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An article in today’s New York Times focuses on yet more studies extolling the importance of vitamin D3.
It begins: “People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to die from cancer and heart disease and to suffer from other illnesses, scientists reported in two large studies published on Tuesday.”
A 35 percent increased risk of death from heart disease and a 14 percent greater chance of death from cancer were noted with low vitamin D levels, as well as a “greater mortality risk overall.”
Supplements of vitamin D2 did not show a similar benefit in the research. “But vitamin D3 — which is the type found in fish and dairy products and produced in response to sunlight — had an 11 percent reduction in mortality from all causes, compared to adults who did not.” However, it is difficult to get adequate amounts from food.
This doesn’t mean everyone has low vitamin D levels and needs supplements, of course. See our article on testing vitamin D levels here.
Lack of exposure to sunlight in the West due to lifestyle habits and fear of skin cancer has played a role in decreasing levels of Vitamin D3, the “sunshine vitamin.” Our Western diets high in processed foods and unhealthful foods are also thought to be linked to the low levels of vitamin D, according to the researchers. While some are calling for more studies before making recommendations, chances are there won’t be enough of those to satisfy skeptics during our lifetime. So you need to make a decision now.
The article quotes Duffy MacKay, a spokesman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition who agreed that while research is needed to determine an optimal dose, “there is enough positive research currently to indicate that people should be supplementing with vitamin D for a variety of positive health outcomes.”
Of course, as always the advice is: Check with your doctor. But be sure your healthcare practitioner is knowledgeable about nutrient therapy, or the advice you receive could be misguided.
How should you get your vitamin D?
The Vitamin D Council provides an excellent guide on how to get vitamin D from sunlight and also gives advice on how much to take in supplement form. See this resource here.


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Is Disney going metaverse? Of course they are, but should they at this point? Joe and Robert discuss exactly what Disney needs to do (and, of course, they will be correct).
Miramax is suing Quentin Tarantino over his launch of "Pulp Fiction" NFTs. Joe believes there are major legal landmines here, while Robert believes it's all a marketing stunt.
Speaking of NFTs and marketing stunts, this Industry Dive article goes through what brands are doing now to take advantage of the NFT run. Phase 1 is all stunts and short-sighted marketing. Phase 2 will be all about utility.

domain: news


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Amazon Salon Heading to London
Amazon set to open a hair salon in London.
17:56 21 April 2021
Amazon has confirmed its move to open a hair salon in London's Spitalfields "in the coming weeks".
Amazon Salon, which is the first of its kind in the world, is to offer traditional services including basic cut and blow dries to both children and adults. It would be at the forefront of trials for the latest industry developments -- from augmented reality hair consultations to point-and-learn technology.
John Boumphrey, Amazon's UK manager, said: "We have designed this salon for customers to come and experience some of the best technology, hair care products and stylists in the industry.
"We want this unique venue to bring us one step closer to customers, and it will be a place where we can collaborate with the industry and test new technologies."
Amazon has partnered with Neville Hair & Beauty, an established London Salon, for this endeavour, which aims to support the professional beauty industry and innovation through a new kind of customer experience. There are currently no plans to expand the operation or even open abroad.


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In an era of near real-time social media feedback and increasing concern over modern slavery, the enduring safety of a brand for many businesses can depend on their suppliers. Therefore, contractors who can demonstrate the positive impacts they could have on their customers' brands may experience significant competitive differentiation.
Since the Modern Slavery Act came into force in 2015, the number of victims identified has grown year on year. Britain is home to at least 136,000 modern slaves, according to the Global Slavery Index by rights group Walk Free Foundation. Identifying and tackling forced labour in businesses and supply chains is vital to demonstrate that you’re compliant, ethical and managing the risks of vulnerability to exploitation.
From due diligence to risk assessment, contractors need to show that they’re safe to partner with and are transparent about the work they’re doing. Specific evidence of positive steps to tackle modern slavery can be offered as powerful supporting collateral in responding to tenders or to support periodic business reviews.
“Non-compliance can have a huge impact on reputation and business continuity, at a time when businesses are trying to build back and when having the capability to rely on your supply chain is essential.” Gemma Archibald, Alcumus Chief Operating Officer.
Why do these risks matter?
The UK is one of the biggest destinations in Europe for trafficking of workers for labour exploitation.
Businesses that fail to publish annual modern slavery statements – and ensure that they are accurate across the many tiers of their supply chains – are to face potential financial penalties in the UK under new measures announced in early 2021.
In 2019, some of Britain’s best-known supermarkets and retailers were exposed to selling goods from supply chains that used workers from the biggest human trafficking network yet exposed in the UK.
We want to make it simple for you to evidence that your business is compliant, ethical, and resilient and give your clients peace of mind about you to reduce risk in their supply chain. Discover how the SafeContractor SSIP and PAS91-aligned certification can help you demonstrate your capabilities.


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Now, two years after his election, Biden’s push is starting to pay off as more automakers opt to manufacture their EVs in the U.S., where companies have been offered favorable tax breaks and incentives at the federal and state levels.
As part of its economic plan, the Biden administration set aside $7.5 billion to build an extensive national network of EV chargers and also made investments in EV manufacturing by providing tax credits for those purchasing certain American-made EVs and boosting local chip-making capacity to aid the EV industry.
This led to heightened interest from American consumers, who can receive as much as $7,500 in tax credit for purchasing an EV assembled in the U.S.
Toyota will use batteries it makes in North Carolina to manufacture EVs in the Kentucky plant, keeping the process in the U.S. from end to end. The company hopes to produce about 10,000 electric SUVs a month by the end of 2025, and 200,000 EVs annually in the U.S. starting in 2026, according to Nikkei.
The factory in Kentucky will aim to boost Toyota’s role in EVs, where it has been a laggard. It is the world’s top automaker, but it produced just 24,000 EVs worldwide in 2022, compared with the 1.31 million Tesla delivered.
Not just Toyota
Toyota isn’t alone in its ambition to increase its EV footprint in the U.S. Ford was among the earliest companies to announce billions of dollars of investment in EV and battery production in Kentucky and Tennessee in 2021. The company expects to receive $7 billion in tax breaks between 2023 and 2026 from its EV operations.
More recently, EV pioneer Tesla is scaling back its battery-making operations in Germany to move “some production steps” to the U.S., Reuters reported Tuesday. The Austin-based company had initially planned to make entire batteries in Brandenburg, Germany, but has since decided to refocus on the U.S.
“The company has prioritized further production steps in the USA because tax incentives make business conditions more favorable there,” Brandenburg’s economy ministry said in a statement, according to Reuters.
While America strengthens its position as an EV manufacturing hub, some of its counterparts elsewhere aren’t warming up to the mission. South Korea last year called the U.S.’s push for domestically manufactured EVs a “betrayal” that could hurt its brands like Kia and Hyundai, which do not make such vehicles in the U.S.
The expansion has also ruffled feathers in China, where there is a massive appetite for EVs. Chinese carmaker BYD delivered 1.86 million cars in 2022, making it among the top car brands selling EVs. When Ford announced its partnership with Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology, Chinese authorities quickly scrutinized it to ensure there was no misuse of core technologies powering the vehicles.
Toyota and Tesla did not immediately return Fortune’s request for comment made outside regular operating hours.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
More from Fortune:
5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per year—all while working from home
Millennials’ average net worth: How the nation’s largest working generation stacks up against the rest
Looking for extra cash? Consider a checking account bonus
This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home


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New Website Launched By Apple For Showing Vibrancy Of Its App Store
Apple’s app store was labeled uncompetitive by many companies like Spotify and politicians like Elizabeth Warren. The company had some uncompetitive activities going on in its app store. Now, Apple came up with a website claiming their app store to be competitive and vibrant.
App store platform of the iPhones was accused for favoring its own apps over other apps. This was a limitation for iPhone users due to the lack of diverse apps. The company recently lost to Supreme Court in the matter of uncompetitive practices taking place on the app store platform. Apple now has displayed the apps that give tough competition to its own built in software and other services.
App developers are involved in making tools that regulate device addiction and family screen time raised their doubt about Apple for targeting their apps and removing them from the app store as they gave tough competition to Apple’s Screen Time application. This entire episode called for EU antitrust complaint stemming. Apple defended itself by accusing developers for misusing Apple software, meant for a different use. Thus, they were removed for privacy and security reasons. Apple further adds that the developers are given necessary instructions to make improvements in their apps, so that the apps can be accepted on the App store.
The developers are also complaining about the fees charged on the transactions that occur through the store. To this, Apple said that they are just collecting their commission whenever a good or service transaction takes place. Per week, 40% of the apps are rejected due to software bugs and safety issues. Apple’s review process is entirely dependent on human review inputs.
This page is posted just a week before Apple’s annual conference which will be taking place on June 3 at San Jose. Apple claims that last year, developers had earned $120 billion on the store platform.


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Posted: Monday, June 7, 2010 --- 4:15 a.m.
This is the time of year everyone is looking for a good deal at the local garage sale.
But in this morning's family first ... the number one item the experts want parents to shop for much more carefully.
When it comes to buying a car seat at a garage sale, and they're everywhere... it's crucial to know how old the seat is, if it's been in a crash, and if all the parts are working and in good shape.
Our local car seat expert from Dean Health says you really shouldn't even bother to buy one unless you know the person.
" If you know that family that you're stopping at their garage sale or if it's a family member, close friend, where you know it's been involved in a crash. That's the biggest question. You can ask that person when you stop at a garage sale ... but can you trust them? They might say no it's not been in a crash b/c they want the couple dollars that's been tagged on the seat. "
So if you're buying your neighbors or friends seat, look for a sticker that shows its age.
You can also very easily ... according to Sherri at Dean ... find a recall list to be sure that seat isn't on it.
Those are on websites like the national transportation safety administration.
The number one thing to check on is its age.
If it's more than 6 years old, the parts start to deteriorate so it should not be used to keep a child safe.


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Also in that month:
Why Unilever Really Bought Dollar Shave ClubBloombergDollar Shave Club hit the jackpot when Unilever agreed to buy the online men's razor merchant for $1 billion. Other e-commerce startups such as Birchbox and Stitch Fix can't necessarily expect their own suitor to sweep in with such sweet deals.
Microsoft, Morgan Stanley lift Dow, S&P to recordsReutersU.S. stocks rose on Wednesday, with the Dow and the S&P 500 hitting fresh records, as Microsoft's strong results boosted optimism regarding the health of quarterly earnings. Also helping stocks was a reversal in oil prices, with Brent crude up nearly 1 ...
Wall Street Journal
Luke Ellis, the New Man in Charge at Man GroupWall Street JournalFor Luke Ellis, the top job at the world's largest listed hedge-fund firm has been a long time coming. Mr. Ellis will replace longtime friend Manny Roman at the helm of Man Group MNGPY 0.00 % PLC, which manages $78.6 billion in assets, later this year.
Abbott sales beat on higher demand for medical devicesReutersAbbott Laboratories reported a better-than-expected 3.2 percent rise in quarterly sales, helped by strength in its medical device business. Sales in the medical device division rose 6.4 percent to $1.37 billion in the second quarter, driven primarily ... |


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Tonderai Rutsito Tech Spot
TelOne new billing system has raised the ire of some of their customers most of whom had been used to getting more internet access beyond what they had paid for.
Insiders said the move by the telecoms company, which recently doubled its access speeds, was meant to address serious revenue leakages caused by the old system.
“The old system billed users per capacity of data used charged on the basis of calendar days meaning a client would continuously use the data even after hitting the data cap and the system would disconnect after calendar days have been reached,” said one of the insiders.
The new system powered by Huawei is now based on usage resulting in the outcry of its clients who now feel that they being overcharged by TelOne.
However TelOne believes that the new system is beneficial to its clients as internet access speeds have doubled
“Access speeds across our packages have almost doubled and we are seeing tremendous improvement on data transfer and our clients have been experiencing these changes for the past three weeks as we seek to offer the best service provision”, said Telone
TelOne said that they have done enough tests to make sure that it is properly billing to give a correct reflection.
This has also resulted in faster rates, which naturally means data speeds have increased hence bandwidth usage will be significantly faster.
Their facebook page has been bombarded by complaints of customers who are failing to understand the transition.
A culture shift from the timeline based billing system will be a major challenge for TelOne as their clients are not going to easily accept the new billing system.
To its credit TelOne has introduced bonus promotion for the next three months which will give clients double data for whatever package they purchase as a way of cushioning them from the changes as they prepare them for the new system.
The system notifies the client that he/she has already used up their initial data purchased and they are now using the bonus data, and TelOne hopes this will install a new behaviour data usage change amongst their clients.
One way that customers can maximise their usage is to ensure that they switch off software that consumes a lot of data on mobile phones.
Apple, Android and Windows devices are designed to automatically download data on the back ground to update their software programs to keep them secure or avail the most recent features to the user.
These are settings which the user should manually adjust so that they do not waste the useful data on application or software updates that they do not necessarily need
By simply turning off services like background updates and location service which continuously updates Google servers and other third party software on your new location, one can save more than 75 percent of total usage.
Windows has automatic updates which takes up quite a chunk of gigabytes and it is best to keep it switched off.
Besides data usages, on mobile devices these services are the top most power consuming services which drains your battery by 50 percent so it comes as a bonus to simply switch them off when you don’t want to use them.
An insider divulged that the new system has resulted in them collecting their monthly revenue in only two weeks since its installation and they foresee better returns in the long run.
- The writer is the editor for TechnoMag ,Zimbabwe`s Premiere Technology Magazine, More In full videos from www.technomag.co.zw follow us on our social platforms Twitter: @TechnoMagZw, Facebook: www.facebook.com/technomagzw


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Rawlings Endorses Ghana Rice
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has endorsed the Ghana rice brand as stakeholders in the sector called on him to support the campaign to consume rice produced in Ghana.A delegation of key players within the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB) visited Mr. Rawlings at his office on Friday, December 20, 2019, in Accra.
The visit aimed at seeking his support for the promotion and marketing of Ghana rice.The delegation briefed Mr. Rawlings about the prospects, challenges of Ghana rice millers, farmers and marketers.
Rice brands from Keta in the Volta Region were presented to Mr. Rawlings.Nana Adjei Ayeh II, President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body told Mr. Rawlings “we know you are a very good advocate of made in Ghana products.”
He informed the former military ruler that there were over 20 rice brands in Ghana now.In response, Mr. Rawlings lauded the works of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body and the rice consortium in promoting the consumption of Ghana rice.
He, however, encouraged them to take advantage of the Year of Return initiative to introduce their rice brands to the international community.He also urged them not to be carried away by the quality of foreign rice brands but rather remain resolute in their campaign.


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Network security vendor WatchGuard Technologies has reached an agreement with Sydney-based Bluechip Infotech to be its third Australian distributor, joining Dicker Data and Exclusive Networks.
The vendor said the appointment came in response to increased demand from small and medium businesses, mid-market and distributed enterprises, while it also looks to further build its channel in Australia.
“WatchGuard is looking to increase sales in Australia this year and our relationship with all three distributors is a key part of that overall growth strategy,” WatchGuard Technologies ANZ regional director Mark Sinclair said.
“Expanding our channel focus to reach more SMB and mid-market enterprise customers with Bluechip Infotech and its channel network of managed service providers will help us accelerate growth moving forward.”
He added that Bluechip’s online marketplace will help deliver and manage the demand of its products to the distributor’s managed service provider client base.
WatchGuard will also provide access to its Learning Centre via its partner portal, in addition to sales training, certification programs and marketing resources.
“WatchGuard’s addition to the Bluechip Infotech business will strengthen our overall offering in the network security space and reinforce our position and ability to service the Australian SMB and mid-market business sector,” Bluechip managing director Johnson Hsiung said.
“We are also excited about the market opportunity which WatchGuard will provide to both our resellers and managed service providers who are always looking for innovative and new solutions to meet changing customer demands.”


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Israel Chamber of Commerce in China Launches Tel Aviv Office
IsCham is a nonprofit organization launched in 2008 in Beijing with the intention of promoting trade relations between China, Israel, and Jewish people around the world
The development of trade relations between Israel and China is only just beginning, Ariel Briskin, the general manager of the Israel Chamber of Commerce in China (IsCham), said Tuesday.
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IsCham is a nonprofit organization launched in 2008 in Beijing to promote trade relations between China, Israel, and Jewish people around the world.
Beijing. Photo: Shutterstock
Briskin spoke at the inauguration ceremony of IsCham’s office in Tel Aviv. The two countries had established diplomatic and trade relations 25 years ago, including mutual investments, infrastructure projects, and export and import agreements, but the relationship holds a much greater potential, he said.
The opening of the Tel Aviv office represents a new dawn for the relationship between China and Israel, said at the event Nechemia (“Chemi”) Peres, co-founding partner at Israel-based venture capital firm Pitango Venture Capital. His father, the late Israeli President Shimon Peres, launched IsCham over a decade ago in an effort to nurture the academic and commercial collaborations between the countries, Peres said.
Israelis tend to think of the U.S. as the main market for growth, said Tal Badt, former director of business development for X-Lab, a startup incubator operated by Tsinghua University in Beijing. However, it is vital for Israeli companies, especially those dealing with artificial intelligence and medtech, to consider China as a potential market, she added. With the increase in income of China’s immense population comes a broader market and a thirst for new solutions to local problems, she explained.
- Israel May Soon Have to Choose Between The U.S. and China, Says LeumiTech CEO
- Chips, Electronics Components Exports From Israel to China Nearly Doubled in 2018
- China Blasts U.S. Over Warnings on Israeli Infrastructure Projects
Companies must be present in China in order to succeed in the local market, said Zvi Shalgo, founder and chairman of PTL Group, a Shanghai-headquartered management company that helps clients establish a local presence in China. The ability to communicate the technology and business model and getting immediate feedback is crucial, especially when planning joint investments with local partners, he explained.
It is also important to understand the different business culture in China, said Yaniv Rosenzweig, chief financial officer for Asia Pacific at Israeli drip-irrigation company Netafim Ltd. Despite being a pioneer and world leader in its field, Netafim previously failed in China and had to shut down several factories there, Rosenzweig said. Thanks to local organizations and a better mastering of the local market, Netafim changed its business model in the country and grew significantly in the past few years, he added.


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I heard about it on NPR this weekend while on a mini road trip, but you may have already heard about it from a number of news sources or even Facebook. Babyccinos are a trend, it would seem, or at least a trending search term. As I did some digging, it seems that such things have existed in Australia and London for a while. In the U.S. it may be most popular in Brooklyn, I cannot say it is completely unheard of here in the midwest either. Babyccinos are coffee-like beverages intended for very young children. There are different versions that have been discussed some with steamed milk, some with honey, and some with a shot of decaf espresso. While babyccinos may be a trend that is over reported, the danger cannot be overstated.
1. Espresso – Even decaffeinated espresso or decaffeinated coffee is not free of caffeine; the amount of caffeine has just been reduced. The effects of caffeine on children will be exaggerated due to their small size, and as anyone who has ever had to skip their morning coffee knows, caffeine is a drug without which withdrawal symptoms will be experienced. At what age do you really want to introduce that to your children? It is also important to note that to remove caffeine from coffee beans a chemical solvent must be used. (more…)
According to a test run by Food Safety News, a vast majority of the honey lining grocery store shelves may not actually be honey.
Results of the study showed that the pollen typically found in honey is often filtered out through a high-tech procedure called ultra-filtering. Without this pollen, it’s difficult to identify where the honey in question originated from and whether it is in its purest form. From plastic bears to jugs and jars, it can be a real challenge to identify which products are your best bet. To help you out, here are a few guidelines to help you select real honey every time:
What you need to know
With a vast majority of our honey being ultra-filtered, it’s important to know what that means. In some instances, it may mean that there is indeed very minimal amounts of real honey present within the product; however, in most cases it most likely means that the purity of the honey isn’t as clear cut as you thought it might be. According to the study done by Food Safety News, most of the honey lining our grocery store shelves have had their pollen removed. In fact, 76-100% of the samples retrieved from some of America’s biggest grocery store chains tested negative for pollen.
This month is National Honey Month and it just so happens that this week, we’re all about honey. Between the Jewish New Year, which includes a tradition of dipping apples in honey for a “sweet” New Year to First Lady Michelle Obama’s honey beehive at the white house, we just can’t get enough. Plus, there is just no denying that the sweet sugar alternative has some astounding health benefits.
According to the National Honey Board, Americans consume nearly 1.5 pounds of honey per year annually. While honey is certainly not new, it has recently gained popularity as a healthy alternative to sugar. At 60 calories per tablespoon, honey offers a number of advantages.
Honey has been used to treat different ailments for thousands of years, but recently raw honey has been getting a lot of attention. It’s being touted for its nutritional benefits, its antibacterial properties and its ability to treat allergies. But are these claims too good to be true?
Raw honey, which is unprocessed and is as close to its natural state in the hive as possible, is a source of polyphenol, a rich antioxidant that may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. According to WebMD, a small study showed that people who ate four tablespoons had higher levels of antioxidants in their blood.
While you shouldn’t get plastered in the first place, we all know that New Year’s Eve is one of those occasions where many of us will overindulge. That means many of us will also start 2011 groggy and out of it.
There have been many hangover cures touted over the years, with most of them being mere quackery. Some swear by greasy food like a sausage and egg biscuit, or just grab some coffee.
According to scientists, the best option (besides just waiting it out and drinking water) is toast and a healthy scoop of honey. Hangovers happen when the body converts alcohol into the toxic chemical called acetaldehyde, but the fructose in honey helps the body break down alcohol into a harmless byproduct. Toast adds potassium and sodium, which apparently also help.


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International hotel group Accorhotels has announced an expanded partnership with meetings, events and hospitality technology company Cvent.
Accorhotels will now utilise Cvent’s Business Transient solutions exclusively across its more than 4,500 hotels worldwide to manage its corporate travel programmes.
The two brands will also collaborate on the creation of new technology for hospitality professionals.
The Business Transient tools allow hotels to manage their RFP process, market to corporate travel buyers and improve operational efficiency.
Kathleen Garcia, vice president of sales for Cvent’s Hospitality Cloud, said: “Accorhotels, one of Europe’s most recognised hospitality brands, has embraced this opportunity to grow their corporate travel programmes across their thousands of hotels, and we are proud to be their exclusive business travel management solution. We look forward to supporting their continued success and working as a trusted partner to help them grow their MICE and corporate travel business worldwide.”
Agathe Fabron, VP of business travel and meetings and events at Accorhotels, added: “We have worked with Cvent for ten years and our properties have been very satisfied with the seamless workflow of Cvent tools both on MICE and corporate travel business. Many of our properties have been using Cvent Business Transient for their travel needs and the positive impact we have seen thus far made the decision to roll it out worldwide very easy. We look forward to continuing this long-standing relationship and to work hand-in-hand with the Cvent team to drive our corporate travel business, and the industry, forward.”


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Sunglasses have long been an essential fashion accessory for people stepping out into the sun, particularly at this time of year when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds and dazzles us.
However, too many people are unaware that sunglasses also play a key role in helping to protect us from the dangers of the sun, including the harsh UV rays that can cause a number of health problems.
This was recently highlighted by the Express Tribune, which pointed out that sunglasses wearers can look good while also protecting their eyes, as long as they opt for quality products.
As it explained: "Wearing cheap generic sunglasses does not help - in fact, it can be severely counterproductive. With no UV blocking coating on the cheap sunglasses, one inevitably absorbs more UV radiation than if they were sunglasses-free."
According to eyecare authorities, people should always opt for sunglasses that block 95 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB rays, as this can help to safeguard their eyes when out and about.


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The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017 is proposed bipartisan legislation that was introduced on Tuesday, August 1 to ensure that IoT devices are as secure as possible, according to a press release from Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).
Sens. Warner and Cory Gardner (R-CO), with co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus and with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT) drafted this bill to ensure that any IoT devices that belong to the U.S. government and its citizens meets a number of security requirements.
This bill requires that vendors provide IoT services that are patchable, that are without any known security weaknesses, follow standard protocols, and don’t have hard-coded passwords that are impossible to change. If vulnerabilities in an IoT device are discovered, the device’s creator must disclose any problems and provide an explanation as to why their device is still secure even if it possesses these vulnerabilities.
There are IoT botnets lurking out in the open looking to take over unprotected IoT devices. One infamous instance of malware used to disrupt service is the Mirai botnet, which first revealed itself in 2016. Botnets—groups of computing devices that can be controlled from a single source—can be used to carry out distributed denial of services (DDoS) attacks, according to a report from Wired. Computers can be installed with anti-virus software to protect their contents, but there is no equivalent for routers or for webcams.
This proposed legislation should alleviate threats like Mirai, and is supported by a number of experts, including some from Harvard University, Mozilla, Symantec, TechFreedom and the Center for Democracy and Technology.
“The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act presents a reasonable mechanism to help prevent catastrophic attacks involving federal connected devices and encourage better security throughout the ecosystem,” said Austin Carson, executive director of TechFreedom.
Michelle Richardson, the deputy director of the Freedom, Security and Technology Project, Center for Democracy and Technology, said “we urgently need to start securing the Internet of Things, and starting with the government’s own devices is an important first step.”
It is expected that there will be 20 million IoT devices by 2020, and these devices will have amazing capabilities, but will be faced with security concerns.


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Fred’s strong 2015 continues with October, Q3, YTD sales results
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Fred’s has had a good year so far, according to its sales results from October, Q3 so far and the year-to-date the company released Thursday — with pharmacy and specialty pharmacy playing key roles in its sales growth
The company’s comparable store sales rose 2.3% in October, a reversal from the 1.4% drop it saw in the same period last year, and sales rose 13% in October to $164.4 million. October’s sales increases would have been higher (17%) if the company were to exclude 2014 sales from 47 stores it has since closed.
“We are pleased to report that comparable store sales growth for October tracked with our expectations,” Fred’s CEO Jerry Shore said. “These results reflected continued strong top-line growth in our retail and specialty pharmacy departments and ongoing positive trends in general merchandise sales, with a balanced mix across all categories. Halloween sales were a key driver of general merchandise performance in October.”
For Fred’s third quarter so far, sales have risen 14% over last year to $541.2 million and comps rose 2.7% for the quarter. In terms of the company’s numbers to-date, it has netted $1.596 billion in sales — a 9% increase over last year’s first nine months. And where the company saw a 0.5% comps decrease in the first three-quarters of 2014, its comps have grown 1.5% this year so far.
“Looking at the third quarter for a broader perspective, we saw clear momentum throughout all lines of business," Shore sad. “Specialty pharmacy sales of EntrustRx drove the strong total sales increase, while retail pharmacy department sales and scripts improved over the second quarter as we continue to implement the initiatives developed by our internal resources and A. T. Kearney.”
As the company heads into the holiday season and Q4, Shore said Fred’s is aiming to optimize its operations and finish the fiscal year with a strong financial showing.
Costco’s October sales steady in U.S., down in Canada over 2014
ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco on Thursday announced its October sales results, which showed a 1% increase over the same period last year, as well as a 1% increase for the nine weeks ended Nov. 1 over the same period last year.
For the month, the company saw $8.78 billion in net sales and $19.53 billion over the nine weeks. Though Costco’s U.S. sales saw a slight increase, its Canadian stores saw an 8% decrease in comparable sales for the month and a 9% decline over nine weeks. Much of the decrease seems to be from the effect of gasoline price deflation and foreign exchange, as without those factors, the company’s Canadian sales were up 10% for both the month and the nine weeks.
In addition to its 482 U.S. locations, 90 Canadian locations and 138 global locations, Costco plans to open nine new warehouses before the end of 2015.
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One of the problems with some of today’s virtual reality (VR) headsets is that they are required to be tethered to either a computer or a console, like the PlayStation 4. This does limit mobility in terms of actually moving around the room, and also taking the headset with you on the go, which is why it was exciting to hear that HTC might have a standalone headset in the works.
It was then suggested that the headset could be announced on the 14th of November, and sure enough it looks like the reports were true as HTC has officially announced their latest standalone VR headset – the HTC Vive Focus. According to HTC, “Vive Focus offers enhanced comfort for extended use, easy on-off capabilities, and is the first commercial standalone device to deliver inside-out 6-degree-of-freedom tracking (6DoF) which Vive calls “world-scale”.”
The headset will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and will utilize HTC’s Vive Wave VR open platform, which is a new VR platform announced by HTC and will see twelve hardware partners in China take advantage of it by integrating it into future products. Unfortunately it seems that for now, the HTC Vive Focus will be focused (pun unintended) on the Chinese market.
There is no word on whether HTC will bring the Vive Focus to other markets, and if you remember HTC initially had plans for a Daydream version of the HTC Vive Focus intended for Western markets, but HTC has since confirmed that those plans have been scrapped.


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The battle over Brexit spills onto the streets of London on Saturday when many thousands of people are expected to march through London to demand a new referendum just as parliament decides the fate of Britain's departure from the European Union.
Reuters | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 23:08:48
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The upcoming Commons vote on Boris Johnson's new Brexit deal dominates Saturday's front pages.
SAM EDELMAN WOMENS SANDALS GLADIATIOR LEATHER GATSBY STUDED gold NATURAL NEW BBC | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 22:38:46
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Al Jazeera | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:54:54
Prime Minister Boris Johnson puts his last-minute Brexit deal to a vote in an extraordinary sitting of the British parliament on Saturday, a day of reckoning that could decide the course of the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.
Reuters | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:36:02
Offer of votes on matching EU standards post-Brexit in last-ditch bid to secure opposition support
FT | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:30:57
Britain's exit from the European Union hung on a knife-edge on Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrambled to persuade doubters to rally behind his last-minute European Union divorce deal in an extraordinary vote in parliament.
Reuters | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:18:23
The deputy chairman of the ERG group of Brexiteer Conservative lawmakers Mark Francois will back Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, Sky News reported on Friday.
Reuters | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:18:16
Barclays, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche order staff to prepare for gyrations on market opening
FT | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 21:00:33
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Craig Erlam / OANDA | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:49:33
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Governor of the Bank of England says deal takes away the threat of a 'disorderly' Brexit.
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Al Jazeera | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:29:44
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent Friday attempting to drum up support for his Brexit deal, telling lawmakers there's "no better outcome." A vote in the House of Commons is set for Saturday, in the first weekend gathering since the 1982 Falklands invasion. Britain is due to leave the European ...
IBTimes | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:19:56
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The dollar headed for its worst week in almost four months on Friday, pummelled by sterling and euro rallies driven by a deal on Britain's departure from the European Union, while China's weakest growth in nearly three decades weighed on equities.
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After a week of intense diplomacy with the EU, Boris Johnson brokered a new withdraw...
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Bank of England governor says 'flexible' British economy will cope with life outside EU The Brexit deal agreed between London and Brussels will boost growth and could be a turning point for the global economy, the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has said. In an interview with ...
Larry Elliott Economics editor / Guardian | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:28:59
Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a Brexit showdown with parliament on Saturday after clinching a last-minute divorce deal with the European Union that his Northern Irish allies oppose.
Reuters | Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:26:00
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Vodafone plays the waiting game
WHEN it comes to expanding Vodafone's French coverage, new chief executive Arun Sarin seems ready to play it softly.
Like his predecessor Sir Chris Gent, Sarin is keen to acquire the 56% of France's second-biggest mobile operator, SFR, that Vodafone does not already own. But that ambition is, for the moment, blocked by Jean-Rene Fourtou, chief executive of ailing French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal, which owns the rest.
Gent tried to mop up SFR a year ago with a £9bn buyout offer. Fourtou thought that was too low and exercised a pre-emption clause to acquire 26% from British Telecom for e4bn (£2.8bn), thus winning control. Vodafone gained only 15% from US operator SBC.
Fourtou gave Sarin fresh hope this month when he mulled demerging Vivendi's telecoms arm, which also includes 35% of up-and-coming Maroc Telecom.
Fourtou has now ruled out a demerger until 2005 at least but, behind the scenes, the links between SFR and Vodafone are getting ever closer. SFR, which has 13.6m customers and a 35.3% share of the French mobile market, collaborates with Vodafone in handset purchasing.
It sells its French customers the Vodafone Card, which opens up internet and message services to mobile users. When Fourtou met French Finance Minister Francis Mer this month to discuss kick-starting European telecoms, Sarin was there too.
Fourtou acknowledges that the future of SFR lies with Vodafone, the British-based world mobile leader which last year had revenues of £30.4bn. This week, he said: 'We are part of the Vodafone family.'
French analysts say that Vivendi remains undervalued at e16.9bn, and note that its telecoms arm, with operating profits of e1.27bn on revenues of e4.3bn, accounted for almost all first-half group operating profits.
Vodafone, with net debt of £13.8bn, could afford a break-up bid for Vivendi but Sarin's business is telecoms, not demergers. An agreement that prevents Vodafone buying Vivendi shares expires on 30 January next year but Sarin will wait until Vivendi's media debris is cleared. For now, he prefers to draw SFR ever-closer, and let Fourtou tidy up the rest for him.
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If you've been to California's wine-making regions, then chances are you've heard the name Opus One. Chances are much slimmer, however, that you've actually been inside the landmark, white limestone winery. After all a tasting will set you back $45 for just the current vintage and if you actually want to tour the facilities? Well, that will cost you $75.
The point is that Opus One is a pretty exclusive, fancy-schmancy winery -- which still isn't stopping chef Matt Carter from kicking off his new tasting menus at The House Brasserie with an Opus One wine-paired dinner this Friday.
Starting this weekend Carter will be offering a Chef's Tasting Menu at his Old Town Scottsdale restaurant every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until Mother's Day. The menus will change from week to week but will always be offered with an additional House wine pairing. On some occasions, like this weekend, there also will be a winemaker on hand to offer a specific winemaker pairing.
The House is also now offering every single wine on their menu -- including reserve wines -- by the glass. The Opus One paired menu this weekend is Carter's way of proving just how dedicated he is to offering customers top-notch wines.
So this Friday, at The House Opus One will be celebrating the release of its 2011 vintage, as well as the public release of its new wine, Overture. It will be the first time the wine is available outside the Oakville winery.
The menu will include top-notch ingredients such as Atlantic Turbot, caviar, Burgundian truffles, and a golden grade rib eye cap.
The tasting menu will be available throughout the weekend during normal dinner hours (5 - 10 p.m.) and will cost $95. The Opus release dinner will be on Friday, October 3 with the first seating at 7:30 p.m. and will cost $250 for the full dinner and both wines. A House wine pairing will also be available for $30.
In the future, the goal will be to keep the Chef's Tasting Menu with wine pairings around the $100 mark.
For reservations call 480-634-1600 or visit The House Brasserie website.


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The Christian Science Monitor tells us that Tourism rises globally, but not to U.S. The article notes that "In fact, the annual number of foreign visitors to the US is about 2 million lower than in 2000, leading travel-industry experts to figure that from 2000 to 2007, the US economy took a hit of about $150 billion." Security trumps tourism.
The article quotes Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association about the reasons there are far fewer foreign visitors to trade shows:
On a recent trip to China, Mr. Shapiro met the owner of a chain of 1,200 electronics stores who said he'd love to visit the Las Vegas show – but can't get a visa. While Shapiro may not know why that particular visa request was denied, he does know about the process a Chinese businessperson, tourist, or student has to go through to get a visa.
As he describes it, the applicant must first get to the US Embassy or a city with a US consulate, wait in what can be a long line, and pay a $100 application fee, giving a full accounting of all financial assets. The applicant must then return to the embassy or consulate for a two-minute interview that results in approval for a visa or rejection.
Foreign students face a similar problem. That's probably going to be the next local headline when the regulations are finalized.
There's certainly a connection to the Marines moving to Guam, with some spillover expected to the Northern Marianas. China and Russia are hardly hotbeds of terrorism, though some Chechens have been among the 'foreign fighters' in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military security, visa fraud and other criminal activity are more likely to be the "security concerns" cited in the proposed regulations.
As I so persuasively argued in Immigrate Expectations, the CNMI is likely to get lost in national immigration issues. From recent discussions on ILW.COM, it appears that Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation is very likely early in the next U.S. Congress. Any exceptions for Guam and the CNMI would be seen as precedents and it's hard to see bureaucrats sticking their necks out in that political climate.
Maybe the Governor can bring it up if he meets President-elect Barack Obama while attending the inauguration.
Okay, my tongue is firmly in cheek on that one.


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Pakistan is a founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization.
Its participation was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which oversees multilateral cooperation on issues relating to the digital economy.
The Government of Pakistan has long viewed its domestic IT sector as a vital component of its industrial strategy. It was identified as one of the key levers for economic growth in the ‘Digital Pakistan Policy’ and in the broader ‘Pakistan Vision 2025’, resulting in major investments in the country’s digital ecosystem. Subsequent cross-government projects and initiatives spanning R&D, technical education, infrastructure development, regulatory reform, and international marketing have helped to establish the country as a technology hub, with an advanced workforce and rapidly growing start-up community.
- In 2014, the Government of Pakistan unveiled ‘Pakistan Vision 2025’, a blueprint for developing the country’s economy.
- In 2018, the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications launched the ‘Digital Pakistan Policy’.
- In 2018, Alibaba acquired Pakistan-based Daraz for $194m.
- In 2019, Pakistan’s technical training institutions produced 20,000 IT and engineering graduates.
- In 2021, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information Technology (MOITT) published a revised draft for consultation on the Personal Data Protection Bill.
- In 2021, Pakistan’s SadaPay was projected to be the fastest-growing mobile wallet in the world by 2025.
- In 2021, funding for Pakistani startups reached $300m.
- In 2022, Bazaar, a Pakistani digital retail start-up raised $70m in Series B funding.
- In 2022, the Federal Cabinet approved Pakistan’s first National Cloud Policy, which included collaborations with Amazon and Google to provide large-scale cloud services.
The holistic policy approach put forward in ‘Pakistan Vision 2025’ sought to address infrastructure deficiencies that had exacerbated a digital divide between citizens.
With mobile services becoming the primary channel for citizens to access public and private services, entities including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) collaborated on projects to increase access to high-quality connectivity and digital services.
Meanwhile, digital skills training leveraged the country’s demographics. With over 60% of its population aged 15-29, young students have been channeled through its many prestigious technical schools, academies, and universities. Over 20,000 IT graduates and engineers now move into the workforce each year, many of whom take up jobs in one of the 2000+ IT companies located in the country.
Policymakers also stepped in to foster an internationally competitive business environment. Incentives to bolster growth include 100% equity ownership, 100% repatriation of capital/dividends, tax exemption on IT & ITeS export revenues, tax exemptions to startups and subsidized Software Technology Parks. New regulations have also been implemented to promote the digital transformation of key sectors such as financial services. These have included the Electronic Money Institution License and The Raast Instant Payment System.
Access to capital, previously cited as a major drag on Pakistan’s start-up success, has also been addressed. A fast-growing ecosystem of investors such as Indus Valley Capital have emerged, offering funding and practical advice on scaling internationally. Over $350m in VC funding was raised by Pakistani start-ups in 2021, the majority of this went to e-commerce companies who have benefited from exploding mobile penetration rates and 4g infrastructure. This has led to increasing success in related industries such as fintech, transport and logistics, with most of the deals taking place in accelerator, pre-seed, and seed stages.
Consequently, it is no surprise that major international investors and multi-national tech firms are eyeing the large growth potential in Pakistan. Alibaba’s move into the market has underlined the scale of the retail opportunity, while Sequoia’s recent investment in fintech startup Dbank was a clear sign of the white space available for digital services.
The DCO Center of Excellence for Cross-Border Data Flows is a think tank focused on cross-border data flows. Through research, knowledge…
Celebrating digital advancement through innovation with the Digital Prosperity Award
Observatory for Digital
The DCO Observatory for Digital Empowerment is a recognition by the DCO member states that current cultural, societal, economic and regulatory…
STRIDE is a DCO initiative facilitating the expansion of small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) and innovation driven enterprises (IDEs) through the…
IMPACT advocates for a multilateral partnership framework that facilitates the adoption of digital solutions, promotes knowledge sharing…
The Digital Cooperation Organization Startup Guides initiative is an unparalleled resource designed to empower foreign entrepreneurs and facilitate the startup establishment process as they embark on the transformative journey of expanding their companies across the DCO Member States.


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According to a recent survey from FedEx Corp and the American Red Cross, slightly more than half of small businesses have not practiced evacuations or other emergency drills. Nearly half haven’t even discussed employee roles in the event of some type of crisis or disaster.
Disasters could come in the form of an area-wide crisis like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or floods, or they could be localized, as in the event of a fire, accident or theft that only affects one business.
40 percent of small businesses do not believe they could recover within 6 months if their business was completely destroyed while 29 percent of those surveyed, or less than a third, think they are prepared if a disaster disrupts their business for just one month.
Many small businesses would suffer even if a disaster didn’t affect the business itself. Employees who suffer personal losses, as in the case of a tornado or other disaster, might be unable to return to a normal work schedule for some time. Employers need to have disaster plans for their businesses, but they also should take steps to encourage employees to create disaster preparedness plans for their homes and families.
The survey found that 77 percent of small businesses would be more likely to prepare for disaster if they had access to educational materials.
On the one year anniversary of the Joplin, Missouri tornado, FedEx and The Red Cross have teamed up to host a virtual roundtable to share their expertise on preparedness for small businesses. On May 22, the roundtable will feature experts from FedEx, The Red Cross, and the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and will be hosted online on the FedEx Facebook page.
After one year in Joplin, 161 lives lost and 545 businesses destroyed or severely damaged, there are 116 businesses that have still not reopened.


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Tuesday, February 7, 2017
For all cigar lovers, Turquoise Cigar Lounge will offer the world’s premium cigars to impress even the most seasoned aficionados.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Start the Year of the Rooster with an unforgettable culinary journey through Szechuan, China at Hong, the authentic Chinese restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
In celebration of the fifth anniversary of The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, the palatial landmark hotel in Riyadh is offering its discerning guests a special weekend package perfect for families, friends and professionals who want to spend a royal staycation in the capital.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Badr Alshaya joined The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh as the new Director of Sales & Marketing. In his role, Badr will oversee the marketing and sales strategy of one of the kingdom’s most iconic luxury hotels.
Friday, September 30, 2016
At The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh, there is a dining and drink revolution taking place.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh announced the re-launch of authentic Chinese restaurant Hong, bringing back traditional Chinese flavours and dishes to the kingdom’s capital with Chef de Cuisine, Peter Li.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh welcomed Chef Peter Li as the new Chef De Cuisine at the hotel, enhancing the hotel’s fine dining offering.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Families and young explorers may feed their imaginations this summer at The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh with offering a specially curated package that blends immersive Ritz Kids activities, unique to the destination, with inspiring experiences, created with the family traveler at the core.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh invites families to break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan at The Ritz VIP Lounge, an exclusive experience for families and friends to enjoy the time of togetherness in a luxurious setting.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh announced the appointment of Juraj Kalna as the new Executive Chef of the luxury property.


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The government-backed eNaira, meant as a hedge against inflation, hasn’t converted crypto users and has been hindered by limited internet access.
In 2021, Nigeria became the first African country, and the second in the world, to introduce a government-backed digital currency: the eNaira. At the time of its launch, the governor of Nigeria’s central bank said the currency had drawn “overwhelming interest and encouraging response.” The government believed it would boost financial inclusion, improve the security of digital transactions, and enhance local and cross-border trade, among other benefits.
Nearly 18 months on, however, eNaira has failed to achieve any of those goals. In fact, digital currency users in Nigeria are now questioning why it even exists.
“The eNaira isn’t as sophisticated, independent, and flexible as the regular cryptocurrencies,” Abdulrahman Akanni, a crypto user, told Rest of World. “It couldn’t compete, and so, was dead on arrival. A layman’s analogy will be the government asking me to drive a 2000 Corolla and abandon the latest model of Mercedes-Benz that I can afford. That is just not possible.”
As of October 2022, fewer than 1.15 million Nigerians, or roughly under 0.5% of the country’s population, had used eNaira, according to Bloomberg. Earlier this month, officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) told reporters that only about 1.4 million transactions had been conducted on the eNaira platform since its inception.
In 2017, CBN had warned commercial banking institutions against dealing with cryptocurrency assets. The eNaira had been the government’s answer to crypto. Yet, between January 2021 and June 2022, transaction figures for the eNaira were dwarfed by the 497.35 billion naira ($1.16 billion) worth of bitcoin that Nigerians traded on popular peer-to-peer platform Paxful. Crypto assets, whether government-issued or not, have witnessed a steep decline globally in recent times. This has led some investors to lose interest in digital currencies. But the reasons for eNaira’s unpopularity go beyond this slide.
Unlike bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, the eNaira is issued and regulated by a government authority. It is the digital equivalent of the fiat naira, not a financial asset in itself. Its use is limited to select platforms and merchants.
“The fact that the product was government-led caused trust in it to be significantly low,” Abiola Gbemisola, equity researcher at Lagos-based asset management firm FBNQuest, told Rest of World. “People don’t trust the government to hand over their financial transaction information directly to them.”
For many Nigerians, cryptocurrencies are a way to hedge against rising inflation, a depreciating local currency, and restrictive regulations around foreign transactions. But Akanni questioned the eNaira’s relevance to the country’s youth. “To the young population, the typical crypto users who have access to the internet and to whom the eNaira is supposed to appeal, eNaira more or less does the same thing as their bank applications,” he said. “So why would they switch when there are no special incentives for them to do so?”
So far, eNaira has mostly been used for the government’s social welfare programs, which require recipients to create wallets to access funds. These programs are responsible for at least 4 million eNaira wallets, according to CBN governor Godwin Emefiele.
In January 2023, a report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) acknowledged that the adoption of the eNaira by households and merchants has been slow. While the initial uptake was good, fewer people have been signing up on the eNaira platform, with only 0.8% of bank accounts and about 10% of merchants using it, IMF noted. Since its launch, the weekly average transaction value for eNaira has hovered at 53,000 naira ($114.84).
The eNaira’s adoption has also been constrained by limited or no internet access in several parts of Nigeria, especially in rural areas. As of October last year, at least 30 million Nigerians did not have access to the internet, according to the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission.


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Logistics companies in the UK remain concerned about the industry’s growth this year. This is specifically due to Brexit’s impact on the industry, including supplies of fresh produce from EU countries.
The uncertainty over the sector’s performance this year should prompt businesses to focus more on improving their efficiency. Some solutions can even be as simple as having more cargo skates to reduce shipment loading times to keep their business afloat.
Uncertain Year Ahead
A Freight Transport Association (FTA) survey of more than 500 freight and logistics businesses in the UK showed that most of them expressed concern for this year, following a steady performance in 2017. According to Elizabeth de Jong, FTA director of UK Policy, the impact of Brexit on trading and inflation has negated the rebound of activity across different modes of freight transportation.
Workforce issues served as the primary concern among 35% of the poll’s respondents. EU employees would likely find it more difficult to work in the UK post-Brexit, which would affect business for many logistics companies.
Industry members are particularly concerned over a disrupted supply of fruits and vegetables from other countries in Europe. This looming disruption stems from more extensive checks at ports in the UK, which could take as long as 48 hours for some phytosanitary inspections.
It is not only imported products that would be affected, but also export shipments of food staples. The country imports between £12 billion and £13 billion of products each year, while annual exports of fresh produce reach around £8 billion. These numbers prove that there should be a contingency plan to prevent a drastic change in trading in between ports.
The impact of Brexit has placed great uncertainty among logistics companies. Despite this, companies should still think of ways to ensure that their operations remain efficient. This would be possible by investing in tools and resources that enable faster deliveries.


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With Amazon's recent acquisition of Whole Foods, retailers are questioning how it could disrupt the grocery and retail industry. But in many respects, Amazon simply is taking advantage of an industry that already has experienced significant changes.
"There's a lot going on in the grocery industry, and a lot of it's not being driven by Amazon at all. A lot of it is being capitalized on by Amazon," said Bryan Gildenberg, chief knowledge officer at Kantar Retail, a consultancy that provides shopper and retail insights. "Amazon is changing shopping behavior, but shopping behavior also is fueling the rise of Amazon as well."
Gildenberg spoke during VML's two-day conference in Kansas City, which celebrated the agency's 25th anniversary.
The grocery industry was upended before Amazon entered the space, he said. Discount stores and clubs, such as Aldi and Costco, are quickly gaining market share, and Target and Wal-Mart are losing ground.
"Target and Wal-Mart are the most profitable channels of distribution that large consumer packaged-goods companies have anywhere – not just in the U.S., but in the world. So when Wal-Mart and Target lose share, that changes the P&L of every business we work with."
One reason for the shift is the rise in popularity of brands that are local, niche and organic, which is where Amazon thrives in disruption. The big-box retailers still are being influenced by the bigwigs — think Procter & Gamble and Unilever — to stock shelves with their products. But those aren't the brands that are growing. Amazon doesn't struggle to leverage the growth brands because it sells everything and then lets its algorithms figure out what will sell and what won't.
"This is an area where Amazon can and will be very disruptive because some of these little brands are extraordinarily good at Amazon," Gildenberg said.
Private labels bring big opportunity
One of Whole Foods' biggest attracters for Amazon is its 365 Everyday Value private-label line. It's untapped opportunity, he said.
More retailers are starting to craft private-label strategies, following the lead of Costco and its Kirkland Signature brand, which represents about 28 percent of what Costco sells worldwide. The Kirkland brand alone generates about $23 billion in volume, rivaling Coca-Cola.
"In terms of sheer dollars of volume attributable to a single brand, Kirkland Signature sells almost twice as much as Coca-Cola does," Gildenberg said.
Private labels will continue to have a bigger play, he said, which provides prime opportunity for Amazon and the 365 label. It's a "massively underleveraged" brand, and Amazon will be able to lower prices and propel that brand forward in a way that Whole Foods couldn't.
The Prime effect
In 2017, more than 40 percent of American households were Amazon Prime members, according to Kantar's research. That market share has big implications.
"Only China is a larger consumer economy than the Amazon Prime-controlled ecosystem," Gildenberg said.
That power is amplified further by the fact that 55 percent of shopping-related product searches start on Amazon, compared with 26 percent on Google and 19 percent everywhere else. Prime members are converting to product categories on Amazon that they previously would have bought at a physical store.
Overwhelmed by the variety of choice, consumers now are shopping at fewer retail stores. In 2007, they shopped at 12.5 retailers during a four-week period, and in 2015, that number dropped to 9.5.
"Part of the desire is to simplify the world because it's complicated, and part of it is that Amazon has a very specific way of taking shopping trips out of stores that I only go to for one or two things," Gildenberg said. "The minute I find out that I can buy them on Prime, you buy them there, and you never go back to the store you were going to before."
Driving disruption through Whole Foods
Only 9 percent of U.S. consumers shop at Whole Foods once a month, and less than 1 percent of the U.S. population uses Whole Foods as their primary grocery store.
"Sixty-percent of Americans shop at Amazon once a month, so that is a massive amplification opportunity," Gildenberg said. "Amazon's ability to simply take the Whole Foods proposition and reach more people than it did before is incredibly compelling."
Whole Foods builds credibility for AmazonFresh, and Gildenberg envisions Amazon starting to build "marvelous" Whole Foods stores worldwide in cities such as Paris and Berlin, where Amazon will become known for its food. The stores will become food temples, he said, and will leverage a home delivery service.
But the biggest disrupter the new acquisition brings is the ability to create a dual experience. In the near future, shoppers could peruse the aisles of a Whole Foods store while using their Amazon app. If they think the organic oranges are too expensive at the store, they could use the app to buy regular oranges through AmazonFresh. By the time they return home from Whole Foods, the oranges will be on their doorstep, Gildenberg said.
"That's going to be an unbelievably difficult challenge for retailers," he said. "I think that ability to shop organic and conventionally simultaneously is going to be one of the most interesting things that comes out of this new relationship."


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The Varsity Volleyball team will travel to Wando Tuesday, October 27th for the First Round of the Class AAAAA State Playoffs. The match will begin at 6:00PM.
Tickets are limited due to CCSD capacity limitations. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased online at www.gofan.co/app/events/123129. This will be the only way to guarantee your seat for the match. Tickets may be available for purchase at the entrance. Once the maximum capacity according to CCSD guidelines is reached, then ticket sales will cease.
Gates open at 5 pm.
Masks are required. Gaiters/ bandanas are not acceptable, according to CCSD policy.
Please sit socially distanced.
Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased online at www.gofan.co/app/events/123129.


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boAt, a home-grown Indian audio brand, has secured around $100 million from an affiliate of Warburg Pincus.
The fresh capital will be used by the company to further fortify its leading market position, widen its R&D capabilities and product portfolio. Additionally, the brand will utilise the funds to build on its efforts to create and support a manufacturing ecosystem under the Make-in-India initiative, enabling the manufacture of products in India.
Aman Gupta, Co-Founder of Boat, said, “We welcome Warburg Pincus as a new investor into the company. This is a vote of confidence for our business model and growth prospects. The investment is great news for not only the company but for the entire D2C sector. The investment has come at the right time as we make efforts to ramp up our manufacturing and global supply chain.”
Vishal Mahadevia, Managing Director and Head, Warburg Pincus India, stated, “We see a compelling growth story in Boat and believe the company is well-poised to build upon the strong leadership position it has carved out within the industry and stands to benefit from the secular tailwinds of e-commerce growth in India.”
“Warburg Pincus is excited to partner with the management team of boAt led by Aman and Sameer in this journey and we look forward to supporting them through the next phase of the company’s growth,” he further added.
Avendus Capital acted as the exclusive financial advisor to BoAt and its shareholders on the transaction.
Somany Impresa Group has announced the appointment of Shashvat Somany as the Head of Strategy. This strategic move signifies a significant step in the Group's expansive plans across its various companies, including AGI Greenpac, Hindware Home Innovation Limited, and Hindware Limited. Shashvat will play a crucial role in shaping the long-term strategic direction, collaborating closely with business leaders for the Group's ambitious growth and diversification.
In his new role, Shashvat will take charge of steering the Group's innovation and business expansion initiatives. His primary focus will be on leading AGI's global expansion initiatives, formulating a strategic roadmap to establish a strong international presence. Shashvat will also be tasked with exploring strategic partnerships, fostering innovative collaborations, and evaluating potential ventures to further enhance the Group's presence in the building products and packaging products sector.
Beyond these strategic initiatives, Shashvat will concentrate on enhancing the capabilities of the data and analytics teams, contributing to the Group's digitalization efforts. His primary objective is to ensure a comprehensive and forward-looking integration of technology across the businesses, positioning Somany Impresa Group for success in the digital age.
"I am thrilled to embark on this new chapter with Somany Impresa Group. The Group's commitment to innovation and forward-thinking approach is truly inspiring. I am confident that my experience and collaborative spirit will contribute to our ambitious expansion and diversification goals,” said Shashvat Somany, Head of Strategy, Somany Impresa Group.
Copyright © 2009 - 2024 Franchise India Holdings Ltd


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SOS Global chosen as logistics provider for championships
VAIL — SOS Global has been selected as the official logistics provider for the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
Founded in 1986, SOS Global is a one-stop freight forwarding and logistics company, with operations teams in place in both the United States and Europe.
“We are delighted to have SOS Global join our 2015 World Championships family of partners,” said Michael Imhof, senior vice president of sales and operations for the Vail Valley Foundation and director of the 2015 World Championships. “With the enormous amount of shipping and transportation needs associated with an event of the magnitude of the 2015 World Championships, it’s great to know that we have an industry leader in this regard on our team.”
SOS Global will organize and handle transport of items such as race fencing, marketing signs, broadcast equipment and other essential equipment necessary to stage the championships. The SOS Global offices in the U.S. will provide on-site staff to assist partners and customers with their local needs in Colorado, while this team will also be supported by a full-time American operations team, along with additional members throughout Europe and Russia.
“The FIS Alpine World Championships is a perfect fit for our team that has just finished handling several worldwide events,” said Steve O’Connell, vice president of SOS Global Express. “We are thrilled that the Vail Valley Foundation and the FIS have shown confidence in us to handle this event. The total service concept, promoted throughout the SOS team, has allowed for personalized solutions that meet and exceed the needs of our clients.”
Scheduled from Feb. 2-15, the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek are expected to showcase athletes from over 70 nations, with an estimated 750 million worldwide television viewers and an on-site media and broadcast entourage of approximately 1,500 members.
For additional information on the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek, visit http://www.vailbeaver creek2015.com. For more information on SOS Global and its 2015 team, email email@example.com.


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BOSTON ( TheStreet) -- Valentine's Day flowers, candy, dinner and hotel stays can get costly, but they're not worth a thing if almost no thought goes into them.
Piles of money and precious little thought goes into making the "most romantic day of the year" decidedly average. Consumers will spend an average of roughly $69 on their loved one this Valentine's Day, up from little more than $63 last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Adults 25 to 34, however, more than triple that by spending nearly $190 on average, boosting overall spending that is slated to top $15 billion.
Rank amateur romantics make up most of that take, as Valentine's bouquets from the local florist or filling station make up 20% of the floral industry's annual take, according to the Society of American Florists -- which estimates that more than 180 million roses are grown solely for the holiday. The Greeting Card Association, meanwhile, thanks Valentine's Day for contributing a quarter of holiday-card sales, with the 190 million Valentine cards sold in the U.S. and 1 billion sent worldwide trailing only Christmas' tally. Those open to DeBeers' suggestion that six months' salary is an appropriate amount to spend on Valentine's Day helped that holiday's jewelry sales soar to $2.2 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This said, the same folks who put those three items on cruise control likely do the same with their choice of romantic accommodations. Every major city has a grand hotel that's an easy default for a Valentine's Day spender with lots of money to burn and little time or desire to plan. There's nothing wrong with these hotels, and their prestige and tourist appeal are the envy of places that have to ply guests with gift packages and multiday deals, but there's great reward in digging for a hidden gem.With help from Jennifer Garfinkel, editor of hotel site > Oyster.com, TheStreet took a look at hotels in major cities across the country and came up with beloved romantic standards and hidden standouts in each. How do they stack up? It depends.
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After early warnings that sales were cooling at Samsung, the mobile giant had a late-year surge that’s pleasing investors. In fact, Samsung shipped more units as of the fourth quarter of 2012 than Apple.
As Samsung readies itself to release its fourth-quarter earnings, The Wall Street Journals lists five things to watch for in the results.
Meanwhile, investors are cooling to Apple, even if fans are clinging to their iPhones and iPads. Apple shares dropped more than 10 percent on Wednesday after it posted a slight increase in profit and its revenue outlook fell below Wall Street expectations. See the story from our Silicon Valley affiliate.


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Multimodal mobility service provider GoTo Global announced that it has acquired emmy – a German electric scooter sharing company.
This acquisition increases GoTo Global’s European footprint, eases its entry into Germany, and positions it to exceed €100 million in annual revenues by the end of 2023.
“Today, very few city journeys rely on just one form of vehicle, and we believe that multimodal transport is the future for modern urban travel,” GoTo Global CEO Gil Laser said.
“We are excited to bring our unique technology platform to the German market, enabling commuters to easily move in whichever way best suits their needs,” he continued.
Presently, GoTo Global provides shared multi-mobility solutions in Israel, Malta, Madrid, and Germany through a single, technology-driven application.
The company offers users a variety of transport options, including cars, vans, mopeds, scooters, and bikes, and has experienced substantial growth in recent months.
“As the first country that GoTo Global selected to expand its services abroad, GoTo Malta is thrilled to welcome emmy customers to the GoTo family,” Zach Bergerson, GoTo’s Malta Country Manager said.
“Next month we celebrate our third anniversary since GoTo was introduced in Malta, and we will continue to revolutionise the local transport network by offering our many subscribers a range of convenient, affordable, and sustainable multimodal shared mobility options,” he continued.
This acquisition follows recent investments in GoTo Global that saw it raise $22.5 million. The company is currently in an ongoing investment round to fund further expansion of its businesses’ multimodal mobility services across Europe.
He was speaking as the retail chain marks 15 years since it opened its first outlet in Żebbug, back in ...
An actively managed strategy will focus attention on market behavior for a high yielding investment product.
MaltaCEOs.mt takes a look at the options available to travellers, as well as key business destinations, in the wake of ...
Valletta Cruise Port CEO Stephen Xuereb celebrated the recently finalised restoration of the historic Forni Stores.


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If you have used internet for a while, then you might be well familiar with Getty images as photography and artworks from the company can be seen across entire web. And now, Google has reached an agreement with the company that will allow the search engine giant to use Getty products across its platforms.
According to the Google’s Cathy Edwards, the changes will be effective immediately. However, everyday users might not notice the difference at the moment as Google has showed Getty Images in its search results for a long time. Despite that, we might see more Getty images and photography in different Google products in the coming days.
At the moment, Getty images boasts over 200,000 contributors who produce content for the site and over 160,000 media outlets use these contents regularly.
This latest partnership comes as back in 2016, Getty accused the search engine giant of anti-competitive practices as it promoted its own products and displayed high resolution images in search which means users didn’t need to visit the original source website.


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A proposal for 'seeding' Aadhar card with the voter identity card to prevent duplication and falsification was discussed today at a meeting.
Bhandari says his attitude is similar to that of a start up entrepreneur – one who loves to create something that has value – and not that of an eatwhat-you-kill-investment banker.
President Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a three-day visit to the states of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha from tomorrow.
Kotak Mahindra Bank's acquisition of ING Vysya Bank is the country's first ever amalgamation of a profit earning entity post the global financial meltdown in 2008.
SBI Card today launched a co-branded credit card fbb, the fashion destination of the Future Group, offering 10 per cent discount on fashion apparel.
All Persons of Indian Origin card-holders are deemed to be Overseas Citizens of India card-holders with effect from today with government issuing a notification in this regard.
'As long as the market is holding this 8200 zone, we should be fine because the moving averages need to catch up.'
International credit and debit card company Mastercard has stopped serving bank cards being used in Crimea, news agency quoted the company.


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There are around 80 titles being added to Netflix next month, while 40 are going offline. Find out what to watch right here.
The Samsung UNJU7100 delivers the same high level of picture quality as some more expensive models, and beats most competitors for style and features.
The Vizio M series sits at this year's sweet spot of price and picture, and just happens to be 4K too.
The failure of the Fire Phone, which hit the market a year ago on Saturday, offers some lessons on what companies need to do -- and avoid -- when trying to create a successful smartphone.
Road Trip 2015: The second half of a two-part series about Vietnam's startup scene takes a deeper look at some rare success stories and how the country is fostering -- and hindering -- its homegrown tech community.
If you're looking to maximize your TV dollar and don't care about 4K, it's tough to go wrong with the Vizio E series.
The Samsung UNJS8500 SUHD TV has a very good picture for an edge-lit LED LCD, but not good enough to justify the price.
The incredibly expensive OLED-powered LG EG9600 series delivers the best picture quality we've ever tested.
BMW introduces the 2016 7 Series, the top of its lineup, redesigned with carbon fiber in the body structure and a new touchscreen, gesture-controlled iDrive system.
The new Botvac models showcase a tweaked design and promise subtle performance improvements over last year's vacuums.


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WARRENVILLE, Ill. – International has unveiled a new way to keep food and beverage shipments cooled without the use of a reefer.
The truck maker has partnered with Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies to develop the RouteMax, which uses cold plate refrigeration technology to keep loads chilled. The self-powered, extended route system charges “cold plates” (coated steel plates with tubing containing a salt-brine solution) while the truck is in operation.
Unlike previous designs on the market, the truck does not have to be plugged in overnight to re-freeze the salt brine.
Instead, the cold plates are charged by a condensing unit via International’s Diamond Logic PowerPack 3 3,000 watt AC power system.
The PowerPack 3 system produces on-demand power and is available on International’s DuraStar and WorkStar model trucks.
“Food service distributors throughout North America place their top priorities on keeping their shipments at the proper temperature in the most efficient and reliable manner,” says Steve Guillaume, general manager, medium truck, International Truck and Engine. “With RouteMax, food service distributors and customers alike now have a reliable alternative that is more cost-effective than current options.”
Company officials claim operators can save up to $6,000 per truck compared to traditional reefer units.
They also boast a 80-90% savings on operating costs (thanks to the elimination of diesel fuel requirements for the reefer) and the system is virtually maintenance-free. The system is designed to last at least 15 years and is environmentally-friendly, the company says.
International officials say the RouteMax system keeps products cold for 16-20 hours per day, compared to a 10-12 hour limit for previous cold plate systems.
“Large customers and small customers alike should be able to appreciate the improvements to the product reliability and ultimately the bottom line with the launch of this new innovation,” said Ron Ricci, president, Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies.
Customers are also able to monitor truck body temperatures remotely using a password-protected Web site through International’s AWARE Vehicle Intelligence system.
Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry. All posts by Truck News


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Three years after becoming a majority shareholder in Gnosis, Lesaffre has fully acquired the Italian biotechnology company.
Three years after becoming a majority shareholder in Gnosis (Desio, Italy), Lesaffre (Marcq-en-Baroeul, France) has fully acquired the Italian biotechnology company. Both firms specialize in yeast and fermentation for use in nutraceutical and cosmetic applications.
“For the past three years, we have developed cooperation between Lesaffre and Gnosis teams to become today a unique provider of products and services that are increasingly innovative and closely address our customers’ needs in the nutrition and health sectors,” said Antoine Baule, CEO of Lesaffre, in a press release.
Lesaffre is combining Gnosis with its Lesaffre Human Care business unit to offer a unified range of products and services. Lesaffre Human Care develops and supplies a number of ingredients, including nutritional and fortified yeasts, yeast fractions, probiotic yeasts and bacteria, and pure molecules for wide range of applications such as digestive health, immune health, joint health, liver health, women’s health, and personal care.
“Developing Gnosis has been an exciting challenge,” said Renzo Berna, former CEO of Gnosis, in a press release. “After 25 years, Gnosis has become a reference on the market able to design and manufacture fermentation purified metabolites as healthcare active ingredients for the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets. I am convinced that Lesaffre, a family group known and recognized internationally for its professionalism and the quality of its products and services, will take this company even further forward.”


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|04-05-2006 06:34 PM|
|04-05-2006 06:27 PM|
|Xenogenetic||Does this mean that Steam SiN will be out May 9th as well?|
|04-05-2006 05:40 PM|
|CommanderZx2||Indeed, but I wonder what was the cause of the delay for the first HL2 episode.|
|04-05-2006 05:05 PM|
|04-05-2006 04:32 PM|
|CommanderZx2||So not going with the retail of only 3 packages together route then?|
|04-05-2006 04:04 PM|
|Stylsy||Ritual and Electronic Arts have today issued a press release revealing that SiN Episodes: Emergence will be on retail shelves May 9th! This reveals that like previous Steam releases a retail boxed copy of SiN will be avaliable to purchase the traditional way in your favourite store, wherever you are!
We have the full press release here which confirms the US retail price point will be $19.95. Steam pricing and packages are yet to be confirmed.


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Starting Wednesday, Tarrant County restaurants moved to exclusively curb-side and drive-thru service, and as COVID-19 continues to spread across Texas, more people are looking to dine at home.
Now might be a good time to learn how to cook. Partly for your wallet and partly for your health.
Thao Ho, finance and economics junior, said she tries to cook often, but her busy student schedule didn’t always allow time in the kitchen. Now that she’s spending so much time at home and classes have moved online, she said she has more time to cook.
Cooking at home has helped her save money. Although she’s spending more than usual on groceries, it saves her from dining out.
The City Council made amendments to the ordinance passed Tuesday affecting restaurants, bars, clubs, bowling alleys and theaters in an emergency special meeting.
She mostly cooks Vietnamese food, she said, and recently stocked up on rice and noodles, which she uses in various soups. She said she spices up her meals by cooking lots of seafood and vegetables.
Experiential learning librarian Milaun Murry said students and others learning to cook at home should focus on recipes that implement common staples like rice and pasta. In the case of a student living alone or with one other roommate, a single package of rice or pasta can easily be enough for three or more different meals.
A lot of people don’t realize the variety of dishes they can create with such common staples and whatever else they have on hand, Murry said. You don’t have to run to the grocery store and stock up on new ingredients.
“Take stock of what you have, and be creative,” she said.
“Trash can pasta” is a great example of creative cooking, she said. Start by choosing whatever base pasta you have available, and then toss in whatever’s in the pantry to complete the dish.
“I’ve done it before where it’s just some olive oil, maybe some crushed tomatoes, and then add a little bit of sausage,” she said. “And then I had this random tomato-sausage pasta dish that came out really well, but it wasn’t something I was planning to make. It was something that I was putting together with what I had available.”
Seasonings are also a great tool for variety, Murry said, and most kitchens have a cupboard stocked full of them. Don’t be afraid to go with canned or frozen vegetables. Although they aren’t as fresh or tasty, they’re still a valuable source of fiber, Murry said.
With social distancing and isolation now in effect, a healthy diet is just as important as ever because foods can affect your mood, said registered dietician nutritionist Stacie Ellis.
Diets rich with whole foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains, or fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kombucha can help improve your mood by cultivating good gut bacteria, Ellis said. Meanwhile, sugary foods and foods low or devoid of fiber decrease good gut bacteria and can lower your mood.
Frozen dinners and instant ramen are popular commodities right now. However, both meals are high in sodium and low in fiber, Ellis said. She recommended pairing a bowl of ramen with a serving of vegetables and picking the healthier frozen dinners that come with vegetables.
Still, it’s better to cook than to make a frozen or instant meal, she said.
Cooking doesn’t have to be a full meal either, Murry said. People can experiment by making their own snacks, instead of relying on chips and other common snacks. She recommended trying hummus as an easy, inexpensive, three-ingredient snack.
Cooking specific portions can be a challenge for many, she said. Most people don’t cook just the right amount for the people they’re feeding.
People shouldn’t be afraid of that, though. Murry said it’s actually better to cook more than necessary if possible, and then freeze it for later. That way, the food stays fairly fresh and ready to go, and you don’t have to cook every day. This is especially helpful for meats like chicken and beef, because once you cook and freeze the meat, it’s easy to thaw it and incorporate it into a dish, she said.
However, Ellis cautioned against using food as an outlet for stress because during this high-stress period, many people take to stress eating or comfort food. It won’t make you feel better, and could lead to unhealthy weight gain, she said.
“During the time that you’re eating you’ll feel good,” she said. “But right when you’re done eating, you’re going to feel stressed again. You’re going to feel whatever symptoms you felt before, and that’s because food in itself does not make you feel better.”
For people who need a snack or something to munch on while studying or working, Ellis said eating crunchy vegetables like carrots and celery can help people concentrate.
With a healthy mindfulness, cooking can become a fun pastime now that people have more time for it, Ellis said.
“Try new recipes,” she said. “Take advantage of the time.”
Ho said she watches YouTube tutorials and consults friends before trying new recipes. For her, learning how to cook wasn’t that hard or time-consuming but something she learned to enjoy.
Now that she has more time, she hopes to try some harder Vietnamese recipes and branch into baking.
For beginner cooks who might be intimidated by bigger, fancier recipes, Murry suggested trying any recipe that uses the same base regardless of its modifications — like chili, spaghetti or stew.
Murry said when she was a student at UTA, she often used myfoodfridge.com, a website that tailors you a list of different recipes based on what you already have in the pantry.