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China: Consumer price inflation rises in September; producer price inflation falls
Consumer inflation increased to 2.8% in September, following August’s 2.5%. September’s reading was the highest inflation rate since April 2020, and was driven by sharp rises in food—particularly of pork—and fuel prices. In contrast, rental prices fell amid the housing market downturn.
Annual average inflation ticked up to 1.9% in September (August: 1.8%). Meanwhile, producer price inflation fell to 0.9% in September, from August’s 2.3%, on the back of declines in international commodity prices.
Finally, consumer prices increased 0.30% in September over the previous month, contrasting the 0.10% drop logged in August.


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YOKOHAMA, Japan— Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday that it planned to accelerate the penetration of internet-connected vehicles by offering a connection device to existing customers in Japan and India starting next year.
Nissan has been among the most aggressive car makers in putting connection technology in lower-priced vehicles. Now, it is expanding the offering to owners of older models.
The device will allow car owners to get live updates on maintenance needs, make service appointments and order parts ahead of time. Nissan said it planned to bring the device to other countries eventually and install it in 30% of the 40 million Nissan vehicles on the road globally today.
The device contains a Global Positioning System tracker and can transmit information about the vehicle’s health to Nissan through mobile networks. The goal is to give customers a taste of connected-car services that will become available on new cars, Nissan said.
“In the coming years, customers will see sophisticated applications of software and hardware that will keep them connected with work, with friends and family. It will allow them to control their vehicles from their phones in their pockets,” said Kent O’Hara, who runs Nissan’s after-sales division.
For breaking news, features and analysis from India, follow WSJ India on Facebook.

domain: news


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Retailers are taking unprecedented action to protect customers from toxic chemicals.
Our latest annual report card scoring retailer actions on toxic chemicals is out. And about 2/3 of the companies have taken action since they were last graded! They’re stepping up to ban chemicals linked to reduced fertility and immune suppression from food packaging. They’re getting carcinogens out of beauty and personal care products. They’re saying no to toxic receipts. And so much more!
But 12 of the 50 companies graded this year still earned Fs. Tell the members of the 2021 “Toxic Hall of Shame” to step up!


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Kia, local partner to invest EGP 4.2 bn in Egypt assembly line over the next five years
INVESTMENT WATCH- Kia to invest in EGP 4.2 bn assembly line over the next five years: Kia Motors signed an agreement with Egyptian International Trading & Agencies, which would see them invest EGP 4.2 bn in a car assembly facility in Egypt over the next five years, according to a statement from the Trade and Industry Ministry on Monday. The project will see investments of EGP 262 mn in year one, with the plant eventually having a nameplate capacity of 15,000 cars per year. This would be the first auto assembly project developed by Kia in the Middle East, said Minister Tarek Kabil.
Is the government finally going to push to get the Automotive Directive out? Kabil noted that the agreement was part of a wave of positive news the industry can expect this year as it looks to make domestic assembly more attractive. He said that the government will be looking to raise the domestic components requirement for assembly. This comes as Kabil is expected to discuss local component requirements in the Automotive Directive with several auto producers today, Al Mal reports. As we noted last month, the government is looking to push the quota to 60% from a current 45% and 70% for light trucks over the course of eight years. The bill is expected to see the light in 2H2018, an unidentified source tells the newspaper. This appears to be a delay from the 2Q2018 deadline we’ve been hearing. The legislation had been stalled until a German consultancy completes helping with its redraft. It is unclear as of yet when that will be.
The domestic automotive industry is running out of time. We’re about 293 days away from 1 January 2019. That’s when customs duties on European Union-assembled cars fall to zero, making fully assembled imports more cost competitive than those assembled in Egypt. The government has a choice to make: Does it want to move ahead with the automotive directive and save skilled jobs and investments worth bns? Or does it want to make nice with Germany, which has led the charge against the automotive directive to promote the interests of its own domestic auto industry? The cost of making nice: Factory shutdowns on 1 January 2019.
What is the automotive directive? Effectively, it’s a proposal that would level the playing field for domestic assemblers against what they claim is an unfair trade advantage that favors imports from the EU, Turkey and Morocco. Under the proposal, Egypt would effectively maintain a 10% customs duty on non-European car imports—and impose a 30% tax on all imports including the imports of kits for local assembly. Domestic assemblers that meet local content, volume or export requirements would then get tax rebates or tax exemptions.
This is our last opportunity to emerge as a regional automotive assembly hub. Once upon a time, the Koreans studied our industrial policy. Today, they’ve leapfrogged us, as have Morocco and Turkey. Egypt is positioned to become a hub for energy exports, and our cost advantage in financial services is clear for the world to see. The automotive directive is the last opportunity we’ll have to do this in an industry that could become a national flag carrier. It’s a debate worth having, and it’s time for the government to lead on it.


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At the end of April 2020, Google made a big announcement.
Google Shopping would soon be free.
Yes, that’s right. Froogle is back.
So what does Froogle being back mean?
Well it means that you can now add your products for free to the Google Shopping tab that appears in search results.
At the time of the announcement, Google said “Beginning next week, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether they advertise on Google.”
Is Froogle global now?
It was first rolled out live across the US, and then by mid October 2020, Google announced it to be rolled out across Europe, Asia and Latin America.
What happens if you’re already paying for your products to appear in Google Shopping?
Never fear, because according to Google: “You don’t have to do anything to take advantage of free listings. For new users of Merchant Center, we’ll continue working to streamline the onboarding process over the coming weeks and months.”
If you already knew Merchant Center and Shopping, then you may already be eligible for Froogle if you’ve opted into the surfaces across Google program. If that’s the case, you don’t need to do anything else.
But if you do want to opt in, here’s what you need to do:
- Click ‘Growth’
- Click ‘Manage programs’ from the left menu
- Choose ‘Surfaces across Google’ program card
If you’re brand new to Merchant Center and want to make the most of free Google Shopping, you can head over and sign up today. It doesn’t require Google Ads so you just need to opt in to the ‘Surfaces across Google’ program during the sign-up process and start curating your product feed from there.
To take a peek at what your free clicks have gotten you, there’s now a new performance report that you can view just by clicking ‘Performance’ and then ‘Dashboard’ from the left navigation.
So, will you be making the most of Froogle?
We’d love to chat
The best ideas start with a good old conversation. Let’s have a chat about how we can help you.
Complete the form and one of the directors will be in touch.
Or just pick up the phone and call us, we’re on 01204 527518.


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The use of social media has led to the creation of online communities which seek to share stories and experiences with the hopes of yielding effective results. The #OJewaKeEng (“What is bothering you”) hashtag coined by Twitter user Keabetswe has generated over 7 900 retweets over the last three months – and has led to the creation of a foundation which seeks to share authentic stories told by South Africans and how the individuals have overcome their struggles. Twitter’s most prominent feature, the hashtag, is a metadata tag which makes messages, ideas or themes easier to track by social media users. This tool can also be used by brands in their digital marketing strategies, and can also lead to similar outcomes if used correctly.
Through the #OJewaKeEng hashtag, users who have shared their unemployment experiences have found jobs, mothers who have pleaded for second-hand clothing have gotten that in addition to food and money, and students who were burdened with tuition debt have had strangers pay them off. This trend has proven that social media can be beneficial to society – and even more, if brands join in on the phenomenon.
According to social media expert Mary Long*, hashtags earn twice as much engagement as posts without – and it is against this background that our community managers at ATKASA use hashtags when posting content to increase engagement and make brands easy to find.
The benefits of hashtags are numerous. From boosting your campaigns, promoting User Generated Content to building brand awareness, we have found that it is in the best interest of brands who seek to build their credibility to refrain from using more than four hashtags per post. The overuse of this tool can lead to unwieldy posts.
Brands such as Castle Lager* used the hashtag #SmashTheLabel to promote their latest advert which was directed by the renowned Kim Geldenhuys. The campaign seeks to confront the societal labels many South Africans have been stereotyped with – ‘Dutchman’ referring to Afrikaans males and ‘Stabane” referring to gay men. Through the hashtag, users on Twitter have come forward to express their support for the campaign. This is a great example of how User-generated Content can be used by a brand.
It is worth mentioning the similarity of the #SmashTheLabel and #OJewaKeEng hashtags – they both attempt to confront societal issues faced by South Africans. Customers are looking to support brands which tackle issues within our societal lexicon – it must be noted that more personal hashtags have a longer life span than that of common and humorous ones. Perhaps it is worth asking yourself, which cause can your brand get behind? We’re not nullifying the common hashtags associated with your brand, but we do suggest looking at our Hello Customer Meet Brand article to get a better idea of what we mean by this and how using customer-centric hashtags can help foster positive perceptions.
Alongside Twitter, LinkedIn has become popular in this regard. Searching for hashtags on these platforms can lead to job opportunities and articles written on the professional platform. This creates leads to company profiles and website. Looking at our LinkedIn profile for example, we share all our articles on the platform with the intention of directing our followers to our website where they can read the rest of the articles.
In conclusion – yes, hashtags are worth it. They lead to increased engagement and customer retention. At ATKASA, we strive to offer our clients cost-effective, measurable outcomes which results in qualified lead generation and increased brand awareness. Our assortment of clients is testimony to our recipe for success– we become the heartbeat of your brand.


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LEBRON MESSAGE TVC
LEBRON Champ Pack
LeBron Champ Pack
LEBRON X PS ELITE
LEBRON CHAMP HAT
LEBRON X LOW
LEBRON CHAMP TEE
New TV spot and championship product pack salute James’s pursuit of greatness and a season well played.
Nike launches a new campaign to honor LeBron James’s second straight championship. After clinching tonight’s Game 7 victory, James helped lead Miami to become only the fourth team in the League to win back-to-back titles.
The new Nike Basketball campaign “Leave a Message” debuted immediately following Miami’s victory on digital and social media channels. It acknowledges James’s quest for greatness, told via voice messages from basketball luminaries and influential figures for James, including, Spike Lee, Warren Buffet, Dr. Dre, Coach K, Phil Knight, Drake, Bill Russell and kids from The LeBron James Family Foundation. Fans can call the phone number at the end of the spot to leave a personal message for James.
Nike Basketball also pays tribute to James’s leadership and perseverance with a limited-edition championship pack, including, the LEBRON X PS ELITE, the LEBRON X LOW, two hats and a T-shirt.
Worn by James in Game 1 of the 2013 Finals, the LEBRON X PS ELITE has a red upper skin with a gloss geometric palm-leaf graphic inspired by Miami’s signature Art Deco architecture and native plant life. The shoes sock-liners are imprinted with “2-time champion” on the left and the seasons “11-12, 12-13” on the right.
The LEBRON X LOW sports an upper skin with a unique floral palm splatter print showcasing birds of paradise and palm trees. The upper is finished with a black matte skin with gloss chromaflair palm print graphic from toe to midsole and a glow-in-the-dark outsole. It also has imprinted “2-time champion” and “11-12, 12-13” sock-liners to celebrate James’s championship.
The two shoes and hats will be sold in a pack and will be available in very limited quantities in North America and China. The championship “Witness 2” T-shirt is available to pre-order on nike.com and will hit stores globally early next week.
在勒布朗·詹姆斯卫冕总冠军之后，耐克篮球即在数字媒体和社交平台上启动“Leave a Message”活动。短片中，包括斯派克·李（美国著名导演）、巴菲特（全球知名的投资商）、Dr. Dre（美国说唱界的元老级人物）、老K教练（美国著名篮球教练）、菲尔·奈特（耐克创始人）、德雷克（欧美乐坛当红说唱歌手）、比尔·拉塞尔（美国传奇篮球球星）在内的球坛名宿和对詹姆斯具有影响力的名人，以及勒布朗·詹姆斯基金会的孩子们都一一通过语音留言对詹姆斯的不懈追求表达了敬意。此外，詹姆斯的粉丝们还可通过拨打短片最后的号码给偶像留言。
耐克篮球通过推出限量版冠军套装向詹姆斯的高超领导力和百折不挠的体育精神表达了最崇高的敬意，套装包括LEBRON X PS ELITE和LEBRON X LOW篮球鞋、两顶帽子和一件T恤。
LEBRON X PS ELITE作为詹姆斯在总决赛中首场比赛的战靴，采用了红色鞋面设计，印有极具光泽的几何棕榈叶图案，其灵感来自于迈阿密的标志性装饰艺术建筑和当地植物。左脚鞋垫上印有“2-time champion”（两届总冠军）字样，而“11-12,12-13”赛季的字样印于右脚鞋垫。
LEBRON X LOW采用独特的棕榈叶图案，打造飞溅于鞋面的独特效果，展示现出“天堂之鸟”和“棕榈树”的意境。鞋身由黑色材质与极具光泽的棕榈印花图案相交而成并采用荧光外底。此外，该款球鞋鞋垫上同样印有“2-time champion”（两届总冠军）以及 “11-12,12-13”赛季的字样，以庆祝詹姆斯夺冠。
以上两款篮球鞋将与帽子一同采用套装形式在美国和中国市场限量发售。纪念版冠军T恤“Witness 2” 已于NIKE Store网上商城进行预售，并将在近日全面上市。
The HyperAdapt 1.0 goes global.
It's available starting September 7 at select retailers globally.
It's available starting September 7 at select retailers g...
It's available starting August 19 on nike.com, the Nike SNEAKRS App and at select retailers in Western Europe.
It's available starting August 19 on nike.com, the Nike S...
This is a special Nike FI Flex PE for Melissa Reid.
This is a special Nike FI Flex PE for Michelle Wie.
This is a special Nike Blazer PE for Michelle Wie.
Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe, this time reimagined with modern materials, releases September 9 on nike.com and at select retailers.
Michael Jordan’s first signature shoe, this time reimagin...
The new silhouette comes with stencils for at-home personalization.
The new silhouette comes with stencils for at-home person...
Combining performance innovation with color inspiration, the new KOBE A.D. launches globally on August 24, in recognition of the legend's uniform numbers, 8 and 24.
Combining performance innovation with color inspiration, ...
The film gives viewers an unprecedented insight into the runner’s journey.
The film gives viewers an unprecedented insight into the ...
One year on from the Rio Games of 2016, Nike is taking a moment to spotlight one of its most inspiring initiatives that kicked off during the Rio Games and will continue to move kids in Rio through 2020.
One year on from the Rio Games of 2016, Nike is taking a ...
Jordan Brand and the Argentine Basketball Federation (CABB) today unveiled the new national basketball team kit at an event at the Nike Palermo store in Buenos Aires.
Jordan Brand and the Argentine Basketball Federation (CAB...
Exclusive restocks and releases highlight Nike’s latest digital offering which brings the best way to stay up to date with new drops and receive notification of official launch dates to the EU.
Exclusive restocks and releases highlight Nike’s latest d...
The Dutch national team won their first major honor yesterday, and with the trophy claimed the hearts of a nation.
The Dutch national team won their first major honor yeste...
The multiple Olympic and world champion will inspire young runners as a Marathon Kids ambassador.
The multiple Olympic and world champion will inspire youn...


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The following appears on au.finance.yahoo.com
By Cherlynn Low – Google launched its Lookout app in 2019 for people who are blind or have low-vision to navigate the world with their phones, but it was only available on Pixel phones with languages set to English. Today, the company is rolling out an update that not only adds French, Italian, German and Spanish to the list of supported languages, but also brings two new modes, a more accessible design and greater Android compatibility.
The first of the new modes is Food Label, which helps users identify packaged foods by pointing their cameras at the label. Lookout will guide you to place the product in a way that lets it be recognized via its packaging or barcode. According to Scott Adams, product manager for Google’s Accessibility Engineering, this would let Lookout “distinguish between a can of corn and a can of green beans,” for example.
SOURCE Yahoo Finance


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Toronto-based ad tech company AcuityAds (TSXV:AT) presented at StableView Asset Management’s TECH 15 conference on Wednesday, represented by CEO Tal Hayek, who answered investor questions after his presentation.
“In the future, TV is not going to be delivered through cables, but will be delivered in a more digital way,” Hayek told a room full of Bay Street investors and analysts, which sounds like stating the obvious but it is an acknowledgement that is still remarkably early days for that transition, despite all the froth around the ad tech sector.
The initial wave of hype ushering in the ad tech industry over the past several years has been replaced by a cold bath of skepticism, with venture capital drying up for privately held ad tech companies relative to other tech sector verticals and the markets actively punishing the stocks of publicly traded ad tech firms.
Why then is AcuityAds defying gravity as its quarterly revenues rose 43% year-over-year to $4.6 million and its quarterly EBITDA reduced 66% from $1.4 million in negative territory to $488,000, according to its Q2 earnings report?
“Almost nobody in the ad tech space makes money,” said Hayek. “And we’re very proud to announce that we’ll be there soon. We’re not there yet, but we’re very, very close. In the next few quarters, we will be EBITDA positive.”
The digital marketing landscape is a $45 billion market, growing 20% per year. So there’s a strong last-person-standing case to be made that as competitors are weeded out, either through failure or acquisition by larger companies, that the companies who remain will benefit most from what until now has been a struggling industry.
The overall advertising market stands at $490 billion US, showing how niche digital marketing still is.
“We’re moving from a $45 billion market opportunity to a $490 billion market opportunity with the right technology to take us there,” said Hayek, indicating that he believes that ad tech will see mainstream adoption.
Meanwhile, Acuity needs to grow in order to compete.
“We are in the market now looking for acquisitions,” says Hayek, adding that “Most of these companies don’t develop their own technologies, but license existing solutions,” making it fairly easy to determine which companies offer most value for an acquirer.
The company also continues its aggressive expansion into the U.S. market, and continues to meet demand for its SaaS programmatic platform, both factors contributing to Acuity’s spending on growth.
Sales for the self-serve platform, launched over a year ago, were up from only $300,000 in Q2 2014 to $1 million in the same quarter this year.
In a space as competitive as ad tech, companies are also required to feed the need to innovate.
“About a third of our force is dedicated to research and development,” added Hayek, “so we’re always going to keep developing our product.
AcuityAds IPO’d in June 2014, led by Paradigm Capital and Beacon Securities.
One of the benefits of a publicly traded company is that the financials are transparent, and investors can actually see how a company is doing.
While a lot of ad tech companies who appeared to be doing well because of the billions dumped into the sector by advertisers, recent events have starkly unveiled programmatic advertising’s underwhelming performance.
Some of the ad tech backlash is driven by confusion on the part of investors over what qualifies as an ad tech company, with some companies offering full agency services while others participate in the programmatic or real-time bidding (RTB) ad exchange market.
And some of the backlash is fueled by the discovery that a lot of ad tech is not what it’s cracked up to be, with a fair amount of it bordering on outright fraud, not to mention statistical evidence that traditional media provides significantly greater return-on-investment compared to stubbornly low returns from ad tech.
So how has AcuityAds made good on all of the buzzwords that other less stellar ad tech companies have recently diminished, such as “machine learning”, real-time bidding and Big Data?
With their proprietary Programmatic Marketing Platform, have they simply figured out the promise of ad tech that so many other firms have struggled to unlock?
Hayek suggest that yes, whereas competitors refresh their data sets every three hours, Acuity has managed to figure out a way to refresh its system approximately every minute, giving it a clear advantage over its competition.
He also claims that Acuity has managed to almost eliminate fraudulent traffic from its platform, which has otherwise sullied the ad tech space as a whole.
Another vehicle for growth and revenue is that Acuity has split its offering between managed services, in which an advertiser allows AcuityAds complete execution of an ad spend, and self-serve, in which an advertiser creates and manages their own campaign using the AcuityAds platform.
According to Hayek, the self-serve platform is growing Acuity’s topline revenue without greatly increasing its expenses.
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Its not often that worlds collide or that interests converge into one amorphous epiphany. But that’s exactly what happened to me recently, when the Division of Corporate Finance (DCF) of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a Disclosure Guidance identifying the types of information public companies should consider disclosing about cyber risks and events that could impact their financial statements. Now, the DCF has cautioned that the Disclosure Guidance only represents its own views and “is not a rule, regulation, or statement of the Securities and Exchange Commission.” The DCF also emphasizes right up front that “the Commission has neither approved nor disapproved its content.” Yeah, right. YOU be an officer or director or officer of a company that does not “comply” with the DCF’s “recommendations.”
Businesses that necessarily require their customers to disclose credit card and personal information, beware. Just five days ago, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that claims by class action plaintiffs for “mitigation damages” arising from alleged negligence and breach of contract were viable. Anderson v. Hannaford Brothers Co., Nos. 10–2384, 10–2450, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 21239 (1st Cir. Oct. 20, 2011).
In Anderson, the electronic payment processing system of a national grocery chain, Hannaford Brothers Co., was breached by hackers in 2007. This resulted in the dissemination of as many as 4.2 million credit card and debit card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes. Hannaford Brothers was not notified of the breach until February 27, 2008 and subsequently contained the breach on March 10, 2008. A week later, Hannaford released a statement regarding the breach and announced that over 1,800 cases of fraud resulting from the theft already had been reported.
Following Hannaford’s announcement, several financial institutions immediately cancelled customers’ debit and credit cards. Some financial institutions, which refrained from immediately canceling the credit card, monitored the accounts for unusual activity, cancelling the cards, in many cases, without notifying the customer. Customers who asked that their cards be cancelled incurred fees from issuing banks for the replacement cards.
On October 17, 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit issued a much-anticipated decision addressing the scope of “Advertising Injury” (“AI”) coverage for patent infringement claims. Dish Network Corp. v. Arch Specialty Ins. Co., No. 10-1445, __ F.3d __ , 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 20955 (10th Cir. 2011), rev’g, 734 F. Supp. 2d 1173 (D. Colo. 2010). The court, applying Colorado law, reversed a decision from the District of Colorado in which that court granted summary judgment to the insurers. In the underlying action, the plaintiff alleged that Dish Network Corp. (“Dish”) had infringed one or more of twenty-three patents by “making, using, offering to sell, and/or selling . . . automated telephone systems, including . . . the Dish Network customer service telephone system, that allow[s] Dish’s customers to perform pay-per-view ordering and customer service functions over the telephone.” The Tenth Circuit concluded that the record was unclear about how Dish actually used the technologies at issue, but that some of the patent-holder’s most well-known innovations involved interactive call processing.
I recently attended a CLE that had a panel of social media experts who were discussing the role of Facebook, Twitter and MySpace in litigation. During a lull in the question and answer session, the Facebook attorney quipped: “you know, Facebook has already given you everything that you’ve ask for…” Immediately, the audience lifted their heads from their Blackberries and newspapers and started paying attention after this cryptic remark.
Canada’s privacy regime can be described as a web of legislation at both the federal and provincial/territorial level. Some commentators express concern that this web has become tangled, lacks uniformity and actually undermines the predictability and consistency that, in their view, would exist under a single (federal) privacy regime. Canada has two primary privacy statutes: the Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”). The Privacy Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-21 (Can.), took effect on July 1, 1983, and imposed certain privacy rights obligations on approximately 250 federal government departments and agencies by limiting the use and disclosure of personal information. The Privacy Act also gives individuals the right to access and, if necessary, correct personal information held by governmental organizations subject to the Act.


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After years of waiting from BlackBerry users, the ultimate BlackBerry has finally been made official. We broke the story on the next generation BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930, and we even spent some one-on-one time with it, but there is nothing like an official announcement, right? As far as specs, it’s everything we reported it would be — 1.2GHz processor, 2.8-inch capacitive touchscreen, full QWERTY keyboard, 5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording, 8GB of onboard storage, and more. As far as availability, RIM said that the new BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 will be available from “carriers around the world” starting this summer. We’re hearing June / July still. Entire press release is after the break. More →
We’ve heard rumblings about this for a little bit, but a tip we just received gives a little clarity on the situation. More →
If you’re Canadian and love the thrill of the hunt Boxing Day provides, hate waiting in long lineups on a frosty winter’s eve, are looking for a new smartphone, and aren’t too sure what to make of this WIND Mobile business, then Rogers kinda/sorta has a deal for you. From now until January 18th, the following smartphones are avaiable from $0 to $0.99: BlackBerry Bold 9000 (white), BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, HTC Magic, LG Eve and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Of course, with such a price there is always a catch and in this particular instance it’s a decision not to be made lightly — a 3-year contract More →
We don’t think we need to go over what an insanely huge day today is for Canada, but in case anyone is feeling particularly thick, we’re going to spell it out plan and simple — Rogers is no longer the only HSPA game in Canada. Bell’s 21Mbps HSPA network has at long last gone live. As with any network launch, a few awesome handsets, data cards and a few Canadian-style rip-off plans have come along for the ride. So hit the jump and check out what’s new.
While the launch of the BlackBerry Storm2 on Verizon is widely expected to take place on October 28th and the Bold 9700 is so close we can almost taste it, owners of current generation BlackBerry smartphones — the Pearl Flip 8220/8230, Curve 8330/8350i/8900, Bold 9000, Storm 9500/9530 and Tour 9630 — should be pleased to note that RIM is all set for the launch OS 5.0. Specific dates aren’t easily pinned down as it more or less depends on the device one has and the carrier one is with, but thanks to our connects we know, for example, that Verizon will be dropping for the OS 5.0 for the Storm 9530 tomorrow evening with a fall back date set for Monday. Those that don’t have Desktop Manager set up on either their PC or Mac might want to get everything ready ahead of time as it looks for the most part that OTA software updates will not be made available. Oh well. OS 5.0 is oh so worth the hassle.
We just got a heads up from one of our Northern connects that has to do with Bell, and let’s just say we think Bell subscribers are going to be thrilled with what we have to report. How does Bell’s entire lineup of devices for their HSPA network launch sound? We also grabbed pricing for y’all, too! The following prices are prices with 36 month contracts following by full retail pricing.
Even though we here at BGR think that the BlackBerry Bold 9000 is so Summer/Fall 2008 (and even that’s one hell of a stretch considering it was announced that May), it seems that RIM and its partner carriers don’t. Best Buy Canada’s internal inventory system shows that both Bell and Rogers still have plans for the 3G device even though the new hotness is but a few weeks away. From Bell we have the Bold 9000, a rather strange offering considering that it is going to be selling the BlackBerry 9700. Still, we must concede that it makes a bit of sense in that Bell can offer up the 9000 as its mid-end BlackBerry while Rogers is already stuck with positioning EDGE-only devices like the Curve 8900 and Curve 8520 as its more affordable devices. Speaking of Rogers, it is going to be picking up the white BlackBerry Bold — the very same one we’ve been going on about for months — although we’re not entirely clear when it will go on sale. That is to say we don’t know if, just like AT&T, the white Bold will be released to select markets on the 18th of this month. If you’d like to relish in what is surely straight up BlackBerry Bold fire, larger screenshots after the breakage.
We know that some of you might get tired of hearing us say it, but damn our connects are good. Yesterday at CTIA, RIM reps showcased the BlackBerry Bold in Diddy White. According to Giz, the folks that snapped these pics, the white Bold will make its AT&T debut on October 18th with a 2-year price of $199.99 (some price as existing Bold). Though it will only be available at “select stores”, we don’t think that a lot of people will lose sight of the BlackBerry 9700 to get their hands on this special affair. Hit the jump for one more pic.
We just got a couple shots of some AT&T screens and one of them depicts what appears to be a *gasp* BlackBerry Bold in full Diddy white party garb lounging around AT&T’s systems. We were also sent a shot of the BlackBerry 9700 also prancing around just in case, you know, you thought it didn’t exist. Shot of the 9700 after the jump.
We wanted to give AT&T’s latest OS for the BlackBerry Bold some time to breathe before announcing it to our readers yet again. Can you blame us? As you may recall, AT&T first released this new OS on August 25th and then pulled it a week later due to a “software issue affecting the interaction between the device and network enhancements being deployed.” Hopefully this time around we’re in it for the long haul and readers who weren’t quick enough to snag 297 last time around can now start enjoying visual voicemail like everyone else. Remember, once you’ve upgraded your OS, you can avoid dealing with CS by activating visual voicemail yourself. Well, Bold owners, what are you waiting for?
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Way back in September we gave the world its first glimpse at the upcoming BlackBerry OS 5.0 running on a Curve 8310, but since that time RIM has continued to keep mum on the subject so we thought that we’d conduct a brief overview of BlackBerry OS 5.0 running on a Bold. So hit the jump and get your OS 5.0 freak on.
In the market for a new AT&T smartphone? Don’t care if it’s refurbished? The BlackBerry Bold is about as good as it gets from AT&T right now, and those of you who haven’t pulled the trigger yet are in for a treat. How does free sound? Regularly priced at $299.99 new and $199.99 refurbished, this is pretty much a steal as long as a new 2-year contract doesn’t scare you off. It looks like the free deal is only good online and only for today, so get a move on!
It looks like four bands of HSPA is too much for a BlackBerry to handle as Japanese carrier DoCoMo has suspended all sales of the Bold due to overheating issues. Since its February 20th launch, DoCoMo has sold approximately 4,000 Bolds but after receiving more than 30 complaints about overheating keypads while charging, DoCoMo decided it was best to halt sales while RIM investigates the matter. RIM is being quite tight-lipped on the matter and would only comment with, “This issue appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan since last week and sales of BlackBerry Bold devices in other countries are unaffected by this matter.” RIM went on to clarify that faulty batteries are not to blame. For those of you scoring at home, this brings the number of carriers that have suspended sales of the Bold up to two thus far. Anyone taking bets on who might be the third?


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BHETA said: ‘After a year of much change at the independent department store chain, Kieran will be bringing our members up to speed on the status of new projects and how suppliers can support future developments and further establish trading relationships.’
Fenwick is headquartered at Newcastle upon Tyne and operates eight stores across the country.
Other speakers at the forum are Dan Black, co-founder and lead designer of housewares supplier Black + Blum, who will talk about sustainable product design and the challenges faced by designers; and Phil Pond, director of trend forecasting company Scarlet Opus, who will provide insights into the issue of sustainability and eco-friendly goods and how advances in technology have led to innovation in manufacturing processes, material recovery possibilities and product design.
BHETA chief operating officer Will Jones commented: “Retailing continues to move fast, driven by the evolution of different shopping habits, attitudes and beliefs at macro level and ever more advanced technology.
“This forum will provide BHETA members with a unique insight into the opportunities for trading with a particularly established and well-loved department store. It will also disseminate invaluable foreknowledge of the styling, trend and consumer thinking-led opportunities to look out for, applicable to any party looking to develop this route to market.”
The event will be held at BHETA HQ at Vyse Street in Birmingham on October 31, with registration at 9.30 am. Refreshments will be provided including a networking lunch.
To register interest in attending, email BHETA member services manager Nicola Adams Brown at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Startup Profile: Rebundle
Shortly after receiving her master’s degree in social entrepreneurship from USC, Ciara Imani May made a lifechanging decision: she had enough with the scalp irritation caused by wearing plastic-based synthetic braids and she was going to find a healthier, more sustainable solution.
In 2019, she cofounded Rebundle, which creates and sells hair extensions made from plant-based material, including banana fibers. Since participating in the Blackstone LaunchPad Summer Fellowship in 2020, she’s gone on to raise $1.4 million in pre-seed funding.
Early Entrepreneurial Support
After researching the hair industry, Ciara turned to the USC LaunchPad for help turning the idea into a reality. The entrepreneurship center provided her mentoring and nominated her for the Blackstone LaunchPad fellowship. In the summer of 2020, she was one of only 50 student teams selected to participate in the inaugural eight-week virtual mentoring Fellowship, delivered with support from Future Founders and Techstars.
One of her favorite parts of the program was listening to a Fireside Chat with Allbirds founder Tim Brown. “It’s great to hear from leaders in other industries who keep sustainability as part of their mission, but don’t let that take away from building a great product,” she said at the time. “It’s very helpful to get that kind of perspective.”
By the end of the July, Ciara successfully beta tested an early product prototype with four stylists and began a relationship with a manufacturing partner.
As a self-taught entrepreneur, Ciara was particularly drawn to the structure, mentoring, and community that programs like the USC LaunchPad, the LaunchPad Fellowship, and the Future Founders Bootcamp provided. “I don’t come from a family of business owners, nor did I have a lot of understanding of entrepreneurship before going to school, so access to these programs helped refine my skills and legitimize me as a real entrepreneur.”
Rebundle, which is based in St Louis, recently raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round led by M25, a venture firm with a geographic focus on the Midwest. Prior to this round, Rebundle had raised around six-figures worth of grants and other non-dilutive capital, including the $5,000 Ciara received through the LaunchPad fellowship.
The money will be invested primarily in her team and supply chain, with a major focus on manufacturing. Rebundle uses banana fiber as the core material for its extensions and is building out new production facilities in the United State. According to TechCrunch, Rebundle had been selling out stock in an hour or less. The capital infusion will allow the company to scale and meet its demand.
Commitment to Sustainability
Even before founding Rebundle, Ciara was deeply committed to living sustainably. When she first started researching hair, she was also researching ways to reduce her waste. At the time, she was working at a university that didn’t recycle and living in housing that didn’t recycle, and so she became interested in the circular economy.
“Environmental conservation and sustainability have always been important ideas to me,” said Ciara. “But since braid extensions are primarily worn by Black women, and we’re generally not included in the conversation on sustainability, that kind of intersectionality hasn’t really been extended to this consumer product yet.”
From the beginning, Ciara was interested in creating a product that was both healthier and more sustainable than the options widely available. She quickly identified plastic used in synthetic hair as a culprit on multiple fronts. The petroleum products and plastic materials in hair were not only causing the scalp reactions she and many other women experienced but also negatively impacting the environment.
“My initial hypothesis was that I could recycle used hair back into new hair, but the more I learned about what the hair was made of, the more clear it became that this wasn’t the smart thing to do. The smart thing to do was to introduce a new fiber that could solve both problems at the same time. And that’s how Rebundle got started.”


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By increasing our understanding of the taste mechanism, the findings could be used to help manufacturers mask bitter, unwanted tastes that often turn consumers off, say researchers in Belgium's Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
The study, published in last week's Nature journal, identified microscopic channels in our taste buds- termed TRPM5- as being responsible for different taste perception at different temperatures.
According to the researchers, the reaction of TRPM5 in our taste buds is much more intense when the temperature of food or fluid is increased, sending a stronger electrical signal to the brain and resulting in an enhanced taste.
"The clearest example for sweet taste is ice cream. As we all know, ice cream does not taste sweet when it is frozen but only when we melt it in the mouth. On the other hand, melted ice cream is very hard to drink because it is extremely sweet," said the researchers.
"Interestingly, because ice cream is consumed cold, ice cream makers need to add considerable amounts of sugars or sweeteners in order to endow the product with the much rewarding sweet taste, in detriment of our health," they added.
The same effect occurs with beverages like beer or wine, in which a bitter taste becomes much more apparent when the products are consumed above the appropriate temperature.
On the other hand, consumers enjoy a certain bitter taste in some beverages, such as coffee, tea or cocoa, which is why these taste better when hot.
How consumers sense food is crucial knowledge for a food industry constantly organising the building blocks of new food formulations.
And according to lead author Dr Karel Talavera and his colleagues, their findings could allow for the modification of the taste channel in order to achieve required tastes.
"Taste perception could be modulated by adding something to the food that could enhance or inhibit the work of the TRPM5 channel, such as a particular chemical, or by changing the temperature of food," said Dr Talavera.
"Bitter taste inhibitors could also help fulfill the nutritional requirements of sensitive sectors of the population, such as children."
"For example, many children do not like salads because of their bitter taste. By understanding the functioning of the TRPM5 channel, certain chemicals could be added to the salad in order to mask our perception of this bitter taste," he told FoodNavigator.com.
He added, however, that his team of researchers had little knowledge of the family of chemicals that could be used, but suggested their findings serve as a starting point for further investigation.
Previous research into taste has revealed that the human tongue has about 10,000 taste buds with five taste sensations: sweet, bitter, and umami, which work with a signal through a G-protein coupled receptor; salty and sour which work with ion channels.
Contrary to popular understanding, taste is not experienced on different parts of the tongue. Though there are small differences in sensation, which can be measured with highly specific instruments, all taste buds, essentially clusters of 50 to 100 cells, can respond to all types of taste.
Taste buds (or lingual papillae) are small structures on the upper surface of the tongue that provide information about the taste of food being eaten.
Indeed, human taste perception is being increasingly examined by scientists in an effort to improve consumers' nutritional intake.
Earlier this year, a new $10.9 million (€9m) molecular biology centre in the US- part of Monell's University City facility in Philadelphia- was established in order to better understand taste and smell, and could help the food industry tackle issues such as salt substitution.
An understanding of how human salty taste works is imperative to facilitating the identification of acceptable and practical salt substitutes and enhancers. Using recent advances in molecular genetics, Monell's scientists aim to identify and express genes related to the ENaC receptor subunits believed to be critical to salty taste detection.
"Such knowledge will address important public health concerns by enabling new strategies to reduce salt intake, while also benefiting the food industry's attempts to respond to those concerns," Leslie Stein, science communication officer for Monell Chemical Senses Center had told sister site FoodNavigator-USA.com.


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Officials are hoping locals will enjoy recent updates to the Glenn Miller Gardens at the Chattanooga Choo Choo as construction efforts continue on the property.
Choo-Choo President Adam Kinsey hopes recent updates to the historic gardens — added lawn space, new retail operations and a more inviting atmosphere — will entice more residents to treat the property like a public park.
“The gardens, in my opinion, look better than they’ve ever looked,” Kinsey said on a recent tour of the property. “We’ve made it more open and inviting and opened up the area. The whole lawn has been expanded.”
Workers helped clean up the fish pond and added rocking chairs throughout the area. Four train cars are getting a new coat of paint that matches the original 1930s and 1940s Pullman Train Cars.
Recently, the gardens were used for the BrewSkies beer and food festival and the venue will become the new host of the Tennessee Whiskey Festival on Sept. 15. The area is also home to Ice on the Landing, an outdoor ice skating rink, during the winter months.
Kinsey said they’re working on permanent measures to allow visitors to enjoy alcoholic beverages throughout the property. In 2017, The City Council approved open containers on Station Street adjacent to the Choo-Choo grounds.
“We’re working to make it legal for all businesses to bring beer and cocktail in the gardens, too,” he said.
Several of the train cars are already occupied with unique retail businesses. American Draft is a self-pour tap room and Refinery423 Mercantile sells a curated selection of men’s items. Escape Experience Chattanooga will debut The Runaway Train Transport experience in late May.
Kinsey said he’s open to more retail operations in the available train cars.
“We really want to make sure it’s the right fit for the entire property,” he said. “There’s a great opportunity to do retail and animate the space. It’s almost like a retail incubator.”
In addition, to update to the garden space, a new entryway from the Grand Dome to the gardens is nearly complete. Located in the former restaurant space, the idea was to create a convenient funnel for people from Frothy Monkey into the garden space.
Kinsey said workers were able to remove a 1972 concrete slab to reveal the original 1906 concrete floor.
Construction is also continuing on new storefronts where the former Victorian Lounge and Roosevelt banquet areas were. As workers uncovered decades-old carpeting this week, they discovered an original terrazzo tile floor.
An enormous restaurant space has been cleared on the same side of the property. Kinsey said the space offers 5600 sq. ft. of interior and 6,000 sq. ft. of exterior space. During the clearing, the original ceiling from 1906 was discovered underneath a dropped ceiling.
Kinsey would not say what restaurant would occupy the space, but he did say that he waited for the right opportunity.
“We told six or seven restaurants that wanted to be in this space ‘no,’ he said. “Again, we’ve been very careful on the tenant mix on the property. We want more local and authentic businesses that not just our residents will enjoy, but that the neighborhood will enjoy.
The new restaurant space will offer three patio-spaces, two of which will face the Choo-Choo Gardens.


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// February 13, 2007, 4:43 AM PST
HTC announced 3 new devices for the first quarter of 2007, including the S710, Advantage and P3350.
A strong magnet holds the device in the detachable keyboard.
A large 5 inch VGA display makes icons and text very viewable for those with poor eyesight.
The HTC Love is focused on the music experience and has a slim form factor.
This high powered Windows Mobile 6 Standard device transforms from a mobile phone to a texting machine.
We deliver the top business tech news stories about the companies, the people, and the products revolutionizing the planet.
Our editors highlight the TechRepublic articles, galleries, and videos that you absolutely cannot miss to stay current on the latest IT news, innovations, and tips.


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Gamescom is to offer the first 100 traders buying a ticket to this year's industry event free flights over to Cologne in an effort to attract more members of the UK industry to the leading European show.
The free flight offer is being held in conjunction with Germanwings and is open to specialist dealers from the UK who register using the online ticket shop and purchase their admission ticket before Friday, May 14.
At a press conference held in London today, Koelnmesse GmbH MD Oliver P Kuhrt said: "Gamescom will be able to expand its international reach and improve its status as Europe's largest games trade fair. Particularly for dealers from the United Kingdom – it is thus the ideal information and order platform.
"In addition, the excellent transport connections make Cologne a 'neighbouring town' for all of Europe."
Also intended to expand the event's international reach is its organisers' decision to partner with Canada for this year's conference.
As official partner country of Gamescom Canada will host a range of exclusive presentations. The country was largely chosen for its forward thinking contribution to the industry, said the Koelnmesse organisers. It is a country that is doing a lot for the games industry, they added, most notably with tax breaks and funding.
The organisers were keen to emphasise though that a new country – and possibly a European one – would be selected for next year's event. And that Gamescom was still intended as a European event focusing on European issues, which tended to be different to those of North America and the Asian markets.
"We are very pleased to have won Canada, the country with the highest innovation and development power for the global games industry, as a partner of gamescom already in the first year of the partner country concept," said Kuhrt.
"With Canada as first official partner country, Gamescom emphasises its position as an internationally leading business, impulse and entertainment platform and its ability to open the doors to the most important markets in the world. I'm sure Canada will create a furore at gamescom."
A whole assortment of event services were discussed during the conference – including the new online matchmaking capabilities and online calendar.
OnlineWorld would be extended this year it was revealed, and a Browser Games Park would provide an area for small to medium-sized companies specialising in online games. Meanwhile, Games Competence would focus on media literacy issues, such as subjects for teachers and discussions on age ratings, and an open air launch concert was planned in downtown Colgone on August, complete with stages for a variety of music, gaming and entertainment.
Perhaps the biggest coup for the conference through will be the fact it's looking likely to be the first place the public will be able to get their hands on Microsoft and Sony's new motion control technologies – although the organisers said that it would be up to the two platform holders to officially confirm their attendance on the show floor.
All of this considered, it's perhaps not surprising the event's organisers are hoping for an even bigger turn out than last year.
"We're hoping for a 10% increase in visitors," said Kuhrt - which would amount to visitor numbers of around 260,000.
Gamecom 2010 will take place between August 18 and 22 and advance tickets are on sale now at a 25% discounted rate at its online shop.


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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is largely expected to launch in January during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022. The phone has been spotted on Geekbench recently and now its marketing images have leaked online. Its full specification sheet has also leaked alongside, leaving very little to the imagination. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is reported to come in Qualcomm Snapdragon and Exynos models varying with region. The phone is likely to have a similar design language as the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. It is seen to have a flat display with rounded edges and a hole-punch screen design.
CoinBRS shared what it claims to be marketing images of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE ahead of launch. The images suggest that the phone will come in four colour options — Black, Cream, Lavender, and White. It is seen to have a triple rear camera unit on the back with a similar camera module design as the Galaxy S21 flagship range. The phone’s selfie camera cutout sits in the top centre, and the volume and power buttons are placed on the right spine.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specifications (expected)
As for specifications, the report suggests that Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is likely to run on Android 11 software. It could feature a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The phone is reported to come in both Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and Exynos 2100 SoC, based on different markets. The Exynos 2100 SoC is said to come with Mali G78 GPU, whereas the Snapdragon 888 SoC is said to come with Adreno 660 GPU. The phone is likely to pack up to 12GB RAM and offer up to 256GB storage option.
As for cameras, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may have a triple rear camera setup that includes a 64-megapixel main sensor, a depth sensor, and an ultra-wide-angle sensor. At the front, the phone may feature a 32-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calling.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may pack 4,500mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. Connectivity options are tipped to include 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.1, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. The report additionally suggests that the phone may feature an in-display fingerprint sensor.


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By Anirban Sen
Naspers recently invested an additional $71 million in Flipkart.
Kresna is expected to do a follow-on investment.
In April, Flipkart raised $1.4 billion from Tencent, eBay and Microsoft.
The deal is expected to conclude sometime in July.
Indian online retailer Snapdeal has filed a police complaint against some former directors and former management of a local logistics company, in which it owns a stake, accusing them of defrauding the company of 3.57 billion rupees ($55.37 million), a police report showed. The company, which is backed by Japan’s… Read more »
Credit Suisse is trying to build investor consensus on the proposed sale.
PremjiInvest has objected to special payments to some Snapdeal shareholders.
Cloud-based software provider Deskera makes big India push, in talks to raise up to $100m from PE playersBy Joji Thomas Philip
For Shashank Dixit, founder and chief executive of cloud-based business software provider Deskera, the India opportunity in 2017 will mark the second big instance in the company’s short history where the goods and services tax (GST) roll-out is set to be a game changer. The first such instance was in… Read more »
JD.com Inc, China’s No.2 e-commerce firm, said it would invest $397 million in fashion retailer Farfetch UK Ltd to expand its luxury offerings, amid fierce competition with Alibaba Group for China’s high-end retail market. JD will become a major shareholder in the UK firm following the transaction and its CEO… Read more »
China’s Alibaba Group and JD.com have invested heavily in offline retail


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Maruti is getting ready to re-launch their 1.0 turbo petrol engine in the Indian market via Fronx
Maruti Suzuki Swift has been one of the brand’s best-selling models since its inception. Even last month, it was India’s no 1 selling car. First launched back in 2005, Swift is now in its 3rd generation. Current gen Swift was first launched in 2017. In 2024, we will now get a new gen Swift.
2024 Maruti Swift To Get More Powerful Engine Option
New gen Swift has started testing, and is due for global debut later this year. India launch of the 4th gen Swift is expected sometime next year. Ahead of that, new details about the engine of 2024 Maruti Swift have leaked online.
Apart from the existing 1.2 liter petrol engine, Maruti Suzuki will equip 2024 Swift with 1.0L Boosterjet engine as well. This will usher in a new era in Swift’s history in India, as it has never had a turbocharged engine under its bonnet in this country.
2024 Swift With Boosterjet Engine – Turbo Power
Maruti’s 1.0 liter turbo engine is not new for India. They had launched it first with the Baleno RS, back in 2017. But due to low sales, it was discontinued. Now, with demand for more powerful cars in the entry segment on the rise, Maruti seems to have realized that the timing is right to offer the Boosterjet 1.0 engine in their cars.
The 1.0L Boosterjet engine is now assembled in India. This 3-cylinder engine delivers a power output of 100 PS and a torque output of 147.6 Nm. A 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission option will be the powertrain options. It will soon be on offer with the Fronx coupe crossover. Apart from Swift, this new turbo engine will also make its way to other Maruti cars like Baleno and Jimny in the future.
Swift with a turbo petrol engine is not a new concept. In fact, Europe has had a Turbocharged Swift for a long time. Swift Sport is that model and it gets a larger 1.4L Boosterjet engine. It even has a range of ADAS features on offer, to meet new safety standards in Europe.
What We Know About Upcoming Swift So Far
Upcoming 2024 Maruti Swift is 4th iteration of this model. Testing has already commenced in Europe and Japan. Next generation Swift will retain its general design silhouette, but there are enough distinctions to distinguish the new model from the outgoing one.
There is a new clamshell bonnet, lending a squared-off and muscular look. Headlights and front fascia will be changed too. We expect contrasting changes to rear design as well. Interiors will be updated with more features, tech, better seats that offer more comfort and space.
In addition to the 1.0L Boosterjet and the trusty ol’ K12 1.2L 4-cylinder engine, there are also reports of it getting a strong-hybrid 3-cylinder 1.2L powertrain. Maruti Swift Hybrid variant could deliver a mileage of over 30 kmpl. 2024 Maruti Swift prices will be in a similar range as current Swift. Turbo petrol and Hybrid option will be priced higher. More details will be divulged at the world premiere later in 2023.


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As trends come and go, so do South Side businesses.
The video rental store 48 Hour Video was the neighborhood’s most recent casualty. In its place has sprung Barreform, a fitness studio that offers the newest fad workout. Located on the corner of Fourth Street and Brodhead Avenue, Barreform officially opened its doors March 3.
Barre is a workout that was created by German dancer Lotte Berk in the 1950s. It combines ballet, yoga and Pilates into small isometric movements that tone and strengthen the body.
In the past few years, barre’s popularity has skyrocketed. Companies like Pure Barre, The Bar Method and Barre3 have opened locations en masse, both in the United States and internationally.
In the area alone, there are two different barre studios — Pure Barre is located in Easton, and Barre3, located in Allentown, is opening another location in Bethlehem this spring. Barreform is the first within walking distance to Lehigh.
Brett Jones, who founded Barreform with his longtime girlfriend Nora Hendrycks, describes the studio as a “one-stop shop boutique fitness center” because it offers more than just barre classes.
The studio’s megaformer workout class is designed to burn fat through controlled movements, fast transitions and intense cardio. Jones said before he opened Barreform, the closest megaformer studio was in Philadelphia.
TRX, or suspension training, is another class at Barreform. It leverages gravity and body weight so the user can perform exercises that target balance, strength and flexibility. The studio also offers yoga and mat Pilates.
For barre, TRX and mat Pilates classes, prices range from $22 for a single class to $360 for a package of 20 classes. For megaform, those prices jump up to $29 for a single class and $500 for the 20-pack of classes.
Jones understands that not everyone can afford the classes Barreform offers, especially in South Bethlehem, were a large percentage of the population is made up of Lehigh students and low-income families.
To encourage student business, Barreform is offering student discounts from now until the end of the semester — $100 for unlimited barre classes and $200 for unlimited megaformer classes.
Gabby Urken, ’17, who has been a certified instructor at Barreform since its opening, said the workout is worth the price because the classes are personalized to accommodate each specific group. Since Barreform is a stand-alone studio, instructors have free range to change up the music playlists and workouts in each session.
“It’s nice because we’re not getting orders from headquarters,” Jones said. “We are headquarters.”
He said a customer could take one of Barreform’s classes 300 times, and it would never be the same.
Urken said she understands the appeal of franchise classes because customers know exactly what they’re getting out of each class, but she prefers Barreform’s approach.
Chandler Coggins, ’18, was one of seven Lehigh students to join Barreform’s team of instructors the week after spring break. Like Urken, the students went through a 20-hour training process where they learned about managing class flow, cuing positions and designing choreography for their sessions.
Coggins said she had never been to a barre class before her training began. Now that she has, she’s hooked.
“I’ve always loved teaching others about health and fitness,” Coggins said. “Freshman year, I would have small yoga sessions in the hallways of Dravo even though we probably looked ridiculous.”
Urken said she wasn’t sad to see 48 Hour Video go, and she’s excited to see changes coming to South Bethlehem.
“I think by adding this, we might open new doors for other places to open like it,” Urken said. “If we keep adding stores like this and Broadway Social, then I think it’ll start to feel like a college campus instead of a college campus in a historic city.”
During the company’s inaugural weekend, Jones offered free “community classes” every day. He said the customers ranged from Lehigh students to South Bethlehem residents to people in the Lehigh Valley who traveled from 30 minutes away.
Although Jones has lived in New York City for the past 20 years, he still considers the Lehigh Valley home. He grew up in the Valley and completed his undergraduate degree at Muhlenberg College. For him, it’s the “perfect location.”
“We’re really excited about the space and its potential,” Jones said. “We’re thrilled the university is right here, and they’ve been really helpful. We want to serve the whole South Side, the whole Bethlehem and the whole Lehigh Valley community.”


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As if the Fallout 76 launch couldn’t get any worse. Bethesda has a major issue of privacy issue on its hand. Multiple users reported that they were receiving other players Fallout 76 support tickets that contained all their private information. This is all heated up from the bad controversy after people who bought the game Power Armor Edition were angry, rightly so, that their bags that they received, were cheap looking nylon material.
Well, finally Bethesda promised to make things right. They told the fans to submit a ticket online to get their replacement bags. That’s where the problems started. Some people who submitted tickets, realised that they had somehow had gotten access to parts of Bethesda’s support system. Which meant, they can access personal information of other customers and among other things. And it was a train wrecked from there.
A twitter user, posted screenshot of her computer and wrote to Bethesda,
“I’m receiving other people support ticket on my Bethesda account. I have numerous people receipts for power armor set that includes their email and home address and the type of cards used”
@BethesdaSupport I am receiving other people’s support tickets on my @bethesda account. I have numerous people receipts for power armor set that includes their email & home address and the type of card used. This is not good, right? #Fallout76 pic.twitter.com/KUpGCNfIF0
— Jessie Tracy (@JesscaTracy9) December 5, 2018
Bethesda has made a statement saying,
“As previously reported, on December 5, 2018, we experienced an error with our Customer Support website that resulted in the exposure of a limited number of customer support tickets. Upon discovery, we immediately took down the Customer Support website, remediated the error and restored the Customer Support website. We have conducted further investigation and analysis of this incident and would like to provide our Bethesda community with an update.
From our investigation, we have learned that, on December 5, 2018, there was a brief period of time during which customers accessing our Customer Support website may have been able to view the customer support tickets submitted by other customers during this same time period. Based on our current investigation, we believe this exposure window lasted approximately 45 minutes.”
People also found that they can update and even close support tickets. So, the bugs have been fixed now, according to Bethesda. They’ve also said that they’re investigating and apologised to its fans.
Maybe Bethesda should give another 500 atom credits just to make things right, am I right guys? Bethesda just couldn’t take a break .


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Gao Feng: Friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the MOFCOM regular press conference. First, I have two announcements to make.
First, President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech via video at the opening ceremony of the third China International Import Expo and Hongqiao International Economic Forum to be held in Shanghai on November 4.
Second, briefing on the online retail market in the first three quarters this year.
In the first three quarters this year, China’s online retail market remained robust and continued to drive consumption. National online retail sales topped eight trillion yuan, up by 9.7% year-on-year. Online retail sales of physical goods increased by 15.3% year-on-year to 6.6 trillion yuan, accounting for 24.3% of the total retail sales of consumer goods, up by 4.8 percentage points from the same period of last year. Online retail has pushed market entities to move faster towards digitalization, spawned new business models and patterns, increased the efficiency of the industrial, supply and value chains and fostered new drivers for digital economy.
In the first three quarters, China’s online retail market has the following features.
First, new trends of online consumption continue to grow. Consumption for a healthy and green lifestyle has become a new trend in online retail. New models combining entertainment and consumption, such as live streaming and content e-commerce, have gained popularity. The "no-contact" model has become an important channel for goods and services to reach consumers directly.
Second, e-commerce accelerates industrial digitalization. Through the C2M model, large e-commerce enterprises create the intelligent manufacturing platform for real businesses to promote innovation, reduce costs and strengthen the weak linkages with the data, technology and creativity gathered online. The Ministry of Commerce has continued to promote the construction of the national e-commerce public service platform, and initiated the action of benefiting the people and enterprises to help enterprises, especially small and medium-sized ones, to achieve digital transformation by providing for free the data, training, credit, talent and other service resources for market players.
Third, rural e-commerce has maintained a good momentum of growth. According to big data monitoring, in the first three quarters of this year, the national rural online retail sales reached 1.2 trillion yuan, up 7.8% year-on-year. The national online retail sales of agricultural products reached 288.41 billion yuan, up 34.3% year-on-year. The Ministry of Commerce has pushed forward the comprehensive demonstration of e-commerce in rural areas to create an upgraded version of the comprehensive demonstration, and actively carried out brand building and promotion activities for agricultural and special products in Guangxi, Hebei, Qinghai and other places to promote the continuous growth of rural online retail.
Fourth, cross-border e-commerce has promoted the upgrading of foreign trade. Driven by policies such as the expansion of cross-border e-commerce pilot zones and B2B export supervision pilots, cross-border e-commerce has maintained a good growth momentum. Big data on key e-commerce retail import platform shows that cross-border e-commerce retail imports increased by more than 17% year-on-year. Japan, the US and Australia are the top three import sources, accounting for 16.3%, 15.1% and 8.9% respectively. Cosmetics, oil and food and apparels and footwear ranked among the top three in terms of import value, accounting for 32.7%, 24.4% and 12.9% respectively.
Fifth, online services consumption picked up at a quicker pace. With the significant strategic achievements in epidemic prevention and control in China, online service consumption continued to expand. Big data monitoring shows that in the third quarter, online consumption of food and beverage grew by nearly 10 % year-on-year, while online tourism began to witness positive growth.
Gao Feng: This is my briefing to you today. Now I’m ready to take your questions.
Xinhua News Agency: The just-concluded online Canton Fair has hit record in terms of web traffic and the number of exhibitors and exhibits, signaling a trend of digital transformation for exporters. To promote exhibition innovation and digital trade, what progress had MOFCOM made and will there be new measures going forward?
Gao Feng: The just-concluded 128th Canton Fair has employed such new technologies as the internet, big data, cloud computing, and AI to support the participation of over 26,000 businesses in the form of photos, videos, 3D, and VR, offering more opportunities to businesses. The digital transformation of many exporters has also injected vitality into China’s foreign trade development.
MOFCOM has worked actively on the innovative development of the exhibition industry. At present, exhibitions across the country are making innovations in service, management, and business forms and models. The characteristics are as follows:
First, exhibitions are taking on more diversified formats. As professional internet services are deeply integrated with traditional exhibitions, physical exhibitions are gradually moving away from a single format to a combination of online and offline exhibitions. Online-offline interaction and integrated development has become a prominent trend.
Second, exhibition organizers are becoming more professional. State-owned, private, and foreign-invested organizers are all creating new ways of holding exhibitions, and seeking to become more professional, technical, and personalized while building online platforms.
Third, the target markets have become more diversified. The exhibitions are open to both domestic and international markets, with more fine-grained industries, business, and markets, and more international influence. This has boosted the dual cycles and domestic and international development.
Fourth, digital transformation has sped up. As realted policies and measures are gradually implemented, the exhibition organizers are accelerating digital transformation and experimenting with various models of online exhibition, creating new services, and fostering new drivers for the exhibition industry.
Going forward, MOFCOM, in collaboration with related authorities and in accordance with the decisions and plans of the central government, will provide policy support to encourage innovations in exhibition models, make sure they are market-based, professional, international, branded, and digitalized, improve the structure of the exhibition industry, enhance integration with industries, foster special and featured exhibitions, strengthen market entities, build up the exhibition industrial chains, and improve public service platforms. We will strive for the high-quality development of the exhibition industry, and contribute to the new development paradigm with the domestic circulation as the mainstay, and with domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. Thank you.
Yicai: The 33rd round of China-EU bilateral investment treaty negotiations was held between October 18th and 23rd. Is it likely to conclude the talks by the end of the year judging from the current progress?
Gao Feng: This year, China and the EU have held eight rounds of negotiations with intensified efforts despite the COVID-19 impact. The two sides have scored progress in the text and lists, and are focusing on the outstanding issues of the text and market access.
In the 33rd round of negotiations held last week, the two sides explored practical solutions to the remaining issues and made positive progress, guided by the agreement of the leaders of China, Germany and the EU in their virtual meeting on September 14th to conclude the talks within this year.
It is a common goal of China and the EU to reach a deal at an early date. China is willing to make concerted efforts with the EU side to foster consensus while accommodating each other’s’ concerns and moving in the same direction. The two sides will strive to conclude the talks by the end of the year, as the leaders instructed, so as to take China-EU trade and economic cooperation to new heights. Thank you.
CGTN: According to Yonhap News Agency, China and the ROK held the 20th session of their trade remedy mechanism on October 28. Can you tell us more about the details?
Gao Feng: On October 28, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the relevant department of the the ROK’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held via video link the 20th session of the China-ROK trade remedy cooperation mechanism and the 5th session of the trade remedy committee of the China-Korea FTA. The two sides fully affirmed the positive role of the trade remedy cooperation mechanism, focused on discussing relevant technical issues in trade remedy investigations, and communicated on anti-dumping cases under investigation by the two sides. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen communication and cooperation on trade remedies, jointly oppose trade protectionism and properly handle bilateral trade frictions for the sake of the healthy and stable development of China-ROK trade and economic cooperation. Thank you!
Gao Feng: This brings us to the end of today's press conference, thank you all.
(All information published in this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only. )


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If you’re looking for a new Sony Bravia LCD TV you may want to hold off as Sony is set to launch a new range that includes native 1920 x 1080 full high-definition resolution panels and HDMI(TM) inputs with 1080p capability.
The new Sony range that is due in
Sony have announced that six new models in 40- and 46-inch screen sizes and a 32-inch set featuring 1366 x 768 (WXGA) screen resolution will be available however Sony Australia refuse to say which models they are set to launch in Australia as they don’t want consumers to stop buying current models.
“Our new HD Sony Bravia LCD TV’s offer superior picture quality and unlock the power of the high-definition experience with more than five times the number of pixels compared to enhanced-definition plasma televisions. Paired with our forthcoming Blu-ray Disc(TM) player, consumers will see a level of high-definition video unmatched in the home theatre,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of the Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division.


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On the 9th, at Teatro Marista, another edition of Impacta Maringá will take place, a free event that proposes a debate about the impact of business and stimulates awareness. This year, the theme leading this edition is the performance of companies in relation to the environment, promoting environmental sustainability.
According to the organization of the event, the idea of the 2022 edition was to create forums capable of showing the community that there are ways to apply for jobs, promote good products and services, without neglecting the care of the environment.
To discuss these parallels, Impacta Maringá brings to the city representatives of the largest Brazilian companies that focus on sustainability and have been emerging in the market.
Among this year’s guests is Guilherme Massena, the creator of Dobra, a manufacturer of wallets, notebook covers, among other products made from recyclables and without any material of animal origin.
Also at the event will be entrepreneur Beatriz Futlik, from Insecta Shoes, a vegan shoe brand that has won a place in the Brazilian market.
Impacta Maringá has short lectures, approximately 13 to 18 minutes each, with collaborations from other civil society sectors. This year, there will be a speech by Mayor Ulisses Maia, who will comment on the “Ipê Seal”, issued by Maringá City Hall to encourage good practice and promote sustainable development.
The event, which is open to the public, will take place on August 9, starting at 7 pm, at the Teatro Marista. Click here and register.
Organized by the Permanent Council of Young Entrepreneurs of Maringá (Copejem), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Maringá (Acim) and the Empreender program.


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The only thing that could dampen the spirits at Dreamforce this year was rain.
Once again, tens of thousands of corporate decision makers, sales executives, marketing managers, ISVs, entrepreneurs, analysts and press converged on the Moscone Center and every nearby hotel to soak up the latest vision and solutions from Salesforce.com. And despite the rain, Dreamforce was another love fest fueled by the enthusiasm of customers finally able to harness the power of software to achieve their business objectives and intoxicated by the vast possibilities being proposed by Salesforce for a new way of doing business in the future.
Along the way, Salesforce is always looking for methods to extend its reach into the enterprise and tighten its grip on its customers. It has been focused on two primary tactics to achieve this objective — building a potent platform that encourages customers and partners to build apps that align with Salesforce’s primary SaaS offerings, and generating a compelling vision for the new world order of business.
This year, the company rolled out a new aspirational marketing mantra, “The Internet of Customers,” along with a new vendor-centric platform name, Salesforce1.
The Internet of Customers replaces last year’s Social Enterprise slogan. Why the previous attempt didn’t work and whether the new campaign will succeed is up for debate. But, no one can blame Salesforce for sitting still or pushing an idea too long. Instead, the company definitely lives by the new rule that you have to “fail fast” and move on if things are not working.
The same holds true on the platform side. Marc Benioff and Parker Harris both admitted that their previous platform offerings were too fragmented and not designed to truly satisfy the higher standards set by today’s mobile devices. Last year’s Touch didn’t meet the expectations of today’s mobile users. Salesforce1 combines the development capabilities of Force.com, VisualForce and its other platform capabilities with a more open and powerful API that makes it easier for third-party ISVs and enterprises to connect their software solutions to Salesforce’s CRM database via mobile devices.
This consolidated development platform makes it easier for Salesforce’s partners to develop and deliver their solutions. However, it also may cause some confusion among its enterprise customers who were just getting comfortable using Salesforce’s previous development tools. It may also be overwhelming for new customers who aren’t sure where to begin with all the functional capabilities at their disposal under the umbrella Salesforce1 brand.
In either case, Salesforce1 also could complicate Salesforce’s sales process and create a greater demand for consultative selling skills among its salespeople. Third-party consulting firms — like Accenture, Appirio, Bluewolf, Capgemini, Cloud Sherpas and Deloitte — and integration solution vendors — like Dell Boomi, Informatica, Jitterbit, MuleSoft and SnapLogic — will be the biggest winners as they are called upon to help customers pull all the pieces together.
While all of this will keep the Salesforce ecosystem abuzz for a while, I think the Salesforce/HP alliance will have the greatest impact on the overall cloud marketplace. This partnership will offer enterprises that are reluctant to rely on external, “public” cloud services an opportunity to deploy dedicated instances of Saleforce’s solutions behind the firewall via “superpods.”This is significant because it removes the most important obstacle to cloud adoption — enterprise fears regarding security, privacy and compliance — and exponentially expands the addressable market opportunity for cloud services.
It is also ironic because Marc Benioff had a heyday ridiculing his mentor, Larry Ellison, when Oracle unveiled its own cloud pods a couple of years ago. Now, he is willing to give customers a choice that cloud zealots have said would never work. (I’ve been advocating “location-independent” cloud services for a long time.)
While Salesforce.com has found a new way to expand the market for its solutions, the big winner will be HP. This alliance gives it renewed recognition in the market and a clear differentiation over IBM and Dell in the cloud arena.
Salesforce’s other recent announcements regarding identity management and private AppExchange are also closely tied to the new offerings unveiled at Dreamforce.
Once again, Salesforce is defying the concerns of many industry research and Wall Street analysts who have questioned its ability to continue to grow at the same pace long term. In response, Salesforce is constantly iterating its marketing message and product portfolio to appeal to its growing customer base and partner ecosystem while it aggressively hires salespeople to capitalize on today’s “cloud rush” environment.
Jeff Kaplan is the managing director of THINKstrategies, founder of the Cloud Computing Showplace and host of the Cloud Innovators Summit conference series. He can be reached at email@example.com.


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PSIQ makes agreement with Saboneto Soap Company to produce PSIQ’s Hemp infused organic soap with Dead Sea Salts
Published Date | 2018 December 14
Profile Solutions, INC (PSIQ) announced recently that it has made an agreement with Saboneto soaps to exclusively produce PSIQ organic healthy soaps infused with dead sea salts under the brand Elite which will not only boost the growth of company sales but the organic soap industry as well.Global: The skin care market is frequently characterized by lengthy ingredient labels as well as dubious marketing claims, but organic products which incorporate hemp-based cannabidiol ("CBD") offer promising results. Numerous cosmetic giants have earlier avoided the use of Hemp due to its uncertain legal status, although the industry has over the year experienced significant liberalization. Researchers have now begun to focus on the plant whereas over-the-counter manufacturers are releasing products. PSIQ also expects to produce and sell exclusive hemp-based soap with infused Dead Sea salts that will rapidly increase their sales and revenue and grow the organic soap market. “In addition to Hemp and Dead Sea Salts, Elites Soap will include fresh Olive Oil containing 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, cruelty-free, non-GMO, food-grade ingredients that transform into a premium product targeting the skin care industry," said one of the officials. Shlomo Keshet, who is the CEO of Saboneto, said “We see tremendous opportunity in the sale and distribution of Elites Soap. With the expected passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in the US, the market is unlimited and embryonic.” According to BlueWeave Consulting, the Hemp market in the U.S. is continuing to grow at a double-digit pace per annum, while American consumers continue to establish their strong interest in Hemp products. Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp said, “We expect the rate of growth of the market to increase, as Congress has indicated its intention to finally lift federal prohibition on industrial Hemp farming. Few other industries can so clearly prove the market demand for their products, whereas the Hemp market has essentially tripled in the last 5 years as Hemp farming advocates have made advancements in legalizing the crop at the state and federal levels.” “We are excited to be adding this new line of Organic Healthy Soaps with Dead Sea Salt to our brand. Research clearly shows that hemp oil is extremely beneficial to the skin. This aligns with our brand mission of using the most highly effective ingredients that are natural and food-grade quality. With the U.S. Senate voting to pass the Farm Bill and US Congress expected to follow suit, there are expectations of imminent passage of the Farm Bill of 2018. Hemp would be completely removed from the Controlled Substance Act creating a tremendous opportunity for PSIQ making the timing perfect to introduce our newest product," said Dan Oran, CEO of PSIQ. Thus, the introduction of the new organic soap made with hemp and infused Dead Sea Salts According to the upcoming report by BlueWeave Consulting on “Global Organic Soap Market by Product Type (Bar Soap, Liquid Soap & Paper Soap), by Distribution Channel (Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, Online Channels & Others), by Packaging Type (Rigid Packaging, & Flexible Packaging), by Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America); Size and Forecast, 2018-2025” the market is growing with a significant CAGR owing to increasing cases of skin diseases and other health-related issues are resulting in the growing concern among people towards health and skin care which is driving the growth of the organic soap market. In addition, there is an increasing awareness among people regarding the benefits of organic soaps over conventional chemical soaps. People are very proactive these days and incline towards having a healthy lifestyle, which is why they are more bent towards using organic and natural products to remain healthy and fit. These factors are constantly accelerating the growth of organic soap market.


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With a sea of Ultrabooks coming out soon and Windows 8 on track for a release by the end of the year, it's time PC makers start differentiating themselves. Tobii's eye-tracking tech is really cool, and word on the block is that Asus is working to integrate Kinect sensors directly into laptops.
The Daily says that its managed to test a few of the Kinect-ed laptops over the last few days and report that an "array of small sensors stretch over the top of the screen where the webcam would normally be" and "at the bottom of the display is a set of what appear to be LEDs."
The fact that the prototypes are running Windows 8 is interesting. We already know that Microsoft is going to release a Kinect sensor that'll officially be Windows compatible and able to detect gestures from close distances (16 to 20-inches) for $250.
Building Kinect sensors right into laptops is a sensible move, especially since Microsoft is baking Xbox Live deep into Windows 8. Whether the sensors will be used primarily for gaming, media controls, or business applications is uncertain, but it looks like Microsoft wants to slap Kinect in everything. We hear it's coming to TVs too.
You've all seen the awesome Kinect hacks. Need we say more?
Via The Daily


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Now in its 19th year, Fit for the Cure® raises funds to benefit the Susan G. Komen National Treatment Assistance Fund. Every year, Komen aids 1.8 million uninsured or under-insured breast cancer patients, in support of its mission to reduce mortality rates. Through Fit for the Cure® and related programs, Wacoal has donated over $5.4 million dollars in support of this cause and has conducted 900,000 bra fittings at Fit for the Cure® events.
When consumers receive a complimentary bra fitting at a Fit for the Cure® event, Wacoal donates $2 to Susan G. Komen on their behalf and will donate another $2 for every Wacoal or b.tempt’d bra or shapewear purchased that day.
No Address Available


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AUSTIN -- Texas football teams may be watching from the sidelines, but there's a good chance Texas made product will take the field when Super Bowl XLVIII kicks off Sunday, February 2 at the MetLife Stadium.
Agriculture industries in Texas will play a big role in this weekend's game. Here is a few ways how Texas industry will make an appearance at Super Bowl XLVIII:
- Footballs are made from leather, and Texas leads the nation in cattle production with more than 11 million head generating an annual production value of more than $10 billion.
- Texas produced 5 million bales of cotton in 2013, which is enough to make a Super Bowl Championship T-shirt for every person in the U.S. - and China, India, Russia, Mexico and Japan.
- Peanut are a popular snack at football games, and Texas produced 433 million pounds in 2013. That's enough to make more than 4 billion peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches.
- Hot dogs are a favorite at football games, and the Texas pork industry has an annual statewide economic impact of $110 million.
- Hot dogs need buns. Texas growers produced an average 90 million bushels of wheat annually. That is enough to make more than 25 billion hot dog buns.
- How better to celebrate a Super Bowl Championship with a good steak dinner? Texas produces about 7 billion pounds of beef each year. That's the equivalent of 14 billion 8-ounce steaks or enough to supply 130 steaks to every person watching the game in the U.S.
- Cornstarch can be used to make biodegradable plastic for drink cups, utensils and more. Texas growers produced 276 million bushels of corn in 2013.
This information was provided by Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and the Texas Department of Agriculture.


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NEW YORK—Los Angeles may have its festive Academy Awards gala, but the Big Apple can lay claim to the annual Franklin Event, hosted by the Printing Industries Alliance (PIA). More than 500 people packed Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on September 10 to pay tribute to this year’s printing, publishing and advertising luminaries.
NEW YORK—More than 500 people packed Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on September 10 to pay tribute to this year’s printing, publishing and advertising luminaries during the annual Franklin Event, hosted by the Printing Industries Alliance (PIA). PIA/GATF President and CEO Michael Makin presented the new Industry Recognition Award to U.S. Public Printer Robert Tapella (he was not in attendance due to illness). The 2008 Power of Communication Awards were bestowed upon James Hammer, fourth-generation owner of Hammer Packaging (printing); Ken Lantz, senior vice president, director of print creative services, at DRAFTFCB (advertising); and Tom Fox, former vice president, manufacturing and technology, American Express
NEW YORK—Hammer Packaging’s James Hammer will receive the Power of Communications Award for Printing at the 2008 Franklin Event, to be held September 10 at Chelsea Piers in the Big Apple. The Franklin Event will attract about 500 CEOs and senior executives from the printing, publishing, advertising and graphic arts-related industries. During the gala, the prestigious Franklin Award for Distinguished Service will be given, though event host Printing Industries Alliance (PIA) would not divulge the recipient. Also receiving Power of Communications Awards for other sectors are Ken Lantz, DRAFTFCB-New York (advertising), and Tom Fox, American Express Publishing/Time Inc. (publishing). Winner of the John Peter


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Xiaomi is all set to unveil its new smartphone called the Redmi Pro next week in China. Ahead of the launch, we have come across leaked photo that revealed dual-camera setup at the back. The company has also started teasing features of the smartphone which hints at deca-core processor and OLED display. Now, in the latest leak, photos captured from its rear cameras have surfaced, giving a gist of what the dual setup would be used for. Also Read - Xiaomi India could soon start a repair program similar to Apple's Self Service Repair program
Looking at the leaked photos, one camera would be used to capture photos whereas the other would capture depth information. This would let users add a level of blur to their photos, similar to what one can do with DSLR cameras. The leaked photos look good, but as the resolution has been scaled down, details about the camera resolution still remain a mystery. Also Read - Xiaomi Black Friday sale live: Best deals you can get on smartphones, earbuds, smart TVs and more
A similar feature was first introduced with HTC’s One M8, which came with dual camera setup at the back. Lenovo had also introduced a similar camera setup on its Vibe S1, for capturing selfies. A handful of other smartphones also come with dual camera setup, such as the LG G5, where other camera is used for capturing wide-angle photos. Now, while the Redmi Pro seem to offer the ability to capture photos and add bokeh effects later, details about other features of the dual camera are scarce at the moment.
Xiaomi Redmi Pro specifications
From what we know so far, the Redmi Pro is likely to feature an OLED display. However, there is no word on its display size and resolution. The recent Geekbench listing of the alleged Redmi Pro revealed MediaTek Helio X25 deca-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM. Rumors also claim that one more variant with 3GB of RAM could also be expected.
Xiaomi Redmi Pro features
The smartphone is expected to pack a metal unibody design and as leaked photos didn’t reveal fingerprint scanner at the back, the same is expected to be embedded within the physical home button on the front.
On the connectivity front, 4G LTE with VoLTE support, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth and GPS could be expected. The smartphone is expected to run MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out of the box.
The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is scheduled to launch on July 27 in Beijing.


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Radissons Will Be Fifth Flag At Omni Hotel Since It Opened In 1978
By Susan Stabley
The former Omni Hotel, which has flown the flags of four chains since it opened in 1978, will soon become a Radisson.
Formal announcement of the change at the 528-room hotel owned by CP Miami Hospitality at 1601 Biscayne Blvd. will come in 30-60 days, said Brian Mulholland, the hotel’s marketing director. New signs should be up by the end of June, he said.
The formal name of the hotel will be New Radisson Hotel Miami.
It was a Crowne Plaza during the 1990s until it hoisted the Wyndham flag in late 1998. In 2001, it became a Marriott Renaissance.
Earlier this year, hotel owners ended a management contract with Marriott and hired Driftwood Hospitality, based in Jupiter. The hotel is wrapping up a $14 million renovation that includes a new restaurant to open by July 1, Mr. Mulholland said. The restaurant, which will offer regional dishes and seafood, also will be operated by Driftwood.
More staff will be added, he said. A few dozen have been hired, and the number could increase to more than 100, he said.
"We have a national reputation for turning around properties," said Mr. Mulholland. "The city expects great things from us."
Driftwood had considered branding the hotel as a Hilton but couldn’t because of that chain’s exclusivity contract with the 1,200-room Fontainebleau on Miami Beach, which bears that name. The Miami hotel would have had to cut the number of rooms to less than 500 to become a Hilton, Mr. Mulholland said.
The most difficult challenge for the hotel, observers say, will be for it to shed its lingering Omni identity.
Scott Brush, an independent hotel analyst based in Miami, said the hotel is tarnished by the deserted retail mall from which it sprang.
Built in 1978, the hotel was next to Omni International Mall, which was initially successful. But with a downturn in the number of Latin American tourists, the mall soon went empty. By 2000, with few tenants and sparse traffic, the shopping center was vacated.
Since then, the Miami International University of Art & Design, formerly International Fine Arts College, has taken up residence at the old retail center. And the Omni area is gaining attention as a performing-arts center under construction a few blocks away feeds a rebirth of the area.
Still, difficulties could arise from a perceived lack of consistency. "Changing brands obviously negatively affects the hotel," said Christian Charre of research firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
Also, switching from Renaissance to Radisson is considered a "step down," said Peter Gluckler of Lodging Econometrics, a New Hampshire company that tracks hotel investments. "Renaissance is considered an upper-upscale hotel, but a Crown Plaza or a Radisson is just upscale."
Mr. Brush said the new brand could benefit the hotel if promoted well. "Radisson carries a reasonable name," he said. "It needs a reasonable name, and it needs a very good marketing department."


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May 23, 2020
Introduced on Mapion News on 5/14 (Thursday).
Perfect for after-party use of online drinking parties! "Online Snack Yokocho", where snacks from all over the country gather, opens today! Support the snack industry while having fun
"Online Snack Yokocho" was introduced on Mapion News!
You can read the article here.