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This Dad Turned His 3-Year-Old into Wonder Woman for Halloween—and the Results Are Epic
We're calling it: This dad has won Father of the Year!
Courtesy Josh Rossi
When Josh Rossi’s daughter Nellee wanted to dress up as Wonder Woman for Halloween, the photographer behind the stunning Beauty and the Beast photos that also star his three-year-old decided to take a stab (pun intended) at the Wonder Woman franchise, too.
Picking up a costume from a store is just too blasé for this rockstar dad. Instead, Rossi went above and beyond for his little girl by hand-making a $1,500 replica of the superhero’s costume.
Courtesy Josh Rossi
Talk about empowering costumes for girls… Wonder Woman is exactly what the world needs more of right now (and these are the tweets to prove it!). The latest movie featuring our fave fierce female super-SHE-ro sure did pack a punch, raking in $103.1 million from box offices worldwide opening weekend and beating out all recent male superhero blockbusters, including Iron Man ($98.6 million), Man of Steel ($116.6 million), and Thor ($65.7 million), according to Variety.
Courtesy Josh Rossi“Because Nellee loves aggressive characters and is obsessed with Wonder Woman, I decided to go all out with it,” Rossi told People.com. “I started working on her costume on September 1, thinking, ‘This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime outfit—something that she’ll never forget.’”
And that was just the beginning.
Courtesy Josh RossiThe professional photographer and digital artist then organized a day-long photo shoot for Nellee to re-enact some of her favorite action scenes. Nellee’s mom even helped her imitate Wonder Woman’s facial expressions, and five people lifted her into the air for the flying shots. Afterward, Rossi edited the images with Photoshop, creating almost perfect replicas of the actual movie.
“Once the helpers were Photoshopped out of the pictures, we were left with a three-year-old channeling her inner superhero,” Rossi said. “It’s been a kick to see how much she loves running through the house as Wonder Woman.”
But the photos meant a lot more to the dad than an expensive costume and a few cool images.
Courtesy Josh Rossi“I wanted to showcase my daughter as a powerful character, instead of with a photo shoot where it’s about her looks or how cute she is,” Rossi said. “I want her to grow up knowing that there is more to life than beauty.”
Now that she’s lived out everyone’s childhood superhero fantasy, Nellee has grown attached to the new addition to her wardrobe.
“She insists on wearing it from sunup to sundown, everywhere we go,” Rossi said. “I suppose that’s what I get for coming up with the idea. My wife certainly hasn’t let me forget it.”
And we certainly won’t, either.


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Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick warned Sony that his company is considering to drop support for the PS3 and PSP consoles due to high development costs and disappointing sales of the PS3.
It is not a very subtle hint, although Mr Kotick says his company paid $500 million to Sony in royalties and other goods last year, which “probably still worked out at 400 per cent of the profit they made”. Actually, Sony's games division lost $597 million last year, and Mr Kotick seems to think it may have to risk more losses if the £299.99 PlayStation 3 is to develop.
“They have to cut the price, because if they don't, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.” Ask when and he says: “When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too.” Sounds like Sir Howard Stringer, Sony's chief executive, is going to have to call Mr Kotick pretty fast.

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Australian beverage manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil has become the latest Australian corporate to make a commitment to sourcing all of its energy from renewable energy sources, announcing it will make the switch to 100 per cent renewables by 2025.
The drinks company made a flurry of new sustainability announcements on Tuesday, including a goal of reaching zero net emissions by 2040, following a concerted campaign from environmental groups.
Coca-Cola Amatil is the local producer of a number of high profile drinks brands, including Coca Cola, Sprite, Monster energy drinks, and is the distributor of a wide range of alcoholic beverages.
The company has already committed to the installation of 3.5MW of rooftop solar to be installed across three of its locations. The company said the onsite solar would save the company $1.3 million in energy costs each year.
The latest announcement is part of a number of new sustainability targets set by Coca-Cola Amatil, which also included a commitment to maintaining ‘net zero water’ operations, where the company oversees more water being returned to the environment than is used in its drinks production.
“Amatil is committed to maintaining a leadership role in sustainability and we firmly believe that creating value for society is consistent with the delivery of value to shareholders,” managing director of Coca-Cola Amatil Alison Watkins said.
“We’re proud of Amatil’s sustainability achievements to date, and this bold new set of sustainability ambitions will challenge us even further to deliver more positive outcomes over the next critically important twenty years.”
“We’ve made solid progress against our 2020 Sustainability Goals, and through this process and extensive engagement with our many stakeholders, we’ve developed a set of ambitions that have been prioritised based on stakeholder expectations and where Amatil can make the greatest difference,” Watkins added.
Greenpeace Australia welcomed the commitments, with the environmental group having directly advocated for Coca-Cola Amatil to adopt the targets, saying it was a step in the right direction for the company.
“Greenpeace is the last organisation you’d expect to find cheering on an announcement from Coca-Cola Amatil. But in this instance we think they’re doing the right thing by switching to 100% renewables, and committing to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040,” Greenpeace’s REenergise campaign director Lindsay Soutar said.
“Coca-Cola Amatil is one of Australia’s major energy users. Coke committing to 100% renewable electricity will reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and put pressure on other major businesses to make the switch.”
The environmental group said the commitment from Coca-Cola Amatil was further evidence that Australian manufacturers were getting on with seizing the benefits of renewables, even as the federal government lags.
“As our Federal leaders dither over an inadequate net-zero by 2050 emissions reduction target, they’re being out-run by Australian businesses who are rapidly transitioning to renewable energy, and setting net zero goals for ten years earlier. When even Coca-Cola’s doing more for the environment than our government is, it shows it’s time for Australia to up its climate ambition,” Soutar added.
The company will make a significant initial cut to its emissions by sourcing all of its electricity use from renewable energy sources and said that it has committed to reducing the company’s other emissions in line with a ‘science based’ target of reducing emissions by 25 per cent by 2030.
Coca-Cola Amatil joins a growing number of Australian companies that have made commitments to switching to 100 per cent renewable electricity, including Woolworths, Telstra, IKEA and each of Australia’s big four banks.
Coca-Cola’s European group has also already made a transition to 100 per cent renewable electricity, a goal it achieved in 2020.


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LG has filed a patent for a flip phone with two touchscreens: one in place of the standard display, and another in place of the keypad.
The patent says the touchscreens can work separately or together. This allows for some interesting possibilities.
For example, the image included in the patent shows a soccer ball in the phone’s lower display, and a goalie in the top display. In this case, the bottom display acts somewhat like a joy stick, while the top display is like a monitor.
Elements will even be moveable between displays. And the touchscreens on this phone will be operable by finger or by stylus, according to the patent image, shown below.
Another similar LG patent shows a user interface that is totally dynamic.
“It can have a set of predefined actions associated with concrete events, like reception of new message, calendar alarm or low battery indication,” said Unwired View, the site that revealed the patent. “This can actually become a new revenue stream for creative types and mobile operators, with us buying personalized interfaces complete with sounds and animation, instead of ringtones and wallpapers.”
This technology sounds promising. Probably something Apple will want to keep a close eye on.
These latest LG patents are good examples of how competition fosters technological progress. That’s not to say that LG was inspired by the iPhone. In fact, the patent for LG’s Prada touchscreen phone was filed in 2006, before the Apple iPhone was even unveiled.


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Fastest-Growing Food Chain in Missouri & Illinois? It’s Chicken
The past few years have been challenging for restaurants, but there are several chains that seem to be flourishing. When it comes to Missouri and Illinois, one of the fastest-growing joints is full of chicken and specifically chicken fingers.
I will admit that I don't get out and about as much as most people, but I have never heard of this place. The topic came up when 24/7 Wall St listed the number of locations of what has been described as the fastest-growing chicken places in America. It's Raising Cane's. Their specialty is chicken fingers and they sell lots and lots of them.
How many Raising Cane's are in Missouri and Illinois?
There are 29 in Illinois and 21 in Missouri.
According to the report, the majority are clustered in the Chicago and St. Louis area and very few are in lower population areas away from the metros. That's understandable and the likely reason why people like me have never heard of them.
Investopedia says that Raising Cane's is the 6th fastest-growing food chain in America which is surprising. They say this:
It's the fastest growing chain focused on chicken, with sales growth of 22.5% with almost 500 locations.
They started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996 and have expanded quickly ever since.
Next time you're in the big cities like St. Louis and/or Chicago, keep an eye open for the red chicken fingers sign and know you're seeing one of the fastest expanding chains in the country.
Fast Food Employees Say to Avoid Eating These Items
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins


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Mamelodi Sundowns have joined forces with Red Bull as their official beverage partner. A partnership made possible by Roc Nation Sports International. The announcement was made on social media with a few players from the women’s side flagged by a few players from the men’s team on Thursday, 31 August 2023.
The announcement on the website states that the two iconic brands coming together will stay true to their motto of “The Sky is the Limit” merging with “Reb Bull Gives You Wings” and they hope to give wings to the players, fans, and the teams at Chloorkop.
Sundowns has enjoyed massive success in the past few years. They Ladies side has four titles in the local league amassing four titles. They’ve won the inaugural 2021 CAF Women’s Champions League. In February 2023, the Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies were named the Best Women’s Club in Africa by the International Federation of Football and Statistics (IFFHS) for 2022.
Banyan Ba Style are currently participating at the CAF Women’s Champions League as they compete in the COSAFA Qualifiers eThekwini and Sundowns Chairman Tlhopie Motsepe spoke about the importance of bringing a global brand to the club.
“Everyone at Mamelodi Sundowns is proud that a globally recognised brand such as Red Bull has chosen to collaborate with our football club. This partnership highlights the growing attention that African football, our athletes, and our supporters are attracting from the rest of the world.
“By simply looking at our mottos, ‘Red Bull Gives You Wings’ and ‘The Sky is the Limit’, one can see that the values of both organisations are rooted in uplifting people and inspiring others. We look forward to exciting our supporters as we take both organisations to new heights.”
Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation Sports International, said it was a wonderful moment to see this partnership come to fruition.
“We know Mamelodi Sundowns is one of the most successful, ambitious and dynamic football clubs, while Red Bull is renowned for ‘giving wings’ to people and their ideas, and that they have a product that vitalises body and mind. It’s this brand alignment and shared ambition that we recognised would be an ideal fit for all parties involved.”


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If you thought your parents or grandparents lived through an era of rapid technological change, wait till you see what’s coming your way in the next decade. Experts say the tech revolution is just getting started.
“It’s a whole different kind of world that’s waiting for us,” says Dr. James Canton, CEO of the Institute of Global Futures, a San Francisco-based think tank that forecasts technology innovations and trends.
As we welcome new technologies and new products into our lives, we’ll also be saying goodbye to some things that have long been part of our day-to-day existence. Here’s a list of items that Canton and other experts consulted by NBC News MACH say are likely to go the way of typewriters and cassette tapes.
Metal locks and keys have been the mainstay of home security since ancient Roman times. But not for much longer, Canton says. Newer, more secure security systems will use a fingerprint, the iris of your eye, or your DNA.
Biometric security is already used in corporate and government settings. Within the next five years, they’ll be widely used to lock our cars and homes, rendering those jangly metal keys largely a relic of our pre-technological past. Even that snazzy electronic fob that lets you start your car while it’s tucked in your pocket will be obsolete.
Forget about digging change out of your pockets or watching the clock so you can feed the meter in time. Cars of the future will communicate directly with your parking spot and charge you accordingly, Marianne Johnson, senior vice president of product and innovation at the e-commerce technology company First Data, told NBC News MACH in an email.
So long to the invention that introduced Americans to the idea of paying for parking more than 80 years ago.
“Payments will be embedded into cars as they become more connected with the things around us, making it a seamless experience for drivers,” Johnson says, adding that Ford and other automakers are already developing this type of technology.
Money isn’t going anywhere, that’s for sure. “But its physical version is certainly under threat,” says Dr. Carlo Ratti, director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Expect coins and paper notes to be replaced by newer forms of money within the next decade, he says.
Apple Pay is only the beginning. Credit cards and online banking have already led Sweden to phase out cash nearly entirely. Other mobile payment tools make it easier than ever to make purchases with just a few taps on a smartphone. In China, more than half the users of the messaging service WeChat have their bankcards linked to their accounts, which means that the mobile app can be used to buy everything from taxi rides to dumplings to vacations, The Economist reported last year.
In the U.S., the popularity and convenience of mobile payments, e-commerce, and credit card transactions will be the main forces that drive cash out of use, Ratti says. And in the slightly more distant future, he says, don’t underestimate the potential of digital currencies like Bitcoin. Wall Street and Bitcoin's millions of users certainly haven’t.
ATMs and Banks
In our cashless future, the now-ubiquitous ATM machine will seem as anachronistic as payphones and jukeboxes. Virtual banking is our future, and it’s coming fast, says Dr. Ayanna Howard, a Georgia Institute of Technology bioengineering professor whose research focuses on human-robot interactions and human augmentation.
Direct deposit, making payments or transferring money online, and mobile pay apps like Venmo are more convenient than going to an ATM. Once cash goes away, Howard says, the automated teller machine — a bastion of modern banking since the 1970s — will have no real purpose. Howard predicts that brick-and-mortar banks will eventually disappear as virtual banking substitutes get better and better.
You watched as they shrank and flattened into laptops, and soon desktop computers as we know them will disappear, says Scott Shadley, a technologist at the semiconductor technology company Micron Technology. One reason: the hard drives that have been a primary memory storage technology for desktops are giving way to flash storage, which is far more compact.
Within the next decade, Shadley predicts, laptops and tablets will be able to do everything we’ve long depended on desktops for.
In the future, you won’t need a clunky TV to watch a movie. And by “clunky,” we mean that sleek, ultra-thin plasma screen that now hangs on your wall like a picture frame. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology will make for vastly more interesting viewing experiences than looking at a flat screen — and all you’ll need is a pair of special glasses or contact lenses, says Marcus Shingles, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, the Culver City, California-based non-profit that sponsors science and technology competitions.
This technology exists today, though it’s still too cumbersome and costly to pose a real threat to television. But 10 years from now, AR and VR are going to be everywhere, Shingles says. Apple and other tech giants are investing big dollars in developing this product category.
Get ready for even more seamless communication. In the not-too-distant future, we’ll speak to our devices, and they’ll connect us with the people we want to talk to, says Jeremy Ashley, a vice president at Oracle, the Redwood Shores, California-based tech company. And we’re not just talking about Siri being able to dial a friend.
Depending on our proximity and the settings we decide on, our devices will figure out the best way to contact whomever we want to get in touch with — whether it’s via video or audio call. We won’t need telephones because communications capabilities will be built into all the other devices we use — our cars, our computers, and our home entertainment systems, Ashley says.
“The concepts of assigned phone numbers or email addresses are compromises we made with the mechanical system,” Ashley explains. “In the future, these systems won’t require people to learn an extra artificial layer in order to communicate. The telephone as we know it — built around the system of a set number and connection — will cease.”


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The Smart brand has become popular in the U.S. in regards to its ForTwo, but markets elsewhere have viewed various other models beginning from popular names like Daimler as well as the Smart ForFour which was manufactured in between 2004 to 2006. The vehicle by Smart is now bigger with two more doors added, one rear seating facility now providing more passenger room. Spy photos have already been viewed for the upcoming ForTwo and what has been realized is that they have increased the wheelbase and the company is working hard in order to develop a futuristic ForFour too.It is to be noted that the old ForFour was a collaborated model of Mitsubishi and Daimler; the upcoming model would be a collaboration of Nissan, Daimler and Renault. During the tenure of Penske, an announcement was made stating that the B-Segment car would eventually be similar to that of Nissan Micra (scrapped later on), but this car is now going to be launched on a newer stage which seems to finally be the foundation of Renault Twingo. However just like the present and futuristic ForTwo, the upcoming 2015 ForFour would be a rear-engine/rear-wheel-drive car.
As of now there is nothing much known about the type of engine which would be used for the Smart ForFour, but can definitely assure you that it would definitely have the design and styling like its previous Smart cars namely ForVision, For-US and ForStars. The upcoming ForTwo would be up for grabs in 2014 and the bigger ForFour would likely be launched a year after.


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Syncron today announced that its co-founder and vice president of strategic accounts, Tony Aboulozof, will deliver a keynote presentation entitled “The Transition to Mobility – Service as a Strategic Imperative” at Accenture Exchange within Expo 2020 Dubai on March 8, 2022.
Selected for his depth of expertise around aftermarket operations globally, Tony for the past several years has been focusing specifically on concerns of manufacturers and distributors in the Middle East. During the keynote, Abouzolof will share how Middle East manufacturers are well-positioned to leverage technology to create more resilient, competitive, and profitable businesses by offering differentiated aftermarket customer experiences.
To meet growing consumer and market demands, automobile manufacturers are evolving from the business of simply making and selling vehicles to providing services that exceed customer expectations and future proof their business. Through its deep expertise and industry-leading, cloud-based solutions, Syncron serves as a partner to the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors as they transition to service-driven business models and provide customers with exceptional aftermarket service delivery.
“We’re excited about the continued uptake of Syncron technology in the Middle East and are committed to partnering with leaders like Accenture to accelerate automotive innovation in the region. With both the automobile industry and the UAE at the forefront of innovation that’s transforming the way the world approaches mobility, this is an especially exciting platform to share how manufacturers and their dealers can get ahead of customer expectations and their competition,” said Tony Abouzolof, Syncron.
Located in the Partners Hub at Expo 2020 Dubai, the Accenture Exchange is an immersive environment that showcases Accenture’s innovative technology demos in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud, quantum computing, machine learning, and emerging technology. The space gives Accenture clients and partners access to special events, demos, talent experiences, workshops, live streams, collaboration opportunities, and partner showcases.
The in-person only keynote presentation will take place at 10:40 a.m., UAE time, on March 8 in the Accenture Exchange at Expo 2020 Dubai. For those in other locations and/or who cannot attend the event, please reach out to firstname.lastname@example.org to request a recording of this keynote session.
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Worldline has announced that it has launched a pilot project with Postbank for a new mobile payment method. Under the new scheme, which reduces complexity for banks and their customers ...
Russian petrol retailer EKA have said that they are to migrate their existing payment cards to Gemalto’s Optelio PURE contactless solution. The company said that the new private label cards will ‘bring a robust defense against fraud and enhanced convenience for the end users’. The cards are being deployed from April 2015 and are fitted […]
USA Technologies, Inc., a company working in the cashless payment and M2M/IoT solutions for small-ticket and self-serve retailing markets, have signed an exclusive market agreement with M&M Sales Company, a Canteen franchise with locations in Lafayette, Houma and the Lake Charles area of Louisiana. Through the agreement, USAT would connect 100% of all of M&M’s […]
Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne, in association with Natixis Payment Solutions and Oberthur Technologies (OT), a world leader in digital security solutions, announce the pilot of the first payment card integrating Motion Code™, OT’s dynamic cryptogram solution. This world-first replaces the three-figure security code on the back of the card with a ‘mini-screen’ displaying a […]
Proxama PLC, the international mobile commerce company specialising in proximity marketing and provider of end-to-end payment solutions for card issuers, proudly announces that Navy Federal Credit Union, the world’s largest credit union, has selected Proxama’s Payment Application Manager as part of their solution to migrate their portfolio of approximately four million debit cards to the […]
ams AG, a provider of high performance sensors and analog ICs, have launched the AS3955, an NFC interface chip (NFiC™) which offers unique energy harvesting and data transfer capabilities. Like its predecessor the AS3953, the AS3955 provides a contactless bridge between an NFC reader (for instance, a smartphone or tablet) and any microcontroller. But the […]
More of the internet’s top merchants will offer Visa Checkout, the online check out service that Visa launched less than a year ago. The newly announced merchants include: Dunkin’ Donuts, Fandango, Sundance Catalog and Williams-Sonoma in the U.S.; Pizza Hut, Ticketek and BONDS in Australia; and Indigo, Roots, Running Room and Simons in Canada. “With […]


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Roland DG Corporation, a leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers and 3D devices worldwide, today announced its Global SE Awards 2018 competition to be held at its Hamamatsu headquarters from 23rd to 25th April 2018, for service engineers (SEs) engaged in the repair and maintenance of Roland DG products. The competition reflects Roland’s firm commitment to providing its customers with the highest levels of service and support possible.
DGSHAPE Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roland DG Corporation and a leading provider of dental milling solutions, has announced the launch of two new 5-axis dental mills: the DWX-52DCi Automatic Disc Changer model, with new DWINDEX software for monitoring return-on-investment and productivity at a glance, and the DWX-52D, the successor model to the industry-standard DWX-51D.
The growth in consumer demand for customised sports equipment and apparel is a key industry trend which presents exciting commercial opportunities for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers alike. To capitalise on this fast-growing demand, Roland DG is exhibiting at ISPO Munich, the leading global trade fair for the sporting goods industry, with in excess of 2,700 exhibitors and 80,000 expected visitors.
Roland DG Corporation has announced the promotion of Gregory Bilsen to the role of President, Roland DG EMEA. Based in Belgium, Gregory assumes the role with immediate effect, whilst continuing to act as President & CEO of Roland DG Central Europe.
The DWX-52DC dry dental mill from DGSHAPE recently received a coveted 2017 WOW! Award from the Journal of Dental Technology (JDT). JDT asked members of the National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) to nominate standout dental products or services that “save time, money and improve the quality of their work” for award consideration. While a large number of products were nominated in this year’s competition, only five – including the DWX-52DC – were selected by the JDT judging panel as 2017 WOW! Award winners.
Roland DG recently showcased their newly-launched VersaUV S-Series UV-LED printer at InPrint in Munich. Visitors were captivated by the S-Series printing logos directly onto footballs – a quirky application intended to visually demonstrate the printer’s ability to image directly onto objects previously considered too high, too heavy or too complex for direct print.
Roland DG is delighted to announce that the latest addition to its advanced and versatile TrueVIS printer/cutter range, the TrueVIS SG Series, has won ‘Best Print & Cut Solution’ at the prestigious EDP (European Digital Press) awards. The success of the SG-540 and SG-300 integrated print & cut devices follows that of the TrueVIS VG Series, which won in the same category in 2016.
Roland DG, a leader in integrated print and cut for 22 years, has proved once again its position in the sign and display market, with superior results in a recent EMEA customer survey. Respondents included customers who have been using Roland devices for many years, as well as recent purchasers, with more than 4000 customers across the region giving their feedback.


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Some things haven’t changed much since E.J. Grove started his own refrigeration business in Alliance in 1935.
The foundation of E.J.’s business model was to provide quality workmanship and products at a fair price with excellent service.
Fast-forward 83 years to 2018. Grove Appliance is one of Stark County’s leading independent appliance, electronics and furniture stores. Grove still operates according to E.J.’s founding business principles.
“To succeed, you have to earn your customers’ trust,” said Dave Mitchell, president of Grove Appliance. “You can only do that by selling quality products at competitive prices. Our focus on service also has helped us.”
Dave joined Grove in 1983. He’s married to Beth (Grove) Mitchell, granddaughter of the late E.J. Grove and daughter of the late Charles Grove, who managed the business until he passed in 2011.
Chas Mitchell — Dave and Beth’s son — represents the fourth generation of the Grove family involved in the business.
Beth is treasurer and Chas is vice president.
It may be a little too early to think about the fifth generation in the family business, but Chas and his wife, Jaclyn — a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Avondale Elementary — are expecting.
Grove sells stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines and dryers. The store also sells TVs, mattresses, furniture, vacuums and more.
Best-selling brands include Frigidaire, GE, Maytag, Speed Queen, Whirlpool and White Dove. The store carries nearly three-dozen brands.
Grove is a member of the Nationwide Buying Group, a multi-billion-dollar co-op that enables the store to purchase appliances and electronics at significant discounts.
“We pass those savings on to our customers,” Dave said.
New Years, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day and Black Friday sales drive significant business for the store.
Grove often sees a boost in business when national appliance and furniture retailers advertise for these popular holidays.
“Many times, our loyal customers think of us first when they see a competitor’s ad,” Dave said. “They bring it in because they prefer dealing with Grove Appliance.”
There’s good reason. Grove scored No. 2 in the nation among independent appliance retailers for name recognition within its community.
But, that doesn’t mean hard work still isn’t necessary.
There’s a lot of competition in the appliance and furniture industries. Grove competes with big-box retailers, online retailers and other independents in Stark County.
“Stark County is a little unusual,” Dave said. “We have quite a few independent stores in this community. Some markets have none.”
While online retailers like Amazon have disrupted certain industries, there will always be a place for stores like Grove in the appliance and furniture industries.
“There will always be a need for hard-working, energetic independents in our industry,” Dave said. “While you can shop for a lot of products online, appliances and furniture are a little tougher. By offering great products, delivery and installation, we truly have an edge.”
Grove’s service department also makes it unique. The store has three service technicians and employs five full-time employees in its service department.
“Service work takes a lot of time and effort,” Dave said. “But we invest in it because we want to be in control of the service our customers receive. We want them to be satisfied with the whole Grove experience.”
People also make a big difference.
“We’re so very fortunate to have the group of employees that we have,” Dave said.
That group includes people like Bob Slutz Jr., the service manager, who’s worked at Grove for 42 years. His father, Bob Sr., worked at the store for 50 years. Salesman Scott Cline has worked at Grove for 30 years.
Grove employees do what they can to ensure all customers leave satisfied.
“Our entire team works hard and is dedicated to doing what we need to do to satisfy everyone who comes through the door,” Dave said.
Between 15 and 20 orders are delivered every day, most within a 25-mile radius of the store — from Alliance to Canton to Carrollton to Deerfield to Lisbon to Lake Milton to Louisville to Minerva to Salem.
Grove is also committed to — and cares about — the community.
“We’re proud of our heritage,” Dave said. “We’re proud to be involved in this community. When you shop at Grove, you’re supporting a tradition of excellence, neighbor to neighbor.”
No one can predict what the future might hold for the furniture and appliance industry, or for retail in general, for that matter.
But, if Grove Appliance continues to build on its Stark County-inspired business fundamentals, it’s not a stretch to imagine the store making customers happy for many generations to come.


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Charlie Sheen 'threatens lawsuit' over topless sushi room
Red top tales: Strip bar forced to pull 'Charlie Sheen Room', The Wanted told to avert eyes from Britney
CHARLIE SHEEN threatened to sue a New York strip club over a VIP room where guests eat sushi off half-naked women for $250. According to the New York Post, the strip club Cheetahs named the room after the troubled actor following his infamous TV outbursts last year. Sheen's lawyers say the club did not have permission to use his name, while the club owner Sam Zherka says he was told the room would be "detrimental" to Sheen's reputation. Zherka points out: "It was a room where you could dine on sushi served on cellophane on the body of one of our entertainers, not where you do crack."
THE WANTED TOLD 'DON'T LOOK AT BRITNEY'
British boyband The Wanted claim they were not allowed to look at Britney Spears when they supported her at a concert in Manchester last year. In an interview on New York radio station Fresh 102.7, the boys said they were told to avert their gaze when the singer left her dressing room. Band member Siva Kaneswaran is quoted on MTV as saying: "[Britney's] bouncers came down with her and told us to face the wall. We turned around and I faced a wall for about 10 seconds until she got really far away." They were, however, given permission later on to have their photo taken with her.
LIVERPOOL FASHION SHOW BANS 'SCOUSE LOOK'
Plans to ban the 'Liverpool look' from the city's own fashion show has sparked outrage among Scouse fashionistas. Organisers said, "There's to be no 'Scouse' look", the Daily Mirror claims, and have vetoed huge hair, bushy brows and enormous eyelashes from the event. The newspaper's fashion and beauty director Amber Morales says: "Take away black eyebrows, massive hair, tanned skin and very, very tight clothes and what have you got? Very pale, very dressed-down girls. Er, hang on, isn't that London Fashion Week?" While Elissa Corrigan, who stars in reality show Desperate Scousewives, said: "Banning the Scouse look at Liverpool Fashion Week is like having the Beatles without John Lennon."
TAIWANESE PLANES COVERED IN HELLO KITTY
A Taiwanese airline has decked out three of its planes with Hello Kitty motifs in a bid to boost the country's struggling tourism industry. The iconic cartoon cat can be seen daubed across the side of Eva Airlines planes and is featured on everything from the boarding cards and headrest covers to the crew uniforms. Eva has teamed up with Japan's comic company Sanrio, which owns the Hello Kitty brand, reports the Daily Mail. The white bobtail cat, who is said to have been "born in the suburbs of London" and "weighs three apples", can even be seen on the food, tissues, soap dispensers and utensils.
MAN SUES BMW FOR 20-MONTH ERECTION
A Californian man is suing BMW, claiming that a four-hour motorcycle ride has given him a persistent erection lasting for 20 months. According to the Metro there have been previous concerns that the bike in question's "narrow banana" seats could cause a loss of feeling in the rider's genitals but the newspaper points out that "this ride seems to have caused the exact opposite effect". Henry Wolf is suing BMW and seat-manufacturer Corbin-Pacific for lost wages, medical expenses, emotional distress and 'general damage'. But as one reader comments: "Will it stand up in court?"


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EXCLUSIVE – PFM platform MoneyLion now has 2 million customers on its app. That number is a milestone for the fintech that launched a little over four years ago.
Back in November, Bank Innovation reported that the New York-based personal finance app’s user base was 1.5 million, which implies about 33% growth within three months. In terms of revenues, the company told Bank Innovation in an email today that it has experienced 178% compounded revenue growth since 2015, although it would not reveal the actual amount.
Indeed, MoneyLion, whose target audience is middle-class Americans, has kept active to attract more users to its platform. Most recently, the company completed a $42 million Series B funding last month. Prior to that, it launched a new investment product called MoneyLion Plus, which helps its users building an average savings of $2,000 over two years. Read more about MoneyLion Plus here.
Aside from the user milestone, MoneyLion also revealed that its mobile app has been linked to more than 1.2 million bank accounts across the country; and over 500,000 users are currently enrolled in its free credit monitoring program.
In a statement emailed to Bank Innovation from the company’s media department, MoneyLion CEO and co-founder, Diwakar Choubey, said:
This important growth milestone is a tribute to our customer-centric approach and our focus on enabling the financial middle class to reach their goals, both today and in the future. We look forward to introducing more offerings in 2018 that help broaden access to better financial products and services.
To learn more about PFM apps and other fintechs, join us on March 5-6, 2018 at the Parc 55 in San Francisco for Bank Innovation 2018. Click here to register.


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Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 02, 2015
Grubbs Nissan invites football fans to stop by the store on November 13 through 16 to admire and take pictures with the real Heisman Trophy. This is an incredible opportunity to see the most sought after award in American sports up close and personal.
As a premier partner of the Heisman Trophy, Nissan is proud to display the trophy to fans across the country at its top dealerships. Mehdi Daruwala, general manager, said, “Much like the Heisman Trophy, Nissan takes pride in representing the best in the game. Grubbs Nissan is honored to be affiliated with Nissan and the Heisman Trophy.
“We hope that you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to come see a true American icon at Grubbs Nissan,” said Daruwala.
For more information visit Grubbs Nissan at 310 Airport Freeway in Bedford, TX or online GrubbsNissan.com.


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What you need to know
- Apple released a statement addressing Google's blog about iOS exploits.
- In the message, it reaffirmed customers that it keeps their security as a high priority.
- It also dispelled some false information that came of Google's blog.
Concerns about iOS security have been swirling since Google published a blog that outlined some vulnerabilities it discovered within iOS. Apple fixed these back in February, but that didn't stop the concerns. To reaffirm customers, Apple released a special message outlining exactly what took place with the vulnerabilities while dispelling false information regarding the situation.
In a brief summary of Google's blog, it found malicioius websites were accessing user's phones and stealing privata data like messages, location, photos and more.
Apple's response to it was short but to the point. Its first goal was to curb speculation about how wide this vulnerability really was. In reality, it affected less than a dozen websites.
It then went on to correct some false statements made about the website attacks including how long it lasted.
Apple finished the message with a strong statement on security: "Security is a never-ending journey and our customers can be confident we are working for them." It concluded: "We will never stop our tireless work to keep our users safe."
As is the case with most issues regarding Apple, they tend to be overblown. This was no different. You can read the complete statement on Apple's site.
Google responded to the Apple's message in a statement to CNBC saying it stands by its in-depth research and its end goal was to understand security vulnerabilities.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Google statement on Apple response to Project Zero report pic.twitter.com/OmfYEuGjIrGoogle statement on Apple response to Project Zero report pic.twitter.com/OmfYEuGjIr— kif (@kifleswing) September 6, 2019September 6, 2019
With neither Apple nor Google backing down, the situation has turned into a he said, she said situation.
Updated 12:16 pm PT: The post was updated to include Google's response to Apple.
Apple doubles down on 8GB Macs despite calls to increase the base spec ahead of M4 devices
Apple's iOS 17.4 browser choice is under fire, despite increased adoption of third-party alternatives
Google is about to give iPhone owners a privacy and security headache as it prepares to shut down another key service


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French-Chinese private equity firm, Cathay Capital PE has raised $US850 million to fuel international expansion of middle-market companies in China, North America and Europe.
Singapore-based AI-powered data protection company, Dathena says it’s closed a $US12 million Series A funding round, amid the surge in remote working, fueled by coronavirus.
Chinese venture capital fund, Fosun RZ Capital has thrown its support behind electric motor producer, IRP Systems, as the Israeli company raises $US17 million in Series B funding.
Digital wallet provider, Hubpay launches seed funding round, with mobile money flows predicted to accelerate in post COVID-19 economy.
US CultureTech platform, Emtrain raises $US8 million, with the company citing increasing demand as the global pandemic creates new workplace culture challenges.
Startups with scaling ambitions dashed amid plummeting venture capital funding opportunities due to coronavirus, could re-emerge into significant growth opportunities if they can ride out the immediate economic downturn.
Hargol FoodTech secures a $US3 million investment round, as it ramps up its commercial grasshopper farming operation.
Disruptive natural food brand, The Collaborative secures a $US7 million Series A investment from PowerPlant Ventures.


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Fortis: no comment on Lloyds merger
Dutch-Belgian financial group Fortis has declined to comment on a newspaper report that it is in informal talks with the bank, Lloyds TSB, about a merger.
'It's new for me so I can't say anything,' a said a spokesman, adding that he did not know if there had been any contacts at all between the two firms.
According to the report, investment banking sources said that senior officials in both companies were holding informal negotiations. But it added they were still far apart on merger terms, giving no further details.
Last week, Fortis dismissed rumours that its French shareholder Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux planned to sell its 20% stake to Lloyds TSB. The firms were reported to be negotiating a merger deal in January but the talks foundered.
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Can Android apps save Google TV?
Google TV, an ambitious project to bring Google's powerful search tools and targeted advertisement to the television screens of America (and eventually the UK), has been something of a commercial dud.
Logitech's Revue set-top box, the first Google TV device to hit the market just short of one year ago has dropped in price by a whopping 60% to try to spur consumer adoption.
In its first quarter earnings call at the end of July, Logitech said Revue sales were "slightly negative" because customers were returning them in droves. The company said it would endure the financial hit from a lower-priced Revue to "remove price as a barrier to broad customer adoption."
Sony, Google TV's other top-tier partner, has slashed its prices for Google TV equipment too, but has a much rosier outlook on the situation.
Part of the optimism for the platform comes from its nascent ability to run Android apps, and consumer tech companies have been jockeying to get a strong TV-based app ecosystem in place for years.
So it's a big deal that Google this week released a preview of the Google TV add-on for the Android SDK, which will let developers port their Android apps over to Google TV.
With the add-on, developers will be able to set up a Google TV emulator (in Linux with KVM only), and build apps with a "10-foot UI" and D-pad navigation scheme.
"These are still early days for Google TV, and this release is another step in providing developer tools for the big screen. While the number of apps available on TV will initially be small, we expect that through this early release of the add-on you'll be able to bring optimized TV apps into the ecosystem more quickly," Google TV Product Manager Ambarish Kenghe said on Monday.
It's early days for apps on the TV in general. Last month, we found that only 8.9% of TV viewers in the U.S. use apps on their TV even once a week...and when they do it's usually only Netflix.


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The Duchess of Sussex has said she is not signing a “megabucks” deal with Dior to become the face of the famous fashion house.
Meghan and Harry had been linked to the French clothing company over the weekend.
It had been speculated that any deal could be worth up to £15million for the couple.
But last night sources close to the Royals said no contract had been signed.
And Dior itself has reported that it was surprised and confused when the idea of a deal was first floated.
Meghan in head-to-toe Dior at St. Paul’s Cathedral last June
A resurfaced clip from a low-budget crime drama starring the Duchess of Sussex, 41, shows the former actress working her angles in a photoshoot for a perfume ad (pictured)
A source told the Telegraph: ‘The Duchess of Sussex is not in talks to sign a deal with Dior.
“There is no truth to the claims that she will partner with the French fashion house,”
A Dior insider said his team was “baffled as to how the story came to be.”
The denial came after a clip resurfaced from a low-budget crime drama starring the Duchess showed her working her angles in a photoshoot for a perfume advert.
Although a deal to work with them isn’t currently in the works, the couple certainly seem to be big fans of the fashion house.
The Duke of Sussex wore a Christian Dior suit for his father’s coronation
Harry also sported $1,000 Dior ‘Bee’ shirts in recent High Court appearances in London – and also wore Dior to the UN last year.
Harry wears Dior for his father’s coronation of the king, which was later promoted by the fashion house on social media
Meghan wore Dior when she attended the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee last June.
Dressed all in white, she wore a trench coat, skirt and shirt from the Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2022 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri, a white Dior hat by Stephen Jones, Dior gloves and Dior D-Moi shoes. .
She also wore Dior to the Queen’s funeral, Archie’s christening and other major events and royal tours before the Megxit.
Meghan received a major blow from audio giant Spotify last week after it was announced that they would not be renewing her Archetypes podcast for a second season following a ‘mutual’ decision – a move which could see Meghan and Prince Harry lose $10 million.
Meghan Markle wore a white Dior dress for the christening of her firstborn Archie Harrison
The Duke of Sussex leaves the High Court in a $1,000 Dior shirt earlier this year
But there are suggestions that Meghan could soon seek to bring her wellness and lifestyle blog The Tig, in a bid to compete with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop website, which is said to be worth $200 million. pound sterling.
She recently rebranded for the website she launched in 2014 but closed in 2017 after getting engaged to Prince Harry.
Pundits recently claimed that the actress-turned-royal and Prince Harry will not receive full payment for their $20million deal with Spotify for failing to meet the productivity benchmark.
The deal was signed in 2020 but only delivered 13 hours of airtime over two and a half years. It included 12 episodes and a one-time holiday special.
“We knew Spotify’s announcement was coming,” a source told the Mail on Sunday.
Harry wore a navy blue suit and tie over a white shirt, all from Dior by Kim Jones at the UN in July 2022
Meghan Markle arrived at the Royal Air Force 100th Anniversary Celebration wearing a stunning black dress by Dior
Meghan, 40, shook hands with her friend and fellow activist Gloria Steinem as they left the Crosby Hotel after having lunch in July last year. She wore Dior shorts
“It might come as a shock to everyone, but we have been working on rebranding Meghan for weeks.
“Offers are pouring in, including other podcast platforms.”
A Spotify spokesperson said: “Spotify and Archewell Audio have mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we have produced together.”
But Spotify’s head of podcast innovation and monetization, Bill Simmons, called the pair “f***ing grifters” (American for scammers).
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in Dior at the Nelson Mandela centenary launch in 2018
Meghan Markle could become one of the highest paid influencers in the world, receiving up to £200,000 per post
And Netflix is also said to be carrying out an “ongoing review” of its £80m deal with the Sussexes.
Either way, the Duke and Duchess will need to find a stream of income to continue funding their extravagant lifestyle.
Public records in the US show they bought their 16-bathroom Montecito mansion in 2020 for $14.65m (£11.4m) and have a $9.5m mortgage (£7.4m) on it. On top of that there are annual property taxes of $141,403 (£113,000).
Their security costs are also estimated to be around £2million a year, in addition to staff costs, such as nannies, housekeepers, gardeners and travel costs – including private jets.


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U.S. corporate profits are set to decline for the third straight quarter, the longest and broadest slide in earnings since the financial crisis, weighed down by the energy slump and slowing growth around the world.
The U.S. economy stumbled out of the gate in 2016 as consumers and businesses showed renewed signs of caution, underscoring the uneven growth that has been a hallmark of the nearly seven-year expansion, the worst performance in two years.
Comcast Corp. on Thursday said it agreed to buy DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. for about $3.8 billion, a deal that could make the cable giant a rival to Walt Disney Co. in the lucrative family-entertainment business.
The deal that was supposed to bail Energy Future Holdings out of bankruptcy proceedings—the sale of its Oncor transmissions business—could be dead within weeks unless Texas regulators give it a second look.
U.S. Steel is alleging that Chinese government hackers stole proprietary methods for making lightweight steel on behalf of Chinese steel producers seeking to supply a bigger share of the U.S. auto-making market.


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For the next ten days of your game-playing phone downtime, why not help out a good cause? Here's how: 27 major iPhone apps will be participating in Apple's new "Apps for Earth" initiative, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Thanks to lots of hard work from their developers, the apps — which include Candy Crush Soda Saga, Cooking Dash, MapMyRun+, Recolor, and yes, Kendall and Kylie's eponymous game — will all feature exclusive content created to raise awareness on "the core areas of WWF's global efforts, including the conservation of forests, oceans, fresh water and wildlife, food and climate change.
In Kendall and Kylie's app, for example, there's a focus on water conservation and helping save the oceans specifically. While the Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn't a new in-game location for parties per se, you can play out a new challenge and utilize special "water droplets" to gain special eco-conscious clothing and accessories:
"It feels great to know that we're helping spread the message of conservation through our mobile game. I really like all the fun updates we've added, especially the mermaid pants," Kendall explained in a statement to Cosmopolitan.com — and yes, you heard her right, there are mermaid pants. Buy them now! "When Apple and Glu came to Kendall and I with the Apps for Earth opportunity I was really excited," Kylie added. "WWF does some amazing work and it's so cool that we get to be a part of that."
All the proceeds raised from downloads of the apps and related to relevant in-game purchases will benefit the WWF — so it's a really good time to treat yourself to a new pair of blue shoes (or MERMAID PANTS!!!) to show off to your Kendall & Kylie followers, right?!
Follow @Seventeen on Instagram!


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The week that was: The Alibaba IPO, possibly the biggest IPO ever, is finally coming; online recruitment site Zhaopin plans to list on the NYSE; and in a move to boost the local dairy industry, China is clamping down on imports of milk products and baby formula.
Alibaba’s IPO Prospectus Filing
This was arguably the biggest news this week. Chinese e-commerce major Alibaba finally filed its IPO prospectus on 6th May, in what many have called the first step to what could be the biggest IPO ever. Bloomberg reported that “the amount of $1 billion in a U.S. regulatory filing is a placeholder used to calculate registration fees that will change”. It is said that the company is looking at selling about a 12% stake. Experts are speculating that with this IPO Alibaba could raise more than $20 billion, making this the biggest IPO ever in the US. Visa’s IPO offering in 2008, the biggest thus far, was for $19.65 billion while Facebook’s was $16 billion. (To see a graphic comparing different IPO sizes, click here). It is not clear yet whether Alibaba will list on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.
The listing will also make Alibaba the largest Chinese company to list in the US. According to Reuters, Yahoo will have to sell nearly 40% of its Alibaba stake in the IPO or sell the shares back to Alibaba directly prior to the IPO. “Yahoo and Softbank may be among the biggest beneficiaries of Alibaba’s IPO, but neither will exercise much control of the Chinese company despite their shareholdings,” the report added.
Alibaba’s IPO is raising the likelihood of increasing numbers of Chinese companies listing in the US. As CNBC put it, “Alibaba’s coming IPO is expected to be so large that it will, like gravity, push or pull others coming before or after.”
Meanwhile, in other news, Alibaba has joined hands with US e-commerce company ShopRunner Inc. ShopRunner Inc. “to enable Chinese consumers to shop on the Web directly from U.S. retailers that otherwise sell little into the world’s largest market”, The Wall Street Journal reports. Alibaba’s users will be able to order goods directly from ShopRunner’s partners and have them delivered to China in 10 days or less.
Zhaopin’s IPO to Debut on the NYSE
While on the subject of IPOs, this week saw Zhaopin, China’s second-largest online recruitment platform by 2013 revenues, file for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. It hopes to raise up to $100 million and will use the ticker symbol ZPIN. Credit Suisse and UBS Investment Bank are underwriting Zhaopin’s IPO.
According to TechCrunch, “Companies that stand to benefit from the IPO include Seek International, Australia’s largest online job site, which owns a 79% stake in Zhaopin, and Cavalane Holdings, which holds 19.3%.”
According to Reuters, Zhaopin reported a loss of RMB 20.51 ($3.28) per share for the year ended June 30, 2013, compared with a profit of RMB 1.68 per share a year earlier. “Zhaopin said it planned to use the proceeds from the offering to repay debt, expanding into more markets, develop products and to upgrade its website,” the report added.
Baby Formula Imports in Trouble
China has tightened controls on baby formula imports. The Associated Press reports that from now on only those foreign exporters who are registered with the government are allowed to export milk products into China. According to the same report, the European units of Abbot Laboratories, Mead Johnson Nutrition Co. and Nestle Group are already registered. The Financial Times reports of another regulation that “requires all formula sold in China to carry Chinese-language labelling affixed at the source”.
Milk, especially baby formula, is a contentious issue in China since 2008 when it was found that some Chinese suppliers were adding melamine to milk and baby formula. Melamine can have severe health consequences such as kidney damage. Ever since then many consumers have shifted allegiance to foreign brands, thereby boosting imports from New Zealand, Australia and Europe. A huge grey market for infant formula has mushroomed, and baby formula is routinely smuggled into China from Hong Kong and elsewhere.
The latest move by the Chinese authorities is being seen as the government’s effort to give a fillip to the local dairy industry. As the FT says, “In 2013, China floated a plan to subsidise five domestic producers, including four of the country’s largest dairy producers and the previously unknown Treasure of Plateau, which had begun producing formula from yak’s milk in 2012.” The government of Beijing is giving Sanyuan Group, a local brand, RMB 10.8 million to produce “safe” baby formula.
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Travel search firm Skyscanner has been listed as the third most successful private company in the UK for profit growth.
The Edinburgh-based travel search engine saw a three-year average increase in profit of almost 140%, according to the latest Sunday Times/BDO Profit Track 100 league table after its app was downloaded more than 30 million times.
River cruise and escorted tours specialist Riviera Travel came 20th in the league table with average profit growth over three years of almost 86%.
Other travel companies featured in the top 100 include Hampshire theme park Paultons Park in 18th position, coach operator Edwards Coaches (29th), travel service provider Totalstay – recently acquired by Jac Travel – (41st), hotel company Principal Hayley (59th) and tourist smartcard developer Leisure Pass Group (88th).
TotalStay chief executive Peter Clements said: “We have always been focused on building the business in a sustainable way, with profitability as the key driver, and it’s great to receive public recognition for our efforts.
“2015 is off to a great start and we are looking forward to building upon our recent success with our new owners at JacTravel.”


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A recently opened coffee shop in Tyler is on a mission that involves more than just serving a cup of joe.
JumpShot Coffee has been serving not only the local community, but communities as far away as Uganda since it opened in late February, according to owner Sasha Rodriguez.
“Our shop is mainly a tool to impact our community locally, and to also make an impact internationally. My husband and I have both served in missions, and helping others locally and internationally has always been part of who we are,” Rodriguez said.
Part of that impact can be seen on a large mural on the outside wall of the business that depicts four of several young children in Uganda the couple has been aiding for years.
“At an orphanage in Uganda, we have been supporting 35 children,” Rodriguez said. “The kids in the mural are Namatovu Maria, Kawessa Ryan, Nakimuly Tracy, and Kaggude Jimmy and they are real kids that were rescued from the streets in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. They have suffered severe hardships throughout their lives.”
Rodriguez said the mural has been a conversation-starter, which she said was one of the goals.
“The purpose of the mural is to let everyone know a little bit of who we are and what we do, and hopefully, share some ‘hope’ with Tyler. It gives our customers the opportunity to enjoy and explore its beauty from up close, which is such a fun and unique experience; and it also causes them to ask questions.” she said. “Quite a few customers have already asked for the opportunity to help kids as well, not only through buying our coffee, but through directly sponsoring a child from the orphanage.”
Mural artist Dace Kidd said she felt compelled to take on the project.
“When I learned about the charity work of JumpShot Coffee, it deeply moved me,” she said. “The mural design wasn’t created yet; therefore, I was thrilled when we decided to use the photos of the kids from the orphanage in Uganda for the mural concept to emphasize the importance of charity.”
Kidd said she hopes the mural serves as an inspiration for others to be of service.
“We all can make a difference and make the world a better place,” she said.
Rodriguez said she hopes the business also makes an impact on a local level.
“In the short two months we have been open, we have been serving underprivileged people in our area. We have served free breakfast to homeless, widowed and hospitalized women in Tyler,” she said. “Beautifying our downtown, especially in the health district, where so many people with compromised health drive by every single day. Our goal has been to serve them by bringing art and beauty to their drive.”
Rodriguez went on to say something as simple as buying a cup of coffee can make a huge difference.
“We learned that serving is the essence of purpose. Everyone is called to serve somewhere, and that’s what brings true fulfillment to our lives. We are offering to our community the opportunity to give as an act of service, which has changed our lives personally,” she said. “Doing something as simple as buying coffee, or giving a little extra, can make a huge impact.”
The shop has set a grand opening for May 21. Rodriguez said they have big plans for the future.
“This is just the beginning. We soon hope to offer customers a $1 a day tax deductible donation with 100% of the money benefitting orphanages,” she said. “We also have plans to take a group of 10 to 15 volunteers to Uganda next year to visit the orphanage and participate in the construction of the new orphanage we will hopefully be able to build for them.”
JumpShot Coffee is located at 734 South Fleishel Ave. Hours of operation are 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
For more information, call (903) 630-4694 or visit the JumpShot Facebook page.


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XTM Will Offer the MRA’s Members Value-Added Benefits Including EWA, Financial Wellness & Savings Accounts
MIAMI & TORONTO, May 03, 2022—-XTM, Inc. (“XTM” or the “Company”) (QB: XTMIF / CSE:PAID / FSE:7XT), a Miami and Toronto-based Fintech company in the neo-banking space, providing mobile banking and payment solutions around the world, is pleased to announce that it signed on with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) to further its offering of Earned Wage Access and other hospitality employee benefits to MRA members through its digital payment platform.
With XTM’s growing footprint in the United States, now with close to 60 additional rooftops in various stages of onboarding within the past 30 days, it is leveraging an opportunity to further its reach with worthy partners such as the Massachusetts Restaurant Association and its members.
“XTM is ambitiously pursing the growth of our US footprint with partnerships and alliances with solid organizations such as the MRA,” said Marilyn Schaffer, CEO, XTM. “We are driving ways for restaurant operators to attract and retain great staff and achieve a healthy comeback from lengthy shutdowns; wellness realized both physically and financially.”
“The MRA is excited to welcome XTM as a member,” said Steve Clark, CEO MRA. “We are always looking for business partners that bring innovative solutions to the hospitality industry and our member operators. XTM’s suite of services will provide added benefit to restaurant operators and their employees across Massachusetts.”
Massachusetts is one o f the nation’s most flourishing restaurant environments with over 18,000 restaurants and growing daily. One out of every ten employees in the state are employed directly in or in supporting industries of the restaurant industry, an undeniable driving force in the state’s economy.
The MRA is the voice of expertise for the restaurant industry in Massachusetts manned with a powerful team of advocates with an impressive reputation. Known as the definitive voice of the state’s restaurant and hospitality industry in city halls and the state capital.
XTM, www.xtminc.com, is a Miami and Toronto-based fintech innovator in the neo-banking space, helping businesses and service workers in the hospitality and personal care space disseminate and access earned wages and gratuities. XTM’s Today™ Solution, comprised of a free mobile app and a Visa or Mastercard debit card with free banking features, is used by thousands of restaurants, salons and staff across Canada and the United States. XTM is a global card issuer and real-time payment specialist. Our technology is used by Restaurants, Salons and service staff at no charge to automate and expedite Earned Wage and Gratuity Access, increasing time and attendance and eliminating cash from ecosystems. XTM’s Today solution drives operational efficiencies and delivers a bespoke user experience designed specifically for service workers.


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Kellogg’s is releasing an onion-flavored cereal. No joke.
The stuff looks like Chex and supposedly tastes like green onions.
According to those who’ve tried it, it’s a tasty snack by itself – and if you eat it with milk, the milk becomes tastier. (The Korea Herald)
Check out a pic of the new, odd, cereal HERE.


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I returned from a month in Europe to find the news that the 42nd Street Candy Co. was going to close. The store where I had shopped for years, at NW 42nd Street and N. Western Avenue, had been owned and operated by entrepreneur Teresa Wall for 18 of their 39 years of existence. Not many small businesses survive 39 years, and I was saddened to learn that this icon might fall victim to a new retail paradigm.
It appears that this tragedy will have a happy ending. You might know by now that Bob Benham, owner of Balliets, reached out to Wall with a creative solution that would enable her to continue her passion. Benham’s plan, which was ultimately accepted by Wall, has 42nd Street Candy Co. co-locating with Balliets at 5801 NW Grand Boulevard in Oklahoma City. This iconic candy store will be occupying part of the first floor of the two-story Balliets store.
These two creative entrepreneurs are practicing what I have been predicting could happen in the retail sector. We have seen a movement in the office space industry toward coworking, and several are operating right here in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. I have been predicting we would see small retailers practice a modified coworking scheme to reduce expenses, create energy, and enhance the customer experience.
We continuously insist that retailers must create a unique experience to coax customers from the online marketplace and back into brick-and-mortar locations. Seems to me that Benham and Wall are doing just that. By co-locating two iconic local brands and the energy of two talented business professionals, they should create a new buzz and a new customer experience, while reducing expenses for each.
In the retail real estate business, this is the consummate example of tenant mix. The businesses that co-locate must gain synergy. My guess is there are many small entrepreneurial businesspeople watching these two iconic small businesses to see if the co-location will increase sales and decrease expenses. If so, retail landlords may be altering leases to accommodate a new trend in the industry as businesses look to co-locate with others to gain new synergy. I, for one, will be rooting for both businesses and applaud their creativity.
J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (firstname.lastname@example.org).


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A coalition of15 major players in the organic food industry—including producers, farmers, consumer, environmental and certification groups—filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging USDA violated the federal rulemaking process.
While regulators creep closer toward adopting parts of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) has taken center stage as food and beverage manufacturers seek the best ways to stay compliant, avoid costly recalls and provide an easier audit experience.
Blue Bell Creameries has voluntarily suspended operations at its manufacturing plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to conduct a thorough food safety inspection at the facility and account for any possible areas of contamination after a number of the company’s ice cream products were linked to a Listeriosis outbreak.
In an effort to strengthen its commitment to reducing food waste in advance of World Health Day on April 7, USDA has launched a new “FoodKeeper” app that delivers valuable food storage and safety information right to consumers’ mobile devices.
That iconic Chesapeake Bay blue crab you ordered at a local Maryland or Washington, DC restaurant just might not be the real thing according to a recent study from Oceana that suggests a massive mislabeling scam.
At the request of FDA, a California judge has ordered a Los Angeles seafood company, L.A. Star Seafood Company Inc., to halt production until the company can demonstrate to FDA it is in compliance with food safety laws and regulations.


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Acting Debenhams chair shortlisted for Moss Bros role
Acting chairman of Debenhams Terry Duddy is reported to have been shortlisted for the role of chairman at menswear retailer Moss Bros.
According to Sky News, Duddy is one of the favourites to take over from incumbent Debbie Hewitt who plans to stand down later this year.
Seasoned retail professional Duddy, who is the former CEO of Home Retail Group, has only just taken on the role at Debenhams having been drafted in to replace Sir Ian Cheshire who was ousted from the role after the chain's biggest shareholder Mike Ashley of Sports Direct voted him off the board.
Duddy subsequently resigned from property group Hammerson where he has been senior independent director, due to his increased workload.


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This year’s Eat Drink Local Week may have come and gone, but the habits that kids at our Eat Play Local Day event at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan picked up will stay with them long after they outgrow their overalls and tricycles.
Eat Drink Local Week
Usually we’re advocates of device-free dining. But that was before the #eatdrinklocal Twitter stream started buzzing with pictures, recipes and farmstand tips on how our readers are eating, shopping and dining during Eat Drink Local.
Eat Drink Local Week has finally arrived and it’s going to be a hot one. So it’s your duty, really, to enjoy a bottle of chilled rose–one of our featured local ingredients of the week. In our Edible Guide you’ll find links to dozens of wine shops around the city where you can pop in a grab a bottle.
With Eat Drink Local Week just two days away, it’s time to stock up on our 8 featured ingredients and get cooking! Join us this Saturday as we kick off our week of local food fun at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket with cooking demos and prize giveaways.
Next Wednesday, June 27, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan will host an Eat Play Local Day, with kid-friendly, healthy cooking demos and important health information for parents. As an extra incentive to register for the event, which is free with paid admission to the museum, Cricket Azima, founder of The Creative Kitchen–one of the event participants–has offered up a copy of her book “Everybody Eats Lunch.”
As Eat Drink Local Week approaches–our eight-day tribute to our foodshed begins Saturday, June 23rd–we wanted to introduce the sponsors that have helped us organize the event and also support local and seasonal eating year-round.
As Eat Drink Local Week approaches–our eight-day tribute to our foodshed begins Saturday, June 23rd–we wanted to introduce our two very special non-profit charitable partners, which have not just helped us to organize this event, but also work tirelessly to support local and seasonal eating and agriculture year-round.
As Eat Drink Local Week approaches–our week-long tribute to our foodshed begins Saturday, June 23rd–we wanted to introduce the sponsors that have helped us organize the event and also support local and seasonal eating year-round.


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Zoomcar, an India-based carsharing service, will be unveiling its doorstep services for users before the end of the year, according to a report by NDTV Gadgets.
Using the feature through Zoomcar’s mobile app, customers can get a Zoomcar employee to drop the rental car at a specific GPS location.
This service will be an additional cost, but the company hasn’t specified the pricing yet. “We haven’t finalized the entire method yet, but from our research, it’s quite reasonable to expect that customers are willing to pay for the service,” Greg Moran, Zoomcar’s co-founder and CEO, told NDTV Gadgets.
The doorstep delivery service is planned to roll out first in Bangalore, followed after by Mumbai and Delhi by the end of the year, according to the report.
Click here for the full NDTV Gadgets report: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/zoomcar-announces-door-step-delivery-service-to-pilot-first-in-bangalore-715105


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The California hotel that has reached new heights of luxury - by delivering guests their Champagne by DRONE
If you're looking for the ultimate privacy and don't want to be disturbed by staff, then you may want to request that your drinks are delivered by drone.
That is how one California hotel has decided to add a little extra for its VIP guests staying in its most luxurious suite.
The Casa Madrona hotel, in Sausalito, outside San Francisco, came up with the unusual flying drinks waiter for guests staying in the £6,000 ($10,000)-a-night Alexandria Suite.
Scroll down for video
Living the high life: Guests staying at the £6,000-a-night Alexandria Suite can order their Champagne to be delivered by drone
Special delivery: The drone can fly up to the terrace of the Alexandria Suite and deposit two bottles of Champagne at a time
When they put in their order, the drone will fly up to the two-tier deck of their suite to drop off their drinks, meaning they won't be disturbed by staff or need to rummage around looking for a tip.
The owners of the hotel came up with the idea while brainstorming luxury ideas for guests.
Lindsay Weightman, spokesperson for the Casa Madrona, told the NY Daily News: 'One thing kind of led to another and the champagne drone drop was born!'
The machine, which has four 'arms' with propellers to power it up to the suite, has space for two bottles of Champagne, which can be deposited before the drone heads back downstairs.
Room with a view: Guests won't have to worry about opening the door to staff or finding a tip as they soak up the sun on their terrace
Off to a flying start: The Champagne delivery has been so well-received, the hotel is now thinking what else it can deliver by drone
Guests who want to rent out the hotel's 11-room mansion - for £14,800 ($25,000) a night - can also enjoy the drone drinks service, for which there is no extra cost.
And the unusual service has been so well received, the hotel is also thinking of introducing a drone cookie delivery and expanding into other items needed by guests.
The hotel, which overlooks San Francisco Bay, has already attracted its fair share of VIP guests. welcoming Pink Floyd back in 1967, and has named a room for the group in its newly-opened mansion.
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Tostitos tortilla chips and dips bring people together and are an essential part of most big football watch parties. These gatherings usually feature a spread of food and beverages and, many times, alcohol, leading to an increase in alcohol-related traffic crashes.
Recognizing this, Tostitos created the “Party Safe” bag – a bag of Tostitos chips featuring an alcohol sensor that acts as a reminder for people to not drink and drive after the party so everyone gets home safely. For those not lucky enough to get their hands on one of the limited-edition bags, Tostitos also partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to offer party-goers $10 off an Uber ride on Sunday, February 5 by using the barcode on the back of nearly every bag of Tostitos chips. This offer applies to both new and existing customers of Uber, but will be limited to the first 25,000 users who enter the code.
“Our goal is to remove 25,000 cars from the roads that Sunday evening,” said Jennifer Saenz, Frito-Lay chief marketing officer. “Whether watching the big game at a friend’s house or at a local bar, a safe ride home is just a few, easy taps away. By simply entering a participating Tostitos UPC code in the Uber app, fans nationwide can receive $10 off an Uber ride.”
Tostitos partnered with MADD to raise awareness around this issue and to remind party-goers to have fun, but to plan ahead for a non-drinking designated driver to get home safely. In 2015, 45 people were killed in drunk driving crashes, representing nearly half (46 percent) of all traffic fatalities on the day of the Big Game, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Having a good time and being safe go hand in hand,” said Delanie Walker, professional football Tight End and MADD volunteer, whose aunt and uncle were killed by a drunk driver after watching him play in the 2013 Super Bowl. “Drunk driving is 100 percent preventable. Thanks to Tostitos and Uber, it’s easier than ever to make a safe choice if your plans include alcohol.”
Earlier this month, Tostitos surprised fans watching playoff football games with the first-ever alcohol-detecting sensor on the limited-edition Tostitos “Party Safe” bags. The bag reminded party-goers to re-think getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. To learn more, see reactions from fans, and help spread the word about not drinking an driving, visit www.Tostitos.com
Fans can visit their local retailer to purchase a bag of Tostitos and take part in the getting home safe initiative with Tostitos and MADD. The promotional code for $10 off an Uber ride will be available only on the day of the Big Game, in the continental U.S. and Hawaii while supplies and quantities last.


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In case you haven’t heard, as of July 20, 2020 everyone is required to wear face coverings (covering the nose and mouth) when out in public. This includes commercial businesses and outdoor areas where social distancing isn’t possible.
Last week some stores such as Walmart had already stated that face coverings were mandatory to shop in all their stores. Now all other stores must follow suit. The stores must have signs which state that face coverings are mandatory to enter.
So why can the Mayor mandate face coverings? Since Gov Bill Lee gave local mayors the right to mandate face coverings through an executive order. This order will stay in effect until July 27th. Though that date may change.
What do you think about face coverings? Do you think it will help the spread of the Corona Virus?


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Cable & Wireless Communications
last month bought MCI
entire Internet holdings for $1.75 billion, is considering
entering into a partnership with Telewest Communications
a national Internet service provider in Britain.
Spokesmen for C&W and Telewest said the companies, Britain largest and
second-largest cable operators, respectively, are considering forming a
joint ISP which could offer Internet access through cable modems, Bloomberg
The spokesman said that this is just one option among several the companies
are examining. No agreement has yet been signed.
All three companies already provide Internet access over traditional
telephone lines, but C&W and Telewest have said they have plans next year
to introduce cable modems for Internet access.
Bloomberg reported that Charles Burdick, Telewest's financial director,
told The Independent, a British newspaper, that the three companies are
looking to create a single ISP "which would allow us to share costs,
expertise, and brands."
Cable modems are nearly 100 times faster than traditional phone lines and
more affordable to consumers and small businesses.
New York-based NTL, the third largest cable operator in Britain, did not
respond to requests for comments.
C&W reported it had 33,000 Internet customers at the end of March;
Telewest said it had almost 20,000 at the end of June. Scottish Power's
Demon Internet and British Telecommunications' BT Internet have 180,000 and
150,000 Internet customers, respectively.
"There's been a consolidation going on among Internet providers just as in
the States," Tony Clifford-Winters, a senior analyst at Bloor Research,
told Bloomberg. He added that cable companies have not been competitive in
the Internet market. "It sounds like a spectacular idea."
Bloomberg contributed to this report.


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(The Center Square) – Breweries are upset with regulations imposed on them by the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control through their license renewals, particularly since an expected formal public review process never happened.
Craft breweries under limited licenses were never intended to get the same privileges of a consumption venue, such as a sports bar or restaurant under legislative intent, a release from the New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety said when the special ruling was issued in May 2019. But craft breweries began serving beyond what limited licenses allowed. Bars and restaurant owners, whose licenses hold full retail privileges, made complaints of unfair competition.
The New Jersey Brewers Guild’s executive director, Eric Orlando, told The Center Square that his organization and other stakeholders had a meeting with the ABC in late spring to offer final input into what they expected would be a document for review. But the ABC adopted new regulations as licensing conditions for breweries without a formal comment process, he said.
“They in essence kind of adopted something that is on the books today without undertaking that process that they had envisioned in terms of a regulatory process,” he said.
The May 2019 ruling limited the number of TVs and their size allowed in a brewery and differentiated between amplified live music and recorded nonamplified music, he said.
“It specifically prohibited any brewery to work with an outside food vendor to provide food on-premise, or stop the brewery from working with a food truck to park off-premise to provide food to customers,” Orlando said.
The ruling limited the number of off-premise events that a brewery can host at 12 per year. Events at the brewery were limited to 25.
“So let's say you were to have a band on a Friday night, you'd only be allowed to have 25 of those a year,” Orlando said. “While you were able to show a Saturday football game, or Sunday football game on your TVs, if it was a championship sporting event – let's say the World Series or the Super Bowl – that would be thrown into the category of an on-premise event.”
Even regular sports events would count against the on-premises event limits if advertised, including a social media post, the updated limited brewery conditions posted by the ABC said.
“We believe the activities permitted under this Special Ruling strike a fair and appropriate balance between the interests of full retail license holders, such as restaurants and bars, and the craft brewing industry,” James B. Graziano, director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said in the release when the special ruling was issued in May 2019.
Many breweries have business models that depend on events and private parties financially, Orlando said. Their physical locations were built to accommodate events, but the ruling restricts monetizing those spaces.
“The number one issue is always liquor license value, whether it be a license value of the license at a bar restaurant has to serve and sell alcohol, the license value at the liquor store down the street that for six years, seven years are the only ones where you could buy a six-pack of beer, or any other type of alcohol,” he said.
The wholesale tier that has the almost exclusive privilege to distribute alcohol for the last 10 to 20 years has its own license value, he said.
“What it really comes down to is it's these new businesses starting and the pushback from those traditional entities against it,” Orlando said. “And this is being sold as a way by the state regulator as trying to balance those interests."
He said what it does in essence in the eyes of NJ Brewers Guild members is to take the side of traditional interests instead of fostering their business concepts and meeting the real consumer demand.


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This morning, Sean Murray hit twitter to announce that No Man’s Sky has gone gold! It’s finito, concluded, finished, donedilliderino.
Unfortunately, the game is not officially out until the 9th of August, after it was delayed back in May. Just one.. More.. Month..
This announcement comes just under a month after Hello Games resolved a trademark dispute, which had been in motion for three years. Things are finally starting to fall into place.
Check out the tweet below!
It’s happened. No Man’s Sky just went gold. I’m so incredibly proud of this tiny team. 4 years of emotions pic.twitter.com/YJoI6JVgxq
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) 7 July 2016


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Part of a town centre was evacuated after a suspicious package was discovered by shop workers.
The package was found in Fareham by shop staff near Poundland in West Street at about 13:00 BST.
Hampshire Constabulary said a Royal Navy explosive disposal team found the item posed no threat and made it safe. A 100m cordon in the area had been lifted by 16:30.
The force said it was satisfied there was "no threat to the public".
Mike Tudor, who was working near West Street, said: "We could see that there was a police cordon stretching to cover the majority of the town centre near Poundland.
"Several emergency vehicles passed us and a navy bomb disposal vehicle."
He added workers and shoppers were allowed to return to the shopping centre once the cordon was lifted.
Hampshire Constabulary also thanked a nearby Tesco supermarket for providing water to members of the public and emergency services.


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Zuku Fiber, a member of the Wananchi Group, has unveiled what it says is the fastest Internet speed in the country at 250Mbps.
Group Chief Executive Thomas Hintze said in a statement yesterday the package, dubbed Home Advanced 250Mbps, is designed to meet the evolving needs of customers for streaming short videos, movies, real-time gaming and live video chats.
Such services require higher bandwidth and low latency Internet services. The package comes a year after Zuku Fiber announced it would invest Sh2.6 billion to upgrade its network infrastructure and services.
It includes 250Mbps Internet speed, premium TV content through Zuku TV, a free cable modem for Internet service, a free TV set-top box and telephony services. To celebrate the milestone, Mr Hintze said, all Zuku Fiber customers will in due course have their current Internet packages' speeds upgraded by up to 66 per cent at the same price they are currently paying.


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Will BlackBerry's Low-Cost Z3 Score in Indonesia?
May 14 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Mia Saini reports on BlackBerry releasing a new low-cost smartphone in Indonesia. She speaks with Zeb Eckert on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg)
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Iran Says Growth Target Can Be Met
11:32 - Iran's newly elected parliament held its first session with President Rouhani telling them he's confident a 5% growth rate is still achievable. Bloomberg's Golnar Motevalli reports on "Bloomberg Markets Middle East." (Source: Bloomberg)


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According to the remarks by IKCO CEO and President Hashem Yekehzare in the company's annual general assembly held on Tuesday 22 July 2014, Iran Khodro and Peugeot will establish a joint company on a 50/50 partnership agreement.
In the meantime, the two companies' CEOs discussed design and development of a joint product and its export to other markets in a recent meeting.
The production of Peugeot 301 and 2008 in the first phase of cooperation and establishment of a research and development center with Peugeot Company as well as rolling out a joint product with the help of Iranian part makers were other items, agreed upon in this joint cooperation contract.
Yekehzare also referred to his company's agreement with Renault Company, and added, "In the first stage of cooperation with Renault, Clio 4 and Capture will hit the market in the 2H". Clio 4 is a small car, sipping 5 liters of gas per 100km.
Earlier, the IKCO CEO has stressed his company's plan to introduce 10 to 15 new products within three years, and declared that three of them would carry IKCO brand.


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Well-known hotel booking website Hotelhippo.com has been taken down after the discovery that it had been leaking customer data.
Information security consultant Scott Helme discovered the vulnerability and said he sent details to the firm on 25 June, but no action was taken until Tuesday.
Mr Helme, who described the breach as ‘appalling’, went on to say that repeated emails and phone calls to Hotelhippo.com’s owners, HotelStayUK, had been ignored.
However, managing director Chris Orrell said he was unaware of the issue.
“No-one’s passed on any information to me,” he said.
The ICO and the UK data privacy watchdog opened an investigation on Tuesday.
Before being taken down, the website displayed messages and trust stamps stating that it was secure. However, Mr Helme said discovering the vulnerability was easy.
“I easily discovered a method of extracting the personal and sensitive data of thousands of customers that had used the site before me,” he said.
The vulnerability centred on the use of unique web addresses to pull up customer data.
When placing a booking, a unique five-figure number would appear in the address bar of the web browser.
By simply altering this number, any user could pull up details of previous bookings. Details available were:
- Length of stay
- Home address
The identified misconfiguration with the webserver puts hotelhippo.com in breach of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).
A simple program could be written which automatically extracts all the available data. Aside from the phishing possibilities thrown up by having so much personal information so readily available, just imagine the value of a database containing details of which home addresses would be vacant at what time, and for how long…


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Revolution Brewing’s Hazy Hero Heads to Sweden
Chicago’s Revolution Brewing is a constant presence on local shelves, with an ever-growing national footprint as well. The brewery’s well-crafted lineup of ‘Hero’ IPAs and Deep Wood barrel-aged beers competes well in the ever-competitive American craft beer market, but the immense competition among breweries and changing tastes of consumers has made the market more unpredictable than ever. Like any smart business, Revolution looked for new markets – and mouths – to sell their beer and struck gold in Sweden. Soon, Revolution’s Hazy Hero IPA will be available in 450 stores across the Scandinavian country. Here’s how the unique partnership came to be.
The Sweden and American craft beer markets could not be more different. While the American market is primarily de-centralized among local and national distributors, the majority of liquor sales in Sweden are controlled by Systembolaget, which is Sweden’s government-owned liquor store chain. The Systembolaget executes the wide majority of liquor sales in the country via a centralized buying-system and operates 450 liquor stores throughout the country. Sweden does produce some great beer locally but the Systembolaget also augments their selection via international imports. This is where Hazy Hero enters the equation.
Systembolaget submitted a specific tender for a Hazy IPA import, with the requirements being that it had to be from the US and within a certain ABV range. A unique quirk about the Swedish beer market is that beer is divided into three classes in Sweden, with Hazy Hero’s 7.3% ABV firmly putting it in the last tier (Class III) under the Starköl (strong beer) >4.5% designation. Unlike Class I and II beers, where you only needed to be 18 to purchase, you need to be 20 to buy Hazy Hero at Systembolaget locations.
Sweden has 3 classes for its beers, based on their ABVs. Ever wonder what their term for "strong beer" (>4.5% ABV) is? It's "Starköl," and it's emblazoned on @RevBrewChicago Hazy Hero IPA cans headed to the Swedish market. Story coming next week for @PorchDrinkChi pic.twitter.com/D1Zg9HakYl
— Taylor Laabs 🍺 (@TaylorLaabs) August 19, 2021
According to Revolution’s Director of Sales Bridget Higgins, Revolution submitted Hazy Hero and won a second place tender after a blind taste-test, meaning Hazy Hero would officially become a Systembolaget offering. “This was a huge honor being chosen off of a blind taste test, and really gives testament to how great the liquid is,” said Higgins.
The move into Sweden is a massive opportunity for Revolution and is a market that has intrigued the Chicago brewer for some time due to the unique sales opportunity it provides. Unlike the US, Higgins notes that Sweden is a primarily off-premise country, with 80% of liquor sales pre-COVID happening at places like Systembolaget liquor stores, which shows the massive growth potential for Hazy Hero in the new market.
The arrival of new beers like Hazy Hero to the Systembolaget also excites Swedish beer drinkers, as Higgins notes that many drinkers consistently check the Systembolaget website to see what new tenders are coming to stores next. With Hazy Hero hitting Swedish shelves soon, Higgins is hopeful that this one-time drop gets to show Swedish beer drinkers the depth and quality of Revolution’s Hero IPA line – hopefully leading to additional tenders for Hero IPAs and maybe some of Revolution’s even boozier offerings in the future. “This is a great opportunity for us to showcase our brands through a controlled and well executed environment.”
Feature image courtesy of Revolution Brewing