-risk strategy and in the end if the proof's not there that the product works the way they say it will, I think they've created a real problem for themselves," Professor McLeod told A Current Affair.
Up until recently, Lorna Jane stores across the country had everything from t-shirts to jumpers, leggings and crop tops all deemed "Anti-Virus Activewear" thanks to the LJ shield.
But after receiving some backlash over LJ Shield, the range's name was changed to Anti-Bacterial Activewear.
"There are absolutely facts backing this and it's something we really believe in," Lorna Jane's Brooke Phillips told A Current Affair.
"It doesn't prevent you from coming into contact with bacteria or germs but when you do and you utilise the hand sanitiser, it does eradicate the majority of those germs and that is exactly what LJ Shield does, so it is effectively hand sanitiser for your activewear."
Ms Phillips said with the current pressure the retail and fashion industry is facing globally, it is important to continue adapting in "ways that matter".
"We don't intend it to be the solution to COVID, in fact we know it's not. What we intend to do is play our part for the community," she said.


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South Africa-based pay-TV operator MultiChoice group has launched a product which will allow DStv subscribers in Kenya to stream content without using a decoder.
The service will begin in March 2022 with the recent idea to advance into Over The Top (OTT) service having been informed by the young generation spending their time on smartphones on a day-to-day basis.
“We need to move and capture that value and be able to give great service to Kenyans and shift with the times, We shall be launching a streaming service in March, which will be decoder-less and dishless. We are really looking forward to the launch,” said Multichoice Group Kenya Managing Director Nancy Matimu.
Matimu spoke at the opening of a new MultiChoice customer service outlet at Capital Centre along Mombasa Road in Nairobi.
The new service will allow subscribers to access content directly to their phones or tablets without extra hardware , including a decoder or a satellite connection as long as there subscription is active and a dependable internet connection is available
Dstv is now one of the subsidiaries of multichoice, renamed as DStv app, a service that delivers television transmission to mobile devices such as laptops and smartphones.
MultiChoice surpassed the 20 million subscriber milestone at the end of Q3 after adding 1.2 million 90-day active subscribers in the year to September 2020.
The company now has 20.1 million paying customers, split between 8.7 million, or 43 percent in its home market of South Africa and 11.4 million, or 57 percent across the rest of the continent.
South African subscriber numbers were up 7 percent or by 500,000, while the rest of Africa was up 6 percent or 600,000.


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This article was originally published in French. Translation : Mathilde Balland.
21 year-old Nazma is one of the survivors of the Rana Plaza accident. On April 24 – the day the building collapsed and claimed the lives of hundreds of people – she was on the eighth floor making clothes for several major occidental brands. But the father of her young child (born after the tragedy) was not so lucky. He was working on the tenth floor, and he did not survive. The young woman received a small amount of money, thanks to the international organization ActionAid. Some of her medical bills were reimbursed and she received enough money to pay her husband’s funeral. Today, she is still waiting for compensation by the occidental brands, but for how long?
It is hard to say. “Things are progressing, although very slowly” declares Vanessa Gautier from the French NGO “Peuples solidaires”. In September, a new meeting was held in Geneva under the auspices of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Only nine of the 29 companies invited were there to discuss their possible participation in the compensation fund which was created to help the victims of Rana Plaza and their families. “Camaïeu was the only French brand there, adds Vanessa Gautier. Even though Auchan acknowledged that part of its production was informally subcontracted to a Rana Plaza factory by one of its Bangladeshi suppliers, the brand remains silent about its participation in the compensation fund.”
Auchan: a victim of informal subcontracting?
45% of the €54 million fund – €23 million – should in theory be brought by the multinational brands involved. The Government of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and the owners of the factories in the Rana Plaza building will pay the rest. To make up for the delays in coming up with an international agreement on this compensation between the contracting companies, some local NGOs made several emergency payments. The Irish group Primark also provided emergency aid for several victims.
Like Carrefour and more than a hundred other large European and North American clothing brands, Auchan finally signed the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Agreement last June. The group, owned by the Mulliez family (3rd richest family in France), vowed to fight “against undeclared subcontracting in the garment industry” in Bangladesh, where the group intends to continue sourcing. “It is not a question of better supervision of subcontractors, like Auchan claims, it’s about having a purchasing policy with a fairer relationship with suppliers, comments Vanessa Gautier, Auchan says it is a victim of wild subcontracting but to us, it is still responsible, because of its procurement policies”.
The company, who has refused to answer our questions about the compensation, committed to organizing “unexpected on-site visits”. “This will be come on top of a number of social and quality controls already in place. The first production inspector will be ready in September 2013 in Bangladesh”, explains the group, without taking stock of the current “social responsibility” policies of Western brands, that did not prevent the Rana Plaza tragedy. “Our partners in Bangladesh haven’t noticed any change yet”, reacts Vanessa Gautier.
Perhaps we will fond out more at the end of the 2014 first quarter, at which time Auchan has committed to communicating on the progress of the implementation of its plan of action, which is duly overseen by the Group’s Internal Audit team!
Photo via Donovan Crow


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Electronic spies come in all shapes and sizes, but none is as funny looking as an oyster impersonator called the Flex Spy now infiltrating the waters off western France.
A design student in the UK has constructed a lightweight bicycle from abandoned golf clubs to highlight how middle-aged men are shifting to cycling.
Panasonic India on Monday announced the winners of Panasonic Open-Innovation contest “Mobivation 2016” that was initiated in August.
Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) announced on Sunday the launch of the Emirates Reference Laboratory (ERL) under the directives of Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
People hooked on prescription painkillers were able to use a drug at home to curb cravings and prevent abuse while waiting to get in a treatment program, finds a small study that gives hope for a new way to fight the opioid problem.
National Drilling Company, NDC, inaugurated the latest addition to its fleet of offshore jack up drilling rigs. The “Al Gharbia” is the seventh in a series of nine state-of-the-art rigs purchased by NDC, a group company of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), from the UAE manufacturer Lamprell.
The Ministry of Interior has launched a third cycle of the Minister of Interior’s Scientific Research Award, following directives from H.H. Lt. General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.
Final test results confirm an experimental Ebola vaccine is highly effective, a major milestone that could help prevent the spread of outbreaks like the one that killed thousands in West Africa.
Forget ordering online weeks in advance or dashing out to the drug store for a gift card on Christmas Eve. Procrastinating holiday shoppers are finding a haven online as retailers ramp up expedited shipping and same-day delivery services.
If brick-and-mortar stores fear Amazon and e-commerce as a threat to their existence, used car dealers may be terrified by the newest development in their industry: a car vending machine.


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A PRIMARY school was awash with colour as pupils dressed up to support their Christmas market.
Children at Ryhall Primary School came to school dressed in ghastly colours, back-combed hair and glitter spray in a day of “bad taste”.
The youngsters were granted a day of non-uniform in exchange for bringing in a gift to the school.
All the gifts will be sold in the “Mums and Dads” room at the school’s Christmas market, which will be held on Saturday, December 10 in the main school hall.
Director of sales and marketing and parent governor at the school, Will Holroyd, said: “In this magical room the children get to choose and wrap a secret gift for their mum or dad.
“More than 160 gifts were donated by the children and staff and a great day was had by all.”


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In June of 2022, Microsoft announced to our employees and workers around the globe four principles explaining Microsoft’s approach to labor organizing. And in the weeks that followed, Microsoft and the Communication Workers of America (CWA) announced a groundbreaking neutrality agreement for the tech industry and labor sector, designed to go into effect if Microsoft was successful in its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
Now, more than sixteen months later, as Microsoft has closed its transaction to acquire Activision Blizzard, we affirm our commitment to our labor principles and innovative approach to union partnerships. Microsoft remains steadfast in our support of our current and future employees in whatever choice they make about their workplace and their representatives. We look forward to meeting, listening to and learning from our new Activision Blizzard employees and continuing our collaborative engagement with CWA and the workers it represents.


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Orange and T-Mobile have confirmed that they will both be offering cheaper iPad deals — by tying users into longer term contracts.
T-Mobile was first out of the blocks with a statement that reveals nothing more than a relatively soon UK release date for the new iPad price plans:
"T-Mobile UK today announced it will offer new purchase options for iPad users, including more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan, for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models in the coming months."
Anything you can do... we can do equally as well
And hot on its heels, Orange released a statement that was almost identical. In fact, it is, except thankfully someone copy and pasted the word 'Orange' in for 'T-Mobile', thus avoiding an embarrassing situation:
"Orange UK today announced it will offer new purchase options for iPad users, including more affordable prices when purchased with a data service plan, for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models in the coming months."
Currently, if users want to buy Apple's tablet and use it online wherever they like, the only option is buying the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G full price, which involves a hefty payment to buy the device then more money to your favourite network when you want to use data.
So the statements leave us in the dark over UK pricing, but if compared to the iPhone 4, it seems likely you'll be able to pick one up for around £150-£200 on a £35-£30 per month, two-year deal — although the fact there won't be minutes or texts involved may alter that price slightly.
Via Marketing Week
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Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.


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Last week, we learned that Dragon Ball Z’s Cell and Piccolo would be a part of Jump Force’s cast. Now, Bandai Namco has released a slew of screenshots showing exactly what the two characters will look like in the game. It’s time to check out some character models and attacks!
As a reminder, Cell is supposedly the “perfect warrior.” He is one of Dr. Greo’s androids and one of Dragon Ball’s major antagonists. Piccolo is one of Goku’s allies and a mentor to Gohan, though he originally started out as an enemy.
Jump Force will be released on February 15, 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.


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JACKSONVILLE, FL (KMOV/WJXT/CNN) – A Florida McDonald’s manager who was caught on camera hitting a customer says she’s embarrassed by the incident, which she claims took place after the customer got frustrated over how long it took to get her food order.
Video shot by a customer at a Jacksonville McDonald’s shows manager Ciarrea Williams walk from behind the counter and hit a female customer. Williams says she wants to apologize for the incident and that she wishes there had been a different outcome.
The company is investigating the incident.
Williams said the customer had become frustrated over how long it took to get her food. She said the woman began verbally abusing the staff, with her comments even turning “racial.”
Watch the video for the full story.


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ZTE got into trouble in 2016 for violating US laws restricting the sale of American technology to Iran and North Korea.
Software is what BlackBerry is banking on for its future now that it’s not a leading handset maker anymore.
The banks arranging Xiaomi’s IPO are pitching the company as a fast-growing firm that started as a phone brand and has since expanded into smart home gadgets and highly profitable internet services.
Apple’s decision to kill the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus two years back may seem to have benefited the market for Bluetooth-connected and wireless earbuds in a big way.
Vodafone Rs 399 and Rs 499 plans have been revamped with extra data and free Amazon Prime membership.
Several Googlers protesting Project Maven have complained about poor communication from senior leaders.
The AirPower charger is more advanced than the current competition because it includes a custom chip running a stripped down version of iOS.
Apple wants the US patent office to cancel four Qualcomm patents, saying they don’t cover new ideas.
The letter was the latest in a series of efforts by members of the US Congress to target Huawei, and ZTE Corp, another major Chinese telecommunications equipment company.
The new rule thus allows apps from licenced telecom operators to make calls using data or Wi-Fi network of other service providers as well.
Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich has resigned, as he was found to have violated company policy by a previous relationship with a colleague.
Xiaomi lowered its likely valuation to a range of $55 billion to $70 billion following its decision to delay its mainland share offering until after its Hong Kong IPO.
ZTE agreed to pay a $1 billion penalty and put $400 million in an escrow account in a US bank as part of the settlement pact reached on June 7 to allow it to do business again with US suppliers.
Under the new rules, Facebook and Google could be required to prevent certain works from showing up on their websites in the first place, should rights holders demand it.
Serverless computing allows people to build and run applications and services without thinking about the provision, scale and manage any servers.
The total amount of US goods exports to China only amounted to $130 billion last year, meaning Trump’s potential tariffs on $250 billion or more of Chinese imports can’t be matched, at least directly.
The flurry of corporate statements might soothe CEO consciences and rally their employees and customers, but they're unlikely to lead to policy changes.
In a letter to Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon dated June 15 and released by Wyden's office on Tuesday, Verizon said it was beginning the process to stop selling customer location data to vendors that aggregate the data.
Rather than just scanning a giant trove of data in search of factoids, IBM's latest project taps into several more complex branches of AI.
Fujifilm had hoped the merger would deliver at least $1.7 billion of cost savings and $1 billion of new revenue annually.


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A chef in Bolton has mocked Salt Bae’s restaurant Nusr-Et and its £850 gold-wrapped steak by producing his own versions – including a bacon and gold leaf-covered sausage butty.
Chef Gareth Mason decided to spoof the eye-wateringly expensive London steakhouse by creating his own gold-covered dishes.
Of the opinion seemingly held by many Brits that “getting a steak and wrapping it in gold doesn’t make it worth £800”, he tells us wrapping stuff in gold might be time-consuming and nerve-wracking but it “still doesn’t justify a thousand pounds for a steak or £45 for a cappuccino.”
As well as giving the gold treatment to the iconic sausage butty, the Absolute Bar and Bistro head chef has also wrapped his signature miniature meat Whist Pies in gold.
He also created further options like gold-wrapped chips, a 24-carat carrot, and a gold pork pie and pickle platter.
The bar and bistro is relatively new to the area, having opened on Westhoughton’s Market Street in the summer of 2021. First launching with just coffees and teas, followed by drinks and tapas in the evening, the menu offering has certainly picked up since Gareth Mason joined the team.
Formerly Group Executive Chef at Retreat Restaurants, his dishes made headlines last year too – when he created some ‘ingenious’ substantial meals for the group, including a ‘three-tier’ fish, chips and mushy peas pie.
“It was national pie month in Wigan at the time,” he tells us, “so we made this pie, encased it in pastry, and topped it with chips.”
His creations were covered numerous times in 2020, including when he cooked a menu with Irn Bru in response to a story that said the iconic Scottish drink cured Covid.
As a reaction to that, Gareth created the likes of blue and orange Irn Bru macaroons, Irn Bru cranachan jelly, haggis Scottish roll with Irn bru and onion chutney, and Scotch pancakes with an Irn Bru syrup.
“I can’t say I’ve ever cooked with Irn Bru before to be fair,” he tells us.
Now, it seems he has put the Absolute Bar and Bistro on the map with these new creations that highlight the extortionate expense of dining at one of Salt Bae’s Nusr-Et restaurants.
Speaking to The Manc, he told us his gold-leaf creations were “just a bit of fun” and customers won’t be able to actually get a gold-covered sausage at his Bistro.
Rather, he decided to put a spin on some of the menu’s classic items to make a point.
“Clearly some people have got more money than sense,” said Gareth.
“There’s people starving at this moment in time and we’re wrapping stuff in gold and charging ridiculous prices for it.”
Calling the Nusr-Et prices “ridiculous”, he concedes that whilst wrapping food in gold is time-consuming and “quite nervewracking to be fair […] as the gold is very temperamental.”
However, he still doesn’t think that makes it worth the price – not by a long shot.
Asked what he thinks is next, he jokes “Diamonds, platinum, white gold.” We’re laughing, but sadly he’s probably right.
For those who don’t know, Turkish butcher-turned-chef Salt Bae first rose to fame after going viral online for a technique that involved sprinkling salt down his arm, has faced reams of criticism online following the opening of his new London restaurant.
One group of diners recently shared a bill for £37,023.10 – including a service charge of nearly £5,000 – after a boozy wine-fuelled night at the restaurant.
If you don’t fancy splashing that sort of cash, though, you’d better head over to Westhoughton in Bolton.
Whilst you won’t exactly get a taste of the gold-wrapped Nusr-Et experience, you’re definitely guaranteed to receive some wholesome Lancashire options with a healthy dose of humour on the side.
Feature image – Phil Taylor / SWNS
Food & Drink
Deliveroo is knocking 25% off takeaways for parts of Greater Manchester this month
Deliveroo is going to be slashing takeaway bills by 25% for people in parts of Greater Manchester.
The delivery giant is offering up the discount from today all the way through to the new year.
It means that locals in the city centre, as well as Chorlton, Didsbury and Rusholme, will be able to save 25% on their Deliveroo order.
There are loads of local restaurants and cafes taking part, including the ever-popular burger and shake joint Archie’s and long-standing favourite Tampopo.
Yum Cha, which opened at Kampus this summer after 11 hugely successful years in Liverpool, is also taking part, with its incredible roast meats cooked for 24 hours in a custom-made roasting oven, plus Chinese small plates and dim sum.
Manc favourite Rudy’s, home of arguably the country’s best pizza, are included in Deliveroo’s 25% discount, alongside chicken legends Yard & Coop.
A bar in Manchester has made the move to introduce a ridiculously cheap drinks deal, pricing a number of its most popular bevs at just £2.50 each.
Yes, that’s right. Every Friday night for the foreseeable future, Alvarium in the Northern Quarter will be serving up bottles of beer, alongside spirits and glasses of red, white and rose wine at a super low rate.
Perfect for helping those struggling with the high cost of, well, everything right now, this is a way to get the Christmas presents sorted and still go out celebrating the festive season with your mates. Happy days.
The Northern Quarter bar, which stays open until 1am on Fridays, launched a new extended happy hour earlier this summer that saw it offer two bottles of San Miguel for £5, two cocktails for £10 and bottles of house wine at £12.50 each.
Now, however, Alvarium’s owners have taken things a step further – taking the pricing structure back to the nineties with a range of £2.50 drinks available every Friday.
As well as wine and beer, you’ll find tasty spritzes sitting alongside other festive-themed cocktails like ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ (a mix of brandy, bourbon, lemon, cranberry and orange) and ‘Winter Berries’ (vodka, apple, passionfruit, grenadine and lemonade).
Sharing the news online over the weekend, the dog-friendly cocktail bar and kitchen wrote: “INTRODUCING THE FRIDAY NIGHT SOCIAL.
The bar has previously hosted kitchen pop-ups from the likes of vegan kitchen Black Leaf, Manchester slab shack Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria, and Abeja Tapas Bar.
Now it has taken its food offering back in-house, serving up a selection of locally-sourced meat and cheese boards loaded with an array of pickles, chutneys, crackers, giant slices of sourdough and more – perfect for soaking up all that cheap, cheap booze.


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ELORA – The Elora Distilling Company was at the July 29 council meeting asking for support from Centre Wellington for its Manufacturer’s Limited Liquor Sales Licence application to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission.
“This is similar to the Elora Brewing Company’s license that council had also supported,” said managing director of planning and development Brett Salmon.
The distillery, located at 102 Metcalfe Street in Elora, is currently under construction. The “by the glass” license will allow alcohol consumption at the site as well as sales.
“This special form of liquor licence will allow us to serve the alcoholic products that we will be producing for the purposes of showcasing our products, educating our customers on the ‘grain to bottle’ distilling process and promoting our distillery as a premier tourist destination,” company secretary Mark Anderson wrote in a letter to the township. He noted the licenced area will be open from 11am to 9pm.
Council supported the application.


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Originally published January 8, 2014 at 12:00a.m., updated January 8, 2014 at 12:00a.m.
I don’t stress out any more about trying to provide a “perfect” holiday for our family, but I still breathe a sigh of relief when the Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s craziness is over.
It’s been nice to see friends and family during the past few weeks, but the accompanying frenzy of buy-buy-buy ads on TV, multitudes of festivals and Santa-sightings, and way too many cookies wear thin after awhile.
The first ads hit the airwaves before Halloween. Now all that’s left are the “remorse” ads for weight loss and credit card debt help.
I fear, though, that the quiet winter routine will be short: Valentine’s Day candy is out already.
Dee Camp is a reporter at The Chronicle. She can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
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NEW DELHI -- India's biggest carmaker, Maruti Udyog Ltd., said on Wednesday a week-long trucker's strike had hurt sales in August.
Tata Motors Ltd. also said on Wednesday a week-long truckers' strike had hurt its car sales in August.
Maruti said in a statement that it sold 42,480 vehicles in August, up 32.2 percent from 32,127 units in the same month a year ago.
"There has been some effect of the strike on our sales. We hope to make it up in September," Managing Director Jagdish Khattar told reporters.
The carmaker, held 54.2 percent by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp., said domestic sales in August rose 27.9 percent to 37,660 units while exports were up 79.6 percent to 4,820 units.


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We’re ringing in 2020 with a serious dose of innovation that is going to completely change the way you study.
Introducing Flash 2.0—the next generation flashcards, launching at CES 2020!
Powered by SCRIBZEE®, hamelin’s analog and digital bridge, our flashcards offer you the opportunity to jot, write, and draw your notes in your own handwriting (remember, this is key for retention!) and then, with the seamless click of a button, study these notes digitally, whenever and wherever you want.
We sent some hamelin samples to tech writer Andrew George and we’re pretty stoked on his review.
Andrew, who is a fan of Rocketbook’s reusable technology admitted that both the Wave and the Everlast are lacking in the writing feel department. And that’s where hamelin notebooks shine.
Have you heard of CES?
It’s the largest and most influential technology event on the planet. The international conference has been drawing innovative companies from around the world for the past 50 years—and has become the global stage for breakthrough technologies.
Hamelin Brands Inc. is excited to be attending this year’s event. Please stop by and see us at Booth 45253 (in the Family Tech section), where we will not only be demonstrating hamelin’s fantastic new notebooks but also be releasing a brand NEW and EXCITING range of products.


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What you need to know
- Huawei today teased the launch of the Mate 40 series.
- This comes after reports of the phone being delayed into 2021.
- Renders and specs for Huawei's upcoming flagship already leaked, showing us what to expect.
Huawei is launching the Mate 40, its second flagship of the year, sometime soon. The company teased the launch today, sharing a video on Twitter that reiterated the fact that the Mate 40 was coming soon.
The tweet is a timely one. A report this week from noted leaker, Evan Blass, states that Huawei was expected to delay the launch of the flagship till 2021, potentially due to supply chain issues. Huawei's announcement seems well placed to counter that.
Of course, while the handset could be expected to launch soon in China, it may have a delayed global release as Huawei continues its tussle with the Trump Administration. It's a battle that has already cost the company access to crucial Google Play services and relationships with its component suppliers, and one that dictates how the future of its smartphone business.
As for the phone itself, it's expected to come with the Kirin 9000 processor. Renders already show us what the smartphone will look like, but we know nothing much about the handset. Fortunately, it looks like we won't have long to wait to find out more.
The Mate 30 was the first proper Huawei flagship to ship without Google's software on board. The hardware remains excellent even in 2020, but the lack of the Play Store and Google apps will be a deal-breaker for many.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Everything you need to know about the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G
The Pixel 4a is now available, the Pixel 4a 5G is coming soon, and we've rounded up everything you need to know about both phones. Let's dive in!
What to expect from Amazon's September 2020 Alexa & Ring hardware event
Amazon is set to host its annual fall hardware event on Thursday, September 24. Here are a few devices that we might expect to see at tomorrow's event.
How does Samsung's S Pen work so damn well?
There are other reasons to want a Galaxy Note, but if you want a good stylus experience, it's really the only phone that has one. That's because Samsung has made the S Pen part of the phone through both hardware and software.
Snag one of these cases and protect your P40 Pro in style
Did you just pick up the new Huawei P40 Pro, but aren't sure how you want to keep it safe from when "life" happens? We've rounded up the best cases and there's an option available for just about everyone.


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JAPUNDIT PODCAST 261
Sep 12th, 2020 by japunditpodcast
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- Shibuya cancels Halloween, New Year gatherings
- Japan convenience stores reveal truth about neighborhood
- Japan August beer sales down
- Counterfeit Pokemon
- Japan to start robot delivery service soon?
- Conveyor belt sushi delivery service
- Onigiri rice ball etiquette!?! Japan-splaining?
Japundit Podcast Feed


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What are this year's hot Halloween costumes in Pennsylvania?
Pop culture picks from Wonder Woman, Avengers, Game of Thrones, Clueless, Black Panther and Deadpool are big in 2018, according to Wyatt Edwards of Halloweencostumes.com.
How do they figure out what's hot so far before Halloween? Here's the methodology, according to Edwards. "We start by looking at what people are searching for online. This is a combination of our own internal data from searches on our website and external data from sites like Google Trends. Then we compare those search trends to our own sales data. This lets us separate out what people search for but don't or can't actually buy."
"Of course, there's some guesswork involved, but we've been doing this for a decade now and we get better at it every year," Edwards said in an email.
Pennsylvania trends this year mimic national trends, Edwards said, with slight differences on ranking within the categories. All costume photos in this story are used courtesy Halloweencostumes.com.
So here's this year's hot list. What will you be wearing for Halloween? Let us know in the comments.


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PayPal reported strong results in Q315
PayPal reported their results last week and you might be interested in some highlights. You can read PayPal’s press release here.
Here are the basics: revenue clocked in at a record high of $2.3 billion, That’s up 15%. And it was up 19% on a foreign currency (FX) neutral basis. “Net income for the quarter was $301 million or $0.25 per diluted share, and non-GAAP net income was $377 million or $0.31 per diluted share, driven primarily by growing relevancy with its customer base.”
And head honcho Dan Schulman said: “PayPal is entirely focused on digital payments and transforming money for people around the world. This clear focus and our strong value proposition allowed us to deliver strong financial results in the third quarter.We are operating in a time when change is sweeping through the financial services industry driven by the rise of mobile technology and the acceleration of money becoming digital.These two massive trends play directly to our strengths and we are leveraging this transformation to extend and accelerate our lead.”
Now ask your Euro MP why we are paying percentages for electronic money transfer that only costs 12p according to the Banks. Some rumbling on this, but its all gone quiet again.


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Estonia’s “Company of the Year 2018”, “Innovator of the Year 2018” and “Design Applier of the Year 2018”.
School friends Arno Kütt (48) and Peep Kuld (46) are implementing their mission of freeing up the valuable time of hundreds of millions of people all around the world at incredible speed. By the end of this year, these men from the small Estonian town of Viljandi will have saved the time of 130 million Americans. In autumn 2018, the automated parcel producer Cleveron opened its new factory extension in Viljandi.
Cleveron develops and produces automated parcel terminals and parcel robots, selling them in various countries around the world, thereby shaping the future of logistics.
Estonians are well-acquainted with these machines: Estonia is the land of parcel terminals. Most of us prefer to send and receive parcels via self-operating smart terminals, which we can see all over our shopping centres. These terminals were first introduced only a decade ago by Cleveron’s predecessor SmartPOST. Before that, we used to go get our parcels at the post office.
‘In Estonia, automated parcel terminals are just as common as ATMs. There is more or less an equal number of both,’ says Arno Kütt, Head of Cleveron and its biggest shareholder. ‘However, globally there are maybe a couple hundred thousand parcel terminals in comparison to three million ATMs. We have changed Estonia in ten years, now we are ready to change the world!’
Cleveron started out with basic parcel terminals: the same “made in Estonia” lockers, which are in use today in over ten countries, including Finland but also Brazil. Those terminals are now “yesterday” for Cleveron. Their current main product is the five-metre tower PackRobot, which accommodates up to 500 parcels and issues them to customers through a small “oven opening”. This has made the receipt of products ordered online very user-friendly.
Peep Kuld, co-founder and Business Development Manager of Cleveron, says that PackRobot is in mass production and it is “as reliable as a Kalashnikov”. Whereas today the factory in Viljandi produces about 4-5 PackRobots per day, this number should at least double within a year.
The first towers were installed in stores of the US retail giant Walmart in the beginning of last year. Americans are so busy picking up their online purchases that by the end of this year the “parcel Kalashnikov” will be installed in more than 700 Walmart stores all over the USA. Considering that the cost of one machine is nearly 50 000 US dollars, this amazing deal with Walmart brings tens of millions of dollars for Cleveron. But the vision for the next seven years is to sell 15 000 parcel robots in America.
In addition to Walmart, Cleveron has also signed a deal with the world’s largest retailer Zara. Cleveron’s next generation parcel terminals are being installed in the largest Zara stores all over Europe. Those are no longer towers, but cuboid-shaped parcel units that are installed in stores in a similar way to integrated dishwashers. Except that these robots are the size of a house, they deliver up to one thousand parcels a day and the computer knows to exactly which “floor” and “storage unit” the right parcel needs to be delivered.
Peep and Arno explain that Zara customers tend to order online and then come pick up their products in the store. Online sales have really grown and people tend to come pick up their parcels at the same time, during the evening rush hour, which jams up the checkouts. Parcel delivery through personnel is annoying, expensive and time-consuming. In contrast, a parcel robot enables people to easily receive their parcels by themselves.
‘Our robot works and the owner of Zara says that everything is perfect, regardless of the fact that this product is partly still in development, that sometimes we need to cross cultural barriers with communication and also put out some so-called fires,’ says Peep.
Consumers have received the Estonian robots so well that customers in Spain, Italy and Great Britain no longer call it a parcel terminal, but a cleveron.
For example, they say: you can get your parcel from the cleveron. Hence Cleveron is producing cleverons.
Cleveron’s new products are receiving much attention globally. For example, when Cleveron’s courier drone delivered a beverage bottle flying over the Viljandi Lake last summer, it was broadcast by the news agency Reuters. The story was seen by 40 million pairs of eyes. But also, journalists from Thailand and Singapore come to Viljandi. ‘Our activities are really in focus. Responsibility and expectations are growing,’ comments Arno.
It is not just the media investigating Cleveron’s activities, but also industrial spies. Arno explains that, for example, the Chinese take a photograph from the Cleveron homepage and upload in onto Alibaba, as if they are selling the same product. Cleveron has in such cases contacted Alibaba, asking for such offers to be removed and Alibaba has done so. But the Chinese are still a headache for the company.
Two Chinese companies have copied the Cleveron parcel robot and not only taken it onto the market, but also patented it in China, hence blocking Cleveron’s entry to the Chinese market. One of the Chinese “clones” of Cleveron is trying to develop cooperation with the national post company and the other with Alibaba.
‘We displayed our robot at a trade fair in Paris,’ says Arno. ‘It is likely that it was photographed or filmed. The Chinese copied our robot and they have taken out about twenty patents. How did we realise this was our product? In our lack of time preparing for the trade fair the installers created holes in the base frame in the wrong spot. We later created the holes in the right spot, but the Chinese have patented the robot with the wrong holes!’
One Chinese company once sought to collaborate with Cleveron. The company representatives expressed interest to represent Estonian products in China and they came to visit the production facility in Viljandi. The negotiations went on for a while.
‘Apparently the point of all these negotiations was to get as much information as possible from us. One of the men who came to Viljandi had three buttons on his suit jacket, the middle one larger than the others. I really wanted to go and pull on that button, but I didn’t do it. Fortunately, we had put our biggest secrets out of sight,’ says Arno.
Up to this day they get requests from Asia asking to buy just one parcel robot. But Cleveron always refuses, knowing that this robot would be taken to pieces and copied.
Peep and Arno say that design cannot be protected in China. According to Chinese legislation, a copier can only be prosecuted when they admit to having copied a product. It is for this reason that Cleveron didn’t apply for patents in China. It would have immediately provided designs for the “pirates”.
‘We predicted the fact that there would be copies. But we really didn’t foresee that the Chinese would patent our product and therefore lock the Chinese market for us,’ says Arno. Cleveron is in the middle of Chinese court- and patent proceedings, and Arno and Peep believe that those will have positive outcomes for the company.
They also learned their lesson in Russia. It is there that Cleveron used to have one of its first paying customers, who bought over a hundred parcel terminals. The collaboration ended with the Russians dismantling the machine and copying it.
Cleveron remains one step ahead of “copiers” by really focusing on product development and bringing out new perfected robots onto the market. ‘We release a machine today but we have already worked on it for years,’ explains Arno.
Work is also underway on really innovative future solutions. Cleveron is developing a drone that will be able to land just above the smart post box and drop a parcel in it. The company is also focusing on robot couriers – special additional equipment for self-driving cars enabling a robot to do the work of a courier.
For some time, Cleveron was orbited by the giant Amazon. But in the end the Viljandi men refused the deal. They could not come to an agreement with the Americans. Amazon wanted all parcel robots to carry the Amazon name instead of Cleveron, asking the Estonians to give up their intellectual property with no obligation to actually buy from Cleveron.‘Those were quite ridiculous conditions. They did not suit us at all,’ explains Peep.
The rapid growth in orders creates big challenges for the company. A parcel robot consists of approximately 6000 details, all of which need to reach Viljandi from Cleveron’s partners at the right time and without compromising on quality in order for the machines to be assembled and transported to the other side of the world on time. ‘Running the production side is a huge challenge,’ says Arno.
In October, Cleveron opened an extended production facility in Viljandi, thus multiplying their production space. The office staff, who were previously working in close quarters in their rapidly growing company, now have broader and more comfortable offices. Cleveron’s goal is not just to sell as many automated parcel terminals as possible, but to change the world by giving people the gift of time.
Arno and Peep calculate that if 130 million Americans use Cleveron parcel terminals by the end of this year, each one of them wins at least 15 minutes of extra time. In total then, Estonians have saved Americans 3700 years.
Rene TammistCleveron is a company that signals to society what it is that we value in Estonian business. It is exactly the kind of company we want to see in our economy. Cleveron’s strengths are their product development and -design solutions, targeted work, productivity and innovation. In addition, Cleveron is based on Estonian capital, produces outside the capital and significantly contributes in its staff. To summarize, it can be said that Cleveron is in every aspect worthy of the title “Estonian Enterprise of the Year”.
Minister of Enterprise- and Information Technology
This article was first published in the special journal “Best Estonian Companies 2018”.
Source: Life in Estonia


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Models wearing kirpan-turban in the fashion show, hurt Sikh sentiments, SGPC opposes
SGPC opposes the fashion show where Models wear kirpan-turban.Author : Chanderveer Singh
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has objected to the incident where models walking on the ramp, wearing Sikh attire during a fashion show in Delhi. SGPC head Harjinder Singh Dhami has condemned this and demanded action against the organizers of the show.
Significantly, a video, in which some models were seen walking on the ramp wearing kakars (Sikh outfits- Kirpan, Kes, Kanga, Kachara, and Kada). In the video, the models are wearing turbans on their heads and also wearing kirpans.
Advocate Dhami said that Kakar is a part of the Sikh attire. There is a way to wear them, but wearing them in the wrong way is an attempt to hurt the faith of Sikhs. He has demanded action against the organizers of the fashion show. He has also accused the government that the governments are not taking any strict steps in the cases that are coming to the fore again and again.


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Retelling the story via her Instagram earlier today, Banks shared her favorite shot of Ali, writing, "When you go to @beautycon and you're in your car leaving but you see a photo shoot happening that is kind of going in the wrong direction."
"What else do you do but put on your Super/Model/Hero cape, jump out of the car, grab the camera from the photographer and start clicking," Banks continued, before adding, "Maybe one day I'll jump out of the car to capture YOU. #TyraTaughtMe."
That said, Banks was quick to also acknowledge that the photographer eventually "took some amazing photos" after a quick five-minute lesson.
Not only that, but Ali also ended up posting a photo of Banks behind the camera, writing, "Soo today THEEE TYRA BANKS got out of her car to take photos of me. BASICALLY this is most iconic moment in my life." Ali then went on to joke, "Quick question though Tyra, can you just sign me?"


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In August 2012, Microsoft officially launched its plan for Office and SharePoint Stores for marketing, selling and deploying apps from Microsoft and third-party developers.
On February 3, 2014, the company made "generally available" (GA) apps built for and around Microsoft Access. With that GA designation, Microsoft added to its Office Stores yet another, officially sanctioned category of apps to complement its already unveiled app categories, including Word apps, Excel apps, Mail apps and Project apps.
The GA designation means "customers can now create, share, and use Access apps with full confidence and the same level of guaranteed availability as the rest of Office 365," according to a February 3 post on the Office blogs site. While there were Access 2013-centric apps in the Office/SharePoint stores as of last year, "until now, Access apps were in preview and weren’t supported under the Office 365 service-level agreement (SLA) and compliance standards," Microsoft officials conceded.
Access apps are now generally available for Office 365 Small Business, Midsize, Enterprise, and Education customers, officials said. But Access apps for Office 365 Government customers are still considered to be in preview. The Access apps are available via the SharePoint Store, according to the blog post (but from what I can tell, also seem to be available through the Office Store).
Microsoft introduced its Office and SharePoint Stores as part of the company's strategy toand toward a more Web-based model of app development and deployment.
I'll be interested to see how and if Microsoft changes the way it promotes and delivers Office/SharePoint Store apps once it remakes its Office.com site as part of.
Update: In other Office-related news, Microsoft execs said today that Microsoft Project is now up to 20 million users. Also: Microsoft is rolling out as of May 1, 2014, a new Project SKU called "Project Lite," which provides project-team members with a subset of Project's full capabilities. It will be available for $7 per user per month, cheaper than Project's $33 per user per month subscription rate.


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Remember when Google Inc initially launched Google maps and raised privacy concerns everywhere? Not to be alarmed, but these invasion of privacy class-action lawsuits against Google Inc are still present. Google vehicles have been circulated around worldwide on every face of the planet gathering images for Google Map’s street view feature. If you’re lucky enough, or unlucky enough, you may permanently be on one of those photos. Personally I find it amusing, just like an Easter egg hunt. Despite the paranoid individuals who may feel a little bit invaded, I’m sure in one way or another, Google Maps have been thought of as useful.
With this technology consistently evolving, developers from Google Inc and Apple Inc each unveiled their own brand new 3D mapping devices recently. Taking the regular street view Google Maps to whole new level. This 3D mapping device enables users to easily navigate around a realistic aerial view of a city, making the once amusing satellite-based images look like child’s play. Both companies are now in a battle to develop these 3D digital maps that will also be mobile capable on various smartphones as well.


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On PR Newswire: The Economist’s 2020 World Predictions, Price of the ’12 Days of Christmas’
With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire for Journalists. Here are some of this week’s most newsworthy:
The World in 2020, the annual publication from The Economist, predicts that 2020 will be a testing year ahead, citing decisions to be made in the U.S. election and Brexit, concerns over a faltering world economy and worries about nuclear proliferation. But there will be many events to celebrate such as large global sports events in Japan and Australia and exploration on Mars.
The PNC Christmas Price Index predicts true loves will find all is calm when putting the gifts under the tree this holiday shopping season. To purchase the gifts included in the classic holiday song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” it will cost just 0.2% more than it did in 2018, according to the 36th annual holiday economic analysis by PNC Financial Services Group.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) on Nov. 19 released its annual Hot Wheels report, which identifies the 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2018.
So much of travel is the metaphorical act of walking through history – and by looking backward, we move forward. The inspiring resilience of the world’s most majestic destinations is the main theme of the 2020 Go List and No List unveiled Nov. 14 by Fodor’s Travel, the leading name in travel recommendations for over 80 years.
Cision and PRWeek Release 2019 Global Comms Report: The Path to Progress, Demonstrating the Rise of Earned Media
Cision and PRWeek on Nov. 19 announced the release of their third annual 2019 Global Comms Report: The Path to Progress. The report surveyed more than 500 senior-level PR and marketing professionals in seven countries to uncover recent trends in communications. Among other findings, the 2019 Global Comms Report reveals that increased investments in data and shifts in social media strategy are helping comms teams clearly demonstrate their impact on a company’s bottom line.
Want to see more news like this? Keep up with the latest news in your coverage area with a customized newsfeed. Click here to sign up now or email us to finetune your existing profile.
Larry Grady is online content manager at PR Newswire for Journalists. He has worked in business media for nearly 30 years and enjoys reality TV and daydreaming about travel and wine.


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All the Bitcoin news and information you need.
Bitcoin Daily is delivered to your inbox each morning, we find the top 3 stories and offer our expert analysis. Not convinced? Check out our latest newsletter.
Monero Price – XMR/USD
Monero (XMR) is an open-source cryptocurrency created in 2014 to specifically address the issue of privacy while conducting transactions using digital currencies.
Unlike Bitcoin and its other derivatives, Monero is based upon the CryptoNight algorithm, which in turn, comes from the CryptoNote protocol. It also possesses significant differences in its algorithm compared to Bitcoin to further obfuscate its blockchain network.
Launched by a BitcoinTalk forum user named “thankful_for_today”, the currency suffered a breach due to the underlying CryptoNote framework, which was subsequently patched. The word literally means coin in Esperanto language.
On top of the privacy options Monero offers, the currency can also be mined, but unlike other cryptocurrencies which need ASICs for efficient mining, Monero can be mined efficiently on consumer grade hardware such as x86-x64 and ARM computers and modern Graphical Processing Units developed by AMD and NVidia.
Compared to Bitcoin, the advantages offered by Monero are:
- Ring Signatures protects privacy by hiding users among other transaction outputs.
- Implementation of Confidential Transactions hide the amounts of transactions done by users on the network.
- Two sets of keys called a view key and a spend key can be enabled separately to allow for transparency.
The total number of Monero available in the market is more than 15 billion. The cryptocurrency ranks 13th compared to other cryptocurrencies in terms of total market capitalization.
Monero is now available on various exchanges like Bitfinex, Bittrex, Poloneix among many others. Monero’s privacy has made it a hot commodity among users.


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A TikTok user has sparked widespread debate after criticizing what he believes is unnecessary tipping encouraged by businesses with Square cash registers.
“Anytime I go somewhere with a Square cash register, I know I’m about to tip for something that I’ve never tipped for before in my life,” the TikToker states.
The video, uploaded by TikTok user @robertsulliva last week, has already been seen more than 901,000 times.
Square cash registers allow customers to quickly pay at businesses using a touchscreen device. Many businesses opt to enable the register’s tipping feature as well, which presents users with different percentages they c an tip.
The device has popped up at many businesses that traditionally haven’t required tips, sparking a back-and-forth over whether customers should oblige.
Many commenters argued that if a tip was genuinely necessary, it would be included in the price.
“If a tip is essential it should be in the price,” one user wrote.
Others were simply outright opposed to tipping in general, claiming that it allowed the business to pay their employees less.
“Tipping culture is driven by corporations and owners who don’t want to pay employees enough,” another said. “They want customers to make up the difference.”
Countless commenters also shared their experiences with Square’s cash registers, noting that they often refused to tip at many businesses.
“They ask me to tip 1,2 or 3 dollars on a $2 bagel…” one user said.
Some said they were even asked to tip at food establishments where the customer does all the work.
“There was a tip screen at a self serve frozen yogurt spot I went to,” another added. “I made everything myself and they had the audacity to ask for a tip lol.”
But at least a few users appeared to support tipping even if at non-traditional businesses.
“I just do it. whatever. Make someone’s day ever so slightly better,” one commenter wrote. “I’m fortunate enough to where tipping on every little thing isn’t a problem for me.”
The TikTok user who shared the video, @robertsulliva, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Dot. But in a remark on his TikTok profile, @robertsulliva revealed that he got the idea for the video from standup comedian Bobby Condon on Twitter.
The issue appears to be a highly debated topic on social media, especially TikTok. Earlier this month another TikTok user gained viral attention after criticizing a business that suggested users “tip 25%, 35%, or 50%?”
More fast food news
*First Published: Apr 12, 2022, 5:56 pm CDT
Mikael Thalen is a tech and security reporter based in Seattle, covering social media, data breaches, hackers, and more.


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Huf has celebrated the grand opening of its new plant in China: Changchun Huf Automotive Lock Co. Ltd. is the 20th company within the Huf Group and the forth in China.
The decision to invest in the 16.700 square meter production site in the northeast automotive region of China was set when Europe was hit by recession and the automotive demand in China grew steadily at the same time.
Changchun Huf is equipped with plastic moulding and painting facilities as well as various assembly lines for production of keys, locking systems, door handles and steering column locks, which are especially supplying car manufacturers in the area. The new Huf subsidiary will unburden the older Huf subsidiary in Yantai, which used to supply the north Chinese market on its own but hit capacity limit. Besides this, the company will also work closely together with Shanghai Huf. Yantai Huf works on plastic moulding as well as dye casting and painting facilities, at Shanghai Huf one finds, besides plastic moulding and painting, also an electronic development centre, an electronic production is in the set-up.
“We are supplying with our products not only international car makers and joint ventures with production capacity in China but also Chinese car manufacturers. This year we received some very attractive orders,” explains Ulrich Huelsbeck, CEO Huf Group. Huf is one of the leading suppliers worldwide of passive-entry-systems many Chinese drivers are very fond of. There are 45 people employed at Changchun Huf at the moment, at the end of the year the number will grow up to 220.
The set-up of Changchun Huf is part of the internationalization strategy of automotive supplier Huf. Besides the expansion in China, a production plant in Mexico was set up last year. The site in Brazil is under construction to double production area, in India as well as Romania new plants are set up. More plants are in the USA, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain and Poland. At the parent company Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst GmbH & Co. KG in Velbert (Germany) about a quarter of the total 5.600 are employed. Huf Group reached a turnover of 847 Million Euro last year.


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Blog: Why chocolate makers should note changing M&A priorities at ADM
Dean Best | 16 April 2014
Potential cocoa deal had been set to create powerhouse to rival Barry Callebaut
US agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland had been looking to sell its cocoa and chocolate businesses - and had been in discussions with a suitor (reported to be Cargill) over a deal - but there have been some developments.
Last June, ADM confirmed it was in talks over a potential sale of its cocoa business. It did not confirm the interested party, although reports had claimed it was Cargill, another major international cocoa merchant.
The discussions - and link to Cargill - put food manufacturers on watch. Any combination of ADM and Cargill's cocoa businesses would have created a player better able to compete with world number one Barry Callebaut but would also have led to consolidation in the supply of the ingredient. Some estimated Barry Callebaut and a combined ADM/Cargill cocoa unit would have accounted for two-thirds of cocoa processing.
However, yesterday (15 April), ADM announced it had decided to hang on to the "majority" of its cocoa operations.
"We had extensive negotiations with a potential buyer regarding the sale of our global cocoa and chocolate business. In the end, we could not agree to an outcome that met ADM’s objectives," ADM chairman and CEO Patricia Woertz said.
When ADM confirmed it was in talks to sell its cocoa and chocolate units, analysts welcomed the move, pointing to the volatility of cocoa and, they argued, the better long-term prospects for the group's core grain operations.
There was also, industry watchers argued, the prospect that a combination of the cocoa and chocolate businesses of ADM and Cargill would have raised anti-trust concerns.
However, Woertz yesterday insisted the prospects for ADM's cocoa business were positive. "Over the last year or so, we've taken significant actions to improve our cocoa business, most notably by significantly reducing invested capital. At the same time, we have also seen industry conditions improve as crop supplies have returned to normal. Given improved underlying conditions and the success of our efforts to reduce capital intensity, we see a promising outlook for the cocoa press business and believe it will meet our returns objectives," Woertz said.
Nevertheless, ADM is looking to sell its chocolate operations, a smaller business than the cocoa processing arm. The company has chocolate manufacturing facilities in the US, the UK, Belgium and Germany. "ADM is moving ahead with a process to sell our global chocolate business while retaining most of our cocoa press operations. This approach will position ADM to realize the greatest overall value from these businesses," Woertz said.
The company has already appointed advisers to work on selling the chocolate arm, which supplies ingredients across sectors from confectionery and bakery, to dairy, drinks and desserts.
Growing demand for organic foods in the US is propelling sales in the sector. Organic products are moving from their niche to gain mainstream traction. Penetration is high - more than 80% of families ...
Arla Foods has acquired a stake in Brazilian dairy company Vigor Alimentos. ...
The health story of 2014 has been the debate over the impact sugar has on obesity. The issue hit the headlines in January and has stayed there, with only yesterday a study published in the UK calling ...
With demand for gluten-free on the rise, retailers in a number of countries have been building ranges of products to capitalise on a significant growth spot in challenging trading conditions. In the U...
France's fifth- and sixth-largest retailers, Auchan and Système U, are to team up on buying - with the companies to work together when dealing with international brands....
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The recent prohibition of MIT (Methylisothiazolinone) in all leave-on cosmetics marketed in the European Union triggered the start of public campaign in Russia. The campaign is led by the media project “LookBio” and the website ekokosmetika.ru. The aim of this campaign is to totally exclude MIT from child cosmetic products placed on the Russian market. A petition was created at the change.org that calls for Russian cosmetics manufacturer to replace MIT and another chemical called Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) with less harmful ingredients for child cosmetics.
MIT (often used in conjunction with MCI) which is linked to an increasing number of allergy reaction incidents during the past years, is still permitted for use in Russia (and within the Euroasian Economic Union) in any type of cosmetic products, including child cosmetics.
As at mid-July 2016, the results of the petition were considered “disappointing” since not all members of “natural cosmetic” manufacturer society not only refused to support the petition but even criticized the campaign organisers for choosing to target this particular chemical rather than a broader range of harmful chemicals.
Only 1278 people signed the petition but some results have been achieved. Thus, the Russian Perfumery and Cosmetics Association informed that the proposal to change the status of all preservatives in line with the changes in the EU legislation during 2011 – 2016 had been included into the draft Amendments No. 2 to the EEU Technical Regulation on the Safety of Perfumery and Cosmetic Products. It is expected that the preservatives which are potential allergens will be banned from EEU cosmetic products in the not-so-distant future.