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THE Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi) assured consumers Friday, May 31, 2019 that the local processed meat products do not contain meats from countries infected by the African swine fever (ASF).
Pampi president Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. issued this statement following the nationwide campaign of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to recall processed meat products purportedly imported from ASF-infected countries.
Locally produced meat products include canned meats and hotdogs.
Tiukinhoy, who is also the president of Virginia Foods Inc., has urged the FDA to be cautious and specific in its pronouncements as it could lead consumers to confusion and uncertainty.
Tiukinhoy said most of the ASF-infected countries do not export meat products to the Philippines.
The Department of Agriculture is strictly enforcing an import ban on pork from ASF-infected countries to protect the country’s P200-billion hog industry.
The Cebu City’s Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries has already started recalling pork products imported from countries suspected to be affected by the ASF virus.
Pork products manufactured in Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, South Africa, Zambia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Latvia, Poland, Romania, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia starting Aug. 25, 2018 were recalled.
Most of the imported processed pork products that were recalled include Ma Ling luncheon meat and Great Wall ham.
But the recall orders, according to Tiukinhoy, should be product-specific, and identify the brands and countries of origin. He said the orders should not be written in general statements that are not helpful to consumers and are prejudicial to local manufacturers.
Tiukinhoy further said the locally produced meat products that are displayed in supermarkets and groceries along with imported products may confuse consumers.
He will ask Pampi members to work out a system with supermarket operators to institutionalize the segregation of local processed meats from the imported items.
In a separate interview, Robert Go, president of the Philippine Retailers Association-Cebu Chapter, said the ban on importation and sale of processed pork, including Ma Ling and other products from China, has no effect on retailers because majority of the local supermarkets are not importing, distributing and selling products from China.
“Maybe there are retailers who still sell them but in a very limited category, and the scale has gone down years ago,” said Go, adding that fake Ma Ling products have been flooding the market.
Go said there has been a shift in brand and taste among consumers. He said taking a few cans out from the shelves is no big deal and will have no effect on retailers.
The businessman also welcomed Tiukinhoy’s plan to ask Pampi members to coordinate with the retailers to segregate pork products.
Pampi, a national organization of processed meat manufacturers, has been at the forefront of a campaign to ensure food security, food safety, consumer welfare and price stability.
The FDA explained that the ASF is a “highly contagious” hemorrhagic disease of pigs, warthogs, European wild boars and American wild pigs that causes fever, loss of appetite, hemorrhages in the skin and internal organs, and even death to affected animals.
While the disease is not considered a “human health threat,” the FDA said the disease will cause major economic loss in the swine industry.


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While the new-gen BMW 4-Series Coupe has started showing off that huge kidney grille, the 2021 M3 isn’t willing to drop its camo (in prototype form out in the open, at least) just yet.
The sports sedan was spied testing at the Nurburgring and on the roads nearby earlier this week, and it resulted in a very generous video that’s almost 14 minutes long – a great way to make the time go by faster and take a short break from everything happening across the globe.
Poised to rival the Mercedes-AMG C63, the M3 G80, which is the range-topping variant of the seventh-gen 3-Series family, promises to be one of the best driver’s cars of the year – presuming that it’s still on track to be uncovered in a few months, alongside the M4, with which it will share the controversial grille, mechanical and interior upgrades.
Like its two-door counterparts, the M4 Coupe and M4 Convertible, the new M3 will be powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo straight-six. The engine comes from the latest X3 M and X4 M, where it makes 473 HP and 503 HP in the regular and Competition versions, respectively, and should retain the output.
The biggest change, however, will be the addition of an M-tuned xDrive all-wheel drive system. Despite the weatherproof feature, it will still be a drift machine, as up to 100 percent of the torque can be channeled to the rear axles when needed. You will also be glad to know that BMW is understood to be working on a rear-wheel drive version of the car, fitted with a manual gearbox.

domain: news


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A hacked the decentralized finance (DeFi) application Deus Finance and stole over $13.4 million worth of Cryptocurrency, cybersecurity experts PeckShield reported. The attacker managed to artificially inflate the value of certain assets, borrow funds within the protocol and make a profit after repaying the loan, writes RBC Crypto.
In the first three months of this year, the DeFi marketplace lost more than $1.22 billion to hackers, according to Immunefi.
Police investigated the theft of 20 BTC from a Moscow resident, Izvestia reported. At the time of the crime, the value of the stolen cryptocurrency was more than 28 million rubles. Now 20 BTC is estimated at about 88 million rubles. A group of attackers was able to send a future victim a link to a special program that steals data and passwords from cryptocurrency wallets. The victim downloaded the program, and the hackers were able to withdraw from his wallet all that was there.
In late February 2022, Nvidia announced that it was investigating a cyberattack that affected part of the company’s online business. LAPSUS$ claimed responsibility for infiltrating the video card manufacturer’s servers, announcing that the group had managed to steal more than 1TB of data.
Court grants lawyers’ motion to release from custody Heather Morgan, accused of laundering billions of dollars in bitcoins.
U.S. police recently arrested a couple who laundered bitcoins stolen from the Bitfinex exchange in 2016. Netflix is planning a documentary series on the case.


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DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania–On Tuesday, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for the Middle East and Africa, Camille Richardson, convened a virtual meeting to help facilitate the development of partnerships between women entrepreneurs in the United States and Tanzania.
The “Connecting with Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania & Beyond” event hosted by Deputy Assistant Secretary Richardson was the 11th session in the ‘Women Empowered Leave Legacies Through Trade and Investment’ (WELLTI) Coffee Chat series. The Tanzania Coffee Chat reflects the importance that the U.S. Department of Commerce places on the commercial relationship between the United States and Tanzania and is a follow-up to Deputy Assistant Secretary Richardson’s virtual visit to Tanzania from July 22-23, 2021.
“Women entrepreneurs and innovators are an incredible resource that is ripe for business partnerships,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Richardson said, noting that “U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs can be utilized to tap into this important source of for market intelligence, access to supply chains, and representatives for American products in Tanzania.”
During the event, a group of Tanzanian businesswomen shared market insights with more than 125 U.S. companies interested in exploring business opportunities in the region. Carol Ndosi, Co-Founder, The Launch Pad Tanzania moderated a panel consisting of Dr. Victoria Kisyombe, Founder and CEO, SELFINA; Miranda Naiman, Founding Partner, Empower; and Mercy Kitomari, Founder and CEO of Notre Heritage Ltd. The speakers highlighted the power of women entrepreneurs to create advantages for U.S. companies entering or expanding in the Tanzanian market. U.S. firms are particularly well placed to tap into this resource due to the extensive network of alumni of exchange programs in Tanzania and throughout Africa.” This alumni network includes the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), Mandela Washington Fellowship and the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE).
U.S. and Tanzanian business connections run deep with over 60 years of bilateral relations, which the two countries are celebrating this year. U.S. firms currently have $1.5 billion in investment in Tanzania employing 2,000 workers. Total trade (exports plus imports) between the U.S. and Tanzania totaled $364 million in 2020, making the United States Tanzania’s the third largest bilateral trade partner outside of Africa, and fifth overall. These trade and investment figures demonstrate the need for increased local partnerships, which Tanzanian women entrepreneurs can play a leading role.
Launched in January 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s WELLTI series is a platform to connect women entrepreneurs in the United States and international markets. Over the past year, this initiative has grown rapidly across the Middle East region and will culminate in an event led by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on International Women’s Day in March 2022 at the Dubai World Expo Pavilion.
About the International Trade Administration:
The International Trade Administration (ITA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 75 markets worldwide. For more information on ITA visit www.trade.gov.


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Qantas has bowed to pressure from consumer advocacy group Choice and extended the deadline for customers to use flight credits accumulated during COVID by another 12 months.
The new deal will apply to flights departing up until 31 December 2024 but will still need to be booked before the end of this year.
The “final extension” will alleviate criticism that the decision to cancel credits would see the airline effectively profit from airfares being far higher than pre-pandemic.
Qantas group chief customer officer Markus Svensson said millions of bookings were cancelled due to lockdowns and border closures, something no airline globally was able to manage seamlessly.
“Now that we’re flying again, a huge amount of effort has gone into making it easier to use your credit, from putting 250 specialists into our call centres to building dedicated websites,” said Svensson.
“Our main goal is for everyone who has a COVID credit to be able to put it to good use, which is why we’re doing one final extension of the travel expiry date by 12 months.
“This is on top of all the system changes we’re making, so people can be reunited with credits they might have forgotten they even have.”
Qantas said more than $1.2 billion has already been refunded or used for travel, but $800 million was still owed to customers. Of that, 76 per cent is worth less than $500, and less than 1 per cent is worth more than $5,000. All customers whose flights were cancelled by the airline are still eligible for cash refunds.
The Flying Kangaroo has faced huge criticism over the last few years for its handling of so-called COVID credits during and after the pandemic.
Last year, for example, consumer advocacy organisation Choice even filed a formal complaint with the ACCC after consumer surveys highlighted the “many obstacles” faced by customers seeking to cash in their credits. Choice said one survey showed nearly a third of people trying to use flight credits to purchase new flights were forced to pay more than the cost of the original flight.
Qantas denied the accusation and indicated fare discrepancies were due to rules that restricted flight credit holders to only purchase tickets of the same fare class or higher.
Rival Rex attacked the Flying Kangaroo’s policy by giving its own customers affected by COVID restrictions their money back within seven days.
The airline’s deputy chairman, John Sharp, said it made the decision because it believed its customers deserved to be treated “with respect and dignity and should not have to suffer the indignity and anguish that Qantas passengers suffer when trying to get a refund”.
The two airlines have though been involved in a long-running row over network expansion, with the smaller airline accusing its bigger rival of “predatory” behaviour for launching services on previously Rex-exclusive routes. Qantas has consistently denied any wrongdoing.


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Twitter has started taking its revenue streams seriously, industry watchers say, and advertisers look likely to follow suit. After two years of strong user growth, the social site is looking to monetize by offering innovative ad formats and hiring a raft of new advertising staff -- and while everyone's still feeling their way forward, many marketers say they expect Twitter to turn into a major ad platform. "I completely have the same vibe on Twitter as Google, Facebook and DoubleClick. You can tell by the client interest levels," said Curt Hecht, an executive with digital agency Publicis Groupe.
Published in Brief:


text: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra unveils the world’s finest luxury SUV, the long wheelbase Range Rover. Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth said: “We are here in India to showcase the very latest offerings from our two great British brands. India continues to be an important and dynamic market for Jaguar Land Rover with year on year sales growth. This demonstrates that we are delivering our promise to create exciting products and unrivalled customer experiences. We aim to enhance the potential of the Indian market by growing our dealer network by 25 per cent this year and will now manufacture our flagship model, the Jaguar XJ, in Pune”.


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Telrock Technologies, an international software development company specializing in mobile-centric customer service, is setting foot in Helsinki and Oulu. The company will focus the development of its cloud-based platform in Finland and plans to employ 50 people already at an early stage.
Telrock provides automated self-serve customer service applications for mobile devices. Although only four years old, the company’s customers include some of the world’s largest financial institutions and other corporations. Telrock’s solution hands over control of various services to customers, diminishing the need for traditional call center agents. Letting consumers decide how to use services increases customer satisfaction and loyalty.
— Our platform gives for example bank customers total control of managing their loans with their mobile device – they can change the amount and date of payments every month if they wish to. Consumers can now manage services that previously required customer service personnel, said Roy Gunter, the Executive Chairman at Telrock.
Furthermore, Telrock wants to create a mobile customer service innovation ecosystem in Finland as well as offer Finnish start-ups an open application programming interface and a chance to bring their products to the international market through Telrock’s platform. The platform provides access to over two billion consumers, 10 000 companies and 300 mobile operators.
High speed to Finland
Telrock is growing rapidly and has offices in the UK and the US and is building sales and support organizations in Canada and South Africa. At the end of last year the company was also looking for a new location in Europe.
— Last November, we participated in the Slush start-up event in Finland. We met people from the KAATO network. They set the wheels in motion, and only a couple of weeks later we had found our first Finnish employees. We also received help from other Finnish organizations, e.g. Invest in Finland, Greater Helsinki Promotion and Otaniemi Marketing, said Gunter.
Telrock plans to focus the development of its platform in Finland and make Finland a regional sales center serving the non-English-speaking Europe. The Oulu office will concentrate mainly on product development, while the Helsinki office will focus more on sales. — We were looking for a country with mobile talent, great work ethic and entrepreneurial zeal, and have found these in Finland. Now we want to employ what we call ninjas, that is people who understand the opportunities and want to change the world, said Gunter.
Telrock plans to employ ca. 50 people in Finland already at an early stage but does not plan to stop growth and recruiting at that. The company’s plans also include developing new technologies, like advanced natural language processing, machine learning as well as voice and facial recognition, and incorporating them into its platform. The next version of Telrock’s platform will be launched by the end of the year.
The article is published in cooperation with Good News from Finland.


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What happened: Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is bringing its cloud computing services to Brazil in a bid to serve the growing need of Chinese companies in the South American country. Alibaba Cloud, the cloud subsidiary of Alibaba Group, will start offering services in Brazil in the coming months after reaching a deal with Brazilian IT firm UOL Diveo to resell its cloud services. The two have been negotiating the terms of the agreement over the past three months.
Why it’s important: Alibaba Cloud is growing its presence overseas as competition in China heats up. Cloud computing has become a core business for leading tech companies in China including Alibaba and Tencent. Alibaba is a top cloud service provider in Asia, but its expansion abroad may not be smooth sailing. It has a very limited presence in South America and the global cloud market is still largely dominated by US tech companies Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.


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Welcome back to another jam-packed edition of our mobile news! This week we’ve got more updates on the Samsung Note 7, as well as Apple’s new AirPods and LG’s next flagship device. As for apps, we’ve got news on Facebook’s plans for its very own version of Prisma and Instagram may be next to try out live streaming.
Samsung is still reeling from the explosive Note 7
We’ve been keeping you informed of all the latest updates on the Samsung Note 7 in our weekly mobile news round-ups and it’s not over yet for the company. The mass recall and subsequent end of production of the faulty Note 7 has led to the company’s lowest share in the smartphone market since 2014. It is estimated that Samsung has shipped a total of 72.5 million handsets in the last quarter, which is down from around 83.8 million during the same quarter last year – that’s a hefty 13.5% drop. This means there’s more pressure than ever on the Samsung Galaxy S8 to make up for lost ground when it’s released early next year.
Apple AirPods delayed until further notice
If you were looking forward to donning a set of Apple’s snazzy new wireless AirPods with your iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, then you’ll have to wait a little bit longer. Originally set for an October launch, the release of the Bluetooth earbuds has been delayed as Apple need more time to perfect the product before shipping it worldwide. Not exactly music to our ears, as the latest iPhone models do not feature a headphone jack, so we’ll need to make do with the adapter until further notice.
Facebook is working on its version of Prisma
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Prisma at Tesco Mobile and it seems like we’re not alone. Facebook has announced it’s working on its very own version of the popular media editing app – the difference is it’ll only be available for video editing. Facebook’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox showcased a prototype for the technology at a recent interview during the WSJD Live conference in California. It claims to work faster than Prisma and can filter videos in real-time, which Prisma can’t currently do. However, as it is very much still in the early stages, Facebook has yet to confirm how they will implement the technology and when.
Instagram may be next to adopt live streaming
After the success of Facebook Live, it seems everyone’s favourite photo app may be next to introduce live streaming. This isn’t the first time Instagram has taken inspiration from a rival, as they recently introduced their own version of Snapchat Stories. Currently in the testing phase, the option to live stream on Instagram appears as part of the Stories feature and can be launched by tapping on the red button branded “Go Insta!”. Whether this will be rolled out worldwide will depend heavily on how well the testers enjoy it, so we’ll have to wait for the verdict.
LG G6 to drop the modules
The LG G5 saw the revolutionary idea of incorporating removable modules into the design, so users could reap the benefits of extra battery capacity, better camera controls and enhanced audio, to name but a few. However, it seems that this wasn’t as groundbreaking as originally thought, as the South Korean company is set to drop the idea with its next flagship device, the LG G6. The reason behind the decision is simple – the LG G5 wasn’t popular enough. Most of the public did not embrace the idea of shelling out extra money for modules and were content with simpler smartphones. It seems to be a case of stick to what you know for LG, who is set to release the LG G6 next year.
That’s all for this week’s mobile news – be sure to visit The Hub again next Friday for all the latest updates from Tesco Mobile!


text: A rumor broke out a few days ago stating that AT&T would be carrying the Z10 on March 22nd for U.S. customers. It turns out that rumor is indeed correct and today AT&T has issued a statement confirming this date. Further details on the launch include the device being available for U.S. consumers on March 22nd at the price of $199.99 (same as Verizon) for the Z10 device and you must sign a 2-year commitment. For those of you who want first dibs on after the launch date, you can pre-order the Z10 tomorrow through this link. If you don't want to pre-order you can try to find the new smartphone in retail stores or online on or after the 22nd, but it is currently unknown how limited the quantities will be in the initial months.


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Local stores gearing up for Black Friday
Published: Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 at 7:23 p.m.
HOUMA — Retailers this week arranged jewelry, unloaded video games and prepared for a Black Friday shopping weekend they say is only getting bigger.
At Old Navy along Martin Luther King Boulevard, the store is preparing for crack-of-dawn opening times and giveaways of items from the “Rock Band” video game franchise, as well as sales on fleece tops and graphic T-shirts.
“We’re really very optimistic that customers are going to get out and go shopping this weekend,” said J.J. Worrell, a New-Orleans area spokeswoman for Old Navy. “We’re hoping that extra fun for customers this year will really inspire them.”
Named “Black Friday” for a day that traditionally pushed retailers’ ledgers into the proverbial black for the year, the day after Thanksgiving and the weekend that follows is an important barometer of spending for the holiday season.
It’s a day that will be watched closely to determine whether a global recession has begun to loosen its grip on consumer caution, which made last year’s holiday season the worst in years for retailers. Though Houma-Thibodaux was largely unaffected last year, this weekend will show whether the recession has begun to affect the behavior of local consumers.
The National Retail Federation has high expectations for the holiday. The group estimates 134 million people will shop this weekend, up from 128 million last year.
With Web sites also offering deals, 27 percent say they plan to shop online.
Ten percent say they plan to get out to the stores between midnight and 3 a.m., while another quarter plan to arrive between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Early promotions abound in the Houma-Thibodaux area. Old Navy stores, including the Houma location, will open from noon to 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving, an event being billed “Gobblepalooza.”
There, they will be giving away “Rock Band” guitars to those who are first in line. A company representative won’t say how many, just that supplies are limited. There will also be kiosks available in-store where families can play the game for free. The store will also open at 3 a.m. on Black Friday for the first time, with a Lego Rockband game given out to those who are first. They’re not the only store to open in the wee hours. The Southland Mall’s J.C. Penney store will let customers in at 4 a.m. to go after deals like diamond jewelry marked down from $249 to $79.99.
“A lot of people make it a family affair,” said store manager Terry Perkins, who explained that holiday snow globes will also be distributed until 1 p.m.
While he does see some restraint among customers — he has noticed more people paying with debit card or cash as opposed to credit lately — he doesn’t see cause for alarm, particularly at a value-priced chain.
“We’re cautiously very optimistic,” he said.
Many of the big chains around town didn’t respond to requests for interviews about the local market.
But popular big-box stores, like Wal-Mart, Target, and Best Buy, which routinely draw large crowds, will open at 5 a.m. to let shoppers at their specials:
nWal-Mart: Emerson 42-inch HDTV for $448; Magnavox Blu-Ray disc player for $78.
nTarget: Nokia CoolPix S203 digital camera for $88; Westinghouse 32-inch 720p LCD HDTV, $246; Apple 8GB iPod nano, $145. Until noon, guests who spend $100 or more will receive a $10 Target gift card.
n Best Buy: Dynext 32-inch HDTV, $299.99; Garmin GPS, $99.99; DVDs beginning at $3.99; Blu-Ray discs starting at $7.99.
n At Southland Mall, Sears will join Penney’s in opening at 4 a.m. The main mall doors will be open at 5 a.m., as will certain other stores, including Bath & Body Works, Kirkland’s and Radio Shack. The rest of the mall stores will be open by 7 a.m., except for Dillard’s, which opens at 8 a.m.
Many of the sales started earlier in the week. On Sunday, Old Navy started discounting coats by 50 percent and offering specials of $15 on all adult jeans. Penney’s on Tuesday began discounting a range of small appliances to $12.88.
For those who get hungry, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will be open at 5 a.m.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Twitter reportedly mulls charging for TweetDeck and new advanced features
Teams inside Twitter are researching ways for the company to offer paid subscriptions, which could include charging money for access to TweetDeck, Bloomberg reports. TweetDeck is a popular alternative to the main Twitter website and mobile app that allows users to more efficiently manage multiple accounts and organize Twitter into a series of easier-to-read vertical feeds.
Alongside charging for TweetDeck, the teams are said to be exploring other ideas, including charging for new features like an “undo send” button or more profile customization options. Another idea involves introducing “tipping” to Twitter, where users could pay accounts for exclusive content.
Twitter is thought to be exploring these plans as a way to reduce its…


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A.S. Watson Group, the retail unit of conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., is expanding its services to tap a growing market for Chinese medicine, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported Wednesday.
Eight Watson stores will launch out-patient Chinese medicine services by the end of the year, the report said, citing general manager Diane Cheung.
Ten more stores are in the pipeline and are expected to come on stream next year.
Watson operates more than 180 stores in Hong Kong and Macau, more than 50 of which have pharmacy counters manned by 200 registered pharmacists and health consultants.
Chinese medicine is increasingly popular in Hong Kong, with a growing number of people more concerned about health issues.
The number of people using Chinese medicine services in public hospitals and clinics has seen double-digit growth annually, Cheung said, citing Hospital Authority data.
The authority operates 18 out-patient Chinese medicine centers which can serve up to one million visitors.
– Contact us at [email protected]


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Technically on paper, a curly fry SHOULD taste the same as the normal version.
They're just a different shape, right?
However, they taste SO much better, and no one knows why.
Given their popularity, the news that McDonald's had announced 'Twister Fries' were back on the menu was greeted by fast food fans with joy.
However there's an big catch, and UK Maccie D customers are devastated.
Apparently McDonald's curly fries currently exist only in Singapore and the Philippines, and are a seasonal temporary addition.
It means fans have taken to Twitter to PLEAD for their return worldwide.
"Why isn't twister fries a forever thing on the McDonalds menu? I'm sad," commented one disappointed fan.
"Craving for Twister Fries - McDonalds please sell it again!" said another.
Given the huge demand, perhaps curly fries will be making a return, watch this space...


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Alleged ponzi schemer agrees to plea deal
- Staff Austin Business Journal
Langguth, who plead guilty to fraud and money laundering charges, agreed to the deal at a pre-trial hearing, KXAN-TV reports.
The alleged fraud and misrepresentations took place between 2005 and 2009.
The sentence hearing is scheduled to take place in the next 90 days.
Langguth stole between $7 million and $20 million from nearly 250 victims, according to the arrest warrant.
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The Google Fi MVNO service has been around for a few years now, and it aims to give customers a reasonably-priced alternative to traditional carriers like AT&T and Verizon while offering a few of its own perks. While Google Fi is technically supported on a broad range of Android and iOS devices, Google has reserved the complete Google Fi experience to Pixel devices and what it calls "Designed for Fi" smartphones (like those from Motorola).
Today, Google announced that all smartphones that are supported on Google Fi will receive a number of features previously reserved for a select few. Now, all Google Fi devices, including the iPhone, support spam call warnings along with the ability to block specific phones numbers from reaching out to you.
The next two features, however, are reserved just for Android devices. Google’s enhanced virtual private network (VPN) securely encrypts both your Wi-Fi and cellular traffic to disguise your online activity. "Our enhanced network automatically detects when your Wi-Fi connection becomes unusable and then fills in those connection gaps with cellular data," writes Google. Google is quick to point out that even it cannot ascertain your online whereabouts when this feature is enabled.
"If you’ve ever left your house and walked toward your car, you might have noticed your connection slows or even stops altogether as your phone clings to a weakened Wi-Fi connection. With our enhanced network, you’ll have a seamless connection on the go."
One last feature that Google is adding for all Android devices on Google Fi is Wi-Fi calling. With this feature, you can still make or receive phone calls even if you don't have a cellular signal as long as you have a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Google says that all of these features can be enabled by downloading the latest version of the Google Fi app for your device.


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BCB Group has decided to push towards making the use of cryptocurrencies more viable and promising with a real-time payments network to allow free, real-time transactions across fiat and digital currencies.
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp will also become the first exchange to enable transactions on BLINC, the BCB Liquidity Interchange Network Consortium. It has also been explained that this new move is down to accelerating client demand for BCB Group’s platform over the year to end June 2020, with average monthly payment volume growth of 24%.
The need for better payments structures in the cryptocurrency has long been needed and as the space progresses so new methods are being tested. The varying fees on cryptocurrency — as seen recently with Ethereum — and the longer transaction times when networks are busy, have been a major hampering.
This new network aims to transform traditional payments infrastructure by providing a unified architecture capable of handling instant domestic and international fiat transactions, crypto transactions, cross-currency transactions, security tokens and smart contracts, all provided fee-free within the network.
Making crypto more usable as a payment network
Cryptocurrencies were first created with the idea of it being a new payments network as Bitcoin was created as a peer-to-peer digital cash network. However, there has been a bigger focus in recent times on using the assets as investable property.
However, the digitalisation of payments has shone a spotlight back onto crypto and made the need to iron it the issues more prevalent. High fees and slow transactions are currently keeping back the progression of the space into the payments arena.
More so, the integration into fiat currency is still a weak point in crypto, but it has the potential to be far stronger, and the need is much greater, as crypto offers a chance for borderless payments.
Oliver von Landsberg Sadie, BCB Group’s Founder and CEO, commented, “One of the greatest features of the crypto age is the ability to build value without borders. BLINC bridges that feature into the fiat currency world in a highly scalable way. Among the first to benefit from this will be market makers working hard to keep markets efficient through exchanges like our launch partner Bitstamp by solving arbitrage gaps between exchanges faster than ever before. The benefits of efficient markets quickly ripple to the rest of the ecosystem.”
Chris Aruliah, VP of Banking relations, of Bitstamp added “BLINC is an appealing proposition for Bitstamp, as it enables us to offer our clients a frictionless mechanism to fund their traditional accounts. The ability to move money instantly in the fast-moving crypto markets is crucial and gives our clients an edge when trading on the Bitstamp platform. We are excited to be working with BCB Group on the launch of BLINC which we believe brings substantial benefits for the entimarket.”


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Men's Wearhouse Inc. mw shares jumped 9% on Thursday after CNBC reported hedge fund Eminence Capital has reported a 9.8% stake in the men's clothing retailer. The reported move came after the company recently rejected an unsolicited bid from its smaller rival Jos. A. Bank josb Men's Wearhouse and Eminence didn't immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
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Diablo 3 will have a global play feature for multiplayer, Blizzard has announced.
Though the feature is being called 'global play', Diablo III's servers will be split into three regions for the Americas, Europe and Asia.
The Americas region will include the US, Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. The Europe region will include the European Union, Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa, and Middle Eastern countries such as Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Asia region will include South Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
By default, players will begin in their home region. They will then have the option to switch between which region's servers they are playing on.
However, it is not a seamless process as users cannot transfer characters, items or friends lists when switching between region servers. Users will instead need to create a new character and new friends list for each region they join.
Auction houses will also be restricted by region, as users will only have access to the gold acquired on a specific server for its auction house. Access to real-money auction houses will only be available when playing on a user's home region.
This marks an improvement over how Blizzard's Battle.net service locked region servers in games like 2010's Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty.
A Collector's Edition of the game will be available at retail, which includes the game's soundtrack, a two-disc behind-the-scenes DVD and Blu-ray set, an art book and a 4GB USB soulstone flash drive loaded with the full games of Diablo II and its expansion Lord of Destruction.
Blizzard is also offering Diablo III free to users who sign up for the World of Warcraft annual pass, a yearly subscription to the popular MMO.
To mark the release of the long-awaited sequel, Blizzard has announced that it will hold a series of global events to celebrate its launch.
See the Wizard trailer for Diablo III below:


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The 2019 season isn’t off to the best start for the Chicago Cubs. After winning their first game against the Rangers, they pissed their next two away to lose the series and opened up their series with the Braves on Monday with an embarrassing 8-0 loss.
The low point(s) of that game had to be watching the Cubs try to play defense.
I present to you, the 2019 #Cubs.
— Cub Fan Javy Man (@RizzoIsCaptain) April 2, 2019
Not exactly how I envisioned 2019 starting.
Yes, I know it’s early but it’s still not fun to watch your favorite team struggle. Luckily, Cubs fans can watch their team suck while they enjoy a brand new beer released by manager Joe Maddon, ironically named, “Try Not To Suck.”
— AN (@nissen54) April 3, 2019
The beer will be available two days after the home opener and maybe drinking a few of these will help soften the blow of the Cubs underwhelming start to 2019?
If the season plays out like the first four games have, you may want to see if they offer this beer via a keg (or two).


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Qin’s Moon Anime Tactics E3 2013 Reveal
On Monday we met with the Chinese company Dream Squared and had a chance to look at a huge line-up of titles being localized for western launch including Qin’s Moon. Based on one of the most popular anime titles in China, it brings a level of strategy and customization to browser tactics games unlike anything we’ve seen.
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New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia today chaired the very first meeting of the task force set up to advise the structure for a nationwide policy on e-commerce here and deliberated upon issues such as cross-border data circulations, taxation, trade facilitation and logistics, consumer confidence, IPR and future tech, FDI and competitors.
The government had in April started the workout to frame a nationwide policy on e-commerce, with a think-tank constituted on the issue under the chairmanship of Commerce and Market Minister Suresh Prabhu. It was decided to establish a job force in the first conference of the think tank, on the framework for nationwide policy on e-commerce.
The task force was further divided into 9 sub-groups for preparing suggestions for the national policy on e-commerce.
“The ideas emerging from the task force meeting held today will be sent to the think tank for consideration,” an official statement stated.
The sub-groups saw participation from numerous ministries and departments, top-level representatives from the market bodies, e-commerce business, telecommunication and IT companies and independent specialists.
Senior officers from the ministries of MSME, consumer affairs, electronics and infotech, business affairs and department of telecoms, Competitors Commission of India and DGFT existed at today’s conference, the statement said. PTI RSN MKJ MKJ


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Apple is all set to unveil its new smartphone next week, and according to the rumor mill, it’s going to be quite the upgrade — larger display, thinner profile, and LTE compatibility are all on the menu.
In addition to the new handset, it’ll be interesting to see what Apple does with the rest of its iPhone lineup. A lot of folks think the 3GS is on the way out, but what about the other models?
According to a new report from The Telegraph, Apple will replace the current free-with-contract iPhone 3GS with its 8GB iPhone 4 model. And it will replace the 4, at the $99 price point, with an 8GB 4S.
“he new update will mean that the 8GB version of the iPhone 4 will be the entry-level iPhone, probably given away free on £20 per month contracts, as the 3GS is currently. Sources close to retailers also suggested that an 8GB version of the 4S could be introduced.”
In addition to the new 4S model, the publication’s sources have also confirmed that the iPhone 5 will come in the usual three storage options, and they echo the expected September 21st availability date.
It wouldn’t surprise us at all to see Apple drop the 3GS from its lineup this fall. The handset has been on the market since 2009, and its internals are finally starting to show their age with the iOS 6 update.
That being said, we also wouldn’t be shocked to see Apple release an 8GB version of its iPhone 4S and price it at $99. It did the same thing last year with the iPhone 4, and it continues to sell well.
We’ll find out if any of this holds water next Wednesday. Be sure to join us for full iPhone event coverage.


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By Dan Packel
This article was originally published in American Lawyer on October 27, 2021, 3:51 PM EDT.
A new survey finds that 51% of firms don't intend to recoup costs generated from at-home work.
What You Need to Know
- Mattern surveyed nearly 40 firms to determine the future of the
- The recovery of these costs now constitutes a shrinking portion of firms' revenue.
- Most firms have no intention of passing cybersecurity costs along to their clients.
A majority of law firms surveyed by operations consultancy Mattern don’t intend to recover costs generated from at-home work, according to new survey results released Wednesday.
Mattern surveyed nearly 40 firms, ranging from global giants like DLA Piper and Baker McKenzie to boutiques and regional players, to determine the future of the “traditional soft cost” recovery model that most firms employ.
In this model, firms formulate the costs of services like copying, printing and postage and charge them to clients, alongside “hard costs,” which are third-party invoices passed on directly to clients.
The survey found that soft-cost recovery is likely to be a declining component of firms’ revenue streams, owing to a decline in overall generation of these costs that’s been connected to remote work.
To view the article on American Lawyer, click here.


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by Vera Lye,
Center East’s up coming major matters
(Center East and North Africa) startups experienced a sturdy funding yr in 2019 and
numerous startups have in distinct caught the eye of traders as having the
probable to be the region’s up coming major issue. Right here are some:
• Ekar: Dubai’s fork out-as-you-go auto-sharing
assistance is predicted to have a fleet of 10,000 cars and one million registered
buyers by 2021. Bold but with $seventeen million in the pocket because November
2019, it is self-confident. The enterprise will launch shortly in Riyadh, using extra than
70,000 initially time female motorists for whom rentals might be an eye-catching alternate
to auto possession.
• Trukker: Abu Dhabi-based mostly relocating and packing
enterprise TruKKer is flushed with $23 million in resources and is commencing the yr with
an enlargement into the valuable Egyptian marketplace and the relaxation of the MENA
region. The enterprise said it will capitalise on the country’s central area
and favours by itself to conquer the $66 billion marketplace.
• Maxab: The Egyptian B2B provide-chain consolidation
market enables grocery stores to purchase shipments instantly from producers
through a cell application, eradicating all intermediaries in between. Valued at $45
billion, Egyptian foods retail is a
hugely valuable marketplace for MaxAB to disrupt.
• Cofe: Introduced in Kuwait, this application aggregates a
checklist of nearby retailers and espresso stores. Buyers can spot orders for
espresso and have their beverages delivered. Currently eyeing a world wide enlargement,
COFE secured $3.two million and programs to start off internationally in London this
• Dokkan Afkar: The on the internet retailer based mostly in Jeddah delivers a wide range of innovative and conceptual solutions. Late last yr, the enterprise secured $five million in next round funding. It will concentrate on advertising homegrown Saudi makes and provide globally.
Almosafer launches WhatsApp consumer assistance
Almosafer, a omni-channel vacation brand
in Saudi Arabia, has introduced the normal availability of its WhatsApp channel
Driven by provider
LivePerson, Almosafer’s launch on WhatsApp delivers prospects rapid accessibility to
close-to-close vacation assistance through the messaging system. Buyers can decide in to
WhatsApp discussions with vacation advisors to get solutions to all their
enquiries and have any requests fulfilled without the need of having to make a simply call.
In 2019, it was
claimed that 72% or extra than 24 million men and women in Saudi Arabia frequently
use the messaging system.
Muzzammil Ahussain, government vice president of Almosafer, said: “Almosafer’s new WhatsApp channel permits
us to proceed to innovate and keep up-to-date with consumer needs, providing
travellers a protected and common way to converse with relieve with our trained
professionals relating to their vacation, anywhere they are in the entire world. In line
with our omni-channel strategy,


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Microsoft is reportedly developing a new version of Windows 11 for low-cost devices, such as the upcoming Surface laptop, which will be built specifically for education.
Although we know very little at the moment, the new operating system that the company is preparing will be optimized to work even on slower hardware.
Although this could of course upset all those computers that have been blocked from installing Windows 11. But Microsoft's intention is to make Windows 11 run on cheaper hardware, and this will essentially allow it to target the domain. of education with attractive offers.
One possible name for the new operating system is Windows 11 SE.
In the age of Windows 98, the abbreviation SE was used for "second edition". But this time SE seems to mean Student Edition or something. Microsoft wants to make it clear that it is not the full version of Windows 11.
Windows 11 SE is expected to be released later this year, most likely with the new Surface laptop that Microsoft is building for students.
However, this operating system will also be available to other PC makers interested in releasing low-cost Windows 11 devices. Microsoft hopes that the new operating system will create a whole new class of devices that will help it gain a lot in the field of education where Google Chromebooks already dominate.


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ROBLOX, a gaming site for kids, announced Tuesday that it has closed a $4 million second round of venture financing from existing investors, including ALTOS Ventures and First Round Capital.
The company’s last fundraiser was a $2.2 million round back in August 2009.
Offering a pretty unique gaming experience, ROBLOX is actually a massively multiplayer 3D gaming environment that itself hosts a virtual economy, millions of characters and tens of thousands of mini-games.
In a way, it’s a bit reminiscent of Minecraft, in that the gaming world is only limited by the imagination of its users.
ROBLOX gamers use building blocks to create all sorts of environments, whether it’s as intense as a hailstorm or as interactive as a pirate ship battle. If you couldn’t guess, part of the startup’s selling point is that it’s not just entertaining kids with mindless fun, but training their minds to think in a way that prepares them for higher-level physics and programming.
“As the Internet becomes saturated with online gaming sites, ROBLOX is uniquely positioned to offer not only entertainment for children, but also a safe experience that stimulates creativity, which both children and parents appreciate,” said Anthony Lee, General Partner of ALTOS Ventures.
ROBLOX, which specifically targets kids aged seven to 16, sees more than 5.7 million unique visitors and 650 million page views per month, with users usually spending at least 20 minutes on the site. In total, kids spend 19 million hours on the site per month.
Its popularity has helped the startup reach a 75 percent year-over-year increase in revenue. Like many new gaming companies of the 21st century, ROBLOX draws revenue from a variety of avenues, including subscriptions, in-game virtual currency, advertising and pre-paid cards sold at retail outlets like Best Buy, GameStop and Wal-Mart.
With booming revenue and a fresh funding round under its belt, ROBLOX plans to double its workforce this year. Right now, the company has nine open positions listed, eight of which are for engineers.


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The resurgence of Auckland house prices could be good news in the short term, with the wealth effect making home owners more likely to spend money and stimulate the economy through the dairy slump.
But the risk of increased borrowing and prices heading into bubble territory will be worrying for the Reserve Bank.
REINZ figures released this week showed the median price of the more than 3000 houses sold in the Auckland region last month surged $70,000 to $820,000, the first time it's broken $800,000.
The surge followed a three month slump that some had attributed to new government and Reserve Bank restrictions late last year.
Higher prices did lead to higher confidence among consumers and could lead to increased borrowing and spending, NZIER Economist Christina Leung told The Economy Hub.
"We do expect that household spending will remain solid and that will help to support growth over the coming year," she said.
This was the "wealth effect" where the rising value of peoples homes could make them feel more financially secure.
But it was a worry to see renewed signs of increased borrowing given New Zealanders' already high debt levels, she said.
In the medium to long term, New Zealand was moving in to increasingly precarious territory as prices continued to soar and borrowing increased, said Mark Lister from Craigs Investment Partners.
The resurgence of the Auckland market creates fresh headaches for the Reserve Bank as low inflation and the dairy slump put it under pressure to cut interest rates further, he said.
The Bank is still expected to cut rates again - most likely in June - and some are picking are picking a second cut later in the year as it seeks to head off effects of the dairy down turn and global instability.
"It's not what they'll want to see but they are unlikely to be spooked buy one month," Lister said of the new house price data.
More data due on Monday is expected to show that inflation remained low in the first quarter of the year with the ongoing oil price slump and persistently high kiwi dollar keeping a lid on the price of everything except housing.
This was putting the Reserve Bank in a difficult position as it was mandated to get inflation up but would have real concerns about the stimulatory effect of low interests on housing, Leung said.


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A blockbuster deal announced Friday morning will see e-commerce giant Amazon buy organic and all-natural food vendor Whole Foods in an all-cash deal — and other retailers and grocers are seeing massive stock drops because of it.
Amazon had already said that Whole Foods stores will continue to operate under the same name, as a discrete division of the company. Whole Foods Chief Executive John Mackey is staying in place, as is the company's headquarters in Austin, Tex.
"Millions of people love Whole Foods Market because they offer the best natural and organic foods, and they make it fun to eat healthy," Amazon founder and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "Whole Foods Market has been satisfying, delighting and nourishing customers for nearly four decades — they're doing an amazing job and we want that to continue."
A report in December 2016 claimed that Amazon was planning on opening up more than 2,000 self-branded grocery stores. In September 2017, Whole Foods had 456 stores, and 87,000 employees.
The deal gives Whole Foods shareholders a 27 percent price premium, valuing the company at $42 a share. The deal is having repercussions throughout stock markets, with many grocery chains down 10 percent or more as a result. Walmart and Target are also seeing impacts, down 6.1 and 9.2 percent respectively at the time of this report.
"This partnership presents an opportunity to maximize value for Whole Foods Market's shareholders," said Mackey. "At the same time extending our mission and bringing the highest quality, experience, convenience and innovation to our customers."
Amazon has been reticent to expand its AmazonFresh delivery grocery market, and the deal appears to be an easy way to expand this market by utilizing the Whole Foods infrastructure to do it. At present, Amazon Fresh services 18 metropolitan areas worldwide, and has 500,000 items available.


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(Pocket-lint) - UK independent communications regulator Ofcom has announced which companies have qualified to bid in the auction for the extra spectrum earmarked for 4G data.
The companies that will compete in "the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the UK" include, as expected, Vodafone and O2 (as Telefónica). In addition, EE and Three are on the list. The former launched its 4G network at the end of October, while the latter will be renting space on EE's network to launch its own offering in the new year. The acquisition of alternative spectrum would allow them to expand their services.
Perhaps a more surprising bidder is BT, through its subsidiary Niche Spectrum Ventures, and the group is rounded off by British business-to-business (B2B) network services firm MLL Telecom, and the UK arm of Hong Kong network provider PCCW, HKT.
The auction process starts in January, when bidders will be competing for two spectrum bands, 800MHz and 2.6GHz. Ofcom has designed the auction so that there will be at least four "credible national wholesalers of mobile services", after perfoming a competition assessment in July. It believes this outcome will provide customers with the best services at lower prices.
Roll-out of the new services is currently slated for late spring 2013.
"The 4G auction will be a competitive process that will dictate the shape of the UK mobile phone market for the next decade and beyond," said Ed Richards, Ofcom chief executive.
"New 4G services will stimulate investment, growth and innovation in the UK and deliver significant benefits to consumers in terms of better, faster and more reliable mobile broadband connections."
You can find out more on Ofcom's dedicated 4G page for UK consumers at consumers.ofcom.org.uk/4g.
Pic: (cc) devopstom


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LONDON — The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel (HKRITA) is partnering with H&M Foundation on a new five-year collaboration to further drive the sustainable development of the textile and fashion industry.
H&M Foundation will increase its financial commitment to $12 million to accelerate its goal of a closed-loop textile industry. This extends a partnership of the past four years.
HKRITA, which is hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, will conduct research on technology breakthroughs while working closely with H&M Foundation to commercialize these. The research projects have substantial support from the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Hong Kong SAR government.
For example, one of the successful technologies developed over the first partnership — a hydrothermal separation treatment, which is also known as The Green Machine — has been used in Monki’s latest collection. Meanwhile, the first retail model of the Garment to Garment Recycling System (G2G), a solution from the first partnership, has been implemented at H&M in Stockholm.
The projects under the new five-year Planet First program include carbon-dioxide-capturing cellulose textiles, bio-removal of denim indigo by macroalgae, regenerated cellulose fiber and the development of a super-absorbent polymer.
Erik Bang, innovation lead of H&M Foundation, said: “We don’t know what a planet-positive fashion industry will look like, no one does. This goal is directional and requires innovation and thinking outside the box in every step of the fashion value chain. The partnership with HKRITA has far exceeded our expectations and we are excited to expand in scope and ambition. We look forward to making the Planet First program a revolutionary one, together with the team at HKRITA.”
Edwin Keh, chief executive officer of HKRITA, added: “Our goal is to find technologies and solutions that we can openly share with the industry to ensure rapid scaling and a positive impact. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious program of its type, designed to move the needle in this industry, and we are very excited to start discovering the breakthroughs that can change the game.”
HKRITA and H&M Foundation has also commissioned the consulting firm PIE Strategy to conduct a comparative environmental impact assessment of hydrothermal separation treatment. The full report, out in the first quarter of 2021, will provide a comprehensive picture of the environmental benefits of the technology used throughout the entire life cycle of a garment.
In addition, a joint applied research laboratory program will be launched in Hong Kong to develop solutions, encourage industry collaboration and support, and further facilitate the sustainable development of the textile and fashion industry.
Funded by the Stefan Persson family, the nonprofit H&M Foundation has donated more than $178 million since 2013 to fast-track the achievements of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, and to drive positive change for people and the planet.


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Eating habits have been shifting across the world with many people, particularly in Zimbabwe, turning to traditional foods.
The craze for fast foods among the rich and those health conscious, is slowly fading away, with perhaps the younger generation, the only group that remains with a penchant for food from quick service restaurants.
Some lifestyle related diseases such as cancer and BP, which medical practitioners associate with too much consumption of processed foods, have been on the rise not only in Zimbabwe but across the continent.
This mainly came about after Africans swallowed hook, line and sinker, the food stuffs introduced to them by Europeans who came to colonise the continent.
Health experts contend that Zimbabweans have been eating incorrectly, and applaud the Damascene moment that has seen citizens turning back to traditional diets.
It is widely agreed that unprocessed foods, with limited chemicals and preservatives in their production processes — from the field to the factory — are the best to eat.
Grand return of traditional meals
Such foods include whole grains with roughage, which include mhunga (pearl millet), mapfunde (sorghum) and zviyo (finger millet).
Traditional chicken, commonly known as “road-runner”, pork bones, oxtail, knuckle bones, beef biltong (chimukuyu) in peanut butter and game meat, have also become popular with people that claim to be “watching their diet”.
Further, traditional vegetables such as nyevhe (spider flower leaves), guku (black jack), muboora (pumpkin leaves), munyemba (cowpea leaves) and mowa (wild spinach), are now much sought after in urban areas.
Previously, they were associated with the rural areas, and any mention of them in urban settings sparked untold ridicule from peers.
Mopane worms (madora), dried kapenta and flying ants, have also entered the fray, and are proving popular even at five star hotels.
Allen Gava, owner of Gava restaurant in Belgravia, says they take pride in ensuring that the food tastes as original as possible.
Gava restaurant was established in 2013.
The proprietor says since then, traditional foods have become the most popular, probably owing to their nutritional value.
Said Gava: “In essence, traditional foods are those whole and ancient foods that have been eaten for centuries and even millennia. They are the foods that your great-great-great-great-great grandmother and grandfather would have eaten.
“They are simple, naturally grown or raised, nutrient — dense, thoughtfully prepared. They are not fads. I opted for this business because traditional foods are foods in their original form, and not modernised, not processed, not packaged.”
At Gava, emphasis is on foods that are simple and basic such as meat and poultry, eggs, whole grains, fish, beans and legumes; vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds, dairy and fats.
Gava said his hope is to provide genuine traditional meals that the ancestors used to eat.
Health benefits from traditional foods
Anthropological data suggest that cultures subsisting entirely or largely on native, unrefined foods prepared according to time-honoured traditions enjoy better health than people consuming modern foods.
Diabetes, a high blood sugar condition, currently affects about 46 percent of Zimbabwean adults.
All diabetes’ non-communicable cousins are also threatening to dislodge HIV/AIDS as the number one killer in the country.
A 2014 World Health Organisation (WHO) report shows that diseases such as hypertension, cancer, heart attacks or strokes, now account for almost 31 percent of all deaths in Zimbabwe, twice as much as they did 20 years ago.
Worldwide, at least 23 million people die each year from non-communicable diseases.
Gava claims that infertility, heart diseases, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, mental illness, obesity and dental cavities, among others, were largely absent in cultures that survived on a native diet of unrefined foods.
Gava says it was time agriculture stakeholders formulated strategies to promote small grain production, primarily to enhance food security and the health of citizens.
Currently, small grains are not readily available, resulting in price increases riding on firming demand for the products.
The country’s agricultural region five, which does not receive a lot of rains, used to be the biggest producer of small grains.
Said Gava: “My hope is that relevant industries and hotel schools will take note and use historical information to help us recover our lost cuisine.”
Special arrangement with farmers
Gava has a special arrangement with farmers in areas like Mutoko and Mt Darwin to provide zviyo on regular basis.
He has a similar arrangement with a farmer who supplies him hanga (birds) and tsuro (domesticated hare).
Farai Mutemeri, a commercial farmer in Masvingo, said many of the recommended traditional foods can be grown in one’s backyard, to cut costs.
Mutemeri admitted that some farmers have also turned to genetically modified (GMs) seeds for vegetable and fruit production as well as the use of poisonous pesticides and fertilisers to increase yields.
He appealed for Government support in the drive to grow small grains so as to reduce the cost of traditional food.
“It is sad that traditional food is expensive at restaurants yet it’s made from local produce,” said Mutemeri.


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UW-Milwaukee professor's "Sleep Guardian 360" could prevent co-sleeping deaths
It might not look like it yet -- small, green and still a prototype, but Jennifer Doering holds in her hands something that could soon save children's lives.
\"What it's going to provide is 360 degrees of protection,\" Doering said.
The device, which is just a half-size model right now, is fittingly called the \"Sleep Guardian 360.\" It's a cradle, of sorts, designed to protect infants who share a bed with their parents.
\"Over 600 babies are still dying every year of sleep-related death,\" Doering said. \"Those deaths are preventable.\"
Doering works as an associate professor of nursing at UW-Milwaukee, researching infant death rates in a city that faces significant challenges. Preliminary health department reports show 84 babies died before they reached their first birthday last year. One of the top three contributors to those deaths is an unsafe sleep environment, like co-sleeping.
\"Our current strategies of primarily focusing on public health messaging and changing parent behavior is insufficient to eliminate those deaths,\" Doering said.
So, Jennifer decided to do more. CBS-58 first met her in February 2014, when she was working with her co-creator to imagine the Sleep Guardian 360. Relying on tens of thousands of dollars in grant funding, Doering conducted dozens of interviews with parents in Milwaukee and across the country.
\"I get to step back and say, 'I'm a researcher here, I'm not here to judge,'\" Doering said of her interview process.
What came out of those interviews was a realization that some parents will never be convinced to not co-sleep, despite the recommendations of the health department and experts like Doering herself.
Instead, years of design produced three \"Sleep Guardian\" models: a premium brand with built-in electronic monitoring and blanket sensors, a traditional brand made of plastic and covered in fabric and a simpler model designed for disaster relief scenarios.
\"What's in [co-creator Greg Krzecki's] head and what's in my head is this really elegant, beautiful, sleek design,\" Doering said.
But actually making that physical model to test and experiment with isn't cheap, which is where Vito Gervasi's rapid prototyping center at the Milwaukee School of Engineering comes in.
Doering and Gervasi first teamed up about a year ago, working to create a computerized rendering of the Sleep Guardian, then printed the half-sized model in just 17 hours.
\"As soon as the part comes out of the machine and you dust it off, you clean it off and start looking at it, you see ways you can smooth an area or add a feature to it,\" Gervasi said.
\"He presents me something, I tweak it, we talk about it, it's very collaborative,\" Doering said.
Those discussions have led to changes for the better, including strengthening the protective arm designed to resist a parent's body-weight. It's an unexpected role Gervasi takes seriously.
\"When an infant is lost, there's like a shock-wave in a family that's felt even in the communities so being able to stop that from happening, the benefit of that is... You can't measure it,\" Gervasi said.
But the 3D rendering is just that -- a model that puts Doering and Krzecki's \"Guardian\" one step closer to market -- which means applying for more grants, printing more models and, hopefully, starting sales next year.
It's a goal Doering stresses doesn't end her efforts to save children's lives.
\"Somebody will look at this and see my approach, with my co-inventor using aviation safety principles, and say, 'oh, we can do this a different way,\" Doering said. \"That's a great idea but I can do that better.' That's what I hope.\"
Doering says the next step will come after the announcement of the latest UW-Extension idea advance seed grant. The $100,000 grant would allow Doering to \"de-risk the current business model and write a business plan.\"
The grant provides $50,000 up front and requires a $50,000 match -- money Doering says she'd generate through a Kickstarter campaign.
The grant is announced June 1.
The City of Milwaukee Health Department says it applauds anyone looking for ways to prevent sleep-related infant deaths. But officials there stress the safest way for a baby to sleep is following the \"ABC's\": alone, on its back in a crib with no bumper pads, quilts, blankets, pillows or stuffed animals, and in a smoke-free home.


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Each year over 9.3 million visitors come to Morocco, the vast majority of them flying through Casablanca Mohammed V or Marrakech Menara airports. On their way to the souks and sandy beaches, tourists are attracted by the country’s friendly reputation. But it has not always been so. The tourism industry in Morocco has been carefully honed over time, and has only started to grow in earnest in the past 20 years. In fact, in 1987 only 1.9 million visitors came to Morocco; that number had risen to four million by 1990.
Recognising the potential for abundant growth, Ambassador Bienvenido R Tantoco Sr, a prominent local businessman, decided to invest in creating Morocco’s first duty free retail enterprise. Today, 23 years later, the International Duty Free Shops (IDFS) are present in the country’s biggest airports, and its sales were up 14 percent last year.
“IDFS monopolised the Airport Duty Free Industry from 1989 to 2005,” says Candice Medina, marketing manager. “As we are the pioneers in the country, we have established loyal customers who continue to seek the services and merchandise we provide. We are also extremely focused on our business, which makes our strategies work as a local operator.
“With more than two decades under their belt, IDFS’ business has grown and thrived together with Morocco’s tourism industry,” says Medina. “Airports evolved and progressed, so did IDFS’ service and offers to an increasingly cosmopolitan clientele.” Today the majority of travellers arriving in Morocco are from Europe, particularly from France, the retail outlets are popular destinations for the purchase of wines and spirits, tobacco products and fragrances.
Duties paid on alcoholic beverages in Europe are anywhere between 16 percent in Spain, and 25 percent in Hungary and Sweden, so duty free retailers at airports thrive with the sale of such products. Similarly, tobacco products are among the most heavily taxed in the world, so smokers often buy large quantities when passing through duty free zones like airports. In all of its outlets, tobacco products represented around 55 percent of overall sales.
Such has been IDFS’ success that they now operate outlets in Morocco’s ten biggest airports. According to research by CANADEAN the average European spends around $76 on duty free products every time they travel. These figures represent huge growth potential for IDFS, who are constantly developing its business, “through great prices, exclusive brands and offerings and continually improving our stores,” says Medina.
The company is also keen to develop its luxury goods departments. Taking advantage of the eagerness of top watch manufacturers to partner up with duty free chains as ideal outlets for their products, IDFS has invested in a state-of-the-art standalone watch boutique, also in Casablanca Mohammed V airport.
Developing healthy relationships with international brands is important for the development of IDFS: “We have maintained our standing as the exclusive distributor of Lacoste and Longchamp in travel retail,” explains Revic Tantoco, the general manager. “These brands have contributed significantly to our growth.” IDFS will soon be opening its fifth Lacoste branded shop, this time in Fes airport.
“There are many exciting changes with International Duty Free Shops as we continue to evolve and overcome every challenge we encounter,” says Medina. Part of this evolution is the development of its fashion department, which is why partnerships such as the one with Lacoste are so important. In 2010, fashion and accessories represented around six percent of IDFS total sales, but the department has such growth potential that IDFS is keen to develop it. The company is renovating and enlarging its Marrakech outlet to cater more appropriately for its most popular departments − fashion and accessories, alongside tobacco, wines and spirits. The Marrakech Menara airport store is responsible for 30 percent of total sales.
One of IDFS’ main goals is to increase the average spend per shopper in its ten airport locations. In order to achieve this the company is launching a series of promotions. To court the all-important European customers, IDFS recently embarked on a new deal with budget carrier Ryan Air.
“We offered an exclusive 15 percent discount to all Ryan Air passengers,” explains Medina.
“This great discount was offered from May to July in three of our locations − Marrakech, Agadir, and Fes. This tie-up was indeed successful as it increased customer traffic and customers’ spend in these three locations.” And, to capitalise on pre-Christmas shopping, in October IDFS launched a campaign across its brands that guarantees shoppers a 15 percent discount when they buy two or more products. The best way to increase customer spend is to have a good knowledge of what they want, so IDFS takes things like market research and corporate branding very seriously. “Researching passenger preferences has proven to be very effective, and further developing our activities in this area will help our customer service initiatives,” says Tantoco. “We have also set our focus on improving our stores in terms of aesthetics and product mix. IDFS is a world-class retailer and we need to communicate this in all aspects of our business.”
To retain new customers IDFS is investing in upgrading and expanding many of its stores. In Casablanca Mohammed V Airport, which accounts for up to 30 percent of IDFS’ total sales, the company has recently undertaken a major refurbishment of its all-important fragrances and cosmetics department – a vital development considering these products bring in 35 percent of all sales in IDFS Casablanca. “IDFS always has our customer in mind, which is why we constantly improve store ‘shopability’ through upgrades and expansion plans in our store layouts,” said Medina.
When Ambassador Tantoco Sr founded IDFS in 1989, he developed a strong working relationship with the Moroccan Office National des Aeroports (ONDA), the national authority in charge of airports. As a result of this long-time partnership the company was able to fundamentally grow, branching out into most of Morocco’s main airports.
From its inception, to 2005, “IDFS monopolised the Airport Duty Free Industry,” explains Medina. “This was until the arrival of a new concessionaire Dufry, who is also operating in the same airports as IDFS.” However, IDFS has taken this challenge in its stride, and has still recorded growth of 14 percent in 2011.
Morocco’s tourism has been historically very susceptible to regional unrest; in the early 90s the industry suffered a heavy blow because of the Algerian civil war being waged on the border. There were fears that the Arab Spring would once again damage tourist inflows, but as the industry has matured over the years, so too has its resilience to trouble. “The unrest in our neighbouring countries actually prompted tourists to travel to Morocco instead,” explains Tantoco. “Our passenger traffic data shows eight percent growth for the first half of this year. Overall Morocco is doing well, and its economy continues to grow.”
The business has also coped with the financial crisis remarkably well, given the bulk of customers come from countries in southern Europe. “Morocco’s travel and tourism industry appears to have weathered the storm better than most countries – the business is doing great,” says Medina.
It is this resilience that guarantees a strong future for both the Moroccan tourism industry and every branch of the IDFS franchise. “The challenges that the company has faced in growing the business for 23 years has only made it stronger and more determined to continue to provide product and service excellence. Looking back on the past 23 years with fond memories and gratitude, IDFS looks forward with excitement and energy to the coming years where Morocco and its partnership can continue to prosper and flourish.”


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Capcom to N-Gage in 2008
Nokia and Capcom have announced that Capcom will be publishing games on N-Gage in 2008. Capcom is the first Japanese based publisher to show their commitment to N-Gage, which makes its global debut later this year. Classic titles such as Mega Man, Street Fighter and Resident Evil can distributed over the air through operator networks or over the internet to a user’s PC.
Speaking of the announcement, Yosuke Yoneda, Director of Capcom’s European Mobile Division, said “Capcom is dedicated to creating great mobile games, and believes that N-Gage will allow us to bring some of our most famous franchises to the platform. Our dedication to quality and creative thinking has seen the company produce a series of ground-breaking titles, with stunning visuals and in-depth game play, never before seen on the mobile”.


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Michigan based Electric Forest announced the initial phase of its lineup last weekend and its already looking pretty stacked.
Set to be held in its Rothbury, Michigan, home from June 22-25, 2023, the headliners announced as of now include names like ODESZA, Illenium, Lane 8, Zeds Dead, Above & Beyond, Rezz, Madeon and many more!
Passes go On Sale next week… ⚡🌲 pic.twitter.com/onsaopHAyO
— Electric Forest ⚡🌲 (@Electric_Forest) December 2, 2022
Electric Forest has a Loyalty program catered to repeat attenders depending on the previous number of editions they have been at the spellbinding Sherwood Forest for. These loyalty members receive a variety of benefits from discounts on GA and camping packages, unique merchandise as well as expedited entry to the festival.
Loyalty sales began today with exclusive early access to those holding 10 In The Forest status and will lead up to the General Public sale on December 9.
Set an alarm, #ForestFamily! ⏰🌲 #ElectricForest #EF2023 Passes go On Sale at 12 Noon Eastern on Friday, December 9 with Loyalty On Sales starting Monday, December 5: https://t.co/V24vMXaibB pic.twitter.com/90nP6hGLi9
— Electric Forest ⚡🌲 (@Electric_Forest) November 30, 2022
In addition to the lineup, they also revealed details about the multiple camping options and packages, including the addition of Lucky Lake which will be a new 2023 experience that is set to offer an ‘expanded opportunity for those seeking an elevated camping or RV experience.’
The access controlled Lucky Lake Campground will also feature air conditioned & flushing restrooms, complimentary showers, food and craft vendors, dedicated 24 hour shuttles between Lucky Lake and the Tripolee Shuttle Stop, as well as access to Main Street and all of the amenities enjoyed in the GA Campgrounds. Find out all that and more about the multiple lodging and pass package options here.
H/T – Your EDM
- Coachella To Livestream All Six Stages For First Time Ever On YouTube From Its 2023 Edition - April 9, 2023
- Kygo Releases Remix For Michael Jackson And Paul McCartney Classic “Say Say Say” - April 3, 2023
- Tomorrowland Brazil Announces Phase One Lineup Along With Worldwide Ticket Sales Going Live - March 31, 2023


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Wow, watch this sobering ABC news story that shows how we look to drug companies for health solutions, rather than take responsibility for our own health.
- What hath the Purple Pill wrought?
- Will the last person to make a pharmaceutical commercial parody for YouTube please unplug the video camera on your way out?
- The government isn’t your nanny; it’s your dealer
- Drug ad spending up 330 percent since 1996
- Pharma companies can use Web search to advance R&D
- Study: Big Pharma’s $3 billion in annual consumer advertising is a waste of YOUR money
Search Blog Posts


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Mad Tracks out now
Live Arcade's first racer.
Microsoft has revealed that today's Live Arcade offering is 3D racing game Mad Tracks.
It's available everywhere (apart from Korea) and will cost you 800 points, which translates to almost seven quid, and roughly 10 Euros.
Mad Tracks has been available as a budget-buy for PC since last year, and is made up of nine mini-game challenges and six different races. There are 12 cars to choose from, plus multiplayer support for up to four of you to duke it out on Live or in split-screen mode.
Stackable power-ups like rockets, freezers, oil drops and EMPs are dotted around to help you gain the edge. And the normal spattering of 12 achievements and 200 Gamerscore points are also on offer. Look out for a review later this week.


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In a move that seems to have sparked a number of criticisms from various divides in the market, the American Diabetes Association announced a multi-million dollar alliance with Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB). The alliance was aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of making healthy food choices in order to promote healthy living. The arrangement is meant to see CSAB take charge of a number of ADA programs, such as the America Walk for Diabetes, and programs that support people struggling with weight loss problems. The deal involved CSAB being allowed to use the ADA logo in their diet soft drinks. This is in exchange with the multi-million dollar deals.
One of the most disturbing aspects about this partnership is the fact that the alliance suddenly changed their position with regard to diabetes promoting substances such as sugar. There is obviously a strong connection between the consumption of sugar and diabetes. The stakeholders however, have tried to downplay this link. They state that sugar does not cause diabetes. Instead they claim that there is no evidence proving whether there is actually any relationship between the two. In fact, the ADA website recently featured an article on their website that encourages people to go ahead and consume sugar.
The statements by the partners come at a time when the Journal of Pediatrics released a research paper that shows that a majority of Type II diabetes cases is caused by excessive consumption of sugar by children. According to the study, the consumption of sodas by children contributes to about 20 teaspoons of sugar to their diet. These two companies are definitely sending mixed messages.


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Foundation Devices, a leader in Bitcoin-centric tools, has announced the launch of its Envoy mobile app as a standalone Bitcoin mobile wallet with enhanced features for account management and privacy.
According to a press release sent to Bitcoin Magazine, this update is part of Foundation’s mission to make digital sovereignty more accessible and to lower the barriers to bitcoin self-custody. The new Envoy app introduces what Foundation is calling “Envoy Magic Backups,” a simplified setup and backup process for mobile wallets. The press release described how users can now start using the wallet in just 60 seconds without seed words and easily restore their wallet on any device with a few taps.
Zach Herbert, Co-Founder and CEO of Foundation, expressed his excitement about the update, stating, „With this update, we are excited to bring our best-in-class design, intuitive and approachable user experience, and peace of mind to smartphone users across the globe — no Passport required.“
In addition to the introduction of the Envoy app, Foundation has also announced a price reduction for its Passport hardware wallet, now priced at $199. Customers who ordered within the last 90 days are eligible to claim a $50 gift card for the Foundation store.
Alongside this, Foundation released a major update to the Passport hardware wallet, introducing the Key Manager extension that enables powerful new tools such as child seeds and Nostr keys.
Herbert emphasized Foundation’s commitment to accessibility, stating, „Foundation is committed to making Bitcoin and decentralized technologies accessible to everyone. These updates mark significant advancements in our mission to empower individuals to reclaim their digital sovereignty.“


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Cyclists left high and dry by insurers
The cost of a bike shot up in lockdown, but the amount of insurance cover on offer has not because insurance has failed to keep pace with bike inflation.
According to Defaqto, only 16% of home insurance policies cover bikes away from the home as standard, while one in eight (12%) policies don’t cover bikes at all. The lack of cover could mean cyclists are left unprotected by insurers if their bike is stolen this summer.
Cycling has been increasing in popularity over the past decade while this past year in lockdown saw demand for bikes soar, with the Bicycle Association reporting a 60% increase in retail sales.
Increased demand, combined with supply problems due to Brexit and Covid have pushed up prices by 26%, according to the Bicycle Association. Today a road bike can cost from about £700 to more than £10,000, and this price can go up with accessories such as helmets, lights and non-standard saddles.
While there have been reports that thefts have fallen during lockdown, thefts have started to rise since lockdown restrictions have been eased.
For those who have home contents insurance, many policies will help cyclists in this situation. According to Defaqto, 78% of policies now have some cover for bikes stolen from the home; although about one in eight (12%) of policies provide no cover at all. But a big issue is that the amount of cover has not kept up with the rising price of bikes.
Not all home insurance includes cover for bikes as standard and for those that do, the limits are low. Of those that include cover, 20% offer less than £1,000 and 5% offer less than £500. For those who purchased a bike before lockdown and need to claim for theft now, they may find that the amount of cover will not be enough to buy them a like-for-like replacement today.
Cyclists also need to ensure that their bike is covered when away from the home. Unfortunately, it’s common for opportune thieves to target bikes that are left unattended, such as when the owner is in a shop, even when the bike is in full view of the owner.
This type of theft is not always covered on a home insurance policy. Only 16% of policies provide cover away from home as standard while the others make cover optional in some way.
Even where there is cover, it is usually much lower than cover for bikes in the home. Most policies also stipulate that the bike must be securely locked, with an approved lock, to an immovable object to be covered when left unattended.
Brian Brown, consumer finance expert at Defaqto, said: “It is great to see so many people cycling again. It is better for the environment, good for your health and is also great fun. It is no surprise that it is so popular, particularly given the past year, and it is a shame that this has pushed the cost of bikes up by so much.
“Thousands of bikes are stolen every year and unfortunately you may find that your insurance does not provide enough cover for a replacement now. It is worth checking what cover you have and speaking to your insurer if you need to change this. You may also want to consider a specialist bike insurance policy if you have one of the more expensive models.”


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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A group of agriculturalists from around the Show-Me State have joined together in an effort to protect the interest of hemp producers while creating a thriving market place.
The Missouri Hemp Producers Association is a nonprofit organization that looks to advance hemp production in the state to the point that it is the nation’s leader in production, producers, and products.
“We’re focused on balancing free-market principles with reasonable protections to make hemp production a vital part of Missouri’s number one industry, agriculture,” said Tom Raffety, president of MHPA. “Historically, hemp is an adaptable crop used to create many practical products used in our daily lives and now is the time to ensure our state’s policies allow this market to thrive sustainably and economically.”
Hemp has been touted as an incredibly versatile plant used to create and manufacture diverse products which benefit people’s lives through textiles, health foods, and products, biodegradable plastics, and construction materials.
During the 2018 regulation session, the General Assembly put its stamp of approval on the industrial hemp pilot program that is under the purview of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The measure, which has been signed into law, legalized an industrial hemp pilot program in the Show-Me State and exempts the crop — which has less than 0.03 percent THC — from the list of controlled substances and the definition of marijuana.
In January 2019, the department released draft rules for the fledgling agricultural commodity. According to a proposed timeline, farmers will be able to plant the crop in 2020.
Rep. Rick Francis has a bill, HB 824, currently moving through the Missouri legislature that would remove some restrictions on industrial hemp.
Raffety noted hemp producers around the state are working to educate lawmakers about the crop and its applications based on research.
“Hemp is an emerging opportunity, and I expect Missouri agriculture to be at the forefront of new and innovative technologies,” House Speaker Pro Tem John Wiemann said in a statement. “The Missouri Hemp Producers Association will be a strong, consistent educator in this new space.”
Members of the statewide nonprofit organization include:
- Tom Raffety, President of Charleston
- Peter Rost, Jr., Vice President of New Madrid
- Jeremy Nothdurft, Secretary/Treasurer of Cape Girardeau
- Neal Bredehoeft of Alma
- James Marshall of Cape Girardeau
To learn more about hemp and the association, visit MoHempProducers.com.


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For most investors looking to set up a cryptocurrency business, they will be deciding between Malta and Estonia. Although some companies have chosen to apply for a Malta cryptocurrency exchange license, Estonia is emerging as the more popular option. Estonia is one of the most technically advanced country in Europe and is one of the first EU country to legalize cryptocurrency-related businesses. Till date, around 900 licenses have been approved for digital asset exchange platforms and cryptocurrency wallet providers.
In Estonia, cryptocurrency licenses are regulated by the Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). In order to qualify for the licenses, your business has to meet various KYC and AML and CFT regulations set by the FIU. Businesses registered in Estonia are legally operating in the EU and they are required to follow and adhere to local and European laws.
Foreign investors are allowed to set up their cryptocurrency business without being required to be physically in Estonia. The FIU will review and approve the license within 30 working days and the business must begin operations within six months of license application.
Types of cryptocurrency licenses in Estonia
In Estonia, there are two types of cryptocurrency licences that cryptocurrency companies can obtain. Firstly, a cryptocurrency exchange service provider licence allows a company to provide exchange services to those interested in trading cryptocurrencies against fiat currencies or other cryptocurrencies. Secondly, a cryptocurrency wallet service provider licence is issued to companies which are looking to offer e-wallets or virtual token wallets.
For other types of cryptocurrency businesses such as mining, investors are not required to apply for any license unless they are involved in trading of these virtual assets.
Reasons to choose Estonia
Over the years, Estonia has advanced into a prime fintech hub for many investors. The Estonian government is crypto-friendly and encourages foreign investors to set up crypto businesses in the country. With its reputation as a global fintech hub, attaining an Estonia cryptocurrency license is deemed as a prestigious accolade by many. Unlike many other countries, Estonia has come up with strict cryptocurrency regulations which serve as reassurance to business owners as well as their valued customers. In addition, doing business in Estonia is straightforward and you will get to enjoy its transparent taxation system.
Stricter regulations in the near future
In recent years, Estonian government has reinforced the need for stricter regulations for cryptocurrency businesses due to increasing number of risks involved. The government is planning to introduce a bill with numerous additional requirements for cryptocurrency license application.
“We have learned our lesson from the banking sector the hard way, and we must now deal with new international risks, and cryptocurrencies are amongst the most urgent of these,” said Estonia’s minister of finance, Martin Helme.
One proposed change is increasing the application processing time from 30 to 90 days.
In addition, the registered office address and the board of directors may be required to be in Estonia in the future. Estonia government is also planning to increase the license application fees and annual renewal levies of cryptocurrency licenses. Once the bill is introduced, existing license holders are required to meet the new requirements before December 31, 2019.


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Did you know it’s been 20 years since J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first entered our lives?
We've taken inspiration from both the books and films to create our Wizard's Tea
And, coincidently, 2017 also marks 10 years since the seventh and final novel in the wonderful wizardry series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, first hit the bookshelves too.
We can’t quite believe where the time has gone either, but to celebrate the massive milestones a bed and breakfast in south west Wales has gone all out.
The Llety Cynin has been transformed into a magical Howarts-inspired haven, with Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw flags hanging from the ceiling.
And there, at the B&B in Carmarthenshire, muggles are able to dress up in Harry Potter-inspired robes and hats and sit down in the dining area, (which has been decorated like the Great Hall), to enjoy a Wizard Tea.
Thought that was impressive? Well you’ll love the fact that this Wizard Tea, which is inspired from both the books and films, is served in owl cages and comes complete with creations like hot butterbeer (like they drink in the wizardry world), gamekeeper rock cakes and there's even a trifle named after Harry's nightmarish aunt, Petunia.
On the children's afternoon tea menu, there's chocolate frogs, filled with a sugary surprise, sour lollipops and match-winning cake pops to get stuck into.
Here's the adults menu for our #WizardsTea inspired by #harrypotter We have a round of sandwiches, #PumpkinPasties #MandrakeCake #rockcakes #treacletart with clotted cream, and #AuntPetunia #trifle Just £15.95. Vouchers are now available for Christmas Gifts. Starting on the 7th of January. 01994 232773
Commenting on the reason why the B&B decided to recreate their own mini Hogwarts in Wales, they said: "Throughout 2017, we’ll be serving our Wizard’s tea. Being huge fans of the wizarding world, we’ve been inspired by the Harry Potter series.
“Here at Llety Cynin, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as well as the 10th anniversary of the publication ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
#Win #WizardsTea inspired by #harrypotter at Llety Cynin. Today only. Enter below. #gryffindor #hufflepuff #slytherin #ravenclaw #hogwartsschoolofwitchcraftandwizardry #hogwarts #AfternoonTea #themedtea #harrypotter2017 #20thanniversaryofthephilosophersstone #20yearsofpotter http://www.walesonline.co.uk/special-features/win-wizards-tea-four-llety-12274483?service=responsive
“We’ve taken inspiration from both the books and films to create our Wizard’s Tea.
“We have spent the past few months researching, trialling, testing and tasting all sorts of delicious creations in the kitchen and are very excited to finally reveal the menu!”
Pick up all the Harry Potter books you need, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts 1 & 2 online and in-store now.


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Over the last two days there has been some confusing information about Verizon using Bing for search on the Samsung Fascinate smartphone, which runs Android. PocketNow’s post on the matter suggests that Verizon is going to use Bing as the default search engine for all of their smartphones going forward, while Laptop Magazine reports Verizon is saying Bing will not be the only search engine for their phones.
What we do know is that Bing is the search engine on the Fascinate, which means that when you press the search button or type a search term in the address bar in the web browser, the search will be performed by Bing rather than Google. Verizon says when Android 2.2 is available for the Fascinate users will be able to download and install the Google search app from the Android Market, but that will not change which search engine is used when a user presses the phone’s search button.
While the issue of which search engine is used may not be important to the average user, it is very important to Google. It does not charge for Android, so even though Google makes money licensing some of the apps included with Android, its primary source of income from Android will be ads in mobile search. If Bing is the search engine then Microsoft gains the revenue opportunity from the mobile search rather than Google. My guess is that Google won’t lock down the search engine for Android phones for fear of claims of antitrust violations, so if Bing becomes a threat to replacing Google search on Android phones it will need to sweeten the deal with the carriers to keep their search on the phones.