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Katie Harriman / Lantern reporter
The success of the Ohio State football team affects more than just its standings, in some cases it affects dollars and cents.
OSU apparel sales in the campus area tend to mimic the team’s performance.
Sales have dropped about 25 to 30 percent from last year at College Traditions, a university-merchandise store on Lane Avenue, shopowner Kelly Dawes estimated.
Dawes said there has been a decrease in fall sales, which is the store’s best-selling season.
“You just have to adjust,” Dawes said. “Our sales are directly affected by wins and losses; it’s just one of those years.”
College Traditions’ best-selling months are September through December, Dawes said.
“The last couple years with the basketball team getting stronger, our numbers are a little better,” Dawes said. “But still, football brings in the majority of the business.”
College Traditions continues to sell sweater-vests and No. 2 jerseys, but they are not selling at the rate they were when Jim Tressel was coach and Terrelle Pryor was a quarterback for the Buckeyes, Dawes said.
At College Traditions, prices for the No. 2 jersey remain the same as other screen printed jerseys, $59.99. Sweater-vests are $55.
Conrads College Gifts, located near College Traditions on Lane Avenue, has also seen changes in its sales numbers, said Rob Cohen, co-owner of Conrads.
Although the store still sells sweater-vests, Cohen said they no longer have No. 2 jerseys after putting them on sale. Conrads reduced the price of the No. 2 jerseys to $19.88 following the departure of Pryor.
“People still like Tressel and come in and miss him,” Cohen said. “We’re not ordering deep in (sweater-vests), just taking it day by day.”
Cohen agreed that football games and Christmas are his best selling seasons, but said December is probably better in terms of sales.
“When Ohio State’s winning, the fans are pumped up and they’re more excited and they will purchase more items,” Cohen said. “We are tied to the team and how well the team does.”
Conrads makes about 80 percent more on a Saturday compared to the rest of the week, Cohen said. Conrads did not release sales numbers.
Jenna Backus, a fourth-year in strategic communication, said she has noticed a slight decrease in foot traffic at The Official Team Shop store in the Schottenstein Center, where she has been working for more than a year.
Backus said she thinks businesses selling OSU items have nothing to worry about.
Some businesses haven’t seen a drop off in sales, despite the football team’s issues off the field.
Ryan Vesler, creative director of Homage, said the company’s sales have remained consistent.
“I think people are just as excited about Ohio State sports and are passionate about the brand,” Vesler said. He added that the company’s sales are “consistent with what they’ve been in previous years.”
“We’re always going to have so many dedicated fans with ‘Buckeye Nation’ and will always have the same people coming back and supporting us,” Backus said.
College Traditions originally operated as the stadium garage in 1984, where they worked on cars, Dawes said.
The store’s dot the “i” Brutus statue was vandalized about 2:30 a.m. the day after the first football game versus Akron.
A uniform hat was torn off Brutus. College Traditions received another hat from the band soon after, but hasn’t replaced it yet.
College Traditions purchased the $20,000 Brutus statue as part of Brutus on Parade, a fundraiser for Thompson Library renovations.
Conrads opened before College Traditions in 1969 by Cohen’s father. The store was originally a jewelry store that didn’t sell any OSU-inspired items.
An increased number of requests for OSU souvenirs led Cohen’s parents to start purchasing OSU items.
“It was hard because people weren’t really (buying as many souvenirs) back in those days,” Cohen said.
After selling more OSU items than jewelry, the store switched its merchandise priorities.
Jami Jurich contributed to this story.


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After a torrid few trading sessions, cryptocurrencies have taken a breather, with most major coins opening Tuesday at or around yesterdays levels.
The No. 1 digital currency, bitcoin
bounced off the support ahead of $8,000 and last traded at $8,784.77, down 0.8% since Mondays levels at 5 p.m. Eastern time on the Kraken exchange.
The growth of the cryptocurrency market got a boost Monday when U.S. exchange Coinbase announced a raft of new products to satisfy its growing institutional demand.
There is clear demand from institutional clients and financial services professionals for more specific solutions with regard to cryptocurrencies that address their sophisticated needs, said Adam White, vice president and general manager of Coinbase Institutional in a press release.
Through new products like Coinbase Prime and Coinbase Custody, were building the necessary capability for institutions that allows cryptocurrencies to be traded and stored in a compliant, trusted and efficient manner.
Bitcoin Cash to hard fork today
Expected Tuesday is a hard fork of Bitcoin Cash to the new Bitcoin ABC software. A hard fork is usually a fundamental change of the blockchain, or distributed-ledger technology, underpinning a coin. Typically, a hard fork results in two separate coins created, like when Bitcoin Cash forked from core bitcoin in a contentious split over scalability in August, resulting in core and cash versions of the virtual currency. The cash version represented an upgrade to processing power to 8-megabyte units, rather than the one-megabyte block core bitcoin.
This hard fork of Bitcoin Cash, however, differs from a conventional hark fork in that no new coins will be created and the older version of BCH will carry no economic value and become obsoleteif all goes well. The upgraded BCH will mean blocksizes will be increased to 32MB, resulting in even faster transactions and lower network fees, according to market participants.
What are altcoins and futures doing?
Other alternative coins to bitcoin, or alt coins, are showing small losses to begin Tuesday. Ether
is down 0.8% at $731.73, Bitcoin Cash
is off 1.5% at $1,429.30, Litecoin
is off 3% at $146.63 and Ripples XRP
last traded at 74 cents, down 0.4%.
Futures have had a quiet start to the trading day. The Cboe May contract
is unchanged at $8,755 while the CME May contract
is up 0.1% at $8,765.
CryptoWatch: Check bitcoin and other cryptocurrency prices, performance and market capitalizationall on one dashboard
Quote References BTCUSD -318.08 -3.60% ETHUSD -19.25 -2.61% BCHUSD -80.00 -5.51% LTCUSD -10.56 -6.99% XRPUSD -0.04 -4.93% XBTK8 -217.50 -2.48% BTCK8 -215.00 -2.46% Show all references
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Tata Altroz is set to debut in its production avatar pretty soon. So, with a little over two weeks to go for the car's premiere, we figured it'd be just the right time to quickly recap what we know about the upcoming Tata premium hatchback. Now, the car first arrived on the scene as the Tata 45X concept, with Tata showcasing the Altroz's pretty much-production ready model earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. Before you ask, the Tata Altroz's price in India is expected to start somewhere around ₹5 lakh when it is launched here next year. Let's quickly take a look at the other important details now, shall we?
Altroz will be the first car to be based on Tata's new ALFA (Agile, Light, Flexible and Advanced) platform and will feature the company's Impact 2.0 design language. The most noteable features on the hatchback will be the trademark Humanity line on the grille; LED DRLs in combination with the fog lamps; rear door handles on the pillar (like the Chevrolet Beat); and DRL combined with the fog lamps. Did we tell you that we have seen pictures of the Tata Altroz with both four- as well as five-spoke alloy wheels?
The carmaker has not revealed even a partial list of features and fucntionalities the Tata Altroz's cabin will come equipped with. Nonetheless, we believe that the car will get provisions such as keyless entry; steering-mounted audio and telephone controls, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, and a semi-digital instrument cluster. Very Tata Harrier-esque, we'll admit. And as far as safety goes, standard features across the entire range will include at least dual airbags, ABS with EBD, seatbelt reminder, speed alert, and reverse parking sensors.
Once again, we'll have to wait a while till have confirmation, but we are quite sure the Tata Altroz's engine options will include three options: a 1.2-litre petrol engine; a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine; and a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine. Tata Motors is expected to offer the car with a choice between a manual (five-speed in all likelihood) and an automatic transmission.
Tata's first take on a premium hatchback, the Altroz will square off against cars such as the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz, Toyota Glanza, and Ford Figo.
For the longest time, our cars continued to fare poorly, that is until the Tata Nexon came along and became the first car in India to score a five-star safety rating in December 2018. And now we have another car that has earned the honour of a five-star Global NCAP rating: Tata Altroz. WATCH


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Sony has confirmed that its PlayStation3 console will not be available until November.
The news was announced at a hastily convened news conference, after reports of a delay appeared in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's main financial daily newspaper.
Just as we reported earlier this morning, Sony games chief Ken Kutaragi said they were still finalising agreements on disc copy protection technology.
"When we initially announced our plans to launch this spring, we had expected the standardisation work on all of the technologies to be completed by last August, but there were improvements that were decided on since then", said Kutaragi.
Sony also confirmed that the console would be shipped world-wide rather than just Japan and that it hoped to ship a further 1 million consoles per month for the following 3 months after the launch.
The console was originally due for release this spring, however it seems the move to include the new high-definition disc drive has meant that the console has been delayed a further 6 months.
"We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to bring PS3 to gamers in Europe before Christmas", commented David Reeves - President of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE). "This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally."
Microsoft's Xbox360 console faced similar problems before its launch, but chose to ditch the competing high definition format HD-DVD drives so it could meet its Christmas 2005 deadline.
The news has already started affecting Sony's share price and will come as a severe blow to Sony who was hoping that a Spring launch would mean plenty of time to roll out the console across the globe and to get over any stock issues before Christmas 2006.
If the company keeps to the now new November launch date, it will mean that the console is launched a year after Microsoft's Xbox360, but just in time to ruin the Xbox360's second Christmas.


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One of the best games of 2017, Persona 5, has just hit a new sales milestone. Atlus has announced today that worldwide sales for Persona 5 on PS4 and PS3 have surpassed more than 2 million. Since the game released earlier this year Persona 5 has earned critical acclaim from gamers and media as well as a ton of awards.
Persona 5 has also been nominated in four categories for “The Game Awards 2017” which are being held in Los Angeles CA on December 7. Those categories include Game of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Score/Music and Best RPG.
President & CEO of Atlus USA had this to say about Persona 5.
This has been an incredible year for our company, one that represents our ambitions for Japanese games in the west. We are in the middle of experiencing tremendous growth, both in the west and abroad, and the sales of Persona 5 represent a new level of expectation for fans of the genre. Once seen as niche, Persona 5 is one of the most important titles this year, proving interest in this category is expanding. We look forward to delivering more incredible games to our fans next year.
Let us know in the comments if you’re one of the 2+ million who bought Persona 5.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 2, 2019
Contact: Senator Robert Cowles: (608) 266-0484
Bill to Address Fraudulent Auto Sales Available in Both Houses
MADISON– Last week, 2019 Senate Bill 3 was recommended for passage by the Senate Committee on Transportation, Veterans and Military Affairs by a vote of 5-0. This legislation, authored by Senator Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) and Representative David Steffen (R-Green Bay), followed a series of fraudulent auto sales at the Kaukauna and Suamico car dealership Standard Pre-Owned for the purpose of preventing fraud in future automotive transactions.
Following the Senate Executive Session, today, the Assembly Committee on Transportation took similar action by recommending 2019 Assembly Bill 3, Senate Bill 3’s companion, for passage by a vote of 13-0. Both bills are now available to be voted on by the full body in the Senate and Assembly. Senator Cowles released the following statement in response to these recent actions:
“From 2014 to 2016, dozens of vehicles on consignment at the car dealership Standard Pre-Owned were sold despite the original vehicle owner not being notified or receiving compensation. While complaints flooded into DOT, more Northeast Wisconsin residents found themselves defrauded by Standard Pre-Owned as the lengthy and tedious process of license revocation failed to protect Wisconsinites in these consignment sales.
“Senate Bill 3 acknowledges that consumers shouldn’t have to expect to be defrauded during transactions with auto dealerships. By simplifying the licensure review process, we provide DOT the ability to better protect Wisconsinites from fraudulent activity. While we may not be able to stop every case of fraud, these changes will help to give Wisconsinites a better piece of mind during automotive transactions.”
2019 Senate Bill 3 and Assembly Bill 3 simplify the process for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) to deny, suspend, or revoke certain licenses issued to motor vehicle manufacturers, importers, distributors, and dealers to better allow DOT to adequately address the most severe cases of fraud. Under this legislation, DOT could perform an initial determination of a license status which is reflective of the statutory process for DSPS initial determinations. In the DOT’s determination, they could immediately suspend or revoke a license if they find one of the following: the licensee violated their consignment sales license; the licensee is selling a motor vehicle without a dealer’s license, or; there’s intentionally fraudulent conduct related to certificate of a title, mileage disclosure, or use of personal identifying information. If a motor vehicle manufacturer, importer, distributor, or dealer has their license denied, suspended, or revoked, they may appeal to DOT, and if needed, before the Division of Hearings and Appeals under defined processes in this legislation.


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Data from DappRadar, a website that monitors decentralized applications, indicates that blockchain games and games based on non-traditional tokens (NFTs) have seen less price declines than other cryptocurrency projects during the downward trend. Also, the activity of venture capitalists is still strong in this sector.
To Report Cryptonews, during June this year in the ecosystem of blockchain projects, the gaming section set new records. This happened while the number of Uniquely Active Wallets (UAW) decreased.
For comparison, it is good to know that the number of daily active wallets on the Ethereum network reached more than one million units in May 2021 (May 1400), which still stands.
The increase in the index of the use of active wallets by investors is interpreted as a bullish signal to continue investing in blockchain games.
Depredar Institute also noted that in the second quarter of this year, about 2.5 billion dollars of venture capital has flowed into this sector. This means that the process of attracting capital in the first quarter of this year has been repeated in the second quarter of this year, and thus the annual capital attraction record of 4 billion dollars, which was achieved during the same period last year, has been achieved during this period. broke.
The report goes on to mention a new $4.5 billion cryptocurrency-focused fund created by investment giant Andreesen Horowitz.
With this speed of investment, it is expected that we will see 12 billion dollars of investment by the end of the year.
In the gaming sector, the largest share is related to virtual world related tokens. This sector has seen a 97% increase in the volume of its transactions in the last season.
The most popular game in this segment is Splinterlands, which averaged 283,729 unique active wallets per day during the current season.
The next brilliant project mentioned in this report was Alien Worlds, which was able to claim the second best game in terms of the number of unique active wallets. The number of players has remained more or less constant during the last season, and the number of active wallets has decreased by only 4% in the second season of the new year.
Of course, there are also some games that have not been successful. The game Axie Infinity lost about 40% of its players in the second season of this year, although most of it was related to the big hack of Ronin Bridge, which reduced the price of the game’s token, SLP. Was.
Ronin Bridge is an inter-blockchain bridge used to transfer users’ assets from the Ethereum blockchain to the Oxy Infinity custom blockchain.
Pedro Herrera, Head of Depredar Research, considers blockchain games as one of the most promising areas of Web 3.
Herrera considered the two factors of the amount of capital attracted and the transfer of talent from traditional gaming companies to Web 3 startups among the positive signs of the future of this sector of the digital currency industry.
Herrera added in this regard:
We will gradually see how Gala Games, Immutable-X and similar networks will become leaders in this growing industry over the coming years.


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The slogan of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" is still sounding, and the entrepreneurial environment has undergone tremendous changes. Today, in Silicon Valley and San Francisco, there is a strange feeling in the air. In other parts of the world (such as Denver, San Diego, Toronto, Berlin, Shenzhen, Beijing), it seems that each city is still struggling to become a "startup center" and dream of becoming a "new Silicon Valley." However, in Silicon Valley, it feels like the golden age of entrepreneurship is over.
A large number of engineering and business graduates secretly dreamed of establishing new Facebook, new Uber, new Airbnb, and new WeChat. Almost every big city has one or two entrepreneurial accelerators to boast of. These accelerators are imitators of Y Combinator. A large number of technology entrepreneurs are "disrupting" and reshaping every aspect of the economy. Today's big companies are like dinosaurs with arthritis, and will soon be eaten by these dexterous, fast-growing, toothy mammals, right?
Well, actually, it's wrong. This has been true for the past two decades. And now that the world has changed, it prefers big ones over small ones. The pendulum has begun to swing back. Big companies and their CEOs will have the next decade, not startups and their founders. Today's graduates prefer to work for Mark Zuckerberg rather than follow his footsteps and start a business.
The webpage boom of 1997-2006 brought us Amazon, Facebook, Google, Baidu, and Sina. At that time, the Internet was a new thing. A few kids in a garage or dormitory could build a website, raise millions, Copy expansion and serve the world. The smartphone boom of 2007-2016 brought Uber, Instagram, Twitter, WeChat, and so on, because apps and web pages are the same thing.
In the past 20 years, we have been living in an era of continuous global hardware revolutions (first the Internet, then smartphones), making us mistakenly believe that the next technological revolution is also close at hand, and again, a few children are in the garage Write a small software here, "ride" the world with the help of the technological revolution.
But such things will never happen again. The webpage is already occupied by large companies; everyone has a smartphone, and large companies also occupy the application market; most importantly, today's new technologies are very complex and expensive, so those large companies with strong capital have advantages.


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JCDecaux and Brand Republic launch EC1 tech hub
Yesterday saw the launch of JCDecaux's tech hub, a one-stop online location for all the latest news, events and information on London's tech capital.
Gerard Grech, CEO Tech City UK, speaking at the Old Street EC1 tech breakfast yesterday
EC1 is home to London’s booming tech community, with new, upcoming tech entrepreneurs like Uber and Makielab alongside established businesses, such as Songkick, Amazon and Google. JCDecaux and Brand Republic’s online hub will celebrate EC1’s vibrant and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as keeping readers up to date with exactly what’s going on.
At a technology breakfast hosted by JCDecaux this morning, delegates were treated to key presentations from Gerard Grech, CEO Tech City; Mark Adams, director theAudience; Ian Berriman from PA Consulting Group and David Keene, head of marketing, Northern, Central and Eastern Europe at Google. All spoke of EC1's part to play in nurturing, shaping and growing the future of technology and innovation, both in the UK and further reaches of the globe.
"It was the culture of London that inspired us to ever the think the way we do," said Mark Adams, talking about the city’s role in setting up theAudience. "I don’t think it would have happened in a different city."
The event also showcased wearable tech Vuzix, Google Glass and Oculus Rift, as well as a rendition of the new Old Street EC1 digital media location in Lego.
It also previewed exclusive new technology including the iBeacon, an indoor proximity system that can send notifications to nearby devices.
Find from more from the event and what’s happening in EC1 on www.brandrepublic.com/EC1
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Reliance Industries recently started Jio Welcome offer which allowed users to make free voice calls and use free data till December 31. According to the latest updates, the offer is applicable for those who subscribe to this plan latest by December 3 and failure of which will refrain users to take the benefit of free calling and free internet.
The Sector regulator Trai in an order told that according to the regulations, the free services offered by Jio will have a limit of 90 days, which is finishing on December 3. Trai also added, “The revised offer of free services by Reliance Jio has been limited to 90 days i.e. December 3, 2016, and therefore is consistent with the guidelines on promotional offers.”
A Jio spokesperson said when contacted with him that the Jio Welcome offer or JWO consisting benefits of free voice calls and data will be enjoyable by all users up to December 31, 2016. He further added, “But, the JWO will be available to new consumers for subscription till December 3, 2016.”
He also commented that users who will not register for these services till December 3 will be forced to use new offers as well as tariff plans made available by the company. He added, “Jio will continue offering consumer-friendly plans to enhance Data and voice experience of all consumers.”
While commenting on the launch of Jio on September 1, Mukesh Ambani said that free voice calling offer will be valid for lifetime and data charges would be taken at a rock-bottom price after this offer finishes. After the Trai order, the company did not mention the tariff plans that it will charge from users who are subscribing to the services after December 4.
Rivalry operators like Vodafone and Bharti Airtel with the industry body COAI had moved to the regulators for complaining against the new entrant’s scheme of providing unlimited data access and free calls to subscribers till December 31,2016.
They had also approached to Trai that a “tsunami” of “asymmetric” traffic generating from Reliance Jio after offering free data access was disturbing their networks, that leads to increment in call drops. But the Trai examined all the scenarios submitted by them and said, “it is found that the tariff plans filed with Trai cannot be considered as IUC non-complaint, predatory and discriminatory, at present”. It also added that the Authority would always keep their eyes on the tariffs provided in the market by all telecom operators involving Reliance Jio.


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I’d been looking forward to SOLIDWORKS World 2017 for some time anyway, as the popular conference was sure to draw an energetic crowd together, with attendees eager to share in and expand knowledge of 3D design — but I hadn’t anticipated exactly how busy this show would keep me. As it turns out, 3D printing is everywhere.
Walking the exhibit hall last night for the first time, I was impressed by the sheer volume of 3D printing companies showing off their hardware at this software show. This feeling was only exacerbated throughout the full Monday experience, as from the morning’s exuberant General Session through a day full of interviews and a product-announcing press conference I barely had the chance to sit down. There’s nothing quite like attending a show like SWW, as the conversations had while standing next to the latest technology are incomparable to reading a press release — so I’m doing all I can to bring that experience to you, as our team is sharing everything as we can throughout this show, including on our social channels.
“There’s more to come, especially in 3D printing,” Dassault Systemès Vice Chairman and CEO Bernard Charlès said this morning.
The tone was set early on today, as the General Session introduced executives from SOLIDWORKS, as well as guests showcasing unique case studies of practical experiences using this software to bring their companies’ visions to life — and often including 3D printing. We heard from magician Justin Flom and CEO of Illusion Projects Inc. Tim Clothier, as well as host of Brain Games and Shots of Awe Jason Silva, and a customer mash-up featuring “engineering in concert” with Paul Reed Smith, Managing General Partner, PRS Guitars; Jonathan Wasserman, R&D Engineer, PRS Guitars; and Mark Tremonti, guitarist, Alter Bridge and Creed. These guests, as well as execs from Dassault Systemès and master of ceremonies Tracey Wilson, spoke to many uses in a nowhere-near-comprehensive list at what can be made possible through use of SOLIDWORKS. The morning’s two-hour session included looks into established use cases and projections into the future of what we might see as humanity continues to embrace 3D technologies.
Once the Partner Pavilion opened its doors a little later in the morning, the excitable stampede of SWW17 attendees turned their attention to the floor of the exhibit hall. My first stop of the day was at the booth for Rize, where I spoke with President and CEO Frank Marangell as the company showed off their innovative 3D printer at its first public appearance. As we’ve seen, the Rize One 3D printer seeks to bring savings on time, cost, and materials to the desktop. Marangell pointed out that post-processing is often referred to as “3D printing’s dirty little secret,” but also that it doesn’t have to be that way.
“It’s a desktop unit for a reason,” Marangell told me of the Rize One. “We want to put it in an office, so it has to be designed for an office. It can’t offgas, there are no VOCs, and there’s low noise. It has to be an industrial product.”
The small Rize team, consisting of about 15 members (and holding more than 20 3D printing patents), remains hard at work on the next steps for their technology. The Rize One is with beta customers now, and has only just become publicly available, but that’s no reason to not look to what’s next, as the company looks toward full-color capabilities and the creation of rubberized parts, end-use parts, smoothing, and other advances targeting the market between prototyping and low-volume manufacturing — where one-off customized creations can really capitalize on the benefits 3D printing has to offer — as Marangell pointed out.
“It’s an interesting time now in the industry,” he told me, putting it mildly.
At their press conference, executives from Stratasys introduced their latest end-to-end solution, targeting the rapid prototyping market, with the new F123 Series. Featuring quick material changeovers, an intuitive interface, and a collaborative creation process, the F123 Series of 3D printers includes the F170, F270, and F370 units, supported by GrabCAD Print capabilities and a demonstration of Stratasys’ commitment to listening to what its customers are looking for in their technology.
“We found that our customers are demanding a one-stop shop for rapid prototyping,” Rich Garrity, President Americas, Stratasys, told us. “We believe rapid prototyping still represents a significant opportunity for additive manufacturing… This is designed for the way our customers work.”
I’ll be talking tomorrow with Stratasys’ technical team to learn more about the latest in rapid prototyping from this big name, right from the source.
Continuing to speak to companies in the industry, I sat down next with Jason Wright, Director of Products and Services, and Michelle Stansbury, Marketing, from SolidProfessor. The learning-based company has recently introduced their new technical certificates for those who sign up for courses. By creating a goal for customers to reach, SolidProfessor’s certificates provide an incentive to continue on with training by working with subject matter experts.
“It’s one thing to say you have skills,” Wright explained, “it’s another to be validated by subject experts who are running the classes.”
Having noticed the void in the industry for training and completion certifications, we had a lot to talk about, as 3DPrint.com’s inaugural training courses will be kicking off next month with our Beginner Design Course. The need for increased learning opportunities with expert instruction and recognition of successful completion has been noticed, and 2017 looks to be the year for accessible education.
Back in the Partner Pavilion, I talked with Simon Fried, CBO of Nano Dimension, which is exhibiting alongside partner FATHOM at SWW. Nano Dimension, which today introduced their new ceramics technology, has been keeping busy between our visits, which is frankly impressive as it’s now been just a month since I talked with the team at CES.
“We’ve only had two press releases lately,” Fried said with a laugh following our chats at CES and formnext. “We’re building up our team as the launch approaches, and playing to the strengths of our technology. Inkjet is so well suited for multi-material creation, for things that have more types of function.”
The work in ceramics technology was done by request, as the Israel Innovation Authority requested and financed the project developing 3D printing ceramic technology using inkjet techniques. Though there’s nothing yet to show from the ceramics endeavor, Fried noted that it will ultimately have implications in the aerospace field — particularly if, in the future, it can be successfully combined with their electronics printing capabilities.
“If you want to send electronics into space, it’s probably best to be printed on ceramics rather than polymers,” he said.
Fried, who also visited with Helen Mirren while awaiting luggage at LAX this week, noted as well that the software capabilities afforded by SOLIDWORKS are seeing a convergence with traditional EDA software favored by electronics producers, and that the software world will eventually precisely design circuitry, which is “genuinely a big challenge.” He spoke this morning at SWW in a presentation covering futurism and the Internet of Things, noting his views on the place of the IoT in the foreseeable tech future.
Monday at SWW17 was a busy time, capped off by exclusive press tours of partner areas of the Partner Pavilion that especially showcase organizations SOLIDWORKS is having an impact on, such as Freight Farms and Furrion, creator of the desert mech racing Prosthesis robot, and then a networking evening bringing together VIPs from the press, analysts, and executives from SOLIDWORKS and SWW Platinum Partners. The evening activities allowed for a closer, more targeted look at these areas, as well as the opportunity to chat about tech with those helping to develop it from the ground up.
Tuesday is looking to be another full day of interviews, presentations, press conferences, and networking as the on-the-ground sharing of information continues apace. Keeping the excitement alive, it will also be rounded out by the annual social special event as SWW hits Paramount’s New York City backlot.
Stay tuned to 3DPrint.com for all the latest right from SWW17 — and for more detailed looks from some of these great conversations coming soon![All photos taken by Sarah Goehrke for 3DPrint.com]
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3D Printing Webinar and Event Roundup: November 5, 2023
Happy Formnext week! But don’t worry, if you can’t make it to Germany this week, there are still several other in-person and online webinar and event options in the industry....
Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.


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The European Parliament has approved the historic Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), clearing one of its last hurdles. Seven years in the making, the deal is set to ease trade barriers between Canada and the EU, and remains to be ratified by national parliaments.
It's effectively signed, sealed, delivered. The trade agreement between Canada and Europe, known as CETA, is a big deal for both sides. New trade deals are basically one of the major, major sources of our wealth. It's not possible to imagine that we could make any trade deals with any other country or region if we can't do this with Canadians. Seven years in the making, businesses will soon see tariffs removed on most goods and services, and have easier access to each other's markets. Diplomas will be mutually recognised. Once in full swing, trade between the two is set to increase by 20%. But those against CETA are still concerned the deal puts corporations before people. They worry governments will have less power to protect health, safety, labour, or the environment. This deal will not undermine our health. This deal will not decrease European standards. This deal will not be capable also to decrease the sovereignty of the states. Also, 143 products specific to a region in the EU – from Roquefort cheese to Modena balsamic vinegar – will be protected from imitations. With Parliament's approval, most of the agreement could apply from as early as spring. One last hurdle remains: only after all national parliaments have ratified the deal can CETA be fully in place.


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- Samsung Galaxy S21 live images have leaked on the web.
- The Galaxy S21 series high-quality renders have also leaked online.
- The renders show the final design of the phone.
Samsung is expected to launch the new Galaxy S21 series of phones next month, with it set to bring with itself three new phones -- the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra. In the run-up to its launch, the phones have been leaked a number of times, with both their specifications and design revealed online.
And now, a new set of high-quality renders and its first live images have completely revealed the design of the three phones. The set of high-quality renders come courtesy of LetsGoDigital. The new Galaxy S21 series renders are claimed to be based on information acquired from sources close to Samsung and are said to be identical to the final products that will be released next month.
The renders show the phone will come with volume rockers and a power button will on the right side, while the USB Type-C port, speaker grille, and primary microphone will all be at the bottom. The left of the phone appears to have been left empty by Samsung.
According to the renders, the Galaxy S21 series phones will come with a design that will see the SIM tray located at the bottom, instead of the top. Further, they will also house a distinct camera array design. The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ appear to be coming with an identical triple camera setup, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra looks likely to sport a quad-camera setup.
Interestingly the leaked live images of the Galaxy S21+ and S21 Ultra also show a similar design, however, they do not show the phone in a very good light. In fact, in the live images, the phone looks rather unappealing and also cheap for a premium segment smartphone. Apart from this, there's nothing new that the live images reveal about the two new phones.
As for the specifications of the phones, previous leaks have suggested that the S21 Ultra will be equipped with a curved WQHD+ LTPO AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and will also come with support for the S Pen. On the other hand, the other two devices will include a flat FHD+ LTPS AMOLED display with a regular 120Hz refresh rate.
All three phones are expected to get the Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 chipsets and run Android 11-based One UI 3.1 operating system. Apart from this, there's little known about the device, however, rumours suggest that the S21 Ultra could get a battery of 4,800mAh, support for 5G and WiFi 6.


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But president should use position now to cut a deal with China on tariffs to avoid hammering consumer confidence.
In some cities, even a high school grad's income is theoretically enough to enter the world of home ownership.
Shares of online real estate platform Zillow fall after the company posts a narrower-than-expected second-quarter loss but provides lower guidance on third-quarter revenue, particularly from its home-flipping business.
Investing in real estate can mean dozens of different things. Here's what to know about how to invest while buying property and how to invest without buying property.
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Commonwealth Bank has added a loyalty feature to its mobile banking app that also offers HCE payments, allowing users to store loyalty cards and redeem them at the checkout with their NFC phone or by scanning the loyalty card barcode. The bank is also set to pilot a separate offers app in a shopping centre run by Westfield, ZDNet reports.
- BBVA bank staff to test face recognition for self-serve restaurant orders and payments
- Carriers in Singapore, India, Thailand and the Philippines to link their mobile wallet services
- Huawei to launch mobile payments in 100 countries this year
- Church of England rolls out contactless donations to 16,000 churches, cathedrals and religious sites
- Auchan lets Italian supermarket shoppers scan and pay on their mobile phone


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Huggies Diapers, Pull-Ups And Scott Toilet Paper May Soon Get More ExpensiveShoppers, take note: You could soon pay more for Huggies, Pull-Ups and Scott toilet paper.
Sabra Recalls Some Classic Hummus Products For Possible Salmonella ContaminationSabra Dipping Company is recalling some Classic Hummus products distributed in 16 states, including Maine.
Americans Spent Nearly $420 Billion On Home Improvement Projects In 20202020 was a record-breaking year for home improvements.
Pepsi Has A New Peeps-Flavored SodaWas the Peeps-flavored coffee at Dunkin' not sweet enough for you?
74-Percent Of Mass. Residents Now Optimistic About Finances, Survey SaysA new study suggests people in Massachusetts are becoming more optimistic about their finances as vaccinations grow during the pandemic.
Why Eversource Customers Will Likely See A Higher Bill In AprilEversource customers can expect to pay more on their electricity bill starting in April.
Hundreds Of Former Boston Sports Clubs Members To Get RefundsHundreds of former Boston Sports Clubs members are getting a refund, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Wednesday.
'Tragic Accident': Peloton Warns Owners To Keep Kids Away From Their Treadmills After Child DiesPeloton is warning owners to keep their children away from their treadmills after an accident involving its Tread+ in which a child died.
Massachusetts Plans To Move State Tax Deadline To May 17 To Match IRSThis would align Massachusetts with the new federal filing deadline announced by the IRS Wednesday.
To Save The Planet, Tide Wants You To Quit Using Warm Water For LaundryIs cold water just as effective as warm for laundry?
'We're Truly Anywhere': Massachusetts Retailers Move To Online Sales May Last Beyond PandemicAccording to Jon Hurst, President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, moving to online sales is one of the year’s biggest trends.
Gas Prices In Massachusetts Have Soared 28 Cents In The Past MonthThe average cost of a gallon of gasoline in Massachusetts has surged 28 cents in the past month, AAA Northeast said Monday.
Kia Recalls Nearly 380,000 Vehicles For Fire Risk, Says Owners Should Park Them OutsideKia is telling owners of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the U.S. to park them outside due to the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Stores Are Closing But This Discount Chain Plans To Move InBurlington Stores plans to open 100 new stores this year and sees an opportunity to reach 2,000 US stores in the future.
US Probing Engine Fires In Nearly 1.9 Million Toyota RAV4 SUVsThe RAV4 is the top-selling vehicle in the U.S. that isn't a pickup truck.


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Lagoon spokesman explains big price hike for day pass
Nov 18, 2022, 5:30 PM | Updated: 5:59 pm
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
SALT LAKE CITY — Lagoon Amusement Park is introducing a new interactive rollercoaster coming in spring 2023, but with the ride comes higher pass prices.
Lagoon announced the price hikes this week. The single-day price has risen from $85.95 to $97.95, up nearly 14%.
Season passes on the park’s Black Friday special are selling for $160.95 — $47 below the regular price of $207.95. The season passport sale ends Nov. 30.
Primordial will be a “one-of-a-kind interactive coaster” with a “ride experience like you have never seen,” Lagoon said on social media.
Lagoon spokesman Adam Leishman said Primordial is a rollercoaster “unlike any other on Earth. I know everything about it, and it’s going to be pretty wild.”
— Park Journey @IAAPA (@Park_Journey) November 16, 2022
Leishman joined KSL NewsRadio’s Dave and Dujanovic with Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic to discuss the ticket price increase but also Primordial.
“What’s the reason behind the price hike?” Debbie asked.
“Well, it’s simple and shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the cost for supplies, labor and everything has just gone up,” Leishman said. “Lagoon is one of the last independent, locally-owned amusement parks in the country, and we’ve got to have funding to keep going.”
Leishman said Lagoon has been working on the Primordial coaster for the past seven years.
“One thing Lagoon does that I don’t know that any other park in the world does is we manufacture our own rides,” he said.
Leishman added Lagoon custom-built the ride Cannibal, featuring a 208-foot drop.
“It’s one of a kind. It’s not off-the-shelf in anyway. There’s not another one in the world. And primordial is the same thing,” he said. “There are a lot of surprises for guests.”
“Are you afraid, though, that as you creep toward $100 for a day pass, this is going to price families out?” Dave asked.
“I hope not. I think, honestly, the season pass at $160 is really the best deal out there. You come twice and it’s paid for,” Leishman said.
Lagoon is scheduled to reopen on April 1, 2023.
Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.


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The iconic South Australian brewer opened its $65 million malting facility in Adelaide in November 2017 and has ramped up production to about 80 per cent of its 55,000 tonne a year capacity.
The family-owned brewery plans to use about a third of its malt production for its own beers while selling a third to Australian brewers and exporting the remainder.
Coopers has already been selling a single origin pale and ale malt made from Commander barley grown at Roseworthy in the Northern Adelaide Plains. It will release its first heritage ale malt made from South Australian Schooner barley at the end of April and also has plans for the June release of an single origin malt from Westminster barley grown on Kangaroo Island.
Schooner barley was developed by University of Adelaide Professor David Sparrow and released in 1983. It dominated the Australian barley industry through the ’80s and ’90s but fell out of favour in the late 1990s as higher yielding varieties were released.
However, Coopers Maltings Manager Dr Doug Stewart said Schooner’s low fermentability created the rich flavour with good mouthfeel that is ideal for hoppy beers and modern craft brewing.
He said it was a comparable alternative to Maris Otter, a heritage English variety, which is being imported as malt by a number of Australian craft breweries looking for those same hop-friendly traits.
“Schooner was superseded because the export markets required high levels of enzymes and Schooner had low levels so it wasn’t meeting the requirements but now the craft industry has grown they are looking for that lower enzyme again and it fits the bill really well,” Dr Stewart said.
“We pay well above the odds for Schooner because of the yield penalty but we’re happy to do that to satisfy the needs of the craft industry.
Other maltsters, such as Voyager Malt in the Riverina region of New South Wales, have been producing Schooner malt for the craft industry since 2014, but it has not been produced at the scale of the Coopers plan in recent times.
“It’s not for everyone but what we hope is that it will largely replace the Maris Otter, which is very expensive because of freight costs and it has a larger carbon footprint because of the ‘food miles’.”
Coopers is the largest Australian-owned brewery and made its first brew in 1862. It sold its previous malting plant Ausbulk in 2002 to help reduce debt from building its Regency Park brewery. The new maltings allows Coopers to bring its malt production in-house again and opens up new markets.
“It gives us control over the raw material for better consistency and initially the thought was to build a small maltings just for Coopers’ use but just in terms of capital cost per tonne it was prohibitive to build a 20,000 tonne maltings,” Dr Stewart said.
“The sweet spot is about at that 55,000 tonne mark so that meant we needed to keep a third for ourselves and on sell about two thirds to other brewers.”
Coopers is also making malt aimed at the Asian export market from barleys such as La Trobe and Scope, which are suitable to be blended with rice or corn sugar adjuncts.
It has so far sent about 2000 tonnes of malt to Thai Beverage in Thailand to be used in Chang beer and is in talks with a number of other Asian brewers.
Australia produces on average around 2.3 million tonnes of malting barley and 6 million tonnes of feed barley each year. The quality of Australian malting barleys is considered among the highest in the world.
Dr Stewart said the maltings allowed for batch sizes of 180 tonnes and had been built specifically with specialty batches in mind.
He said the segregation and storage capabilities meant three or four of the 12 silos at the plant could be reserved for the craft industry.
“We’re really focussing on craft because we regard ourselves as craft anyway – we’re bigger craft but we’re primarily ale brewers and we feel strongly aligned to that market segment,” Dr Stewart said.
Being a smaller maltster we like to think that we give the craft sector the attention it deserves.
After the Schooner heritage malt release, Coopers will release an single origin malt made from Westminster barley grown in the pristine environment of Kangaroo Island.
Dr Stewart said provenance was becoming an important factor in the craft brewing industry in a similar way to how it has long been in the wine industry and single origin malts could become a popular choice among brewers, particularly from regions known for beauty or quality.
“There’s a saying that goes something like ‘where the grape grows well so too does the grain’,” he said.
“Down in Coonawarra, Clare Valley and Barossa there are lovely barley growing areas so if you pick an emotive place it’s associated with quality and it just adds to the story so there are certainly opportunities like that.
“The whole barley terroir scenario has been raised and the only way we’ll find out is if we start malting these single parcels and sell it to craft brewers who are leading the charge.
“We can also do that for Coopers beers – we typically have a few seasonal beers we make through the year and we have our Vintage Ale we make once a year so we’ve got opportunities to promote a region or a variety of barley to add to the story for those sort of beers.”Jump to next article


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BY Matt Atkins
US chipmaker Intel has failed to overturn a $1.44bn fine handed down by EU antitrust regulators five years ago.
In its 2009 decision, the European Commission found Intel guilty of giving rebates to selected PC manufacturers in return for buying their processor chips over those produced by rival Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Intel is also said to have paid German retail chain Media Saturn Holding to exclusively stock computers powered by Intel chips. "The Commission demonstrated to the requisite legal standard that Intel attempted to conceal the anti-competitive nature of its practices and implemented a long term comprehensive strategy to foreclose AMD from the strategically most important sales channels," the court said.
Judges at the Luxembourg-based General Court backed the Commission's decision, saying the EU watchdog’s approach had not been heavy-handed, despite being the highest single antitrust penalty the authorities in Brussels have levied on a single company. The fine is equal to 4.15 percent of Intel's 2008 turnover, against a possible maximum of 10 percent. "The General Court considers that none of the arguments raised by Intel supports the conclusion that the fine imposed is disproportionate,” said judges. “On the contrary, it must be considered that fine is appropriate in the light of the facts of the case."
European regulators have emerged as some of the world’s staunchest enforcers of antitrust laws, particularly in the technology sector, stepping up their pursuit of violators in the late 2000s. The Intel ruling may be an early signal that global authorities are gearing up to pursue errant technology firms.
Intel contests that it has committed no wrongdoing, that its rebates and discounts were legal and a common way of rewarding companies for purchasing its products in large quantities. Going forward, the firm can take its case further to the Court of Justice of the European Union.


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Bitcoin | Latest & Breaking News on Bitcoin | Photos
Altcoin Today is a cryptocurrency focused portal that brings you latest blockchain tech, bitcoin and altcoin news with price.As for bitcoin, the Square news is the latest example of a mainstream financial services firm showing.Get the latest price charts, statistics and our news feed on.
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Get an overview of cryptocurrency markets, prices and charts.Browse latest bitcoin news about business, technology, company and regulations of bitcoin.View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.
K-crypt - Latest crypto currency news, Bitcoin Price and
The recent political unrest in the country sent Bitcoin price to shoot up to.
Bitcoin Is the New Crisis Currency By. Zimbabwe, where the price of bitcoin spiked to double the international rate.
Bitcoin: How high could the price go? – CBS News
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The shift towards cryptocurrencies in Venezuela is taking place as the price of bitcoin has climbed to a. hyperinflation in Zimbabwe and. Videos. For more.
CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
Zimbabwe: Bitcoin Price Hits $16,5k in Zim | Main News
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How bitcoin is moving money in Africa. Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe once rendered. Ozy.com is a USA TODAY content partner providing general news,.Hardly a day goes by without some mention of Bitcoin in the news.
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How To Get Bitcoin In Zimbabwe - zimbabwesituation.com
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Price volatility divides cryptocurrency experts on where bitcoin price is heading next. Forbes Video Courtyard Hotels.
The use of Bitcoin in Zimbabwe has grown exponentially. blockchain and Bitcoin bringing you the latest news and.Monday also marks the seventh anniversary of Bitcoin Pizza Day, which is widely considered to.
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Latest news headlines from Zimbabwe. then just buy at the lowest sale price.


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For the last several months, we waited for a full approval of a COVID-19 vaccine by the FDA. Finally, we have one. So, we look at marketing Comirnaty — an approved COVID vaccine.
What’s Next: Marketing Comirnaty — An Approved COVID Vaccine
On August 23, 2021, the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and older. Thus, becoming the first COVID vaccine to move beyond emergency-use status in the United States.
From a marketing perspective, that means Pfizer-BioNTech may now engage in advertising. Not permitted under emergency use. That will raise company revenues. As well as encourage more people to get vaccinated.
Now that Pfizer received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its vaccine, consumers should expect an influx of marketing. Health care experts say ads for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, marketed as Comirnaty, could hit TV airwaves soon.
Click the image to read more.


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Last December 2016, Consumer Reports announced that they could not possibly endorse the Apple MacBook Pro models due to their battery life discrepancies. In fact, the company has indicated that they would do a re-testing on the issue as it was determined that the developer mode in Safari was the culprit.
Consumer Reports Stand On Battery Life
When the Apple MacBook Pro was initially tested by Consumer Reports, the battery life of the device was only recorded to survive less than 4hrs as opposed to the 16hrs label. After the decision not to endorse the product, Consumer Reports was able to determine that the battery life minimization was due to a developer mode bug that deferred the maximization of the product's overall capacity.
As reported by CNET, Apple released an announcement last Tuesday that Consumer Reports did not use consumer usage standards when testing the product and the said culprit has already been fixed. Given that, Consumer Reports had decided to do a re-testing on the MacBook Pro battery life once again to determine if the Safari setting for developer web sites had been remedied.
Despite the explanation, consumers have also complained about the minimal battery life of the product even if they were promised to enjoy 10hrs of usage without interruption. After which, Apple then worked with Consumer Reports over the holidays to determine the problem.
It was determined that the user has to turn off the Safari local cache when conducing browsing tests. Therefore, the browser would have to fetch website date from the internet and installs images on the user's hard drive when turned off. That way, while surfing, Safari would not have to reload images all the time which could cause drainage of battery life, reported Tech Crunch.
Now that Consumer Reports will re-do the Apple MacBook Pro battery life testing once again, will it be proved that the gadget can go 10hrs long without interruption as promised? The said company would publish results once the test would be done.


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New Delhi: The crucial cryptocurrency activities are taking place on October 28. Check out some of the important crypto stories so far:
- Digital tokens like Cardano, XRP fall about 10%
On October 28, cryptocurrencies are trading in the red. The global crypto market capitalisation experienced a downfall of 4.49% to $2.46 trillion. However, the market volume gained 58.99% to $108.02 over the last 24 hours. Bitcoin is being traded at $58,579.36 undergoing a dominance of 44.92%, marking an increase of 0.51% over the day.
- Tesla likely to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment; believes in its ‘long-term potential’
According to a regulatory filing, Tesla, the electric car company may restart accepting Bitcoin in the near future. The earnings report for the quarter ending September states that the company might resume the practice of accepting cryptocurrencies for its products and services. “We may in the future restart the practice of transacting in cryptocurrencies (“digital assets”) for our products and services,” stated the company in a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing.
- Direxion to launch ETF offering managed short exposure to CMS Bitcoin futures
According to a regulatory filing before US Securities and Exchange Commission on October 26, Direxion, a leading exchange-traded fund (ETF) said that it will launch a fund that will be offering managed short exposure to CME Bitcoin futures contract. The company said, that the new fund “seeks to achieve its investment objective through managed short exposure to CME bitcoin futures contracts (the Bitcoin Futures). The Fund does not invest directly in bitcoin.”
- Elon Musk says he owns Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Doge
The world’s richest personality and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk revealed that he owns only Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin and does not possess popular meme tokens Shiba Inu. The statement came at a time when Shiba Inu touched a record high value on October 24. The digital token was up by nearly 37%.


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Martech Interview with Michael Grossi CEO Operative
Press | Operative Team
Media is the most potent medium when it comes to advertising. How can order management systems help media companies accelerate growth?Read More
Press | Press Release
NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Operative Media, Inc., the global leader in advertising business management solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of Bernard Gershon to its Board of Advisors. Gershon, a former senior executive at Disney/ABC and CBS, has extensive experience working with companies who are transforming their traditional TV and digital advertising businesses. Operative has enjoyed a lengthy relationship with its major media partners, many of which are working to combine digital and TV offerings in innovative ways. Gershon will provide guidance to Operative’s clients and leadership as TV and digital advertising converge.
“Many major media companies rely on Operative as they streamline advertising sales across channels such as digital video, streaming video, VOD and even linear TV,” said Gershon. “I am looking forward to working closely with Operative and their clients as cross-channel advertising sales becomes the norm.”
Gershon is founder and president of GershonMedia, which advises early stage companies in mobile and online video, as well as Fortune 100 companies looking to expand their digital video businesses. He most recently served on the Board of SpotXchange, which recently sold a majority stake to RTL for approximately $150 million. Gershon was formally Senior Vice President and General Manager, Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Technology, at The Walt Disney Company.
In an ecosystem that typically caters to advertisers and agencies, Gershon’s extensive experience in the media industry will be a welcome addition to Operative’s activities. Operative provides a rich program of thought leadership and community for premium media companies via their client advisory board, a major annual conference and regularly published research.
“Bernie has been a great supporter of Operative’s business model,” says Operative CEO Lorne Brown. “Formalizing our relationship enables us to work together to help transition the TV market through this exciting phase of digital convergence.”
Since 2001, Operative Media, Inc. has developed software and services that help publishers, agencies, and networks simplify the business of advertising. Media companies rely on Operative to sell, traffic, and bill premium ad inventory, thereby increasing revenue and decreasing overhead. Operative’s client base, which controls over 20 percent of the global ad market, features NBCUniversal, Wall Street Journal, Comcast, iHeartMedia, BuzzFeed, and Schibsted Media. operative.com


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Give us this day our daily bread -- made from rice.
A home breadmaking machine that grinds rice and bakes a loaf of fresh bread at the push of a button has proved such a hit in Japan that its maker, overwhelmed by demand, will temporarily stop taking orders less than three weeks after putting the machine on sale.
Despite a hefty price of around 50,000 yen ($600), Sanyo Electric Co said on Thursday that orders for its Gopan breadmaker were likely to hit 58,000 by the end of the month, its original sales target for the end of March next year.
Though a Sanyo spokeswoman said she thought novelty was behind the machine’s popularity, food analyst Hisao Nagayama attributed it to changing eating habits -- a trend toward more Western food and busy lives that make it harder to find the time to cook rice, consumption of which has gone down.
“People can eat the bread easily and it tastes good. But Japanese have been eating rice for thousands of years, so there’s something about this bread that’s satisfying down to the levels of our DNA,” he said.
Users place ordinary washed rice and other ingredients in the Gopan, whose name is a combination of the Japanese for “rice” and “bread,” and press the start button. The machine does the rest, from milling the rice to the kneading, rising and baking that other home breadmaking machines also do. Concerns about food safety and allergies are also part of is popularity, Nagayama added.
“There’s a lot of people who are getting more nervous about what’s in their food, especially things like bread that could contain additives. This allows them to see exactly what goes in.”
Sanyo is likely to resume taking orders for the Gopan next April after beefing up production.
Japan has experimented with rice and bread before, most notably the hamburger chain that offers the “rice burger” -- in which a hamburger patty is sandwiched between two halves of a “bun” made out of pressed rice.


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As Black Friday Nears, a Record 196 Million Consumers Now Have Access to Various Forms of Credit Cards and Other Revolving Lines of Credit
New Q3 2017 TransUnion Industry Insights Report reveals latest consumer credit trends
With the holiday shopping season officially kicking off during Black Friday next week, TransUnion’s (NYSE: TRU) just released Q3 2017 Industry Insights Report found that 195.9 million consumers now have access to revolving credit such as bank-issued and private label credit cards. According to the report, powered by PramaSM analytics, this is the highest level of revolving credit access since TransUnion began measuring the variable and is greater than the 192.6 million consumers who had access to such credit products in Q3 2016.
TransUnion also found that, as of Q3 2017, a record 142.5 million consumers had a balance on non-revolving loans. This is up from 140.1 million in Q3 2016. Non-revolving loans are primarily comprised of auto loans, mortgages, student loans and unsecured personal loans.
The number of consumers with the aforementioned credit products, especially revolving lines of credit, will more than likely grow during the upcoming holiday shopping season. In November and December 2016, TransUnion found that average originations for private label credit cards doubled for online (2.00x) and discount store (1.95x) retailers compared to average monthly originations over the rest of the year (January through October)
“The third quarter of 2017 exhibited a lending market that continued to operate in a stable manner, with consumers continuing to gain access to credit and take advantage of that access,” said Ezra Becker, senior vice president and head of research and consulting for TransUnion. “However, we are beginning to see a slowdown in originations, which may be a signal of saturation in the lower-risk credit tiers and some pull-back in lender risk appetite in the higher-risk tiers.
“Despite the slowdown, we anticipate a robust holiday shopping season. The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment measure rose 4% this September compared to last, demonstrating that consumers have continued positive expectations regarding the overall economy. As a result, we expect this will lead to strong consumer credit activity during the upcoming holiday season.”
TransUnion’s analysis found that average private label card originations in the holiday season (defined as November and December) for 2016 was 148% of the average monthly originations in the January through October timeframe. This is tracking in line with recent rises observed in 2015 (156%) and 2014 (164%). “On average, consumers are about 1 ½ times more likely to open a private label credit card in the holiday season compared to any other month of the year. Much of this increase is due to the credit offers extended by retailers and their lending partners in anticipation of the shopping season,” Becker added.
Please visit TransUnion’s Industry Insights Report website for more charts and details about the Q3 2017 Industry Insights Report
To read the full press lease please click on this link.


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AT&T might not be the most loved wireless carrier among Android fans (to say the least), but the company seems to be trying to right its wrongs. One of those wrongs is the carrier’s position on prohibiting Android users to install an app from outside the Android Market (known as sideloading). Being able to install an app from wherever you want is one the things that differentiate Android from other more “walled-garden” platforms. But somehow, AT&T felt this feature was way too liberating for its Android customers to handle.
Thanks mainly to the rise of third-party app stores like Amazon’s, AT&T has been somewhat forced to lift this restriction from its Android phones. The carrier is already releasing Android phones with sideloading available, but what about already released phones? For those, AT&T seems to be working with OEMs in order to enable sideloading. And today Ma Bell and Motorola took the first step by releasing an app that does just that for the Motorola Bravo.
The app is available through the Market, and the whole process only takes a couple taps. Just install the app, open it and tap the “Unlock” button. That’s it. You’re free to install apps from any source you like.
We hope this is just the first (and not only) Android device to have sideloading enabled by AT&T. And we expect the company to continue releasing more of these apps for other Android phones on the network–hopefully sooner rather than later.


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Vapers Digest 15th July
Friday’s News at a glance:
Have your say – Smoke-free environments – Should vape retailers be licensed? – The EU’s Bizarre Plan to Beat Cancer – Public Health’s Misinformation Against Vaping – FDA and Synthetic Nicotine: All You Need to Know – FDA Begins Enforcement Over Synthetic Nicotine Vapes – Ride4Vape – Stop Beating On Vapers – AVMA Calls For Investigation – Hawaii Governor Vetoes Flavor Prohibition – Teachers ‘hid in toilet cubicles’ – Don’t Get Sucked In By Website’s Vaping Claims – Differentiate vape from tobacco when developing new policy – Mere possession of an e-cig ‘won’t mean jail’ – GFN News Episode #10 – Nicotine Science and Policy Daily Digest
New Nicotine Alliance
At the end of June, the EU Commission launched a call for evidence on a proposal to extend a 2009 recommendation on smoke-free environments to include vaping products and heated tobacco. The purpose is to encourage all EU member states to implement bans on vaping and heated tobacco use in a variety of public places.
Additionally, a supporting document describes the current recommendation as covering “indoor and enclosed spaces” and that policies for “outdoor spaces, such as schools, playgrounds and outdoor eating establishments” are not included in the scope of the EU recommendation, but rather decided on a case-by-case basis by national or local governments.
The vape industry is currently contending with two major problems. The first is illegal devices, which often have an e-liquid capacity of more than 2ml (and may have higher nicotine levels than allowed). As I’ve written before, the real danger is not higher nicotine levels or higher capacity, but the danger that untested, poor-quality e-liquid is used.
Secondly, more younger people are starting to experiment with vape devices, with some going on to regular use.
To some extent this was inevitable. Vape devices are easier to use, more attractive and hugely less harmful than smoking, but are still forbidden for under-18’s… and still deliver a stimulant.
By Protecting Cigarette Sales – Martin Cullip
It was widely reported at the end of June that the European Commission, the European Union’s executive branch, is proposing to amend its existing Tobacco Products Directive to prohibit the sale of flavored heated tobacco products in all EU member states.
In announcing the measure, Stella Kyriakides, the EU commissioner for health and food safety, explained that this was “another step towards realizing our vision under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to create a ’Tobacco Free Generation’ with less than 5 percent of the population using tobacco by 2040.” She offered this justification: “With nine out of 10 lung cancers caused by tobacco, we want to make smoking as unattractive as possible to protect the health of our citizens and save lives.”
Against Vaping Is Eroding Its Credibility – Martin Cullip
For several years, respected voices in the public health community have warned of a breakdown in trust in their profession if the dishonest, damaging and often vicious campaign against safer alternatives to smoking by some of their colleagues continues to misinform the public.
Prominent among those warning that public health’s credibility will suffer has been Dr. Michael Siegel, a visiting professor and a researcher in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine. For more than 15 years, he has been lamenting the tobacco control industry’s increasing departure from the truth.
Re: insane Daily Mail story from @mansurshaheen that cited unnamed “experts” linking popcorn lung to vaping. In a particularly deceitful move, the ‘experts’ he quotes say no such thing.
One person quoted feels his remarks were taken out of context. https://t.co/mHCICky0by
— Gregory Conley (@GregTHR) July 14, 2022
“as a physician, the systematic refusal to review the evidence and apply the basic concepts of tobacco harm reduction is incomprehensible, because harm reduction is something we do every day,” French oncologist, Dr. David Khayathttps://t.co/oUpHneDSWn
— European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (@europethra) July 14, 2022
Over Synthetic Nicotine Vapes – Alex Norcia
On July 13, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it had sent two warning letters to manufacturers marketing synthetic nicotine products without authorization, and more than 100 warning letters to retailers that had sold synthetic nicotine products to minors.
The press release, issued on the FDA’s website, arrived on the day the agency was granted the power to regulate and exercise its enforcement discretion on synthetic nicotine products. In March, President Joe Biden signed an omnibus spending bill that gave the FDA this authority, something that had previously eluded it. (The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed by President Barack Obama in
2009, only gave the FDA the power to regulate nicotine products derived from tobacco—although chemically, synthetic nicotine is essentially identical.)
All You Need to Know – Jim McDonald
In a press release issued Wednesday after business hours, the FDA announced that more than 200 manufacturers of synthetic nicotine products submitted over a million Premarket Tobacco Applications (PMTAs) before the May 14 deadline. As of July 14, the agency says it is illegal to market any of those products.
A rider inserted in the federal omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in March granted the FDA new authority over all forms of nicotine, regardless of the source. That language modified the 2009 Tobacco Control Act to include nicotine not derived from tobacco.
Two from Dave Cross, Planet of the Vapes:
The third Ride for Vape began on Saturday 06 July 2022 in Turin, Italy. The tour is a proof of the benefits gained from Tobacco Harm Reduction and switching from smoking to vaping. It culminated after a journey of around 700 km as the riders arrived in Strasbourg at the European Parliament.
The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) said: “This tour is a proof for Tobacco Harm Reduction. Smokers can achieve a lot when they switch to vaping. Not everyone will make it across the Alps by bike, but everyone who switches will find that they improve their health if they stop smoking.”
New Zealand MPs need to focus on cigarettes, not vaping beat ups and knocking tobacco harm reduction, according to the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA). As vaping is debated over the coming months, politicians need “to keep their eyes on the prize” of eliminating smoking.
“To achieve its decade long Smokefree 2025 ambition, New Zealand must stay the course when it comes to vaping regulation. The focus for MPs now must be on hitting tobacco hard,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the CAPHRA.
Ms Loucas’ comments follow the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill being introduced into Parliament with its first reading expected later this month.
Of Marketing Denial Orders
The American Vapor Manufacturers Association (AVMA) has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Inspector General to investigate whether the Food and Drug Administration’s marketing denial orders for vaping products are driven by political pressure.
The AVMA says it wants the inspector general to help the public learn about FDA Commissioner Robert Califf’s coordination with elected officials, allied activists and reporters as his agency continues its review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTA).
Brad Rodu about people’s attitude to smoking, vaping and nicotine
July 12 update
As expected, Gov. Ige vetoed HB 1570 today, citing the same objection he expressed earlier to the exemption in the bill that would have allowed sale of flavored vape products authorized by the FDA.
Today was the deadline for the governor to veto bills sent to him from the last legislative session. Although the state legislature could override the veto with a two-thirds vote, it probably won’t, since many of the bill’s supporters agree with the governor that the legislation could be stronger (meaning less favorable to vapers and the vaping industry).
A similar bill without an exemption for FDA-authorized products will almost certainly be introduced in the next legislative session, which begins in January 2023.
Launched with fanfare two years ago, the ‘Don’t Get Sucked In’ website has failed to fire or resonate with young people and for good reason,” says Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).
CAPHRA has now audited the website on vaping set up by New Zealand’s Asthma and Respiratory Foundation (ARFNZ). CAPHRA concludes the site cherry picks science and fails to provide the full picture on vaping. More seriously, it makes false and misleading claims about the safety of products which are saving thousands of Kiwi ex-smokers lives every year.
In bid to catch vaping students
An Auckland headmaster says it was necessary for his staff to go into student bathrooms in response to a growing problem of nicotine vaping, but it hasn’t gone down well with students.
A student from Westlake Boys High School wrote to Stuff on behalf of his peers saying they had been made to feel uncomfortable by teachers “hiding in toilet cubicles”.
He said the bathroom block which teachers had been staking out had become deserted because students did not want to use it.
Communication and Engagement – Part 2
When developing new policy
KUALA LUMPUR: Four industry associations from the domestic vape industry submitted a memorandum today to urge the government to consider the future of Malaysia’s vape industry when developing regulations.
This is following the Ministry of Health’s (MoH) plan to introduce a new policy which will be tabled in the Parliament session in July 2022.
The four associations, namely the Malaysia Retail Electronic Cigarette Association (MRECA), Malaysian Vape Chamber of Commerce (MVCC), Malay Vape Traders Association (PPVM) and the Malaysian E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) represent more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and businesses and 15,000 employees from the manufacturing, distribution and retail sectors in the domestic vape industry.
But retailers had better watch out – Aidan Semmens
Trust a politician to come up with a memorable soundbite, a catchy slogan or a simple statement that leaps out at you from the headlines. Top prize this week to Malaysia’s health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, the man tasked with (or at least fronting) the drafting of a proposed Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill.
His bill, previously scheduled to be tabled in Parliament by the end of March and now expected to be ready for debate later this month, has already grabbed international attention with its innovative idea of banning the sale of all nicotine-containing products to anyone born in or after 2005.
A look back at how things have moved on or otherwise….
A.O.D. Media Watch
The Daily Telegraph recently reported on a distraught mother whose son had suffered a suspected seizure and stopped breathing after vaping nicotine. The mother blamed vaping for her son’s seizure and warned readers that vaping “is dangerous and can be fatal”.
After such a frightening experience, people often seek explanations, but it is extremely unlikely that vaping was the cause of this seizure.
E-cigarettes manufactured by large companies may soon dominate the US vape market while many of those produced by smaller players disappear, new research by ECigIntelligence suggests.Exclusive analysis of submissions to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – seeking permission to continue selling vape products – shows there were many hundreds more applications for the simpler disposable and cigalike devices than for open system hardware.


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Bill Jamieson: Conversion on road to Ayrshire a small mercy to be thankful for
She talked on a visit to her native Ayrshire last week of bold plans to make Scotland a global powerhouse, put the economy centre stage and to oversee a shift to hi-tech industries that will “reshape the future” of the global economy.
What heady perfume she summoned from this Arcadia. What sweet ambrosia she has brought to the furrowed brows of Scotland’s business. What bold vision: a garden in which the garlands of enterprise bloom, the sun of creativity sparkles and the dry wells flow with technology and innovation.
Oh, and as she spoke, pigs flew overhead.
Now there’s not a company in the land that will not cheer the First Minister’s switch of attention. Business lobbies from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to the Federation of Small Business have been urging far greater focus by the SNP on the economy for years.
But it is going to take much more than a speech – and even a reconfigured programme for government this week. We lack for nothing in lofty aspiration, growth agendas and over-arching strategies. The floorboards of St Andrew’s House groan under their weight. What is glaringly absent has been action to back up the words.
Scotland’s spending priorities do not look as fully aligned to the ambitions of hi-tech growth as they should. Government spending on enterprise and economic development at £1.04 billion represents just 1.5 per cent of Scotland’s total budget, a figure dwarfed by spending on social protection.
If Scotland is to achieve anything like break-out from the marked underperformance relative to the UK since the financial crisis and equip the economy for the future, then we must shift spending priorities.
Here the First Minister has made an encouraging step – but it is tiny: an additional £45 million to boost Scottish business R&D. To put this in context, it equates to just 0.06 per cent of total Scottish Government spending.
Now to be fair, “boosting investment” is much more than extra cash for R&D. Business investment includes transport equipment, information and communication technology (ICT) equipment, other machinery and equipment, cultivated assets, intellectual property products and other buildings and structures. Business investment in Scotland totalled £11.3 billion last year, or six per cent of the UK total and was down eight per cent on 2015 – the first fall since 2010. In contrast, UK business investment continues to grow, albeit at a modest pace.
As for our business universe, we are indebted to Alison O’Connor of the Scottish Parliament Information Centre for an awesome 60-page analysis of Scotland’s Business Base just released at the weekend. This reveals that Scotland’s business count has been on an upwards trend since 2000 and is now at its second highest level since then – though the growth still lags the UK. There were 350,410 private sector businesses in Scotland last year, or 6.4 per cent of the UK total. And the gap between Scotland’s business base growth rates relative to the UK is now the widest it has been since the data series began.
What is holding back business growth? Regulations and red tape were the most commonly cited obstacles to business success, with 45 per cent of SMEs reporting this as the key issue. Other challenges highlighted were “competition in the market” (42 per cent) and taxation, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance and business rates (38 per cent). Only one in five businesses cited the UK’s exit from the EU as an obstacle.
Business morale has clearly not been helped by years of constitutional politics that have dominated attention at Holyrood and the uncertainty prolonged by demands for a second referendum. A shift away from this obsession towards the economy and growth is at least an encouraging starting point.
Optimism, orders, exports and jobs defy the doom-mongers
For some weeks I have been highlighting the more encouraging economic news amid the continued wailing over the “ongoing Brexit disaster”.
Several new positive pointers came in the past week. Scottish engineering firms reported a fourth consecutive quarter of growth. Low borrowing costs and the fall in the pound have helped raise orders and exports. The quarterly survey by the Scottish Engineering industry group shows 44 per cent of firms saw a rise in UK orders over the past three months, with 26 per cent down. Exports were up for 39 per cent of companies, and down for 25 per cent. Asked if their business outlook is optimistic, managers at 36 per cent of firms said they were, with 11 per cent being pessimistic.
Across the UK, growth in manufacturing accelerated last month, with output, orders and employment all picking up. The Market/CIPS purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey found that production increased at the fastest pace for seven months in August, helped by a pick-up in new orders. Rob Dobson from Markit said the sector continued to make “solid progress”. He added that manufacturing should help to support growth in the economy during the third quarter. Meanwhile, the rate of job creation in the manufacturing sector rose at the fastest pace for 13 months.
And the latest CBI quarterly service sector survey showed that business and professional services firms reported business volumes growing at the fastest rate since May 2016, while consumer services companies – which include hotels, bars, restaurants, travel and leisure – saw volumes rise at a similar pace to the last quarter. Business volumes are expected to accelerate in consumer services over the next quarter while business and professional services expect to see stable growth.
Finally, the Bank of England reports consumer credit growth has moderated while business lending has picked up, with a 4.2 per cent increase in borrowing by non-financial companies, the fastest since the financial crisis.
I do hope someone will pass this on to Mike Russell, Scotland’s Minister for Brexit and Disaster Girning.
◆ In last week’s column on GERS I attributed the work of the Budget Process Review Group to Audit Scotland. In fact the work was led by Scottish Parliament officials and the hard working clerks of the Finance Committee in particular. My apologies for this, and a bouquet to the aforementioned clerks.


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Publix debuted a full-service catering department this week in two markets in Florida.
The Publix Aprons Event Planning Catering program offers shoppers customized menus, on-site meal preparation, venue coordination and serving staff for parties and events.
The Lakeland-based grocer has offered event planning catering services since 2001 on a limited basis, but recently combined the program with its Publix Aprons Cooking School.
Menus range based on party size and how formal or casual the event may be. Prices range too, but the most basic buffet-styled meal starts at approximately $60 per person.
The service is being offered in only two Florida markets at the current time – in Plantation and Jacksonville. It is unclear when the service will be expanded into other areas, like Southwest Florida.
Costco Wholesale is eliminating its self-checkout counters, according to an article in Bloomberg Businessweek.
Self-serve checkout counters have grown at retail chains in recent years. Walmart added 10,000 self-checkout lanes to stores nationwide in 2012. Walmart has also been testing iPhone app checkout capabilities lately.
The machines are often appealing to companies because they’re cheaper to maintain and use than paying an additional employee an hourly wage.
Much like Publix, which does not use self-checkout stations, Costco is known for having happy employees and providing an above average workplace environment.
Photo by Rod Millington, Herald-Tribune staff.
Twinkies, the cream-filled packaged treats originally made by Hostess Brands, will return to Publix stores in Florida this week, according to the Tampa Tribune.
The dessert-like treat disappeared from grocery and convenience stores everywhere last year when its parent company filed for bankruptcy. Publix spokesman, Brian West, told the Tampa Tribune that Publix grocery stores expect to start selling other Hostess brand products, like Cup Cakes, Ho Hos and Ding Dongs, this summer.
Hostess Brands sold its tasty treat brands to two investment firms, Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Company, in a deal worth $410 million earlier this year.
A Sarasota private-equity firm was once in the running for buying out the brand. The Hurst brothers, both 26, said in January they had a management team in place to acquire Twinkies that included a significant law firm and financial backers.
Photo by Mark Lennihan, AP.
Online retailer Amazon.com is planning to expand an online grocery business which allows shoppers to order fresh food and other necessities from a computer, tablet or smartphone and have it delivered directly to their homes.
Amazon is one of the first online retailers to expand its footprint into the grocery sector – one of the largest retail sectors that has remained relatively unchanged by the aggressively growing online market.
The program, called AmazonFresh, has been in development for years and recently tested in the Seattle market. AmazonFresh provides Seattle residents with fresh fruit, produce and meet with its own fleet of trucks. The program is set to expand into the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets later this year and as many as 20 other urban markets in 2014.
Unlike other grocers like Lakeland-based Publix, which has tested online ordering and curbside pick up programs in the past, Amazon has the potential to outperform its brick & mortar competitors by delivering other items, like electronics, at the same time.
Would you use an online grocery service? Vote in our poll here.
Photo by Joe Nicholson, AP.
Watch the video blog below to hear an update about Southwest Florida developers and properties at the International Council of Shopping Centers Recon convention on Tuesday, May 21.
A video interview with Ron Wheeler, CEO of The Sembler Company, a real estate development firm based in St. Petersburg. Sembler is currently redeveloping the Publix shopping center in Nokomis.
For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at firstname.lastname@example.org. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.
Publix SuperMarkets Inc. has come up with a new way for shoppers to save money.
The Coupon Savings Helper, an online program that launched in late April, matches coupons from money saving websites like SmartSource and Red Plum automatically with the weekly Publix circular ad that are issued in print every Sunday.
“All shoppers have to do is log in (at publix.com/coupon/CouponHelper) and type in which stores they use in their hometown, and the Publix website will do the rest,” said Brian West, Publix spokesman.
Shoppers can select the sales items or coupons that interest them from any three sources and print it as one easily organized shopping list.
The Lakeland-based grocer has made aggressive steps to improve online programs in the last year. Publix launched a digital coupon-clipping program in late 2012, which is now available at stores nationwide. The grocer also debuted an online deli sandwich ordering program, where shoppers can order their favorite sub sandwich online and pick it up in stores without the wait last year.
Publix’s Twitter account went live in February after a long period of inactivity. The company created a new sub sandwich in January through a Facebook campaign that encouraged shoppers to design their favorite sub.
Photo by Dan Wagner, Herald-Tribune staff.
Publix is building a new 45,000-square-foot store from the ground up in a plaza at Lockwood Ridge Road and State Road 70.
The new store, which will offer a traditional Publix look and feel is expected to open by the end of the year, said Publix spokesman Brian West. The new grocery store will open inside the Lockwood Commons plaza, a Benderson Development-owned shopping center at 4505 53rd Ave. E in East Manatee County.
“There is nothing unique about this Publix compared to others in the area,” West said.
Other national chain tenants coming to the plaza are Subway and Hair Cuttery, said Mark Chait, executive director of leasing for Benderson.
Publix opened a unique 49,000-square-foot store at 525 Bay Isles Parkway on Longboat Key in December, which features more elegant fixtures than are found in more traditional stores, officials with the Lakeland-based chain said. Publix will open another brand new grocery store in the Nokomis area at Laurel and Pinebrook roads this year, but the opening date is expected to be sometime in late summer or early fall, confirmed Shannon Patten, Publix spokeswoman.
We’ve all seen the ads – an unsuspecting couple or mom is given a quick tour of a Walmart Supercenter and the surprise on their faces when they see the low prices at the checkout cashier.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is rolling out even more of those low price guarantee ads in more local markets this year, according to AdvertisingAge.com. The retailer will have television ad campaigns that compare their prices to other local competitors in 60 different markets this year, which is up from the 50 markets they reached in 2012. That’s more than 1,500 television ads in 2013.
Some local retailers, like Lakeland-based Publix SuperMarkets Inc., aren’t playing nice anymore either. A Publix billboard was spotted on Interstate 275 in Tampa that read “Here’s the scoop: Walmart doesn’t always have the lowest price.” The bright blue sign has also been spotted in Sarasota area Publix stores, too.
Where do you find the cheapest prices: Publix or Walmart? Tell us by voting in our poll here.
The Asian barbeque sub is the latest sub creation to come from Publix’s deli department. The new sandwich is made up of slow-roasted pork drizzled in a sweet chili BBQ sauce on a Publix Bakery sub roll, topped with crisp, sliced vegetables and fresh cilantro. It is available at all Southwest Florida area Publix locations.
In our reader’s poll from January, more than 40 percent of Sarasota area Publix shoppers said that their favorite Publix sub sandwich was the Publix Ultimate. Would the new Asian barbecue sub top that? Vote in our new poll here.
Nokomis residents will soon be in supermarket limbo when the Publix store at 1091 N. Tamiami Trail, closes on March 30 for renovations.
Publix will open a brand new grocery store in the Nokomis area at Laurel and Pinebrook roads, but the opening date is expected to be sometime in late summer or early fall, confirmed Shannon Patten, Publix spokeswoman. All Publix employees from the 1091 Tamiami Trail store will transfer to surrounding Publix locations while the store is closed, she said.
The plan is to tear down the Tamiami Trail location and build a brand new 45,000-square-foot store from the ground up.
“Nokomis customers deserve a beautiful new Publix and we look forward to having that store open by the end of the year,” Patten said. “Once the new store is open, our associates will be able to transfer back to their original store, so our customers will see many familiar faces when they shop there.”
The next nearest open Publix location are three miles away in the Venice Commons plaza at 1445 E Venice Ave., or in the Venice Shopping Center at 535 South Tamiami Trail, both in Venice.
The nearest Sweetbay Supermarket is at 1254 Jacaranda Boulevard and 458 Venice By-Pass in Venice.
See a map of the grocery options in the area here:
View Nokomis area grocery stores in a larger map